Top 6 Stratagems in Helldivers 2 – Best Defensive & Offensive Tools

Stratagems are tools that provide the key to survivability and beating all odds in Helldivers 2. There’s an array of Stratagems available in the game, which can manifest as turrets, guns, bombs, and even an air strike that decimates everything in its path. The cooldown period for these tools varies, but it mostly takes a few minutes to recharge.

The only catch is that you can only equip four Stratagems at once, which makes it crucial for you to pick the right one. In this guide, I’ll recommend three defensive and offensive Stratagems that pack a punch in Helldivers 2.

1. Best Stratagems in Helldivers 2

Here are the top 6 Stratagems, keeping in mind their uses and implementation in Helldivers 2:

VI. MD-6 Anti-Personnel Minefield

V. Gatling Sentry

IV. A/MLS-4X Rocket Sentry

III. Recoilless Rifle

II. Orbital Precision Strike

I. Eagle Air Strike

The first three Stratagems specialize in defense, while the next three focus on the offense and damage dealt to enemies.

6. MD-6 Anti-Personnel Minefield

As the name suggests, this Stratagem attaches mines to the ground, making quick work of the hordes of smaller enemies on your tail. It’s one of the early unlocks in the game but is incredibly useful against waves of smaller enemies. When defending your position during an objective, this Stratagem will come in handy to leave a mark against the bugs trying to reach you.

However, it would be best if you were careful about this defensive tool as the mines can detonate from your movement, leading to your death. The downside to this tool is that it takes time to set up, making it unfit for situations when you need a quick defense against incoming forces.

5. A/G-16 Gatling Sentry

Next, we have the A/G-16 Gatling Sentry, a turret that can mow down hordes of enemies in its path, including yourself, if you’re not careful. If you stumble upon a nest of bugs, don’t forget to have this Stratagem equipped, as it can clear the nest out in quick succession.

Another good use for the Gatling Sentry is to defend the launch pad while extracting during the end of a mission or when you’re doing an objective with hordes of enemies after you. When the situation gets dicey, the Gatling Sentry can be an excellent defensive option to fend off enemies.

4. A/MLS-4X Rocket Sentry

Moving on to the more powerful defense Stratagems, the A/MLS-4X Rocket Sentry is a turret that primarily aims at larger and more armored enemies. It packs some serious firepower, denting the bigger adversaries coming for you.

This Stratagem, paired with the other mentioned defensive Stratagems, can be your ultimate defense against incoming forces, both small and big while defending your position during an objective in Helldivers 2. Have the Gatling Sentry focus on the hordes and pair it with this Stratagem to fend off the armored enemies.

3. GR-8 Recoilless Rifle

We finally arrive at the offensive Stratagem, starting with the GR-8 Recoilless Rifle, an incredible weapon for killing armored enemies like the giant, nasty bugs known as Chargers. Even though it’s a rifle, it looks more like a bazooka with an enormous scope.

With this weapon, it is recommended to hit the Chargers head or its leg armor to kill it. Aiming at the weak points reduces the damage dealt by this weapon. Yet, it remains an excellent weapon to kill these nasty bugs.

2. Orbital Precision Strike

The Orbital Precision Strike is one of the first Stratagems you’ll unlock in Helldivers 2. It’s the Stratagem, which you’ll learn to use during the tutorial, but its utility doesn’t end there. Paired with a quick cooldown time of a few minutes, the Orbital Precision Strike deals devastating damage when used against targets accurately.

It’s worth holding onto after the tutorial, as it’s an all-rounder for taking out enemies of all shapes and sizes. All you have to remember is to aim at the targets accurately. Every few minutes, this Stratagem is recharged for you to use.

1. Eagle Airstrike

The Eagle Airstrike is the best and most powerful Stratagem in Helldivers 2 due to its sheer damage and quick response to its activation. It’s an air strike that triggers a bombing run, killing multiple enemies at once. The only drawback is its prolonged cooldown time.

This Stratagem can also kill your friends if they don’t maintain a safe distance from it. Other than that, it takes quite a while to recharge after using two charges. A workaround is to send it back to resupply after using one charge when you do not require an air strike. This will reduce the recharge time for it, making it available for use when it’s necessary.

That’s all you need to know about the top 6 Stratagems in Helldivers 2. Check out more on the game below:

About Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 is a third-person shooter developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game is the sequel to 2015’s Helldivers, which was a top-down shooter. It was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on 8 February 2024.