There is no better way to spread democracy across the galaxy than by detonating a nuke in Helldivers 2. You have the option of activating a Hellbomb, which is not always guaranteed to be available in a mission, or calling down an 
Eagle 500Kg Bomb to obliterate everything close to its impact.
If you are playing Helldivers 2 with friends, remember to clear the area of all friendlies before the 500kg Bomb hits. You will also want to know the size of its blast radius, because it has a tremendous damage fall-off. Here is everything you need to know about nuking enemies with a 500kg Bomb.
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How to Unlock the Eagle 500KG Bomb Stratagem
The Eagle 500kg Bomb costs 10,000 Requisition to unlock, making it one of the most expensive stratagems in Helldivers 2. You also need to be level 15 before the offensive stratagem becomes available in the Hangar. Luckily, this gives you more than enough time to farm the required number of Requisition Slips.
Remember to explore the map after finishing the main objective. You will discover points of interest that reward Requisition Slips and even Super Credits.
How to Use (& Throw) the Eagle 500KG Bomb
Unlike other Eagle stratagems that come flying in from the side of your screen, the 500kg Bomb always flies in from behind you. This is important to know, because if you are standing on the side of a mountain or cliff, there is a good chance that the 500kg Bomb will hit the terrain before reaching the targeted location.
You can only drop one Eagle 500kg Bomb before it has to be rearmed, so ensure you have a clear line of sight. You can always unlock all the Hangar ship modules to get an additional 500kg Bomb. However, that will take several high-difficulty missions worth of grinding, because you need to farm Super Uranium Samples to do so.
The 500kg Bomb takes a second to detonate after hitting the ground. Do not make the mistake of running towards it thinking the bomb is a dud.
The Eagle 500kg Bomb has a large blast radius, as evident from its resulting mushroom cloud. However, its damage capabilities don't necessarily measure up. The Eagle 500kg Bomb deals a ton of damage, but to only enemies and buildings close to its point of impact. The damage drops significantly the further a target is from the center of its blast radius. This makes the 500kg Bomb inconsistent and fairly inefficient in Helldivers 2, when considering that players mean to use it as a mini-nuke.
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Enemies need to be close to the center of the blast radius for an Eagle 500kg Bomb to kill them. Anticipate their movements before calling down the stratagem in their path. Enemies on the edges or outside the blast radius will take next to no damage.
Its fancy explosive effects are not the only reason why the Eagle 500kg Bomb has soared in popularity. It can kill a Bile Titan in a single shot, but only as long as the bomb drops right on top of the hulking Terminid. While that should not be difficult with a call-in time of zero, you can still easily mistime your stratagem. Alternatively, the 
Bile Titan can suddenly stop or turn away from where you called in the bomb, rendering the nuke useless.
The new G-23 Stun Grenade from the Cutting Edge Premium Warbond works on Bile Titans. The special Grenade has a large radius, so you can stun a Bile Titan and all nearby enemies to wait for the incoming 500kg Bomb.
Is the Eagle 500KG Bomb Worth It?
The Eagle 500KG Bomb is still considered one of the best stratagems in Helldivers 2. However, with players finding more use out of other stratagems, it is hard to say that the supposed mini-nuke is worth a stratagem slot.
The 
Orbital Railcannon Strike, for example, has infinite uses with a low cooldown. You can also leave the Bile Titan hunting for your support weapons, such as the anti-tank Railgun or the 
EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank. That will give you an extra slot to take a stratagem that does not require an enemy to be standing still.
Helldivers 2
- Released
- February 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
