Helldivers 2: Top 5 Stratagems for Every Mission Type

Introduction

In Helldivers 2, stratagems are your lifeline. Whether you're facing endless hordes of Terminids or the relentless Automaton army, the right loadout can mean the difference between a glorious victory and a shameful retreat. This guide breaks down the top 5 stratagems for each major mission type, ensuring you always bring the right firepower to the fight. Super Earth expects results—deliver them.

Bug Missions: Exterminate with Extreme Prejudice

Terminid swarms are fast, numerous, and often armored. You need area denial and high burst damage.

Orbital Laser Strike – A classic. Call down a sweeping laser that incinerates chargers, impalers, and entire patrols. Perfect for breaches and objective defenses.
Eagle Airstrike – Fast, low-cooldown carpet bombing. Great for clearing clustered enemies and closing bug holes. Pair with the Eagle Rearm for multiple uses.
Incendiary Mines – Lay a burning ring around the objective. Bugs are weak to fire, and the mines slow their advance while dealing massive damage over time.
Guard Dog Rover – A floating laser turret that targets small and medium bugs automatically. Frees you to focus on heavies.
Autocannon Sentry – A rapid-fire sentry with high armor penetration. It shreds chargers and spewers, and can hold a choke point alone.

Automaton Missions: Surgical Destruction

Bots are accurate, aggressive, and heavily armored. You need suppression, armor break, and mobility.

Orbital Railcannon Strike – One-hit kills any single target, including tanks and Hulks. Essential for elite elimination.
Eagle Napalm Strike – Blankets an area in flames, dealing continuous damage and blinding bots. Ideal for clearing fabricators and blocking reinforcements.
Shield Generator Pack – Personal bubble that blocks small arms fire and lets you revive teammates safely. A must for open fields.
Recoilless Rifle – A shoulder-launched anti-armor weapon that can destroy any bot from a distance. Bring ammo drops for sustained use.
EMS Mortar Sentry – Slows and damages bots in a wide area. Perfect for disabling patrols and buying time to complete objectives.

Defense & Extraction Levels: Hold the Line

These missions are about survival and sustained fire. Ammo efficiency and area denial are key.

Machine Gun Sentry – Cheap, spammable, and effective. Deploy multiple around the perimeter to thin the horde.
Orbital Gatling Barrage – Continuous explosive rain that covers a large area. Excellent for breaking up enemy formations.
Supply Pack – Keep your team's ammo, stims, and grenades topped off. The ultimate support tool for long engagements.
Static Field Conductors – Slows all enemies inside a zone. Combos perfectly with sentries and orbital strikes.
Resupply Pod – A call-down that restores your stratagem uses. Use it twice per mission to refresh your most powerful tools.

General Tips for All Missions

Diverse Loadouts – Ensure your team has a mix of anti-tank, crowd control, and area denial. Communicate before dropping.
Stratagem Priority – Save your high-cooldown stratagems for breaches, heavies, or extraction waves. Don't waste them on stragglers.
Avoid Friendly Fire – Many stratagems have large radii. Call them at least 15 meters away from teammates, and use the throw indicator.
Upgrade Your Ship – Unlock stratagem modifications like faster call-downs, extra uses, or reduced cooldowns through the Ship Management terminal.

Conclusion

Mastering these stratagems will elevate your Helldiver career. Remember, no strategy survives first contact with the enemy—so adapt, reinforce, and spread democracy with overwhelming firepower. For Super Earth!