Helldivers 2 Best Stratagems [Expert Picks]

After spending 16 hours in Helldivers 2, these are the best stratagems to get premium assistance in battles.

Selecting the best stratagems in Helldivers 2 is a must to handle hordes of Terminids and groups of Automatons. They assist you in bringing new gear, landing orbital strikes, and reviving fallen teammates, which are vital in securing freedom from these aliens. These stratagems are called down from the Destroyer ship to assist you in your missions.

Key Takeaways
  • There are a total of 6 categories into which Stratagems are divided.
  • They provide heavy weaponry, artillery fire, bombing, element damage, defensive equipment, and drones from the destroyer ship during a mission.
  • The best stratagem is Orbital 120mm HE Barrage due to its exact artillery fire towards the enemies.
  • You must be at a distance when using it because it can damage you and your teammates.
  • Another good strategy is the GL-21 Grenade Launcher, which is excellent at firing shots from a range.

Best Stratagems Picks And Comparison

The table compares the best stratagems in Helldivers 2: 

NoBest Stratagems Call-In-TimeUsesCooldown TimeStratagem TraitsBest For
1Orbital 120mm HE Barrage5 secUnlimited240 secExplosive
Orbital
Best Damage Dealer Stratagem
2Eagle Cluster Bomb0 Sec415 SecExplosive
Eagle
Best Area Splash Damage Stratagem
3Grenade Launcher3 secUnlimited480 secSupport Weapon
Hellpod
Explosive
Best Long Range Stratagem
4Gatling Sentry3 secUnlimited 180 SecHellpod
Sentry
Best Fire Rate Stratagem
5Anti-Personnel Minefield3 secUnlimited180 SecHellpod
Explosive
Best Stratagem To Extract
6B-1 Supply Pack5 SecUnlimited480 SecHellpod
Backpack
Best Supply Stratagem

1. Orbital 120mm HE Barrage 

Best Damage Dealer Stratagem.
Helldivers 2 best stratagems
Orbital 120mm HE Barrage stats showcase in Helldivers 2 (Image Captured By eXputer)
Call-In-TimeUsesCooldown Time
5 SecUnlimited240 Sec

This is one of the best stratagems in Helldivers 2 and discharges simultaneous artillery toward enemy ranks. It has one of the most significant damage among the stratagems and precisely targets mass enemies in a small area. The best time to use it is in the mid-game because enemies get stronger during those mid-difficulty missions, and it can be used more frequently because of its low cooldown time. Also, it can be used as many times in a mission as wanted, so blast at the start of the mission. 

Stratagem Traits:

  • Explosive
  • Orbital
  • Precise strikes.
  • Very great damage.
  • Unlimited uses.
  • Decent cooldown time.
  • High call-in time.
  • It can damage your teammates. 

Why I Chose This: I chose this stratagem because of its high precision and damage, which provides quick kills of strong enemies in a small area.

2. Eagle Cluster bomb

Best AoE Damage Stratagem.
Helldivers 2 best stratagems
Eagle Cluster Bomb stats showcase in Helldivers 2 (Image Captured By eXputer)
Call-In-TimeUsesCooldown Time
0 Sec415 Sec

This stratagem is excellent for handling big groups of enemies, and it is the only Eagle ability in Helldivers 2 with four uses. But please be careful when using it against enemies and ensure squad members are out of their damage zone. I mostly use it against an approaching crowd to completely demolish them. This stratagem has no call in time, so it provides quick assistance and saves lives against aliens like Terminids.

The best time to use it is in the middle of the mission when you encounter more bugs, and it has a meager cooldown time, so you can get frequent strikes within a minute to clear a large number of enemies in a small area. 

Stratagem Traits:

  • Explosive
  • Eagle
  • Zero call in time.
  • Meager cooldown time.
  • High AoE damage.
  • Only four uses.

Why I Chose This: I chose Eagle Cluster Bomb because of its AoE damage and its ability to take down groups of enemies with a zero call in time. 

3. Grenade Launcher 

Best Long Range Stratagem.
Grenade Launcher in Helldivers 2
Grenade Launcher stats showcase in Helldivers 2 (Image Captured By eXputer)
Call-In-TimeUsesCooldown Time
3 SecUnlimited480 Sec

The GL-21 is very helpful if you spot bugs from a distance; you can call this stratagem and get quick kills within no time. You can use a Grenade Launcher to destroy Antenna Arrays from a distance and help you in sub-objectives. The only setback is its high cooldown time, so I suggest using it in the earliest part of the mission to gain an advantage without losing health. Although it has an increased cooldown time, you can use it multiple times in missions. 

Stratagem Traits:

  • Support Weapon
  • Hellpod
  • Explosive
  • Long range.
  • Very high damage.
  • Meager call-in time.
  • Unlimited uses.
  • Very high cooldown time.

Why I Chose This: I chose this because of its ability to shoot down bugs from a long-range, preventing you from any harm.

4. A/G-16 Gatling Sentry

Best Fire Rate Stratagem.
Helldivers 2 best Stratagems
A/G-16 Gatling Sentry stats showcase in Helldivers 2 (Image Captured By eXputer)
Call-In-TimeUsesCooldown Time
3 SecUnlimited180 Sec

The best stratagem to destroy large groups of enemies is the A/G-16 Gatling Sentry. It is mighty in damage and has a very high fire rate. So it is a destruction when you see a horde of bugs approaching you. Also, it has a low call-in time of 3 seconds and can be used unlimited times in a mission. 

It has a cooldown time of three minutes, so it can be used frequently under challenging missions to increase your firepower continuously. But it would be best to be careful using it because it can damage your squad members. it would be best if you were 

Stratagem Traits:

  • Hellpod
  • Sentry 
  • Low call-in time.
  • Very high fire rate.
  • Unlimited uses.
  • Low cooldown time.
  • Can damage your teammates.

Why I Chose This: I use it when a group of bugs is approaching, and because of its fire rate, it unleashes havoc on them.

5. Anti-Personnel Minefield  

Best Stratagem To Extract.
Anti-Personnel Minefield stats
Anti-Personnel Minefield stats showcase in Helldivers 2 (Image Captured By eXputer)
Call-In-TimeUsesCooldown Time
3 SecUnlimited180 Sec

Another one of the best stratagems in Helldivers 2 because setting up minefields proves to be an effective strategy for safeguarding your location, particularly when you need to wait for extraction. These mines pack enough punch to take down small and medium-sized enemies, giving you the chance to deal some initial damage or crack open the high-level armor. 

I mostly used it against Terminids because of their solid armor and quick call-in time, which provided unlimited uses. The cooldown time is the same as Gatling Sentry, and it also helps to slow down enemies advancing towards you. 

Stratagem Traits:

  • Hellpod
  • Explosive
  • Slows down enemies.
  • Low call-in time.
  • Assist you to extract safely.
  • Unlimited uses.
  • Low damage to enemies.
  • Not instant call in time.

Why I Chose This: I use it when I have achieved the objective and trick the bugs to get back to the ship safely. 

6. B-1 Supply Pack 

Best Supply Stratagem.
B-1 Supply Pack stats
B-1 Supply Pack stats showcase in Helldivers 2 (Image Captured By eXputer)
Call-In-TimeUsesCooldown Time
5 SecUnlimited480 Sec

This is one of the best stratagems in Helldivers 2 to get supplies during the battle. So it is a must to keep in your loadout so you are always supplied with ammunition during fights. Also, you can distribute supply boxes to your teammates to help new players. Mostly, supply boxes are essential for challenging missions where you must fight the aliens longer and always be supplied with supplies. 

The setback is that it has a very long cooldown time, so you need to be very efficient while calling Supply Pack, but the good thing is it can be used unlimited times in a single mission.

Stratagem Traits:

  • Hellpod
  • Backpack
  • Supply ammunition.
  • Helps new players in the team.
  • Unlimited uses.
  • High cooldown time.
  • High call-in time.

Why I Chose This: I chose this always to have supplies and provide newbie squad members with ammunition during the mission.

Other Honorable Mentions

While there were other Stratagems options as well that didn’t make up for the top 6 list because of the following reasons:

  • Eagle 500kg Bomb: They don’t have devastation damage as other orbital stratagems.
  • Orbital Railcannon Strike: It is not effective against a group of enemies but targets a single enemy.
  • Machine Gun Sentry: The Gatling sentry is an overall better option than this stratagem because of its high damage and better fire rate.
  • Mortar Sentry: It has good damage but can damage you and your teammates because you have no idea where the shells will land.
  • Guard Dog: They shoot any enemy in their range, exposing your position to the enemies. 

My Opinion

Out of all stratagems, orbital 120mm HE Barrage is one of the best stratagems in Helldivers 2 to use because of its most severe damage and ability to clear mass enemies at once.

Another Stratagem I enjoyed was the GL-21 Grenade Launcher because of its long range and the fact that you can quickly kill enemies from a distance without getting harmed. Lastly, I recommend reading our guide on how to get medals in Helldivers 2 by Atik Yonus.

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Irfan Ansari is a Senior Editor and Guides Writer on eXputer. He has seven years of Video Game Journalism experience and has been gaming for more than 22 years. Over his editorial career, he has gained experience at multiple sites, including TheGamer and VeryAli Gaming. Irfan has also earned a degree in Writing and Editing from the University of Michigan. Learn some more about Irfan's gaming journey on his Steam, PSN, and Xbox profiles.

Experience: 7+ Years || Worked for TheGamer and VeryAli Gaming

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