Helldivers 2 best stratagems tier list – how to unlock all codes

The best stratagems can mean the difference between a close escape and certain doom against Helldivers 2’s many enemies. We’ve rounded up a tier list of our top picks and have listed out every single stratagem code in the game.

How to unlock all stratagems in Helldivers 2

Stratagems are powerful abilities that can be called down from your Destroyer ship in Helldivers 2. You’ll get access to more stratagems by leveling up as you finish missions. As for using these powerful items, you’ll need credits that can be earned from Orders and operations. They’re all pretty useful so it can be tough to pick the ideal ones for a situation.

But with practice, you’ll figure out what’s right for each enemy. Your squad (or the lack of) can also decide what stratagems are more effective. Pick between these buffs at the Ship Management console in your ship. Here are all the types of stratagems in Helldivers 2:

• Patriotic Administration Centre – This focuses on heavy weaponry that is great against armored targets.
• Orbital Cannons – Watch out for artillery fire from your Destroyer. And yes, they can hurt you.
• Hangar – These deal explosive damage and focus on bombs.
• Bridge – Adopt these if you prefer dishing out elemental damage.
• Engineering Bay – A mix of offensive and defensive equipment.
• Robotics Workshop – The automation side of things, from drones to turrets.

The Expendable Anti-Tank is now great against Chargers. Image captured by VideoGamer.

The Grenade Launcher can be used to destroy Terminid nests. Image captured by VideoGamer.

Use the Mortar Sentry to take out enemy objectives from afar. Image captured by VideoGamer.

Use the Shield Generator for a durability boost. Image captured by VideoGamer.

The Eagle Airstrike is a quick way to clear a path forward. Image captured by VideoGamer.

Remember that the unsafe mode of the Railgun can knock you out. Image captured by VideoGamer.

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Best S-tier stratagems in Helldivers 2

While it can be hard to pick the best ones because of the variety of enemies, some stratagems stand out from the rest. Here are our top picks for the best stratagems in Helldivers 2:

1 – Railgun

This stratagem can be found in the Patriotic Administration Center Stratagems at level 20. You can take down even the most powerful threats like the Bile Titan and Hulk with this weapon in a couple of shots. Just be wary of its ‘Unsafe Mode’ because it can kill the user. While the weapon did get a nerf, it’s still one of the most reliable in the game.

2 – Eagle Airstrike

Eagle Airstrike is part of the Hangar Stratagems. Clear weak enemies with this quick artillery attack. It’s got a low cooldown too. If you want a bigger punch, you could consider the 500kg Bomb instead.

3 – Shield Generator Pack

This Engineering Bay Stratagem is incredible at defending you from projectiles. It’s almost a must-have at higher difficulties, especially since it recharges over time. The stratagem straight-up turns you into a Halo: ODST trooper.

4 – Mortar Sentry

Get this in the Robotics Workshop Stratagems. Slay armored foes with this automated weapon. Just stand away from enemies or else you’ll be blasted to bits as well.

5 – Grenade Launcher

It can be found in the Engineering Bay Stratagems. It’s an incredibly versatile weapon because it can take down both enemies and nests/structures like bug holes and breaches. Armored opponents can be damaged with this as well. Just be mindful of where you’re aiming as these grenades can ricochet and hit you instead.

6 – Expendable Anti-Tank

It’s one of the Patriotic Administration Center Stratagems. While its ammo may be on the low side, its quick recharge time lets you drop them often. Pick it up and you’ll be able to deal solid damage against armored targets before dropping the weapon. Its buff makes it particularly lethal against Chargers and other armored enemies.

Best early stratagems in Helldivers 2

While the above stratagems are great overall, not all of them can be obtained in the first few hours of the game. Here’s what you should keep an eye out for when it comes to Helldivers 2’s best early stratagems:

• Stalwart – Thanks to its strong rate of fire, this weapon is great against enemy hordes until the Challenging difficulty where armored enemies appear more frequently. It’s got a better reload time than the Machine Gun but doesn’t hit as hard.
• EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank – This is great against armored foes and has a fairly short cooldown. It’s great even at higher difficulties.
• Orbital Gatling Barrage – This orbital stratagem can help with large groups of enemies. And it can be unlocked fairly early as well.
• Eagle Airstrike – This reliable damage dealer is relevant throughout the game. So unlock it right away.
• Gatling Sentry – While other sentries are more lethal, this one’s pretty good at clearing waves of enemies without instantly killing you via friendly fire.

Patriotic Administration Centre Stratagems

Stratagem	Code	Description	How to unlock	Traits
Machine Gun	Down, Left, Down, Up, Right	This powerful machine gun can knock out weaker foes with one hit but you’ll need its sustained fire against bigger targets. Takes a while to reload.	Level 1	Support Weapon Hellpod
Anti-Material Rifle	Down, Left, Right, Up, Down	This sniper rifle is devastating to light armor. Remember that you have to aim down your sights to use it.	Level 2 5000 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod
Stalwart	Down, Left, Down, Up, Up, Left	This light machine gun is a step up from the basic one as it’s easier to reload. But it doesn’t hit as hard as the Machine Gun.	Level 2 3500 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod
Expendable Anti-Tank	Down, Down, Left, Up, Right	This single-use rocket launcher can destroy armor. Has a low cooldown.	Level 3 3000 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod Explosive
Recoilless Rifle	Down, Left, Right, Right, Left	A reloadable rocket launch that is great against armored aliens.	Level 5 6000 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod Explosive
Flamethrower	Down, Left, Up, Down, Up	Sets enemies and the environment on fire. But remember that friendly fire is more than just a pun with this weapon.	Level 10 6000 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod Incendiary
Autocannon	Down, Left, Down, Up, Up, Right	This automatic cannon deals solid damage against armored targets.	Level 10 7000 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod
Railgun	Down, Right, Left, Down, Up, Left, Right	Charged armor-piercing shots that can take down large foes quickly. Can be used with an ‘Unsafe Mode’ for more damage.	Level 20 10000 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod
Spear	Down, Down, Up, Down, Down	This homing missile must lock onto armored targets before being unleashed.	Level 20 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod

Orbital Cannons Stratagems

Stratagem	Code	Description	How to unlock	Traits
Orbital Gatling Barrage	Right, Down, Right, Left, Up, Up	Launch high-explosive rounds from the Destroyer ship.	Level 2 1500 credits	Explosive Orbital
Orbital Airburst Strike	Right, Right, Right	These shrapnel rounds can bury weaker enemies quickly.	Level 5 4000 credits	Explosive Orbital
Orbital 120MM HE Barrage	Right, Down, Left, Right, Down	This missile is great against areas densely packed with monsters.	Level 5 4000 credits	Explosive Orbital
Orbital 380MM HE Barrage	Right, Down, Down, Up, Up, Left, Down, Down	Multiple airstrikes dished out across a massive radius from your ship above the planet.	Level 8 7500 credits	Explosive Orbital
Orbital Walking Barrage	Right, Right, Down, Left, Right, Down	This barrage moves forward with multiple artillery strikes.	Level 10 7500 credits	Explosive Orbital
Orbital Laser	Right, Down, Up, Right, Down	This laser targets any enemies within its attack radius.	Level 15 10000 credits	Orbital
Orbital Railcannon Strike	Right, Up, Down, Down, Right	The railcannon strike automatically targets the largest enemy nearest to the beacon that you place.	Level 20 credits	Orbital

Hangar Stratagems

Stratagem	Code	Description	How to unlock	Traits
Eagle Strafing Run	Up, Right, Right	This fast-shooting artillery attack makes short work of light enemies.	Level 2 1500 credits	Eagle
Eagle Airstrike	Up, Right, Down, Right	Drops a group of bombs in a row. Note that this isn’t automatically targeted at enemies.	Level 2 4000 credits	Explosive Eagle
Eagle Cluster Bomb	Up, Right, Down, Down, Right, Down	This air strike can finish off weaker foes.	Level 3 4000 credits	Explosive Eagle
Eagle Napalm Airstrike	Up, Right, Down, Up	Napalm bombs create a wall of fire that damages both foes and players.	Level 5 5000 credits	Explosive Eagle
Jump Pack	Down, Up, Up, Down, Up	Charge the Jump Pack to leap over armored enemies and walls and avoid incoming damage from nearby enemies.	Level 8 6 credits	Hellpod Backpack
Eagle Smoke Strike	Up, Right, Up, Down	Multiple smoke grenades block the line of sight from enemies and let your squad reposition. Can take out enemy nests too.	Level 8 4000 credits	Explosive Eagle
Eagle 110MM Rocket Pods	Up, Right, Up, Left	This cluster of bombs targets the largest enemy closest to the beacon.	Level 10 7500 credits	Explosive Eagle
Eagle 500KG Bomb	Up, Right, Down, Down, Down	A large bomb that kills anything (even Automatons) within its designated radius. Run to safety.	Level 15 10000 credits	Explosive Eagle

Bridge Stratagems

Stratagem	Code	Description	How to unlock	Traits
Orbital Precision Strike	Right, Right, Up	A precision shot sent from the skies. Useful against single targets.	Level 1	Explosive Orbital
Orbital Gas Strike	Right, Right, Down, Right	A projectile that releases corrosive gas that damages both foes and friends.	Level 3 4000 credits	Explosive Orbital
Orbital EMS Strike	Right, Right, Left, Down	Stuns and halts enemy movements with the help of an electrical blast field.	Level 5 6000 credits	Orbital
Orbital Smoke Strike	Right, Right, Down, Up	Creates a smoke screen, reducing enemies’ line of sight.	Level 8 4000 credits	Explosive Orbital
HMG Emplacement	Down, Up, Left, Right, Right, Left	A manned and stationary turret that deals a ton of damage. Can run out of ammo.	Level 10 10000 credits	Hellpod
Shield Generator Relay	Down, Up, Left, Down, Right, Right	Deploys an energy shield that protects your squad. Useful against projectiles.	Level 10 9000 credits	Hellpod
Tesla Tower	Down, Up, Right, Up, Left, Right	An electrical pylon that can shock enemies.	Level 15 8000 credits	Hellpod Sentry

Engineering Bay Stratagems

Stratagem	Code	Description	How to unlock	Traits
Anti-Personnel Minefield	Down, Left, Up, Right	This stationary structure releases minefields in a large radius.	Level 2 1500 credits	Hellpod Explosive
Supply Pack	Down, Left, Down, Up, Up, Down	This backpack gives ammo to other Helldivers. Resupply your allies to keep the fight going.	Level 3 4000 credits	Hellpod Backpack
Grenade Launcher	Down, Left, Up, Left, Down	A grenade launcher that can take out multiple weaker enemies and clear bug nests.	Level 5 6000 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod Explosive
Laser Cannon	Down, Left, Down, Up, Left	Fires a continuous laser beam and can overheat.	Level 5 4000 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod
Incendiary Mines	Down, Left, Left, Down	This deploys mines in its radius too but with incendiary effects. Can harm friendly units too.	Level 8 4000 credits	Hellpod Explosive
“Guard Dog” Rover	Down, Up, Left, Up, Right, Right	A drone with a laser rifle, perfect for guarding your back.	Level 10 7500 credits	Hellpod Backpack
Ballistic Shield Backpack	Down, Left, Up, Up, Right	A shield effective against small incoming damage from enemies or friends.	Level 12 6000 credits	Hellpod Backpack
Arc Thrower	Down, Right, Up, Left, Down	A weapon that shoots an arc of lightning. A close-range weapon.	Level 15 7000 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod
Quasar Cannon	Down, Down, Up, Left, Right	Use this deadly laser to destroy armored opponents. It takes 10 seconds between reloads and has a 3-second charge time.	Level 18 7500 credits	Support Weapon Hellpod
Shield Generator Pack	Down, Up, Left, Right, Left, Right	A shield that protects the Helldiver from projectiles. Recharges with time.	Level 20 credits	Hellpod Backpack

Robotics Workshop Stratagems

Stratagem	Code	Description	How to unlock	Traits
Machine Gun Sentry	Down, Up, Right, Right, Up	A machine gun turret that can take down low-tier foes.	Level 3 1500 credits	Hellpod Sentry
Gatling Sentry	Down, Up, Right, Left	An automatic turret with a high fire rate against foes.	Level 5 4000 credits	Hellpod Sentry
Mortar Sentry	Down, Up, Right, Right, Down	A turret that shoots shells with incredible range.	Level 8 7000 credits	Hellpod Sentry Explosive
“Guard Dog”	Down, Up, Left, Up, Right, Down	A drone with an assault rifle equipped. This one’s great at defending your back.	Level 10 7500 credits	Hellpod Backpack
Autocannon Sentry	Down, Up, Right, Up, Left, Up	Anti-tank cannon that auto-fires against targets.	Level 13 6000 credits	Hellpod Sentry
Rocket Sentry	Down, Up, Right, Right, Left	Automated turret that is powerful against all sorts of armored enemies.	Level 15 7500 credits	Hellpod Explosive Sentry
EMS Mortar Sentry	Down, Down, Up, Up, Left	A turret that fires electrical generators that slow enemies.	Level 20 credits	Hellpod Explosive Sentry
EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit	Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Down	A mech with a rocket launcher and heavy machine gun. You can only call this down twice per match.	Level 25 20000 credits	Explosive Vehicle