There has been an outreach from the Helldivers 2 community expressing dissatisfaction with the armor passives.
The gist is that passives are boring, uninspired, and all the same from the game’s launch with nothing new or interesting being added.
I happen to 100% agree and if I was the boss of Arrowhead Studios I would do two things to fix armor in Helldivers 2.
Looking Cool And Choosing Stats
Now in my book every time an RPG launches without the ability to Transmog a gear piece (changing appearance without losing stats) I accuse them of committing one of the cardinal sins and lower the score (I will never forgive you for this bg3 otherwise perfect game).
But how would I go about this in Helldivers 2?
I don’t think they should go with a typical Transmog System.
No spraying some magical dust over the armors and changing the appearance as frankly this is not a medieval fantasy and would not fit the vibe of the game.
Instead, I would implement a system from SWTOR (Star Wars The Old Republic).
In SWTOR every gear piece has 3 sloths that you can put in a modification that will increase whatever stat you want (for example Str, Crit Hit, Endurance)
Now we don’t need all tree slots like in SWTOR.
Instead, make armors have one sloth, and let us choose the effect.
Rename the Passive effects to Active effects and make a separate Category under the Armory tab.
That way we can wear whatever we wish and look cool and also pick the effect best suited for our playstyle.
Furthermore, I would add one more cool addition to this.
Notice how warbonds have themes? For example, the last one is all about winter.
Well, I would add a new passive effect to each armor based on its theme, that you cant change.
The same way the Arrowhead team already did with Cutting Edge Warbond. However, it would have to be more minuscule and situational so people are not compelled (like right now) to wear something they don’t like because of the effects power.
Why? Well, it’s quite obvious that the whole Warbond is themed about Winter and Snow so would it be cool if you had a passive effect to go with it?
Steeled Veterans Warbond Armors Passive Effect: 50% less chance of getting an injured limb.
If you noticed these armors have robotic arms and legs embedded into their design so it makes sense.
Democratic Detonation Warbond Armors Passive Effect: Explosions knockback is 50% less effective.
Except maybe CE-27 Groundbreaker.
That one looks like it should have something with resisting fire going for it.
And with helmet effects on their way confirmed by the CEO of Arrowhead, everyone could look cool and have the same meaningful choice in their armor load-outs as much as they do in weapons now.
Matching Colors
Now dye system would be great but I could live if they do not want to give us a full dye system. However, there should be an option to match the Helmet color with the color of the Chest piece and vice versa.
That is it, no more needs to be said about this.
That’s all I got for you my dudes and dudettes. Hope it’s Friday where you’re at and Game on.
For my dudes and dudettes who have spent the last few days under a rock, Arrowhead Studios announced the other day that Linking a PlayStation Network Account to Steam will be mandatoryto continue playing the game from June 4, 2024.
As you can imagine this has caused quite a bit of uproar in the community and Helldivers have made sure that their displeasure is heard on the official discord and reviews section of Helldivers Steam Store page.
As of the point of making this article, Helldivers 2 went from a Very Positive to Mostly Negative review score and it seems to be tanking even further.
Now I have almost 200 hours in and if they proceed with making a PSN account mandatory I will have to say goodbye to one of the best games I’ve played in a few years.
Why? I will let you know my reasons at the end.
First I want to go through the most common argument made by people who don’t mind doing this and community managers of the game who think the rest of us are acting like babies and stirring up a storm over something that takes you 3 seconds to do.
After I will explain why people actually have a problem with this, here we go.
“It will only take you a few seconds to do it”
This is just an attempt to appeal to triviality and it’s a strawman at the same time.
People who use this line of argumentation are trying to misrepresent people who have a problem with this as “babies” who can’t even take a second of their day to do something that the game specified you will have to do from the start.
To give the Devil his due so to say it was stated from the beginning in the TOS and the Steam Store Page of the game that third-party account linking is required to play the game. This has been confirmed 100% by using a way-back machine.
People who dislike the reaction community have rightfully pointed it out.
Let’s be honest guys, nobody reads that shit. We should, but we don’t.
And you can go “AHA! Got you, case closed” but while I agree people (including me) should take better care about what they are signing themselves into I still think it’s not as simple as that which brings me to my first point.
Enforce TOS from the start
Maybe many of you are like me. You skipped reading TOS and you got a game a bit later when the team decided to stop enforcing mandatory PSN accounts.
And now you are 100 hours or more in the game and this bomb drops on your head and leaves you stuck.
You are way past the point of being able to refund the game and you do not want to make a PSN account that you will never use because you have no intention of buying PlayStation.
What does that mean? That you will lose all access to the product you paid money for.
So my point is this. They should have enforced TOS from the start so 90% of us who don’t read TOS and missed the sticker on the Steam Page can refund the game.
Your information is not safe with Sony
Part of the propaganda on why this is being done is “to ensure your safety and security”
Is that so?
Did you see that message above Being spammed on Discord?
It’s all true. Sony is notoriously bad at protecting your data.
What makes this even worse is that in some countries they require you to upload a picture of your official government ID or do a facial scan.
I sure as hell don’t want a corporation like this to have any of that data.
And for those people making an argument that everyone sells your data, you are right.
To that, I have to say this tho. If you are going to rob me, at least have the decency to do it behind my back during the cover of the night.
Don’t stand in front of me and steal my shit while telling me it’s for my security and safety.
That just rubs me in all the wrong ways.
There is no option to make a PSN account in some countries
Yeah just look at that list.
There have been plenty of players asking what will happen to their game because they don’t even have the option to create a PSN account in their countries.
Well, even ArrowHead doesn’t know. Apparently, they are working it out with Sony.
Super reassuring guys.
I saw some smarty pants telling people to lie about their home Country or use a VPN.
The problem with that is if it’s ever detected you did that it will result in an instant perma-ban.
In my opinion, these people should get auto-refunded from Steam regardless of their playtime.
Final point
With all of that said here is my personal reason I don’t want to do it.
The reason this is being done is because the game got popular and now some Dickhead Suit in Sony can show the investors their new influx of new PSN accounts.
And my dudes and dudettes I honestly don’t want to spend a millisecond of my time to accommodate something like that.
Helldivers 2 is fun but there are other games.
And trust me if on the day this gets implemented, if all other Helldivers say goodbye and Cya never, on the next day we would get a transmission of apology from both Arrowhead and Sony.
Magically this would no longer be mandatory and they would find a way to take care of your “security and safety” some other way
Welcome to my guide on the best Helldivers 2 stratagems. Why would you need such a list, you might ask. Simple: there are 50+ stratagems and only 4 stratagem slots (if you’re lucky) for every mission. So, you have to adapt and choose the right ones to avoid killing your fellow Helldivers and complete as many objectives as possible.
While 100+ hours might not sound like a lot to most of you, for me that’s practically part-time employment! I’m almost level 60 and while I haven’t tried every single stratagem (some sound like an awful time), I have tried to identify the best ones.
Helldivers 2 stratagems tier list
Here’s my TL;DR tier list of the best Helldivers 2 stratagems. Explanations for the choices are provided below. Use this template to share your own tier list and link it in the comments below. I’d love to see what your favorites are.
S-tier stratagems
In my opinion, S-tiers are all-around great stratagems that either one-shot titan-type enemies or lend themselves incredibly well to multiple play styles.
AC-8 Autocannon: S-tier against automatons. Can’t pierce heavy armor.
FLAM-40 Flamethrower: S-tier against terminids. Sucks against automatons.
SH-32 Shield Generator Pack: reliable protection against both enemy types, especially if you don’t like using medium or heavy armor.
Eagle 500kg Bomb: a bit of a personal choice, although it’s probably an A or B tier. The reason for giving it an S-tier, is the huge damage, 2 charges, and very low cooldown.
Orbital Rail Cannon Strike: excellent for quickly taking down larger enemies like Chargers, Hulks, or tanks.
Orbital laser: best offensive stratagem for wiping out automaton bases, swarms, and nests.
A-tier stratagems:
These types of Helldivers 2 stratagems are powerful, or very useful, but may come with drawbacks like limited charges, long cooldowns, or lower effectiveness against certain enemy types, etc.
APW-1 Anti-Materiel Rifle: the best early-game weapon for taking down large enemies. Great for shooting through a heavy bot’s eyes.
ARC-3 Arc Thrower: Infinite ammo, shots chain between mobs, and has the ability to take down heavy enemies in 6-10 shots.
EAT-17 Expendable Anti-tank: excellent anti-heavy armor weapon with super low cooldown. Dosent use a backpack sloth and you get 2 per drop.
GL-21 Grenade Launcher: great for plugging holes, clearing groups, and dealing with bile spewers.
Quasar cannon: the best weapon for taking down automaton ships and blasting big terminid enemies, infinite ammo, doesn’t require a backpack. Wolf stopped me from giving it S-tier 🙂
GR-8 Recoilless Rifle: couldn’t put it down when I unlocked it. Incredibly powerful against large enemies, but reload time is punishing.
A/M-23 EMS Mortar Sentry: a much better option to the orbital/eagle EMS strike. Keeps enemies stunned and in place.
A/M-12 Mortar Sentry: hands-down the most powerful sentry in the game. Doesn’t require line of sight, but will kill your teammates without hesitating.
A/AC-8 Autocannon Sentry: great for short eradicate or defense missions. Good for taking down bigger targets like bile titans.
Eagle airstrike: available right from the start and incredibly versatile.
Eagle cluster bomb: love it because it has 5 recharges and good damage.
Eagle Napalm Airstrike: blows up everything and burns after impact, making it excellent against bugs.
Orbital Airburst Strike: great against bug breaches. Strikes 3 times in a circle.
B-tier stratagems:
These are strong, fun, and overall powerful stratagems that are quite situational, or need a more complicated setup for maximum impact.
AX/LAS-5 “Guard Dog” Rover: S-tier when it’s not shooting you in the head. Only recommended against terminids.
SH-20 Ballistic Shield Backpack: very good against automatons, especially destroyers. Requires a specific setup for maximum impact.
B-1 Supply Pack: useful when playing in four-man parties or paired with machine guns and grenade launchers.
EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit: I strongly recommend this for eradicate, search & destroy, or egg missions (terminids). Not a good choice against automatons.
LIFT-850 Jump Pack: I use it often in my playstyle because it’s fun, and because it gives me higher mobility while fighting bugs.
LAS-98 Laser Cannon: for me, it has lost its purpose since the quasar cannon came out. It also requires you to mostly stay still, which we all know is hard to do in Helldivers.
M-105 Stalwart: the lighter version of the machine gun, with better load time. Combos well with the supply pack.
A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower: incredibly powerful against terminids, but can easily kill allies.
FX-12 Shield Generator Relay: good protection, lends itself well to automaton extermination and personnel rescue missions. Useless against bugs.
Eagle Smoke Strike: excellent for stealth play.
Orbital Smoke Strike: another option for stealth play. Better against Robots because it breaks line of sight.
Orbital Gas Strike: very powerful against terminids. Not good against robots.
Orbital Walking Barrage: similar to the 380mm but throws salvos in front of you. Powerful if positioned correctly.
C-tier stratagems:
C-tier stratagems are a MEH at best for me. I rarely ever use them, simply because there are better options in the game:
MG-43 Machine Gun: Stalwart is a much better choice because it’s faster to aim and move with. Standing still is not really an option in this game.
MG-206 Machine Gun: quite powerful and combos well with the supply back. Doesn’t have a crosshair in third-person.
AX/AR-23 “Guard Dog”: the AX/LAS-5 “Guard Dog” Rover is simply better. This one has less ammo, so it needs to recharge. It’s also more adapt at killing teammates.
RS-422 Railgun: this was one of the best weapons before the nerf. Now it’s a jack of all trades, master of none.
FAF-14 SPEAR Launcher: probably gonna be A- or S-tier when they fix targeting. For now avoid it.
MD-6 Anti-Personnel Minefield: I have a theory that enemies are programmed to avoid these mines as soon as you place them down and your buddies are programmed to step on them.
MD-I4 Incendiary Mines: same as anti-personnel minefield.
A/G-16 Gatling Sentry: better than the machine gun sentry. Not effective against armored enemies. Unreliable and ends up shooting allies chaotically.
A/MLS-4X Rocket Sentry: I like this sentry but it’s very unreliable and usually ends up killing your teammates.
Eagle Strafing Run: Pops intently and has a predictable path. Not that destructive though.
Eagle 110MM Rocket Pods: a decent quick-fire eagle strike available at lower levels. There are more powerful options available later.
Orbital EMS Strike: this is a very underrated stratagem, but the fact that it requires comboing and coordination is the reason I gave it a C-tier. Works like a charm when you pair it with a 500KG. Suitable for hit-and-run tactics.
Orbital Gatling Barrage: the only reason this isn’t a D-tier is because it unlocks at level 2.
D-tier stratagems:
These are the stratagems that I would never choose unless someone pointed a gun at my head because they simply suck.
E/MG-101 HMG Emplacement: yes, it’s powerful & fun, but who’s going to stand still?
A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry: objectively the weakest sentry.
Orbital 120mm HE Barrage: just no.
Orbital 380 HE barrage: I’ve never seen someone fire this without killing a teammate. Super slow and hits completely randomly.
Orbital Precision Strike: most unreliable Helldivers 2 stratagem.
Helldivers 2 stratagems codes (cheat sheet)
Stratagems are a major part of how you play. They’ll eventually become like second nature. Until then, use this cheat sheet. I’ve organized the codes into four major sections:
Offensive stratagems: enable the use of heavy ordnance, firebombs, and airstrikes.
Defensive stratagems: provide turrets, towers, shields, and mines to defend against enemies.
Supply stratagems: deliver defensive drones, utility packs, ammo, and heavy weapons.
Mission stratagems: become available while you are close to a relevant objective.
Here are the input codes and most important details for all the Helldivers 2 stratagems:
Since mission stratagems are very situational, I’ll just list them in a separate table:
These are all the Helldivers 2 stratagem codes. If new stratagems become available, they will be added to the tables and highlighted for quick access.
Orbital strikes | Offensive
Orbital strikes | Offensive
Orbital strikes | Offensive
Orbital strikes | Offensive
Stratagem
Input code
Cooldown
Uses
Orbital Gatling Barrage
→ ↓ ← ↑ ↑
80s
Unlimited
Orbital Airburst Strike
→ → →
120s
Unlimited
Orbital 120MM HE Barrage
→ → ↓ ← → ↓
240s
Unlimited
Orbital 380MM HE Barrage
→ ↓ ↑ ↑ ← ↓ ↓
240s
Unlimited
Orbital Walking Barrage
→ ↓ → ↓ → ↓
240s
Unlimited
Orbital Laser
→ ↓ ↑ → ↓
240s
3
Orbital Rail Cannon Strike
→ ↑ ↓ ↓ →
300s
Unlimited
Orbital Precision Strike
→ → ↑
210s
Unlimited
Orbital Gas Strike
→ → ↓ →
100s
Unlimited
Orbital EMS Strike
→ → ← ↓
75s
Unlimited
Orbital Smoke Strike
→ → ↓ ↑
75s
Unlimited
Eagle strikes | Offensive
Eagle strikes | Offensive
Eagle strikes | Offensive
Eagle strikes | Offensive
Stratagem
Input code
Cooldown
Uses
Eagle Strafing Run
↑ → →
8s
3
Eagle Airstrike
↑ → ↓ →
8s
2
Eagle Cluster Bomb
↑ → ↓ ↓ →
8s
4
Eagle Napalm Airstrike
↑ → ↓ ↑
8s
2
Eagle Smoke Strike
↑ → ↑ ↓
8s
2
Eagle 110MM Rocket Pods
↑ → ↑ ←
8s
2
Eagle 500kg Bomb
↑ → ↓ ↓ ↓
8s
1
Backpacks | Supply Stratagems
Backpacks | Supply Stratagems
Backpacks | Supply Stratagems
Backpacks | Supply Stratagems
Stratagem
Input code
Cooldown
Uses
LIFT-850 Jump Pack
↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
480s
Unlimited
B-1 Supply Pack
↓ ← ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓
480s
Unlimited
AX/LAS-5 "Guard Dog" Rover
↓ ↑ ← ↑ → →
480s
Unlimited
SH-20 Ballistic Shield Backpack
↓ ← ↓ ↓ ↑ ←
300s
Unlimited
SH-32 Shield Generator Pack
↓ ↑ ← → ← →
480s
Unlimited
AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog"
↓ ↑ ← ↑ → ↓
300s
Unlimited
Weapons | Supply Stratagems
Weapons | Supply Stratagems
Weapons | Supply Stratagems
Weapons | Supply Stratagems
Stratagem
Input code
Cooldown
Uses
MG-43 Machine Gun
↓ ← ↓ ↑ →
480s
Unlimited
APW-1 Anti-Materiel Rifle
↓ ← → ↑ ↓
480s
Unlimited
M-105 Stalwart
↓ ← ↓ ↑ ↑ ←
480s
Unlimited
EAT-17 Expendable Anti-tank
↓ ↓ ← ↑ →
70s
Unlimited
GR-8 Recoilless Rifle
↓ ← → → ←
480s
Unlimited
FLAM-40 Flamethrower
↓ ← ↑ ↓ ↑
480s
Unlimited
AC-8 Autocannon
↓ ← ↓ ↑ ↑ →
480s
Unlimited
MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun
↓ ← ↓ ↓
480s
Unlimited
RS-422 Railgun
↓ → ← ↓ ↑ ← →
480s
Unlimited
FAF-14 SPEAR Launcher
↓ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↓
480s
Unlimited
GL-21 Grenade Launcher
↓ ← ↑ ← ↓
480s
Unlimited
LAS-98 Laser Cannon
↓ ← ↓ ↑ ←
480s
Unlimited
ARC-3 Arc Thrower
↓ → ↓ ↑ ← ←
480s
Unlimited
LAS-99 Quasar Cannon
↓ ↑ ↑ ← ↓ →
480s
Unlimited
EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit
← ↓ → ↑ ← ↓ ↓
600s
2
Defensive stratagems
Defensive stratagems
Defensive stratagems
Defensive stratagems
Stratagem
Input code
Cooldown
Uses
E/MG-101 HMG Emplacement
↓ ↑ ← → → ←
180s
Unlimited
FX-12 Shield Generator Relay
↓ ↓ ← → ← →
90s
Unlimited
A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower
↓ ↑ → ↑ ← →
150s
Unlimited
MD-6 Anti-Personnel Minefield
↓ ← ↑ →
180s
Unlimited
MD-I4 Incendiary Mines
↓ ← ← ↓
180s
Unlimited
A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry
↓ ↑ → → ↑
180s
Unlimited
A/G-16 Gatling Sentry
↓ ↑ → ←
180s
Unlimited
A/M-12 Mortar Sentry
↓ ↑ → → ↓
180s
Unlimited
A/AC-8 Autocannon Sentry
↓ ↑ → ↑ ← ↑
180s
Unlimited
A/MLS-4X Rocket Sentry
↓ ↑ → → ←
180s
Unlimited
A/M-23 EMS Mortar Sentry
↓ ↑ → ↓ →
180s
Unlimited
Mission stratagems
Mission stratagems
Mission stratagems
Stratagem
Input code
Cooldown
Reinforce
↓ ↑ → ← ↑
120s
SOS Beacon
↓ ↑ → ↑
N/A
Resupply
↓ ↓ ↑ →
160s
Hellbomb
↓ ↑ ← ↓ ↑ → ↓ ↑
N/A
SSD Delivery
↓ ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑
N/A
Seismic Probe
↑ ↑ ← → ↓ ↓
N/A
Upload Data
← → ↑ ↑ ↑
N/A
Eagle Rearm
↑ ↑ ← ↑ →
120s
SEAF Artillery
→ ↑ ↑ ↓
N/A
Super Earth Flag
↓ ↑ ↓ ↑
N/A
Wrapping up
Thanks for sticking through this rundown of the best Helldivers 2 stratagems. As with any article of this type, these are my PERSONAL opinions. If you don’t agree with them, feel free to let me know in the comments. Also, I hope you find the stratagems useful. I was using cheat sheets a lot when the game was still buggy and my UI kept disappearing completely.
If you have any feedback or an insanely powerful combo you’d like to share, I’d love to know about it. I love the fact that Helldivers keeps every mission fresh by giving players so many tools for diversifying their game style.
I strongly advise you to try out all the Helldivers stratagems, pair them with different armors and weapons, and tailor your loadout to match every mission scenario.