Helldivers 2 Best Stratagem Loadout
Best stratagem loadout guide for Helldivers 2. Faction-specific picks, four-slot role coverage system, example builds for bugs and bots, and common mistakes to avoid on high difficulty.
The Four-Slot Role System
Every Helldivers 2 loadout has four stratagem slots. The community consensus is to fill them by role, not by individual weapon tier. You need coverage for: anti-tank (heavy removal), chaff clear (small enemies), spawner destruction (closing holes/fabs/ships), and area denial (breaches and drops). If any role is missing, that gap is what kills you on high difficulty.
Identify your faction first. Bugs swarm with light units and chargers. Bots punish lack of AT and weak points. Your loadout changes based on which faction you're diving against. One universal pick across both factions: EAT-17 (disposable anti-tank, short cooldown, mentioned constantly as "bring these everywhere").
Building Your Loadout: Slot by Slot
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Support Weapon Slot (Highest Priority)
Pick something that handles your biggest personal gap. Common community picks: EAT-17 (universal, short cooldown, disposable AT), Autocannon (versatile, hits fabricators), Recoilless Rifle (dedicated AT), Quasar Cannon (beam AT, no backpack needed), Stalwart/MG-43 (sustained fire), Flamethrower or Grenade Launcher (bugs specifically), AMR (medium armor pen). One solid support covers heavies or sustained fire so your primary doesn't have to do everything. Many players run EATs plus a machine gun for flexibility.
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Backpack / Utility Slot
Fill this if your support weapon doesn't take the backpack slot. Frequent recommendations: Shield Generator Pack (survivability vs bots especially), Supply Pack (ammo-hungry builds or team support, called out as one of the most reliable), Guard Dog variants (Rover/Hot Dog/Gas Dog for passive clear), Jump Pack or Warp Pack (mobility vs bugs and swarms). Free value or solves a weakness. Leaving it empty is a common complaint from experienced players.
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Offensive Slot (Eagle or Orbital)
One reliable "clear this area, kill that heavy, handle breach or drop" tool. High-frequency community choices: Eagle 500kg Bomb (versatile heavy and objective clear across factions), Eagle Strafing Run or Airstrike (bugs or fabricators), Eagle Napalm (area denial), Orbital Precision Strike, Orbital Laser, Orbital Railcannon, 120mm or 380mm Barrage, Gas or Napalm options. Fast impact with manageable cooldowns. The 500kg and Precision get repeated praise for clutch moments.
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Fourth Slot (Flex: Sentry, Second Offensive, or Utility)
Machine Gun or Gatling Sentry (low cooldown, all-faction workhorse), Autocannon or Rocket Sentry, Mortar variants (EMS or Gas preferred by some to reduce team-kills), another Eagle or Orbital, or Portable Hellbomb for chaos. Holds ground, covers breaches, or adds redundancy. Players often default to an MG or Gatling Sentry because the cooldown is excellent.
Example Loadouts by Faction
| Faction | Loadout | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Bugs | EATs + MG Sentry + Eagle Airstrike or Napalm + Orbital Precision or 380mm | Keep distance, clear breaches. Pair with high-ammo primary and mobility backpack. |
| Bots | EATs or Autocannon + Shield or Supply Pack + Eagle 500kg + Orbital Laser or Barrage | Emphasize weak-point shooting and fabricator clear. Shield Pack for survivability. |
| All-Faction | EATs + MG or Gatling Sentry + Eagle 500kg + Orbital Precision or Laser | Covers enough roles to survive while learning. Adapts to any faction. |
| Solo | Quasar + Guard Dog + Eagle 500kg + Orbital Precision | Self-sufficient options. Guard Dog handles chaff while you focus on heavies. |
Key Decision Points
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Solo vs Squad Solo favors self-sufficient options (Quasar + Guard Dog + 500kg + Precision). Squad lets you specialize: one player goes pure AT, another goes pure chaff clear. Coordinate before dropping.
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Aggressive Mobile vs Defensive Aggressive: Jump Pack or Warp Pack plus high-mobility support weapon. Defensive: Shield Generator Pack plus Sentries plus Barrages. Pick based on mission type and your playstyle.
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Mission Type Eradicate or defense missions: more sentries, mortars, and barrages. Objective-heavy missions: more precise clear tools (Strafing Run, Precision Strike, 500kg). Adjust per mission.
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Team Composition If your team already has heavy AT covered, swap to more chaff clear or sentries. Missing spawner clear? Ensure grenades, Grenade Pistol, Autocannon, or Strafing Run can close holes, fabs, and ships.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Taking multiple overlapping long-cooldown heavies and nothing for swarms or patrols. Always keep one high-volume or low-cooldown clear tool.
- Ignoring spawners and objectives until it's too late. Bring at least one reliable closer (Autocannon, Grenade Launcher, Strafing Run, or strong grenades).
- Leaving the backpack slot empty or having no mobility or defense when the support weapon doesn't need it.
- Reloading constantly instead of using controlled bursts plus positioning (terrain, squad stickiness, stamina management).
- Bringing pure fun or chaos options (e.g., only explosives) without a plan for sustained fights.
- Not adjusting after a bad mission. If one threat type kept killing you, swap the underused slot for a counter.
Loadout Building Videos
These videos show players rating, testing, and explaining loadout construction and role coverage. Watch to understand how to think about threat types and build around them.
Fundamentals of threat types and building around them
Rating community loadouts and discussing what works