Helldivers 2: Slugger vs. Punisher

Nothing is more satisfying in Helldivers 2 than blasting a Terminid menace right in the face with a shotgun. For that purpose, the SG-225 Breaker has always been the go-to weapon thanks to its insane damage and high fire rate. It is the best primary weapon in Helldivers 2 for a reason, and why most players tend to ignore the SG-8 Punisher and the SG-8S Slugger.

Both belong to the same SG series of shotguns, but unlike the SG-225 Breaker, the SG-8 Punisher and SG-8S Slugger are situational. You need to know exactly when and how to use them in Helldivers 2 to make the most of your damage output.

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By Saqib Mansoor

Should You Get the Slugger or Punisher in Helldivers 2?

Helldivers 2 Buckshot or Slug — The Punisher fires pellets that spread. The Slugger fires a single slug that has no spread.

The SG-8 Punisher is one of the first guns you unlock in Helldivers 2, while the SG-8S Slugger is one of the last. You would think a weapon that requires you to invest dozens of gameplay hours to farm hundreds of Warbond Medals in Helldivers 2 can do enough damage to tear through everything. However, it will take you only a mission or two to realize that the Slugger feels useless because it does far lower damage compared to the Punisher.

Both shotguns have the same stats and traits in the game. The only difference is their damage, where the Punisher has twice the damage output of a Slugger. So why would you waste your hard-earned Medals on a weapon, which is just an inferior copy of the Punisher you unlocked at the start of your journey? The thing is that the stats do not tell the complete story.

	SG-8 Punisher	SG-8S Slugger
How to Get	Helldivers Mobilize! Warbond Page 1 (Costs 4 Medals)	Helldivers Mobilize! Warbond Page 8 (Costs 60 Medals)
Damage	405	280
Ammo Capacity	16	16
Ammo Type	Buckshot	Slug
Recoil	120	120
Fire Rate	80 RPM	80 RPM
Fire Mode	Pump-Action	Pump-Action
Penetrates	Light Armor	Medium Armor

Something important that the in-game descriptions do not mention is the type of ammo both shotguns use. The Punisher uses buckshot rounds, while the Slugger uses slugs.

A buckshot contains pellets that spread throughout an area, which is why the Punisher feels easier to handle against groups of enemies. Its crowd-control effect makes it more reliable at medium ranges because you can take out or stagger multiple enemies.

A slug, on the other hand, is a single shot without any spread. You get to do far more damage per hit. Having no pellet spread also means you get more range compared to buckshot rounds. The Slugger, hence, is meant to take out single targets at range, primarily large and armored enemies like Bile Spewers in Helldivers 2.

The SG-8 Punisher in-game tool tip shows more damage because it counts damage for all the pellets in total. The SG-8S Slugger fires only one slug, which means it does more damage per pellet hit.

Despite what the in-game description states, the Slugger penetrates medium armor. You can kill enemies like Stalkers and Brood Commanders quicker than with a Punisher. It is also an excellent weapon to take out Devastators in Helldivers 2 without exploiting their weak spots.

The Punisher is most effective against Automaton bots, while the Slugger is most effective against Terminid bugs.

It all comes down to your gameplay preference. If you want to prioritize large and medium-armored enemies with single-shot precision, pick up the SG-8S Slugger in Helldivers 2. If you are more of a run-and-gun player who wants to spray pellets to thin the herd of all light-armored enemies, choose the SG-8 Punisher.

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