“	A machine gun designed for stationary use. Trades higher power for increased recoil and reduced accuracy.	„
	~ Stratagem Description

The MG-43 Machine Gun is a belt-fed, air-cooled, general-purpose/medium machine gun in Helldivers 2, and is the 2nd Stratagem available to the player. It is automatically unlocked along with the Orbital Precision Strike after the tutorial mission.

As the S.E.A.F.'s general-purpose medium machine gun, the MG-43 is an all-rounder. Its decent damage, medium armor penetration, and rapid rate of fire allows it to function well against all three factions as an automatic support weapon, mowing down hordes of most enemy types, short of heavily armored units.

While perfectly suited for use against the Terminids, Automatons and the Illuminate, it shines the most when used against the Automatons as an anti-Devastator weapon, which they field in vast amounts (especially at higher difficulties) as the MG-43's bullets easily penetrate their armor, reducing the need for accurate headshots in tense situations. It also shines when used against the Terminids to mow down entire swarms of the more lightly armored and smaller units. Similarly, it eliminates Illuminate Voteless hordes with ease.

Stratagem Code

Players must enter the following sequence, using the default Ctrl+WASD keys or the D-Pad on controllers in order to call down this Stratagem during a mission:

Stats

• Call-in time: 3 Seconds
• Uses: Unlimited
• Cooldown time: 480 Seconds (8 Minutes)
• Gas settings/Fire rates: 630 RPM, 760 RPM, 900 RPM
• Ammunition: Medium Penetration (3)
• Capacity: 175
• Max ammo: 3 Ammunition Belts
• Laser sight and/or flashlight: No
• Replenished per ammo box: 1 Ammunition Belt

Gameplay Tips

• The MG-43 is a great weapon against all factions in general, but it is recommended to use it sparingly for times in which it is needed the most, such as when fighting against Terminid breach swarms or when fighting larger enemies, as it requires the wielder to remain stationary when reloading.
• Despite it being automatically unlocked after completing the tutorial, it is a solid and reliable weapon against most units of every faction, and is often underrated by newer players. Though the tutorial can be skipped from the menu and you will still automatically unlock the MG-43 and the Orbital Precision Strike.
• Because it has medium armor penetration, it can easily pierce the armor of the more moderately-sized and armored enemies, such as Hive Guards and Devastators. It can also be used to destroy Scout Striders by tearing their legs apart, or by shooting against the lower central area between the legs, which is easier to hit.
• The weapon becomes more controllable and accurate while stationary. Being crouched dramatically increases this as well, with prone being the best option for both control and accuracy.
• If there's a bullet remaining in the chamber before reloading it, the total reload time will be reduced by roughly 0.6 seconds as it will then skip the animation of racking the charging handle (which chambers a new bullet).

Trivia

• The MG-43's appearance appears to be inspired by several real-world, usually crew-served machine guns. The model of the weapon highly resembles the MG 3. The receiver visually mirrors the receivers of the MG 3 and the PK, the barrel assembly and the bipod's style are reminiscent of the FN MAG and the M1918A2 BAR, the trigger guard looks similar to that of the AR-15 - with the pistol grip seemingly inspired by aftermarket AR-15 pistol grips, such as those made by Magpul.