Helldivers 2: Top Illuminate Loadouts

Quick Links

• The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

• The Lightning Loadout: Shocking (& Staggering) the Illuminate

• The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

The Illuminate in Helldivers 2 are a tough nut to crack. Their advanced tech and overwhelming numbers make them a serious threat. While you're battling their light infantry, their elite units will be swarming you from above and below. Success hinges on smart loadouts that exploit their weaknesses while mitigating their strengths. The key is finding the right balance of weapons and stratagems to handle both their light and heavy units—neglecting either will leave you vulnerable.

This guide details top-tier loadouts for taking on the Illuminate, whether you're a veteran or just starting out. Let's get equipped and prepare for battle!

The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

The PLAS-1 Scorcher and PLAS-101 Purifier are top-tier primaries in Helldivers 2. They're incredibly effective against Overseers, including the airborne Elevated units, and also excel against the Voteless. Siege-Ready's increased ammo and faster reloads ensure you're always ready for multiple targets. The improved DPS is crucial when every shot counts.

The Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol combo is devastating against warp ships. Energy weapons struggle against their shields, but a single Strafing Run eliminates them, leaving the grenade pistol to finish them off. This is particularly useful against larger Illuminate nests with multiple ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact is great for clearing chaff, prioritize the Grenade Pistol for warp ships.

The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" surprisingly handles medium-armored Overseers well, taking down single elites efficiently—ideal for flanking defense.

The A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry secures areas during objective defense. If crowd control isn't paramount, replace it with an Orbital Laser to target Harvesters or future heavy units.

Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon completes this loadout. It melts Overseers and chaff quickly and is excellent against Harvesters (use a Strafing Run to strip shields first, then target their weak points). A single clip is enough with accurate aim. Its range is a huge advantage, making it a true anti-squid weapon. On higher difficulties (levels 9 and 10) where multiple Harvesters are common, the 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 ideal. Both handle chaff, but the Arc Thrower excels at neutralizing Overseers. Its chaining stuns can perma-stun airborne Overseers.

The Arc Thrower can also take down unshielded Harvesters (though it takes multiple hits).

The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is highly effective against all Illuminate types, especially flying Overseers, providing consistent crowd control and disruption. Combined with the Arc Thrower, you can lock down an area with chained lightning attacks. Prioritize enemies with the Arc Thrower to protect your Tesla Tower.

Remember, Harvesters prioritize sentries, so don't waste your Tesla Tower or other sentries on them.

The Eagle Strafing Run and Grenade Pistol are crucial for warp ships, as the Blitzer and Arc Thrower are inefficient against their shields.

For heavies, the Orbital Railcannon Strike is excellent (unlimited uses). The Orbital Laser is effective against multiple Harvesters, but its limited uses mean you'll rely on teammates eventually. Always use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This is a powerful build, especially with teamwork.

The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

The MG-43 Machine Gun is incredibly versatile against the Illuminate. It shreds light and medium enemies and is effective against Harvesters. Compared to the MG-206, it handles better and dispatches infantry faster.

It's a jack-of-all-trades, offering a great balance. Pair it with the Engineering Kit (reduced recoil) or Peak Physique (reduced drag for easier targeting of airborne units).

Its high fire rate efficiently depletes shields, eliminating the need for the Eagle Strafing Run against warp ships. Choose either turret sentry to control crowds or defend objectives.

The Machine Gun's only downside is its stationary reload. This is where the LIFT-850 Jump Pack helps with repositioning.

While the Machine Gun handles Harvesters well (target weak points), an Orbital stratagem is useful against multiple heavies. The Orbital Laser handles two to three shielded Harvesters, while the Railcannon Strike is best against unshielded targets.

For the primary weapon, the StA-52 Assault Rifle (from the Killzone 2 crossover) is a solid choice, offering sustained fire and light-armor penetration.