Helldivers 2: Top Loadouts Against Illuminate
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In Helldivers 2, the Illuminate stand out as a formidable adversary, renowned for their advanced technology and strategic prowess. They overwhelm players with precision and sheer numbers, deploying both light infantry and elite units that approach from the ground and sky. To triumph over the Illuminate, selecting the right loadouts and builds is crucial. These should exploit the Illuminate's vulnerabilities while offering robust defense against their tech-heavy assaults.
So, how can you effectively combat the Illuminate? It's all about crafting a perfect blend of weapons, support gear, and stratagems tailored to counter their unique strengths. You must balance your arsenal to handle both the swarms of lesser units and the tougher, armored foes. Neglecting either type could render your loadout ineffective against the full might of the Illuminate.
In this guide, we'll explore the top loadouts and strategies designed to enhance your combat effectiveness against this new, squid-like faction. Whether you're a veteran or new to the battlefield, these tactics will help you gear up and confront the Illuminate head-on.
The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate
PLAS-1 Scorcher / PLAS-101 Purifier
GP-31 Grenade Pistol
G-13 Incendiary Impact
Siege-Ready
- LAS-98 Laser Cannon (Support)
- AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog"
- Eagle Strafing Run
- A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry / Orbital Laser
The PLAS-1 Scorcher and PLAS-101 Purifier are among the best primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They excel at annihilating Overseers, including jet-pack-equipped Elevated units, and are equally devastating against the Voteless. The Siege-Ready armor passive enhances their effectiveness by providing additional ammunition and faster reloads, ensuring you can tackle multiple priority targets with ease. The increased damage per second is crucial when precision is key.
The Eagle Strafing Run paired with the GP-31 Grenade Pistol forms a potent combination for destroying parked warp ships. Energy-based weapons struggle against their shields, but a single Strafing Run can strip the shields from all grounded warp ships in a line. Follow up by lobbing a grenade into their open bay doors to trigger an explosion. This strategy is particularly effective when clearing out medium or heavy Illuminate nests with multiple warp ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact grenades can also be used on open bay doors, they are more effective at clearing chaff, so save them for when you're using the Grenade Pistol.
The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" proves remarkably effective against medium-armored Overseers. Each burst can take down an elite unit, making it an essential stratagem for guarding your flanks against the Illuminate.
The A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry is ideal for locking down areas during objective defense. If crowd control isn't your primary concern, consider swapping it for an Orbital Laser to target Harvesters or future heavy units.
Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon rounds out this loadout, melting Overseers and chaff in seconds. It's also highly effective against Harvesters; use a Strafing Run to deplete their shields, then aim at their weak points (thighs/eyes) with the Laser Cannon. A single clip suffices if your aim is true. Its long range makes it perfect for engaging enemies from a distance, truly an anti-squid weapon.
On level 9 or 10 difficulty, where multiple Harvesters are common, having an Orbital Laser is indispensable.
The Lightning Loadout: Shocking (& Staggering) the Illuminate
ARC-12 Blitzer
GP-31 Grenade Pistol
G-13 Incendiary Impact
Electrical Conduit / Med-Kit
- ARC-3 Arc Thrower (Support)
- Orbital Railcannon Strike / Orbital Laser
- Eagle Strafing Run
- A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower
The Illuminate's mix of melee and ranged units makes the ARC-12 Blitzer and ARC-3 Arc Thrower ideal for handling both threats. They effortlessly clear chaff, but the Arc Thrower's advantage lies in its ability to render Overseers nearly useless by chaining and staggering them, effectively stunning them momentarily. Continuous attacks from a distance can keep Elevated Overseers permanently stunned in mid-air.
The Arc Thrower can also take down unshielded Harvesters, though it requires around a dozen hits. Each hit inflicts a moderate stun that accumulates over time.
The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is exceptionally effective against all Illuminate units, particularly groups of flying Overseers. It provides consistent crowd control and disrupts enemy formations, making it easier to manage large waves. Combine it with the Arc Thrower for multiple chained lightning attacks to control an entire area. Prioritize targeting key enemies with the Arc Thrower to prevent them from reaching your Tesla Tower.
Harvesters often target sentries, so avoid deploying your Tesla Tower or other sentry stratagems once engaged with them.
The Eagle Strafing Run and Grenade Pistol remain essential for destroying parked warp ships. The Blitzer and Arc Thrower are inefficient at depleting their shields in combat, so avoid replacing them unless another teammate can handle this task.
For dealing with heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike is invaluable, offering unlimited uses. The Orbital Laser is effective against multiple Harvesters but is limited to three uses, necessitating teamwork. Ensure you use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This loadout is one of the most potent against the Illuminate, especially when coordinated with a team.
The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate
StA-52 Assault Rifle
GP-31 Grenade Pistol / CQC-19 Stun Lance
G-13 Incendiary Impact
Peak Physique / Engineering Kit
- MG-43 Machine Gun (Support)
- LIFT-850 Jump Pack
- Orbital Railcannon Strike / Orbital Laser
- A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry / A/G-16 Gatling Sentry
The MG-43 Machine Gun is the most versatile support weapon against the Illuminate, making it a cornerstone of this loadout. It effortlessly shreds light and medium enemies, as well as Harvesters. Compared to the MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun, the standard Machine Gun offers better handling and quicker infantry dispatch.
It's a jack-of-all-trades against the squids, providing an excellent balance of power and reliability. Pair it with the Engineering Kit to reduce recoil or the Peak Physique armor passive to minimize drag, the latter helping you target flying Overseers or Watchers more effectively.
Its high fire rate also efficiently depletes shields, eliminating the need for the Eagle Strafing Run to destroy grounded warp ships. Instead, choose one of the turret sentries to manage large crowds or defend objectives.
The Machine Gun's stationary reload animation is a drawback; you can't reload while moving. This is where the LIFT-850 Jump Pack comes in handy, allowing you to quickly relocate to safety and navigate new urban maps more easily.
While the Machine Gun can effectively target Harvesters by aiming at their weak spots, having an Orbital stratagem in your arsenal ensures quick disposal of multiple heavy units. The Orbital Laser can handle two to three shielded Harvesters simultaneously, whereas the Railcannon Strike is only effective against unshielded targets.
For the primary weapon in this loadout, you have flexibility. If you want to maintain the bullet-storm theme, consider the new StA-52 Assault Rifle from the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover. It features a large drum magazine and delivers sustained fire with light-armor-penetrating capability, matching the damage output of the standard Liberator.
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