As a seasoned veteran of countless battles across the cosmos, I must say that the Illuminate faction in Helldivers 2 has proven to be a formidable challenge, one that requires a well-thought-out loadout to overcome. After countless hours spent in the trenches with my comrades, I’ve found myself relying on a particular setup that has served me well against the squid-like invaders and their hordes of zombified humans.
At last, The Illuminate has made its appearance in Helldivers 2. Their unexpected arrival at The Game Awards was followed by a fierce invasion of the colony world of Calypso. Unlike encounters with the Terminids or Automatons, this new faction presents an unprecedented challenge for Super Earth forces. The squid-like aliens and their horde of transformed human “Voteless” have proven to be a serious danger. Nevertheless, more than one million valiant Helldivers flocked to the cooperative shooter during its launch weekend, propelling the game to the top of Steam charts and fulfilling the Major Order to rescue Calypso.
My friends and I were amongst the countless fireteams battling the menace in Calypso’s streets around the clock, and as we fought, we extensively tested out a variety of different weapons, stratagems, and other equipment considerations. With that in mind, I thought I’d share what’s become my go-to loadout against the Illuminate for most missions, along with some tips on how to use it and why I prefer it over other options:
- Armor: EX-00 Prototype X OR EX-03 Prototype 3 OR EX-16 Prototype 16
- Primary: AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
- Secondary: CQC-19 Stun Lance OR CQC-30 Stun Baton
- Grenade: G-16 Impact
- Stratagems: Machine Gun OR Heavy Machine Gun, Supply Pack OR “Guard Dog,” Eagle Cluster Bomb, Orbital 120mm HE Barrage
The Illuminate stand out as they typically have less robust armor than Automatons or Terminids, making a variety of weapons and tactics useful against them, regardless of the game difficulty level. In compensation for their defensive weakness, they field significantly larger numbers, such as hordes of Voteless zombies intended to surround you and swarms of aggressive Overseer troops aiming to charge in and eliminate you while you’re battling through their ranks.
That’s precisely what made me reach for the medium Machine Gun support weapon stratagem as my weapon of choice against the Illuminate, and so far, this loadout that has it at the heart of it has proven to be exceptionally effective. It offers the perfect balance of power, accuracy, stability, penetration, and ammo economy, allowing you to mow down armies of Voteless and their Overseer leaders incredibly efficiently (I recommend crouching or lying prone to help manage the recoil). It also quickly burns through Illuminate shielding, and can even effectively take down the Illuminate’s Harvester walkers as long as you target the joints connecting their spindly legs to their “head.” A solid alternative is the Heavy Machine Gun, which trades ammo capacity and handling for better damage (useful if your team is struggling with Harvesters).
The Supply Pack is positioned in the backpack compartment for your convenience, allowing you to quickly replenish your ammunition. Alternatively, you can utilize the Guard Dog for additional passive firepower. I’ve found the Eagle Cluster Bomb particularly useful for swiftly eliminating large groups or reinforcement waves. The Orbital 120mm HE Barrage works effectively against Illuminate Outposts (flying UFO-like dropships) and groups of enemies with multiple Harvesters.
Regarding the rest of the setup, the Liberator Penetrator functions exceptionally well as a primary weapon due to its ample ammo capacity and a harmonious blend of damage and penetration power. This versatility makes it an effective choice against both Voteless and Overseers. Additionally, it maintains remarkable accuracy even in full auto mode, allowing for swift elimination of Watcher drones before they can summon reinforcements.
Keep in mind that there are countless substitutions you could make here depending on your preferences; for example, you could opt for the Recoilless Rifle rocket launcher instead of the Machine Gun if you want an easy way to one-shot Harvesters when they’re unshielded. This would take up your backpack slot and thus allow you to bring an extra offensive stratagem, though the tradeoff is you’ll have to rely on your primary for Voteless clearing and your allies for shield stripping. Another change you could make is eschewing Eagle and Orbital stratagems entirely and opting to bring Machine Gun and/or Gatling Sentries instead, as these rip through pretty much anything that isn’t a Harvester in seconds (but can also kill you just as quickly if you get in their line of fire). Fire damage stratagems like the Orbital Napalm Barrage or the new Flame Sentry rock, too.
As a tech enthusiast, I find the beauty of the Illuminate lies in their minimal armor, allowing for versatility in weapon choices. This loadout is what I’ve discovered to be the most effective and enjoyable, but steer clear of weapons and tactics designed for heavily armored opponents like the Spear rocket launcher or Thermite grenade.
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2024-12-17 00:09