You can get some awesome weapons in Hellsdivers 2 by spending your Medals on Warbonds, but we all know the best ones can only be gotten from Stratagem drops. Still, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any powerful guns you can equip as part of your loadout before you get shipped off into Angel’s Venture.

You can’t go wrong when investing in firepower to reduce the number of Supply Drop calls to replenish your ammo and increase your chances of survival. The “best weapons in Helldivers 2 vary from mission to mission, but we have a universal tier list that can guide you to pick which weapon to choose in certain scenarios. What’s suitable for exterminating bugs may be inadequate against Automatons. Compared to a swarming horde of weak enemies, you must execute wholly different attacks against bosses like the Hulk or Bile Titan.

Teamwork is the Most Important Factor Above All Else

Some weapons in Helldivers 2 are better than others, either doing a specific job better than similar guns or being universally deadly. This is why making a weapon tier list is tantamount to helping players get to grips with which gun and secondary weapon they should equip before doing a run.

However, team composition is imperative here. You’ll need one Helldiver to prioritize armored enemies like the Charger, another to cut through the swarms, and long-range fighters that can cover their teammates’ butt.

The Usual Weapons Just Won’t Cut It, Especially in Higher Difficulty Missions

As you progress through the game’s difficulty levels, you might notice the drastic damage reduction in your default loadout. Sure, the Peacemaker and Liberator are decent options, especially when you’re just doing the Trivial, Easy, and Medium-difficulty Operations, but things tend to ramp up in intensity as you move into more challenging territory. The weapons you’ve previously relied on are no longer viable against the larger enemies and outposts. It shows that as the difficulty level rises, so does the demand for perfection.

Whether you’re a solo Helldiver or enjoy working with a squad, purchasing new weapons via the Acquisitions menu in your Super Destroyer is required.

Helldivers 2 Tier List for All Weapons

S Tier

Weapons in the S-Ttier are the best of the best—the cream of the crop. They offer unparalleled effectiveness in combat and typically provide significant advantages in terms of damage, utility, or both, making them top choices for any type of situation.

SG-225 Breaker

How to Unlock: Unlocked as part of the Warbonds progression (Helldivers Mobilize!) in the Acquisitions menu. Costs 20 Medals.

Weapon Traits: Light Armor Penetrating

The Breaker is arguably the only good shotgun variant in Helldivers 2. Not only does it mow down enemies at a decent range, but it’s also great during Bug Breaches. It’s also easy to use; you don’t have to aim down your sights like you usually do with a Marksman Rifle. Plus, its incredibly fast firing rate doesn’t compromise its high-powered shots.

Overall, you can’t go wrong with the SG-225 Breaker. We’d only substitute this weapon if you’re doing Suicide to Helldiver-difficulty Automaton missions.

RS-422 Railgun

How to Unlock: This can be purchased with Stratagems through Ship Management. You will need to be level 20 to get this weapon.

Stratagem Traits: Support weapon, Hellpod

The RS-422 Railgun is an experimental weapon that prioritizes armor penetration above all else. Since it must be charged between shots, you must choose your targets carefully. It’s excellent against Chargers, which are armored bugs that can’t easily be defeated if you only have Light Armor penetrating weapons. The single-shot rifle can be devastating as long as you know what you’re doing. Make sure to charge before each shot and avoid overcharging it, lest it becomes unusable for a while.

APW-1 Anti-Materiel Rifle

How to Unlock: Purchased with Stratagems through Ship Management. It costs 5,000 Stratagems.

Stratagem Traits: Support Weapon, Hellpod

The Anti-Materiel Rifle is a lethal weapon that can break an enemy’s armor and do distant damage. Effective over long distances, it’s excellent against light vehicle armor when doing Automaton-based missions in Urdanea.

A-Tier

Weapons in this category are highly effective. They’re reliable in almost all types of situations but fall short compared to the peak performance of S-Tier weapons. Nonetheless, they’re powerful and versatile, making them reliable picks for a plethora of missions.

AR-23 Liberator Assault Rifle

How to Unlock: Automatically unlocked at the start of your playthrough. No Medals or Strategems needed!

Weapon Traits: Light Armor Penetrating

The Liberator is a versatile Assault Rifle that balances power and efficiency. It’s the weapon that you start with, and for good reason. It works in almost any situation you throw at it, and despite being an AR, it’s highly accurate. The only con we can think of for this weapon is that it eats up bullets incredibly fast, so you’ll want to keep a Supply Pack with you or call down a Supply Pod frequently.

SMG-37 Defender Submachine Gun

How to Unlock: Can be unlocked as part of Helldiver’s Warbond system (Helldivers Mobilize!) through the Acquisitions menu. Costs 15 Medals.

Weapon Traits: One-Handed, Light Armor Penetrating

The SMG-37 Defender is no slouch when it comes to its fire rate. It offers high firepower and adaptability, making it perfect for Helldivers who prioritize mobility. Since the Submachine Gun has an easy-to-use recoil pattern, it’s best used in third-person mode. While it might seem like we’re raving about this weapon, there’s a catch: it has a slower reload time than other weapons. If that doesn’t bother you, the SMG-37 Defender is a reliable weapon you can take anywhere.

ACC-8 Autocannon

How to Unlock: You can purchase this weapon using Stratagems via the Ship Management menu. Costs 7,000 Stratagems.

Stratagem Traits: Support Weapon, Hellpod

The AC-8 Autocannon is effective against light vehicle armor and includes a support backpack you must wear to reload it. This is an excellent alternative if your level isn’t high enough to unlock the Railgun yet. Like the Recoilless Rifle, it requires ammo feeding, so you can have another player help you reload it to help you annihilate swarms faster.

B-Tier

Weapons in this tier offer good performance; you can always depend on them. While they don’t have any qualities that make them stand out compared to higher-tier weapons, they’re more than capable in most situations. With the right strategy, you can unlock their full potential.

SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary

How to Unlock: This can only be accessed by players with the Steeled Veterans Warbond. It can be unlocked on the battle pass’s second page and costs 60 Medals.

Weapon Traits: Light Armor Penetrating, Incendiary

The SG-225IE is a sight to behold due to its bright orange color. It has a large ammo capacity compared to other shotguns and a high fire rate. Sometimes, bullets just don’t cut it; you have to set the bugs on fire as well. This weapon is best used against Terminids. Just like the Breaker, it has a limited range. You might also find it hard to see after firing a couple of shots because of the fire.

SG-8 Punisher Shotgun

How to Unlock: Unlocked as part of the Warbonds progression in Helldivers Mobilize! Costs 4 Medals.

Weapon Traits: Round Reload, Light Armor Penetrating

The Punisher excels in close-quarters combat. It’s a great weapon if you plan to do Easy to Medium Operations, but you’re better off with the SG-225 Breaker Spray&Pray for anything above that. That’s because of its Bolt action, which makes it slower than any other shotgun. Since it also has a slow fire rate, accuracy is the most crucial part of the Punisher. If you miss your shot, you’ll get punished for it—pun intended.

P-19 Redeemer Pistol

How to Unlock: Progress through Helldiver 2’s Warbond (Helldivers Mobilize!) through Acquisitions. It can be accessed on the second page and costs 5 Medals.

Weapon Traits: One-handed, Light Armor Penetrating

The P-19 Redeemer is a rapid-fire pistol great for clearing small enemies that get too close for comfort. It's relatively easy to use and has excellent mobility; think of it as a fast-firing Uzi but in a more compact form factor. It’s best to aim down sights when using this weapon since it has a high recoil pattern, but that fact alone defeats the purpose of what a secondary weapon should be. Moreover, since it has a high fire rate, it eats up a ton of ammo fast, making looting minor POIs or calling Supply Drops a greater priority than they need to be.

C-Tier

Weapons in this category may require specific strategies or conditions to shine. While they’re helpful in certain scenarios, they’re not necessarily the go-to choice for every mission.

P-4 Senator Revolver

How to Unlock: It can be unlocked through the Steeled Veterans Warbond. Costs 15 Medals.

Weapon Traits: One-handed, Light Armor Penetrating, Round Reload

If you’re the type to conserve ammo, then the P-4 Senator is for you. It focuses on efficient ammo management and precision, making it ideal for seasoned Helldivers confident in their accuracy. That said, it wouldn’t hurt for the developers to make this gun more powerful. And since it requires high accuracy to take down a single down, it’s not suited to everyone’s playstyle.

LAS-5 Scythe

How to Unlock: It can be unlocked once you can access the Helldivers Mobilize! Warbond’s fifth page. Costs 30 Medals.

Weapon Traits: Beam, Heat, Light Armor Penetrating

If the Laser Cannon’s not enough for you, consider bringing the LAS-5 Scythe. It has a long beam duration, deals damage over time, and has good range. The best part is that you don’t need to reload it often; just wait for it to cool down. As for the cons, you’ll have to track your enemies permanently. Since you can only focus on one enemy at a time rather than shooting multiple enemies quickly, it’s not an ideal weapon to wield during Bug Breaches or Bot Drops. It can also take a long time for you to kill armored enemies.