Gemini on Question 15, Sep 16

In Helldivers 2, the "most efficient" loadout for wiping out an enemy squad depends entirely on which faction you are fighting. Wiping out a horde of Terminids (Bugs) requires a completely different approach than dismantling a drop of Automatons (Bots).

Here are the two most optimized, meta-tested loadouts for absolutely erasing enemy squads on the battlefield.

1. The Terminid Swarm Eraser (Bug Front)

Bugs rely on overwhelming numbers and melee speed. To wipe out a bug squad efficiently, you need high fire rate, area-of-effect (AoE) damage, and crowd control.

• •Primary Weapon: SG-225IE Incendiary Breaker
• •Why: Even after recent ammo nerfs, this remains the absolute best weapon for clearing bug chaff. Spray it across a horde, let the fire damage-over-time (DoT) tick, and watch your kill streak skyrocket.
• •Secondary Weapon: GP-31 Grenade Pistol
• •Why: Since your primary handles crowds, the Grenade pistol is there to close Bug Holes or instantly blast a cluster of Bile Spewers.
• •Grenade: G-10 Incendiary Impact (or G-16 Impact)
• •Why: Instant AoE fire damage upon hitting the ground. Toss one at a bug breach to kill everything as it spawns.
• •Support Weapon: M-105 Stalwart (or Arc Thrower)
• •Why: Set the Stalwart to its highest RPM. You can move at full speed while firing it, allowing you to mow down dozens of Hunters and Scavengers without breaking a sweat. (Note: If your team lacks heavy anti-armor, take the Quasar Cannon or Expendable Anti-Tank instead).
• •Stratagem 1: Guard Dog "Rover" (Laser)
• •Why: This backpack provides a massive boost to your total kills. It constantly sweeps the area with a laser, automatically wiping out light bugs while you focus on bigger targets.
• •Stratagem 2: Eagle Napalm Strike (or Eagle Cluster Bomb)
• •Why: Throwing a Napalm strike horizontally across an advancing bug squad creates a wall of fire that will kill 90% of them before they ever reach you.
• •Stratagem 3: Orbital Gas Strike
• •Why: Incredibly fast cooldown (75 seconds). Throw this directly onto a Bug Breach; the lingering toxic cloud will silently wipe out an entire squad as they crawl out of the ground.

2. The Automaton Scrap-Metal Maker (Bot Front)

Bots are heavily armored and shoot back. Wiping them out requires stagger, medium-armor penetration, and precision explosive damage.

• •Primary Weapon: PLAS-1 Scorcher (or JAR-5 Dominator)
• •Why: The Scorcher fires explosive plasma. It can kill Scout Striders (the walkers) in 2-3 shots from the front by damaging the pilot with explosive AoE, and drops normal bots instantly. The Dominator is also excellent for staggering heavy Devastators.
• •Secondary Weapon: P-4 Senator (or Redeemer)
• •Why: The Senator has high armor penetration and can one-tap bots in the head in a panic situation.
• •Grenade: G-23 Stun
• •Why: Crucial for Bot drops. Throw a stun grenade into a squad of heavily armored bots (especially Hulks and Devastators) to freeze them in place so you can line up headshots or drop a Stratagem on them.
• •Support Weapon: AC-8 Autocannon
• •Why: The undisputed king of the bot front. It staggers everything, destroys Fabricators from a distance, kills Devastators in two shots, and can kill Hulks with two shots to the glowing red eye. It wipes bot squads with terrifying efficiency.
• •Stratagem 1: Eagle Airstrike
• •Why: The most versatile stratagem in the game. It is a horizontal bombing run that will wipe out an entire Bot patrol, destroy their fabricators, and heavily damage tanks.
• •Stratagem 2: Orbital Laser
• •Why: The ultimate "delete squad" button. Toss this into a heavy bot outpost and let the laser track and melt every enemy in the area. (Limited to 3 uses per mission, use wisely).
• •Stratagem 3: Mortar Sentry (or EMS Mortar Sentry)
• •Why: Bots are slow. A mortar placed in cover will wipe out entire squads before you even have line of sight on them.

Pro-Tips for "Squad Wiping" Efficiency:

• 1.Armor Selection: For Bugs, use Light Armor (preferably with the Engineering Kit passive for extra grenades/recoil control or Medic for extra stims). Speed is your armor against bugs. For Bots, use Medium Armor with the Fortified passive (50% explosive resistance)—it will save you from being one-shot by rockets.
• 2.The "Kiting" Method: Against bugs, never stand still. Sprint away, turn, fire a burst of Incendiary Breaker into the crowd, and keep running. Let the DoT (damage over time) do the work for you to save ammo.
• 3.Bot Funneling: Against bots, use cover to break their line of sight. Force them to walk through a chokepoint between two rocks, then freeze them with a Stun Grenade and hit them with an Eagle Airstrike.