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

The Illuminate faction in Helldivers 2 presents a unique challenge with their advanced technology and strategic prowess. They deploy a mix of light infantry and elite units that can approach from both the ground and the sky, making them a formidable foe. To conquer the Illuminate, you need to carefully select your loadouts and builds, focusing on exploiting their vulnerabilities while safeguarding against their powerful tech.

The secret to effectively combating the Illuminate lies in crafting a well-balanced arsenal of weapons, support gear, and stratagems. This balance must address both the swarms of lesser enemies and the more resilient, armored units. Neglecting either type can render your loadout ineffective against the full might of the Illuminate.

This guide offers detailed insights into the best loadouts and strategies specifically designed to tackle the Illuminate. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to Helldivers 2, these tactics will enhance your combat effectiveness against this challenging, squid-like faction. Let's equip ourselves and prepare to confront the Illuminate head-on.

The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

The PLAS-1 Scorcher and PLAS-101 Purifier stand out as top-tier primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They excel at melting Overseers, including the jet-pack-equipped Elevated units, and are equally potent against the Voteless. Whether you choose the Scorcher or the Purifier, the Siege-Ready armor passive ensures you have the additional ammunition and swift reloads needed to tackle multiple high-priority targets. The increased damage per second is crucial when every shot counts.

Combining the Eagle Strafing Run with the GP-31 Grenade Pistol forms a dynamic duo for obliterating parked warp ships. Energy-based weapons struggle to deplete their shields, but a single Strafing Run can strip the shields off every grounded warp ship in a straight line. Follow up by lobbing a grenade into their open bay doors to trigger an explosion. This strategy is particularly effective for clearing medium or heavy Illuminate nests requiring the destruction of multiple warp ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact can also be thrown into open bay doors, they're more efficient at clearing lesser enemies, so reserve them when using the Grenade Pistol.

The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" proves surprisingly effective against medium-armored Overseers. Each burst can take down a single elite unit, making it a valuable asset for protecting your flanks against the Illuminate.

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

Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon rounds out this loadout, ideal for combating the Illuminate. It can melt Overseers and chaff within seconds and is exceptionally effective against Harvesters. Use a Strafing Run to deplete their shields, then target the Harvesters' weak points (thighs/eyes) with the Laser Cannon. A single clip suffices if your aim is true. The Laser Cannon's extensive range allows you to engage targets from a distance, making it a prime anti-squid weapon.

On difficulties level 9 or 10, where multiple Harvesters are frequent, incorporating an Orbital Laser becomes essential.

The Lightning Loadout: Shocking (& Staggering) the Illuminate

The Illuminate's mix of melee and ranged units makes the ARC-12 Blitzer and ARC-3 Arc Thrower ideal for covering both fronts. These weapons easily dispatch lesser enemies, but the Arc Thrower has the added benefit of rendering Overseers nearly ineffective. Each lightning arc chains and staggers, stunning Overseers momentarily. Continuous attacks from a distance can keep Elevated Overseers permanently stunned in mid-air.

The Arc Thrower can also take down unshielded Harvesters, requiring around a dozen hits, each inflicting a moderate stun that accumulates over time.

The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is highly effective against all Illuminate types, especially groups of flying Overseers. It provides consistent crowd control and disrupts enemies, facilitating the management of large waves. Combining the Tesla Tower with the Arc Thrower creates a formidable setup, with multiple chained lightning attacks capable of locking down entire areas. Focus the Arc Thrower on priority enemies to prevent them from reaching and destroying your Tesla Tower.

Harvesters prioritize targeting sentries, so avoid deploying your Tesla Tower or other sentry stratagems once engaged.

The Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol remain essential for obliterating parked warp ships. The Blitzer and Arc Thrower are inefficient at depleting their shields during combat, so avoid swapping them out unless you have a teammate to handle this task.

For dealing with heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike is invaluable, offering unlimited uses. The Orbital Laser can handle multiple Harvesters simultaneously but is limited to three uses, necessitating teamwork. Always precede with a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This build is one of the most powerful against the Illuminate, particularly when coordinated with other players.

The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

The MG-43 Machine Gun is the epitome of versatility 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 superior handling and quicker dispatch of infantry.

It's a true all-rounder against the squids, striking a perfect balance between power and reliability. Pair it with the Engineering Kit to reduce recoil or the Peak Physique armor passive to minimize drag, facilitating targeting of 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 manage large crowds or defend objectives.

The only drawback of the Machine Gun is its stationary reload animation, which prevents movement during reloads. This is where the LIFT-850 Jump Pack proves invaluable, allowing quick relocations to safety and easier navigation through the new urban maps.

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

For the primary weapon in this loadout, you can choose any from the Armory. If you prefer to continue the bullet-storm theme, consider the new StA-52 Assault Rifle, introduced in the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover. It features a large drum magazine, providing sustained fire with light-armor-penetrating capabilities, matching the damage output of the standard Liberator.