Helldivers 2 Secondary Weapons Guide
Your sidearm is not an afterthought. The right secondary covers your support weapon's downtime and finishes what the primary starts. Here is how to pick one.
The secondary covers the gap
Your support weapon has a cooldown or ammo limit, and your primary cannot do everything. The secondary is what you draw in that gap: finishing a wounded charger, popping a hulk’s vent, or killing the bug that reached your back while you reloaded the big gun. The best primary weapons page covers the main; this is the backup that keeps you alive. The support weapons page explains downtime; the secondary is how you survive it.
Pick for what your primary cannot do
If your primary is a close-range shredder, take a secondary with range. If your primary is a marksman, take a secondary for when things get close. The stratagem loadout page plans the big picture; the secondary is the detail that fills the hole in it. A loadout where the secondary duplicates the primary is a loadout missing a tool.
Pistols versus compact weapons
The standard and heavy pistols are reliable all-rounders. Special secondaries like the grenade pistol or the stim pistol serve a niche: the first closes bug holes, the second heals at range. Pick the niche only if your squad already covers the basics.
The secondary is your last line
When everything is on cooldown and the primary is empty, the secondary is what stands between you and a reinforce. Keep it loaded and know its range. The Divers who treat it as decoration are the ones who die clutching an empty support weapon. A good secondary is not the flashiest slot. It is the one you are glad exists when the plan collapses.
Cover the gap
Your support weapon has downtime and your primary cannot do everything, so the secondary is what you draw in that gap: finishing a wounded charger, popping a hulk vent, or killing the bug that reached your back. The best primary weapons page covers the main, and the stratagem loadout page plans the big picture. The support weapons page explains the downtime.
Pick for what the primary cannot do
If your primary is close-range, take range; if it is a marksman, take something for when things get close. A secondary that duplicates the primary is a slot missing a tool.
Related guides
Sources & References
This guide is verified against the game's own data and official communications. For patch notes, current balance, and authoritative specifics, consult the references below. Where a precise number cannot be verified, we explain the mechanic rather than invent a figure.
- HELLDIVERS 2 on Steam — patch notes, current season, and authoritative game data.