Best Stratagems in Helldivers 2, ranked

Advanced warfare.

Giant alien bug in Helldivers 2 opening
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Stratagems in Helldivers 2 can quickly turn the tide of battle, but some are better than others. After putting in time to experiment, we’re here to tell you which are the best Stratagems in Helldivers 2.

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There are a variety of approaches you can take with Stratagems in Helldivers 2, providing additions to your arsenal or simply raining hellfire upon the enemies, and finding the perfect balance can be tricky.

If you’ve been carefully saving up materials and are ready to splash out on new tools for your warfare, these are the very best Stratagems you can use.

Best Stratagems to use in Helldivers 2

The description of the Orbital Barrage in Helldivers 2.
Look out below. Screenshot by Dot Esports

1. Orbital 380MM HE Barrage

Unlock LevelEight
Call-In TimeSix seconds
UsesUnlimited
Cooldown Time240 seconds

The Orbital 380MM HE Barrage in Helldivers 2 is great for clearing out a large area, providing continued explosions that can easily destroy buildings, armored enemies, and everything in between.

2. Shield Generator Relay

Unlock Level10
Call-In TimeZero seconds
UsesUnlimited
Cooldown Time90 seconds

The Shield Generator Relay provides cover from enemy projectiles but allows you to continue to fire at enemies. This Stratagem is extremely useful against Automation enemies and, with a short cooldown time, can be used repeatedly.

3. Rocket Sentry

The description for the Rocket Sentry in Helldivers 2.
Rocketman. Screenshot by Dot Esports
Unlock Level15
Call-In TimeThree seconds
UsesUnlimited
Cooldown Time180 seconds

Automated turrets are extremely effective in Helldivers 2 and the Rocket Sentry is arguably the best at them all, providing powerful attacks that are extremely effective against armored enemies. The Rocket Sentry will mainly target large foes, allowing you to focus on the small threats.

4. Jump Pack

Unlock LevelEight
Call-In TimeFive seconds
UsesUnlimited
Cooldown Time480 seconds

The Jump Pack makes traversal across the terrain in Helldivers 2 much easier but is most effective when used to avoid charging enemies. While it needs to charge between uses, having this Stratagem in your arsenal can be a lifesaver.

5. Eagle 500KG Bomb

Unlock Level15
Call-In TimeZero seconds
UsesOne
Cooldown TimeN/A

Sometimes, you need to throw caution to the wind and call in the big guns—and they don’t get any bigger than the Eagle 500KG Bomb. Though you can only use this Stratagem once per mission, it’s the most effective way of decimating large enemies.

6. “Guard Dog” Rover

The description for the Guard Dog Rover Stratagem in Helldivers 2.
Bark worse than its bite. Screenshot by Dot Esports
Unlock Level10
Call-In TimeFive seconds
UsesUnlimited
Cooldown Time480 seconds

This Stratagem provides you with a drone that will attack enemies automatically with a laser rifle and will follow you around. Once it needs charging, the “Guard Dog” Rover will return to your backpack. Though the cooldown time is quite lengthy, it’s well worth the wait.

7. Eagle Strafing Run

Unlock LevelTwo
Call-In TimeZero seconds
UsesThree
Cooldown Time15 seconds

With an extremely short cooldown down and a near-instant deployment, the Eagle Strafing Run is perfect for mowing down hordes of enemies and is particularly effective against Bugs. I highly recommend getting the Eagle Strafing Run as soon as possible.

8. Flamethrower

A description of the Flamethrower in Helldivers 2.
Set fire to the rain. Screenshot by Dot Esports
Unlock Level10
Call-In TimeThree seconds
UsesUnlimited
Cooldown Time480 seconds

The Flamethrower Stratagem provides firepower in the most literal sense and can afflict sustained damage upon enemies when you set them alight. You can also set fire to the ground and make a wall around you—and, if you really want to, you can BBQ your teammates.

9. Stalwart

Unlock LevelTwo
Call-In TimeThree seconds
UsesUnlimited
Cooldown Time480 seconds

Though it may be tempting to opt for a high-power weapon to call in, the Stalwart is ideal as it has an extremely quick reload time and can mow through small enemies. While they might not be the biggest threat, it’s easy to be overrun by them and this approach lessens that concern.

Author
Image of Josh Challies
Josh Challies
Staff Writer. Professional writer since 2014. Pokemon, Marvel, Star Wars and overall geek. Previously wrote for Yahoo Sport, Stats Perform and online news publications.