The Illuminate Stingray jets (also called Interlopers) are a different kind of enemy in Helldivers 2. Instead of lingering on the battlefield for any amount of time, these alien vehicles dart in and out of combat, performing strafing runs on players and forcing squads to scramble for cover. Their presence isn't as oppressive as Automaton Gunships, but the threat they pose is just as serious.
When it comes to fighting any faction in Helldivers 2, bringing the right loadout is the key to success. In this guide, we'll be covering the best weapons players can use specifically for taking down Illuminate Stingrays without hampering their effectiveness against everything else this faction throws at them.
Helldivers 2: Weapon Customization Guide
Here's a quick guide on how to tinker with your favorite guns with Helldivers 2's weapon customization system.
Best Weapons Against Illuminate Stingrays in Helldivers 2
Continuing with the Illuminate's trend of using no heavy armor, Stingrays can be brought down by anything that can penetrate medium armor. They're fairly durable though, so while weapons like the Liberator Penetrator can take them down, it'll take a while before they can do so. The best weapons to use against these squid ships are:
PLAS-101 Purifier
PLAS-1 Scorcher
R-36 Eruptor Rifle
APW-1 Anti-Materiel RiflePlasma Rifles
Either the Purifier or the Scorcher can destroy Stingrays fairly quickly, so long as players can hit enough shots before the Stingray flies off. For Purifier fans, it's better to just spam your weapon at the general direction of the enemy jet instead of charging up your shots.
The good thing about these plasma rifles is that they're also effective against every other Illuminate enemy except for Harvesters. This is especially true for Overseers and the hulking Fleshmobs. Just be careful when firing these rifles at anything that gets too close to you or your teammates.
Eruptor
Thanks to the Eruptor's damage profile and how Shrapnel works in the game, this weapon can reliably take out Stingrays with 1-2 direct hits. This is the best performance players can get from a primary weapon when it comes to taking Stingrays out, and since they move at a predictable pattern, hitting them shouldn't be hard to do at all.
The Eruptor is also very similar to the plasma rifles in terms of performance against other Illuminate units. Harvesters will still take a while to kill with this weapon, and if you don't have anything to strip Harvester shields with, you're going to have a horrible time against them. Make sure to bring an Eruptor loadout that works best against the Illuminate.
Support Weapons
The APW-1 Anti-Materiel Rifle is arguably the best support weapon against the Illuminate. It deals with all of their units with surprising efficiency, and it's light enough to enable decent mobility for when things get dicey. You'll still need a second or two to line up your shots, though, but that's where the WASP Launcher comes in.
The StA-X3 WASP Launcher fires small rockets that track whatever the weapon is locked onto. If you're having trouble hitting Stingrays with the AMR or any other weapon, then the WASP Launcher is your best option.
Like every other weapon mentioned above, the WASP Launcher is also very versatile when it comes to fighting Illuminates. It can lock onto Overseers, Fleshmobs, and Harversters, and can kill all those targets reasonably quickly.
Helldivers 2
- Released
- February 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
- Engine
- bitsquid
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
