Is the Helldivers 2 Python Commandos Warbond Worth Getting?

The Python Commandos Warbond in Helldivers 2 is the sequel to the earlier Viper Commandos Warbond, but this time, players can expect some heavier-duty equipment that includes a couple of the most highly-requested weapons in the game. There’s a lot to like about Python Commandos, but when you consider the ever-growing list of Helldivers 2 Warbonds, whether you pick this one up before anything else is something you’ll want to consider first. This guide contains all the items in Python Commandos as well as our analysis on how well each of the Warbond’s most important parts perform against all enemy factions.

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Helldivers 2: All Warbonds, Ranked

Here are all of the Warbonds in Helldivers 2, ranked according to practicality to help players figure out which ones to get first.

Every Item in Helldivers 2 Python Commandos

Like the previous Viper Commandos Warbond, Python Commandos shares the same jungle theme, albeit with a more heavily-armed motif compared to the guerilla-styled equipment from before. As always, players will need 1000 Super Credits to activate the Warbond, and they’ll need to spend Medals to unlock each individual item within its catalog.

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Is The Helldivers 2 Python Commandos Warbond Worth Buying?

Yes, though players are urged to temper their expectations. The armor perks and weapons in Python Commandos are perfectly competent, though Helldivers 2 Warbonds like Dust Devils tend to be objectively more valuable from a pure gameplay perspective.

AR/GL-21 One-Two

• Damage: 95 (8mm – Light Penetration)
• Capacity: 40 (6/6 Mags Reserved); 3/3 Grenades
• Fire Rate: 650 RPM

Apart from its underslung grenade launcher, this unassuming assault rifle is as plain as it gets, but that doesn’t mean it’s weak. The One-Two outperforms the standard Liberator in terms of DPS, and its grenade launcher makes it quite versatile when it comes to taking out medium-armored targets, destroying enemy spawners, and forcing burrowed Rupture Strain Terminids out of the ground.

The One-Two assault rifle has three notable downsides:

1. It has a low base Ergonomics value of 29, making it feel more sluggish compared to other ARs.
2. Maximum ammo capacities for both 8mm rounds and 40mm grenades are low.
3. The One-Two’s weapon customization options are limited to scopes and muzzle devices.

Overall, the One-Two is a solid assault rifle that should bring a smile to light-pen enjoyers. It feels nice to shoot, and it performs well against all factions. However, its low Ergonomics stat makes it cumbersome to use up-close, especially against fast-moving melee enemies like Hunters.

AX/FLAM-75 Hot Dog

The Hot Dog is a Guard Dog bodyguard drone with a flamethrower, and as horrifying as that sounds, the odds of this thing accidentally torching your teammates are actually quite low thanks to the flamethrower’s relatively short range. Think of the Hot Dog as a deadlier version of the Dog Breath rover that trades crowd control for damage and area denial.

Perhaps the best thing about the Hot Dog is the fact that flame weapons can damage heavy armor. It won’t be the fastest at killing enemies like Chargers or Warstriders, but if you don’t have anything else on you when one of these enemies comes barreling toward you, then you can at least expect your Hot Dog to deal with the incoming threat.

Defoliation Tool (Chainsaw)

The Defoliation Tool is arguably the weakest part of the Helldivers 2 Python Commandos Warbond. Just the fact that it’s a melee support weapon already makes it less practical to bring than other options, but it does have a few things going for it:

1. When the Defoliation Tool hits a target, it “bites” onto them. Helldivers automatically rev the chainsaw when it connects with something, allowing them to deal sustained damage without having to swing the weapon again.
2. If the Defoliation Tool is held against a target for long enough, its armor penetration profile goes from Medium to Heavy,
3. This weapon does not use any sort of ammo or fuel.
4. Enemies are temporarily stunned when hit by the chainsaw blade.

The Defoliation Tool shines best against Terminids, as its high DPS and mini-stun can trivialize the majority of melee enemies. Surprisingly, it’s not that bad against the Illuminate either, though you’ll want to avoid using this weapon completely against Automatons.

All of these make the Defoliation Tool good on paper, but in practice, this weapon has one glaring issue: the chainsaw biting mechanic is inconsistent. Instead of getting the Defoliation Tool to sink its sharp, democratic teeth onto a target, it will often just phase through them, rendering the high DPS and heavy penetration parts of the weapon irrelevant.

Additionally, the Defoliation Tool’s swing speed is fairly slow, making it ironically terrible against Voteless hordes and Hunter swarms. This weapon works best against medium-large-sized targets.

M-1000 Maxigun

Thankfully, the Maxigun isn’t nearly as problematic as the Defoliation Tool. It is mostly an alternative to the MG-43 Machine Gun; both weapons can penetrate up to medium armor, and both fill the same horde-clearing niche. However, the Maxigun has a few clear advantages and disadvantages:

• The Maxigun cannot be used without its proprietary ammo backpack. In return, the weapon can be fired without reloading or overheating (up to 30 or so seconds of uninterrupted shooting).
• The Maxigun has a 0.5-second wind-up and wind-down time, and players cannot dive away during these windows.
• Players can resupply a Maxigun user with the Resupply Pack, letting them fire for much longer.
• Players cannot move while firing the Maxigun, but it packs enough firepower to mulch most heavy infantry before they become a threat (namely Spewers, Commanders, Stalkers, and Fleshmobs).
• The Maxigun’s initial recoil is strong, but it stabilizes fairly quickly.
• Given the weapon’s fire rate, it is extremely ammo-inefficient.

This weapon works best against enemy reinforcement waves. Point it towards the nearest bug breach or bot/squid landing zone, and just let it rip. The Maxigun is useless against heavily-armored targets, but if you bring a Rocket Sentry or Thermite Grenades, you’ll still be able to deal with them without relying on teammates as much.

The Maxigun performs decently well across all factions, as long as players can avoid getting swarmed. Surprisingly, it works well even against Automatons and all of their tyrannical ranged weaponry. However, support weapons like the Grenade Launcher and the other machine guns can do the Maxigun’s job too, and often with much better efficiency in terms of both ammo usage and overall effectiveness.

Rock Solid (Armor Passive)

Rock Solid gives players deal 100% more damage with melee attacks while also making them more resistant to being knocked prone. It’s a nice alternative armor perk for fans of melee builds, and the knockdown resistance makes it worth using even outside of melee loadouts. This perk isn’t as universally useful as others like Siege Ready, though, making its value highly subjective.