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 Helldivers 2, the Illuminate stand out as a formidable adversary, renowned for their advanced technologies and tactics that overwhelm players with precision and numbers. As you tackle their light infantry, be prepared for their elite units to close in from both ground and air. The secret to triumphing over them lies in crafting loadouts and builds that not only exploit their vulnerabilities but also shield you from their potent tech.

To combat the Illuminate effectively, you need to strike the perfect balance between weapons and stratagems that handle both their weaker units and the more formidable armored or heavy ones. Neglecting either type can render your loadout ineffective against the full force of the Illuminate horde.

This guide explores the top loadouts and builds designed specifically to tackle the Illuminate. Whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, these strategies will boost your combat effectiveness against this challenging, squid-like faction. Let's gear up and prepare to 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 most effective primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They excel at annihilating Overseers, including the jet-pack-wielding Elevated units, and are just as potent against the Voteless. The Siege-Ready armor passive enhances their performance by providing additional ammunition and faster reloads, crucial for tackling multiple priority targets. Their high damage per second is invaluable when every shot counts.

The combination of the Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol is perfect for obliterating grounded warp ships. Energy-based weapons struggle to deplete their shields, but a single Strafing Run can strip the shields of multiple ships in a line. Follow up by lobbing a grenade into their open bay doors to trigger an explosion. This tactic is particularly useful for dismantling medium or heavy Illuminate nests, where you may need to destroy several warp ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact grenades can also be used in this way, they're more effective against weaker enemies, so reserve them when using the Grenade Pistol.

The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" proves surprisingly effective against medium-armored Overseers, taking them down with a single burst, making it an excellent choice for guarding your flanks against the Illuminate.

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

Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon rounds out this loadout, excelling at quickly eliminating both Overseers and chaff. It's also effective against Harvesters; use a Strafing Run to remove their shields, then aim for their weak points (thighs/eyes) with the Laser Cannon. A single clip suffices with steady aim. The Laser Cannon's long range is a significant advantage, allowing you to engage targets from a distance. It's truly an anti-squid weapon.

On higher difficulty levels (9 or 10), where multiple Harvesters are common, an 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 perfect for dealing with both the melee and ranged units of the Illuminate. They easily dispatch weaker enemies, but the Arc Thrower's ability to chain and stagger lightning arcs renders Overseers nearly helpless, briefly stunning them. Continuous ranged attacks can keep Elevated Overseers perpetually stunned in mid-air.

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

The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is highly effective against all Illuminate enemy types, particularly groups of flying Overseers, providing consistent crowd control and disruption. Combined with the Arc Thrower, you can create multiple chained lightning attacks to lock down entire areas. Prioritize targeting key enemies with the Arc Thrower to prevent them from reaching and destroying your Tesla Tower.

Harvesters often target sentries, so avoid deploying your Tesla Tower or other sentry stratagems if you're already engaging them.

The Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol are essential for destroying parked warp ships, as the Blitzer and Arc Thrower are inefficient at depleting their shields during combat. Don't replace these unless you have a teammate who 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 is limited to three uses, so coordinate with your team. Always use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This loadout is one of the most powerful against the Illuminate, especially when used in coordination with your 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 undoubtedly the most versatile support weapon 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.

It's a true all-rounder against the squids, providing a perfect balance of power and reliability. Pair it with the Engineering Kit to reduce recoil or the Peak Physique armor passive to decrease drag, the latter aiding in targeting flying Overseers or Watchers.

Its high fire rate is also effective in 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 Machine Gun's stationary reload animation is a drawback, but the LIFT-850 Jump Pack helps you quickly move to safety and navigate the new urban maps with ease.

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

For the primary weapon in this build, choose from the Armory as you see fit. To complement the bullet-storm theme, consider the StA-52 Assault Rifle, introduced in the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover. It features a large drum magazine and provides sustained fire that penetrates light armor, delivering damage comparable to the standard Liberator.