The Devoid of Liberty update dropped two of the nastiest Illuminate units yet, and both show up constantly during the operation to defend Rirga Bay. The Crusher is a slow, health-regenerating bruiser with a one-hit hammer, while the Wretch is a fast, scythe-limbed swarmer that hunts in packs. Neither dies the way you expect, because their heads are not the answer.
Quick answer: Blow the triangular helmet off the Crusher and keep firing so it can’t heal, and shred the Wretch’s limbs instead of its head. Fire damage counters both.
Weak points for the Crusher and Wretch
Both enemies punish the reflex to shoot for the head. The Crusher wears a helmet over a tiny, fragile head, and the Wretch uses its head as a decoy while its real vulnerability sits in its limbs. Get these two targets right and everything else becomes a question of ammo and positioning.
| Enemy | Weak point | Key threat |
|---|---|---|
| Crusher | Head under the triangular helmet (knock the helmet off first) | Regenerates health if left alone; hammer slam is a one-hit kill |
| Wretch | Limbs, not the head | Fast, leaps to close distance, arrives in groups of six to eight, can dismantle your weapon |
How to beat the Crusher in Helldivers 2
The Crusher is a huge, fleshmob-like unit that lumbers toward you swinging a massive club. It is effectively a bullet sponge, and its defining trick is health regeneration. Every moment you stop shooting to run or reload, it heals back the damage you dealt, so committed, sustained fire is the whole game here.
Its size actually works in your favor, because it is easy to hit and easy to burst down once the helmet is gone. Aim for the triangular helmet, break it off, and the small, exposed head underneath goes down fast. Do not tackle a Crusher solo if you can avoid it, since they rarely travel alone and often appear two or three at a time inside packs of Voteless or Wretches.
The one attack to respect is the overhead hammer slam, which kills you instantly on contact. They move slowly, so keep your distance, keep moving, and keep the trigger down.
Best weapons and stratagems against the Crusher
Burst damage and armor penetration are what you want. Heavy Pen weapons crack the helmet quickly, and fire keeps the enemy from healing between your shots.
| Option | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Autocannon / Autocannon Sentry | High burst damage to break the helmet and finish the head |
| Orbital Railcannon Strike | Single-target burst for a quick kill |
| Bastion XVI / Emancipator Exosuit | Hard-hitting explosive damage reduces a Crusher to chunks |
| Epoch | Reliable heavy option for downing them quickly |
| Cremator | Constant fire stops health regeneration and can hit a whole group |
| P/40-K Bolt Pistol | Two shots to the helmet knock it clean off |
| Thermite grenade | A single stuck Thermite instantly kills a Crusher, anywhere on the body |
Note: With the exosuits, still aim for the head to pop the helmet. Doing so conserves ammo, which matters when several Crushers turn up together. Thermite is your bail-out tool when you’re on the move or out of stratagem ammo, since it removes any Crusher in one throw.
How to beat the Wretch in Helldivers 2
The Wretch is the Crusher’s opposite. It’s small, relentless, and extremely quick, moving in packs of six to eight that chase whichever Helldiver they spot. Its elongated limbs end in scythes it uses to carve into targets, and it can leap to close the gap fast, so engage at range before it reaches you. If it isn’t cut down, it can even dismantle your weapon.
The head is a decoy. Shoot the limbs to both slow the Wretch and put it down for good. When one gets in your face, a fast shotgun blast to the arms and legs immobilizes and kills it in the same motion.
Best weapons and stratagems against the Wretch
Because Wretches swarm, crowd control and status damage carry the fight. Fire is especially strong, since burning damage kills whether or not you’ve severed a limb, and gas stratagems keep your squad from being overrun.
| Option | Role |
|---|---|
| AR-2 Coyote, LAS-16 Sickle, AR-23P Liberator Penetrator, Trident, Plas-1 Scorcher, SG-451 Cookout | Crowd-control primaries to cut through the horde at range |
| Cremator, Flamethrower, Hot Dog | Fire damage that ignores whether limbs are severed |
| Dog Breath, Sterilizer | Gas support to slow and control groups and protect the squad |
A solid assault rifle or dedicated crowd-control weapon will chew through a pack on its own. Keep spacing, thin the swarm before it lands, and hold fire lanes so no single Wretch reaches your weapon.
Handling both enemies together
These two are built to work as a team. Wretches pressure and overwhelm your squad so heavier units like Fleshmobs and Crushers can close the distance while you’re distracted. A Cremator or any sustained fire source is the cleanest shared answer, since it stops Crusher regeneration and melts entire Wretch packs at once. Assign someone to bring gas or an exosuit for control, keep everyone moving, and you can hold Rirga Bay without being swarmed off it.
