Dropping into a Level 7 mission and seeing a skyscraper-sized mechanical beast cresting a hill is enough to make any Helldiver rethink their life choices. These "Harvesters"—officially known by Super Earth Command as Factory Striders—are essentially walking fortresses. They aren't just big; they’re productive. They literally poop out Devastators while shooting lasers at you. If you don't know helldivers 2 how to kill harvesters, your squad is going to be a collection of red smears on the Cyberstan dirt within about thirty seconds.
It’s messy. It’s chaotic. Honestly, it’s kinda terrifying the first time one focuses its top-mounted cannon on your position.
Most players make the mistake of just throwing everything they have at the main body. They dump lead into the heavy armor plating and wonder why the Strider is still casually stomping toward the extraction zone. You can't just "shoot it until it dies" with a primary weapon. You need a surgical approach. This isn't a Hive Guard. It’s a multi-stage boss fight that happens in the middle of a regular mission, and if you treat it like a bullet sponge, you've already lost the war of attrition.
Identifying the Beast: What Exactly is a Harvester?
Before we talk about the "how," we need to look at the "what." The Harvester is the Automaton answer to the Terminid Bile Titan, but it's arguably much worse because it has ranged options that can snipe you from across the map. It features a massive heavy laser cannon on top, twin chin-mounted gatling guns that shred infantry in milliseconds, and a mobile production bay that spawns Shield Devastators or Rocket Devastators directly underneath it.
You'll usually see them on Suicide Mission (Level 7) and above, though they occasionally show up as specific mission targets on lower difficulties. They move slow. That’s your only real advantage. But that slowness is deceptive because their range is effectively "anywhere they can see you."
The Fastest Way for Helldivers 2 How to Kill Harvesters
The absolute quickest way to take one down is to get underneath it. It sounds suicidal. It sort of is. But the underbelly is the softest part of the entire machine. If you can dodge the gatling guns and get directly under the chassis, you can unload an Autocannon, a Heavy Machine Gun, or even a Laser Cannon into the bay doors where the Devastators drop out.
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Two full clips of Autocannon fire into that underbelly will usually trigger a massive internal explosion.
However, getting there is the hard part. You’ve got to deal with the chin guns first. Those twin lasers are the most dangerous part of the Strider for infantry. You can actually shoot those guns off. Use a Railgun (on unsafe mode), an Anti-Material Rifle, or even just focused fire from a Dominator or Scorcher to pop those chin turrets. Once those are gone, the Strider is significantly less lethal at close range.
Strategic Weaponry and Stratagems
If you aren't feeling like a hero and don't want to run under the legs, you need the big guns. The Orbital Railcannon Strike is a fan favorite, but be warned: it rarely kills a Factory Strider in one hit. It’ll crack the armor and do massive damage, but the beast will likely keep walking. You usually need to follow it up with an EAT-17 (Expendable Anti-Tank) or a Quasar Cannon shot to the face or the "neck" area.
- The Spear: This thing is finally reliable after the recent patches. A Spear lock-on to the head or the top turret can end the fight quickly. Usually, it takes two well-placed missiles to the main chassis to bring it down.
- Eagle 500kg Bomb: You have to time this perfectly. Because the Strider moves, a 500kg that lands behind it does almost nothing. You want the bomb to land directly under the main body or hit the top turret.
- Orbital Precision Strike: Since the call-in time was buffed, this is actually one of the most effective ways to delete a Strider. It’s got a short cooldown and hits like a freight train.
The Weak Points Nobody Tells You About
Everyone looks at the head, but the "eye" (the red glowing slit) is a smaller target than you think. While hitting it with a Quasar Cannon is satisfying, it’s a high-risk shot. Instead, look at the "leg joints." Just like the AT-ATs they were clearly inspired by, the joints where the legs meet the main body are vulnerable to medium-penetration rounds.
Also, look at the sides. There are cooling vents and specific plates that, once blown off, expose glowing internal components. If you have a teammate with an Anti-Material Rifle (AMR), they should be flanking. While the Strider is distracted by a Sentries or a brave soul with a ballistic shield, the AMR player can pump rounds into the side vents. It’s surprisingly effective.
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Dealing with the Top Turret
The big cannon on top is basically a stationary version of the Turret Towers you find in Automaton bases. It has a massive range and will one-shot anyone caught in the blast radius. If you see it start to glow, dive.
Better yet, if someone in your squad has a Recoilless Rifle, their first priority should be knocking that top turret off. It takes about two rockets. Once that turret is gone, the Strider loses its ability to harass you from a distance, allowing the rest of the team to move in with shorter-range stratagems like the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage.
Actually, the 120mm is underrated here. Because the Strider is such a large target, nearly every shell in the barrage has a good chance of hitting it. It’s a great way to soften the target before moving in for the kill.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't use the Orbital Laser unless you have to. The Laser is great for clearing out the small fry and the Devastators the Strider spawns, but against the Strider itself, it takes a long time to melt through the armor. You'll waste almost the entire duration of the laser on one target, and it might not even finish the job. Save the Laser for clearing heavy bases.
Another mistake? Ignoring the "babies." The Harvester is a factory. It will keep dropping Devastators every 30 seconds or so. If you spend three minutes trying to line up the perfect shot without clearing the adds, you’ll find yourself surrounded by eight Rocket Devastators. It’s a nightmare. One person should be dedicated to "trash clear" while the others focus on the Strider.
Practical Steps for Your Next Drop
When that red beam hits the ground and the Strider unfolds, don't panic.
- Strip the Chin Guns: Use medium-pen weapons to take out the two front gatlings immediately. This makes the "underbelly" strategy viable.
- Delete the Top Turret: Use an EAT, Quasar, or Spear to remove the long-range threat.
- Go for the Underbelly: If it's safe, sprint under the legs and dump an Autocannon or Impact Grenades into the bay doors.
- Coordinate Stratagems: Don't throw four 500kbs at once. Space them out. Wait to see if the first one finishes it before wasting the second.
If you follow this rhythm, these mechanical titans go from mission-enders to just another pile of scrap metal for the democracy-loving citizens of Super Earth. Get in close, hit the vents, and keep your head down.