Helldivers 2: How to Beat Scout Striders

Scout Striders are essentially piloted mechs that form the front lines of the Automatons in Helldivers 2. They bear a striking resemblance to the AT-AT Walkers from Star Wars and seem to have no weak points, owing to their thick armor plating. Designed as a turret on two mechanical legs, Scout Striders have the ability to shoot from great distances, which makes it all the harder to try to escape when being hunted by a group of them.

Scout Striders can be found on any of the planets located on the left side (red) of the galaxy map when you start working your way through the higher-difficulty missions. Luckily, they have two distinct weaknesses that you can easily exploit to send them back to the Automaton war factory in Helldivers 2.

Updated March 15th, 2024 by Russ Boswell: There are a variety of frustratingly difficult enemies to deal with in Helldivers 2, with some of them being downright dangerous as players begin to explore other difficulties. One of the more imposing foes in a group is the Scout Strider, which can quickly incapacitate a player and has front-facing armor that can be a pain to deal with if players don’t know how. To better help players defeat Scout Striders in Helldivers 2, the following guide has been updated with a video.

How to Beat Scout Striders in Helldivers 2

The easiest and most cost-effective (ammunition-saving) way to kill Scout Striders is from behind in Helldivers 2. All you have to do is kill the pilot, who takes a single shotgun blast from an SG-225 Breaker or a few bullets from any of the available assault rifles and machine guns.

Since they are a bit slow to turn around, you should not have any problems sprinting past them to target their pilots from the back or sides. You can also use the LIFT-850 Jump Pack stratagem (unlocks at level eight for 6,000R) to jump over them or have one of your teammates gain their attention to let you circle around. This baiting strategy works wonders against several enemies in Helldivers 2, including the acid-spitting Bile Spewer Terminid, so make sure to constantly communicate with your team during missions.

What you do not want to do is fire weapons at the pilot from the front because they are protected by a wall of thick armor. You will not be able to bypass their heavy armor with your usual weapons. Most new players find Scout Striders difficult because they are always wasting their ammunition on their armor-plating in Helldivers 2. They are actually one of the easiest enemies to beat when you understand their weaknesses.

You can one-shot Scout Striders from the front with a well-placed headshot. Half of their pilot’s head can always be seen bobbing above the frontal armor shield. You will require a precise aim though.

If you are swarmed and cannot target the pilots, focus all of your firepower on the two joints connecting the giant legs. These require a lot more damage compared to the pilots, but you can use your assault rifles and machine guns to quickly bring down Scout Striders by destroying their limbs.

Beyond the pilots and joints, you can also always rely on anti-armor support weapons in Helldivers 2. The AC-8 Autocannon can blow up a Scout Strider in one or two shots, regardless of where you aim, as is the case with the GR-8 Recoilless Rifle. You can also use the GL-21 Grenade Launcher or lob your standard grenades to do explosive damage to multiple Scout Striders together.