Helldivers 2: Best weapons in the Escalation of Freedom patch

When a major patch comes out Helldivers 2the meta is going to shake up a bit. When it comes to the Escalation of freedom update, things changed, admittedly for the worse. However, after some testing and a lot of dying, these are the best weapons to use after the Escalation of freedom plaster in Helldivers 2.

Best weapons after the Escalation of Freedom patch in Helldivers 2

The following weapons have been tested on Helldive and Super Helldive difficulties. These are probably the best weapons we can get at the moment.

SG-225IE Breaker Flammable

Screenshot by Destructoid

Despite the weakened magazines and recoil, the Breaker Incendiary excels at taking out groups of small Terminid with ease. It is also the best weapon for taking out Shriekers due to its very generous pellet spread. Using it on anything armored is useless, so this is more of a small frykiller.

It is also not recommended to use it against Automatons.

SG-451 Barbecue

Screenshot by Destructoid

The Cookout is a weapon that can easily dethrone the Breaker Incendiary due to its damage output and stagger potential. It doesn’t have the crowd-clearing effects of the aforementioned shotgun, but what it does have is a decent ammo economy and stagger power.

You won’t be able to take out hordes of enemies quickly with this thing, but you can stop a Brood Commander and variants of medium-sized enemies with a shot to the face.

Like the Breaker Incendiary, this weapon is not recommended against Automatons.

Arc-12 Blitzer

Screenshot by Destructoid

The Blitzer is the perfect answer for those who have trouble maintaining ammo. It’s also versatile enough to put up a decent stagger against small to medium-sized enemies, both Terminid and Automaton alike. There are some drawbacks, such as its effective range and inconsistent damage output, but the pros outweigh the cons here.

The nice thing about this arc shotgun is that there is never a bad time to bring it into a mission. Just don’t expect it to be the DPS monster like others on this list.

LAS-16 Sickle

Screenshot by Destructoid

If you prefer the more standard gunplay of an assault rifle, the Sickle is the answer. This weapon has virtually no recoil and is great for hitting the weak points of both Automatons and Terminid weapons.

The only downside to this weapon is also its other power. If you fire this weapon too often, you will be forced to reload. By practicing trigger discipline, you will never run out of ammo.

P-19 Redeemer

Screenshot by Destructoid

This pistol flew under the Nerf radar after so many balance changes. The Redeemer has been a consistent auto pistol since it launched. Now, with higher difficulty settings with objectives like eggs that leave you with only one hand free, the Redeemer is almost a staple in your loadout.

SG-22 Bushman

Screenshot by Destructoid

If you’re in a pinch and want to increase the distance between you and a deadly medium-sized enemy, the Bushwhacker is your best bet. It works the same way as the Cookout, but without the fire. The only difference is that it doesn’t have as much killing potential.

GP-31 Grenade Pistol

Screenshot by Destructoid

Despite the nerfs to the ammo economy, the Grenade Pistol is still an incredible utility weapon. You don’t use this to kill enemies or soften them up. You use this to plug holes in the Terminid Hive and destroy Automaton Fabricators.

Consider this pistol as a backup pistol in case you run out of grenades or explosive strategies to complete these objectives.

Best Stratagem weapons after the patch

With your primary and secondary weapons out of the way, Stratagem allows you to deploy larger weapons to supplement your build or make yourself more versatile against stronger enemies.

Spear

Screenshot by Destructoid

If you want to destroy heavy things like Hulks, Gunships, Tanks, Bile Titans or the many variations of the Charger, the Spear is the best weapon to use. Just aim at something, target their weak spot and boom.

This does take up space in your backpack, so you can’t carry items like a Jump Pack, Guard Dog, or Shield Generator.

Quasar Cannon

Screenshot by Destructoid

Another weapon that has received some significant nerfs is the Quasar Cannon. Despite all that, it excels at what the Spear does, just with longer cooldowns, but a free backpack slot.

This weapon is more resistant to Automatons, especially destroying gunboats and the laser turrets that shoot you from a distance.

Bow thrower

Screenshot by Destructoid

Another weapon that received some major nerfs, the Arc Thrower is once again a strong contender to be one of the better weapons of the Escalation of Freedom patch. It has a huge damage output and stagger, which is good for softening up enemy groups and slowing them down at the same time.

Now that it can hit targets more often without occasionally going wrong, you can never go wrong against Automatons or Terminid.

Heavy machine gun

Screenshot by Destructoid

Finally, there’s a weapon whose lethality has been toned down: the Heavy Machine Gun (HMG). This thing can pack a punch and easily destroy heavy weapons, if you can control the recoil and hit weak spots quickly. It’s also a versatile weapon against all types of enemies.

The only major drawback is the recoil and the need to reload on the spot. Other than that, this thing can shred large targets with ease.

These weapons are not meta-defining in any way. The game really does get harder the harder you go. This list has become more of a “what’s actually viable in the endgame” list, as more things get weakened than buffed.

The post Helldivers 2: Best Weapons in the Escalation of Freedom Patch appeared first on Destructoid.