Quick Links
Reinforcements have arrived to push back the Automatons and Terminids inHelldivers 2. The LAS-99 Quasar Cannon is now available as one oftwo new support weaponsdesigned to tilt the Galactic War in our favor. It is a shoulder-mounted anti-tank weapon that fires an energy burst capable of tearing through any armor on the battlefield. It also pretty much one-shot kills all small and medium enemies, regardless of where you hit them.
That power, however, comes at a serious cost, as the Quasar Cannon has to be charged for a few seconds before firing, and there is a long cooldown period to wait before firing a second time. This is unlike theother support weapons inHelldivers 2, so you’ll need to know a few things before understandinghow to get the most out of the Quasar Cannon inHelldivers 2.
How to Get the Quasar Cannon in Helldivers 2
You need to belevel 18 with 7,500 Requisition Slipsto unlock the LAS-99 Quasar Cannon inHelldivers 2. Interact with theShip Management terminalon your Super Destroyer, and scroll down to the Engineering Bay section to find the new support weapon.
Once you have unlocked the Quasar Cannon, do not forget to equip it during the mission loadout phase. Then call in the Quasar Cannon by punching the followingstratagem button inputs inHelldivers 2:Down, Down, Up, Left, Right.
How to Use the LAS-99 Quasar Cannon
TheLAS-99 Quasar Cannonis an energy weapon that uses a battery (and heat sink) instead of traditional ammunition. However, it works differently than the other energy weapons, such as theLAS-98 Laser Cannonand thenewly added LAS-16 Sickle inHelldivers 2.
Firstly, the Quasar Cannon can only be fired once before overheating.It takes around 3 seconds to charge each shot. Hold the fire button while aiming at the target until the cannon charges and releases a ball of explosive energy.
Unlike theRailgun in unsafe mode, the Quasar Weapon does not blow up if overcharged. It will automatically fire once fully charged.
Once fired, theQuasar Cannon takes around 10 seconds to cool downbefore it can be charged for another shot again. That essentially means the Quasar Cannon has infinite ammunition inHelldivers 2,as it does not need to be reloaded between shots, only cooled down.
Strangely enough, thehot or cold environmental conditions inHelldivers 2do not affect the charging times. However,cold weather does reduce the cooldown time by 3 seconds. Hence, the Quasar Cannon is not a support weapon that you should equip on planets with soaring temperatures. Keep it only for the icy and snowy planets.
The Quasar Cannon has a considerable sway which can be reduced by either crouching or standing still while charging. Make your shot count, since you only get one try before the weapon goes on a long cool-down.
Is the Quasar Cannon Worth It in Helldivers 2?
The LAS-99 Quasar Cannon is designed to destroy armor, so it needs to be pitted against the highly popularEAT-17to confirm if it is worth it or not inHelldivers 2.
To start with, the Quasar Cannon does the same amount of damage as the EAT-17 but with the added advantage of infinite ammunition and infinite range. It is the perfect weapon to destroy Shrieker Nests from afar, and you do not have to worry about any bullet drop when targetingSpore Spewers over 500 meters awayinHelldivers 2.
2–3 shots to the body.
Hulk
1 shot to the visor, or 2 shots to the vent.
2 shots to the vent.
Tank - Shredder
1 shot to the vent, or 2 shots to the turret.
Cannon Tower (Structure)
That being said, the Quasar Cannon starts to lose sustainability on higher-difficulty missions where you face a lot of heavily armored enemies. With all theHelldivers 2ship module upgrades, you can get two EAT-17 rocket launchers every minute.
The Quasar, on the other hand, has an 8-minute cooldown time without the Orbital Fluctuations and Complex Stratagem Plotting modifiers, which increase your stratagem cooldown and call-in time by 50 percent and 100 percent respectively.
In other words, you can always expect to have an EAT-17 when needed. You can even call it in twice during the same fight. That, however, is not possible with the Quasar Cannon. If you die and spawn elsewhere, or cannot go back to retrieve the weapon, you lose your anti-armor edge. This is akin to a death sentence when playing level 7 or higher missions.
The Quasar Cannon can destroy bug holes, bot fabricators, Illegal Broadcast Towers, and container/cache doors. It, however, cannotdestroy facility buildings inHelldivers 2.
In summary, the LAS-99 Quasar Cannon and the EAT-17 have their places inHelldivers 2. The Quasar is not a weapon you want when pitted against multiple Chargers or Bile Titans, for example. The EAT-17 is much faster, gives excellent mobility, and has a reactionary gameplay style that remains unmatched.
The Quasar Cannon can still work on higher-difficulty missions, but only as long as you have your teammates to peel enemies off you. That aspect makes this a beautifully designed weapon in terms of balance. Its infinite energy bursts lower the skill ceiling for new players, but can still be used by veterans with the right team composition.
