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Best Helldivers 2 stratagems: All Helldivers stratagem codes & how to use them

Survive for longer and deal more damage with the use of these Helldivers stratagems.

Character from Helldivers 2 in armour and helmet, holding a gun.

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Published: Monday, 8 April 2024 at 11:01 am

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As the battle for Super Earth continues, Helldivers 2 players are still looking for the best stratagems to spread managed democracy with. But which should you choose?

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If you're new to the game, stratagems are abilities you can call upon in-game from your Destroyer Ship to help tackle objectives and mow down the hordes of Super Earth's enemies.

If you're playing on some of the harder Helldivers difficulties, you'll need to rely on a variety of stratagems to both keep you alive and take down your enemies. After all, even using the best Helldivers weapons won't be a match for a Bile Titan.

With new patches and Major Orders bringing balances and new stratagems, here's a look at the best stratagems to use, alongside the full list of Helldivers 2 stratagem codes.

What are the best Helldivers 2 stratagems?

The best stratagems in Helldivers 2 are the LAS-99 Quasar Cannon, Orbital Laser, Eagle Airstrike, A/G-16 Gatling Sentry and Shield Generator Pack

Aside from the Shield Generator, these stratagems bring a whole lot of hurt to the enemy, and are best saved for the moments you really need them – such as when you're going up against bosses.

LAS-99 Quasar Cannon

This replaced the Railgun as our go-to support weapon following its nerf a few patches ago.

It's especially useful against the stronger enemies in Terminid and Automaton missions, such as your Chargers, Hulks and Bile Titans, as it can take them out in relatively few shots. It can even shoot down Dropships if you're accurate enough, which is such a satisfying feeling.

We've also experimented with the EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank and found it to be especially useful in a pinch, but the two rockets do make it slightly worse in our experience compared to the Quasar's unlimited ammo.

Orbital Laser

Unlocked at level 15, the Orbital Laser will devastate enemies - but in a target area as opposed to a singular one.

You only get to use it three times, but it does have a shorter cooldown time of 300 seconds and a one-second call-in time, making it viable as a desperate last-ditch weapon.

Eagle Airstrike

This is available immediately to the player at level 1, has no call-in time and only an eight-second cooldown time.

You do only get two uses, though, so it's best used sparingly. We rate it so highly, however, as it's an absolute lifesaver for lower-ranked players and those new to the game.

It is great for huge swarms of enemies, and you'll find a lot of use for it even when you've progressed much further into the game.

A/G-16 Gatling Sentry

While not suitable for every situation, we always like to bring one sentry with us for those more defensive situations, such as evacuating civilians, or extracting at the end of a mission.

The Gatling Sentry is our usual choice for Terminid missions, as it will mow down those hordes of smaller bugs while we can focus on the larger enemies who need more shots to take out. We've found the A/M-12 Mortar Sentry to be more effective on Automaton missions, though.

As with all sentries, you do need to be careful about friendly fire, but that's just a small price to pay for the work it does in thinning out the waves of enemies.

Shield Generator Pack

Unlocked at level 20, the Shield Generator Pack is absolutely essential for higher-difficulty missions, providing a crucial bit of extra protection against swarms of bugs or automatons.

It did receive some nerfs in a recent patch, but is still a go-to for us in most Helldivers 2 missions.

How to use stratagems in Helldivers 2

In order to use the stratagems in Helldivers 2, you'll need to open the list and input the code for the one you want to use.

On the PS5 you hold L1, and on the PC you hold left Ctrl. While they're held down, you input the code. Simple!

There are seven types of stratagems in Helldivers 2:

We'll separate the below list into each category.

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Full list of Helldivers 2 stratagems - All codes on PS5 and PC

The codes are all used with directional buttons, both on the PC and PS5. Bear in mind that on the PC you'll be using WASD. So W is Up, A is Left, S Down, and D Right.

Mission-Specific Stratagem Codes

Patriotic Administration Center Stratagem Codes

Orbital Cannons Stratagem Codes

Hangar Stratagem Codes

Bridge Stratagem Codes

Engineering Bay Stratagem Codes

Robotic Workshop Stratagem Codes

Read more on Helldivers 2: Next Warbond in Helldivers 2 | Helldivers 2 crashing | Helldivers 2 server status | Helldivers 2 solo guide | Helldivers 2 crossplay | Helldivers console exclusivity explained | Helldivers 2 roadmap | Helldivers 2 level cap | Helldivers 2 ranks

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Authors

Ben HuxleyFreelance Writer

Ben Huxley is a freelance contributor to Radio Times, with bylines also in TechRadar, WhatCulture, GAMINGbible, and Live Science. A writer of fiction, too, he has a few short stories published and a novel on the way. He has a BA in English Literature, and an MA in creative writing.

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