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The Illuminate faction in Helldivers 2 presents a unique challenge with their advanced tech and overwhelming numbers. To take them down effectively, you'll need to tailor your loadouts to exploit their weaknesses and counteract their strengths. Whether you're facing their light infantry or their elite units, having the right combination of weapons, support gear, and stratagems can make all the difference. In this guide, we'll explore the best loadouts and builds to help you dominate the Illuminate, whether you're a seasoned player or just starting out.
The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate
Primary: PLAS-1 Scorcher / PLAS-101 Purifier
Secondary: GP-31 Grenade Pistol
Grenade: G-13 Incendiary Impact
Armor Passive: Siege-Ready
Stratagems:
- 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 top-tier primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They excel at melting through Overseers, including the jet-pack-wielding Elevated units, and are just as effective against the Voteless. The Siege-Ready armor passive enhances your ability to handle multiple priority targets by providing extra ammunition and faster reloads, ensuring your DPS remains high.
The combination of the Eagle Strafing Run and the GP-31 Grenade Pistol is perfect for taking out parked warp ships. Since energy weapons struggle with their shields, a single Strafing Run can destroy the shields of multiple grounded warp ships in a line, allowing you to follow up with a grenade into their open bay doors for a spectacular explosion. This combo is especially useful when dealing with medium to heavy Illuminate nests. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact can also be thrown into the bay doors, it's more effective against chaff, so save it for when you're using the Grenade Pistol.
The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" is surprisingly effective against medium-armored Overseers, with each burst capable of taking down a single elite unit. It's an excellent choice for watching your flank against the Illuminate.
The A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry is great for locking down areas during objective defense. If thinning out crowds isn't a priority, consider swapping it for the Orbital Laser to target Harvesters or future heavy units.
Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon rounds out this loadout, melting Overseers and chaff in seconds. It's also excellent against Harvesters; use a Strafing Run to deplete their shields, then target their weak points (thighs/eyes) with the Laser Cannon. A single clip is enough if your aim is steady. The Laser Cannon's long range makes it ideal for picking off targets from a distance. When facing multiple Harvesters on higher difficulties, the Orbital Laser becomes essential.
The Lightning Loadout: Shocking (& Staggering) the Illuminate
Primary: ARC-12 Blitzer
Secondary: GP-31 Grenade Pistol
Grenade: G-13 Incendiary Impact
Armor Passive: Electrical Conduit / Med-Kit
Stratagems:
- 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 melee and ranged Illuminate units. The Arc Thrower's ability to chain lightning and stagger enemies makes Overseers practically useless, especially when targeting Elevated Overseers to keep them stunned mid-air. It can also take down unshielded Harvesters with about a dozen hits, each causing a moderate stun that builds up over time.
The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is highly effective against all Illuminate types, particularly flying Overseers. It provides consistent crowd control and disrupts enemy formations, making it easier to manage large waves. Combine it with the Arc Thrower for multiple chained lightning attacks to lock down an area. Prioritize targeting key enemies with the Arc Thrower to prevent them from getting close enough to destroy your Tesla Tower.
Harvesters prioritize sentries, so avoid deploying them when engaging these units.
The Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol are essential for destroying parked warp ships. The Blitzer and Arc Thrower aren't efficient at depleting their shields during combat, so keep these stratagems unless a teammate can take over.
For heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike is ideal with its unlimited uses. The Orbital Laser is effective against multiple Harvesters but 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 with team coordination.
The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate
Primary: StA-52 Assault Rifle
Secondary: GP-31 Grenade Pistol / CQC-19 Stun Lance
Grenade: G-13 Incendiary Impact
Armor Passive: Peak Physique / Engineering Kit
Stratagems:
- 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 the most versatile support weapon against the Illuminate. It shreds light and medium enemies as well as Harvesters with ease. Compared to the MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun, the standard MG-43 offers better handling and faster infantry dispatch. It's a true all-rounder against the squids, balancing power and reliability. Pair it with the Engineering Kit to reduce recoil or the Peak Physique armor passive to minimize drag, making it easier to target flying units.
The high fire rate of the Machine Gun is effective at 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 stationary reload animation of the Machine Gun is a downside, but the LIFT-850 Jump Pack allows quick relocation to safety and easier navigation of urban maps.
While the Machine Gun can handle Harvesters by targeting their weak spots, having an Orbital stratagem like the Orbital Laser or Railcannon Strike in your build is crucial for dealing with multiple heavies. The Orbital Laser can handle two to three shielded Harvesters at once, while the Railcannon Strike is best for unshielded targets.
For your primary weapon, the StA-52 Assault Rifle is a great choice if you want to maintain the bullet-storm theme. Introduced in the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover, it features a large drum magazine for sustained fire and light armor penetration, matching the damage output of the standard Liberator.
