Factory Strider Helldivers 2 — Weak Points and How to Kill It

The Factory Strider is the Automaton's super-heavy walker — a mobile factory that deploys Devastator troops while chewing through your squad with chin guns and top cannons. Its weak point is its head: the "eye" is the exposed part of an otherwise armor-plated head, and destroying it kills the walker. It's the tankiest enemy on the bot front — even after Update 6.3.0 raised the Orbital Railcannon Strike's damage to 10,000, the patch notes explicitly state it "will still not one shot the largest enemies like Factory strider, Hive lord and similar."

This guide covers the Factory Strider's weak points, the weapons that actually kill it (Commando, Recoilless, 500kg, anti-tank emplacements), how it differs from the War Strider, and the step-by-step takedown.

Official resources: Steam store page · Helldivers Wiki (wiki.gg) — Factory Strider · Helldivers Wiki (wiki.gg) — War Strider · IGN — Update 6.3.0 patch report

What Is the Factory Strider?

The Factory Strider is the Automatons' flagship walker. It's a mobile troop factory: it trundles onto the battlefield carrying Devastator deployment bays, so a live Factory Strider is constantly spawning armored infantry while its own weapons — a heavy chin gun and top-mounted cannons — engage your squad. It appears on high-difficulty bot missions, especially fortresses and defense objectives, and it's one of the few enemies that genuinely demands the whole squad coordinate.

Per the official wiki's Factory Strider entry, its size and armor put it in the same "largest enemies" bracket as the Terminid Hive Lord — the game's other super-heavy — which is why every anti-heavy tool in the game is measured against "can it kill a Factory Strider?"

Factory Strider Weak Points: It's All in the Head

The Factory Strider's weak point is its head, and the community has a good way of explaining it: the eye is the entire head — the head is covered in armor plating, and the eye is the one exposed section you can actually damage reliably. From the r/Helldivers anti-heavy thread:

"The eye weak point on the factory strider is actually its entire head. It's just that there's separate armor plating covering most of it, and the eye is where it's easiest to discern as separate."

Practical consequences:

• Hit the eye with armor-piercing or explosive damage. The Recoilless Rifle, EAT and Quasar all do the job; the Commando can strip a Factory Strider's weapons entirely.
• The body is a waste of ammo. Armor plating across the chassis eats shots; you're fighting a time-limit battle if you plink the hull.
• Stripping weapons is a valid strategy. One Commando rocket can knock out the chin gun or the top cannons "in one use, rendering them harmless" — a disarmed Factory Strider stops being a threat even if it's still walking.

Official source: Helldivers Wiki — Factory Strider — the official wiki documents the Factory Strider's armor layout, Devastator deployment bays, and the anti-tank tactics needed to bring one down.

Best Weapons Against a Factory Strider

Ranked by what the community actually uses on difficulty 9–10 bot missions:

Can the Railcannon One-Shot a Factory Strider?

No — and this is one of the most-asked questions after Update 6.3.0. The patch raised the Orbital Railcannon Strike's projectile and durable damage from 7,500 to 10,000, and IGN's patch report quotes the intent explicitly:

"The Railcannon also got more damage to be more effective vs some of the largest enemies like the Vox engines. It will still not one shot the largest enemies like Factory strider, Hive lord and similar."

So the Railcannon is now better at chewing into super-heavies, but a Factory Strider will survive the hit — follow it up with Recoilless/EAT fire to the eye rather than assuming the railgun did the job.

How to Kill a Factory Strider, Step by Step

1. Prioritize it immediately. A live Factory Strider spawns Devastators nonstop; every second it's alive, the field fills with bots.
2. Strip its weapons first (if possible). One Commando volley or a well-placed Recoilless shot removes the chin gun/cannons, neutering it.
3. Burn the eye. Anti-tank rounds to the exposed head section — Recoilless, EAT, Quasar, or a 500kg direct hit.
4. Watch its deployment bays. If you can't kill it fast, at least control the Devastators it drops before they flank you.
5. On defense missions, emplace. The Anti-Tank Emplacement or an HMG emplacement pre-set on its approach path turns the Strider's arrival into a firing range.

Factory Strider vs War Strider: What's the Difference?

Both are Automaton heavy walkers, and both have head weak points — but they play very differently:

If you're fighting the War Strider instead, the takedown is faster — our Warstrider guide covers the one-shot eye kill and the anti-ragdoll positioning. Both enemies are why anti-tank support weapons are non-negotiable on the bot front; the best weapons tier list ranks the current anti-tank options.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Factory Strider in Helldivers 2?

The Automatons' super-heavy walker and mobile troop factory. It deploys Devastators from bays on its chassis while attacking with a chin gun and top cannons, and it's the tankiest enemy on the bot front.

What is the Factory Strider's weak point?

Its head — the "eye" is the exposed part of the head (the rest is armor plating). Destroy it with anti-tank fire to kill the Strider. The body armor is nearly useless to shoot at.

What weapons kill a Factory Strider?

Recoilless Rifle, EAT, Quasar Cannon and Commando to the eye. The Eagle 500kg Bomb can one-shot it with a direct hit, and the Anti-Tank Emplacement shreds it on defense missions. The Orbital Railcannon Strike damages but cannot one-shot it.

Can the Railcannon one-shot a Factory Strider?

No. Update 6.3.0 raised its damage to 10,000, but the patch notes explicitly say it still won't one-shot the largest enemies like the Factory Strider or Hive Lord.

What is the difference between a Factory Strider and a War Strider?

The Factory Strider is a super-heavy troop factory with deployment bays and heavy weapons; the War Strider is a smaller combat walker with grenade volleys and ragdolling. The Factory Strider is far tankier — the War Strider dies to a single charged Railgun shot to the eye.

Related Guides

• Helldivers 2 Warstrider — Weak Points & How to Kill It
• Helldivers 2 500kg Bomb Guide — Aiming & One-Shot Tactics
• Helldivers 2 Best Weapons — 2026 Tier List
• Helldivers 2 Stratagems — Full List, Unlocks & Best Picks
• Helldivers 2 Automaton Loadout Guide
• Helldivers 2 Eagle 1 Guide — All Eagle Strikes Ranked

Last updated: August 13, 2026.