What's a good squid loadout for this new update in helldivers 2?

Here's a guide to building a solid squid (Illuminate)-fighting loadout under the current meta. It's based on community reports, patch notes, and my own testing — hopefully this helps you refine your kit and survive those hellish missions.

Understanding the Challenge: What Makes Squids Tough

Before we dive into loadouts, it helps to understand what you're up against when fighting the Illuminate:

• Shields + Ablative Armor: Many Illuminate units carry shields and armor segments that regenerate or absorb high-damage hits. That makes burst builds less consistently effective unless they hit weak points.
• Mixed threat types: You'll face a mix of swarms (Voteless), armored infantry (Illum), Overseers, walkers, and occasional “ship / beam” units requiring different tools.
• Overlap with other factions: Some of your tools must still deal with bots, bugs, or neutral threats, especially in mixed-mission pools.
• Mobility & positioning matter: Because of shield regeneration and crowd density, being able to reposition, dodge, or re-engage quickly is an advantage.

Community discussion notes that Eruptor has received buffs, making it much more viable in 3–4 shot kills on flesh mobs, which helps in many Illuminate maps. Also, many players still praise the WASP launcher for its flexibility against multiple enemy types.

So with those constraints in mind, let's craft a loadout that balances crowd control, anti-armor, and survivability.

Core Loadout Components & Recommended Picks

I'll break this into primary / secondary (weapon / grenade) and stratagems / support and then give you two example builds to try.

Primary & Secondary

You want:

1. A versatile primary that can handle infantry, shields, and light armor.
2. A backup or special-use weapon for tougher units or emergent threats.
3. A grenade type tuned to enemy weaknesses (armor, crowd, etc.).

Some good picks:

• Eruptor: Now more competitive. It deals area damage and can break through clusters of Voteless or weaken shields.
• Liberator Penetrator / ARs: A reliable, medium-penetration primary is still excellent for headshots, shield stripping, and general usage.
• Scorcher / Flamer / Heat / Fire-based weapons: Fire damage is useful vs. glowing or shielded units.
• Secondary: Ultimatum / Breaker or high-damage weapon: For heavier targets, or ships when your main is out of ammo or overwhelmed.
• Grenade: Thermite / Incendiary / Impact variants: Thermite and incendiary grenades are excellent for area denial, damage over time, and stripping armor. Impact or high-penetration grenades are useful for leg joints or armored units.

From community builds, many combine Tenderizer + Ultimatum + fire-impact grenades as a baseline.

Stratagems / Support Gear

Your stratagems and support gear should fill gaps your weapons can't:

• WASP Launcher: Very popular pick since it performs well vs. ships, overseers, and can help pressure shields.
• Turrets (MG / Gatling / Autocannon): For crowd control and defense when you need breathing room.
• Orbital / Air-strike tools (500kg bomb, Laser, Barrage, etc.): To handle dropships, walkers, or high-health targets you can't directly contest.
• Supply Pack / Backpack Support / Ammo / Stim: Always useful to recover without relying entirely on teammates.
• Support exo / armor perks: Choose armor that gives you survivability or recoil control — many players lean moderate armor so they're not too slow.

One reported effective setup uses Street Scout armor, combining Tenderizer + Ultimatum + Fire Impact grenades, and then either (1) WASP + Gatling turret + orbital laser + 500kg or (2) MG-43 + guard dog backpack + orbital laser + 500kg.

Example Loadouts to Try

Here are two sample loadouts you can test and tailor:

You can flexibly swap turret types (MG vs Autocannon) depending on map density or enemy mix. Many players like having two turrets so they have sustained defensive fire.

If you're fine-tuning your build for the latest update, remember that the right combination of gear and medals can make a huge difference in mission efficiency. Whether you're farming Illuminate or tackling mixed factions, upgrading wisely keeps your loadout versatile and lethal. For those looking to enhance their arsenal fast, the best place to buy Helldivers 2 medals is from trusted gaming marketplaces that offer secure and instant delivery.

Strategy & Tips for Squid Encounters

• Aim for weak points: For walkers or overseers, leg joints or unshielded sides are best. Your medium-pen weapons or grenades can exploit these.
• Use turrets defensively: Don't just drop them where you stand — use them to guard your flank or cover an escape route.
• Stagger / push shields down: Combine fire / area damage with your main gun to force shields off, then follow up with precision shots.
• Manage cooldowns smartly: Use your orbital / air-strike tools when grouped enemies or heavy units appear — don't waste them early.
• Keep moving: The Illuminate sometimes regenerate or reposition; staying mobile reduces being pinned down by shields or homing attacks.
• Coordinate with teammates: Let others bring direct anti-tank tools; you can bring more “flex” loadout slots.

Summary

A good squid loadout in the current update should:

• Balance a strong primary (e.g. Eruptor or medium-penetration AR) with a high-damage secondary
• Include grenades that exploit armor / crowd weaknesses (thermite, incendiary, etc.)
• Rely on stratagems / turrets / orbital tools to handle heavy or shielded enemies
• Maintain mobility, survivability, and flexibility
• Adjust to the enemy mix in each mission — no one loadout fits all

Testing is key: try variants of the sample builds above and see what fits your playstyle and mission context.