What makes the Maxigun such a strong choice for squad anchors?
The Maxigun stands out because it offers a rare mix of firepower, sustained suppression, and reliability under pressure. When you’re the squad anchor, you’re basically the player who holds the line while everyone else handles objectives, revives, or flanks. The Maxigun excels here since it stays effective even in chaotic situations where accuracy drops and enemies come from multiple angles. Its steady output lets you keep bots staggered, bugs locked down, and choke points under control without constantly swapping weapons or repositioning.
The trick is understanding how to build around the gun’s strengths and compensate for its slow wind-up time. Once you get used to timing your spins and managing your positioning, the Maxigun becomes one of the most dependable primary weapons in the game.
How should a squad anchor position themselves to get the most out of the Maxigun?
Positioning is everything. With the Maxigun, you don’t want to run in front of your squad or try to duel enemies alone. You’re most effective when you’re slightly behind the front line or holding a defensible angle that funnels enemies into your fire. This lets you maintain constant DPS without being overwhelmed.
A small personal tip: always take a second to “pre-spin” the gun when you expect something to jump you. This cuts down your reaction time during a sudden push. While you’re mastering this role, it’s normal to feel short on resources or gear upgrades, and that’s when some players look into ways to progress faster, like trying to buy helldivers 2 medals. Whether you go that route or just grind missions, positioning will still be the biggest factor in how effective you are with the Maxigun.
What stratagems pair best with a Maxigun anchor?
Maxigun anchors tend to find success with loadouts that reinforce resilience and crowd control. Here are the most common recommendations:
Guard Dog variants
Guard Dog Rover and Guard Dog Butcher both help cover your blind spots. Since the Maxigun locks you into a focused direction while firing, having a drone dealing with flankers lets you stand your ground more confidently.
Shield Generator Pack
This is the classic anchor pick. It prevents sudden deaths from explosives, bile, or heavy bot shots. The Maxigun’s playstyle already encourages tanking hits in moderation, so this synergizes perfectly.
Orbital 120mm or Airburst Strike
These tools clear clusters when you’re forced to reposition. Since the Maxigun can struggle with very thick swarms, dropping an orbital strike buys time for your squad to regroup.
Mortar Sentry
It adds area denial and helps thin crowds before they get too close. If your team lacks heavy explosives, this sentry fills that gap extremely well.
How do you manage mobility when the Maxigun slows you down?
That slow movement while firing is the biggest challenge. You can’t panic and try to run mid-spray; instead, you need to develop a rhythm of shoot, shift, and stabilize. Short bursts are often safer than going full spin for long periods, especially on missions with dense enemy patrols.
One tip I often use is keeping a short escape angle behind me. Even a few steps can save your life when Chargers or Devastators push forward. And while experimenting with different mobility setups, some players talk about places where they can buy helldivers 2 medals online to speed up their unlocks. Just remember that no upgrade replaces good positioning and movement discipline.
What perks help round out the Maxigun playstyle?
Fortified
This perk is almost tailor-made for Maxigun users. Reduced explosive damage makes it much easier to stand firm in heavy bot missions or when Bile Titans lob acid your way.
Ready Up
This perk cuts down weapon swap time, which is surprisingly helpful when you’re switching from Maxigun to your sidearm to finish off stragglers or deal with high-priority targets quickly.
Demolitionist
If you’re running grenades that can control space or break armor, Demolitionist boosts your options without needing to rely only on the Maxigun for damage.
Should squad anchors use heavier or lighter secondary weapons?
It depends on your mission type. The Maxigun already fills the “heavy fire” role, so most players prefer a light and fast sidearm like the Autocannon Pistol or the Laser Pistol. These help you clean up enemies quickly when reloads or repositioning become necessary.
However, if you’re in a squad full of lightweight weapons, you might want something that deals with armored enemies directly. In those cases, the Redeemer or Quasar Pistol can compensate for the Maxigun’s lack of burst damage against high-tier targets.
Is the Maxigun still viable in higher difficulty missions?
Yes, and honestly, that’s where it shines the most. On lower difficulties, enemies die too quickly for the sustained fire to matter. But once you reach difficulty levels where pushing back a wave actually takes effort, the Maxigun becomes a stabilizing force.
A Maxigun anchor keeps everyone alive by making the battlefield predictable. When the gun is running, enemies move slower, die faster, and bunch up in ways that let your team land explosives more safely. U4GM and other community discussions often highlight how consistent the Maxigun is compared to high-risk, high-reward weapons.
What’s a sample Maxigun anchor loadout for general missions?
Here’s a player-friendly example you can try:
Primary: Maxigun Secondary: Laser Pistol or Redeemer Grenade: Impact or Stun Grenade Perk: Fortified Stratagems: Guard Dog Rover, Shield Generator Pack, Mortar Sentry, Orbital 120mm
This setup keeps you mobile enough, tanky enough, and ready for nearly any surprise. You won’t top the kill charts every mission, but you’ll keep your squad alive and the objectives secure, which is exactly what an anchor should do.
Essential Info: Helldivers 2 Supply Pack Guide: How It Works, Builds, and Best Practices
