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m90-medium.png -
m90-light.png -
dbs_2_double_freedom.png -
las_13_trident.png -
sg_20_halt.png -
sg_225_breaker.png -
sg_225ie_breaker_incendiary.png -
sg_225sp_breaker_spray_pray.png -
sg_451_cookout.png -
sg_8_punisher.png -
sg_8p_punisher_plasma.png -
sg_8s_slugger.png -
sg_97_sweeper.png -
sg_22_bushwhacker.png -
spray-pray-swarm-95-v2.png -
spray-pray-swarm-95-v3-author-reason.png -
sg_97_sweeper-large-final.png
Part of Super Earth Arsenal Accord — the complete Community Balance Patch. Choose the main mod for the full collection, or these focused packs for selected equipment.
Join the Arsenal Accord Discord
Share balance feedback, report bugs, follow updates and find a squad to dive with.
Goal
Distinct close-range roles: decisive pump shots, sustained automatic pressure, fire and stun control, and two M90A profiles.
Version 9.5 — installation and scope
Install with the Helldivers 2 Mod Manager, then enable the individual equipment options you want. Restart after changing selections. Requires HD2Runtime 0.40.0, Bingus Mod Loader 18 or later, and the VanillaPlus baseline used by the main 9.5 release. Wait for patches to settle and spawn fresh equipment.
Use the main Arsenal Accord mod OR the standalone packs; do not install both. The standalone packs can be combined with one another. Each item has one owner pack; shared native bullet/damage records are the exception described below.
Arsenal Accord - Progress is an optional separate loading display that combines the installed packs into one bar. There is no embedded progress bar, chat announcement or kicking system in this balance pack.
Shared native records
Identical shared edits are included where needed and applied once across the standalone packs. This is not full native-record isolation: other equipment using the same bullet, damage or status record can inherit those fields even without its own pack installed.
M90A Shotgun
Why the change?
Medium penetration trades raw flesh damage for access to armored target parts. Dense pellets reward closing the distance; strong drag, a broad pattern and six shells keep positioning and reload choices important. Finish the fight at arm’s reach.
Why the change?
M90A brings Halo’s decisive close-range shotgun feel into Helldivers. Dense damage rewards closing the gap, while drag 10 and a wider pattern sharply reduce reach. Punisher and Double Freedom retain more range flexibility. Medium trades raw flesh damage for penetration; light trades penetration for stronger durable hits. Six shells demand deliberate positioning and reload choices. Super Earth approves of finishing the fight—preferably within arm’s reach.
9.5 selectable profiles
The light option trades AP3/3/2/1 for AP2/2/2/1 and increases damage from 55/33 to 74/63 per pellet. Both profiles use 15 pellets, 200/160 spread, drag 10, 80 RPM, 6 shells and 42 reserve shells. Tables use integer-rounded 74/63 for light. For the GRASS 3.93 → 3.63 s full-reload target, 9.5 shortens the native reload ability by 7.63% (2.1667 → 2.0013 s). The complete animation target remains an estimate; repeated shell stages may differ.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
Alpha Commander head by distance
The range table assumes every required pellet finds the head. Spread makes distant results less reliable: at 15 m medium needs more than 15 hits; light can theoretically reach the threshold if all 15 connect. These are calculated part thresholds, not measured kill probabilities.
Profile selection and retained handling
Enable M90A Shotgun for medium. Optional light takes precedence when both are enabled, including Select All; disable light to use medium. Profiles do not stack. Restart after changing the selection.
Retained handling and ammunition: ergonomics 70, sway 0.5, six loaded shells, 42 maximum spares, 24 starting spares, 44 per supply and 22 per ammo box. Both profiles share the 7.63% native reload-ability reduction; full animation-inclusive timing has not been measured.
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
DBS-2 Double Freedom
Why the change?
Double Freedom rewards committing two barrels at close range while keeping useful reach. The 66/40 pellet trades a little ordinary damage for durable flesh damage: Alpha heads retain their one-shell threshold, while vents and abdomens need fewer connecting pellets. Two shots still make every miss expensive. For citizens who prefer their arguments brief and delivered twice.
9.5 retains 150/120 spread and the 6 g / 8 mm / 385 m/s / drag 0.5 flight profile. Extreme-angle AP1, 66 rounds per supply pickup and 74 spare rounds remain.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
Useful changes: Alpha head remains 1 shell and Hulk vent remains 2. The Hulk requires 20 → 19 connecting pellets, standard Charger abdomen 24 → 23, and either Spewer abdomen 23 → 20. Hive Guard head becomes slightly less forgiving, needing 7 → 8 pellets. Improved hit margin is valuable even when the whole-shell count does not change.
Existing mod versus 9.5
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
LAS-13 Trident
Why the change?
Trident keeps the feel of a broad energy shotgun while trading some snap-to-target handling for a steadier sight picture. The final penetration band becomes less brittle without changing its normal penetration class. Sweep deliberately; let the beam pattern do the work.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Ergonomics: 65 → 50
Sway multiplier: 1 → 0.9
SG-20 Halt
Why the change?
Halt should offer a real choice between stopping a threat and finishing it. Faster cycling, stronger stun application and better supply recovery support switching roles, while increased drag keeps its pellets focused on closer fights. Crowd control is most useful when the follow-up shot is ready.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Fire rate in RPM: 80 → 100
Projectile drag: 0.30000001192092896 → 0.5
Rounds per supply pickup: 60 → 84
Spare rounds: 60 → 64
Standard damage: 35 → 38
Alternate
Alternate attack status strength: 1 → 3
SG-225 Breaker
Why the change?
Breaker remains the aggressive close-range automatic shotgun. More durable damage and stagger make committed bursts count against tougher flesh; larger reserves and better resupply keep that pressure sustainable. A drum should buy breathing room, not an immediate ammunition crisis.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Durable damage: 6 → 9
Stagger force: 15 → 20
Drum Magazine
Attachment ergonomics modifier: -15 → -10
Magazines per supply pickup: 4 → 6
Spare magazines: 4 → 5
Extended Magazine
Magazines per supply pickup: 7 → 10
Spare magazines: 7 → 9
Short Magazine
Magazines per supply pickup: 11 → 13
Spare magazines: 11 → 12
SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
Why the change?
The incendiary Breaker shifts toward spreading fire across a group. More pellets and stronger fire application support that job, while less direct durable damage and a slower cycle distinguish it from a raw-damage shotgun. Paint the advance with fire, then let the burning work.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Durable damage: 10 → 3
Fire rate in RPM: 300 → 250
Firing mode list: Burst / Single → Burst / Single / Automatic
Pellets per shot: 12 → 20
Primary status strength: 0.6000000238418579 → 1
Projectile drag: 80% → 50%
Standard damage: 20 → 12
Drum Magazine
Attachment ergonomics modifier: -15 → -10
Magazines per supply pickup: 4 → 6
Spare magazines: 4 → 5
Extended Magazine
Magazines per supply pickup: 7 → 10
Spare magazines: 7 → 9
Short Magazine
Magazines per supply pickup: 11 → 13
Spare magazines: 11 → 12
SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray
Why the change?
Spray & Pray was designed to be a birdshot weapon: a dense cloud of tiny pellets, with each pellet doing little damage and barely penetrating. Its identity comes from that specialization. It blankets soft swarms with many small hits, while armored targets demand a different tool.
9.5 specification: 75 pellets at 8 standard / 2 durable damage each, AP1, drag 3.4, base spread 800/800 and a 40-shell drum. Fire rate is 330 RPM; confusion is removed. Short and extended magazines hold 30 and 50 shells, with the reserve and supply values shown below.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
The armor limit is absolute for intact light-armored parts: AP1 cannot damage a Commander’s armored head or main body. It can cripple vulnerable legs, but cannot kill a healthy Commander by itself. The remaining leg damage is not a complete route to lethal main-health damage.
At 10 m, a 160-HP Hunter body needs 12/16 vanilla pellets or 27/75 9.5 pellets. The wider 9.5 pattern means this is a coverage opportunity, not a guaranteed accuracy improvement. The theoretical Hulk-vent and abdomen counts above require hundreds of concentrated hits and should not be read as practical long-range performance.
Falloff and weak-pellet rounding
Earlier low-damage, 100-pellet experiments lost too much effectiveness to falloff and rounding. The release retains 8/2 per pellet and limits rate and reach. Coverage, reload downtime and magazine endurance remain practical factors that an ideal all-pellet calculation cannot measure.
Retained handling: sway 0.9; horizontal recoil climb/drift 20/20; vertical climb/drift 35/20. Drum: 40 capacity, 6 spare magazines, 5 starting, 6 supply, 3 ammo box. Short: 30 capacity, 18 spare, 12 starting, 18 supply, 9 ammo box. Extended: 50 capacity, 11 spare, 8 starting, 11 supply, 5 ammo box.
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
SG-451 Cookout
Why the change?
Cookout should turn deliberate pump shots into dependable fire control. Stronger ignition, a modest durable increase and better ammunition recovery support repeated crowd management without replacing the damage-focused shotguns. Serve every approaching wave thoroughly cooked.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Durable damage: 3 → 4
Primary status strength: 0.6000000238418579 → 1
Projectile drag: 80% → 50%
Rounds per supply pickup: 60 → 76
Spare rounds: 60 → 64
SG-8 Punisher
Why the change?
Punisher remains the forgiving pump shotgun. Ordinary damage and reach stay familiar, while stronger durable pellets reward closing on an exposed abdomen or rear vent. AP2 preserves the need to aim around armor. Compared with M90A, it trades the fiercest point-blank burst for reach, capacity and steady follow-up shots. Nine signatures on one eviction notice.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
The key improvements are Spewer abdomen 6 → 3 shells, standard Charger abdomen 6 → 3, and Hulk vent 4 → 3. Alpha head still needs 2 shells, but the required total connecting pellets falls from 17 to 10. At 10 m, five old shells into the standard Charger abdomen total 945 damage, just short of its 950 HP; that is why the rounded table shows 6.
9.5 loadout: 9 × 50/38, AP2, 100 RPM, 16 shells; spread 150/120; retained 6 g / 8 mm / 385 m/s / drag 0.5. Extreme-angle AP1, 84 rounds per supply and 64 spares remain. Muzzle totals: 450/342 before armor, range and misses.
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
SG-8P Punisher Plasma
Why the change?
One additional spare magazine gives the plasma shotgun more room to perform its existing crowd-control role between resupplies. This is a small endurance adjustment; its projectile and blast identity stay intact.
Spare magazines: 8 → 9
SG-8S Slugger
Why the change?
Slugger concentrates the shotgun’s durable-target reward into one aimed projectile. Its 330/281 AP3 slug punishes exposed vents, abdomens and thrusters without gaining access to intact heavy armor. An 80 RPM cadence keeps shot selection meaningful; a faster, lighter slug distinguishes its flight from buckshot. One round. One carefully selected structural disagreement.
Baseline: existing mod 330/83 at AP3 and 100 RPM, with 50 g, 18 mm, 390 m/s and drag 1. The normal damage is unchanged; the durable damage and flight profile change, and RPM returns to 80.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
Slugger versus the current mod’s Deadeye
Deadeye reference: 300/100, direct-impact AP4, 125 RPM and 8 rounds. The table gives shots and the firing interval from first impact to last required shot. Zero seconds means a one-hit result; it does not mean zero aiming or travel time. Entries exceeding capacity need a reload, which is not included.
Armor boundary: AP3 cannot damage an intact Bile Titan head, Hulk eye or armored Charger head. Durable damage improves suitable exposed parts; it does not substitute for penetration.
The slower cadence preserves a different role from Deadeye. Against the modeled Devastator chest, the previous Slugger needs three hits over 1.2 seconds; 9.5 needs three over 1.5 seconds; Deadeye needs two over 0.48 seconds. Matching this one case through fire rate would accelerate every durable-part kill too.
Retained changes: extreme-angle AP1, demolition 20, 84 rounds per supply pickup and 64 spares. New projectile: 28.35 g, 18 mm, 488 m/s, drag 1.07 and gravity 1.
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
SG-97 Sweeper
Why the change?
Sweeper bridges the careful pump shotgun and the automatic crowd clearer. Medium penetration and rapid follow-up shots reward staying on a priority target; higher durable damage makes its seven-shell magazine useful against exposed heavy flesh. Its improved abdomen and vent thresholds do not turn each pellet into a heavy-armor solution. Sweep the breach. Leave the paperwork to Recovery.
The intended gains remain Alpha head 2 → 1 shell, Hulk vent 4 → 3, standard Charger abdomen 5 → 4 and Spewer abdomen 7 → 3. These were accepted as useful identity changes. A one-shell Hive Guard head result requires all 12 pellets.
Calculation correction and ballistic assumption
Ballistic basis: 12 mm, 10 g, 385 m/s and retained mod drag 0.5 versus vanilla 0.3. The modeled Alpha-head break requires ten connecting pellets. Retained changes: ergonomics 55, extreme-angle AP1 and 77 rounds per supply pickup.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
Drag sensitivity to verify in game
The corrected vanilla tank-heatsink calculation is 11 shells, falling to 5 in 9.5. The earlier 8 mm assumption gave 9. This is a model correction, not another balance change.
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
SG-22 Bushwhacker
Why the change?
A last-ditch shotgun sidearm should make its limited shots matter. Stronger pellets and durable damage improve the payoff for letting a threat get close, with supply recovery supporting repeat emergencies. Three barrels are a contingency plan, not a primary weapon.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Durable damage: 12 → 15
Rounds per supply pickup: 30 → 32
Standard damage: 45 → 50
SG-88 Break-Action Shotgun
Why the change?
This is only the existing physical-projectile penetration-floor change. It keeps the recovered field shotgun's two-shot identity while giving its final angle band a nonzero value.
Feed Primary
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Credits and validation
Built from the published Arsenal Accord 9.5 settings, including GRASS-derived work and the Accord revisions identified above. Current HD2Runtime exposes the fields used by these packages. The standalone archives passed API, option-selection and combined-load-order checks; these checks are not a new live gameplay test. Breakpoint charts are calculated estimates under their stated assumptions. Use balance mods with a consenting squad.
Equipment artwork: Helldivers 2 / Arrowhead Game Studios; crossover equipment belongs to its respective owners. Unofficial fan balance project.
Join the Arsenal Accord Discord
Share balance feedback, report bugs, follow updates and find a squad to dive with.
Goal
Distinct close-range roles: decisive pump shots, sustained automatic pressure, fire and stun control, and two M90A profiles.
Version 9.5 — installation and scope
Install with the Helldivers 2 Mod Manager, then enable the individual equipment options you want. Restart after changing selections. Requires HD2Runtime 0.40.0, Bingus Mod Loader 18 or later, and the VanillaPlus baseline used by the main 9.5 release. Wait for patches to settle and spawn fresh equipment.
Use the main Arsenal Accord mod OR the standalone packs; do not install both. The standalone packs can be combined with one another. Each item has one owner pack; shared native bullet/damage records are the exception described below.
Arsenal Accord - Progress is an optional separate loading display that combines the installed packs into one bar. There is no embedded progress bar, chat announcement or kicking system in this balance pack.
Shared native records
Identical shared edits are included where needed and applied once across the standalone packs. This is not full native-record isolation: other equipment using the same bullet, damage or status record can inherit those fields even without its own pack installed.
M90A Shotgun
Why the change?
Medium penetration trades raw flesh damage for access to armored target parts. Dense pellets reward closing the distance; strong drag, a broad pattern and six shells keep positioning and reload choices important. Finish the fight at arm’s reach.
Why the change?
M90A brings Halo’s decisive close-range shotgun feel into Helldivers. Dense damage rewards closing the gap, while drag 10 and a wider pattern sharply reduce reach. Punisher and Double Freedom retain more range flexibility. Medium trades raw flesh damage for penetration; light trades penetration for stronger durable hits. Six shells demand deliberate positioning and reload choices. Super Earth approves of finishing the fight—preferably within arm’s reach.
9.5 selectable profiles
| Setting | Medium — default | Light — optional |
|---|---|---|
| Penetration | AP3 | AP2 |
| Pellets | 15 | 15 |
| Normal / durable per pellet | 55 / 33 | 74 / 63 |
| Durable ratio | 60% | ≈85.1% |
| Normal / durable per shell | 825 / 495 | 1,110 / 945 |
| Spread: horizontal / vertical | 200 / 160 mrad | 200 / 160 mrad |
| Drag | 10 | 10 |
| Mass / calibre / speed | 6 g / 8 mm / 385 m/s | 6 g / 8 mm / 385 m/s |
| Rate / capacity | 80 RPM / 6 shells | 80 RPM / 6 shells |
| Full reload (target) | 3.93 → 3.63 s | 3.93 → 3.63 s |
The light option trades AP3/3/2/1 for AP2/2/2/1 and increases damage from 55/33 to 74/63 per pellet. Both profiles use 15 pellets, 200/160 spread, drag 10, 80 RPM, 6 shells and 42 reserve shells. Tables use integer-rounded 74/63 for light. For the GRASS 3.93 → 3.63 s full-reload target, 9.5 shortens the native reload ability by 7.63% (2.1667 → 2.0013 s). The complete animation target remains an estimate; repeated shell stages may differ.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
| Target part | Vanilla | Previous mod | 9.5 medium | 9.5 light |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter body (high difficulty) | 1 shell / 4 hits | 1 shell / 3 hits | 1 shell / 6 hits | 1 shell / 5 hits |
| Brood Commander head | 1 shell / 10 hits | 1 shell / 7 hits | 1 shell / 10 hits | 1 shell / 10 hits |
| Alpha Commander head | 2 shells / 14 hits | 1 shell / 10 hits | 1 shell / 13 hits | 1 shell / 12 hits |
| Hive Guard head | Blocked | 1 shell / 10 hits | 2 shells / 16 hits | Blocked |
| Hulk rear vent | 3 shells / 29 hits | 2 shells / 30 hits | 3 shells / 43 hits | 2 shells / 26 hits |
| Standard Charger abdomen | 4 shells / 37 hits | 3 shells / 42 hits | 4 shells / 50 hits | 2 shells / 28 hits |
| Spore Charger abdomen | 5 shells / 50 hits | 5 shells / 68 hits | 4 shells / 56 hits | 2 shells / 29 hits |
| Nursing Spewer abdomen | 4 shells / 40 hits | 4 shells / 54 hits | 3 shells / 45 hits | 2 shells / 23 hits |
| Bile Spewer abdomen | 4 shells / 40 hits | 4 shells / 54 hits | 3 shells / 45 hits | 2 shells / 23 hits |
| Devastator chest | Blocked | 1 shell / 15 hits | 2 shells / 27 hits | Blocked |
| Tank rear heatsink | Blocked | 6 shells / 84 hits | 5 shells / 69 hits | Blocked |
| Gunship front thruster | Blocked | 3 shells / 31 hits | 3 shells / 34 hits | Blocked |
| Gunship rear thruster | Blocked | 2 shells / 27 hits | 3 shells / 34 hits | Blocked |
| Hulk eye | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked |
| Charger armored head | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked |
| Bile Titan head | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked |
Alpha Commander head by distance
| Range | Vanilla | 9.5 medium | 9.5 light | Damage retained, 9.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 m | 2 shells / 14 hits | 1 shell / 7 hits | 1 shell / 6 hits | 100.0% |
| 3.5 m | 2 shells / 14 hits | 1 shell / 9 hits | 1 shell / 8 hits | 77.8% |
| 5 m | 2 shells / 14 hits | 1 shell / 10 hits | 1 shell / 9 hits | 70.4% |
| 7 m | 2 shells / 14 hits | 1 shell / 11 hits | 1 shell / 10 hits | 62.1% |
| 10 m | 2 shells / 14 hits | 1 shell / 13 hits | 1 shell / 12 hits | 52.4% |
| 15 m | 2 shells / 14 hits | 2 shells / 16 hits | 1 shell / 15 hits | 41.6% |
| 25 m | 2 shells / 14 hits | 2 shells / 21 hits | 2 shells / 20 hits | 31.1% |
The range table assumes every required pellet finds the head. Spread makes distant results less reliable: at 15 m medium needs more than 15 hits; light can theoretically reach the threshold if all 15 connect. These are calculated part thresholds, not measured kill probabilities.
Profile selection and retained handling
Enable M90A Shotgun for medium. Optional light takes precedence when both are enabled, including Select All; disable light to use medium. Profiles do not stack. Restart after changing the selection.
Retained handling and ammunition: ergonomics 70, sway 0.5, six loaded shells, 42 maximum spares, 24 starting spares, 44 per supply and 22 per ammo box. Both profiles share the 7.63% native reload-ability reduction; full animation-inclusive timing has not been measured.
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
DBS-2 Double Freedom
Why the change?
Double Freedom rewards committing two barrels at close range while keeping useful reach. The 66/40 pellet trades a little ordinary damage for durable flesh damage: Alpha heads retain their one-shell threshold, while vents and abdomens need fewer connecting pellets. Two shots still make every miss expensive. For citizens who prefer their arguments brief and delivered twice.
9.5 retains 150/120 spread and the 6 g / 8 mm / 385 m/s / drag 0.5 flight profile. Extreme-angle AP1, 66 rounds per supply pickup and 74 spare rounds remain.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
| Target part | Vanilla | 9.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter body (high difficulty) | 1 shell / 3 hits | 1 shell / 3 hits |
| Brood Commander head | 1 shell / 5 hits | 1 shell / 5 hits |
| Alpha Commander head | 1 shell / 6 hits | 1 shell / 6 hits |
| Hive Guard head | 1 shell / 7 hits | 1 shell / 8 hits |
| Hulk rear vent | 2 shells / 20 hits | 2 shells / 19 hits |
| Standard Charger abdomen | 2 shells / 24 hits | 2 shells / 23 hits |
| Spore Charger abdomen | 3 shells / 29 hits | 3 shells / 25 hits |
| Nursing Spewer abdomen | 2 shells / 23 hits | 2 shells / 20 hits |
| Bile Spewer abdomen | 2 shells / 23 hits | 2 shells / 20 hits |
| Devastator chest | 1 shell / 12 hits | 1 shell / 12 hits |
| Tank rear heatsink | 3 shells / 36 hits | 3 shells / 30 hits |
| Gunship front thruster | 2 shells / 16 hits | 2 shells / 15 hits |
| Gunship rear thruster | 2 shells / 16 hits | 2 shells / 15 hits |
| Hulk eye | Blocked | Blocked |
| Charger armored head | Blocked | Blocked |
| Bile Titan head | Blocked | Blocked |
Useful changes: Alpha head remains 1 shell and Hulk vent remains 2. The Hulk requires 20 → 19 connecting pellets, standard Charger abdomen 24 → 23, and either Spewer abdomen 23 → 20. Hive Guard head becomes slightly less forgiving, needing 7 → 8 pellets. Improved hit margin is valuable even when the whole-shell count does not change.
Existing mod versus 9.5
| Target part | Existing mod: 70/18 | 9.5: 66/40 |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Commander head | 1 shell / 8 hits | 1 shell / 6 hits |
| Hulk rear vent | 3 shells / 25 hits | 2 shells / 19 hits |
| Standard Charger abdomen | 3 shells / 36 hits | 2 shells / 23 hits |
| Spore Charger abdomen | 5 shells / 56 hits | 3 shells / 25 hits |
| Nursing Spewer abdomen | 4 shells / 45 hits | 2 shells / 20 hits |
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
LAS-13 Trident
Why the change?
Trident keeps the feel of a broad energy shotgun while trading some snap-to-target handling for a steadier sight picture. The final penetration band becomes less brittle without changing its normal penetration class. Sweep deliberately; let the beam pattern do the work.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Ergonomics: 65 → 50
Sway multiplier: 1 → 0.9
SG-20 Halt
Why the change?
Halt should offer a real choice between stopping a threat and finishing it. Faster cycling, stronger stun application and better supply recovery support switching roles, while increased drag keeps its pellets focused on closer fights. Crowd control is most useful when the follow-up shot is ready.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Fire rate in RPM: 80 → 100
Projectile drag: 0.30000001192092896 → 0.5
Rounds per supply pickup: 60 → 84
Spare rounds: 60 → 64
Standard damage: 35 → 38
Alternate
Alternate attack status strength: 1 → 3
SG-225 Breaker
Why the change?
Breaker remains the aggressive close-range automatic shotgun. More durable damage and stagger make committed bursts count against tougher flesh; larger reserves and better resupply keep that pressure sustainable. A drum should buy breathing room, not an immediate ammunition crisis.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Durable damage: 6 → 9
Stagger force: 15 → 20
Drum Magazine
Attachment ergonomics modifier: -15 → -10
Magazines per supply pickup: 4 → 6
Spare magazines: 4 → 5
Extended Magazine
Magazines per supply pickup: 7 → 10
Spare magazines: 7 → 9
Short Magazine
Magazines per supply pickup: 11 → 13
Spare magazines: 11 → 12
SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
Why the change?
The incendiary Breaker shifts toward spreading fire across a group. More pellets and stronger fire application support that job, while less direct durable damage and a slower cycle distinguish it from a raw-damage shotgun. Paint the advance with fire, then let the burning work.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Durable damage: 10 → 3
Fire rate in RPM: 300 → 250
Firing mode list: Burst / Single → Burst / Single / Automatic
Pellets per shot: 12 → 20
Primary status strength: 0.6000000238418579 → 1
Projectile drag: 80% → 50%
Standard damage: 20 → 12
Drum Magazine
Attachment ergonomics modifier: -15 → -10
Magazines per supply pickup: 4 → 6
Spare magazines: 4 → 5
Extended Magazine
Magazines per supply pickup: 7 → 10
Spare magazines: 7 → 9
Short Magazine
Magazines per supply pickup: 11 → 13
Spare magazines: 11 → 12
SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray
Why the change?
Spray & Pray was designed to be a birdshot weapon: a dense cloud of tiny pellets, with each pellet doing little damage and barely penetrating. Its identity comes from that specialization. It blankets soft swarms with many small hits, while armored targets demand a different tool.
9.5 specification: 75 pellets at 8 standard / 2 durable damage each, AP1, drag 3.4, base spread 800/800 and a 40-shell drum. Fire rate is 330 RPM; confusion is removed. Short and extended magazines hold 30 and 50 shells, with the reserve and supply values shown below.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
| Target part | Vanilla | 9.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter body (high difficulty) | 1 shell / 12 hits | 1 shell / 27 hits |
| Brood Commander head | 3 shells / 40 hits | Blocked |
| Alpha Commander head | 4 shells / 63 hits | Blocked |
| Hive Guard head | Blocked | Blocked |
| Hulk rear vent | 8 shells / 113 hits | 6 shells / 450 hits |
| Standard Charger abdomen | 10 shells / 159 hits | 7 shells / 475 hits |
| Spore Charger abdomen | 20 shells / 317 hits | 13 shells / 950 hits |
| Nursing Spewer abdomen | 16 shells / 250 hits | 10 shells / 750 hits |
| Bile Spewer abdomen | 16 shells / 250 hits | 10 shells / 750 hits |
| Devastator chest | Blocked | Blocked |
| Tank rear heatsink | Blocked | Blocked |
| Gunship front thruster | Blocked | Blocked |
| Gunship rear thruster | Blocked | Blocked |
| Hulk eye | Blocked | Blocked |
| Charger armored head | Blocked | Blocked |
| Bile Titan head | Blocked | Blocked |
The armor limit is absolute for intact light-armored parts: AP1 cannot damage a Commander’s armored head or main body. It can cripple vulnerable legs, but cannot kill a healthy Commander by itself. The remaining leg damage is not a complete route to lethal main-health damage.
At 10 m, a 160-HP Hunter body needs 12/16 vanilla pellets or 27/75 9.5 pellets. The wider 9.5 pattern means this is a coverage opportunity, not a guaranteed accuracy improvement. The theoretical Hulk-vent and abdomen counts above require hundreds of concentrated hits and should not be read as practical long-range performance.
Falloff and weak-pellet rounding
| Range | Damage retained | Damage/pellet: 0% durable | Damage/pellet: 100% durable | Hunter body hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 m | 100.0% | 8 | 2 | 20 |
| 5 m | 89.9% | 7 | 1 | 23 |
| 10 m | 81.2% | 6 | 1 | 27 |
| 15 m | 73.7% | 5 | 1 | 32 |
| 25 m | 61.5% | 4 | 1 | 40 |
Earlier low-damage, 100-pellet experiments lost too much effectiveness to falloff and rounding. The release retains 8/2 per pellet and limits rate and reach. Coverage, reload downtime and magazine endurance remain practical factors that an ideal all-pellet calculation cannot measure.
Retained handling: sway 0.9; horizontal recoil climb/drift 20/20; vertical climb/drift 35/20. Drum: 40 capacity, 6 spare magazines, 5 starting, 6 supply, 3 ammo box. Short: 30 capacity, 18 spare, 12 starting, 18 supply, 9 ammo box. Extended: 50 capacity, 11 spare, 8 starting, 11 supply, 5 ammo box.
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
SG-451 Cookout
Why the change?
Cookout should turn deliberate pump shots into dependable fire control. Stronger ignition, a modest durable increase and better ammunition recovery support repeated crowd management without replacing the damage-focused shotguns. Serve every approaching wave thoroughly cooked.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Durable damage: 3 → 4
Primary status strength: 0.6000000238418579 → 1
Projectile drag: 80% → 50%
Rounds per supply pickup: 60 → 76
Spare rounds: 60 → 64
SG-8 Punisher
Why the change?
Punisher remains the forgiving pump shotgun. Ordinary damage and reach stay familiar, while stronger durable pellets reward closing on an exposed abdomen or rear vent. AP2 preserves the need to aim around armor. Compared with M90A, it trades the fiercest point-blank burst for reach, capacity and steady follow-up shots. Nine signatures on one eviction notice.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
| Target part | Existing mod | 9.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter body (high difficulty) | 1 shell / 4 hits | 1 shell / 4 hits |
| Brood Commander head | 2 shells / 12 hits | 1 shell / 8 hits |
| Alpha Commander head | 2 shells / 17 hits | 2 shells / 10 hits |
| Hive Guard head | Blocked | Blocked |
| Hulk rear vent | 4 shells / 34 hits | 3 shells / 22 hits |
| Standard Charger abdomen | 6 shells / 46 hits | 3 shells / 25 hits |
| Spore Charger abdomen | 8 shells / 68 hits | 3 shells / 27 hits |
| Nursing Spewer abdomen | 6 shells / 54 hits | 3 shells / 21 hits |
| Bile Spewer abdomen | 6 shells / 54 hits | 3 shells / 21 hits |
| Devastator chest | Blocked | Blocked |
| Tank rear heatsink | Blocked | Blocked |
| Gunship front thruster | Blocked | Blocked |
| Gunship rear thruster | Blocked | Blocked |
| Hulk eye | Blocked | Blocked |
| Charger armored head | Blocked | Blocked |
| Bile Titan head | Blocked | Blocked |
The key improvements are Spewer abdomen 6 → 3 shells, standard Charger abdomen 6 → 3, and Hulk vent 4 → 3. Alpha head still needs 2 shells, but the required total connecting pellets falls from 17 to 10. At 10 m, five old shells into the standard Charger abdomen total 945 damage, just short of its 950 HP; that is why the rounded table shows 6.
9.5 loadout: 9 × 50/38, AP2, 100 RPM, 16 shells; spread 150/120; retained 6 g / 8 mm / 385 m/s / drag 0.5. Extreme-angle AP1, 84 rounds per supply and 64 spares remain. Muzzle totals: 450/342 before armor, range and misses.
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
SG-8P Punisher Plasma
Why the change?
One additional spare magazine gives the plasma shotgun more room to perform its existing crowd-control role between resupplies. This is a small endurance adjustment; its projectile and blast identity stay intact.
Spare magazines: 8 → 9
SG-8S Slugger
Why the change?
Slugger concentrates the shotgun’s durable-target reward into one aimed projectile. Its 330/281 AP3 slug punishes exposed vents, abdomens and thrusters without gaining access to intact heavy armor. An 80 RPM cadence keeps shot selection meaningful; a faster, lighter slug distinguishes its flight from buckshot. One round. One carefully selected structural disagreement.
Baseline: existing mod 330/83 at AP3 and 100 RPM, with 50 g, 18 mm, 390 m/s and drag 1. The normal damage is unchanged; the durable damage and flight profile change, and RPM returns to 80.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
| Target part | Existing mod | 9.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter body (high difficulty) | 1 shot | 1 shot |
| Brood Commander head | 2 shots | 1 shot |
| Alpha Commander head | 2 shots | 1 shot |
| Hive Guard head | 2 shots | 2 shots |
| Hulk rear vent | 6 shots | 4 shots |
| Standard Charger abdomen | 8 shots | 4 shots |
| Spore Charger abdomen | 13 shots | 4 shots |
| Nursing Spewer abdomen | 10 shots | 3 shots |
| Bile Spewer abdomen | 10 shots | 3 shots |
| Devastator chest | 3 shots | 3 shots |
| Tank rear heatsink | 15 shots | 5 shots |
| Gunship front thruster | 6 shots | 3 shots |
| Gunship rear thruster | 5 shots | 3 shots |
| Hulk eye | Blocked | Blocked |
| Charger armored head | Blocked | Blocked |
| Bile Titan head | Blocked | Blocked |
Slugger versus the current mod’s Deadeye
Deadeye reference: 300/100, direct-impact AP4, 125 RPM and 8 rounds. The table gives shots and the firing interval from first impact to last required shot. Zero seconds means a one-hit result; it does not mean zero aiming or travel time. Entries exceeding capacity need a reload, which is not included.
| Target part | 9.5 Slugger: shots / interval | Deadeye: shots / interval |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter body (high difficulty) | 1 / 0.00 s | 1 / 0.00 s |
| Brood Commander head | 1 / 0.00 s | 2 / 0.48 s |
| Alpha Commander head | 1 / 0.00 s | 2 / 0.48 s |
| Hive Guard head | 2 / 0.75 s | 2 / 0.48 s |
| Hulk rear vent | 4 / 2.25 s | 6 / 2.40 s |
| Standard Charger abdomen | 4 / 2.25 s | 7 / 2.88 s |
| Spore Charger abdomen | 4 / 2.25 s | 10 / 4.32 s + reload |
| Nursing Spewer abdomen | 3 / 1.50 s | 8 / 3.36 s |
| Bile Spewer abdomen | 3 / 1.50 s | 8 / 3.36 s |
| Devastator chest | 3 / 1.50 s | 2 / 0.48 s |
| Tank rear heatsink | 5 / 3.00 s | 8 / 3.36 s |
| Gunship front thruster | 3 / 1.50 s | 4 / 1.44 s |
| Gunship rear thruster | 3 / 1.50 s | 3 / 0.96 s |
| Hulk eye | Blocked | 2 / 0.48 s |
| Charger armored head | Blocked | 13 / 5.76 s + reload |
| Bile Titan head | Blocked | 22 / 10.08 s + reload |
Armor boundary: AP3 cannot damage an intact Bile Titan head, Hulk eye or armored Charger head. Durable damage improves suitable exposed parts; it does not substitute for penetration.
The slower cadence preserves a different role from Deadeye. Against the modeled Devastator chest, the previous Slugger needs three hits over 1.2 seconds; 9.5 needs three over 1.5 seconds; Deadeye needs two over 0.48 seconds. Matching this one case through fire rate would accelerate every durable-part kill too.
Retained changes: extreme-angle AP1, demolition 20, 84 rounds per supply pickup and 64 spares. New projectile: 28.35 g, 18 mm, 488 m/s, drag 1.07 and gravity 1.
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
SG-97 Sweeper
Why the change?
Sweeper bridges the careful pump shotgun and the automatic crowd clearer. Medium penetration and rapid follow-up shots reward staying on a priority target; higher durable damage makes its seven-shell magazine useful against exposed heavy flesh. Its improved abdomen and vent thresholds do not turn each pellet into a heavy-armor solution. Sweep the breach. Leave the paperwork to Recovery.
The intended gains remain Alpha head 2 → 1 shell, Hulk vent 4 → 3, standard Charger abdomen 5 → 4 and Spewer abdomen 7 → 3. These were accepted as useful identity changes. A one-shell Hive Guard head result requires all 12 pellets.
Calculation correction and ballistic assumption
Ballistic basis: 12 mm, 10 g, 385 m/s and retained mod drag 0.5 versus vanilla 0.3. The modeled Alpha-head break requires ten connecting pellets. Retained changes: ergonomics 55, extreme-angle AP1 and 77 rounds per supply pickup.
Full breakpoint comparison — 10 m
| Target part | Vanilla: drag 0.3 | 9.5: drag 0.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter body (high difficulty) | 1 shell / 4 hits | 1 shell / 5 hits |
| Brood Commander head | 1 shell / 10 hits | 1 shell / 8 hits |
| Alpha Commander head | 2 shells / 14 hits | 1 shell / 10 hits |
| Hive Guard head | 2 shells / 14 hits | 1 shell / 12 hits |
| Hulk rear vent | 4 shells / 41 hits | 3 shells / 33 hits |
| Standard Charger abdomen | 5 shells / 60 hits | 4 shells / 38 hits |
| Spore Charger abdomen | 8 shells / 95 hits | 4 shells / 44 hits |
| Nursing Spewer abdomen | 7 shells / 75 hits | 3 shells / 35 hits |
| Bile Spewer abdomen | 7 shells / 75 hits | 3 shells / 35 hits |
| Devastator chest | 2 shells / 22 hits | 2 shells / 21 hits |
| Tank rear heatsink | 11 shells / 125 hits | 5 shells / 54 hits |
| Gunship front thruster | 4 shells / 45 hits | 3 shells / 25 hits |
| Gunship rear thruster | 4 shells / 40 hits | 3 shells / 25 hits |
| Hulk eye | Blocked | Blocked |
| Charger armored head | Blocked | Blocked |
| Bile Titan head | Blocked | Blocked |
Drag sensitivity to verify in game
| Target part | 9.5 damage, drag 0.3 | 9.5 damage, drag 0.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Commander head | 1 shells / 10 hits | 1 shells / 10 hits |
| Hulk rear vent | 3 shells / 32 hits | 3 shells / 33 hits |
| Standard Charger abdomen | 4 shells / 37 hits | 4 shells / 38 hits |
| Nursing Spewer abdomen | 3 shells / 33 hits | 3 shells / 35 hits |
| Tank rear heatsink | 5 shells / 50 hits | 5 shells / 54 hits |
| Gunship rear thruster | 2 shells / 24 hits | 3 shells / 25 hits |
The corrected vanilla tank-heatsink calculation is 11 shells, falling to 5 in 9.5. The earlier 8 mm assumption gave 9. This is a model correction, not another balance change.
Balance credit: Arsenal Accord shotgun design, retaining existing GRASS-derived settings where applicable. Current HD2Runtime supports these packaged changes. Breakpoints are calculations under the stated model, not live gameplay measurements.
SG-22 Bushwhacker
Why the change?
A last-ditch shotgun sidearm should make its limited shots matter. Stronger pellets and durable damage improve the payoff for letting a threat get close, with supply recovery supporting repeat emergencies. Three barrels are a contingency plan, not a primary weapon.
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Durable damage: 12 → 15
Rounds per supply pickup: 30 → 32
Standard damage: 45 → 50
SG-88 Break-Action Shotgun
Why the change?
This is only the existing physical-projectile penetration-floor change. It keeps the recovered field shotgun's two-shot identity while giving its final angle band a nonzero value.
Feed Primary
Armor penetration at extreme angle: 0 → 1
Credits and validation
Built from the published Arsenal Accord 9.5 settings, including GRASS-derived work and the Accord revisions identified above. Current HD2Runtime exposes the fields used by these packages. The standalone archives passed API, option-selection and combined-load-order checks; these checks are not a new live gameplay test. Breakpoint charts are calculated estimates under their stated assumptions. Use balance mods with a consenting squad.
Equipment artwork: Helldivers 2 / Arrowhead Game Studios; crossover equipment belongs to its respective owners. Unofficial fan balance project.
