Helldivers 2 MG-43 Machine Gun

When you finish the tutorial in Helldivers 2, Super Earth hands you the keys to the MG-43 Machine Gun. Because it is given to you right out of the gate, a lot of players drop it the second they unlock flashier stratagems like the Autocannon or the Quasar Cannon. That is a massive mistake.

The MG-43 is a terrifyingly effective general-purpose support weapon. Thanks to balancing updates, it packs significantly more punch than it did at launch, solidifying its place as a premier "chaff-clearing" tool that can still punch through mid-tier armor.

The Raw Numbers: Breaking Down the Stats

To understand why the MG-43 shreds, you have to look at how the math translates to the battlefield:

• Base Damage: 90 per shot (up from its original 80).

• Durable Damage: 25% of base damage (increased from 7.5%). This is huge. In Helldivers 2, "durable" parts are fleshy or dense components on larger enemies. This buff means you aren't just tickling chargers or spewers when hitting their soft spots.

• Ammo Economy: A massive 150-round box magazine. Super Earth recently buffed your carrying capacity too, letting you carry 4 spare magazines instead of 3. That gives you 750 rounds of democratic fury before needing a resupply.

• Armor Penetration (AP3): This gives the weapon "Medium" armor penetration.

What do these numbers mean in practice? It means you don't have to run away when an Automaton Devastator or a Terminid Hive Guard locks eyes with you. At 90 damage per shot with medium penetration, you can tear right through a Hive Guard’s armored face plates or drop a Berserker in a fraction of a second.

Fire Rate: Finding Your Sweet Spot

The MG-43 features three selectable fire rates, and toggling between them changes how the weapon functions entirely. You can adjust this by holding down your reload button:

• 630 RPM: The economy mode. This turns the weapon into a controllable automatic rifle. It is perfect for long-range engagements against Automatons where you need to tap-fire heads.

• 760 RPM: The default setting. A solid balance of burst potential and muzzle climb.

• 900 RPM: The "panic button." At 900 rounds per minute, you are spitting out 15 bullets every single second. This is what you swap to when a bug breach opens directly under your boots. The damage output is monstrous, but your 150-round mag will disappear in exactly 10 seconds.

Real Combat Scenarios: The Pros and Cons

Like any weapon in a Helldiver's toolkit, the MG-43 forces you into a specific playstyle.

The Good: Tactical Freedom

Unlike the Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) or the Recoilless Rifle, the MG-43 does not require an ammunition backpack. This leaves your back entirely open. You can run a Jump Pack for mobility, or a Shield Generator Pack for survivability.

If you find yourself burning through those 750 rounds too fast, you can buy cosmetic items and warbonds to unlock the Supply Pack—or if you're looking to gear up quickly without the grind, you can look for options to buy helldivers 2 super credits online via U4N to access premium warbonds faster. Pairing the MG-43 with a Supply Pack essentially gives you infinite ammo, turning you into a one-man army.

The Bad: The Stationary Trap

The biggest drawback of the MG-43 is its reload time. Following recent patches, the reload time was dropped from 4 seconds down to 3.5 seconds, but there is still a catch: you must stand completely still.

[Full Empty Reload: 3.5 Seconds] ---> Complete stop. Racking the bolt required. High vulnerability.
[Tactical Reload: 2.8 Seconds]   ---> Complete stop. Leave 1 round in chamber. Skip bolt rack.

If you try to reload while running, your character will simply stop or cancel the animation. In a game where staying mobile keeps you alive, standing still for 3.5 seconds during a swarm is an eternity.

Pro-Tips for Dominating with the MG-43

If you want to maximize this weapon on Difficulty 7+, keep these tactical habits in mind:

1. Embrace the "Tactical Reload": Never shoot until the gun clicks empty. If you reload with even 1 bullet left in the magazine, you skip the animation of racking the weapon's charging handle. This shaves roughly 0.7 seconds off the reload, getting you back into the fight faster.

2. Take a Knee (or Dive): Recoil modifiers in Helldivers 2 reward good posture. Firing the MG-43 while standing causes severe muzzle climb, especially at 900 RPM. Crouching reduces recoil by 30%, and lying prone slashes it even further. Ditching your upright stance turns the gun into a laser beam.

3. Watch the Ergonomics: The MG-43 is heavy. When you swing your camera, the actual crosshair lags behind your screen. To combat this, avoid using it like a close-quarters shotgun. Treat it like a portable turret—set up your angle, anchor your feet, and let the enemies walk into your line of fire.