The Illuminate have returned in full force for Helldivers 2 with new units such as the Fleshmob, the Crescent Overseer, and the Stingray. These units have become a dangerous addition to the Illuminate invasion force and will require new ways of fighting back. Based on field-tested results, this guide will tell you the best support weapons to use against these new foes.
Fleshmobs
By far the heaviest and most dangerous enemy in the Illuminate front, Fleshmobs are extremely durable despite being unarmored. They have enough health to survive direct Recoiless Rifle and SPEAR shots and are immune to crowd control effects. However, they can still be killed if you use the right weapons, and they'll die no matter their health if you destroy all their glowing eye weak spots.
. The following weapons can make short work of them:
- Stalwart / MG / Heavy MG: Rapid, sustained fire can whittle down a Fleshmob’s massive health pool
- Flamethrower: The recent buff to fire damage makes this more lethal against big targets
- Autocannon: In one shot, the flak ammo configuration can destroy almost all weakspots.
- Grenade Launcher / Eruptor / Explosive Crossbow / Purifier: Explosive weapons are easier to pop a Fleshmob’s weakspots for a faster kill.
- WASP: One missile burst with the WASP is capable of one-shotting a Fleshmob, but even just 4 missiles, when tap-fired, is enough to work.
Stingray
The Stingray is a low-flying fighter that shoots at Helldivers using a plasma strafe, much like the Eagle Strafing Run. This unit only has medium armor and is quite fragile, making it a glass cannon. Despite how weak it is, it flies extremely fast and can come at you from unexpected angles. Here are some of the best weapons against it:
- Laser Cannon: It's by far one of the best counters against it since the weapon not only has the armor penetration for it, but it does enough damage and requires no tracking to destroy it mid-strafe.
- WASP / SPEAR: The WASP is a perfect counter against Stingrays as it has all the anti-air capabilities to intercept low-flying fighters. The SPEAR is a good alternative, though it isn’t as ammo-efficient since the Stingray’s armor is only medium.
- Autocannon: The Autocannon is a balanced weapon for most Illuminate weapons, but the flak ammo variant makes shooting one down very easy.
Crescent Overseer
This variant of the regular Overseer has a plasma cannon that is either shot in an arc when firing at enemies behind cover or shot directly when facing it. However, it shares the same health and armor as the original variants, so the weapons you use for them will still apply to the Crescent Overseer.
