Helldivers 2 Primary Weapons Tier List (Patch 7.0) - Best Guns vs Illuminate, Terminids and Automatons

If your favorite primary does not feel quite as dominant as it used to, the gun itself may not be the whole story. Devoid of Liberty changed the enemies Helldivers are expected to fight, especially on the Illuminate front.

The new Wretch can rapidly close distance and dodge incoming fire, while the Crusher can absorb serious punishment and regenerate if your squad gives it enough breathing room. Patch 7.0.0 also improved ammunition economy for several short magazine attachments and introduced the new Warhammer 40,000 inspired R/40-K Hot-Shot Marksman Rifle.

One thing has not changed: PLAS-101 Purifier remains the safest all-purpose primary in the game. Once you start building for individual factions, however, several other weapons can outperform it in specific roles.

How This Tier List Was Built

Raw DPS does not tell the whole story. A weapon can produce impressive numbers in ideal conditions and still become frustrating when you are surrounded, forced to reload, or trying to hit a tiny Automaton weak point from across the map.

For the current meta, we considered:

• Damage and armor penetration against the enemies you actually need your primary to kill.
• Stagger and explosive effects for interrupting dangerous targets and controlling groups.
• Handling and recoil when tracking fast enemies or targeting weak points.
• Ammunition economy during longer objectives and extended firefights.
• Weapon customization and how attachments affect practical performance.
• Faction matchups, because a great Terminid weapon can still be a terrible Automaton choice.

What Changed in Helldivers 2 Patch 7.0.0?

Devoid of Liberty did not simply apply another sweeping round of damage buffs and nerfs to every primary weapon. The bigger change for this tier list comes from the battlefield itself.

The Illuminate now field new enemies that punish weak target tracking and poor sustained damage.

The Wretch Changes Close-Range Pressure

The Wretch is fast, aggressive, and capable of dodging attacks while rapidly closing distance. That makes slow weapons with awkward handling less comfortable when several enemies reach you at once.

Weapons such as the AR-2 Coyote and SMG/FLAM-34 Stoker benefit here because they can quickly transition between targets instead of forcing you to carefully line up every shot.

The Crusher Rewards Sustained Pressure

The Crusher sits at the other end of the spectrum. It can absorb heavy damage and regenerate, so allowing it to disengage can undo part of your work.

Your support weapon and Stratagems should still do most of the heavy lifting against targets at this level, but a dependable primary matters when you need to clear supporting enemies without losing momentum.

Patch 7.0.0 also improved several short magazine attachments, giving them more starting and spare magazines. The Stoker received an especially useful improvement, with more ammunition and a faster reload for its short magazine configuration.

Best Primary Weapons Against Illuminate

The Illuminate are currently one of the hardest factions to build a single primary around. You have mobile targets, swarms, shields, tougher units, and now the Wretch and regenerating Crusher to consider.

Fast crowd clearing, reliable medium armor performance, splash damage, and the ability to react quickly are particularly valuable.

S-Tier

• PLAS-101 Purifier – Excellent charged damage, medium armor penetration, stagger, and splash make it the safest Illuminate pick.
• AR-2 Coyote – High capacity, incendiary rounds, and medium armor penetration make it excellent when the Illuminate start flooding your position.
• SMG/FLAM-34 Stoker – Combines punchy conventional fire with an underbarrel flamethrower, giving it exceptional flexibility against softer Illuminate targets and swarms.

A-Tier

• R-36 Eruptor – Powerful explosive shells make it excellent for clusters and tougher targets, although its handling becomes dangerous when enemies get too close.
• CB-9 Exploding Crossbow – Strong explosive utility and enough punch to remain useful against every faction.
• PLAS-1 Scorcher – Reliable explosive energy damage with fewer complications than many specialist weapons.
• SG-97 Sweeper – Strong close-range option with medium armor penetration and excellent crowd-clearing potential.
• DBS-2 Double Freedom – Devastating at close range, but frequent reloading keeps it just below the most reliable Illuminate choices.

Best Primary Weapons Against Terminids

Terminids still reward the oldest Helldivers rule in the book: do not let the horde reach you.

Fire, splash damage, large magazines, and weapons capable of immediately transitioning between multiple targets remain the most valuable traits.

S-Tier

• PLAS-101 Purifier – The charged splash damage can erase clustered enemies while medium armor penetration keeps it useful against more durable bugs.
• AR-2 Coyote – High-capacity incendiary fire makes it one of the most forgiving swarm weapons available.
• SMG/FLAM-34 Stoker – Bullets for regular targets, flames for the horde, and improved short-magazine ammunition economy after Patch 7.0.0.
• FLAM-66 Torcher – One of the best dedicated swarm-clearing primaries when you are comfortable fighting at close range.

A-Tier

• SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary – Still extremely effective against organic swarms, and Patch 7.0.0 gives its short magazine configuration more ammunition.
• R-36 Eruptor – Excellent explosive crowd damage if you maintain enough distance.
• CB-9 Exploding Crossbow – Flexible explosive damage with useful utility beyond simply killing enemies.
• SG-97 Sweeper – Excellent for close-quarter engagements where bugs are constantly pushing into your space.
• DBS-2 Double Freedom – Huge short-range stopping power balanced by its constant need to reload.
• PLAS-1 Scorcher – Strong general-purpose alternative when you want something less specialized.

Best Primary Weapons Against Automatons

Automatons demand a different mindset. Instead of spraying into a swarm, you are frequently rewarded for precision, medium armor penetration, explosive damage, and hitting exposed weak points at range.

S-Tier

• PLAS-101 Purifier – Medium armor penetration, splash damage, stagger, and charged shots make it an exceptional all-round Automaton weapon.
• PLAS-1 Scorcher – Explosive energy bolts remain one of the most dependable tools against robotic targets.
• R-36 Eruptor – Its explosive shrapnel rounds can punish groups and armored targets while providing excellent utility from range.
• Double-Edge Sickle – Powerful armor penetration and damage once heated make it extremely effective if you build around its self-damaging heat mechanic.
• Censor – One of the strongest precision choices for eliminating Automaton weak points from range while keeping a lower firing profile.

A-Tier

• R/40-K Hot-Shot Marksman Rifle – Excellent long-range accuracy, high damage, medium armor penetration, and very low recoil.
• R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper – Still a very capable precision weapon, although it now faces serious competition from newer marksman rifles.
• CB-9 Exploding Crossbow – Strong explosive utility that remains useful against bots without forcing a pure precision playstyle.
• DBS-2 Double Freedom – Surprisingly effective if you can safely close the gap, but positioning matters much more than against Terminids.
• SG-97 Sweeper – Medium armor penetration helps it remain viable even when fighting robotic opposition.

Is the R/40-K Hot-Shot Marksman Rifle Good?

Yes, particularly against Automatons.

The R/40-K Hot-Shot Marksman Rifle arrived with the Warhammer 40,000: Castellan’s Creed Legendary Warbond on August 12, 2026. It combines high single-shot damage, medium armor penetration, long-range accuracy, and very low recoil.

That combination makes it a natural Automaton weapon. Bots give you more opportunities to deliberately target weak points, so the Hot-Shot has time to exploit its biggest strength: accurate damage at range.

Its weaknesses are equally clear. The rifle has a 12-round magazine and currently lacks weapon customization options. Those limitations hurt much more against Terminids, where a dozen carefully placed shots are less useful when half the planet is sprinting toward your face.

Attachments, Weapon Stats, and Current Limitations

The weapon customization system gives many primaries more room to specialize through sights, magazines, muzzle options, and other attachments. Patch 7.0.0 specifically makes short magazines more attractive by improving their ammunition economy.

Important Patch 7.0.0 Attachment Changes

• Liberator family and AR-59 Suppressor: Short-magazine spare ammunition increased from 12 to 16 magazines, with starting magazines increased from 7 to 9.
• SMG-37 Defender and SMG-72 Pummeler: Short-magazine spare ammunition increased from 9 to 12, with starting magazines increased from 6 to 8.
• SMG/FLAM-34 Stoker: Short-magazine spare ammunition increased from 10 to 13, starting magazines increased from 6 to 7, and reload duration reduced from 2.8 to 2.3 seconds.
• SG-225 Breaker and SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary: Short-magazine spare ammunition increased from 9 to 11, with starting magazines increased from 6 to 7.
• SG-225SP Breaker Spray & Pray: Short-magazine spare ammunition increased from 16 to 20, with starting magazines increased from 11 to 12.
• R-2124 Constitution: Reloading from empty now uses a full stripper clip.

These changes do not suddenly turn every affected weapon into S-tier, but they reduce one of the biggest downsides of choosing a smaller magazine: running out of ammunition during a long operation.

Stats That Matter Most

• Armor Penetration – Critical when fighting medium and armored targets.
• Stagger – Gives you time and interrupts dangerous attacks.
• Explosive Damage – Excellent for groups and enemies with vulnerable areas affected by splash.
• Handling and Sway – Particularly important for Automaton weak points and the new fast-moving Illuminate enemies.
• Magazine Size and Reload Speed – Often more important than theoretical DPS when a swarm is already on top of you.

Current Helldivers 2 Primary Weapon Meta

The current primary meta is healthier than a simple “one gun beats everything” ranking suggests.

If you only want one recommendation, take the PLAS-101 Purifier. Its combination of charged damage, splash, medium armor penetration, and strong performance across all three factions is difficult to beat.

Once you specialize, the picture changes:

• Illuminate: Purifier, Coyote, and Stoker offer the strongest mix of crowd control and versatility.
• Terminids: Purifier, Coyote, Stoker, and Torcher excel when the fight becomes a swarm.
• Automatons: Purifier, Scorcher, Eruptor, Double-Edge Sickle, and Censor reward accurate or explosive play.
• Long-range specialist: The new Hot-Shot is already a very strong Automaton option.

That is especially important after Devoid of Liberty. A primary that destroys Wretches and swarm enemies does not also need to solo a Crusher if the rest of your loadout already carries serious anti-armor firepower.

Helldivers 2 Offers on G2A.COM

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More Helldivers 2 Guides on G2A News

• Helldivers 2 Illuminate Explained – Lore, Units, History and Gameplay Deep Dive
• Helldivers 2 Secondary Weapons Tier List – Best Sidearms vs Illuminate, Bugs and Bots
• Helldivers 2 Weapons Guide – Unlock Guns, Warbonds and Stratagems
• Helldivers 2 Siege Breakers Update Adds Explosive Hammer and New Weapons
• Games Like Helldivers 2 – Best Co-op and Mission-Based Titles

Helldivers 2 Primary Weapons FAQ

What is the best primary weapon in Helldivers 2 right now?

The PLAS-101 Purifier is currently the strongest all-purpose recommendation. It performs extremely well against Illuminate, Terminids, and Automatons without forcing you into a narrow playstyle.

What is the best primary against Illuminate after Devoid of Liberty?

The PLAS-101 Purifier, AR-2 Coyote, and SMG/FLAM-34 Stoker are our current S-tier recommendations. The Wretch makes quick target acquisition more important, while the new Illuminate enemy mix rewards weapons that can handle crowds without becoming useless against tougher units.

What is the best primary weapon against Terminids?

The Purifier, Coyote, Stoker, and Torcher are the strongest current picks. Fire and crowd control remain extremely useful when large numbers of Terminids close the distance.

What is the best primary against Automatons?

The Purifier, Scorcher, Eruptor, Double-Edge Sickle, and Censor are excellent choices. Automatons reward medium armor penetration, explosive damage, range, and accurate weak-point shots.

Is the new R/40-K Hot-Shot Marksman Rifle worth using?

Yes, especially against Automatons. Its high damage, medium armor penetration, low recoil, and long-range accuracy make it an excellent precision primary. Its 12-round magazine and lack of customization make it much less impressive against Terminid swarms.

Did Patch 7.0.0 nerf the PLAS-101 Purifier?

No major Purifier nerf is listed in the Devoid of Liberty 7.0.0 balance notes. It remains one of the strongest and most flexible primary weapons available.

Choose the Gun for the War You Are Fighting

There is still no primary weapon that solves every Helldivers 2 problem by itself.

The Purifier comes closest, but the best loadouts are built around covering weaknesses. Bring the Coyote or Stoker when swarms are your problem. Reach for the Scorcher, Eruptor, Censor, or Hot-Shot when bots demand precision. Against the Illuminate, stay flexible enough to handle both the Wretch sprinting toward you and the much larger problem regenerating behind it.

Managed Democracy provides the arsenal. Choosing the right gun is still your job.