You’re walking through the thick fog of Embry, your lungs burning, scrap clanking in your suit. Everything feels fine until it isn't. That rhythmic, metallic thudding starts. It’s not the sound of a Forest Giant or a stray Eyeless Dog. It’s the sound of a machine waking up. When Zeekerss dropped the Version 50 update, the Old Bird Lethal Company fans had been theorizing about finally became a terrifying reality. These things aren't just monsters. They are literal leftover war machines, and they basically redefined how we play the high-tier moons.
Honestly, the first time you see one, it feels like a death sentence. It’s huge. It's loud. It has a spotlight for an eye that scans the wasteland with a clinical, terrifying precision. But once you get past the initial "oh no, we're all going to die" phase, you start to realize that the Old Bird, or the AL-Series robot, is one of the most complex entities the game has ever seen. It’s not just a hunter; it’s a piece of world-building that tells a story of a long-forgotten war.
What Actually Is the Old Bird?
Lore-wise, these things are ancient. If you dig into the bestiary entries, you’ll find that the Old Birds were created for "The 500-Year War." They were mass-produced. They were designed to sit dormant for centuries until they detected biological signatures or specific triggers. That’s why they start the match as harmless, hunched-over statues. They look like debris. You might even walk right past one on Adamance or Artifice without realizing that you’re standing next to a dormant tactical nuke on legs.
When they wake up, usually around 1:00 PM or when a ship lands, the vibe changes instantly. Their primary weapon isn't just their size. It’s the sheer variety of ways they can end your run. They have long-range missiles that deal massive splash damage. They have a flamethrower for anything that gets too close. And if you’re unlucky enough to get caught in their "grab" range? Well, let's just say the animation involves a very messy end inside a localized furnace.
The Old Bird Lethal Company players encounter is a masterpiece of sound design. The "baby crying" noise they emit isn't just a creepy aesthetic choice—it's a tactical lure. It’s meant to draw in humans who think they’re helping someone, only to find themselves in the path of a missile. It’s cold. It’s calculated. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a war machine designed to purge planets.
Survival is Mostly About Geometry
You can't kill them. Don't even try. While you can stun most things in the game with a shovel or a shotgun, the Old Bird is effectively invincible to player weapons. It has a massive health pool that makes the Nutcracker look like a joke. Your only real strategy is line-of-sight management.
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Think of the Old Bird as a mobile turret with a brain. If it sees you, it'll start its countdown. You have roughly two seconds before the missiles start flying. The trick is to never be in an open field. On moons like Artifice, you have to leap-frog between the warehouses. If you’re on Adamance, use the steep cliffs to your advantage. The missiles travel in a straight line but have a significant blast radius, so even if the robot misses your body, the ground next to you might still kill you.
Why You Should Actually Like Them
Here’s the weird part: sometimes, you want the Old Bird to wake up. They are faction-neutral. They don't just hate you; they hate everything that moves. If a Forest Giant is chasing you, leading it into the spotlight of an Old Bird is a genuine pro-strat. The robot will prioritize the larger threat or whatever is closest. Watching a giant get roasted by a flamethrower while you sneak away with a gold bar is one of the most satisfying moments in the game.
- Jetpack Strategy: If you have a jetpack, you can technically "bait" the missiles. By flying in a specific arc, you can force the Old Bird to fire into other enemies.
- The Spotlight: The yellow light means it's searching. If the light turns red, it’s locked on. If you see red, you need to be behind a wall yesterday.
- Sound Cues: Listen for the mechanical whirring. They make a very distinct "charging" sound before firing the missiles.
The Old Bird changed the late-game meta because it forced players to stop looking at the ground for loot and start looking at the horizon for movement. On Artifice, specifically, the sheer number of these robots makes the trek back to the ship a genuine gauntlet. You aren't just playing a horror game anymore; you're playing a stealth-action game where the stakes are your entire scrap haul.
The Artifice Factor and High-Tier Moons
If you’re playing on the "easy" moons like Experimentation or Assurance, you’ll rarely see these. But once you start paying the big credits to go to the secret moons, the Old Bird Lethal Company experience becomes your daily reality. Artifice is basically an Old Bird graveyard that comes to life.
There’s a specific rhythm to Artifice. You land, you run to the facility as fast as possible while they’re still dormant. You get your loot. But the trip back? That’s where the chaos happens. Usually, by 3:00 PM, at least three or four of them are active. The map becomes a crossfire zone. You’ll see missiles flying across the sky, lighting up the dark, and you'll hear the distant screams of your teammates as they get spotted.
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Most players make the mistake of running in a straight line. Never do that. The Old Bird’s AI is actually pretty good at leading its shots. If you run straight, you’re dead. You have to zig-zag, use the terrain, and use the "crouch-sprint" technique to stay under their visual sensors. It’s intense. It’s frustrating. It’s exactly why the game saw a massive resurgence in players when this update hit.
Practical Steps for Your Next Run
If you want to survive your next encounter with an AL-Series unit, you need a plan that goes beyond "run and hide."
First, designate a "lookout" if you have a walkie-talkie. One person staying on the ship can see the Old Birds on the monitor. Since they are so large, they show up as massive red dots. The ship operator can tell the ground team which way the robots are facing. This is huge because the Old Bird has a limited "neck" rotation speed. If it's looking North, you can usually sprint past its Southern side without triggering the spotlight.
Second, use the buildings. On Artifice, there are several small sheds and large warehouses. These aren't just for loot; they are your only hard cover. Note that the Old Bird can sometimes "clip" its flamethrower through thin walls if it's standing right against them, so stay toward the center of the rooms.
Third, understand the "Baby Cry." If you hear that sound, an Old Bird is nearby and active. It's a proximity warning. If the sound gets louder, it means the robot has likely shifted its pathing toward your general direction.
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Finally, manage your weight. This is the most important tip. If you are carrying 100 pounds of scrap, you cannot outrun the missile lock. Drop your heavy items if the red light hits you. You can always come back for the scrap once the robot moves on or focuses on a different target, like a roaming pack of baboon hawks.
The Old Bird isn't just a monster to be avoided; it's an environmental hazard that you have to learn to manipulate. It turned the open-world sections of the game from a boring walk into a tactical nightmare. Master the line of sight, understand the faction-neutral AI, and you might actually make it back to the ship with your scrap intact.
Stay low. Stay quiet. And for the love of the Company, don't look into the light.
Next Steps for Players:
Start by practicing on Adamance. It’s a free moon where Old Birds can spawn, but the terrain is much more forgiving than Artifice. Use the hills to learn the exact timing between the "Red Light" lock-on and the missile launch. Once you can consistently dodge a missile by ducking behind a rock, you're ready for the high-tier moons where the real scrap—and the real danger—resides. Check your bestiary frequently; the more you scan them, the more you understand the lore of the war that created these monstrosities.