Should You Wear Light Or Heavy Armor In Helldivers 2?

The right type of armor in Helldivers 2 can ensure victory or defeat.

In Helldivers 2, picking the right armor choice, whether it is light, medium, or heavy, can totally change the gameplay experience for you. Since medium armor is the normal default one with no stat bonuses, players will typically be deciding between Light armor or Heavy armor.

Each armor type in Helldivers 2 has different stats that affect the Armor Rating, Movement Speed, and Stamina regeneration of your character. Each of these options has its own benefits and downsides that you need to keep in mind before deciding on a type of armor.

We have broken down the benefits of both the Light and Heavy armor so you can decide which armor suits your playstyle. If you still can’t make up your mind, we will be providing you with our recommendation for Light vs Heavy armor in Helldivers 2.

Should you choose Light Armor in Helldivers 2?

Using the Light Armor in Helldivers 2 means that you favor speed and agility over the ability to absorb a lot of damage. Choosing the Light Armor is better in most cases as this choice significantly influences your gameplay, pushing you towards fast movements and smart positioning rather than just powering through attacks.

Helldivers 2 Light armor

Light Armor might not shield you from physical or explosive hits like the heavy armor but it compensates by letting you zip across the battlefield and recover stamina a lot faster than any other armor type.

You will be able to dodge attacks and sprint much faster in Light Armor, and this offers a significant advantage in terms of those close-ranged fights, allowing you to escape those tough situations.

As for the key perks of selecting the Light Armor, you will be able to increase your movement speed and get to your objectives much quicker than your teammates.

FYI

As a bonus for equipping Light Armor in Helldivers 2, actions such as running and jumping won’t drain your stamina quickly during your fights, keeping you on the move without frequent pauses.

However, the Light Armor isn’t without its flaws, as wearing this armor means that you will be at a higher risk in fights since you can’t take as many hits. This means that if you are on a smaller health bar, every mistake will count towards decreasing your survival chances.

Similarly, on harder difficulty levels, such as Suicide, you are also more likely to get knocked back or stunned by enemy attacks if you are using Light armor. Since Light armor in Helldivers 2 is more of a glass cannon, you won’t be able to withstand multiple enemies attacking you at once.

Light Armor options

You can equip some of the following Light Armor during your battles in Helldivers 2.

Light ArmorStatsArmor Passive
SC-30 Trailblazer ScoutArmor rating (75)Speed (525)Stamina Regeneration (113)Scout Markers: Generate radar scans 2.0 secs. Reduces the range of detection by 30 %.
B-08 Light GunnerArmor rating (57)Speed (543)Stamina Regeneration (121)Extra Padding: Increases your Armor rating.
SA-25 Steel TrooperArmor rating (100)Speed (500)Stamina Regeneration (100)Servo-Assisted: Throwing Range increased by 30 %. Limb Health increased by 50 %.

Should you choose Heavy Armor in Helldivers 2?

Equipping on the heavy armor means that you want to go for a tankier build in Helldivers 2. This way, you will be able to survive a lot longer, even after taking hits from heavy gunfire and explosions. This armor type is also a great choice against alien enemies who attack from a distance because it can soak up a lot of damage while keeping you alive and kicking at the same time.

Helldivers 2 heavy armor

Equipping the Heavy armor gives you more health and makes it less likely for you to be knocked back or stunned in the heat of battle. Apart from that, Heavy armor also boosts your Armor rating to a solid 144 and offers you a Stamina Regeneration of 56, although the stamina regeneration isn’t that great.

TIP

Heavy armor is highly useful, especially against Automaton enemies that tend to fire rockets and bullets in those cases where you are stuck in a small area, and dodging these attacks isn’t possible, so you need an armor rating to withstand damage.

On the other hand, Heavy armor in Helldivers 2 slows down your movement when compared to light armor. This particular armor type also makes your escapes and dodges tougher, especially when your stamina bar starts to drain fast.

In close combat cases, where you might end up getting swarmed by a ton of bugs, Heavy armor does not prove to be a good choice, as you will need to equip something lighter to escape those troublesome close-quarter fights in Helldivers 2.

Heavy Armor options in Helldivers 2

In terms of Heavy armor, you can browse through the following options

Heavy ArmorStatsArmor Passive
FS-05 MarksmanArmor rating (144)Speed (456)Stamina Regeneration (56)Fortified: Reduces recoil when crouching by 30%. Increases resistance by 50% to explosive damage
TR-62 KnightArmor rating (144)Speed (456)Stamina Regeneration (56)Servo-Assisted: Throwing range increased by 30%, Limb Health 50%.
SC-37 LegionnaireArmor rating (122)Speed (554)Stamina Regeneration (56)Servo-Assisted: Throwing range increased by 30%, Limb Health 50%.

Which Armor Type is best in Helldivers 2?

In our experience, Light Armor really shines in scenarios where you are mainly fighting bugs only. However, when robots enter the fray, it will get tricky and dangerous for you. So against Automatons in Helldivers 2, instead of sticking with Light armor, it would be preferable for you to switch to Heavy Armor.

TIP

While heavy armor may seem like a great choice to withstand enemy attacks, there are still many enemies in Helldivers 2 that can one-shot you even on lower difficulties, so the armor rating provided by heavy armor becomes useless.

Overall, as a well-rounded experience, Medium armor is the best armor choice in Helldivers 2 as it provides the best of both worlds. The medium armor type is considerably better than both Heavy and Light as it offers balanced stats in terms of both speed and armor rating in Helldivers 2.

You will get moderate protection while wearing the medium armor, as it will shield you from both physical and explosive damage. Lastly, you will get decent speed and stamina balance with medium armor. It will be an ideal choice for you in terms of armor types if the mission calls for quick movements or holding your ground, as Medium Armor gives you the versatility to handle it all.

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Ashar is the managing editor of SegmentNext.com. He enjoys all sorts of video games except those made by Nintendo. He thinks Fortnite is the only battle royale that should exist. He is a big fan ...