Recommended Free Tools
The best first Stratagems in Helldivers 2 are the ones that fill a gap in your squad: keep the free Orbital Precision Strike, then consider Eagle Airstrike for broad offense, EAT-17 for anti-armor, and the Machine Gun Sentry for crowd control. These are beginner-friendly priorities, not a universal top-ten ranking. Your four mission slots are limited, so choose around the objective, enemy faction, and what your teammates already bring.
How to choose the best Stratagems
Stratagems are bought at the Ship Management terminal before a mission. You can equip four different Stratagems per mission, according to Gamers.Wiki’s September 2, 2026 guide. That makes role coverage more useful than simply taking four individually powerful options: a squad with anti-armor covered may benefit more from crowd control, supplies, or objective defense.
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The recommendations below use a beginner lens: unlock availability and reported cost, range of useful situations, ease of deployment, repeatability, and risks such as friendly fire or a backpack requirement. The unlock values are reported by Gamers.Wiki for version 1.007.002, which the guide says accounts for the 6.3.0 balance update. Patch changes can make these figures stale; confirm current levels, costs, and cooldowns at the in-game terminal.
Five Stratagems to prioritize early
1. Orbital Precision Strike
Unlock: Default, free. The Orbital Precision Strike (OPS) gives new players a high-impact option for a stationary heavy target or a selected structure without spending Requisition Slips. Gamers.Wiki describes it as repeatedly usable, with its cooldown as the limiting factor.
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Its delayed impact and small blast radius reward accurate timing and placement. A moving target can leave the strike area before impact, so it is less forgiving than a broad-area attack. Keep it equipped if you want a precision option and do not yet have a better fit for that slot. Source: Gamers.Wiki’s Stratagem guide.
2. Eagle Airstrike
Unlock: Level 1; 4,000 Requisition Slips, as reported by Gamers.Wiki. This is a strong first offensive purchase when you want one call-in to address groups, medium targets, approaches, or structures. The guide reports two calls before a longer Eagle rearm.
It covers more ground than the OPS, but direction and placement matter, and a poorly placed run can hit teammates. Check the approach and your squad’s position before throwing the beacon. Source: Gamers.Wiki.
3. EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank
Unlock: Level 3; 3,000 Requisition Slips, according to Gamers.Wiki. The EAT-17 is an early answer to an anti-armor gap. Each call-in provides two disposable launchers, which teammates can also pick up; carrying them does not require you to retain a backpack.
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Each launcher fires once, so call it before armored enemies close in and make sure someone can collect the launchers. It complements rather than replaces a general-purpose attack: its role is armored targets, not sustained crowd control. Source: Gamers.Wiki.
4. A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry
Unlock: Level 1; 1,500 Requisition Slips, as reported by Gamers.Wiki. This low-cost sentry can help control crowds, cover a flank, or defend an objective. It is a practical early choice when the squad needs protection from ordinary enemies rather than another heavy-target tool.
Place it where it has a clear firing lane and is less likely to shoot through teammates. Its fixed line of fire and friendly-fire risk make placement part of the decision, not an afterthought. Source: Gamers.Wiki.
5. B-1 Supply Pack
Unlock: Level 1; 4,000 Requisition Slips, according to Gamers.Wiki. This is a conditional squad-support purchase, not an automatic first pick. It can suit a designated supplier supporting an ammunition-hungry or split squad, but uses a backpack slot and the guide reports a long cooldown.
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Before taking it, check whether the squad needs that sustain more than another combat Stratagem and whether your other equipment relies on a backpack. Arrowhead’s September 22, 2026 update, version 7.0.0, added icons showing when Stratagem weapons need a backpack or cannot be reloaded; use those indicators when planning equipment. Arrowhead’s 7.0.0 patch notes.
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These options are later-game or mission-dependent candidates, not a proven ranking. The independent HELLDIVERS 2 WIKI marks them “Meta,” but the captured material does not explain its ranking method. Its listed levels, uses, and cooldowns are database figures; check the current terminal and battlefield behavior before building around them.
| Stratagem | Listed unlock and availability | When it may fit | Trade-off to consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orbital Railcannon Strike | Level 20; 180-second cooldown (wiki listing) | When you want an automatically targeted answer to a large enemy | Confirm target behavior and cooldown in-game; the wiki describes it as targeting a large enemy. |
| Orbital Laser | Level 15; three uses; 300-second cooldown (wiki listing) | When a tracking beam suits the encounter and the team can plan around it | Its listed per-mission use limit makes timing consequential. |
| Eagle 110mm Rocket Pods | Level 10; two uses (wiki listing) | When targeted armor-piercing rockets against a nearby large target better suit the need than broad coverage | Compare its target focus with Eagle Airstrike rather than assuming one is better for every mission. |
| Orbital Napalm Barrage | Level 18; 240-second cooldown (wiki listing) | For lingering area denial, especially against Terminids and Voteless, as described by the wiki | Its value depends on faction and mission; verify current behavior and avoid obstructing allies. |
| Orbital Gatling Barrage | Level 1; 70-second cooldown (wiki listing) | When the squad wants a more accessible, repeatable lane attack against a breach | Use it for area control rather than treating it as a substitute for an anti-armor pick. |
Source for the listed levels, uses, cooldowns, and role descriptions: HELLDIVERS 2 WIKI, “All Stratagem Codes & List.” Its database is independent of Arrowhead, so treat those entries as reference information rather than an official ranking.
Build a four-slot loadout around the squad
- Keep a precision answer if you need one. The free OPS can cover stationary heavy targets or selected structures, provided you can time its delayed strike.
- Identify the biggest uncovered role. Choose an anti-armor tool such as EAT-17 if heavy enemies are the gap, a sentry or barrage for crowd and lane control, or supplies if the squad needs a dedicated support player.
- Check overlap and equipment burden. Avoid spending multiple slots on the same job by default. Account for backpack needs and reload limits; Arrowhead’s 7.0.0 update added icons for those attributes.
- Match the choice to the mission. Consider enemy faction, objective, deployment space, friendly-fire exposure, and whether a tool’s cooldown or limited uses fit the expected encounter.
Unlock levels, prices, and balance are patch-sensitive. Arrowhead’s September 22, 2026 version 7.0.0 notes are a current update reference, not a Stratagem tier list; use the Ship Management terminal as the final check for what your game currently offers. Read the official 7.0.0 notes.
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