In Helldivers 2, success in combat relies heavily on understanding your damage style. Whether you lean toward burst or sustain DPS can greatly influence your loadout, strategy, and ultimately your survival. Based on my personal experience playing solo and in coordinated squads, here are five methods to help you choose between burst and sustain DPS, especially when gearing up with resources like those you get when you buy Helldivers 2 Super Credits or buy helldivers 2 medals.
1. Analyze Your Squad Composition
Before diving into a mission, take a close look at your team’s balance. If most players are packing continuous fire weapons like the MG-43 Machine Gun or Arc Thrower, a burst weapon like the Railgun or the Recoilless Rifle might better complement the team by taking out high-priority targets instantly.
In contrast, if your team lacks sustained damage, equipping a reliable DPS tool like the LAS-5 Scythe ensures you’re constantly contributing to crowd control. Personally, I’ve found that being the only burst DPS in a sustain-heavy team helps the squad finish boss fights faster, especially against Automaton walkers.
2. Evaluate the Enemy Faction
Each enemy faction in Helldivers 2 demands a different approach. Bugs, with their swarms of fast-moving units, often require sustained DPS to thin out numbers. Terminids don’t stop coming, so keeping your gun hot is crucial.
On the other hand, Automatons tend to rely on fewer but stronger enemies. Burst DPS works best when you need to eliminate a Scout Strider or a Devastator quickly before they alert others. I tend to keep both options unlocked—thanks to the flexibility when I buy Helldivers 2 Super Credits—and switch based on the enemy type.
3. Consider Mission Objectives and Duration
Short, high-intensity missions with tight time constraints benefit from burst DPS. Being able to wipe out enemies and move on fast is a huge plus. For longer missions, sustained DPS becomes more reliable, especially when you’re conserving ammo or when resupply becomes limited.
In my own gameplay, I’ve used burst weapons for missions like “Assassinate” or “Capture,” while opting for sustain DPS during multi-stage objectives like “Destroy Command Bunkers.”
4. Check Your Available Stratagems
Your choice of stratagems can complement or compensate for your damage style. If you bring high-damage orbital strikes or autocannons, you can afford to carry a sustain DPS weapon like the Stalwart to mop up smaller enemies.
On the other hand, if you’re light on support weapons, equipping burst damage gear like the EAT-17 or Grenade Launcher can give you the upper hand in tight spots. I often reconfigure my loadout depending on what I unlocked after I buy helldivers 2 medals and test different setups in quick missions.
5. Know Your Playstyle and Comfort Zone
Ultimately, your personal playstyle should guide your decision. Do you like jumping into the frontlines and reacting fast? Burst DPS gives you the power to eliminate threats quickly and retreat. If you prefer a measured approach, clearing enemies from a distance or holding choke points, sustained DPS is more forgiving.
I’ve played both aggressively and defensively, and switching between burst and sustain DPS helped me find the perfect rhythm depending on the mission type and my squadmates’ behavior.
The key to mastering Helldivers 2 is flexibility. Having access to both burst and sustain DPS options allows you to adapt to any situation. Investing in different weapons and armor sets—especially after you buy Helldivers 2 Super Credits or buy helldivers 2 medals—has given me the tools to experiment and refine my strategy.
Whether you’re mowing down hordes of Terminids or picking off Automaton elites, making the right DPS choice can be the difference between victory and a failed extraction. Keep testing, keep adapting, and above all, keep spreading managed democracy.