Helldivers 2: Best Loadouts for the Illuminate

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• The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

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

• The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

The Illuminate in Helldivers 2 are a tough nut to crack. Their advanced tech and overwhelming numbers make them a serious threat. While you're battling their light infantry, their elite units will be swarming you from above and below. Success hinges on smart loadouts that exploit their weaknesses while mitigating their strengths. The key is finding the right balance of weapons and stratagems to handle both their lighter and heavier units—neglecting either will leave you vulnerable.

This guide details top-tier loadouts specifically designed to counter the Illuminate. Whether you're a veteran or newcomer, these strategies will significantly improve your combat effectiveness. Let's prepare to take on the Illuminate head-on!

The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

The PLAS-1 Scorcher and PLAS-101 Purifier are top-tier primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They're incredibly effective against Overseers, including the airborne Elevated units, and equally potent against the Voteless. The Siege-Ready armor passive provides extra ammo and faster reloads, ensuring you can consistently engage multiple priority targets. The increased DPS is invaluable when every shot counts.

The Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol combo is devastating against parked warp ships. Energy weapons struggle against their shields, but a single Strafing Run obliterates them, leaving the grenade pistol to finish them off. This is particularly useful against larger Illuminate nests requiring the destruction of multiple ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact is great for clearing chaff, reserve it for that purpose; the Grenade Pistol is more effective against the warp ships.

The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" surprisingly excels against medium-armored Overseers. Each burst can eliminate a single elite unit, making it an excellent flank-guarding stratagem.

The A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry secures areas during objective defense. If crowd control isn't a priority, consider replacing it with an Orbital Laser to target Harvesters or future heavy units.

Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon completes this loadout. It melts Overseers and chaff in seconds and is exceptionally effective against Harvesters. Use a Strafing Run to deplete their shields, then laser their weak points (thighs/eyes). A single clip is usually enough with accurate aim. Its long range allows for picking off targets from afar. On higher difficulty levels (9 or 10) where multiple Harvesters are common, the 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. Both handle chaff easily, but the Arc Thrower excels at neutralizing Overseers. Its chaining lightning arcs stagger them, and repeated attacks can perma-stun airborne Overseers.

The Arc Thrower can also take down unshielded Harvesters (though it takes many hits). 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 enemy formations.

Combine the Arc Thrower and Tesla Tower for devastating chained lightning attacks. Prioritize targeting key enemies with the Arc Thrower to prevent them from destroying your tower. Remember Harvesters often target sentries, so don't waste your Tesla Tower (or other sentry stratagems) if you're already engaging them.

The Eagle Strafing Run and Grenade Pistol remain necessary for warp ship destruction. The Blitzer and Arc Thrower are inefficient against their shields.

For heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike is excellent due to unlimited uses. The Orbital Laser is effective against multiple Harvesters, but its limited uses (three) mean you'll rely on teammates eventually. Remember to use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This is a powerful build, especially when coordinating with teammates.

The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

The MG-43 Machine Gun is a versatile support weapon against the Illuminate. It shreds light and medium enemies, including Harvesters. Compared to the MG-206, it handles better and dispatches infantry faster. It's a true all-rounder, offering a great balance of power and reliability. Pair it with the Engineering Kit (reduced recoil) or Peak Physique (reduced drag for easier targeting of airborne units).

Its high fire rate effectively depletes shields, eliminating the need for the Eagle Strafing Run against grounded warp ships. Choose either turret sentry to control crowds or defend objectives.

The Machine Gun's only weakness is its stationary reload. This is where the LIFT-850 Jump Pack helps, allowing quick repositioning.

While effective against Harvesters (aim for weak points), an Orbital stratagem is useful for multiple heavies. The Orbital Laser handles two to three shielded Harvesters at once, while the Railcannon Strike is only effective against unshielded targets.

For the primary weapon, consider the StA-52 Assault Rifle (from the Killzone 2 crossover). Its large magazine provides sustained, light-armor-penetrating fire, similar in damage to the Liberator.