Helldivers 2 is a real chaotic galactic warfare. Whether you're facing Terminids, Automatons, or Illuminate, your primary weapon choice can make or break the mission. From energy rifles to armor-piercing shotguns, there’s no shortage of deadly gear. In this tier list, we rank every primary weapon in Helldivers 2 based on damage, utility, versatility, and squad synergy. Weapons are rated from S-Tier to D-Tier 

S-Tier 

These are the best weapons in Helldivers 2, highly effective across most mission types and enemy factions.

SG-225SP Breaker Spray & Pray

• Type: Shotgun SMG Hybrid
• Why It’s Great: Insane close-range burst damage, large magazine, tight spread, and rapid fire. Shreds Terminids and melts bots when flanking.
• Best Use: Bug extermination, defensive holds, breach points.
• Downside: Ammo-hungry and short range.

LAS-5 Scythe

• Type: Energy Rifle
• Why It’s Great: Infinite ammo, no reloads, high precision, and burns through light to medium armor. Perfect for long missions or when ammo is scarce.
• Best Use: Mobile patrols, solo play, economy builds.
• Downside: Overheats fast if you spam it.

PLAS-1 Scorcher

• Type: Plasma Rifle
• Why It’s Great: Splash damage that clears swarms. Devastating AoE with manageable recoil. Great against clustered enemies.
• Best Use: Bug hunts, holdouts, explosive setups.
• Downside: Friendly fire risk in tight squads.

R-36 Eruptor

• Type: High-Impact Battle Rifle
• Why It’s Great: Explosive rounds that decimate armored enemies. High skill ceiling but unmatched boss damage.
• Best Use: Automaton suppression, big-game hunts.
• Downside: Long reload, can kill allies if used recklessly.

A-Tier 

Strong weapons that perform well in most situations but may be outclassed in specific matchups.

AR-23P Liberator Penetrator

• Type: Assault Rifle
• Why It’s Great: Excellent armor penetration and accuracy. Works well against both bugs and bots.
• Best Use: Mixed enemy missions.
• Downside: Slightly lower mag capacity than base Liberator.

BR-14 Adjudicator

• Type: Marksman Rifle
• Why It’s Great: High damage and accuracy. Ideal for players who aim for the head and play methodically.
• Best Use: Mid-range combat, open-field maps.
• Downside: Limited mag, requires precision.

SG-225 Breaker

• Type: Shotgun
• Why It’s Great: Reliable close-range stopping power with tight spread and consistent damage.
• Best Use: Base defense, bug tunnels.
• Downside: Struggles against armored bots.

AR-23 Liberator

• Type: Starter Assault Rifle
• Why It’s Great: Well-rounded, stable, and versatile. Perfect for new players.
• Best Use: Any situation, especially early-game.
• Downside: Gets outshined by upgraded variants.

B-Tier 

Weapons that can excel with the right loadout or playstyle, but are less flexible.

MP-98 Knight

• Type: SMG
• Why It’s Great: Fast fire rate and smooth handling. Feels amazing to use.
• Best Use: Hit-and-run tactics, fast builds.
• Downside: Poor against armor, short range.

SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary

• Type: Flame Shotgun
• Why It’s Great: Area denial and crowd control via fire damage.
• Best Use: Holding choke points or burning bug tunnels.
• Downside: Weak against armor, hard to control spread.

AR-61 Tenderizer

• Type: Heavy Assault Rifle
• Why It’s Great: High damage per shot and solid penetration.
• Best Use: Defensive play, taking cover between shots.
• Downside: Slow rate of fire, tricky recoil.

C-Tier 

These weapons can still work, but they’re either underpowered or too niche to recommend for serious play.

SG-8S Slugger

• Type: Precision Shotgun
• Why It’s Great: One-hit potential at close range.
• Best Use: Execution shots, elite bug targets.
• Downside: Extremely slow fire rate, unforgiving if you miss.

JAR-5 Dominator

• Type: Energy Rifle
• Why It’s Great: Stylish beam weapon with decent DPS.
• Best Use: Long-range suppression.
• Downside: Underperforms compared to Scythe or Adjudicator.

D-Tier 

These weapons are either underpowered, awkward to use, or completely outclassed.

LAS-16 Sickle

• Type: Energy Assault Rifle
• Why It’s Weak: Poor damage output and long spin-up time.
• Best Use: Rarely worth bringing.
• Downside: Makes Scythe look like a god-tier weapon by comparison.

SMG-37 Defender

• Type: Standard SMG
• Why It’s Weak: Lackluster in damage and range. Outclassed by Knight and Ninja.
• Best Use: Starter builds only.
• Downside: Poor scaling and utility.

Helldivers 2’s combat system rewards coordination and loadout synergy. While S-tier weapons like the Scythe, Spray & Pray, and Scorcher will dominate most battlefields, don’t underestimate the impact of a well-placed Adjudicator shot or a fire-spewing Incendiary Breaker.