Helldivers 2

Best Primary Weapons and Tier List

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These are the best primary weapons you can use in Helldivers 2. See information about our tier list for each primary weapon type, its cost, and more!

Best Primary Weapons

Primary Weapon Tier List

Ranking Weapons
S Tier SG-225 Breaker
Plas-1 Scorcher
Jar-5 Dominator
A Tier AR-23 Liberator
R-63 Diligence
SMG-37 Defender
SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
MP-98 Knight
B Tier SG-8 Punisher
AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper
SG-8S Slugger
SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray
C Tier LAS-5 Scythe
AR-23E Liberator Concussive

Out of all the early Primary Weapons available, the SG-225 Breaker is the all around best short-range weapon in terms of overall damage, large mag capacity, and effectiveness. For long-range weapons, nothing beats the damage that the R-63 Diligence can deliver. As for late-game weapons, the best weapons are arguably the Plas-1 Scorcher and Jar-5 Dominator.

Evaluation Reasoning
Damage Damage is the primary judging criteria. The better damage output a weapon can produce, the better it is.
Recoil Whether you play on controller or mouse & keyboard, recoil patterns will always be a thing to consider in shooter games. Having low recoil means better handling and better chances of landing a shot successively.
Effectiveness We also ought to consider the effectiveness of a weapon against an armored enemy. Guns that can prove effective against a wider variety of enemy types will be considered more.

List of All Primary Weapons

All Assault Rifles

Weapon Damage Capacity Recoil Cost
AR-23 Liberator 55 45 15 N/A
AR-23P Liberator Penetrator 45 30 19
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Medals
AR-23E Liberator Concussive 55 30 28
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Medals

All Marksman Rifles

Weapon Damage Capacity Recoil Cost
R-63 Diligence 112 20 35
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Medals
R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper 128 15 53
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Medals

All Shotguns

Weapon Damage Capacity Recoil Cost
SG-8 Punisher 405 16 120
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Medals
SG-225 Breaker 330 13 55
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Medals
SG-8S Slugger 280 16 120
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Medals
SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray 192 26 45
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Medals
SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary 180 25 28
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Medals

All Submachine Guns

Weapon Damage Capacity Recoil Cost
SMG-37 Defender 70 45 10
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Medals
MP-98 Knight 50 50 20 N/A

All Energy-Based Guns

Weapon Damage Capacity Recoil Cost
LAS-5 Scythe 300/sec 8 1
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Medals
Plas-1 Scorcher 100 15 20
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Medals

Helldivers 2 Related Guides

Helldivers 2 - Weapons Guide

Best Weapons Tier List

All Weapon Types

Primary Secondary Grenades

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