Quick Links
The Illuminate in Helldivers 2 are a formidable enemy, known for their advanced technologies and their ability to overwhelm players with precision and sheer numbers. While you're busy dealing with their light infantry, their elite units will close in from the ground and air. The key to victory lies in selecting the right loadouts and builds that exploit the Illuminate’s weaknesses while countering their powerful tech.
To fight the Illuminate effectively, you need to strike a perfect balance between weapons and stratagems that can handle both the chaff and the armored/heavy units. Ignoring either type of enemy will render your loadout ineffective against the full Illuminate horde.
In this guide, we'll explore the best loadouts and builds tailored specifically for battling the Illuminate. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting out, these strategies will enhance your combat effectiveness against this challenging, squid-like faction. Let's gear up and prepare to take on the Illuminate head-on.
The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate
The PLAS-1 Scorcher and PLAS-101 Purifier stand out as some of the best primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They excel at melting Overseers, including jet-pack-wielding Elevated units, and are equally effective against the Voteless. Whether you choose the Scorcher or the Purifier, the Siege-Ready armor passive provides additional ammunition and quicker reloads, ensuring you can handle multiple priority targets. The enhanced damage per second is crucial when every shot counts.
The combination of the Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol is ideal for destroying parked warp ships in Helldivers 2. Since energy-based weapons are less effective at depleting their shields, a single Strafing Run can remove the shields of all grounded warp ships in a straight line. Following up with a grenade into their open bay doors will cause them to explode. This combo is particularly effective when you need to clear out medium or heavy Illuminate nests with multiple warp ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact can also be used in the open bay doors, it's more effective against chaff, so reserve it when using the Grenade Pistol.
The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" proves surprisingly effective against medium-armored Overseers. Each burst can take down a single elite unit, making it an excellent stratagem for protecting your flanks against the Illuminate.
The A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry is great for securing areas when defending objectives. If crowd control isn't your priority, you can swap it for an Orbital Laser to target Harvesters or potential heavy units that may be added in future updates.
Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon rounds out this Illuminate loadout. It melts Overseers and chaff within seconds and is highly effective against Harvesters. After depleting their shields with a Strafing Run, aim for the Harvesters' weak points (thighs/eyes) with the Laser Cannon. A single clip is sufficient if your aim is steady. The Laser Cannon's long range allows you to engage targets from a distance, making it an ideal anti-squid weapon.
On higher difficulty levels (9 or 10) where multiple Harvesters are common, having an Orbital Laser becomes essential.
The Lightning Loadout: Shocking (& Staggering) the Illuminate
The Illuminate's mix of melee and ranged units makes the ARC-12 Blitzer and ARC-3 Arc Thrower invaluable. Both can easily dispatch chaff, but the Arc Thrower's ability to chain and stagger lightning arcs makes Overseers practically useless. Continuous attacks from a distance can keep Elevated Overseers stunned mid-air.
The Arc Thrower can also take down unshielded Harvesters, requiring around a dozen hits, with each hit causing a moderate stun that accumulates over time.
The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is highly effective against all types of Illuminate enemies, especially groups of flying Overseers. It provides consistent crowd control and disrupts enemies, making it easier to manage large waves. Combined with the Arc Thrower, multiple chained lightning attacks can lock down an entire area. Prioritize targeting key enemies with the Arc Thrower to prevent them from reaching and destroying your Tesla Tower.
Harvesters target sentries first, so avoid deploying your Tesla Tower or other sentry stratagems if you're already engaging them.
The Eagle Strafing Run and Grenade Pistol are essential for destroying parked warp ships. The Blitzer and Arc Thrower are less efficient at depleting their shields during combat, so don't swap them unless you have a teammate to cover this role.
For dealing with heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike is ideal due to its unlimited uses. The Orbital Laser is effective against multiple Harvesters, but with only three uses, you'll need to coordinate with your team. Always use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This loadout is one of the most powerful against the Illuminate, especially when coordinated with other players.
The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate
The MG-43 Machine Gun is arguably the most versatile support weapon against the Illuminate, making it a cornerstone of this loadout. It effortlessly shreds light and medium enemies, as well as Harvesters. Compared to the MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun, the standard Machine Gun offers better handling and faster infantry dispatch.
Its versatility makes it a jack of all trades against the squids, balancing power and reliability. Pair it with the Engineering Kit to reduce recoil, or the Peak Physique armor passive to lessen drag, making it easier to target flying Overseers or Watchers.
The high fire rate of the Machine Gun is also effective at depleting shields, so you don't need the Eagle Strafing Run to destroy grounded warp ships. Instead, opt for turret sentries to manage large crowds or defend objectives.
The only drawback of the Machine Gun is its stationary reload animation, which can leave you vulnerable. The LIFT-850 Jump Pack helps you quickly reposition to safety and navigate the new urban maps more effectively.
While the Machine Gun can handle Harvesters by targeting their weak spots, it's wise to include an Orbital stratagem in your build to deal with multiple heavies efficiently. The Orbital Laser can manage two to three shielded Harvesters at once, whereas the Railcannon Strike is effective against unshielded targets.
For the primary weapon in this Illuminate build, consider the StA-52 Assault Rifle from the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover. It features a large drum magazine, providing sustained fire that penetrates light armor and matches the damage output of the standard Liberator.
