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The Illuminate in Helldivers 2 are a formidable foe, known for their advanced technology and strategic prowess. Their light infantry can be overwhelming, while their elite units, both on the ground and in the air, pose a significant threat. To effectively combat the Illuminate, it's crucial to tailor your loadouts and builds to exploit their vulnerabilities while countering their powerful tech.
Successfully battling the Illuminate hinges on selecting the right mix of weapons, support gear, and stratagems. Balancing your arsenal to handle both their swarms and their heavier, armored units is key. Neglecting either aspect can render your setup ineffective against the full might of the Illuminate.
In this guide, we'll explore the best loadouts and strategies designed to enhance your combat efficiency against the Illuminate. Whether you're a veteran player or new to the game, these approaches will help you tackle this challenging, squid-like faction. Let's prepare and 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 top-tier primary weapons in Helldivers 2, excelling at neutralizing Overseers, including those equipped with jetpacks, as well as the Voteless. The Siege-Ready armor passive boosts your ammo capacity and reload speed, allowing you to tackle multiple high-priority targets efficiently. The increased damage per second is crucial when precision is paramount.
Combining the Eagle Strafing Run with the GP-31 Grenade Pistol is a potent strategy for demolishing parked warp ships. While energy weapons struggle against their shields, a single Strafing Run can obliterate the shields of multiple grounded ships in a line, allowing you to then lob a grenade into their exposed bay doors for a devastating explosion. This tactic is particularly effective against medium to heavy Illuminate nests requiring the destruction of multiple warp ships. The G-13 Incendiary Impact grenades, while also capable of being used in this manner, are better suited for crowd control, so reserve them when using the Grenade Pistol.
The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" proves surprisingly effective against medium-armored Overseers, capable of taking them down with a single burst, making it an excellent choice for protecting your flanks 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, consider swapping it for the Orbital Laser, which is perfect for targeting Harvesters or future heavy units.
The LAS-98 Laser Cannon rounds out this loadout, capable of melting Overseers and chaff in mere seconds. It's also highly effective against Harvesters; use a Strafing Run to strip their shields, then aim for their weak spots (thighs/eyes). The Laser Cannon's long range makes it an invaluable tool for engaging targets from a distance, earning it the nickname "anti-squid weapon." At higher difficulty levels (9 or 10), where multiple Harvesters are common, the 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 ARC-12 Blitzer and ARC-3 Arc Thrower are perfect for dealing with the Illuminate's mix of melee and ranged units. They're adept at clearing chaff, but the Arc Thrower's ability to chain and stagger lightning arcs makes it especially effective at neutralizing Overseers, stunning them temporarily. Continuous attacks can keep Elevated Overseers perpetually stunned 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 invaluable against all Illuminate types, particularly effective against swarms of flying Overseers. It offers consistent crowd control and disruption, making it easier to handle large waves. Combined with the Arc Thrower, you can lock down areas with multiple chained lightning attacks, ensuring priority enemies don't reach your Tesla Tower.
Harvesters prioritize sentries, so avoid using Tesla Towers or other sentries when they're engaged.
The Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol are essential for dealing with parked warp ships. The Blitzer and Arc Thrower are less effective at depleting their shields during combat, so stick with these unless you have a teammate to cover this role.
For handling heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike offers unlimited uses, making it ideal. The Orbital Laser is effective against multiple Harvesters, but with only three uses, you'll need to coordinate with your team. Always use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This loadout is one of the most potent 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 stands out as the most versatile weapon against the Illuminate, effective against both light and medium enemies, as well as Harvesters. It outperforms the MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun with better handling and quicker infantry dispatch.
This weapon's versatility makes it a jack-of-all-trades against the squids, offering 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, enhancing your ability to target flying Overseers or Watchers.
The high fire rate of the Machine Gun allows it to deplete shields efficiently, negating the need for the Eagle Strafing Run to take out grounded warp ships. Instead, opt for turret sentries to handle large crowds or defend objectives.
The Machine Gun's only drawback is its stationary reload animation, which can leave you vulnerable. The LIFT-850 Jump Pack helps you quickly relocate to safety and navigate urban maps effectively.
While the Machine Gun can handle Harvesters by targeting their weak spots, having an Orbital stratagem like the Orbital Laser or Railcannon Strike in your arsenal is beneficial for dealing with multiple heavy units quickly. The Orbital Laser can tackle two to three shielded Harvesters simultaneously, while the Railcannon Strike is effective against unshielded targets.
For the primary weapon, consider the StA-52 Assault Rifle from the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover. Its large drum magazine provides sustained fire with light armor penetration, matching the damage output of the standard Liberator.
