Choosing the right primary weapon in Helldivers 2 can make a big difference during a mission. The wrong pick doesn’t just lower your damage output — it can also put extra pressure on your teammates when your squad encounters a faction your loadout isn’t prepared for.

With nearly 50 primary weapons available through Warbonds and the Superstore, knowing which ones perform best against specific enemies is essential. In this guide, we rank the most effective primary weapons by faction, helping you decide what to equip before deploying to the battlefield.

A primary weapon is worth using based on its effectiveness and suitability for the mission:

Armor penetration - Light, medium, or heavy determines which enemy types you can actually threaten. 
Stagger - Stopping enemy momentum is often more valuable than outright damage, especially against Terminids.
Effective range - Shotguns and SMGs fall apart against Automatons unless you can close distance safely.
Ammo economy - A weapon that runs dry every 90 seconds forces constant resupply calls.
Self-damage risk - Several high-power options (the PLAS-1 Scorcher, the Eruptor) will kill you if you fire carelessly at close range.

The tier definitions:

S - Loadout staple, excels against this faction
A - Strong choice with minor drawbacks or a specific niche 
B - Solid with the right supporting gear 
C - Functional but rarely the best pick 
D - Actively hurts your effectiveness against this faction

The tier list below rates every primary against each of the three factions separately:

Weapon - Terminids/Automatons/Illuminate - Tier

PLAS-101 Purifier - S/S/S - Best all-rounder in the game; charging mechanic + medium AP    
PLAS-1 Scorcher - A/S/A - Explosive energy bolts; small magazine and high self-damage risk    
AR-2 Coyote - S/B/S - High-cap incendiary AR with medium AP; Dust Devils Warbond highlight    
Stoker SMG - S/B/S - Underbarrel flamethrower devastates hordes; light armor penetration only    
Double Freedom - A/A/A - Massive close-range power but requires constant reloading    
Double-Edge Sickle - A/S/A - Overheating burns the user but offers excellent sustained damage    
Eruptor - A/S/A - Shrapnel shells destroy groups; careless shots can cause team damage    
Exploding Crossbow - A/A/A - Slow firing but surprisingly effective against every faction    
Breaker Incendiary - A/D/B - Fire damage shreds organic enemies but struggles against bots    
Cookout - A/D/B - Incendiary Punisher variant; great against Voteless and Terminid swarms    
Torcher - S/C/A - Primary flamethrower dominating close-range Terminid and Illuminate fights    
Censor - C/S/B - Suppressed Diligence rifle capable of silent Devastator headshots    
Diligence - C/A/C - High accuracy rewards careful headshots against bots    
Diligence Counter Sniper - D/A/C - Higher damage but limited ammo; best used from stable positions    
Sickle - A/B/B - Heat-based ammo system allows near-infinite firing when managed well    
Punisher Plasma - B/B/B - Explosive plasma shotgun with medium AP that works on all factions    
Sweeper - B/C/B - Full-auto flechette shotgun with bayonet; solid close-range option    
Adjudicator - C/B/B - Medium AP rifle with strong recoil; attachments help control it    
Reprimand - C/B/B - Hard-hitting slow-fire SMG with medium armor penetration    
Breaker - B/C/B - Still reliable but requires more precision than before    
Liberator - B/C/B - Reliable starter assault rifle that becomes outclassed later    
One-Two - B/C/B - Average AR stats supported by an underbarrel grenade launcher    
Dominator - C/B/B - Slow jet-propelled rounds hit hard with medium armor penetration    
Scorcher (Energy) - A/S/A - Explosive energy bolts punish clustered enemies    
Tenderizer - C/C/C - Extremely high damage stat but otherwise average performance    
Slugger - C/C/C - Medium AP slug shotgun with decent range    
Scythe - D/C/D - Laser beam weapon with ignition effect; overall underwhelming    
Constitution - D/C/D - Antique bolt-action rifle with very limited effectiveness    
Liberator Concussive - D/D/D - Explosive Liberator variant that underperforms overall    
Pummeler - D/D/D - Stun SMG that performs worse than the Defender    
StA-52 - D/D/D - Killzone AR with faster fire rate but poor handling and no attachment

When it comes to overall effectiveness, the PLAS-101 Purifier stands out as the top-tier choice, earning S-rank against all three factions — a rare feat in Helldivers 2. While it struggled at launch during the Polar Patriots Warbond, a series of buffs have elevated it to the top of nearly every serious player’s tier list. Its charging mechanic takes some time to master, but once you consistently land fully charged shots on clustered enemies, the combination of medium armor penetration and splash damage feels extremely powerful.

If you haven’t unlocked the Purifier yet, the PLAS-1 Scorcher is an excellent alternative. It has long been a meta favorite, though it works best as a precision weapon against Automatons and requires caution when firing into Terminid swarms.

For those seeking a high-tier weapon that’s more straightforward to use, the AR-2 Coyote from the Dust Devils Warbond is a reliable choice. With a high-capacity magazine, incendiary rounds, and medium armor penetration, it’s a simple, effective option: point it at the enemy, and they’re likely to go down.