3 Best Warbonds Xbox Players Should Unlock First in Helldivers 2

With Helldivers 2 finally launching on Xbox consoles, a new wave of recruits is preparing to join the fight for democracy. Whether you’re clearing out bug-infested zones or holding the line against relentless automatons, success relies on more than just quick reflexes. It’s about having the right equipment for the mission. Warbonds, the game’s progression tracks, unlock essential gear like weapons, armor, and support tools that can drastically improve your chances on the battlefield.

However, with several Warbonds already available and more likely to arrive soon, new players might find it difficult to know where to begin. Some offer powerful gear that requires practice to master, while others provide straightforward upgrades perfect for beginners. To help you get the most out of your early forays into live combat, we’ve put together a list of the best Warbonds Xbox players should unlock first, focusing on those that offer the most value and versatility right from the start.

3) Democratic Detonation

Democratic Detonation is easily one of the most valuable Warbonds in Helldivers 2. It grants access to four incredibly effective weapons that stand out not just for their power, but for their versatility and ease of use. For Xbox players diving into the game for the first time, this Warbond provides a powerful foundation that can carry you through almost every type of mission, regardless of difficulty. It offers the most value for your Super Credits.

At the top of the list is the R-36 Eruptor, a single-shot primary rifle with explosive rounds and heavy armor penetration. It is bolt-action, but can quickly rechamber, making this not a huge deal. It can take down most enemies in the game with a single shot, often without needing perfect aim, thanks to its explosive nature. This makes it one of the most player-friendly new weapons you can get your hands on, and it is widely considered the best all-around primary weapon by the Helldivers 2 community. Just be careful with it, as you can kill yourself if you’re too close to the explosion.

The Thermite Grenade gives you a reliable way to deal with even the most heavily armored enemies. It sticks to targets, burns them for high damage, and finishes with an explosive blast. It is unmatched in single-target grenade damage, though less effective against groups.

The Grenade Pistol offers medium armor penetration and excels at clearing bug holes or small enemy clusters, though its ammo efficiency is limited. It can only hold one shot per reload, limiting its usefulness outside of niche situations like clearing fodder enemies.

Rounding out the set is the Explosive Crossbow, a fast-firing, medium-penetration primary weapon that serves as a more agile alternative to the Erupter. Its one-handed nature allows you to move and shoot at the same time, making it a solid choice for players who prefer mobility in combat.

2) Servants of Freedom

While more specialized than Democratic Detonation, the Servants of Freedom Warbond offers three powerful tools that are absolutely worth unlocking. Each piece of gear provides unique strengths that can change the way you approach tougher missions, especially if you’re looking for high-risk, high-reward options.

The LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle is a laser weapon unlike anything else in Helldivers 2. It has infinite ammo, allowing you to fire continuously without worrying about reloading. It also won’t overheat to a point where you cannot fire it. As it heats up, the damage and armor penetration increase, eventually reaching the point where it can pierce even Heavy Armor.

However, that power comes at a cost. The weapon builds heat as it fires, and once it crosses a threshold, it begins to burn the user. The longer you hold the trigger, the more damage you take. This self-burning can easily kill you if you’re not careful, so smart trigger control is needed. To use this gun effectively, it is highly recommended to pair it with armor that has the Inflammable trait, which greatly reduces fire damage and helps mitigate the weapon’s self-inflicted harm.

The GP-20 Ultimatum is the ultimate sidearm, both in name and in destructive power. It fires a slow-moving grenade that drops heavily and explodes in a small-scale nuclear blast. Its damage and armor penetration are among the highest in the game, making it capable of wiping out entire groups of enemies in a single shot.

However, this strength is balanced by extremely limited ammo. You only start with one grenade and can only replenish one per Resupply. As a result, every shot needs to count. Wasting one is costly, and using it too close to allies can easily lead to friendly fire deaths. Still, if used carefully, the Ultimatum is an incredible tool that can tip the scales during intense firefights.

Portable Hellbomb rounds out this Warbond as the most destructive explosive a Helldiver can carry. Normally, Hellbombs are only used at specific mission objectives and must be called in manually, requiring a setup process and constant protection from incoming fire. If destroyed while armed, a Hellbomb detonates instantly, often taking you and anyone nearby with it. The resulting blast is massive, far more powerful than the Ultimatum, and capable of flattening entire enemy bases when deployed correctly. However, the standard version is highly situational due to its limited availability and complex setup.

The Portable Hellbomb changes that. Worn in place of a standard backpack, this version is pre-called and ready for deployment at any time. Unlike the standard Hellbomb, arming the portable version is instant and does not require command inputs. Once you activate it, you’ll need to drop it quickly and put as much distance between you and the bomb as possible. Used correctly, the Portable Hellbomb is a game-changer. It allows skilled players to bring base-level destruction to any location, completely wiping out entrenched enemy positions or overwhelming waves in one massive blast, without taking themselves or their squad with it.

1) Borderline Justice

Borderline Justice provides three powerful pieces of gear that can make a noticeable impact in your loadout, especially for players who value precision and efficiency. While this Warbond doesn’t lean as heavily into explosive damage as others, it offers solid weaponry with high utility and sustained performance across all enemy factions.

The LAS-58 Talon is widely regarded as one of the most versatile sidearms in Helldivers 2. It’s a laser-based revolver, which means infinite ammo and surprisingly high damage, even compared to some primary weapons. Thanks to its medium armor penetration and strong stopping power, it performs well on any front, whether you’re fighting Terminids, Automatons, or Illuminate.

However, the Talon’s power comes with a drawback. Its heatsink system prevents it from overheating, but if it does overheat, the heatsink burns out and must be replaced. You only get up to three replacement heatsinks per mission, but these can be resupplied. Its rapid rate of fire also means it overheats quickly, making it less ideal for long-duration engagements or clearing large groups.

The R-6 Deadeye functions as the Helldivers’ answer to a bolt-action sniper rifle. It’s extremely accurate and hits very hard, featuring medium armor penetration, making it effective against most enemies you’ll come across. Despite being a bolt-action weapon, the Deadeye has a high rate of fire and handles close-range engagements quite well. This is largely due to its reload mechanic. You reload by individual rounds instead of by magazine, allowing you to never be caught off-guard. It’s a reliable and deadly choice for sharpshooters who prefer precision.

The Hover Pack is the final piece of gear in Borderline Justice, and while it isn’t a weapon, it dramatically changes how you move across the battlefield. Replacing your standard backpack, the Hover Pack allows you to rise above ground combat and hover in midair for several seconds, giving you a major vertical advantage. It has a short cooldown of about ten seconds, meaning you can stay airborne frequently. Unlike most movement tools, it does not significantly affect your accuracy, so you can still use precision weapons effectively while in the air.

However, the Hover Pack comes with important limitations. When activated, it cannot be turned off early, which means you must stay airborne for the full duration. This can make you an easy target, especially against Automatons who rely on ranged attacks and can easily swap you from the sky. Fire damage also becomes a serious problem. If you catch fire while in the air, you cannot dive to the ground to extinguish it, which is normally the only way to stop burning. Unless you use a Stim immediately, hovering while on fire will almost always lead to death.

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Picking up these three Warbonds will give you access to some of the most reliable and versatile tools in Helldivers 2. While there are numerous other Warbonds available, most with very useful equipment for you to obtain, it is with these three that you can begin to build a solid foundation for your future loadouts.