As an experienced Helldiver, you learn that managing heavy threats efficiently is key to mission success. One of the most reliable tools for this job is the Orbital Railcannon Strike. This guide breaks down how it actually works in the field, based on common use and player experience.
What Does the Orbital Railcannon Actually Kill?
The Orbital Railcannon is your premier "delete button" for single, high-priority armored targets. It fires a single, incredibly precise projectile that aims for the center of mass of its target.
In general, you can rely on it to destroy the following enemies in one shot:
Bile Titans
Chargers
Hulks
Tanks
Cannon Turrets
It will also deal significant damage to the largest enemies like Factory Striders (and destroy their turret), but will not kill them outright. A well-timed shot can also destroy incoming Dropships, which is a great way to prevent reinforcements from ever landing. Most players save it for the heaviest enemy on the field, as using it on a smaller target is often a waste of its long cooldown.
How Does the Targeting System Work in Practice?
This is where understanding the Railcannon's logic is crucial. The stratagem actively searches for the most dangerous viable target within a radius when it lands. It prioritizes large enemies like Titans and Hulk. However, if no major enemy is present, it will default to targeting enemy structures like Bug Holes, Fabricators, or Spore Spewers.
There's an important tactical trick here: if you need to destroy an objective like a Detector Tower or Stratagem Jammer with the Railcannon, you must "dumbfire" it. This means ensuring there are no enemy troops, patrols, or structures within about 25 meters of your thrown beacon. If a single Trooper is nearby, the Railcannon will target it instead of the objective. This makes clearing the immediate area before calling it in essential.
What Ship Modules Should I Use With It?
To get the most out of the Railcannon, most players equip specific Ship Modules from their Ship Management terminal. The most impactful ones are:
Zero-G Breech Loading (Orbital Cannons): Reduces the stratagem's cooldown by 10%. This is the most direct upgrade.
Targeting Software Upgrade (Bridge): Reduces the call-in time for all Orbital Stratagems by 1 second, letting you get that shot off faster in a panic.
Morale Augmentation (Morale): A smaller, universal 5% cooldown reduction for all stratagems.
While you can buy Helldivers 2 items online to speed up your acquisition of Super Credits for Warbonds, the modules themselves are unlocked purely through playing the game and spending Requisition Slips, which cannot be purchased.
How Has the Railcannon Changed Over Time?
The Railcannon received a major, undocumented buff in a September 2024 patch. Its projectile damage was massively increased to keep pace with tougher enemy health pools. While its armor penetration rating was technically lowered, in practice, it still reliably punches through the armor of all the heavy targets it's designed for. More recently, its cooldown was reduced from 210 to 180 seconds, making it available more frequently during longer, drawn-out engagements. These changes have solidified its role as a consistent, set-and-forget solution for taking out the biggest bugs and bots.
When Should I Not Use the Orbital Railcannon?
Knowing when not to use a tool is as important as knowing when to use it. The Railcannon is poor against groups or swarms due to its single-target nature. Don't waste it if your team is already effectively handling a heavy enemy with expendable anti-tank weapons or other stratagems. Also, because it cannot lock onto objectives directly, relying on it for mission-critical structures in a hot zone is risky. In general, communicate with your team to avoid overlapping your heavy stratagems on one target while a second threat goes unchecked.
