Helldivers 2 features a wide variety of hard-hitting weapons to wield against the enemies of Managed Democracy from across the galaxy. Some players prefer the quick, rapid-fire approach of an SMG; some prefer a steady stream of bullets from Assault Rifles. Others prefer hard-hitting Shotguns, whether they be slug or magazine-based.

For fans of accurate weaponry at a decent range, with serious power behind each shot, you can’t go wrong with the SG-8S Slugger. The Slugger is a powerful Shotgun you can acquire fairly early on, though it’ll take some focused effort. This guide will detail how to acquire this powerful slug-based Shotgun, what makes it stand out against the other weapons — and Shotguns — Helldivers has to offer, and what you can do to really make it shine.

How To Unlock SG-8S Slugger

The SG-8S Slugger can be acquired through the Helldivers Mobilize Warbond, a free Warbond for all Helldivers — Arrowhead Game Studios’ take on a Battle Pass. Aside from the Stratagem Support Weapons (and the starting default weaponry), all weapons are acquired through Warbonds, and the Slugger is no different.

It will take a bit of an investment to get ahold of this powerful slug-throwing Shotgun, however, as it is locked on Page 8 of the Helldivers Mobilize Warbond. You’ll need to unlock quite a few things on the way to page 8, so make sure to pick up your new favorite Emotes, some powerful Boosters, and other powerful weapons like the P-19 Redeemer sidearm or the SG-225 Breaker.

• Once you unlock Page 8, unlocking the SG-8S Slugger Shotgun will cost you 60 Medals.

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Slugger Shotgun – What Makes It Good

*Medium Armor Penetration now correctly displays as a weapon trait after the April 2 patch.

The Slugger Shotgun has been overshadowed by the SG-225 Breaker, which is understandable — the Breaker has a good amount of ammo, does solid damage at medium range, and allows you to hold down fire when you’re in the heat of a skirmish.

• Good Range – Slugger has good range, even better than the Breaker’s, along with a scoped FPS view for nailing those weakpoints on enemies.
• Good Stagger – The April 2 patch reduced the effectiveness of the Slugger’s stagger, lessening its effect, but it will still stagger medium targets — just not quite as much as before. This stagger helps make up for its slower rate of fire, creating much needed breathing room in tense firefights.
• Round Reload – You’ll need to be tactical when you choose to reload, since you will reload individual slugs, rather than a full clip reload like the Breaker. Upside — you won’t accidentally reload early and waste an entire clip.
• Medium Armor Penetration – The Slugger will punch through Medium Armor, making it effective at piercing a Hive Guardian’s headplate or shooting off an Automaton Walker’s legs.
  • The Slugger will even punch through smaller enemies to damage those behind.

Loadout To Counter Slugger’s Lower Ammo

The Slugger delivers a strong performance, and with good aim, it can easily outpace the ‘spray-and-pray’ advantages that the Breaker brings to the table (not to be confused with the actual Breaker Spray & Pray). However, the Slugger does suffer a bit in the ammo department, only coming with 60 shots max. It originally came with 40 shots, so its newer ammo capacity of 60 definitely offers some breathing room here, but if you’re constantly getting into skirmishes between objectives, you’ll quickly run out of ammo.

To help shore up this shortcoming, you’ll want to consider a few key Stratagems to help:

• Supply Pack – This Stratagem will be crucial in stretching the effectiveness of the Slugger, allowing you to carry around your very own Resupply. This is also advantageous for the team, so you won’t hear any complaints from your fellow Helldivers!
• Laser Cannon – The Laser Cannon isn’t even in the upper half of the strongest Supply Stratagem Weapons in the game, but it has unlimited ammo (as long as you don’t overheat), and it can clear out the smaller fodder enemies with ease, allowing you to reserve your Slugger for stronger, medium-armored enemies.
• Quasar Cannon – A comparatively newer Support Weapon added to the game, the Quasar Cannon delivers powerful, devastating attacks with unlimited ammunition, though it comes with a cost; namely, a 3-second charge-up time and a 10-second cooldown after the shot. With good aim, the Quasar Cannon can make quick work of the biggest threats in the game.
• Stalwart – A controversial pick, as the Stalwart can easily feel like a strong Primary Weapon, rather than a worthwhile Support Weapon, but it does an amazing job at clearing out smaller enemies on the go and helps spread your ammo use around. Granted, the default Machine Gun works very similarly and comes with Medium armor penetration, so it’s certainly a good choice for more scenarios, but the Stalwart’s ability to run-and-gun, as opposed to the Machine Gun’s more unwieldy, stand-in-place style, can give Stalwart an edge when pairing with the Slugger.
• Orbital Railcannon Strike/Eagle Airstrike: You’ll want to lean more heavily into Eagle and Orbital Stratagems for taking out heavier targets — especially if you opt for the above weaker-but-longer-lasting Support Weapons.

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