You’re sprinting across a frozen wasteland on Vandalon IV, samples clinking in your container, and then it happens. A mechanical clack-clack-clack echoes behind a rock. Before you can even dive, a twin-linked laser blast catches you in the small of the back. Reinforcement budget: -1. We’ve all been there. The Scout Striders Helldivers 2 throws at you aren't just fodder; they are the ultimate "check your surroundings" test.
Honestly, they’re kind of annoying. They aren't massive like a Factory Strider, but they have just enough armor to make your primary weapon feel like a pea shooter if you’re panicking. Most players treat them like a nuisance. That’s a mistake. They are mobile platforms designed to suppress you while the Berserkers close the gap. If you don't respect the tripod, it’ll send you back to the Destroyer in a hellpod crate.
Why Scout Striders Helldivers 2 Players Fight Are So Frustrating
The design is deceptively simple. It’s a bipedal walker with a light armor plate on the front and a very exposed, very vulnerable Trooper sitting in the back. It looks like a knock-off AT-ST from a distance. But in the heat of a Level 7 Suicide Mission, that front plate is basically a middle finger to your Liberator.
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Bullets bounce. Red sparks fly. You waste a whole mag. Meanwhile, the pilot is just sitting there, clicking away at your health bar.
The real problem isn't the walker itself. It’s the way the Automatons use them. They act as a vanguard. You’ll see them flanking your position during a localized interference event, or worse, standing perfectly still in a blizzard, waiting for your silhouette to appear. They have surprisingly good vision range. If you see one, it has probably already seen you.
The Weakness Nobody Uses Correctly
Everyone says "just get behind it." Yeah, thanks, Captain Obvious. But when there are four of them and a rain of rockets coming from a Devastator, "getting behind it" is a death sentence. You need to understand the physics of the Scout Striders Helldivers 2 uses to simulate movement.
The leg joints are fragile. If you have anything with medium armor penetration—think the BR-14 Adjudicator or the Jar-5 Dominator—you don't actually have to hit the pilot. Aim for the "hip" joint where the leg meets the main chassis. A few well-placed shots there will cause the whole rig to collapse. It’s much faster than trying to circle-strafe a machine that turns surprisingly quickly.
The Loadout Reality Check
If you are heading into Automaton space without a plan for these things, you’re throwing. You don't need a Railgun for every single encounter, but you do need utility.
The Impact Grenade is the undisputed king here. You don't even need a direct hit on the pilot. If you toss an Impact Grenade at the top of the faceplate, the explosion wraps around the shield and turns the Trooper into paste instantly. It’s the "panic button" that actually works.
Then there’s the Scorcher. If you’ve spent the Medals to unlock the Plas-1 Scorcher, the Scout Strider becomes a joke. Because it’s an explosive energy weapon, the splash damage travels through the front armor plate. You can kill the pilot by shooting the walker's face. It feels like cheating. It’s great.
- The Autocannon: This is the gold standard. One shot to the shield usually staggers it; the second shot kills the pilot or breaks the walker.
- The Anti-Material Rifle: High skill, high reward. If you have the angle, you can snipe the tiny bit of the pilot’s head poking over the top. Or just two-shot the leg.
- The Grenade Launcher: Great for groups. Aim for the ground between the legs. The upward force of the explosion is the Strider’s worst nightmare.
The Reinforced Strider Variant (The Real Threat)
Lately, we’ve been seeing more of the armored-cabin variants. These don't have an exposed pilot. If you see a Scout Strider that looks "chunkier" and completely enclosed, your standard "run behind it" tactics won't work because there's no guy to shoot. These require actual anti-tank weaponry or heavy explosive spam. Don't waste your primary ammo on these. Use a stratagem or a support weapon immediately.
Positioning Is Your Best Weapon
Stop running directly away from them. The Scout Striders Helldivers 2 deploys are faster than you think, and they have the high ground by default. If you’re caught in the open, find a vertical 90-degree angle. Striders have a terrible turn radius when they are in mid-stride.
If you dive toward them at an angle, you can often get under their line of fire. It sounds insane, but being right under their "crotch" makes it impossible for them to aim down far enough to hit you. From there, a quick secondary weapon burst to the pilot's legs (which are visible from below) ends the fight.
High ground is your friend, but only if you have cover. A Strider at the bottom of a hill is a sitting duck because you can see right over the front shield and tap the pilot in the forehead.
Tactical Breakdown: How to Clear a Group
Imagine a patrol of three Striders.
- Step One: Identify if any are the rocket-bearing variants (rare but deadly).
- Step Two: Use an Eagle Airstrike if they are bunched up. It’s a waste of a big cooldown? Maybe. But staying alive is better for your K/D ratio.
- Step Three: If you’re using a support weapon like the Railgun, keep it on Safe Mode. You don't need a full overcharge to pierce that front plate. One shot, one kill.
Don't forget your environment. Shooting a hellbomb or an explosive barrel near a Strider is more effective than you’d think because the blast radius is large enough to bypass their directional armor.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Drop
Go into your next mission with a dedicated "Strider Hunter" mindset. If you aren't the one carrying the Autocannon, make sure you have the Impact Grenades.
When you see a Strider, don't just start spraying. Stop. Look at the legs. Is it moving toward you or flanking? If it's flanking, let it move. As soon as it shows its side profile, a single shot from almost any weapon to the pilot's ribs will do the job.
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Check your map frequently. Striders often lead patrols. If you see a lone dot moving steadily toward you on the radar, it's likely a scout. Take it out before it calls in a flare. Once that flare goes up and the Dropships arrive, a pack of Scout Striders becomes ten times more dangerous because you can't focus on their weak points while dodging tank rounds.
Switch your weapon to semi-auto for better accuracy if you're using a rifle. Aim small, miss small. The gap between the top of the shield and the pilot’s helmet is your best friend.
Mastering the rhythm of the Scout Striders Helldivers 2 encounters will save you dozens of stims per mission. They are the gatekeepers of the higher difficulty tiers. Once you stop fearing the walker and start targeting the pilot's lack of peripheral vision, the Automaton front becomes a lot more manageable.
Dive back in. Aim for the legs. Watch the scrap metal fly.
Next Strategic Steps:
- Practice the "Stomp": Try baiting a Strider into a melee animation if you're feeling brave; their recovery time is slow enough for a teammate to get a clean flank.
- Test the Crossbow: The R-36 Eruptor or the Exploding Crossbow can clear Striders through front-plate splash damage, making them viable "primary only" options for Bot planets.
- Visual Identification: Spend thirty seconds in your next "Easy" mission just watching a Strider move from a distance to learn its pivot speed—it's slower than you think when they aren't alerted.