Claude on Question 15, Sep 15
What's the most efficient loadout for wiping out an enemy squad in Helldivers 2?Depends on the faction and whether you mean "delete a patrol before it calls a breach/dropship" or "grind down a horde." Here's what generally works:
Core principle
Most squad wipes come down to one big AoE + one reliable crowd-clearing primary. Patrols cluster tightly when moving, so a single well-timed Eagle or orbital usually gets the whole group — the key is throwing it before they spread out and aggro.
Terminids (bugs)
Bugs come in dense, low-armor waves, so fire and fragmentation dominate.
- •Primary: Breaker Incendiary or Cookout (stagger + burn), Torcher if you like flamethrower primaries
- •Secondary: Grenade Pistol (doubles as bug-hole closer)
- •Grenade: Impact Incendiary — one throw kills a whole hunter pack
- •Stratagems: Eagle Napalm Airstrike, Eagle Cluster Bomb, Gatling Sentry, plus one anti-tank (Recoilless/Quasar) for Chargers and Bile Titans
- •Armor: anything with Engineering Kitted (+2 grenades) or the fire-resist passive if you're spamming napalm
Automatons (bots)
Armor and ranged fire mean you want stagger, cover, and precision.
- •Primary: JAR-5 Dominator, Scorcher, or Purifier — all stagger Devastators
- •Secondary: Grenade Pistol (closes fabricators) or Senator
- •Grenade: Thermite for Hulks/tanks, Stun if you prefer control
- •Stratagems: Eagle Airstrike (kills groups and fabricators), Orbital Laser, Autocannon or Rocket Sentry, Orbital Precision Strike
- •Armor: Fortified (explosive resistance) — rocket Devastators are the main killer
Illuminate (squids)
Voteless hordes plus tanky Overseers and Harvesters.
- •Primary: anything incendiary or high-volume for Voteless (Sickle, Breaker Incendiary); needs medium pen for Overseers
- •Grenade: Thermite (Harvester legs) or Gas
- •Stratagems: Eagle Cluster Bomb, Gatling Sentry, Orbital Napalm Barrage, and a dedicated AT for Harvesters
Cheap tricks that punch above their weight
- •Gas Strike / Gas Grenades: confused enemies attack each other, and it's absurdly efficient per-cooldown for holding chokepoints.
- •Stun Grenade + 500kg / Precision Strike: guarantees a hit on anything, including big targets that normally walk out.
- •Sentries on a flank, not behind you: they draw aggro away and get better firing lines.
- •Orbital Airburst Strike: three bursts, very short cooldown, erases light patrols instantly.
One caveat: Arrowhead rebalances weapons constantly, so specific numbers and tier lists shift between patches — check current patch notes if something feels weaker than described.
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Depends on the faction and whether you mean "delete a patrol before it calls a breach/dropship" or "grind down a horde." Here's what generally works:
## Core principle
Most squad wipes come down to **one big AoE + one reliable crowd-clearing primary**. Patrols cluster tightly when moving, so a single well-timed Eagle or orbital usually gets the whole group — the key is throwing it *before* they spread out and aggro.
## Terminids (bugs)
Bugs come in dense, low-armor waves, so fire and fragmentation dominate.
- **Primary:** Breaker Incendiary or Cookout (stagger + burn), Torcher if you like flamethrower primaries
- **Secondary:** Grenade Pistol (doubles as bug-hole closer)
- **Grenade:** Impact Incendiary — one throw kills a whole hunter pack
- **Stratagems:** Eagle Napalm Airstrike, Eagle Cluster Bomb, Gatling Sentry, plus one anti-tank (Recoilless/Quasar) for Chargers and Bile Titans
- **Armor:** anything with Engineering Kitted (+2 grenades) or the fire-resist passive if you're spamming napalm
## Automatons (bots)
Armor and ranged fire mean you want stagger, cover, and precision.
- **Primary:** JAR-5 Dominator, Scorcher, or Purifier — all stagger Devastators
- **Secondary:** Grenade Pistol (closes fabricators) or Senator
- **Grenade:** Thermite for Hulks/tanks, Stun if you prefer control
- **Stratagems:** Eagle Airstrike (kills groups *and* fabricators), Orbital Laser, Autocannon or Rocket Sentry, Orbital Precision Strike
- **Armor:** Fortified (explosive resistance) — rocket Devastators are the main killer
## Illuminate (squids)
Voteless hordes plus tanky Overseers and Harvesters.
- **Primary:** anything incendiary or high-volume for Voteless (Sickle, Breaker Incendiary); needs medium pen for Overseers
- **Grenade:** Thermite (Harvester legs) or Gas
- **Stratagems:** Eagle Cluster Bomb, Gatling Sentry, Orbital Napalm Barrage, and a dedicated AT for Harvesters
## Cheap tricks that punch above their weight
- **Gas Strike / Gas Grenades:** confused enemies attack each other, and it's absurdly efficient per-cooldown for holding chokepoints.
- **Stun Grenade + 500kg / Precision Strike:** guarantees a hit on anything, including big targets that normally walk out.
- **Sentries on a flank, not behind you:** they draw aggro away and get better firing lines.
- **Orbital Airburst Strike:** three bursts, very short cooldown, erases light patrols instantly.
One caveat: Arrowhead rebalances weapons constantly, so specific numbers and tier lists shift between patches — check current patch notes if something feels weaker than described.
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