Two new Helldivers 2 stratagems have just arrived in the co-op shooter, and you’ll want to get your hands on them if you’re taking on the current fight against the bots. Arrowhead Game Studios has dropped a pair of new support weapons, the LAS-99 Quasar Cannon and the MG-101 Heavy Machine Gun, and you’ll definitely want to get your hands on the former, which from our early testing offers an EAT level of devastation in a rechargeable package.
This new pair of support weapons are both nice additions to have for any Helldivers 2 mission, but my initial testing has already solidified the LAS-99 as a very welcome addition to the best Helldivers 2 stratagems in the co-op game. Packing the explosive punch of the Expendable Anti-Tank but in a reusable format that doesn’t require a backpack slot, the Quasar Cannon is already shaping up to be a new favorite of mine.
The drawback is that it needs charging up, which takes a few seconds (although you can keep moving), and it automatically fires once it’s ready to go – while I tried feathering the charge, this simply resets it, so you’ll have to commit to the shot.
The good news is that the resulting blast is accurate even over long range and looks to destroy everything from small turret emplacements to Automaton dropships (by hitting the engine) and fabricators (if you hit the vent) in a single shot. There’s a recharge time somewhere in the 5-10 second range between shots, but you can switch weapons during this time.
The Heavy Machine Gun is also a strong option – in my brief time with it I found that it ripped through Hive Guard armor pretty comfortably, although Chargers can still withstand your head-on assaults. It also tears down the likes of spore spewers and shrieker nests pretty rapidly, although you’ll need to aim down sights, and it still suffers from somewhat less ammo than I’d like and a pretty hefty reload time.
Meanwhile, Arrowhead also warns players to avoid picking up throwing snowballs for the time being. While it’s a fun little novelty to pass the time while you await the next encounter, the developer notes that it’s causing crashes in some cases, so leave the snow on the ground for now.
Pair up these new stratagems with the best Helldivers 2 weapons and you’ll be on your way to spreading managed democracy in no time at all. Or save the galaxy from all manner of threats in more of the best space games you can play right now.
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