Helldivers 2 Support Weapon Tier List: Best Picks for Every Faction

The support weapon slot is the most consequential decision you make before dropping into a mission in Helldivers 2. Get it wrong and you'll spend the whole operation struggling against enemies your loadout can't handle. Get it right and you become the player everyone wants on their team.

What's the best support weapon in Helldivers 2?

The short answer is the Expendable Anti-Tank (EAT). After testing every support weapon across all three factions, the EAT consistently earns its place because of one thing most players overlook: it doesn't consume a backpack slot. You call in two launchers per hellpod, fire them, toss them, and move on. The cooldown is short enough that you can chain call-ins almost continuously on longer missions, and because it's disposable you can briefly equip a second support weapon by setting the EAT down, swapping, then picking it back up.

That said, "best overall" is almost meaningless in a game where faction matchups matter this much. The Grenade Launcher just received heavy armor penetration in a recent Arrowhead update, which pushed it to S-tier across all three factions. It destroys bug nests, Automaton fabricators, and Illuminate Warp Ships. Carry it into a Terminid mission and you'll clear objectives faster than almost any other option.

Full support weapon tier list by faction

Each weapon below is rated against Terminids, Automatons, and the Illuminate separately, because the right pick genuinely changes depending on what you're fighting. S-tier means it dominates that faction. A-tier is excellent with minor limitations. B-tier is solid but situational. C-tier is passable but hard to recommend. D-tier means don't bring it.

S-tier picks explained

Grenade Launcher

The Grenade Launcher from the Engineering Bay is the rare support weapon that genuinely works against every faction. Its high capacity, ability to destroy objectives like nest holes and fabricators, and recently added heavy armor penetration make it the most versatile pick in the game right now. The only real limitation is self-damage at close range, which requires discipline to avoid.

Speargun (Dust Devils Warbond)

The Speargun looks like a straightforward impaling weapon but the gas clouds it releases on impact are what make it exceptional. Those clouds confuse most enemies, dissolve hordes, and persist in the area long enough to control entire sections of a map. The spears can also destroy nest holes and Warp Ships. It earns S-tier against both Terminids and Automatons for that reason.

Quasar Cannon

Infinite ammo, no backpack requirement, and enough anti-tank punch to delete most heavy enemies. The Quasar Cannon has a noticeable cooldown between shots, but that trade-off is worth it given that you never need to call in resupply. It's the cleanest Recoilless Rifle alternative for players who want to keep their backpack slot free.

Cremator (Entrenched Division Warbond)

The Cremator sacrifices your backpack slot for a large fuel tank and continuous flame output with heavy armor penetration. That makes it substantially more effective than the standard Flamethrower against larger bugs and armored Illuminate targets. S-tier against Terminids is well-earned.

A-tier and situational picks worth knowing

Commando

Four laser-guided rockets, a short cooldown because it's expendable, and enough per-rocket damage to handle most threats. The Commando from the Patriotic Administration Centre is an excellent alternative to the EAT when you want more shots per call-in and don't mind the slightly lower per-rocket damage.

C4 Pack (Redacted Regiment Warbond)

Six sticky explosive charges that detonate simultaneously. The C4 Pack is the stealth build's best friend and can kill almost anything with enough charges stacked. The catch is that it occupies your support weapon slot via the detonator, which limits what else you can bring. Against Automatons specifically it's S-tier because you can plant charges on fabricators and structures without triggering a full firefight.

Railgun

The Railgun rewards precision. In Unsafe Mode it delivers high damage on a single pinpoint shot, making it excellent against weak spots and headshots on Automaton heavies. Against Terminids and Illuminate it drops to A-tier because those factions have fewer well-defined weak spots to target. If your aim is reliable, it's one of the most satisfying support weapons in the game.

Breaching Hammer

The Breaching Hammer is a melee support weapon that can demolish Automaton fabricators and Illuminate Warp Ships outright, which is genuinely useful. The problem is survivability: getting close enough to swing it against Terminids or Illuminate swarms is asking to get overwhelmed. Pair it with a Warp Pack, Shield Generator Pack, or Jump Pack if you want to make it work.

Weapons to avoid

The Arc Thrower, Sterilizer, and One True Flag sit at D-tier across every faction for different reasons. The Arc Thrower's chain lightning doesn't hit as many enemies as it should and the friendly-fire risk is constant. The Sterilizer's gas spray sounds threatening but gas grenades and the Speargun do the same job far more effectively. The One True Flag is a roleplay item, not a weapon.

The Maxigun deserves a special mention because it sounds devastating on paper. In practice, the spin-up delay, extreme recoil, inability to move while firing, and rapid ammo consumption make it one of the worst ways to spend a support slot.

How does support weapon choice fit into a full loadout?

Your support weapon doesn't exist in isolation. The Grenade Pistol as a secondary weapon overlaps significantly with the Grenade Launcher's objective-clearing role, so running both is redundant. If you're carrying the Grenade Launcher, pick a secondary that covers close-range emergencies instead, like the Senator or Crisper.

Similarly, the Flamethrower and Cremator cover similar ground. The Cremator does it better with heavy armor penetration, so the standard Flamethrower's main advantage is that it doesn't require the Entrenched Division Warbond to unlock.

For a deeper look at how support weapons slot into complete builds, the Helldivers 2 builds and loadout tier list at u.gg covers primary weapon pairings and full loadout recommendations tested across all difficulty levels.

What's the best support weapon against each faction?

Against Terminids: The Grenade Launcher or Cremator. Bugs are predominantly organic and swarm in numbers, which rewards area denial and fire damage. The Grenade Launcher handles nest holes at range while the Cremator melts anything that gets close.

Against Automatons: The Railgun, EAT, Commando, or C4 Pack. Automatons have heavy armor on most of their dangerous units, so armor penetration is the priority. The Railgun rewards precision against weak spots while the EAT and Commando provide reliable anti-tank damage without backpack commitments.

Against the Illuminate: The Grenade Launcher or Speargun. Illuminate Voteless are soft targets that die to area damage, while the gas clouds from the Speargun are especially effective at crowd control. The Grenade Launcher handles Warp Ships and the tougher armored Illuminate units.

For a thorough breakdown of every support weapon's exact performance numbers and faction matchup data, the Helldivers 2 support weapon tier list at u.gg is worth checking before you finalize your loadout.

Stratagem loadout configuration

Picking the right support weapon is the fastest way to improve your performance on higher difficulties. The meta shifts with each Arrowhead patch, so ratings here reflect the current state of the game. For more guides covering every part of your Helldivers 2 loadout, browse the full guides library at GAMES.GG.