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Helldivers 2: Best Loadouts for the Illuminate

Author：Kristen Update：Apr 15,2025

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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 and numbers. While you're busy taking down their light infantry, their elite units can quickly close in from the ground and air. To triumph over them, selecting the right loadouts and builds is crucial, as they must exploit the Illuminate's weaknesses while countering their powerful tech.

So, how do you effectively combat the Illuminate? It's all about crafting the perfect blend of weapons, support gear, and stratagems to tackle their unique strengths. Balancing your loadout to handle both the swarm of lesser enemies and the tougher, armored units is essential. Neglecting either type can render your setup ineffective against the full might of the Illuminate horde.

In this guide, we'll explore the best loadouts and builds tailored specifically for battling the Illuminate. Whether you're a veteran or new to the game, these strategies will boost your combat effectiveness against this squid-like faction. Let's gear up and prepare to confront the Illuminate head-on.

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 among the top primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They excel at melting Overseers, including the jet-pack-wielding Elevated units, and are just as effective against the Voteless. The Siege-Ready armor passive enhances their performance by providing additional ammunition and quicker reloads, allowing you to tackle multiple priority targets efficiently. The increased damage per second is invaluable when every shot counts.

The Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol form a potent duo for destroying parked warp ships. Energy-based weapons struggle to deplete their shields, but a single Strafing Run can shatter the shields of multiple grounded warp ships in a row. Following up with a grenade shot into their open bay doors will cause them to explode. This combination is particularly effective when clearing medium or heavy Illuminate nests requiring the destruction of five or more warp ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact grenades can also be used against open bay doors, they are better suited for clearing chaff, so reserve them when 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 one of the best stratagems for watching your flank against the Illuminate.

The A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry is ideal for securing areas during objective defense. If crowd control isn't your priority, you can opt for the Orbital Laser to target Harvesters or future heavy units.

Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon rounds out this loadout. It's not only great at melting Overseers and chaff within seconds but also excels against Harvesters. Deplete their shields with a Strafing Run, then aim the Laser Cannon at their weak points (thighs/eyes). A single clip is sufficient if your aim is steady. The Laser Cannon's long range makes it an excellent choice for picking off targets from a distance, making it a true anti-squid weapon.

On level 9 or 10 difficulty, where multiple Harvesters are common, having an 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 Illuminate's mix of melee and ranged units makes the ARC-12 Blitzer and ARC-3 Arc Thrower perfect for handling both threats. Both weapons effortlessly clear chaff, but the Arc Thrower has the added advantage of rendering Overseers nearly useless. Its lightning arcs chain and stagger, stunning Overseers briefly. Continuous attacks from a distance can keep Elevated Overseers permanently stunned in mid-air.

The Arc Thrower can also take down unshielded Harvesters, requiring 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, particularly flying Overseers. It provides consistent crowd control and disrupts enemy movements, making it easier to manage large waves. Combining it with the Arc Thrower creates multiple chained lightning attacks, effectively locking down an area. Prioritize targeting key enemies with the Arc Thrower to prevent them from getting close enough to destroy your Tesla Tower.

Harvesters tend to target sentries, so avoid using your Tesla Tower or other sentry stratagems when engaging 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 their shields during combat, so don't replace them with other stratagems unless you have a teammate who can handle this task.

For dealing with heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike is excellent, offering unlimited uses. The Orbital Laser is effective against multiple Harvesters, though its limited uses mean you'll eventually depend on your teammates. Always use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This build is one of the most powerful against the Illuminate, especially when coordinated with other players.

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 arguably the most versatile support weapon against the Illuminate, making it a top choice for 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 quicker dispatch of infantry.

It's a true all-rounder against the squids, providing a perfect balance of power and reliability. Pair it with the Engineering Kit to reduce recoil or the Peak Physique armor passive to minimize drag, the latter aiding in targeting flying Overseers or Watchers.

Its high fire rate is also effective at depleting shields, eliminating the need for the Eagle Strafing Run to destroy grounded warp ships. Instead, opt for either the A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry or the A/G-16 Gatling Sentry to control crowds or defend objectives.

The Machine Gun's only drawback is its stationary reload animation, which prevents reloading on the move. This is where the LIFT-850 Jump Pack comes in handy, allowing quick relocation to safety and easier navigation through the new urban maps.

While the Machine Gun can effectively target Harvesters by aiming at their weak spots, having an Orbital stratagem in your build is crucial for dealing with multiple heavy units quickly. The Orbital Laser can handle two to three shielded Harvesters simultaneously, whereas the Railcannon Strike is effective only against unshielded targets.

For the primary weapon in this build, you can choose from the Armory. To maintain the bullet-storm theme, consider the StA-52 Assault Rifle from the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover. It features a large drum magazine and delivers sustained fire with light-armor-penetrating capabilities, matching the damage output of the standard Liberator.

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