If someone had told me in 2024 that I'd still be glued to the LAS-98 Laser Cannon on difficulty 10 a year later, I'd probably have rolled my eyes, but here we are and it's still my pick for solo runs, especially when you're short on time and just want smooth progress like you get when people grab helldivers 2 items for beginners to speed things up instead of grinding every single unlock by hand.
Why The Laser Cannon Still Works
The Automaton front has shifted a lot, but the Laser Cannon keeps up because it solves the exact stuff that usually ruins solo runs, not just because it looks cool on paper.It's not a big-burst, fire-and-forget weapon; it's a tool you lean on for accuracy and uptime.You're shaving engines off Gunships before they shove you into the dirt, you're tucked behind a rock slowly burning out a Hulk's eye, and on cold planets it almost feels busted because the lower heat means you're barely ever forced to stop firing.You notice the downside fast, though: it doesn't really stagger, so when a Berserker or a melee bot gets into your space, you need a plan B ready or you're just done.
Loadout Built Around Infinite Fire
The whole loadout ends up shaped around keeping that beam alive for as long as possible.I run the Sickle as my primary because it fits perfectly with the "never run dry" idea: if the Cannon overheats or you need to move while venting, you flip to the Sickle, clear the trash, then swap back to burning armor weak spots.For stratagems, the Shield Generator Relay has become mandatory for me now; dropping a bubble and standing your ground while you laser a Factory Strider's underbelly without getting staggered changes how you approach bases.I'll usually bring an Eagle 500kg Bomb to handle tanks or big clumps I don't want to stare at for ten seconds and an Orbital Laser as my emergency delete button for heavy outposts that would otherwise chew up way too much time.
Solo Super Helldive Rhythm
Playing solo on Super Helldive with this setup isn't about storming straight into a fortress and hoping for the best.You pace the mission out.You land a bit off the main objective, go prone, crawl to some high ground and start picking targets from range, hitting objectives whenever you can snipe them safely.When you get surprise drops, Gunships go first every time; leave them up and you get chain ragdolled into a bad death.The Quasar used to fill that role for me, but the cooldown feels brutal when you've got three dropships in the sky at once.The Laser Cannon doesn't have that problem: as long as you vent smartly and keep your aim locked on vents, engines and optics, you can wipe full patrols and multiple waves without touching your ammo pool.
Who This Weapon Is Really For
The Cannon's not exactly no-brain friendly, and that's part of why it sticks around in the meta.You're managing heat, line of sight and positioning all the time, and you're forced to think about where your safe angles are before you pull the trigger.A lot of players bounce off it because it feels weak when you just hold down fire in the open, but once you get the timing down, it becomes one of the most reliable ways to break Automaton lines on your own.If you're still grinding early warbonds or just hate spending whole evenings chasing a single upgrade, it's totally normal to look for shortcuts like buying game currency or items in u4gm so you can get straight to testing builds like this without slogging through the slow part.
