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The Illuminate inHelldivers 2presents a unique challenge for players. They have a bit of both Automaton and Terminid DNA in their roster — they attack with large swarms of weak fodder while heavy units blast players from afar with ranged weapons. Thankfully, Super Earth’s arsenal is diverse enough to provide multiple solutions to the squid menace.
The following is a list of weapons that have proved to be effective against the current line-up of Illuminate units as of theOmens of Tyrannyupdate. Most of these do come fromHelldivers 2’smany Warbonds, so players may need to grind out some Super Credits before they can equip some of the weapons listed here.
Updated June 24, 2025 by Marc Santos:The Heart of Democracy update introduced some balance changes and added three new Illuminate units and a Weapon Customization system that alleviated many woes related to some unpopular guns inHelldivers 2. Many of the previously-listed weapons here are still great, but new contenders have risen thanks to the update. As such, we’ve added three more weapons to this guide to better reflect the game’s state.
Tenderizer AR
Among all the assault rifles, the Tenderizer is arguably the most versatile against the squids. It doesn’t have the same armor-piercing capabilities as the Adjudicator and Liberator Penetrator, butits damage per shot value is so high that the lack of armor penetration hardly matters, especially considering how the Illuminate use little to no armor on their infantry units.
This rifle somewhat suffers from its low base magazine size, but it hardly becomes an issue when you use any armor with the Siege Ready perk, which boosts primary weapon reload speeds by 30%. If you really don’t like how the Tenderizer feels, then the Sickle should be a nice alternative.
Pummeler SMG
Submachine guns (except maybe the Knight) are overshadowed by the assault rifles on the Illuminate front. Their low DPS makes them feel lackluster against Overseers, and while the Pummeler fromthe Polar Patriots Warbondhas trouble killing bigger squids in one magazine, at the very least,it can stun targets for a significant amount of time. This includes the Elevated Overseers that use jetpacks to skim the battlefield.
If you’re doing missions that require an objective to be transported across the map, then the Pummeler should see you through all the way to the end. Just don’t expect it to be as lethal as the other weapons here.
Halt Shotgun
The Halt shotgun is incredibly versatile. Its Flechette rounds can blast through Voteless and Overseers alike, and if the team is getting pestered by jetpack squids, you’re able to switch to Stun rounds to temporarily keep those pesky flying units in one place.
To be fair, all the other shotguns inHelldivers 2are extremely effective against the Illuminate, even the Breaker Spray & Pray variant. However,the Halt trumps over the rest simply because it can change ammo types.
Eruptor Explosive Sniper Rifle
The marksman rifle class of weapons is naturally weak against the Illuminate. Overseers have heavily-armored weakspots, and the Voteless die quickly no matter where you shoot them. As of writing, the best marksman/sniper rifle to use against this faction is the Eruptor. Not only can it take down groups of Voteless and Overseers with ease,it can also destroy parked Warp Ships and stagger Harvesters. Agood Eruptor build inHelldivers 2can often take on every enemy the game has to offer.
The regular Diligence rifle is also decent against the Illuminate. It can pop Voteless heads and break Overseer armor fairly quickly. However, it doesn’t quite compare to the other weapons on this list in terms of lethality, and if you really want to play a sniper role against the squids, it’s best to just use the Anti-Materiel Rifle.
The Eruptor is very good at killing Fleshmobs, and it can destroy Stingrays/interlopers too.
Purifier Plasma Rifle
The Purifier received a major buff during the second big balance update for the game, and it iscurrently one of the best weapons to use inHelldivers 2in general. It can clear groups and Overseers in just a few shots, and it can stagger and even destroy Harvesters with enough well-aimed shots. It can also be used as a rapid-fire weapon for breaking shields in a pinch.
If you’re more concerned about dealing with infantry, then the Scorcher should do the job just fine. However, the Purifier wins over the Exploding Crossbow thanks to its larger magazine size and versatility across many different scenarios.
Blitzer Energy Shotgun
The Blitzer deserves an honorable mention. It is an energy shotgun withinfinite ammo, auto-aiming, AoE damage, and stunning capabilities. While the weapon fires slowly and has poor range, it’s an excellent pick for players who want to focus on objectives. The Blitzer is the perfect run-and-gun weapon for the Illuminate, especially since the majority of this faction’s units fight in melee or close-to-melee range.
MG-43 Machine Gun
Given how the Illuminate doesn’t have any units with heavy armor so far, the MG-43 is arguably the most versatile Support Weapon to use against the Illuminate. It shreds infantry and Harvesters alike, and while its performance is comparable to the Laser Cannon and HMG,it kills infantry faster than the former, and has better handling than the latter. The MG-43 is a true jack of all trades against the squids, making it a very safe pick for players who want all their bases covered.
Crisper and Redeemer
The Crisper handheld flamethrower and Redeemer machine pistol are the best sidearms to use against the Illuminate. The former canincinerate Voteless and Overseers, while the latter canstrip shields with just one magazine. Sidearms are mostly backup weapons, and when you really need to back up, these guns will have your back.
Torcher
There are very few Special weapons inHelldivers 2as of writing, but between this and the Dominator, the Torcher stands as the clear winner.The Dominator inHelldivers 2is far too heavy and has too few shots per magazine to be viable against hordes of Voteless, and while it can put Overseers down very quickly,the Torcher from the Freedom’s Flames Warbond can do the same, but without the weakness against large groups.
The one drawback of the Torcher is its low range, which could make fighting Elevated Overseers difficult. Consider bringing an MG-43, a Laser Cannon, or a Senator if you plan on bringing this flamethrower as your main gun.
Liberator Carbine
This variant of the standard-issue Liberator is arguably the best against the Illuminate as of writing. It deals the same damage as the default variant,but its fire rate is significantly faster, letting it shred Overseers, Fleshmobs, and big Voteless swarms with ease, especially when the weapon is outfitted for high recoil control via Weapon Customization.
The other Liberator variants perform well against the Illuminate too, but as far as DPS is concerned, the Carbine wins by a significant margin.
Scythe
The Scythe isn’t as great against the Voteless, unlike most other weapons, but thanks tothe Weapon Customization systemand changes to how fire damage scales, it became agreat all-around weapon against the Illuminate. The Scythe can be equipped withlarger heat sinks, greatly increasing its effective mag size and making it more suited for dealing with bigger crowds. Also,fire now does more damage against large targets, making this weapon good against Fleshmobs.
Bringing either the Dagger pistol or Laser Cannon is generally a good idea when bringing a laser-based primary weapon. When one starts getting too hot, switch to a different laser weapon. This way, you can cycle between heat sinks without ever having to reload.
Breaker Shotguns
The Breaker and all of its variants are very effective against Voteless, Overseers, and Fleshmobs. Each of them are roughly similar when it comes to performance (especially when customized with attachments), though the Breaker Incendiary wins when it comes to pure DPS thanks to its flaming rounds.
Regardless of what Breaker players pick, Drum Magazines and Full Choke attachments are recommended. The latter can be replaced with a Duckbill Choke for a horizontal pellet spread, but Full Choke makes the Breakers more efficient to use against Overseers and Fleshmobs. Consider bringing a Supply Pack if you want to use the default Breaker or the Incendiary variant.
