Helldivers 2 is built around stratagems: the orbital strikes, support weapons, and equipment drops you call in during missions. Your stratagem loadout is one of the most impactful choices you make before deploying, and picking the right combination can be the difference between a clean extraction and a complete mission failure. This guide covers the best stratagems currently available, with picks suited to different mission types and both enemy factions.
How Stratagem Loadouts Work
Before each deployment, you choose four stratagems from your unlocked pool. These are split into categories: Patriotic Administration Centre (PAC) weapons and support, Orbital strikes, Eagle aircraft, and various Engineering Bay items. You cannot take duplicates, but nothing stops squadmates from duplicating a stratagem between them if it is particularly strong on a given mission.
Stratagems are unlocked with Requisition Slips and Medals earned through gameplay. Higher-tier stratagems require more progression, but several of the best options are available without maximum unlock investment.
The Must-Have Stratagems
Eagle Airstrike
The Eagle Airstrike is the most consistently useful call-in in the game. It delivers a line of cluster bombs across a targeted area, deals high damage to medium and light enemies, and has a fast call-in time. The Eagle returns after a number of uses (determined by how many Eagle support packs you have equipped) before needing to rearm at a Supply Station.
Against Terminids, the Eagle Airstrike clears Warrior and Brood Commander clusters efficiently. Against Automatons, it handles Devastators and Scout Striders. It is effective in both factions and should be in almost every loadout on higher difficulties.
Orbital Precision Strike
A single high-damage orbital shell on a precise target. Call-in time is around three seconds, and it deals enough damage to destroy Fabricators, Terminid Nurseries, and stunned Bile Titans. The cooldown is short relative to other Orbital options.
The key skill here is placement: the shell lands slightly ahead of where the stratagem ball contacts the ground depending on its trajectory. Learn to account for this offset by placing the marker a metre or two past your intended impact point.
Railgun (Support Weapon)
The Railgun in Unsafe mode is one of the strongest anti-armour tools available. Charging the shot to around 95-99% of the bar deals maximum damage, enough to penetrate Charger leg armour and deal significant damage to Bile Titans. In safe mode it is less impressive. Learning the charge timing is essential.
Against Automatons, the Railgun handles Hulks and Tank turrets effectively when aimed at weak points (the back vent on Hulks, the sensor eye on Tanks).
Shield Generator Pack (Personal)
A backpack stratagem that generates a personal energy shield absorbing a set amount of damage before breaking and starting a recharge cycle. On higher difficulties where a single Devastator volley can kill you outright, the Shield Pack provides a survivability buffer that changes how aggressively you can play.
The downside is the backpack slot, which means you cannot simultaneously carry a Ballistic Shield or an additional support weapon backpack. Worth it for most loadouts regardless.
Anti-Tank Mines
For defend-the-objective mission types (Eradicate missions, Hold the Line variants), Anti-Tank Mines placed around the perimeter deal with armoured enemies autonomously. A well-placed minefield on the main Charger approach route removes a significant threat without requiring active engagement.
They are less useful in mobile missions where you move between objectives constantly, but for static defence they are excellent.
Faction-Specific Picks
Best Against Terminids
Eagle Cluster Bomb: Deals excellent damage to grouped light enemies and Brood Commanders. Clears bug breaches faster than almost any other option.
Orbital Gas Strike: The damage-over-time from the Gas Strike is highly effective against the high health pools of Chargers and contributes to killing Bile Titans when combined with other damage sources. It is slower than an Airstrike but covers a larger area.
Flamethrower (Support Weapon): Against Terminids specifically, the Flamethrower excels at crowd control and dealing with Hive Guards and Stalkers at close range. It does not handle Chargers well, but for raw bug-clearing on medium difficulty it is consistently useful.
Best Against Automatons
Orbital Railcannon Strike: A single extremely high-damage orbital strike that locks onto the largest target in its impact zone. Against Automatons, it reliably one-shots Tanks and Cannon Turrets. Long cooldown, but when it fires it is one of the hardest-hitting options available.
Autocannon (Support Weapon): The Autocannon is arguably the best support weapon against Automatons. It penetrates medium armour, shreds Devastators in two to three shots, handles Scout Striders, and can disable Tank treads and turrets. The backpack requirement is offset by how many situations it handles effectively.
Eagle Smoke Strike: Useful specifically on Automaton missions where suppressive fire from Devastator groups pins your squad in place. A Smoke Strike across the sightline breaks line-of-sight and allows repositioning. Situational but valuable when you need it.
High-Difficulty Loadout Recommendation (Difficulty 7+)
A strong all-rounder loadout for higher difficulty missions against either faction:
- Eagle Airstrike
- Orbital Precision Strike
- Railgun (Support Weapon)
- Shield Generator Pack
This loadout handles most threats: the Railgun penetrates armoured units, the Precision Strike removes structures and stunned heavies, the Eagle clears crowds, and the Shield Pack keeps you alive through sustained fire. Swap the Shield Pack for Autocannon backpack if you want more anti-armour capability at the cost of durability.
General Stratagem Tips
Call in support weapons at the start of a mission, not mid-fight. Waiting until a Charger is charging at you to call in a Railgun is too late. Deploy early, pick up your support weapon, and have it ready.
Share stratagem drops with squadmates. If someone calls in an Eagle Airstrike and has already picked up their Railgun, another player should call in a support weapon at the same location so both pick up simultaneously. Coordinates stratagem usage.
Prioritise cooldowns. On missions with long extraction waits or multiple objectives, your stratagem cooldowns matter. Use orbital and eagle strikes early and often so they are available again when the next large engagement begins. Saving them “for an emergency” and never using them is a common mistake.
The strength of Helldivers 2 is how teamwork around stratagem synergies creates emergent tactics. Experiment with different loadout combinations as you unlock more options, and talk to your squad about what they are bringing before you deploy.
