A no‑nonsense 2025 meta guide to Helldivers 2 throwables and Stims—where the G‑7 Pineapple actually shines, when to pre‑stim vs panic‑stim, and the best grenades to pack against Bugs, Bots, and Squids.
Updated September 2025. Balance changes happen often; key notes and mechanics are cited where it matters.
TL;DR (quick picks)
- Overall S‑tier: G‑12 High Explosive (HE), G‑123 Thermite, G‑23 Stun.
- New G‑7 Pineapple: true cluster frag—great into tight Terminid crowds, merely “fine” elsewhere.
- Impact vs HE: Impact (G‑16) is instant and surgical; HE (G‑12) is better for closing spawns/fabs thanks to its fuse.
- Stims: Base effect is a heal‑over‑time; not invincibility. Med‑Kit armor passive adds +2 Stims and extends effect to ~6 seconds; you can Stim mid‑dive since June 2025. Use pre‑damage in big pushes and mid‑dive to recover.
- Faction quick picks:
- Terminids: G‑13 Incendiary Impact or G‑7 Pineapple (swarm maps); HE for holes; Stun for Titans.
- Automatons: G‑123 Thermite for heavies; HE/Dynamite for fabs and clusters; Impact for “emergency deletes.”
- Illuminate: Stun is king; HE remains reliable; consider Arc/Pyrotech for crowd work depending on map. (Illuminate now field regenerating shields and diverse units.)
The 2025 Throwables Tier List (with use‑cases)
S‑Tier (take these anywhere)
G‑12 High Explosive (HE) – The default answer.
Smallish radius but consistently high damage, and the fuse lets you “bury” it in bug holes, Automaton fabricators, or mixed packs before it pops. If you only master one grenade, make it this. (Armory description: high explosive, lightly armored targets; strong spawner closer.)
G‑123 Thermite – Heavy deleter.
Sticks, sizzles, and chews through high‑value targets (Devastators, tanks, big Bugs). It’s not a panic‑button for crowds, but into armored threats it’s still the most honest grenade in the game. Plan throws; don’t waste on chaff.
G‑23 Stun – Saves games, sets up plays.
“Zero‑damage” on paper, five seconds of hard CC in practice. Locks Chargers, Hulks, and many elites, letting your team reposition, call a 500 kg, or land free crits. You’ll wonder how you ever played without it.
A‑Tier (map‑ or faction‑dependent power)
G‑16 Impact – The snap answer.
No fuse, detonates the instant it touches anything. That makes it perfect for popping an advancing Berserker or a Strider right now—but less ideal for “delayed” tasks like sealing spawns, where HE is safer.
G‑13 Incendiary Impact – Terminid broom.
Instant detonation plus a sheet of flame = fast space‑making against unarmored swarms, with lingering DoT to finish stragglers. Less impressive vs Bots’ metal hides.
TED‑63 Dynamite – Big boom, big fuse.
Wide radius, medium armor pen, and a long fuse you must respect. Excellent for clearing clusters around fabs or objectives on Bot worlds. If you learn to “cook” it or place it pre‑pull, it feels S‑tier; if you toss it late, it whiffs. (Damage tables list 700 explosion damage and medium AP.)
G‑142 Pyrotech – The “beyblade” you underestimate once.
Spits incendiary sparks before a finishing pop; fantastic economy and surprisingly good at holes/fabs thanks to multiple charges. Strong denial on chokes and can meaningfully harm mediums if they stay in the burn.
G‑7 Pineapple (new) – Cluster‑frag specialist.
Part of the Dust Devils Premium Warbond, the Pineapple’s party trick is an initial blast that scatters mini‑frags—amazing in tunnels and tight Terminid funnels, merely okay in open Bot firefights or against armor. Early community testing paints it as inconsistent at mid‑range, but in swarm lanes it absolutely shreds.
B‑Tier (solid, sometimes overshadowed)
G‑6 Frag – Old faithful.
Does the job, but HE’s spawner reliability and Pyrotech’s utility usually edge it out.
G‑50 Seeker – Style points, situational value.
A following drone that launches into the nearest target and explodes. Fun on open Bot maps and okay at swatting harassers, but doesn’t reliably target structures, so it’s not a great spawner closer—hence inconsistent overall value.
G‑4 Gas – Control, not kills.
Slows/obscures both organics and inorganics; use it to gum up patrols or cover revives/retreats. Don’t expect it to carry fights.
G‑31 Arc – Chain‑zap chaos.
New electric bouncer that pulses on impacts; when it chains through spread patrols (especially Bots), it’s glorious. When it ricochets the wrong way—or into a teammate—it’s… less glorious. Treat with respect.
G‑10 Incendiary – Budget area denial.
Works, but most players will prefer Incendiary Impact or Pyrotech for stronger immediate effect or better economy.
D‑Tier (avoid unless memeing)
G‑3 Smoke – The dream vs the reality.
Community testing and multiple guides still rate Smoke as borderline nonfunctional compared to other tools. Take Gas or Stun if you want control.
Impact vs HE vs Pineapple—who wins where?
- G‑16 Impact is the “click now” grenade. It deletes threats the instant they round a corner. Use it to prevent a wipe—think Devastator squads, Brood Commanders, or a Bot line press. It’s also the riskier choice at your own feet; there’s no fuse to save you if it bounces wrong.
- G‑12 HE is the “plan the pop” grenade. The fuse lets you drop a charge into a hole/fabricator or over a ridge and then step back; it’s the most consistent spawner closer. Into mixed packs it’s money when you can time the detonation.
- G‑7 Pineapple is the “crowd blender”. Its cluster effect covers more surface area, so it excels when bugs are forced through tunnels or choke points. Against armor or spread‑out Automatons, its value falls behind HE/Thermite. If your mission has hive tunnels or defense chokepoints, the Pineapple competes for your slot; otherwise treat it as a map pick. (Dust Devils, page 3; a cluster frag by design.)
Patch note to know: Arrowhead increased shrapnel spawn counts for frag‑type effects in mid‑May 2025, slightly improving anti‑horde performance for fragmentation‑based tools. That indirectly helps Pineapple/Frag play into swarms.
Stim timing science (2025)
What a Stim actually does: In Helldivers 2, Stims don’t make you invincible and don’t instantly top you off—they apply a short, strong heal‑over‑time and refill stamina, giving you a “second wind” window.
How long is “window”?
- Base Stim effect ≈ ~4 seconds; with Med‑Kit armor passive it adds +2 seconds (≈ 6s total) and +2 Stims in your inventory.
- With the Experimental Infusion booster, Stims also grant move‑speed and damage‑resistance for the Stim’s duration (with a tunnel‑vision drawback). Community timing tests put the “felt” buff near ~9–10 seconds before tapering. Use it for pushes, objectives, or extract runs.
Action economy matters: Since June 2025, you can Stim mid‑dive, which changes everything—dive to break LOS, Stim as you slide, and come up healing with full stamina to sprint or reload.
Three high‑percentage timings
- Pre‑commit Stim (offense): Before you breach a nest, pull an objective, or cross a kill‑lane, Stim 1–2 seconds prior so the HoT is already ticking as shots land. (Especially good with Experimental Infusion.)
- Mid‑dive Stim (defense): If you’re getting shredded, dive, punch the Stim as you slide, then roll up and sprint. This saves more lives than panic‑stimming while standing.
- Triage Stim (support): After a revive or during a shield drop, Stim your way through the first three seconds of chaos to secure spacing. Pair with Stun to prevent collapse.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Panic stimming at 10 HP in the open—HoT can’t out‑race a Charger headbutt. Dive first, then Stim.
- Double‑tapping Stims back‑to‑back. Unless you’re chaining with Infusion for a longer push, save it.
- Forgetting passives. Med‑Kit extends duration; Integrated Explosives adds +2 throwables and makes “nade‑first” playstyles smoother. Long missions? That passive is huge.
Faction‑specific grenade picks
Terminids (Bugs)
Primary picks:
- G‑13 Incendiary Impact – Instant crowd control via flame; clears lanes and interrupts momentum.
- G‑7 Pineapple – Elite on tunnel maps, defense points, and choke‑heavy missions.
- G‑12 HE – Reliable hole‑closer and cluster deleter when you can bury the fuse.
- G‑23 Stun – Locks Chargers or Brood Commanders for finishers.
Consider: G‑142 Pyrotech for denial on swarm funnels or to soften mediums that linger.
Stim plan: Pre‑stim on nest breaches; mid‑dive Stim if bile splashes force you down. With Infusion, your sprint window lets you kite waves around terrain.
Automatons (Bots)
Primary picks:
- G‑123 Thermite – “Stick and melt” for Devastators, Striders, and tanks.
- G‑12 HE – The safest grenade for fabricators and mixed rifle squads.
- TED‑63 Dynamite – High damage, medium AP, big radius; plant it pre‑pull or behind cover.
- G‑16 Impact – Use when you must erase a pushing elite instantly.
Consider: G‑31 Arc on open maps; when it chains through spread patrols, it’s excellent—just mind the bounces.
Stim plan: Bot firefights are ranged. Pre‑commit Stim before crossing kill‑lanes; mid‑dive Stim if gunlines catch you rotating.
Illuminate (Squids)
Context: The third faction returned and evolved in 2024–2025; expect regenerating shields, mixed hordes, and plasma. Grenade value skews toward control + finishing shields quickly.
Primary picks:
- G‑23 Stun – Universal value: five seconds of “stop moving” that lets your squad burn down shielded elites or set orbitals.
- G‑12 HE – Bread‑and‑butter blast to finish packs after shields break.
- G‑31 Arc / G‑142 Pyrotech – Map‑dependent crowd control; Arc in open city blocks, Pyrotech in tight alleys. (Treat Arc with care to avoid friendly zaps.)
Stim plan: Play around LOS. Pre‑stim before peeking plasma alleys; Infusion helps sprint between hard cover while shield regen timers tick down.
Loadout synergies that elevate grenades
- Med‑Kit passive (many “medic” armors): +2 Stims and +2s duration (≈6s total). Core for Stim‑centric play.
- Integrated Explosives: +2 starting and +2 carrying capacity for throwables—huge for Pyrotech/HE enjoyers and long ops.
- Throwing range passives: e.g., DS‑191 Scorpion’s Desert Stormer perk increases throwing range by ~20%, letting you plant HE deeper and safer.
- Experimental Infusion booster: Speed + DR during Stim; best‑in‑slot for objective pushes/extracts if your team handles the vision penalty.
Practical micro you can start using today
- “Bury the HE” drill: Practice a three‑count toss into a hole/fab, then step back behind cover before it goes off. Muscle memory beats panic.
- “Dive‑Stim‑Sprint”: In a safe area, rehearse: dive → Stim at the slide apex → vault/sprint to the next cover. This sequence tightens your survival loop post‑June patch.
- “Stun → Big red button”: Toss Stun slightly behind a heavy to catch its pathing, then call your orbital or line up crits while it’s frozen. It’s the cleanest way to topple nasties with minimal ammo.
Final word on the G‑7 Pineapple
In the current meta, Pineapple isn’t a universal upgrade to HE/Impact; it’s a specialist. If your op involves hive tunnels, defense chokepoints, or corridor fights, slot it and smile. For general deployments (especially vs. Bots), HE/Thermite/Stun still cover more scenarios with fewer caveats. (Unlock & description: Dust Devils Warbond, page 3; listed as a cluster frag.)
Summary tier list (2025)
- S: G‑12 HE, G‑123 Thermite, G‑23 Stun.
- A: G‑16 Impact, G‑13 Incendiary Impact, TED‑63 Dynamite, G‑142 Pyrotech, G‑7 Pineapple.
- B: G‑6 Frag, G‑4 Gas, G‑50 Seeker, G‑31 Arc, G‑10 Incendiary.
- D: G‑3 Smoke.
Appendix: “Why this build felt better this season”
- You were faster on pushes: you pre‑stimmed with Experimental Infusion (speed + DR), not after getting clipped.
- You weren’t scared of the floor: you learned to Stim mid‑dive, which removes the clumsiest part of the old Stim animation timing.
- You carried more nades: you ran Integrated Explosives or an armor with throw range, so your good decisions happened more often and from safer distances.
