Double Edged Sickle Helldivers 2 — LAS-17 Stats, Heat and Best Builds

The LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle is a Servants of Freedom Warbond primary (35 Medals) that trades the Sickle's safety limiters for scaling power: its damage climbs from 55 to 70 and its armor penetration ramps from Light to Heavy as the weapon heats up — with the cost that past 25% heat it starts burning the user, and past 91% it sets you on fire. Done right, it's an infinite-ammo laser rifle that melts Voteless hordes, shreds Overseers and handles medium Automatons — rated A/S/A (bugs/bots/squids) in the 2026 meta — but it's the single most build-dependent primary in the game: without fire-resistant armor and the Vitality Enhancement booster, it will kill you faster than the enemy will.

This guide covers the exact stats, the heat-tier math, the unlock path, the community "meta" build, and how it compares to the standard LAS-16 Sickle.

Official resources: Steam store page · Helldivers Wiki — LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle · FandomWire — DES stats and tactics · Deltia's Gaming — How to use the DES

How to Get It

The Double-Edge Sickle is on page 1 of the Servants of Freedom Premium Warbond for 35 Medals. The Warbond itself costs 1,000 Super Credits (or a Super Citizen Edition Warbond Token — see the Super Citizen Edition guide if you're deciding how to spend that). It's one of the cheapest high-tier unlocks in the game: two pages into a single Warbond and you own the best infinite-ammo primary on the market.

The Stats (verified against the official wiki)

The Heat Tiers: Power With a Price

The weapon's entire identity is the heat ramp. Verified numbers from the wiki and community testing (the Steam rebalance thread has the canonical table):

That's the entire trade: the higher the heat, the harder it hits and the more it hurts you. The DPS curve confirms it — 700 DPS in the safe zone, 816 DPS in the 51–100% zone — and the heavy penetration bracket at 91%+ is what lets it threaten targets no other laser primary can touch. The official armory description says it best: "A LAS-16 Sickle model with all overheating protections conveniently removed, allowing for far longer bursts of fire. Does more damage when overheating, at the cost of slightly burning the user."

Official source: Helldivers Wiki — LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle — "A LAS-16 Sickle model with all overheating protections conveniently removed, allowing for far longer bursts of fire. Does more damage when overheating, at the cost of slightly burning the user." (Armory description)

The Meta Build (the "Dickle" Special)

Because the weapon burns you, the community build exists to buy time in the burn. This is the consensus setup:

• Armor: Inflammable passive (Fire Fighter medium or Salamander heavy — Freedom's Flame Warbond / Superstore sets). The 75% fire-resistance is what lets you live in the 51–90% zone for meaningful stretches. This is non-negotiable; the Steam balance thread's complaint is literally that the weapon's identity is "fire-resist armor or nothing."
• Booster: Vitality Enhancement — more total HP = more burn budget.
• Backpack: Supply Pack — you will stim through the burn; the Supply Pack keeps the stims coming. (Or a Guard Dog if you prefer offense and short bursts.)
• Secondary: GP-31 Ultimatum — covers the DES's weakness against heavies and dropships.
• Play pattern: ride the 26–90% zone for sustained fire, burst past 91% only when a Heavy-pen window matters, then swap heat sinks and let it cool.

Double-Edge Sickle vs. Sickle (LAS-16)

The LAS-16 is the "bring it anywhere, never think about it" pick; the LAS-17 is the "build around me" pick with a higher ceiling. Against Illuminate especially — where it melts Voteless and shreds Overseer shields — the DES is the Voteless horde's worst enemy. Pair it with anti-tank support (Recoilless, Quasar) for the Harvesters and Leviathans the DES can't dent, and you have a complete Illuminate loadout.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get the Double-Edge Sickle in Helldivers 2?

Buy the Servants of Freedom Premium Warbond (1,000 Super Credits) and unlock the LAS-17 on page 1 for 35 Medals. It's one of the cheapest high-tier primary unlocks in the game.

What are the Double-Edge Sickle's stats?

700 RPM energy rifle, 55→70 heat-scaled damage, Light→Medium→Heavy heat-scaled armor penetration, infinite fire via heat sinks (15s/175 capacity), 65 ergonomics, 2.8s reload.

Does the Double-Edge Sickle damage you?

Yes — past 25% heat it deals 10 damage/sec, rising to 20 damage/sec at 51–90%, and past 91% heat it deals 50+ damage/sec and sets you on fire. Fire-resistant armor and the Vitality booster are the standard mitigation.

What is the best Double-Edge Sickle build?

Inflammable armor passive (Fire Fighter/Salamander) + Vitality Enhancement booster + Supply Pack + GP-31 Ultimatum secondary. Ride the 26–90% heat zone for sustained damage and only push 91%+ when you need the heavy penetration.

Is the Double-Edge Sickle better than the Sickle?

Higher ceiling, higher cost: the DES reaches Heavy penetration and 70 damage with infinite fire, but requires a dedicated fire-resist build. The LAS-16 Sickle is safer and simpler. In the 2026 meta the DES is the stronger pick (A/S/A) when built properly.

Related Guides

• Helldivers 2 Best Weapons — 2026 Tier List and Meta Guide
• Ergonomics Helldivers 2 — What the Weapon Stat Does
• Voteless Helldivers 2 — Illuminate Horde Guide
• Helldivers 2 Super Citizen Edition — What's Included
• Helldivers 2 Stratagems — Full List, Unlocks and Best Picks
• Is Helldivers 2 Crossplay? — Full Cross-Platform Guide

Last updated: August 13, 2026.