What is the best Assault Rifle in Helldivers 2?

Assault Rifles are the bread and butter of any good first-person shooter, and Helldivers 2 is no different. Players start with a standard Assault Rifle known as the AR-23 Liberator but quickly earn the currency to branch out. This begs the question, which guns are worth unlocking?

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There are a total of four Assault Rifles in the game, and each has its own advantages, disadvantages, and ideal playstyles. Here’s how each Assault Rifle ranks in damage, handling, and effectiveness against common enemy types as well as where to unlock it.

Updated on January 17, 2025, by Abigail Angell: The new year has seen new content for Helldivers 2, including the release of two new Assault Rifles: the AR-23A Liberator Carbine, and the AR-61 Tenderize from the Polar Patriots Warbond and Viper Commandos Warbond respectively. This has, of course, shaken up the Assault Rifle tier list, although the old reliable AR-23 Liberator remains king.

6

AR-23p Liberator Penetrator

Less Stopping Power, But More Precision

• Semi-Automatic or Single Shot Fire-rate
• Medium Armor Penetration
• Lower DPS Than A Standard Liberator
• Very Little Recoil or Sway

First on the list is the AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
, which players can find on page six of the Helldivers Mobilize Warbond. This Semi-Automatic Assault Rifle trades some of the standard Liberator’s firepower for reduced recoil. This, combined with the greater control of Semi-Automatic fire (players can also switch to single-shot fire by holding down the reload button), makes it a very precise weapon at short to medium range. However, it does also have a smaller capacity, which means it can struggle against large groups.

The Liberator Penetrator used to be among the best guns in the game against Automatons. This was due to its accuracy combined with the rare Medium Armor Penetration tag. However, recent additions to the game such as the Adjudicator have made this feature more commonplace. As a result, the Penetrator has fallen quite low in the weapon tier list.

5

The AR-23A Liberator Carbine

• High Fire Rate
• High Recoil
• Light Armor Penetration
• Low Accuracy

Somewhat predictably, the AR-23A Liberator Carbine
from the Viper Commandos Warbond is a favorite of run and gun fanatics due to its firing speed. This gun is a take on the standard issue Liberator that ups the firing rate to near machine gun levels. However, that also means its recoil is noticeably higher than the base Liberator – nearly as high as explosive guns like the Liberator Concussive.

While this isn’t itself a problem, the Carbine also lacks the stopping power of a real machine gun and doesn’t have medium armor penetration. This stops it from excelling in its niche. Instead, players who crave the feeling of a high firing rate for mowing down enemies should consider bringing the Stalwart Support weapon, which has big enough magazines to be used as the player’s main weapon.

4

The AR-23c Liberator Concussive

More Stopping Power, Less Accuracy

• Explosive Rounds
• Light Armor Penetration
• High DPS
• Moderately High Recoil

Moving in the complete opposite direction of the Liberator Penetrator is the AR-23c Liberator Concussive. This gun, found on the first page of the Steeled Veterans Warbond, trades higher damage and explosive rounds for a significantly higher recoil, which, in turn, results in reduced accuracy. However, players will notice that it also has the smaller magazine capacity that the Penetrator suffers from.

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This gun is best used against groups of enemies, or to damage Armored targets when players can’t hit their weak spots. This is because the explosive rounds deal a small AoE, which bypasses armor on tanky enemies and can hit multiple small enemies if they are in a compacted area. Despite this, players who have good enough aim to hit weak spots consistently won’t benefit from this feature enough to make the Concussive better than the standard Liberator.

3

The AR-61 Tenderize

Tenderize Soft Flesh After Breaking Armor

• High Damage
• Doesn’t Compromise on Fire Rate
• Very Low Recoil
• Light Armor Penetration

The AR-61 Tenderizer
from the Polar Patriot Warbond is one of the new best-in-class options for Helldivers 2. Players who want a damage-focused Assault Rifle should consider picking it up because its 90 damage per shot outpaces every other gun on this list – even the Abjucator. Its only real downside is its lack of Medium Armor penetration, but its nonexistent recoil (despite the high damage) makes hitting weak spots with the Tenderize realistic for most players.

The optimal way to use the AR-61 Tenderize is alongside a heavy support weapon with armor-breaking capabilities – such as the Expendable Anti Tank or Spear. Using the heavy weapon to knock armor off of large enemies such as Chargers then allows the player to switch to the Tenderize for quick damage on the exposed weak point. Against Automatons, weak spots are typically already exposed and can be mowed down with the Tenderize’s high-damage rounds immediately.

2

The BR-14 Adjudicator

Tricky To Master, But Worthwhile Learning Curve

• Has A Scope Option
• Single Shot, Semi-automatic, & Fully-automatic Capable
• Medium Armor Penetration
• Very high recoil

The BR-14 Adjudicator Rifle
, found in the new Democratic Detonation Warbond, is an Assault Rifle with a high-skill floor, but a high ceiling as well. It can be changed between automatic, semi-automatic, and single shot mode, as well as options to aim in third-person mode or down a scope. This makes it capable of being effective at any range. In addition, it features Medium Armor Penetration, which makes it ideal to take into higher difficulty missions where armored enemies are plentiful.

However, the main downside of the Adjudicator is its recoil, which nearly matches the game’s shotguns and sniper rifles. Managing this recoil to hit the target, as well as juggling the various fire mode and aim mode options is what makes this weapon tricky to use to its’ potential. Overall, this is a great option against both Terminids and Automatons in higher difficulty modes but fails to have the versatility and ease of use that the Liberator does.

1

The AR-23 Liberator

Old Reliable Never Fails You

• Highest Magazine Capacity
• Fully Automatic, Semi-automatic, or Single Fire Modes
• Light Armor Penetration
• Decent Damage

While the starting weapon for most shooters is inferior to what those players can purchase, this isn’t the case for Helldivers 2. The standard issue AR-23 Liberator
is the most well-rounded Assault Rifle in the game and can serve players well in most situations. Not only does this gun have pretty decent damage, but its large magazine size also gives players breathing room during long engagements.

The only reason to switch away from the Liberator is its lack of Medium Armor Penetration, which causes it to struggle in difficulties where Chargers, Tanks, and other armored enemies are common. However, bringing a support weapon capable of dealing with these enemies (such as the Quasar Cannon) or targeting weak spots can offset this weakness pretty effectively.

Systems

Released

February 8, 2024

Developer(s)

Arrowhead Game Studios

OpenCritic Rating

Strong