You completely understood that fighting the Terminids in Helldivers 2 is not about precision from the very first minute of your try. This is a full-scale war of attrition. The relentless bug horde is fast, and swarming is their forte. Surviving (and even thriving) in the chaos takes a lot, unlike the loadout that you’ll need, which should emphasize on firepower, crowd control, and area denial. Be it clearing bugs' nests or trying to extract during an extraction, the equipment you need to cause suffering to the bugs is covered in this guide.

Why Fire is Your Best Friend

Terminids are highly vulnerable to fire-based weapons. Unlike the armor-plated Automatons or shielded Illuminate, Terminids rely on sheer numbers and speed. That makes them easy targets for flamethrowers, incendiary shells, and area-based explosives. Burning them not only kills fast, it causes panic in the swarm, buying your team crucial breathing room.

Best Loadout for Fighting Terminids

Primary Weapon

• Breaker Incendiary A top-tier choice for clearing out swarms at close range. The incendiary shells ignite anything they touch, making it perfect for corridors, caves, and bottlenecks.
• Cooked Auto (Cookout) More range than the Breaker, still delivers intense fire damage. Solid pick for players who like to move and shoot.
• Sickle / Double-Edged Sickle For those who prefer full-auto carnage with armor-shredding bullets. Works great with recoil control mods.

Secondary Weapon

• Grenade Pistol A versatile option for popping nests or taking down elite bugs. You can solo a Spawner or Hive Node with some well-placed shots.
• Crisper A handheld flamethrower that's excellent as a sidearm. Great backup when things get too close for comfort.

Grenade

• Gas Grenade Essential for controlling bug movement. Slows and disorients groups of enemies, making them easy pickings for fire weapons or orbital strikes.

Armor

• Light or Medium Armor Prioritize movement speed and stamina regeneration. Swarms kill slow players. Pick a passive that complements your playstyle, like increased grenade capacity or faster stratagem cooldowns.

Best Stratagems for Terminid Extermination

Flamethrower (Support Weapon)

Absolutely crucial. Not only does it tear through small and medium bugs, but it can also damage larger armored ones like Chargers. Don’t leave the ship without it.

Personal Shield Generator

Provides that extra buffer against acid spit and melee claws. Especially helpful if you’re the one holding the front line.

Jump Pack or Hover Pack

Mobility is your second-best defense. Use it to escape swarms, leap over bile pools, or reposition for a better stratagem drop.

Orbital Napalm Barrage

One of the most broken tools in the game against Terminids. Clears entire nests or control zones with sustained fire. Pair it with the Enhanced Combustion Ship Module for max impact.

Heavy Hitting Orbital (Pick One):

• Orbital Laser – Long-lasting precision beam that melts large bugs.
• Orbital Precision Strike – Great for taking out big targets like Impalers or groups of elite bugs.
• Orbital Gas Strike – Useful for area denial and crowd control, but less lethal than the other options.

Bonus Picks for Your Squad

Not everyone in your squad needs to run the same fire-focused build. In fact, a well-rounded team should have a mix of roles to handle every threat the Terminids throw at you. While one or two players bring Flamethrowers and gas grenades for swarm control, others should pack dedicated anti-armor weapons like the Recoilless Rifle, Quasar Cannon, or Autocannon to deal with larger enemies like Chargers or Bile Titans. For priority takedowns or clearing high-threat areas, using weapons like the Commando or Railgun works brilliantly. With custom mission options, each squad member can select sophisticated weapons which can help them survive even in the strongest bug war.

Team Synergy Tips

• 1-2 Flamethrowers per squad is ideal. More than that, and you'll be overlapping fire unnecessarily.
• Communicate stratagem cooldowns. Don’t waste your Orbital Napalm if someone already called theirs in.
• Rotate shield and pack roles. Not everyone needs a Jump Pack, some should run Personal Shield or Supply Pack to share ammo.

With the right tools, Terminids become more of a chaotic fireworks display than an existential threat. This loadout is tailor-made for fire-loving Helldivers who enjoy wading into the thick of it and watching the bug hordes burn.