Burst or brains? A practical ranking of every secondary—from the run‑saving Redeemer to the stealthy ODST SOCOM—plus how suppressors really work and the smartest attachment unlock paths.
Updated September 22, 2025 for the Halo: ODST Legendary Warbond and the current attachment/customization system.
How this tier list works (and what “burst vs. utility” means)
Burst sidearms delete immediate problems—panic weapons you yank out while kiting, reloading a primary, carrying an objective one‑handed, or finishing a cracked weak point. Think: TTK first, everything else second.
Utility sidearms reshape the fight—denying space, deleting structures, patching teammates, or enabling stealth routes. Think: solve the objective, not just the enemy.
Rankings weigh performance across both Automatons and Terminids, solo and squad play, and how tools complement the current stealth features and weapon customization. Where relevant, you’ll see attachment priority orders you can follow as you unlock mods via the customization system (introduced in mid‑2025) by earning weapon XP and spending Requisition Slips.
ODST SOCOM note: the M6C/SOCOM pistol is part of the ODST Legendary Warbond and is the only secondary with an integrated suppressor; it’s intended to enable true stealth routes. It does not take attachments.
TL;DR Tier List
S+ (meta-defining):
- LAS‑58 Talon — Infinite‑ammo energy sidearm with medium AP; precision deletes bots and saves ammo.
- P‑19 Redeemer — Machine‑pistol burst that rescues bad pulls and one‑handed retreats.
- GP‑31 Grenade Pistol — Objective solver; your pocket grenade launcher for nests/fabricators.
S (excellent core picks):
- P‑4 Senator — Heavy‑AP revolver; precision shreds weak points, even on big bots.
- PLAS‑15 Loyalist — Charged splash sidearm; clean bot lines and chip mediums around cover.
A (strong & situational):
- P‑113 Verdict — High‑cal magnum‑style pistol with medium AP; rewarding headshot sidearm.
- SG‑22 Bushwhacker — Sawed‑off shotgun pistol; huge close‑range stun/burst.
- M6C/SOCOM (ODST) — Suppressed stealth specialist; A‑tier in stealth squads, B‑tier otherwise.
B (usable, map/mood dependent):
- P‑2 Peacemaker — Starter pistol; respectable with accuracy but outclassed by upgrades.
- P‑72 Crisper — Flame sidearm for denial/kiting; niche but handy vs. chaff packs.
C (niche/spec play):
- LAS‑7 Dagger — Infinite‑ammo laser but low practical impact as a secondary.
Snapshot reflects recent public tiering and patch context; individual preference and mission type can move a weapon up or down.
S+ Tier — Why these sit at the top
LAS‑58 Talon (S+): precision, no ammo tax
A laser “revolver” that effectively gives you ammo‑free headshot solutions with medium armor penetration. Against Automatons, it’s ridiculous value: pop helmets/visors, swap back to your primary, and your ammo economy sings. Overheat discipline matters, but the payoff is huge.
Attachment unlock order (recommended):
- 2× optic for reliable headshot placement; 2) Handling/ergonomics (recoil/ADS quality, if available to the weapon); 3) Heat/venting upgrade if your tree offers it. If your Talon’s menu offers only optics and minor handling tweaks, prioritize the optic first. Names vary by weapon; pick the closest equivalents in your tree.
P‑19 Redeemer (S+): the panic button
Your “oh no” button. It spews damage, tears through Hunters, and keeps you alive while carrying objectives or mid‑reload. Arrowhead even tightened its spread in 2025, which cemented its emergency role. Just watch mag economy.
Attachment unlock order:
- Extended Magazine (or equivalent capacity mod); 2) Compensator/Brake for controllability in long bursts; 3) Reflex/2× tube red dot if iron/laser alignment bothers you. Capacity first is what turns Redeemer from “short gasp” into “whole breath.”
GP‑31 Grenade Pistol (S+): the objective solver
A pocket, one‑shot grenade launcher that trivializes bug holes, fabricators, and map clutter when used with good arcs. If your squad lacks engineering passives, this is how you bring extra grenades without changing armor. Mastering its arc and bounce angles separates good from great.
Attachment unlock order:
Usually minimal/none that materially change its role. If optics exist, a simple sight is fine; your real “unlocks” are muscle memory for arc/bounce and choosing POV/stance that keep you safe from your own splash.
S Tier — Big power with tradeoffs
P‑4 Senator (S): heavy‑AP head‑popper
Buffed into greatness: Senator carries heavy armor penetration, so it can meaningfully damage big bots at weak points (Hulk visors, etc.). Slow reloads punish misses, but if you hit heads it’s fireworks.
Attachment unlock order:
- 2× tube red dot or reflex (your pick: precision vs. speed); 2) 4× scope for bot visor work (niche but amazing if you live in ADS); 3) 10× only if you snipe weak points from safety; otherwise skip; 4) Underbarrel laser/flashlight as preference. Senator’s tree commonly includes multiple optics—lean into them.
PLAS‑15 Loyalist (S): splash control in your pocket
A charged plasma sidearm. Tap for quick chips or charge to pop clustered bots, often tagging behind cover with mini‑splash. It overlaps some of Grenade Pistol’s lane‑clearing role with more shots but less structural utility.
Attachment unlock order:
- 2× optic for placing charged headshots; 2) Charge/capacitor improvements if offered; 3) Handling (ADS/recoil) as comfort. Prioritize whatever increases reliable precision on charged shots.
A Tier — Reliable and role‑driven
P‑113 Verdict (A): the disciplined alternative
A semi‑auto “magnum” pistol with medium AP—fewer rounds than Peacemaker but nastier per shot. It rewards calm headshots and slots well with ammo‑hungry primaries. Recent tuning and community impressions place it as a strong, if aim‑demanding, pick.
Attachment unlock order:
- Reflex/2× optic for consistent cranial taps; 2) Extended Mag to offset count; 3) Compensator if the hop throws you off. If your tree lacks one of these, choose the nearest handling/capacity equivalent.
SG‑22 Bushwhacker (A): triple‑barrel problem solver
A sawed‑off shotgun sidearm with a burst‑all‑barrels mode. Within 10–15m it deletes Berserkers and staggers crowds; falloff is severe past that. Amazing as a panic breaker in tight terrain.
Attachment unlock order:
- Sighting you actually see (simple dot) if available; 2) Handling for quicker ready/ADS; 3) If a choke/spread option exists in your build, pick tighter for reliable one‑shots; otherwise skip.
M6C/SOCOM (ODST) (A for stealth squads / B otherwise): the quiet option
The first suppressed sidearm in HD2. In stealth teams, it lets you pick patrols apart without cascading alerts; in loud teams, it’s a Peacemaker‑ish sidearm with a nice light/laser but outpaced by Redeemer/Talon in clutch burst. Important: the SOCOM does not support attachments—what you get is what you run.
B & C Tiers — Playable, but usually outclassed
P‑2 Peacemaker (B): the dependable default
Fast semi‑auto cadence, decent mag, and good feel once you settle its sight picture—but almost every premium sidearm supersedes it in a defined role (AP, burst, utility, stealth). Still a fine “always works” pick for new players.
Attachment unlock order:
- Reflex/2× optic (if your build allows) to raise headshot rate; 2) Extended Mag to stretch usefulness; 3) Handling comfort.
P‑72 Crisper (B): run‑and‑bake chaff
A one‑handed flamethrower pistol: spray the ground while retreating to deny pursuers. It’s a kiting tool more than a fight winner and shines in squads that lack other fire DoT.
Attachment unlock order:
Typically limited; if options exist, favor handling and fuel/overheat comfort first; optics are secondary.
LAS‑7 Dagger (C): the infinite fallback
It has the “never run out” perk, but as a secondary it struggles to justify the slot over more impactful choices (Talon exists). If you want infinite‑ammo gameplay, Talon is the better plan.
Attachment unlock order:
If you insist on Dagger, grab a simple optic and whatever heat/handling nodes you can; treat it like a training wheel for infinite ammo pacing.
Stealth in Helldivers 2: What suppressors actually buy you
- SOCOM’s edge is real: it’s the only suppressed secondary, designed to pair with stealth passives/armor added with the ODST Legendary Warbond.
- Detection is multi‑factor. Enemies react to sound and line‑of‑sight. Community testing suggests suppressors shrink the sound‑detection radius (~33%), but enemies can still see bullet impacts and bodies. Treat suppressors as risk reduction, not invisibility.
- Passives/boosters matter:
- Scout reduces the range at which enemies detect you by 30%—a huge multiplier on suppressed shots and crouch/prone play.
- ODST’s new armor passive Feet First improves stealthy movement, with other perks like leg‑injury immunity—ideal for stealth routes.
- UAV Recon booster supports stealth routes by improving awareness to skirt patrols.
- Patch behavior: Arrowhead has iterated stealth—e.g., mid‑2025 changes made spawner areas less “auto‑detecty,” making planned stealth more consistent.
- Suppressed primaries for synergy: The M7S SMG ships with a non‑removable suppressor; pair it with SOCOM and Scout for the cleanest “stealthdiver” loop.
Practical stealth loop: prone/crouch → mark and skirt patrols → pick off isolated scouts with SOCOM → relocate immediately after each shot → reserve explosives for objective pops or when detection is inevitable. The more your squad commits to this loop (passives, weapon choices), the more the suppressor pays off.
Attachment system: what to prioritize first (and why)
Weapon customization rolled out in 2025 and unlocked per‑weapon trees you buy with Requisition Slips after gaining weapon XP. Names differ per gun, but the categories below are consistent.
- Optics first on precision sidearms (Senator, Verdict, Talon, SOCOM’s fixed sight is fine). Most players see a direct headshot % jump with a clean reflex or 2×.
- Capacity/heat next for burst or energy sidearms (Redeemer extended mag; Talon heat comfort).
- Handling control (compensators/brakes, ergonomics) when your recoil or sway breaks strings.
- Niche optics (4×, 10×) only if you live in ADS weak‑point hunting (mostly Senator).
- Muzzles: Outside SOCOM, sidearms generally don’t get suppressors; grab compensator/brake where available.
Loadout templates
“Stealthdiver” (Bots or mixed):
- Primary: M7S SMG (integrated suppressor)
- Sidearm: M6C/SOCOM
- Armor: Scout (or ODST Feet First set) + UAV Recon booster
- Why: Stack sound/vision mitigation; pick patrols apart; relocate after each shot.
“Objective bully” (All factions):
- Primary: Anything you’re cracked with
- Sidearm: GP‑31 Grenade Pistol (or GP‑31 Ultimatum for heavier pops)
- Why: Secondary handles nests/fabricators while you keep a primary for crowd control.
“Emergency DPS” (Bugs heavy):
- Primary: Breaker/Eruptor/etc.
- Sidearm: P‑19 Redeemer (extended mag) or SG‑22 Bushwhacker
- Why: Highest panic value when swarmed or one‑handing an objective.
“Marksman bot duty”:
- Primary: Diligence/Deadeye/Adjudicator
- Sidearm: P‑4 Senator (2×/4× optics) or P‑113 Verdict
- Why: Weak‑point delete button without spending primary ammo.
Final picks by playstyle
- I solo or play stealth often: M6C/SOCOM or Talon + Scout/Feet First armor.
- I carry objectives and kite a lot: Redeemer or Bushwhacker.
- My squad ignores objectives (until they don’t): One player should bring GP‑31 Grenade Pistol every mission. It wins wars.
- We fight bots at range: Senator or Verdict with good optics.
Quick reference: Attachment priority by weapon
(Use nearest equivalent if your tree names differ; SOCOM has no attachments.)
- LAS‑58 Talon: 2× optic → heat/venting → handling.
- P‑19 Redeemer: Extended mag → compensator/brake → reflex/2×.
- GP‑31 Grenade Pistol: Sight (optional) → practice arcs (no major attachments).
- P‑4 Senator: 2×/reflex → 4× (niche) → 10× (rare) → underbarrel light/laser to taste.
- PLAS‑15 Loyalist: 2× → charge/capacitor node → handling.
- P‑113 Verdict: Reflex/2× → extended mag → compensator.
- SG‑22 Bushwhacker: Usable sight → handling → tighter spread/choke (if available).
- M6C/SOCOM: No attachments; built‑in suppressor/laser/flash.
- P‑2 Peacemaker: Optic → extended mag → handling.
- P‑72 Crisper: Handling/heat comfort → optics (optional).
- LAS‑7 Dagger: Optic → heat/handling (if present).
The bottom line
If your team plays loud, the Redeemer and Grenade Pistol still define clutch wins and fast objectives. If you favor precision and economy, Talon and Senator do elegant, surgical work. And if you finally want Helldivers stealth to feel like a plan, not a prayer, the ODST SOCOM is the first sidearm built for it—pair it with stealth passives and suppressed primaries to get the most out of that can on the muzzle.
