Helldivers 2: Destroying Gunships & Striders

Gunship Strategies

Gunships are formidable adversaries in Helldivers 2, often appearing alongside other Automaton units, making them a significant threat. Their autocannons and rockets can inflict heavy damage, so it’s crucial to prioritize breaking line of sight to avoid their attacks. The red scanner light in front of the gunship indicates its line of sight, similar to Detector Towers.

• Exploit Weak Points: Gunships, like Automaton dropships, have vulnerable turbines. Utilizing weapons like the Quasar Cannon and EAT, aimed directly at the center of the gunship, can effectively destroy them.
• Effective Weaponry: Other weapons that can effectively target the turbines include the Autocannon, Laser Cannon, Heavy Machine Gun, Grenade Launcher, Anti-Material Rifle, and Recoiless Rifle.
• SPEAR Limitation: Unfortunately, the SPEAR is ineffective against gunships due to its inability to lock onto them.

Destroying the Gunship Fabricator

The Gunship Fabricator, a Tactical Objective, is a towering structure responsible for spawning gunships. Traditional offensive Stratagems such as the 500kg Bomb and Orbital Laser are ineffective against this structure. To destroy it, you must call down a Hellbomb (provided by the mission) and manually arm it. Support weapons are also incapable of destroying the fabricator.

• Hellbomb Destruction: The Hellbomb is the only known method to destroy the Gunship Fabricator.
• Manual Arming: Ensure you manually arm the Hellbomb to detonate it.
• Automaton Interference: Be wary of Automatons attempting to destroy the Hellbomb. Secure its location and protect it from enemy fire.

Factory Strider Strategies

The Factory Strider is the most formidable enemy in the Automaton army, surpassing even the Command Bunker in terms of armor and health. This elite unit appears exclusively on Suicide Mission difficulty and higher. It functions as a mobile Fabricator, spawning Devastators from its underside, and is equipped with a cannon turret on its top and miniguns on its head. The Factory Strider boasts remarkable resilience, able to withstand powerful Stratagems like the Eagle 500kg Bomb, Orbital Laser, Orbital Railcannon, and Eagle 110mm Rocket Pods. Fortunately, Factory Striders do not respawn, so once destroyed, they are gone for the rest of the mission.

• No Clear Weak Points: The Factory Strider lacks specific weak points. You must use concentrated firepower to destroy it.
• Disabling Weapons: You can target and destroy the guns on its frame to reduce its offensive capabilities.
• Limiting Mobility: Destroying one of its legs can slow its movement, requiring multiple EAT and Quasar Cannon shots.
• Squad Coordination: Teamwork is crucial to overcome this powerful enemy. Combine your offensive Stratagems and persistent fire to bring it down.