This is basically a double of this post written by me
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/app/394510/discussions/0/3464974615690599464/

Illuminates almost-guide
Since I still didn't wrote FULL and TOTAL Illumis guide.
Here is some ~short information of most crucial things you need to know to play the EASILY on ANY difficulty, I will talk about 13+ difficulty only. If you're struggling with illuminates - read this, maybe you'll start to like playing them after it.

Reading time 8-20 minutes.

SH-20 - there is not a single reason not to take SH-20 outside of few people who perfectly mastered reverse controls but still even they will use it in many cases, there is not A ONE reason not to use it, even PRACTICING REVERSE is not always needed, I got pretty... not bad reverse skills just from playing ALOT with SH-20, short moments when my shield were taken down or I were auto-respawned and I needed to make a huge hook from alarm to pick my ''Bubble'' gave me enough to learn it to this point, so.... just use, you'll learn how to reverse during SH-20 usage as well

Solo.
I highly advice to play it in solo at first, and I overall advice not to play lvl15 pubs basically at all until you wont get at least... mild understanding of what to do on this level in party.
Just to note - illuminates are EASIEST solo faction and HARDEST pub faction (in most cases)

Well obviously kill all observers you see if possible

Now VERY important moment
Hunters..... dont..... damn.... kil.... hunters.... AT ALL EXCEPT ON DEFENSE OBJECTIVES.
Why ? Well their's projectile damages ANYTHING(or anyone) it hit, so it prevented tons of alarms in my experience when observer was in my dead zone or if I just had no time to take it down shooting five other alarmers on another side of the screen without any window. Same with outcasts, Hunters killed indeed many of them on my runs, presumably hunters killed more Observers than amount of alarms any bug main prevented (ranks 50 inclusive)
^ This one really important, just make a move to the side if you see their's beam, only little exception is Snow maps, you sometimes cant their beams on it, might be bug, might be representation of beam's invisibility on snow's background in some cases, may be my hardware issue, I dont know. But in most cases - kill them only on defense objectives and situatively when you need to take some of them down for one or another reason.

Never fight alarms if you between objectives...... there is not a single reason not to run away from ANY spawned units except Outcasts. You cant fully outrun whole Outcasts spawn even with cardio and it will take pretty long to shake maximal possible amount of one spawn. So..... in most cases...... just move.... and shoot, AIM SNAP is good skill there and will make faster and safer (Aim snap is - hold aim and at the same time more your's crosshair to desired direction and press melee - I using it purely for 180 degree turns in most cases and with heavy weapons, heavy weapons were build for aim snap - if it didnt existed most of fun weapons were useless pleasefixinnextpatchthanksmiyazaki)

So fight outcasts on the move, if area secured and you have time - you can easily kill them on spawn by your's weapon or drop hellfire onto it - they will just die.
Also if you got reinforced near them (in solo too) - NEVER GO TO TAKE YOUR'S SH-20, NEVER, it look like good idea, but believe me.... I tested, I tried. They fast enough to kill you if you didnt killed most of their's spawn. Get out of pod and run away into gap between them or kill one-two on direction where there is least of them and sprint into it, get enough range between you and them, do 180 and shoot as many as you can, if any left and they closing with you - do the same until none will left, then go back take your's SH-20.
I also advice not to use nades on illuminates..... at all, I use them only when I 100% going to die being surrounded by Outcasts, two nades will kill some amount of them.... so If Im in solo - I'll have MUCH less problems with getting out of zone or even totally clear opening (they usually surround your's auto-reinforce are by spreading around position where you died), if party - this will just lower their's amount so my parthner/s will have less issues and will require less ammo to finish their's spawn.


Councils....... if you.... like... dont have enough experience on illumi.... and overall - there is not a single reason to fight them, they have massive pursuing range indeed, but.... mostly it is still faster to shake them and get back (if you need to) than killing them) So on roam - just run from them, never fight them really, it is a time waste, ammo waste, my joy waste, just dont.
If they got spawned on objective, my advice - if you dont have anything to EFFECTIVELY kill them - dont shoot into councils themselves, after gaining some damage the ''phase'' exactly onto other side of you behind your's back from direction they originally were (on same line).... so.... shoot their's balls.........
.....
.....
We'll be right back....
....................
Shoot their's energy spheres, nano-bot waves which reverse controls wont work since you under shield, they can create quite wide arch..... and it can be hard to shoot spheres of all of them, but you can kite their's fire onto self from objective and practice some dancing,
Yes exactly dancing between orbs, this also works on extraction, since their's spawn is massive and maximum spawn exists - there will be almost no new spawns amongst them, I pretty often just kiting them, running around Landing Zone in circles, sometimes shooting orbs. This trains your's mobility and movement control as well, so try it some day, maybe you'll like it, its fun.
What can effectively kill Councils
Heavy Airstrike is ESPECIALLY good against them - yet again dont shoot them, and just throw it onto their's spawn - usually it kills whole spawned pack
MGX - can kill several of them from one.......... copy ? Well by one ammo pool of MGX, it wont be very fast but it can do it as well. (And I just recommend usage of MGX on illumi, very nice weapon)
Commando - if you in duo you can use commando as well, it is not the worst choice against them
Demolisher - can be effective as well in right hands just note that any explosive weapon's projectile of high damage and/or area will deplete their's shields from first blow and damage themselves only by second (in most cases) so drop 2 detpacks in time, it usually how it works with Councils
Close Air Support - usually wont kill whole pack, so you can bring two of them, two, in most cases will,
Heavy Strafe - same as CAS but requires much more precise throw and beacon's positioning, so practice it a little, it is good as well.
Hellfire - fire walls if dropped RIGHT ONTO THEM so fire is basically hits the middle of their's model will prevent them from moving and after some will kill them, they wont circle it too in most cases, they will just stay behind it, shoot orbs..... and orbs cant penetrate fire wall, they will be destroyed, so dont shoot councils in this case so they wont teleport, good if you have two hellfires to renovate wall in time (if situation is such).
Dum-Dum - also very good OVERALL illuminates choice, after I played with MGX I started to prefer it (MGX), Dum-Dum is great nonetheless but requires you all-time-spam of Aim Snap in some cases, it wont kill whole Councils pack in one mag but will damage them enough, also it 1-2 shots any Illuminates unit (4-5 for obelisk), reload is 3 seconds.
Fun weapon, one of my favs..

Sorry if I forgot anything which fits this section

Striders - filler

Obelisks - basically same as hunters, except kill them if they blocking your's path.... or you REALLY need to control the area with weapons, out of it - no reason to kill them, even on objectives, they also usually spawn in big numbers, and you can get lucky and get 2-3 consecutive spawns, in this case you hit maximal spawn and nothing else will spawn, few times we were playing duo and this happened on LZ, we just were dancing around walls.
After this nobody can ever say that Helldivers

Obelisks - basically same as hunters, except kill them if they blocking your's path.... or you REALLY need to control the area with weapons, out of it - no reason to kill them, even on objectives, they also usually spawn in big numbers, and you can get lucky and get 2-3 consecutive spawns, in this case you hit maximal spawn and nothing else will spawn, few times we were playing duo and this happened on LZ, we just were dancing around walls.
After this nobody can ever say that Helldivers is not labyrinth game.
(I dont consider this part as exploit, tell me anything, do anything - its not, if somebody will stay 10 minutes farming 3 obelisks spawn.... it will take thrice the time than It usually takes for me to complete full lvl15 mission. What if someone want to dance with them If they just accidentally spawned this way - I anyway said not to kill them if you dont have another solution or total need to do so........ so plot armor, baka)


I also highly advice usage of Distractor Beacons, it especially effective on illuminates, both in solo and party, I usually use them only before destroyable defence objectives and before extraction, obviously you can use them more often, this one is just my way and preference.

Party
Everything described above fits group runs as well but with some additions

Stay in the middle of the screen..... never tug camera, stay as close to each other and centre as possible but in the way so you wont hit each other's shields and wont obstruct fire
I advice playing duo with some of your's contacts who also interested and then play with more people, desirably also some close, solid contacts who you familiar with.

To add point to movement... please dont walk.... in formation of single line.
Example - city map, tight street (23pm, rain, we kissed for the first ti....) duo, one of you running a bit further than another and pointman of the group (one in the beginning of formation, not necessarily leader of the squad or one who leads the group) - stick to one of the walls..... and let your's partner stick to another one, so you dont obstruct line of sight and fire of each other having almost same visibility onto street.
Same applies to any map and terrain, just look what around you and move according to it, desirably play with close to you people, I almost never see this being used by people, except few. I mean to joke around and bump into each other or lump also fun just do it in proper time or when you'll become more familiar with illuminates gameplay.

Next.... MOST IMPORTANT....

Someone died ?
Lost SH-20 from dying ?
It happened during alarm and alarm is going ?
Never call them in..... just dont....
Never call them 5 meters from alarm either
Never call them running away for 3 seconds as well.....
Never call them if you run away far enough
Never call them INTO MIDDLE OF NINE ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ COUNCILS, IMBECILIC RANK 50s.

So.... what to do......
Run away....... kill what you need kill, shake what you need to shake off....
Get back to point where they died and SH-20s are lying......
And call them onto them.... so they wont struggle with reverse from Observers.... you wont call 25235236 alarms in 30 seconds frame...... etc...
Just.. shake the response unit (ones from alarm), get back, secure the area from Observers, reinforce your's partners near their's shields, check map during it so you'll know where from Alarmer can come and shoot it, since it is your's priority as member with SH-20 being worn at this moment. And. Move. Back.
If some 50 rank ♥♥♥♥ yelling onto you ''WILL YOU ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ CALL US IN OR NO'' when you left alone and amount of Councils which equal to whole Asia population pursuing you...... report..... block..... if you feeling so - kick. I mean it is cool to tell what you gonna do and what you awaiting from people if this is pub, and if youre not host you cant... really dictate... still if you feel so - you can advice.... otherwise..... joke, mock them, really, like.... if you dont want to leave, find something to have fun, just be as polite as you can while you bitter. If youre host and said two times not to call under alarm or into middle of response and just shake/kite them - I usually just killing people after I see they starting to use radio and reminding them about it. I really dont like to kick people if they dont act like a total ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ without a single (or single viable) reason in chat, it is kinda.... my fault that I doing lvl15 in pub, not really their's..... so dont bent but be polite.
Only SINGLE case when you MUST call - is when you're TOTALLY cornered from all sides and you cant use any gap in enemy formations to bail - in this case, indeed, reinforce BUT throw beacon OVER most of enemy troop or onto any more clear space behind/to the side of them, not near you,


This stuff with SH-20.... I also see it VERY rarely but... please if you reading this - do exactly that if you not just Illumi specialists who just messing around having fun (do it in private tho.... desirably, BUT IF YOU DOING IT EFFECTIVE AND FAST.... WOOOOOO OPEN THIS PARTY, NOW, LET PEOPLE SEE AND ENJOY YOU, nya)

Actual primary meta is Paragon, everyone who saying otherwise is a noob, take care
(Not in terms of personal preference and choice, in objective sense - Paragon can do EVERYTHING other weapons can do but with higher effectiveness - if can even kill Councils efficiently enough if you dont have other choice, only thing it require is perfect CENTRE OF MASS HITS, learn centre of mass playing Sickle on lower levels, and get back to it - you'll see huge improvements in speed and damage you deal. Have fun.
I advice usage of Breaker or maybe Patriot for Illumis... for starters, Trident is..... well.... lets say it works..... but if you playing alone with most strats available - it's inconsistent beam will fail you on some defences since beams just wont kill observers in A LIIIITTLE higher range, and trident is not a panacea in any way, I gave Breaker into best rank 26's hands I ever saw and they said it is indeed great and I never saw them with Trident again, they started playing Paragon a bit later too OWO
Personal fav is Knight.... still, great for alarmers, if you'll get used to Breaker - try Knight, my advice with both weapons - move in EXACT direction of your's target during engage and from it to reload, Break taught me this, Knight gave me the ability to master this, Knight also gives you much higher movement speed during aim, so I recommend it, fast fun gun. I recently started using Ninja on 13+ illumis as well, just bring something like MGX against alarms for both, or few airstrikes.

My most used Loadout on 13+ Illuminates
-Perk :Cardio (I FORGOT - USE DAMNED CARDIO IF YOU DONT HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE ON ILLUMI - BETTER PERK JUST... DONT EXISTS in HD, if you learning - CARDIO YOUR'S BEST FRIEND AND CHOICE <3)
- Primary: Paragon/Knight/Breaker/really anything I played with all primaries on illumis they ALL work in some measure except Rail(totally useless) Arc Shotgun useful as support gun and on RS
-Stratagems:
1.Ammo
2.SH-20 (essential)
3.Distractor Beacon (sometimes I switching it for hellfire but still prefer the beacon)
4.Any support weapon or airstrike.
I almost dont use attack stratagems (at current time) on non-RS 13+ lvl Illumi missions, as you can see. But stuff like Close Air Support (CAS) or Heavy Airstrikes also VERY good, and I highly advice you to learn them as well, both works PERFECTLY on ALL factions, so there is no reason not to.