Helldivers 2 Sentry Stratagem Tier List

Highlights

Sentry Stratagems in Helldivers 2 are crucial for defeating hordes and heavily armored targets.
Mortar Sentry is divisive, EMS Mortar is safer, and Autocannon may prioritize wrong targets.
Gatling and Rocket Sentry are reliable for ad-clear; Machine Gun Sentry is outperformed.

Stratagems are a player’s most powerful weapon in Helldivers 2, above any primary and secondary weapons. Knowing the right Stratagems to bring into a particular mission in Helldivers 2 can often mean the difference between achieving either glorious victory or mission failure.

There are a wide variety of Stratagems in Helldivers 2, whereas the Sentry Stratagems allow players to call in stationary, unmanned weapons that exceed at both offensive and defensive situations. While some Strategems are best suited for taking out a single heavy target or objective, Sentry class Stratagems are more for taking out hordes of Automaton and Terminid enemies.

Helldivers 2’s Most Classic Stratagem Type Needs More Love

Helldivers 2 has been getting plenty of gameplay updates recently, and it would be nice if one stratagem type got some more attention.

Helldivers 2 Sentry Stratagems: S-Tier

Superior Damage And Utility

Mortar Sentry
EMS Mortar Sentry

Mortar Sentry: this Stratagem is often considered one of the best, but it’s proven to be quite a divisive pick. Since it bombards enemies from above, it’s nearly impossible to predict where and when it will shoot, which means that this Sentry can unintentionally kill friendly Helldivers quite frequently. Outside of its team-killing tendencies though, this sentry can efficiently take out hordes of bugs, and it can also clear parts of an Automaton base from a somewhat safe distance.

EMS Mortar Sentry: This Sentry Stratagem provides incredible utility without the risk of instantaneously killing teammates, which makes it quite useful for those pesky civilian evacuation missions in Helldivers 2. While players who haven’t tried the non-lethal EMS Mortar Sentry may be hesitant to equip it in one of their limited Stratagem slots, its crowd-control capability is a great asset to have on any team.

Helldivers 2 Sentry Stratagems: A-Tier

Helldivers 2 Ship Management Stratagem Autocannon Sentry

Capable Of Defeating Heavily Armored Targets

Autocannon Sentry: Among all of the Sentry turret Stratagems, the Autocannon Sentry seemingly has the best armor penetration. However, this sentry has an infamous reputation for prioritizing small enemies over the armored targets that it’s best equipped for, which will waste its limited ammo. Not to mention, this Sentry is also known to take extremely long to lock onto new targets. Having armor-penetrating gear is a must-have when playing on the higher difficulties in Helldivers 2, but this Sentry arguably isn’t reliable enough to be the only anti-armor weapon or stratagem in a player’s loadout.

Helldivers 2 Sentry Stratagems: B-Tier

Reliable Ad-Clear

Gatling Sentry
Rocket Sentry

Gatling Sentry: Like the Machine Gun Sentry, the Gatling Sentry also has light armor penetration. However, the main difference between these two Stratagems is that the Gatling Sentry’s higher rate of fire means that it has a higher damage output. Considering that these two Stratagems have the same cooldown time, the Gatling Sentry’s superior damage makes it the better pick between the two.

Rocket Sentry: Although the Rocket Sentry seemingly doesn’t have heavy armor penetration, it still deals high explosive damage, which means it essentially has the best of both worlds when it comes to ad-clear against light and heavy targets. Because of this, the Rocket Sentry is a reliable Stratagem for a wide variety of mission types on any difficulty in Helldivers 2.

Helldivers 2 Sentry Stratagems: C-Tier

Helldivers 2 Ship Management Stratagem Machine Gun Sentry

Beginner Stratagems for Low-Levels

Machine Gun Sentry: Given that the Gatling Sentry outperforms this Stratagem, players should arguably consider bringing either the Guard-Dog or Rover Stratagem instead of this Machine Gun Sentry, as the portability of these two backpack Stratagems makes them a lot more reliable. Otherwise, for players who already have a backpack Stratagem and the Gatling Turret Sentry equipped or don’t yet have any of these Stratagems unlocked, the Machine Gun Sentry isn’t necessarily a bad option.

Helldivers 2 Sentry Stratagems: D-Tier

Helldivers 2 Ship Management Stratagem Tesla Tower Sentry

Kills Teammates More Easily Than Enemies

Tesla Tower: This Stratagem arguably embodies the worst aspects of any of the other Sentry Stratagems. Specifically, it lacks heavy armor penetration and it’s highly likely to team-kill any Helldivers that accidentally get within its range. While it can still have its uses for controlling choke points, its limited range leaves it prone to being destroyed by enemies before it can kill them.