Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 has taken the gaming world by storm thanks to its outer space battlefield setting and its satirical fight for freedom a la Starship Troopers. The game introduces numerous features with which players can work around and ensure that all systems on their battleships are working smoothly.
One such feature includes the Ship Modules. Think of them as an upgrade on your Destroyer Ship, which will naturally enhance its performance in many areas. From decreasing the cooldown time for stratagems to increasing the magazine on your support weapons - Ship Modules handles them all.
However, not all Ship Modules would be available to use or even sample in the game's early stages, so let's take a look at how you can upgrade your ship right from the beginning. Before we list out our favourite Ship Modules, be sure to read up on how to kill a Devastator plus we explain how you can rank up quickly in Helldivers 2.
How to purchase Ship Modules in Helldivers 2
The place to upgrade both Stratagems and the Ship Modules is at the same location and can be found at the Ship Management Terminal. And while they’re both in the same spot, one can be used to upgrade the other too! That is, players can use the Ship Modules to upgrade their Stratagems.
A noteworthy point is that these Modules are separated into six groups, each focusing on upgrading a particular aspect of your Stratagem. So now you know where and how to upgrade them, let's take a look at what's worth spending your hard-earned samples on.
Best Helldivers 2 Ship Modules
While players have 18 Ship Modules during the early stages, some will aid your gameplay far better than others. Although unlocking each is vital as the game progresses, you must prioritise which one to use first, since these upgrades cost samples, which can only be secured by completing missions on hostile planets in the first place.
We've compiled a handy table that will help you identify which Ship Modules are the best, which can be found below.
| Ship Module | Cost | Description | Affected Stratagems |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donation Access License | 60 Common Green Samples | Used to upgrade the magazine size of your Support Weapon. | Stalwart Railgun Laser Cannon Grenade Launcher Machine Gun Flamethrower Anti-Materiel Rifle |
| Synthetic Supplementation | 10 Rare Orange Samples 60 Common Green Samples. | Reduces the cooldown time for multiple items by a factor of 10%: Items include: Sentry. Resupply Stratagems. Emplacement. | Machine Gun Sentry Shield Generator Relay EMS Mortar Relay Rocket Sentry Autocannon Sentry Incendiary Mines HMG EmplacementGatling Sentry Tesla Tower Mortar Sentry Anti-Personnel Minefield |
| Expanded Weapons Bay | Pit Crew Hazard Pay Ship Module 10 Super Pink Samples 80 Common Green Samples 80 Rare Orange Samples | Used to increase the Eagle Stratagem usage, allowing it to carry more payload. | Eagle 500KG Bomb Eagle Airstrike Eagle Strafing Run Eagle Smoke Strike Eagle Cluster Bomb Eagle Napalm Airstrike Eagle 110MM Rocket Pods |
| The Streamlined Request Process | 40 Rare Samples 80 Common Samples Requires the Donation Access License. | Reduces the cooldown time for your Support Weapon by 10%. | Stalwart Autocannon Railgun Laser Cannon Arc Thrower Spear Grenade Launcher Machine Gun Flamethrower Recoilless Rifle Anti-Material Rifle Expendable Anti-Tank |
| Targeting Software Upgrade | 60 Common Samples | Used to reduce the time it takes for the Orbital Weapons to be deployed by a second. | Orbital Gatling Barrage Orbital Walking Barrage Orbital EMS Strike Orbital Gas Strike Orbital Railcannon Strike Orbital Smoke Strike Orbital Airburst Strike Orbital Laser Orbital Precision Strike Orbital 380MM HE Barrage Orbital 120MM HE Barrage |
Ship Modules, although completely optional, are essential to enhance the performance of your Destroyer Ship. However, not all of them are as useful as the others. It ultimately depends on your playstyle and loadout, and it's also worth noting that some modules and stratagems will be more beneficial on different missions.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and Helldivers 2 page.