Helldivers 2 Troopers explained: every Automaton Trooper type (Raider, Marauder, Brawler), weak spots, where they spawn, plus the rest of the bot roster.
Helldivers 2 Troopers: Weaknesses, Types and How to Kill Them
Troopers are the basic Automaton infantry — the unarmored foot soldiers of the bot army that appear on every Automaton planet and every difficulty, and they're the easiest enemies in the game to kill: one headshot, one grenade, or any explosive wipes them out. They come in several varieties (Raider, Marauder, Brawler, plus raider subclasses) that carry different weapons, and they're frequently the target of Personal Orders ("kill 20 Troopers"). This guide covers every Trooper type, where they spawn, how to farm the kill order, and where they sit in the wider Automaton roster — including the Hulk and Factory Strider you'll meet as the difficulty climbs.
Official resources: Steam store page · GamesRadar+ — How to kill Troopers · Game Rant — All Automaton enemies · Helldivers Wiki (wiki.gg) — Automatons
What Are Troopers in Helldivers 2?
Troopers are the light infantry of the Automatons — humanoid robots with visible optics, found in patrols and guarding outposts on every bot world. Game Rant's enemy list describes them as "basically just a light enemy with a gun," unarmored and easy to kill with any weapon, and it stresses the one thing that makes them matter: the Trooper's job is calling in reinforcements. If a Trooper spots you and survives, it alerts the patrol and dropships start landing. That's why the priority rule in bot missions is "kill the Troopers first" — the rest of the Automaton army is only dangerous once the Troopers have summoned it.
The wiki's full Automaton light roster: Trooper, Brawler, Commissar, Rocket Raider, Assault Raider, Marauder, MG Raider, Berserker, Devastator (Rocket/Heavy variants), Scout Strider, Reinforced Scout Strider, and the heavier units below.
Official source: Game Rant — Helldivers 2 Automatons Enemy List — "Troopers spawn on Trivial Difficulty, and have three variants: Brawler, Marauder, and Raider. These enemies aren't a threat, as they're basically just a light enemy with a gun that can be easily sent to the scrap heap with any gun or melee strike."
Every Trooper Type (and What Carries What)
Not all Troopers are the same — the community distinguishes six main types with subclasses:
| Type | Weapon | Threat level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raider | Laser assault rifle | Low | The standard Trooper; the default "kill 20" target |
| Brawler | Blade arms | Medium | Melee chaser — the only Trooper that can actually threaten you if you're distracted |
| Marauder | Laser SMG | Low | Faster-firing variant of the Raider |
| MG Raider | Machine gun | Low-Med | Suppressive fire; dies the same as the rest |
| Rocket Raider | Rocket launcher | High | Hides in the backline, very accurate — kill it first |
| Assault Raider | Jetpack + rockets | High | Flies in; its jetpack explodes on death — shoot the legs to ground it, then back away |
| Commissar | Pistol + flare | High | Looks like a Trooper but is the one that calls dropships — the real priority target of any patrol |
The general rule: they're all unarmored. A headshot kills any of them with almost any weapon; a grenade or any explosive clears whole groups; the Breaker, Liberator and Sickle are all specifically recommended by community guides for Trooper-clearing. The only ones to respect are the Rocket Raiders and Assault Raiders (accurate ranged damage and exploding jetpacks respectively) and the Commissar, which is the actual reinforcement-caller.
Patrols are led by Commissars that look nearly identical to Troopers — and the Commissar is the unit that deploys the flare that triggers Dropships. When you see a patrol, identify and drop the Commissar before anything else, then mop up the Troopers. This is the single most important habit for low-difficulty bot play.
Where Do Troopers Spawn?
Automaton planets only — you'll never see Troopers on Terminid missions (see the Terminids guide for the bug side of the roster). Specifically:
- All bot missions on all difficulties (Trivial to Super Helldive), in the red sectors on the left side of the Galactic War map.
- At outposts, bases and fabricator compounds — they man turrets and guard objectives there.
- In patrols and dropped by Dropships as reinforcements.
- Every difficulty — they are not gated like armored units, so a Trivial mission is full of them.
For the "kill 20 Troopers" Personal Order: run any low-difficulty (Trivial/Easy) bot mission, sweep the outposts and patrols, and target laser-rifle Raiders specifically — the order counts only the correct variety, and the game's kill tracker will tell you which one that is (Radio Times and GamesRadar+ both cover this exact workflow).
Beyond Troopers: The Automaton Roster at a Glance
Once you leave Trivial, the bots get real. The ladder (per Game Rant and the wiki):
- Scout Strider / Reinforced Scout Strider (Medium+): chicken-walker with a mounted gunner; shoot the legs (light armor) or the rider.
- Berserker (Easy+): chainsaw-armed rushers — head and stomach are unarmored.
- Devastator / Rocket / Heavy Devastator (Challenging+): the mid-game filter; headshots or medium-pen to the torso.
- Hulk (Bruiser / Scorcher / Obliterator) (Challenging+): the mini-boss — shoot the glowing vents on its back and the eye/head (unarmored); a Quasar Cannon one-shots it. The Scorcher variant's flamethrower demands range (stay outside ~15m).
- Tanks (Annihilator / Shredder / Barrager) (Medium+ to Suicide+): explosives into the back vent.
- War Strider (Extreme+): anti-tank to the leg/hip, or the torso red light.
- Gunship (Hard+): flyers — the Autocannon is the best counter.
- Factory Strider (Suicide 7+): the walking fortress — the wiki notes its head armor pops with a single EAT/Recoilless/Quasar shot, exposing the head to heavy-pen fire; the undercarriage is the other weak spot, and two Impact Grenades into its belly bay destroy it. IGN has a dedicated Factory Strider guide.
The 2026 enemy guide consensus: Quasar Cannon one-shots Hulks and War Striders (aim for the leg/hip), the EAT/Recoilless pops Factory Strider head armor in one shot, and a well-placed Eagle 500kg kills or cripples every heavy in the game. Troopers are the warm-up; these are the actual bot threats.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Troopers in Helldivers 2?
The Automaton faction's basic infantry — unarmored robots armed with laser rifles, blades or rockets. They spawn on every bot planet and difficulty and are the easiest enemies in the game to kill.
Where do Troopers spawn?
Only on Automaton missions — the red sectors on the left side of the Galactic War map. They appear at outposts, in patrols, and drop from Dropships on every difficulty.
How do you kill Troopers fast?
Headshots with almost any weapon, grenades, or any explosive clears groups. The Breaker, Liberator and Sickle are the community's recommended Trooper-clearing guns. Kill Rocket Raiders first, and the Commissar before it calls a Dropship.
What Automaton enemies are there beyond Troopers?
Scout Striders, Berserkers, Devastators, Hulks, Tanks, War Striders, Gunships and Factory Striders — plus subfaction variants (Jet Brigade, Pyro Troopers). The Hulk needs its back vents or eye; the Factory Strider needs anti-tank to the head or undercarriage.
Can Troopers call reinforcements?
Troopers alert patrols, but the actual reinforcement-caller is the Commissar — the flare-launching leader that looks like a Trooper. Dropping the Commissar first is the key to fighting bot patrols without getting overrun.
Related Guides
- Helldivers 2 Terminids — Full Enemy Guide & Weaknesses
- Helldivers 2 Leviathan — How to Beat the Illuminate Ship
- Helldivers 2 Autocannon — AC-8 Stats, Loadouts & Tips
- Helldivers 2 500kg Bomb — Stats, Code & How to Aim It
- Helldivers 2 Stratagems — Full List, Unlocks and Best Picks
- Destiny 2 Crossplay Guide
Last updated: August 13, 2026.
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