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The Illuminate are a formidable enemy in Helldivers 2, known for their advanced technologies and overwhelming precision. As you tackle their light infantry, their elite units will close in from both the ground and air. To triumph over them, you need to craft loadouts and builds that exploit their weaknesses while countering their powerful tech.
So, how do you effectively combat the Illuminate? It's all about finding the perfect mix of weapons, support gear, and stratagems to handle their unique strengths. You must balance your arsenal to deal with both the chaff and the armored/heavy units. Neglecting either type will render your loadout ineffective against the full might of the Illuminate horde.
In this guide, we'll explore the best loadouts and builds tailored specifically for battling the Illuminate. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting out, these strategies will boost your combat effectiveness against this new, squid-like faction. Let's gear up and prepare to face the Illuminate head-on.
The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate
The PLAS-1 Scorcher and PLAS-101 Purifier are among the best primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They excel at melting Overseers, including jet-pack-wielding Elevated units, and are equally effective against the Voteless. The Siege-Ready armor passive provides additional ammunition and quick reloads, ensuring you can handle multiple priority enemies. The increased damage per second is crucial when every shot counts.
The Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol form a powerful combo for destroying parked warp ships. Energy-based weapons struggle to deplete their shields, but a single Strafing Run can destroy the shields of every grounded warp ship in a straight line. You can then shoot a grenade into their open bay doors to cause an explosion. This combo is particularly effective when eliminating medium or heavy Illuminate nests requiring the destruction of five or more warp ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact can also be thrown into the open bay doors, they are more effective at clearing chaff, so save them for when you're using the Grenade Pistol.
The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" is surprisingly effective against medium-armored Overseers. Each burst can take down a single elite unit, making it one of the best stratagems for watching your flank against the Illuminate.
The A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry helps lock down areas when defending an objective. If thinning crowds of enemies isn't a priority, you can replace it with an Orbital Laser to target Harvesters or potential future heavy units.
Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon completes this Illuminate loadout. It melts Overseers and chaff within seconds and is excellent against Harvesters. Use a Strafing Run to deplete their shields, then target the Harvesters' weak points (thighs/eyes) with the Laser Cannon. A single clip is sufficient if your aim is steady. The Laser Cannon's massive range allows you to pick off targets from afar, making it an ideal anti-squid weapon.
On level 9 or 10 difficulty, where multiple Harvesters are common, having an Orbital Laser becomes essential.
The Lightning Loadout: Shocking (& Staggering) the Illuminate
The Illuminate's mix of melee and ranged units makes the ARC-12 Blitzer and ARC-3 Arc Thrower excellent choices for covering both fronts. They easily dispatch chaff, but the Arc Thrower has the added advantage of rendering Overseers nearly useless. Each lightning arc chains and staggers, stunning Overseers briefly. Continuous attacks from a distance can keep Elevated Overseers perma-stunned in mid-air.
The Arc Thrower can also take down unshielded Harvesters, requiring around a dozen hits, each inflicting a moderate stun that accumulates over time.
The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is highly effective against all Illuminate enemy types, particularly against groups of flying Overseers. It provides consistent crowd control and disrupts enemies, making it easier to manage large waves. Combine it with the Arc Thrower for multiple chained lightning attacks to lock down an entire area. Target priority enemies with the Arc Thrower to prevent them from getting close enough to destroy your Tesla Tower.
Harvesters prioritize sentries, so avoid using your Tesla Tower or other sentry stratagems if you've engaged them.
The Eagle Strafing Run and Grenade Pistol are essential for destroying parked warp ships. The Blitzer and Arc Thrower are inefficient at depleting their shields during combat, so don't replace them unless another teammate can handle this task.
For dealing with heavies, the Orbital Railcannon Strike is excellent due to its unlimited uses. The Orbital Laser is effective against multiple Harvesters, but its three uses mean you'll eventually rely on your teammates. Always use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This is one of the most powerful builds against the Illuminate, especially when coordinated with other teammates.
The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate
The MG-43 Machine Gun is the most versatile support weapon against the Illuminate, making it one of the best loadouts for this faction. It effortlessly shreds light and medium enemies, as well as Harvesters. Compared to the MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun, the standard Machine Gun offers better handling and faster infantry dispatch.
It's a true jack-of-all-trades against the squids, providing an excellent balance of power and reliability. Pair it with the Engineering Kit to reduce recoil or the Peak Physique armor passive to reduce drag, the latter making it easier to target flying Overseers or Watchers.
The high fire rate is effective at depleting shields, eliminating the need for the Eagle Strafing Run to destroy grounded warp ships. Instead, opt for turret sentries to disperse large crowds or defend objectives.
The only downside of the Machine Gun is its stationary reload animation, which prevents reloading while moving. This is where the LIFT-850 Jump Pack comes in handy, allowing you to quickly relocate to safety and navigate new urban maps more easily.
While the Machine Gun can easily defeat Harvesters by targeting their weak spots, it's always beneficial to include an Orbital stratagem in your build to quickly handle multiple heavies. The Orbital Laser can deal with two to three shielded Harvesters at once, whereas the Railcannon Strike is only effective against unshielded targets.
For the primary weapon in this Illuminate build, you can choose any from the Armory. If you want to maintain the bullet-storm theme, opt for the new StA-52 Assault Rifle. Part of the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover, it features a massive drum magazine for sustained fire that penetrates light armor, delivering the same damage as the standard Liberator.
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