Gemini on Question 15, Sep 27

In Helldivers 2, "efficiency" depends entirely on which enemy faction you are fighting, as Terminids (Bugs) and Automatons (Bots) require completely different strategies. Furthermore, wiping out a squad efficiently usually means preventing a Bug Breach or Bot Drop by killing them before they can call for backup.

Here are the two most efficient loadouts for instantly wiping out enemy squads, broken down by faction.

Loadout 1: The Terminid Exterminator (Bugs)

Bugs swarm in high numbers with light-to-medium armor. The goal here is high area-of-effect (AoE) damage and sustained fire.

• •Primary Weapon: SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary (Requires Steeled Veterans Warbond)
• •Why: It is the undisputed king of bug clearing. The spread hits multiple hunters and scavengers at once, and the fire damage-over-time (DoT) will kill them as they run at you.
• •Secondary Weapon: GP-31 Grenade Pistol
• •Why: Used for closing bug holes so you don't have to waste your throwable grenades.
• •Grenade: G-10 Incendiary or G-16 Impact
• •Why: Throw an Impact into the dead-center of a bug patrol, and 80% of them will die instantly.
• •Support Weapon: M-43 Machine Gun or ARC-3 Arc Thrower
• •Why: The Machine Gun pierces medium armor (Hive Guards/Brood Commanders) and shreds light bugs. The Arc Thrower chains lightning between up to 3-4 bugs per shot with infinite ammo, making it a highly efficient squad wiper.
• •Backpack: "Guard Dog" Rover (Laser)
• •Why: This backpack passively wipes out the smaller bugs in a squad without you even having to pull the trigger.
• •Offensive Stratagems:
• •Eagle Cluster Bomb: The ultimate "delete button" for a bug patrol. It has a massive horizontal spread. Throw this at a squad, and the entire screen will turn into a kill streak.
• •Orbital Gas Strike or Orbital Airburst Strike: Throw this directly onto a Bug Breach. It will efficiently wipe out the entire squad as they crawl out of the ground.

Loadout 2: The Automaton Scrapper (Bots)

Bots shoot back, have medium armor, and march in tight formations. You need stagger-effects, medium armor penetration, and explosive damage.

• •Primary Weapon: PLAS-1 Scorcher or CB-9 Exploding Crossbow
• •Why: The Scorcher’s explosive plasma damages enemies even if you hit their shields. The Crossbow was recently buffed and can wipe out clusters of light bots with its splash damage while destroying Fabricators.
• •Secondary Weapon: P-19 Redeemer (for panic spray) or Grenade Pistol.
• •Grenade: G-23 Stun
• •Why: This is the secret to wiping Bot squads. Throw a stun grenade at a patrol of Devastators to freeze them in place, then drop an Eagle Airstrike on their heads.
• •Support Weapon: AC-8 Autocannon
• •Why: The most versatile weapon against Bots. It has explosive splash damage that can wipe out grouped-up light infantry in two shots, and it staggers/kills medium armored Devastators efficiently.
• •Backpack: (Taken by the Autocannon ammo pack).
• •Offensive Stratagems:
• •Eagle Airstrike: The most efficient Bot-clearing stratagem in the game. It destroys Bot Fabricators, wipes out patrols, and can heavily damage tanks.
• •Orbital Laser: The ultimate panic button. Throw this into a heavy bot outpost and watch it single-handedly wipe out the entire garrison.

The "Instant Wipe" Stratagem Combo (Works on Both)

If you want a loadout specifically designed to click one button and watch a patrol disappear before they can call for a drop/breach, run this combo:

• 1.Equip Stun Grenades (requires Cutting Edge Warbond).
• 2.Equip armor with the Engineering Kit passive (+2 Grenades, reduced recoil).
• 3.When you see an enemy squad, throw a Stun Grenade into the middle of them.
• 4.Immediately throw an Eagle Airstrike (for bots) or Eagle Cluster Bomb (for bugs) directly onto the stunned enemies.
• 5.Walk away. The squad will be entirely eradicated with zero chance of them calling in reinforcements.

Note: While these loadouts are incredible for wiping out squads (chaff), you will struggle against Heavy Armor (Bile Titans, Factory Striders). Make sure someone else on your Helldiver team is running Anti-Tank weapons like the Quasar Cannon, Spear, or Expendable Anti-Tank (EAT) to cover your weakness!