The 
R-36 Eruptor Rifle is back! The explosive bolt-action rifle was a favorite pick in Helldivers 2 due to its sheer firepower, at least until developer Arrowhead Game Studios decided to nerf the weapon shortly after its release. With the massive sweeping changes that have recently arrived with update 1.001.100, the Eruptor has finally been restored to its former glory.
Even better, a lot of other weapons have also received a series of buffs. The Helldivers 2 community now has the opportunity to break away from their meta picks and find some new weapons to experiment with. Since the R-36 Eruptor is back on the menu, here are some of the best support weapons and loadouts you can choose for your build in Helldivers 2.
Best Victory Poses in Helldivers 2
Find out the perfect victory poses to flex, threaten, act cool, or just be annoying during the victory screen in Helldivers 2.
What Makes the Eruptor the Best Primary in Helldivers 2
The R-36 Eruptor Rifle fires explosive rounds that not only deal one of the highest single-target damage in Helldivers 2, but also massive splash damage to all enemies in a considerably large area of effect. Each "jet-assisted shell" has the power to destroy medium armor, while its exploding shrapnel is guaranteed to shred light enemies upon impact.
The R-36 Eruptor can be unlocked from the Democratic Detonation Warbond in Helldivers 2. You will need 1,000 Super Credits to buy the premium Warbond, and 120 Medals to claim the weapon from the second page.
Most primary weapons in Helldivers 2 are viable against either light or medium enemies in terms of the time they take to kill. However, the Eruptor can easily kill the latter while clearing chaff at the same time, making it particularly deadly against the Terminid bugs as shown in the footage below. Its long-range precision makes it equally lethal against the Automaton bots where you have to aim at their weak spots.
Following the recent patch changes, the R-36 Eruptor bolt-action rifle takes 1–2 shots to kill enemies such as 
Brood Commanders, 
Bile Spewers, 
Hive Guards, and 
Devastators. It also deals high amounts of stagger to stop enemies in their place, especially against the likes of Rocket Devastators.
You can cancel the bolt-action reload animation by opening your stratagem window (Ctrl) after every shot. This can only be done while hip-firing, but it increases your fire rate.
Finally, another advantage you get with the Eruptor is the ability to close bug holes in Helldivers 2. Even better, you do not have to align your shots. Thanks to the exploding shrapnel, you can shoot at bug holes from the side and still be able to close them as shown in the image below.
Eruptor + Arc Thrower Build in Helldivers 2
|
Support Weapon |
Arc Thrower |
|---|---|
|
Secondary Weapon |
Senator or Bushwacker |
|
Grenade |
Thermite |
|
Other Stratagems |
|
|
Best Armor Perk |
Med Kit or Engineering Kit |
|
Best Against |
Terminids |
The 
ARC-3 Arc Thrower is better than ever. Its damage and range have been increased. Its lightning arc jumps additional times. Its stacking stun effect has been improved. Combine all of that with infinite ammo, and you have a build that makes it hard for enemy swarms to reach your location in Helldivers 2.
Use the R-36 Eruptor Rifle to take out priority targets and soften nearby enemies with splash damage before switching to the Arc Thrower to fry any enemies still standing. You can also start with chained lighting attacks to reduce enemy swarms before pulling out the Eruptor for medium enemies.
The 
Orbital Railcannon Strike is the best stratagem in Helldivers 2 to beat heavily armored enemies. The newly buffed 
G-123 Thermite Grenade now does an astonishing 2,000 damage upon exploding. Stick two of them on a 
Charger or 
Bile Titan, and see them fall. Both the Railcannon and Thermite are your go-to weapons for heavies.
Throwing an 
Orbital Gatling Barrage on a bug breach helps take out the first few waves, but you can replace it with an 
Eagle Airstrike or 
Eagle Cluster Bomb for either clearing more heavies or chaffs.
Since ammunition is always an issue with the R-36 Eruptor, rely on your secondary weapons to take out smaller or lonesome enemies. The 
P-4 Senator and SG-22 Bushwacker have some of the highest damage values among all sidearms. You can also pick the 
AX/LAS-5 "Guard Dog" Rover to check your flank and laser chaff.
Helldivers 2: All Environmental Conditions (& What They Do)
Get to know how to deal with every weather effect and planetary hazard in Helldivers 2. Here are their buffs and debuffs.
Eruptor + Stalwart / Machine Gun Build in Helldivers 2
|
Support Weapon |
Stalwart or Machine Gun |
|---|---|
|
Secondary Weapon |
Senator or Bushwacker |
|
Grenade |
Thermite |
|
Other Stratagems |
|
|
Best Armor Perk |
Engineering Kit or Peak Physique |
|
Best Against |
Automatons and Terminids |
The R-36 Eruptor Rifle is only held back by its slow fire rate and magazine capacity, meaning you must make your shots count. The 
M-105 Stalwart and 
MG-43 Machine Gun are the perfect support weapons in Helldivers 2 to address that issue.
You can only choose one though. Where both specialize in mowing down enemies, the Stalwart offers more mobility and ammo, while the Machine Gun offers more damage and armor penetration at the cost of mobility.
Since the Eruptor can already deal with armored or medium enemies, the Stalwart is enough to complete this Helldivers 2 build. It was also buffed in the recent patch with increased damage and stagger force. That said, you cannot go wrong with more firepower using the Machine Gun.
Increase your accuracy by firing in bursts while crouched or prone. If accuracy is not an issue, consider picking the Peak Physique armor passive to reduce the weapon sway.
The 
SH-32 Shield Generator Pack is always recommended when fighting the Automatons. It also gives you enough time to line up your headshots. Get the Orbital Railcannon Strike and 
Orbital Precision Strike for tanks and heavies.
Depending upon whether your teammates have enough firepower to deal with multiple tanks, turrets, and heavies on higher-difficulty missions, you can always switch the Orbital Precision Strike with something else.
For example, the Eagle Airstrike is always an excellent pick against the Automatons, especially now that their fabricators have health and armor. It also takes care of the swarms of Hulks, Devastators, and 
Berserkers.
Eruptor + Recoilless Rifle Build in Helldivers 2
|
Support Weapon |
Recoilless Rifle |
|---|---|
|
Secondary Weapon |
Redeemer |
|
Grenade |
Stun |
|
Other Stratagems |
|
|
Best Armor Perk |
Med Kit, Scout, or Democracy Protects |
|
Best Against |
Automatons and Terminids |
This is an all-in anti-tank build in Helldivers 2, preferably for a team instead of solo. The 
GR-8 Recoilless Rifle has received a significant damage boost. It can now eliminate a Charger with a single rocket and gives you room to be a little less accurate. The 
G-23 Stun Grenade ensures that your priority target remains in your crosshairs, and the 
P-19 Redeemer can easily take care of any light enemies that get too close.
The Eruptor and Recoilless Rifle build offers an insane amount of anti-tank firepower in Helldivers 2. Hence, you must rely on terrain advantage and always be on the move to keep a distance between yourself and enemy swarms. If they get too close, you are probably going to die.
Your teammates will surely be of help here. Eagle Cluster Bomb is an excellent offensive stratagem to clear enemies. You can also switch the 
Eagle 500Kg Bomb with a 
A/G-16 Gatling Sentry for sustained fire if you want to explore parts of the map solo.
Helldivers 2
- Released
- February 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
- Engine
- bitsquid
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
