Helldivers 2: Best Sentry Stratagems (Tier List)

No better companion is watching your back in Helldivers 2 than a trusty sentry gun. These handy Stratagems can lay waste to hordes of enemies without forcing you or your Helldiver party to focus on them, pulling you away from critical objectives to complete a mission.

Before you prepare to set out on a mission, it can be difficult to know what sentry Stratagem you should bring. There are six to pick from, some of which are better in certain situations based on what support weapons you bring and how your Helldivers squad plans to tackle oncoming threats. We’ve created this helpful tier list to share the best sentry Stratagems you can use in Helldivers 2.

1) Autocannon Senty

The Autocannon sentry is easily the best sentry Stratagem you can use in Helldivers 2. The sentry features a powerful cannon that can blow away enemies, cut through simple foes, or destroy the powerful heavy units. The cannon is stronger than the standard Autocannon you can call down to use as a support weapon, making it a great asset to use on the field.

The downside to using the Autocannon sentry is you need to consider where you position it. Like any sentry Stragagems in Helldivers 2, you might find it destroyed by enemy units if they get too close. It won’t be able to take out hordes of enemies and is far more effective against the larger, heavily armored units, like the Automaton’s Hulks or the Terminide’s Chargers and Bile Titans. If you fail to place your Autocannon sentry safely, away from the main fighting, prepare to watch it explode. I always take the Autocannon sentry with me or ensure another player in my squad has it.

2) Mortar Sentry

The Mortar sentry is a step below the Autocannon because of its many limitations and has a higher chance of wiping out your Helldivers 2 team. Everything’s fair when trying to bring democracy to a planet, but the Mortar sentry is genuinely a neutral party and is ready to eliminate anything that moves within its radius of death.

Although it can hit a wide range of targets, the Mortar sentry’s overall damage doesn’t offer as much impact as the Autocannon, especially against heavier targets. However, it’s an extremely versatile sentry in that it can take out multiple unique targets, such as shooting down an Automatons Dropship or shooting a Bile Titan before it gets too close. It doesn’t quite stack up to the Autocannon, but it’s a solid secondary option if you need to bring a sentry Stratagem.

3) EMS Mortar Sentry

The EMS Mortar sentry is basically on par with the standard Mortar sentry. Although I label it third, counting it as a runner-up spot for second place feels much more honest. However, the reason it’s behind the standard Morter is because the EMS Mortar does not take out or damage targets. Instead, it stuns them, preventing them from moving for a short period so your Helldivers 2 team can take out any nearby foes.

This might be a much better alternative than the standard Mortar sentry for some. For example, the Activate Termicide Tower mission requires you to protect Battery Silos while being attacked by Terminid swarms. The swarms can be intense while protecting a Battery Silo, but a standard Mortar sentry can potentially damage the objective you want to protect. The EMS Mortar won’t cause any damage, giving your team some time to breathe and clear out targets. That’s a special case where you want the EMS Mortar over the standard one, but you and your squad better have enough ammunition to clear everything out before they can start moving again.

4) Gatling Sentry

The Gatling sentry is a fantastic choice when clearing the smaller minions in Helldivers 2. It can take out wave after wave of minion enemies that the Automatons or the Terminids throw at you, relieving the stress of taking them out with your precious ammunition.

I rank this reliable sentry further down on the list because it doesn’t quite stack up to the heavier targets you regularly see in the more difficult missions. It’s a great Stratagem to throw down and use as a diversion while you and your team focus on the larger objectives, but it quickly becomes obsolete when you’re taking down multiple Bile Titans or trying to fight several Chargers.

5) Rocket Sentry

Next, we have the Rocket sentry, close to the bottom of the list. I don’t want to say it’s a terrible Stratagem, but if you have to choose a sentry to bring with you, try one of the other ones on this list. The Mortar or EMS Mortar can essentially do the same thing as the Rocket Sentry. The Autocannon does everything the Rocket sentry can do and better, and the Gatling is a superior choice against the smaller targets. Unfortunately, the Rocket sentry doesn’t quite measure up.

6) Machine Gun Sentry

Finally, we have the Machine Gun sentry. It’s similar to the Gatling sentry, except it’s worse. They’re essentially the same Stratagems in Helldivers 2. You can get the Machine Gun sentry at a lower level, making it a great starting option when you initially pick up the game and play on the lower machines, but it becomes obsolete after you get the Gatling sentry.