Helldivers 2: Top Loadouts vs. Illuminate

Quick Links

• The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

• The Lightning Loadout: Shocking (& Staggering) the Illuminate

• The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

In the challenging world of Helldivers 2, the Illuminate stand out as a formidable adversary. Renowned for their advanced technologies and precision, they can overwhelm players with sheer numbers and specialized elite units that attack from both the ground and the air. To conquer the Illuminate, you need to craft a loadout that not only exploits their vulnerabilities but also safeguards against their formidable tech.

The key to success against the Illuminate is finding the perfect mix of weapons, support gear, and stratagems to handle their diverse threats effectively. Balancing your arsenal to tackle both the light infantry and the heavily armored units is crucial. Overlook one, and your strategy will falter against the full might of the Illuminate horde.

This guide will explore the top loadouts and builds designed to give you the upper hand in battling the Illuminate. Whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, these strategies will boost your combat prowess against this sophisticated, squid-like faction. Let's equip ourselves and prepare to take on 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 stand out as some of the best primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They excel at melting Overseers, including jet-pack-equipped Elevated units, and are just as effective against the Voteless. Both the Scorcher and Purifier benefit from the Siege-Ready armor passive, which provides additional ammunition and faster reloads. This allows you to engage multiple priority targets without interruption, leveraging the weapons' high damage per second to make every shot count.

The Eagle Strafing Run paired with the GP-31 Grenade Pistol forms a potent combination for destroying parked warp ships. Energy-based weapons struggle to deplete their shields, but a single Strafing Run can strip the shields from all grounded warp ships in its path. Following up with a grenade into their open bay doors will cause them to explode. This tactic is especially useful when clearing out medium or heavy Illuminate nests, where you may need to destroy multiple warp ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact can also be used against open bay doors, they are more effective against light infantry, so reserve them for when you're using the Grenade Pistol.

The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" proves unexpectedly effective against medium-armored Overseers. A single burst can take down an elite unit, making it an excellent choice for protecting your flanks against the Illuminate.

The A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry is invaluable for locking down areas during objective defense. If crowd control isn't your priority, consider swapping it out for an Orbital Laser to target Harvesters or future heavy units.

Lastly, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon rounds out this loadout perfectly. It can melt Overseers and light infantry in seconds and is highly effective against Harvesters. Use a Strafing Run to remove their shields, then target their weak points (thighs/eyes) with the Laser Cannon. A single clip can suffice with steady aim. Its long range makes it an ideal choice for picking off targets from a distance, making it a true anti-squid weapon.

On higher difficulties like levels 9 or 10, where multiple Harvesters are common, the Orbital Laser becomes essential.

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 ARC-12 Blitzer and ARC-3 Arc Thrower are excellent choices for dealing with both melee and ranged Illuminate units. They easily clear out light infantry, but the Arc Thrower's ability to chain and stagger lightning arcs makes Overseers nearly useless. Continuous attacks can keep Elevated Overseers permanently stunned in mid-air.

The Arc Thrower can also take down unshielded Harvesters, requiring about a dozen hits. Each hit causes a moderate stun that accumulates over time.

The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is highly effective against all Illuminate types, particularly against groups of flying Overseers. It provides consistent crowd control and disrupts enemies, making it easier to manage large waves. Combine it with the Arc Thrower for multiple chained lightning attacks that can lock down an entire area. Prioritize targeting key enemies with the Arc Thrower to prevent them from reaching your Tesla Tower.

Harvesters target sentries first, so avoid deploying your Tesla Tower or other sentries if you're already engaging Harvesters.

The Eagle Strafing Run and Grenade Pistol remain essential for destroying parked warp ships. Neither the Blitzer nor the Arc Thrower is efficient at depleting their shields during combat, so don't replace them unless another teammate can handle this task.

For dealing with heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike is ideal due to its unlimited uses. The Orbital Laser is effective against multiple Harvesters, but with only three uses, you'll eventually depend on your teammates. Always use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This build is among the most powerful against the Illuminate in Helldivers 2, especially when coordinated with teammates.

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 incredibly versatile against the Illuminate, making it a top choice for 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 faster infantry dispatch.

This weapon is a true all-rounder 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 decrease drag, which helps in targeting flying Overseers or Watchers.

Its high fire rate is also effective at depleting shields, eliminating the need for the Eagle Strafing Run to destroy grounded warp ships. Instead, opt for turret sentries to disperse large crowds or defend objectives.

The only drawback of the Machine Gun is its stationary reload animation, which requires you to stop moving. This is where the LIFT-850 Jump Pack comes in handy, allowing you to quickly reposition to safety and navigate the new urban maps more effectively.

While the Machine Gun can easily handle Harvesters when targeting their weak spots, having an Orbital stratagem in your build is advisable for dealing with multiple heavy units quickly. The Orbital Laser can handle two to three shielded Harvesters at once, whereas the Railcannon Strike is only effective against unshielded targets.

For the primary weapon in this loadout, the StA-52 Assault Rifle is an excellent choice. Part of the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover, it features a large drum magazine for sustained fire and can penetrate light armor, delivering damage comparable to the standard Liberator.