Best Helldivers 2 Warbonds: A Comprehensive Guide to Unlocking Superior Gear

In Helldivers 2, Warbonds serve as your primary method for acquiring new equipment, from potent weapons and protective armor to unique cosmetics. Unlike traditional battle passes in other games, Helldivers 2 Warbonds never expire, allowing you to progress at your own pace without fear of missing out on valuable gear.

What are Warbonds?

Warbonds are reward tracks within Helldivers 2, accessible via the Acquisition Center. They are essentially a unique version of a battle pass system, designed to provide players with diverse gameplay experiences rather than offering unfair advantages. Each Warbond introduces a collection of new items, including primary and secondary weapons, grenades, armor sets with unique passive abilities, boosters, emotes, and capes.

How to Acquire Warbonds and Medals

To unlock a Warbond, you need Super Credits, Helldivers 2's in-game currency. These can be found during missions at points of interest or purchased from the in-game store. Once a Warbond is owned, you use Medals, which are awarded in-game by completing missions and objectives, to unlock the specific items within that Warbond.

There are generally two types of Warbonds: Premium Warbonds, which typically cost 1,000 Super Credits and allow you to earn back 300 Super Credits as you progress, and Legendary Warbonds, costing 1,500 Super Credits, often used for crossover content and do not offer Super Credits in return.

Top Tier Warbonds for Helldivers

Choosing the 'best' Warbond often depends on your playstyle and what gaps you need to fill in your arsenal. However, several Warbonds consistently rank high for their impactful offerings:

Helldivers Mobilize (Free Warbond)

As the foundational Warbond, "Helldivers Mobilize" is free and provides a solid starting arsenal. It's crucial for new players as it offers enough Super Credits to get you most of the way to acquiring your first premium Warbond. Key unlocks include:

Frag Grenades: Essential for closing bug holes and destroying fabricators.

Redeemer: A strong early-game sidearm, especially in semi-auto mode.

Slugger and Counter-Sniper: Reliable primary weapon options with medium penetration.

Scorcher: A versatile and powerful primary weapon with splash damage, though it can harm the user.

Democratic Detonation

This Warbond is highly recommended for its unique utility, particularly in dealing with objectives that require explosive power.

Explosive Weapons: Democratic Detonation offers excellent tools for closing bug holes and destroying Automaton fabricators without relying solely on stratagems or support weapons.

Grenade Pistol: Provides similar utility to grenades, allowing for objective destruction.

Crossbow: Considered by some to be the strongest primary weapon in the game, despite its slow fire rate and low ammo capacity, offering significant explosive damage.

Steeled Veterans

Often cited as a must-have, "Steeled Veterans" provides some of the best-performing weapons for both bug and bot encounters.

SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary: A modified Breaker shotgun firing incendiary rounds, exceptionally good for crowd control and effective against bugs by applying damage over time.

P-4 Senator: A heavy-hitting, heavy armor penetration revolver that acts like a pocket sniper, capable of quickly dispatching medium enemies and even damaging larger foes.

JAR-5 Dominator: A high-damage, medium armor penetration weapon that is very effective against Automatons and good against bugs.

Cutting Edge

For those who favor energy-based weaponry, especially against Automatons, "Cutting Edge" is a strong contender.

LAS-16 Sickle: Considered one of the best laser primary weapons, firing in short bursts and not requiring reloads, only managing heat.

ARC-12 Blitzer: A top-tier shotgun that fires an arc of electricity, providing excellent crowd control.

SG-8P Punisher Plasma: Fires exploding plasma rounds in an arc, useful for shooting over cover and effective against all factions due to its heavy stagger.

G-23 Stun Grenade: A highly useful grenade for crowd control, capable of stunning even larger targets like Hulks and Chargers, setting them up for precise attacks.

Dust Devils

"Dust Devils" is a more recent Warbond that has quickly gained recognition for its powerful weapon offerings.

AR-2 Coyote: Touted as one of the most powerful assault rifles in Helldivers 2, featuring high-damage, armor-piercing incendiary rounds.

S-11 Speargun: Excellent for crowd control and capable of piercing tank armor.

Expendable Napalm Launcher: Provides a portable version of the Eagle Napalm Strike for rapid enemy reinforcement clearing.

Polar Patriots

While themed around arctic environments, "Polar Patriots" offers practical equipment suitable for various engagements, particularly if you prefer conventional small arms.

PLAS-101 Purifier: Arguably the best primary weapon in this Warbond, and considered one of the best in the game.

AR-61 Tenderizer, SMG-72 Pummeler, P-113 Verdict: Provide solid weapon options for different combat scenarios.

G-13 Incendiary Impact: A useful incendiary grenade.

Siege Breakers

"Siege Breakers" is noted as an S-tier Warbond, offering excellent practical gear that is beneficial even for new players.

Understanding Warbond Types

Warbonds generally fall into three categories:

Generalist Warbonds: These expand your overall kit, providing more options for various combat situations (e.g., Steeled Veterans, Polar Patriots).

Unique Utility Warbonds: These enable specific functionalities that might otherwise be difficult to achieve (e.g., Democratic Detonation).