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The Dragonroach is Helldivers 2‘s way of telling you that ground-based Terminid enemies were not humiliating you efficiently enough. Fast, airborne, heavily armored, and perfectly happy to strafe your entire squad with acid before you even register it on the radar, it is essentially a Bile Titan that decided legs were beneath it.
Fighting one without a plan is a coin flip at best. Fighting one with the right stratagem, though, is a very different story; and that is exactly why we’re here. Below are our top five stratagem picks for swatting a Dragonroach out of the sky for good.
5 Orbital Railcannon Strike
One shot, zero misses. | Credits: Arrowhead Game Studios/FandomWire
No other stratagem on this list is as forgiving as the Orbital Railcannon Strike, and that is exactly why it earns a spot here. Its targeting system auto-locks onto the largest enemy in range and delivers a near-instant, high-powered shot from orbit, making the Dragonroach’s erratic flight pattern essentially irrelevant.
The obvious limitation is that it fires once and then goes on a long cooldown, making it a one-Dragonroach solution per deployment. When multiple show up at once, and they will, you will need something else to back it up. Unlock it via Ship Management (Orbital Cannons) at Level 20 for 20,000 Requisition Slips.
4 EAT-411 Leveller
One high-yield missile, one problem solved. | Credits: Arrowhead Game Studios/FandomWire
The EAT-411 Leveller is an expendable missile launcher with one shot, no reload, and a sub-two-minute cooldown with upgrades. Think of it as a 500kg Bomb you can carry directly into position, without needing to pray the thing stays still long enough. It is available on Page 2 of the Siege Breakers Premium Warbond for 85 Medals.
Crucially, it is one of only two picks on this list that can consistently kill a Dragonroach with a body shot. The catch is range: wait until the beast is hovering more or less overhead rather than in full sprint, or you are wasting your one shot watching a missile sail past a wing.
3 MS-11 Solo Silo
Laser-guided and deeply satisfying | Credits: Arrowhead Game Studios/FandomWire
The MS-11 Solo Silo is essentially a portable, laser-guided 500kg Bomb with higher damage and Anti-Tank V armor penetration, and it is an extremely satisfying weapon to use against something as fast as a flying Dragonroach. You hold the targeting remote, keep painting the beast with the laser, and the missile will track it all the way to detonation.
Like the Leveller, it can bring down a Dragonroach regardless of where the missile hits its body, which removes a significant margin for error. The tracking mechanic also makes it far easier to stay on a moving airborne target than any conventional throw-and-hope approach. Pick it up from Page 3 of the Dust Devils Premium Warbond for 110 Medals.
2 GR-8 Recoilless Rifle
The ol’ reliable, still delivering. | Credits: Arrowhead Game Studios/FandomWire
The Recoilless Rifle has been a staple anti-tank weapon since the launch of Helldivers 2, and it is not going anywhere, especially when it comes to airborne heavy targets. A clean shot to the Dragonroach’s head drops it instantly, and even a body hit with its heavy armor penetration deals serious damage at minimum.
The backpack requirement for reloads is the usual trade-off, but if you can get a teammate to carry the pack and feed you the shells, you can worry less about missing your shots (because the next one is already in the chamber). Unlock it via the Patriotic Administration Center at Level 5 for 6,000 Requisition Slips.
1 EXO-49 Emancipator Exosuit
Two autocannons, zero sympathy. | Credits: Arrowhead Game Studios/FandomWire
Nothing else on this list does what the Emancipator Exosuit does to a Dragonroach, and that is remove its single biggest advantage: movement. The twin autocannons continuously apply stagger force while the beast is airborne, effectively stunlocking it mid-flight before it can break away or reposition.
It takes sustained fire to fully drop one, but locking it in place overhead means every anti-tank weapon your teammates are carrying suddenly has a far easier job. Two Emancipators firing simultaneously at the same target? A Dragonroach’s worst nightmare. Unlock it via Ship Management (Robotics Workshop) at Level 25 for 20,000 Requisition Slips.
Here are our best anti-Dragonroach stratagem picks at a glance:
StratagemUnlock MethodCost[#1] EXO-49 Emancipator ExosuitShip Management (Level 25)20,000 Requisition Slips[#2] GR-8 Recoilless RifleShip Management (Level 5)6,000 Requisition Slips[#3] MS-11 Solo SiloDust Devils Warbond1,000 SC + 110 Medals[#4] EAT-411 LevellerSiege Breakers Warbond1,000 SC + 85 Medals[#5] Orbital Railcannon StrikeShip Management (Level 20)20,000 Requisition Slips
And finally, a few questions that come up every time Dragonroaches are on the agenda:
Can the Dragonroach be killed with primary weapons alone?
Technically yes, but you will be there a while. Without hitting the head with something that deals enough damage (and armor penetration) in a single shot, you are chipping away at a very tanky target while it actively tries to ruin your day. Bring anti-tank!
What is the best non-stratagem way to deal with a Dragonroach in Helldivers 2?
The GP-20 Ultimatum secondary weapon from the Servants of Freedom Warbond can ground a Dragonroach with a body shot, which is a surprisingly effective answer from something that fits in your secondary slot.
Can the Eagle 500kg Bomb work against a Dragonroach?
It can, but unlike with Bile Titans, there is no reliable way to bait a Dragonroach into staying still for it. Unless someone is actively stunlocking it mid-air, the 500kg will miss far more often than it lands, and is not worth building your loadout around.
What is the Dragonroach’s best weak spot to target?
Its 1,500 HP head-to-mouth area should be your priority target, as a high-damage anti-tank weapon can drop it in one clean shot. The four wings, while unarmored, are 1,500 HP each, so chipping away at them is a slow and largely thankless route that we would not recommend.
Which stratagem is your go-to when a Dragonroach shows up uninvited mid-operation? Let us know in the comments below.
