There is no established universal “best” Helldivers 2 loadout: the right picks depend on the faction, the enemies you expect, and what your squad already covers. These are recent community-recommended builds for Terminids, Automatons, and the Illuminate, not official rankings or verified post-September-update test results. Treat them as starting points and adjust for your mission and team.
How current are these loadouts?
Arrowhead’s official Steam announcements list Devoid of Liberty updates 7.1.0 on September 22, 2026, and 7.1.1 on September 24. The reviewed 7.1.1 entry describes crash fixes, including terminal and superwide-window crashes; it does not report weapon balance changes. The recommendations below come from an unofficial guide updated September 13, which says its combat meta is based on the August 12, 7.0.0 update. They are useful faction-specific examples, but they are not confirmed rankings after the later September updates. Arrowhead’s Steam announcement feed · Community loadout guide
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That faction-first approach also matches Arrowhead’s stated design intent: “We don’t want a one size fits all loadout for any Faction, you should always need to consider what you’re about to engage with.”
Best Terminid loadout
This community build prioritizes sustained fire against incoming groups, while keeping dedicated answers for Chargers and Bile Titans.
#1 Best Overall
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- Primary: SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary. Alternatives: SG-451 Cookout, PLAS-101 Purifier, or AR-2 Coyote.
- Secondary: GP-31 Grenade Pistol.
- Grenade: G-123 Thermite for Chargers, or G-4 Gas.
- Support weapon: LAS-99 Quasar Cannon for solo play; GR-8 Recoilless Rifle when a squadmate can assist-reload.
- Stratagems: Eagle Airstrike, Orbital Gas Strike, Eagle 500kg, and Guard Dog Rover. Consider Napalm Barrage or Gatling Sentry if a teammate already handles chaff.
- Armor and booster: Light or medium armor; the guide lists Vitality, Stamina, and Hellpod Space Optimization among booster options.
Keep fire on approaching groups, close bug holes, use Thermite against Chargers, and reserve the 500kg for Bile Titans. Those tactical choices are the guide author’s recommendations, not independently verified comparative results.
Best Automaton loadout
This setup emphasizes cover, medium armor penetration, and weak-point targeting, with a shield or mobility option to support survival.
- Primary: PLAS-101 Purifier. Alternatives: R-36 Eruptor, PLAS-1 Scorcher, Diligence Counter Sniper, or Punisher Plasma.
- Secondary: GP-31 Grenade Pistol.
- Grenade: G-123 Thermite.
- Support weapon: AC-8 Autocannon, or an anti-tank option such as AMR, Quasar Cannon, Recoilless Rifle, or EAT-17.
- Backpack: Shield Generator Pack; Jump Pack is the mobility alternative.
- Stratagems: Orbital Railcannon Strike and Eagle 500kg; use Orbital Laser as an option for clearing bases.
The guide says update 7.0.0 lets a teammate assist-reload a Recoilless Rifle when the wielder wears its backpack. If using that arrangement, coordinate before the mission so the support weapon’s reload advantage is practical for your squad.
Rank #2
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Best Illuminate (Void Front) loadout
The guide’s Illuminate setup pairs a versatile primary with a support weapon chosen for the team’s needs, then favors staying mobile around Harvester beams.
- Primary: PLAS-101 Purifier. Alternatives: LAS-16 Sickle, AR-2 Coyote, Breaker Incendiary, or Stoker.
- Secondary: P/40-K Bolt Pistol, LAS-58 Talon, or GP-31 Grenade Pistol.
- Grenade: G-4 Gas or G-123 Thermite.
- Support weapon: StA-X3 W.A.S.P. Launcher, Quasar Cannon, Recoilless Rifle, or Laser Cannon.
- Backpack: Guard Dog Rover or Supply Pack.
- Stratagems: Orbital Railcannon Strike and Eagle Airstrike; Orbital Precision Strike or Eagle 500kg are alternatives.
The community guide advises sustained fire against Crushers, targeting Wretch limbs, and moving to avoid Harvester beams. These are guide-specific tactical claims; the reviewed evidence does not include independent mechanics testing for them.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose by the job your squad needs covered
| Build | Chaff and general pressure | Armor and heavy targets | Team consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminids | Breaker Incendiary and options such as Rover, Gas Strike, or Gatling Sentry. | Thermite for Chargers; Quasar Cannon solo or squad-assisted Recoilless Rifle; 500kg for Titans. | Swap in Napalm Barrage or Gatling Sentry when a teammate already covers chaff. |
| Automatons | Purifier and other listed primaries; use cover and aim at weak points. | Autocannon or an anti-tank alternative; Railcannon and 500kg for heavy threats. | Shield Pack favors protection, while Jump Pack favors mobility. Recoilless Rifle assist-reload requires squad coordination. |
| Illuminate | Purifier or one of the listed alternatives; Rover can add a companion weapon. | Choose among W.A.S.P. Launcher, Quasar, Recoilless Rifle, or Laser Cannon; Railcannon or airstrike options add stratagem support. | Rover adds fire support; Supply Pack supports resupply. The guide recommends movement against Harvester beams. |
Use the combinations as role coverage rather than a fixed checklist: if your squad already has reliable chaff clearing, select a heavier-target answer or utility option; if nobody can handle heavy enemies, prioritize that gap before adding another crowd-control stratagem.
Rank #3
- Quantity:1
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What the update history does—and does not—tell you
The September announcement feed confirms 7.1.0 and 7.1.1 releases, but the reviewed 7.1.1 description is about crash fixes rather than weapon balance. Earlier official Into the Unjust 6.0.1 notes, dated February 3, 2026, introduced the Bastion Tank and Siegebreakers Warbond, mentioned a LAS-16 Trident upgrade and weapon-handling and melee changes, and said high-difficulty changes should be felt most on the Automaton front. That is historical context, not the latest balance assessment. September Steam announcements · Into the Unjust 6.0.1 patch notes
An unofficial 2026 Reddit post describes an analysis of “~100K games” gathered through helldive.live over 18 months and explicitly warns of bias. That author-described equipment-prevalence data is not official telemetry or a controlled comparison: popular or accessible gear may appear often without being the strongest. Reddit post
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe available sources establish neither faction win rates nor controlled weapon comparisons, and they do not establish a single best loadout after the September 2026 updates. The three builds above are therefore practical community recommendations, not an objective tier list.
Quick Recap
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