If you keep seeing the same few stratagems in every lobby, that's normal. Most players stick to safe meta choices like the 500kg Bomb, Eagle Airstrike, or Napalm Barrage because they are easy to trust. But after a lot of higher-difficulty runs, we've found that a few lower-pick-rate stratagems are far better than their reputation suggests. The trick is knowing what problem each one solves and when it's worth the slot.

• Why These Stratagems Are Better Than Their Pick Rates
• Quick Comparison Table
• Eagle 110mm Rocket Pods
• Why we rate it highly
• Best use case
• Orbital Railcannon Strike
• Why it keeps making strong loadouts
• Practical advice
• Eagle Cluster Bomb
• Why it works so well
• Eagle Strafing Run
• Why experienced players keep coming back to it
• Best use case
• Orbital 120mm HE Barrage
• Why it stands out
• Why we keep bringing it
• Best Loadout Pairings
• FAQ
• Which underrated stratagem is best overall in Helldivers 2?
• What is the best underrated stratagem against Terminids?
• Is Eagle 110mm Rocket Pods worth using over anti-tank support weapons?
• Is Orbital Railcannon Strike still good after updates?
• When should we pick Cluster Bomb instead of Eagle Airstrike?
• Final Thoughts

↖ Why These Stratagems Are Better Than Their Pick Rates

A low pick rate does not mean low power. In Helldivers 2, some stratagems are underused because they look narrow on paper or require better timing.

In practice, these picks stand out because they do at least one of these jobs extremely well:

• Delete heavy targets quickly
• Clear swarms without wasting ammo
• Shut down nests, breaches, and structures
• Cover weaknesses in flexible loadouts

That last point matters most. If you already know what your build is missing, these stratagems become much easier to value.

↖ Quick Comparison Table

Here's the short version before we break them down.

These are not funny off-meta picks. They are strong tools that become even better when we build around them properly.

↖ Eagle 110mm Rocket Pods

This is one of the most underrated anti-heavy stratagems in the game.

The 110mm works best when we need to kill large enemies but do not want to spend the support weapon slot on a Recoilless Rifle or Quasar Cannon. In actual matches, that opens up a lot of freedom. We can run better crowd-clear weapons and still have an answer for Titans, Chargers, Impalers, or Hulks.

↖ Why we rate it highly

• Prioritizes large targets well
• Strong against both bugs and bots
• Great for flexible builds
• Can help with bug holes in the right situation

↖ Best use case

If you find your loadout handles small and medium enemies well, but you still need reliable heavy pressure, this is a smart pick.

↖ Orbital Railcannon Strike

The Railcannon is still one of the best panic tools in Helldivers 2.

It is not flashy, and it is not for farming kills. What it does give us is certainty. When a Bile Titan, Charger, or other major threat appears at the worst possible moment, this stratagem solves the problem fast.

↖ Why it keeps making strong loadouts

• Auto-targets the biggest threat
• Very easy to use under pressure
• Great for bad objective moments or extractions
• Fits almost any balanced build

↖ Practical advice

If you often lose control because one heavy enemy shows up at the wrong time, Railcannon is worth the slot. It gives breathing room immediately, and that alone can save a mission.

↖ Eagle Cluster Bomb

Cluster Bomb is one of the best anti-chaff Eagles, full stop.

A lot of players skip it because Eagle Airstrike feels more flexible. That part is fair. But if your build already covers armor well, Cluster Bomb is usually better at doing the one thing you still need: removing huge waves fast.

↖ Why it works so well

• Large coverage area
• Excellent against bug swarms
• Strong on Illuminate crowds too
• Five uses means we can throw it aggressively

That last part is important. Because we get so many charges, it never feels too expensive to use. In real missions, that translates into better tempo and fewer situations where we get overrun just because we were saving stratagems.

↖ Eagle Strafing Run

Strafing Run is one of those stratagems that feels better the more we use it.

At first glance, it looks simple. In practice, it is one of the cleanest all-round Eagles in the game. It comes in fast, travels in a straight line, and is much easier to place safely than wider explosive options.

↖ Why experienced players keep coming back to it

• Fast call-in time
• Good line-clear against advancing enemies
• Lower friendly fire risk than many Eagle options
• Can damage heavier targets better than expected
• Can destroy bug holes or fabricators with proper placement

↖ Best use case

If you want one Eagle that is easy to throw, useful on every faction, and never feels wasted, Strafing Run is an excellent choice.

↖ Orbital 120mm HE Barrage

The 120mm HE Barrage is especially strong on Terminid missions, and this is where many players underrate it.

People often compare it to the 380mm and assume it is just a smaller version. It is not. The 120mm is good because it is tighter. That means more shells land where they matter, especially on bug nests and active breaches.

↖ Why it stands out

• Great for medium and heavy bug nests
• Strong on breaches because of the tighter spread
• Can damage heavies while also clearing the area
• Cooldown is manageable enough to use regularly

↖ Why we keep bringing it

If you are tired of spending too much time clearing nests manually, the 120mm solves that problem cleanly. It saves ammo, saves time, and helps us keep mission pace.

↖ Best Loadout Pairings

This is where these stratagems really shine. Below is a simple way to think about them.

The pattern is simple: these stratagems are best when they fill a specific gap in the build.

↖ FAQ

↖ Which underrated stratagem is best overall in Helldivers 2?

For pure flexibility, Eagle Strafing Run is probably the safest answer. It works on all factions, is easy to place, and stays useful throughout a mission.

↖ What is the best underrated stratagem against Terminids?

Orbital 120mm HE Barrage is one of the strongest options against Terminids because it handles nests and breaches so well. Cluster Bomb is also excellent if swarm control is your main issue.

↖ Is Eagle 110mm Rocket Pods worth using over anti-tank support weapons?

Not as a full replacement every time, but it absolutely lets us run more flexible support weapons while still keeping strong heavy-target pressure.

↖ Is Orbital Railcannon Strike still good after updates?

Yes. It remains one of the most reliable anti-heavy stratagems in the game, especially when we need a fast and low-risk answer.

↖ When should we pick Cluster Bomb instead of Eagle Airstrike?

Pick Cluster Bomb when your build already handles armor and structures, but you need stronger crowd clearing. That is where it usually wins.

↖ Final Thoughts

These five stratagems are underrated for one main reason: most players judge them too quickly. After enough real missions, their value becomes obvious. They are not always the loudest picks, but they are efficient, dependable, and often better suited to high-pressure situations than the popular defaults.

If your current loadout feels strong on paper but awkward in actual missions, this is usually the fix: stop copying the most common picks and start choosing tools that solve the problems your build actually has.