Helldivers 2: Top Loadouts vs. Illuminate

Quick Links

• The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

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

• The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

The Illuminate are a formidable enemy in Helldivers 2, known for their advanced technologies and overwhelming precision. While you're dealing with their light infantry, their elite units will close in from the ground and air. To overcome them, you need to choose loadouts and builds that exploit their weaknesses and protect against their powerful tech.

Effective strategies against the Illuminate hinge on finding the right mix of weapons, support gear, and stratagems to handle their diverse threats. Balancing your loadout to tackle both chaff and armored units is crucial. Neglecting either type will render your setup ineffective against the full might of the Illuminate.

In this guide, we'll explore the best loadouts and builds tailored for fighting the Illuminate, suitable for both seasoned players and newcomers. Let's gear up and prepare to face this squid-like faction head-on.

The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

PLAS-1 Scorcher / PLAS-101 Purifier

GP-31 Grenade Pistol

G-13 Incendiary Impact

Siege-Ready

• 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 among the top primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They excel at melting Overseers, including jet-pack-using Elevated units, and are equally effective against the Voteless. The Siege-Ready armor passive boosts your ammo and reload speed, allowing you to handle multiple priority enemies efficiently. The increased damage per second is vital when every shot counts.

The Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol form a potent combo for destroying parked warp ships. Energy-based weapons struggle to deplete their shields, but a single Strafing Run can destroy all grounded warp ship shields in a line. Follow up by shooting a grenade into their open bay doors to make them explode. This strategy is ideal for eliminating medium or heavy Illuminate nests. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact can also be used, it's more effective against chaff, so save it for when you're not using the Grenade Pistol.

The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" is surprisingly effective against medium-armored Overseers. Its bursts can take down a single elite unit, making it ideal for watching your flanks.

The A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry helps secure areas during objective defense. If thinning enemy crowds isn't your priority, consider swapping it for an Orbital Laser to target Harvesters or future heavy units.

Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon is the cornerstone of this Illuminate loadout. It can melt Overseers and chaff in seconds and is excellent against Harvesters. Deplete their shields with a Strafing Run, then target their weak points (thighs/eyes) with the Laser Cannon. A single clip is often enough with steady aim. The Laser Cannon's long range allows you to pick off targets from afar, making it a true anti-squid weapon. On level 9 or 10 difficulty, where multiple Harvesters are common, the Orbital Laser becomes essential.

The Lightning Loadout: Shocking (& Staggering) the Illuminate

ARC-12 Blitzer

GP-31 Grenade Pistol

G-13 Incendiary Impact

Electrical Conduit / Med-Kit

• 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 ideal against the Illuminate's mix of melee and ranged units. Both handle chaff well, but the Arc Thrower's ability to chain lightning and stagger enemies makes it particularly effective against Overseers. Continuous attacks can keep Elevated Overseers stunned mid-air.

The Arc Thrower can take down unshielded Harvesters with about a dozen hits, each causing a moderate stun that accumulates over time.

The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is highly effective against all Illuminate types, especially 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 areas. Prioritize targeting key enemies with the Arc Thrower to keep them from reaching your Tesla Tower.

Harvesters prioritize sentries, so avoid deploying your Tesla Tower or other sentry stratagems once engaged with them.

The Eagle Strafing Run and Grenade Pistol remain essential for destroying parked warp ships. The Blitzer and Arc Thrower are less efficient at depleting shields during combat, so don't swap them unless another teammate can handle this task.

For heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike offers unlimited uses, making it excellent for this role. The Orbital Laser can handle multiple Harvesters, but its limited uses mean you'll need to coordinate with teammates. Always use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This build is one of the most powerful against the Illuminate, especially with team coordination.

The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

StA-52 Assault Rifle

GP-31 Grenade Pistol / CQC-19 Stun Lance

G-13 Incendiary Impact

Peak Physique / Engineering Kit

• 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, making it a cornerstone of this loadout. It effortlessly shreds light and medium enemies, as well as Harvesters. Compared to the MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun, the standard Machine Gun offers better handling and faster infantry dispatch.

Its high fire rate is effective at depleting shields, eliminating the need for an Eagle Strafing Run to destroy grounded warp ships. Instead, use turret sentries to disperse crowds or defend objectives.

The only drawback is its stationary reload animation, but the LIFT-850 Jump Pack helps you quickly relocate to safety and navigate urban maps.

While the Machine Gun can target Harvesters' weak spots, having an Orbital stratagem like the Orbital Laser (effective against multiple shielded Harvesters) or the Railcannon Strike (for unshielded targets) ensures you can handle heavy units efficiently.

For the primary weapon, the StA-52 Assault Rifle from the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover is an excellent choice. Its large drum magazine offers sustained fire and light-armor-penetrating damage, matching the standard Liberator.