Assault rifles have long been a staple weapon in Helldivers 2, offering a balance of fire rate, handling, and versatility. With the introduction of modifications, these guns are now more customizable than ever, letting players fine-tune their weapons for bugs, bots, or squids. After extensive testing, here’s a breakdown of the top choices, modifications, and strategies to help you dominate the battlefield.

Understanding Assault Rifle Mods

In Helldivers 2, assault rifles can now be equipped with various attachments that significantly alter performance. Common modifications include:

• Iron or reflex sights: Improve ergonomics for faster aiming.

• Vertical foregrips: Reduce vertical recoil, especially useful for sustained fire.

• Muzzle attachments (flash hiders, compensators, brakes): Tweak vertical and horizontal recoil to suit your playstyle.

• Drum magazines: Increase ammo capacity at the cost of reload speed.

Each attachment impacts handling differently, so it’s worth experimenting. Personally, I often combine a vertical grip with a flash hider and a drum magazine for a balanced setup. While the recoil is manageable, you can still feel a difference in longer firefights.

Best Assault Rifles for Each Faction

Liberator (AR23)

The base Liberator remains a solid choice, especially after modifications. Its high accuracy, decent fire rate, and customizable ergonomics make it versatile:

• Bugs: Low A tier. Drum magazine allows you to mow down bile spewers and predators efficiently.

• Bots: B tier. Good against light-armored bots, though medium-armored foes require precise weak spot targeting.

• Squids: A tier. Effective against shields and votas hordes; drum magazines help sustain fire on tougher enemies.

Tip: If you want to quickly boost resources, some players choose to buy Helldivers 2 medals to accelerate progression, which can indirectly allow access to more weapon mods sooner.

Liberator Penetrator (AR23P)

A medium armor-penetrating variant:

• Bugs: Low B. Lower damage slows down fights against standard bugs.

• Bots: High A. Drum magazine plus medium penetration makes this rifle excellent against armored bots.

• Squids: A. Can damage stingrays and harvesters from the joints; works well with headshots on overseers.

Liberator Concussive (AR23C)

Designed with stagger rounds that push enemies back:

• Bugs: A. Keeps aggressive predators and stalkers under control.

• Bots: C. Horizontal recoil and light penetration make it less reliable.

• Squids: Poop hater. Slow fire rate and low penetration make this poor against tougher aquatic enemies.

STA-52 AR

A Killzone-themed rifle that cannot be modified:

• Bugs: C. Its higher recoil and limited customization make it inferior to modified Liberators.

• Bots & Squids: C. The lack of adaptability limits its battlefield effectiveness.

Liberator Carbine (AR23A)

Faster fire rate, high mod potential:

• Bugs: High A. Mods drastically improve range and control; perfect for predators and stalkers.

• Bots: C. Light penetration requires careful shot placement.

• Squids: S tier. Reduced recoil and fast fire rate allow rapid suppression of voteless, overseers, and shields.

AR61 Tenderizer

High-damage, very accurate rifle:

• Bugs: B. High damage is offset by small magazine size and slow reload.

• Bots: B. Precision shooting is required for light armor targets.

• Squids: B. Can eliminate vaultless efficiently, but multiple reloads hinder effectiveness against flesh mobs.

BR14 Adjudicator

Medium armor-penetrating rifle with high recoil:

• Bugs: B. Recoil reduction mods improve usability; medium penetration is valuable against hive guards.

• Bots: A. Works well for Devastators and striders.

• Squids: B. Low capacity means frequent reloads when tackling shields or flesh mobs.

Practical Tips for Assault Rifle Use

1. Know your enemy type: Light vs medium armor changes which rifle and mod combination is optimal.

2. Modify strategically: Vertical foregrips and drum magazines are often game-changers.

3. Positioning matters: Even the best assault rifles struggle if you’re swarmed. Use stagger-inducing weapons like the Concussive Liberator in narrow corridors.

4. Ammo management: Some high-damage rifles have lower magazine sizes, so reloading early can prevent being caught off-guard.

5. Safe resource options: For players who want to support gear upgrades, it’s possible to buy Helldivers 2 medals safe from U4GM, which ensures you can unlock mods and enhancements without risking account security.

Assault rifles in Helldivers 2 are no longer “middle-of-the-road” weapons. With mods, proper loadouts, and an understanding of each faction’s strengths and weaknesses, these rifles can dominate every battlefield scenario. While some rifles like the Liberator Carbine shine across all fronts, others are more niche but still useful in specific encounters. Remember, experimentation with mods is key, and matching your setup to enemy types will always give you the edge.

Quick Read: Helldivers 2 AR-23P Liberator Penetrator Guide – Stats, Build & Usage Tips