Helldivers 2’s new Servants of Freedom premium Warbond adds a new primary weapon that arguably sets itself above and beyond most of the existing primary weapons, the LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle. This new weapon builds upon what was already one of the best primary weapons in Helldivers 2, except it comes with a trade-off for players to consider.

For any players who might be on the fence about this weapon, with a little investment, the benefits of the new Double-Edge Sickle arguably outweigh the risks. Overall, this new weapon can make a fine addition to players’ collections, potentially becoming the new best primary weapon for all-around use, setting a high bar for future weapons in Helldivers 2 to live up to.

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Helldivers 2 Has a Tough Choice to Make Regarding Primary Weapons

Given the existing variety of primary weapons in Helldivers 2, it might be time to take some big leaps to make future weapon types stand out.

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Is Helldivers 2’s New LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle Worth It?

While the LAS-16 Sickle was already one of the best primary weapons in Helldivers 2, the new LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle takes things up a notch. Unlike the original weapon, though, the new Double-Edge Sickle comes with the trade-off of inflicting friendly fire. Since few other weapons and equipment in Helldivers 2 force players to make trade-offs like this, players may want to consider whether this weapon is worth it before spending their Super Credits and Medals to unlock it from the new premium Warbond.

LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle's Strengths

  • Repeated attacks can deal Fire Elemental damage
  • Light and medium armor penetration
  • Variable scope zoom lengths
  • Overall superior damage compared to LAS-16 Sickle and most other primaries
  • Infinite ammo; overheating the weapon doesn’t expend the magazine
  • Self-damage from prolonged firing can be negated

LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle's Weaknesses

  • Prolonged firing can hurt the player
  • The weapon will set players on Fire when fully overheated
  • Fire self-damage from overheating can’t be passively negated

This new primary weapon is available in Helldivers 2’s Servants of Freedom premium Warbond and builds upon the power of the original Sickle with increased damage and the ability to light enemies on Fire, though it has a slightly slower fire rate. Additionally, while the Double-Edge Sickle’s stats only say that the weapon is capable of penetrating light armor, continuously firing the weapon will increase its damage and allow it to penetrate medium armor.

Due to its ability to light enemies on Fire, the Double-Edge Sickle can technically damage heavily armored enemies in Helldivers 2 despite not directly piercing their armor.

The Benefits of Helldivers 2’s New Double-Edge Sickle Arguably Outweigh the Risks

However, while offering superior damage compared to the original Sickle, the Double-Edge Sickle will periodically damage players while using it. The friendly fire damage inflicted by the Double-Edge Sickle can be split into two types: damage from shooting in prolonged bursts and damage taken when the magazine fully overheats. Both damage types are considered Fire Elemental damage, though only the damage from fully overheating the magazine will directly light players on Fire. Regardless, both damage types can be reduced by equipment that increases players’ health and/or resistance to Fire Elemental damage.

Combining the Vitality Enhancement Booster with the Inflammable body armor perk in Helldivers 2 will fully negate the damage taken from firing the Double-Edge Sickle in prolonged bursts, though the damage taken from overheating the weapon can’t be fully negated.

Considering that most of the friendly fire damage inflicted by the Double-Edge Sickle can be fully negated with a little investment or otherwise avoided by manually regulating the weapon’s heat levels, the benefits of this weapon arguably outweigh the risks. Even if players aren’t willing to invest in reducing the weapon's friendly fire damage, the combined power of Fire Elemental damage and medium armor penetration still sets the Double-Edge Sickle far above the original Sickle, as well as most other primary weapons in Helldivers 2.

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9 /10

Helldivers 2
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Third-Person Shooter
Extraction Shooter
Action
Science Fiction
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
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Released
February 8, 2024
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
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Helldivers 2 Press Image 1
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Engine
bitsquid
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
All platforms
Franchise
Helldivers
Number of Players
1-4 players (online)
Genre(s)
Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
OpenCritic Rating
Strong