Helldivers 2 Stratagem tier list and the best ones to choose

Helldivers 2 Helldiver looking at snowy automaton base getting bombarded by two orbital 380mm HE barrages — (Image credit: Sony)

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S-tier
A-tier
B-tier
C-tier
D-tier
How to unlock Stratagems

Packing the best Helldivers 2 Stratagems into your loadout can be crucial for mission success, providing extra firepower and vital support in the form of high-tech weapons, orbital bombardments, and airstrikes. But, because you can select only four Stratagems for your mission loadout, you want to think carefully about what you bring. What are your teammates choosing? What are the mission objectives? It doesn't help that there are so many of them now either. To help you figure out the best from the worst, we’ve ranked every HD2 Stratagem in a tier list below. You won’t just be ordering airstrikes and bombing runs, but you’ll also be calling in powerful weapons and special equipment to take with you on the battlefield.

Best Stratagems in Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 stratagems emancipator autocannon exosuit in bug nest — (Image credit: Sony)

For us, the best Helldivers 2 Stratagems are ones that work in pretty much any mission, either because of their overall power, making them great against almost all Helldivers 2 enemies, or because of the essential support they provide. For example, the Orbital Laser and several other orbital strike weapons are effective against all three enemy factions and it's worth packing at least one of them, no matter the mission you're on.

And if you're playing on the highest Helldivers 2 difficulty levels, you'll definitely want one of your chosen Stratagems to be one of the best Helldivers 2 supports weapons. In short, things like the Railgun, Coomando, and any of the dedicated anti-tank weapons are incredibly useful to have and make for a top-tier Helldivers 2 loadout in the right context.

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Speaking of loadouts, you might also want to check out our guides on the best Helldivers 2 primary weapons and best Helldivers 2 secondary weapons, so you know what to pack in your hellpod as well as what you can call in from your Super Destroyer.

S-tier Helldivers 2 Stratagems

Stratagems that are useful in pretty much any mission or are absolute must-picks against a certain Helldivers 2 faction:

Orbital Laser
Orbital 380mm HE Barrage
Orbital Gas Strike
Orbital Precision Strike
Commando
Quasar Cannon
Expendable Anti-Tank
Railgun
Autocannon
Flamethrower
Speargun
Shield Generator Pack
Warp Pack
Jump Pack

A-tier Helldivers 2 Stratagems

Great Helldivers 2 Stratagems that can be excellent in the right situations and when used effectively:

Eagle 500kg Bomb
Eagle Airstrike
Orbital Napalm Barrage
Orbital 120mm HE Barrage
Orbital Walking Barrage
Eagle Strafing Run
Eagle Cluster Bomb
Eagle Napalm Strike
Epoch
Recoilless Rifle
WASP Launcher
De-Escalator
Grenade Launcher
Anti-Materiel Rifle
Spear
Machine Gun
Airburst Rocket Launcher
Hover Pack
Autocannon Sentry
Gatling Sentry
Anti-Tank Emplacement
Machine Gun Sentry
Portable Hellbomb
Guard Dog Hot Dog
Defoliation Tool

B-tier Helldivers 2 Stratagems

Solid Stratagems that aren't quite as powerful as those in S or A-tier and are either outclassed by superior Stratagems or come with some caveats:

Orbital Gatling Barrage
Stalwart
Heavy Machine Gun
Laser Cannon
Expendable Napalm
Emancipator Exosuit
Patriot Exosuit
HMG Emplacement
Rocket Sentry
Supply Pack
Maxigun
Arc Thrower
Guard Dog Rover
Guard Dog
Orbital Railcannon Strike
Flame Sentry
Tesla Tower
EMS Mortar Sentry

C-tier Helldivers 2 Stratagems

Average Stratagems and support weapons that are usable but are limited in their effectiveness, often having superior alternatives:

Eagle 110mm Rocket Pods
Fast Recon Vehicle
Ballistic Shield Backpack
Orbital EMS Strike
Orbital Airburst Strike
Solo Silo
Gas Mines
Anti-Personnel Minefield
Incendiary Mines
Anti-Tank Mines
Laser Sentry
Shield Generator Relay
Directional Shield
Mortar Sentry

D-tier Helldivers 2 Stratagems

There's little that justifies picking these Stratagems as they don't quite bring enough to the team during a mission and you'll sacrifice the chance to choose a much better Stratagem by picking these:

Grenadier Battlement
Sterilizer
Guard Dog K-9
Guard Dog Dog Breath
Orbital Smoke Strike
Eagle Smoke Strike
One True Flag

How to unlock new Stratagems in Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 Stratagems — (Image credit: Sony)

Just in case you aren't aware of how to bulk out your Stratagem arsenal, you can get more Stratagems via the Ship Management terminal on your Super Destroyer ship. Firstly, you need to meet a minimum level requirement to purchase a given Stratagem, and then you'll need to pay a number of Requisition Slips - they can range from a few thousand slips to up to over 20,000 - to unlock it permanently, letting you choose it in the pre-mission loadout menu.

You'll also notice that some Stratagems are locked behind Warbonds, so instead of being a certain level, you need to buy the Warbond with Super Credits first. Then you can buy any Stratagems contained within using your Helldivers 2 Medals to unlock them for use in missions - if you want some pointers on which are best to buy, take a look at our Helldivers 2 Warbond tier list.