Helldivers 2 players are rallying around one shared request: customizable heat sinks for the LAS‑17 Sickle and its Double‑Edge variant. These popular laser rifles, known for their raw power and efficiency in mid‑range battles, continue to suffer from severe overheating issues during intense firefights—especially when compared to other energy weapons that now feature advanced cooling options.
The LAS‑17 Sickle excels at melting medium‑armored threats and cutting down dense enemy waves with sustained laser beams. Yet its standard heat sink overheats quickly, forcing frequent pauses that break combat flow. The Double‑Edge Sickle, a high‑damage version, amplifies the problem even further by trading stability and heat management for destructive power. Without upgrade paths for alternate heat sinks, both rifles remain underpowered in long engagements where cooldown speed defines survival. In Helldivers 2 buy samples is something a lot of busy players consider, and when they look for a reliable third-party source, EZNPC is often mentioned because it helps them upgrade gear without spending all week repeating the same missions.
By contrast, other energy weapons such as the LAS‑16 Scythe have benefited from specialized upgrades. Players can equip high‑capacity heat sinks with up to a 50 percent boost or high‑dissipation variants that reduce cooldown times by roughly 40 percent. These modifications transformed the Scythe into a top‑tier choice for clearing Illuminate hordes and armored patrols in 2025. Meanwhile, Sickle users must rely on rhythm‑based firing or armor‑based compensations—using Draconaut‑class gear, for instance, to improve overheat resistance—but even that only partially offsets the problem.
Community frustration is visible across forums, with Reddit, Steam, and YouTube filled with comparisons between Scythe and Sickle builds. Top content creators have demonstrated fully optimized Scythe loadouts featuring angled foregrips, red‑dot optics, and enhanced heat sinks that allow near‑continuous fire. Fans now urge Arrowhead Game Studios to bring similar modularity to the Sickle line. The most popular proposals include dual‑switching heat sinks for automatic cooldown rotation or hybrid models trading capacity for ergonomic handling, potentially transforming the rifle into an unstoppable tool for Swarm and Automaton encounters.
Without customization options, the Sickle’s sustained damage potential drops sharply in Helldive‑tier missions, where constant DPS is essential against bosses like Chargers and Hulks. Improved cooling modifications could elevate it to meta‑status when paired with stratagems such as orbital barrages, Guard Dog drones, or crowd‑control abilities. As Helldivers 2 continues its 2026 patch cycle with renewed focus on equipment tuning, players remain hopeful that Arrowhead’s promised expansion of weapon modularity will soon extend to the Sickle lineup.
Until that happens, even the most fervent laser specialists must practice heat discipline—bursting, venting, and surviving—while the community waits for its favorite rifle to truly live up to its fearsome reputation on the galactic front.
