S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Wiki
Register
Advertisement
The subject of this article appears in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.

And I don't give a rat's ass who's working for who.
― Strider upon learning of Degtyarev's identity

Strider (also known as Rogue in some translations) (Russian: Бродяга / Brodyaga) is a former Monolith stalker appearing in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

Background[]

Strider leads a squad of fellow ex-Monolith fighters comprised of himself, Armor, Foma, Meeker, Sickle, and Walrus. They have somehow lost their connection to the Monolith (presumably for the same reasons that the Monolith in Pripyat are unable to connect to the Monolith hierarchy, as a result of Strelok's actions against the C-Consciousness) and wish to find shelter before Bandits or Loners kill them due to their Monolith uniforms.

Appearances[]

Call of Pripyat[]

Sitting near a bridge between the container warehouses and the Volkhov AA complex in Yanov, Strider contacts the player requesting his assistance in bringing his men to safety. Depending on the player's standing with the two factions, he can speak to either Freedom or Duty on their behalf and have them recruit Strider's squad in their faction - a substantial boost in the player's standings with that faction (though it requires good standing in order for the leaders to be open to recruiting Strider). Despite what Strider says about his team, the squad is perfectly capable of defending themselves and they will take cover under the bridge near the campsite during an emission. Once Strider has been recruited, the rest of his squad begin taking part in faction patrols and occasionally battles. Strider himself will remain inside the station; if recruited into Freedom, he will be at Loki's doorstep if Kremen has moved to the main hall or the Duty warehouse or, if recruited into Duty, at Shulga's doorstep if Gavrilenko is not there, or behind Grizzly.

When looking for a squad for the Jupiter Underground mission, the player can talk Strider into joining. He will quickly agree to return to Pripyat because he is unsure of his current role as a faction member and would like to directly investigate what happened to him and his men. He wears a Scientific Monolith suit for the journey. His choice of an SVUmk-2 sniper rifle makes him a liability and he will often be the first to die as his weapon is poorly suited for close-quarter combat in the tunnels, although he is one of the more useful NPCs in the larger tunnel sections, and during the Monolith sniper attack. Most of the time he will hang back and pick off enemies during encounters with his rifle. If the player wants him to survive, it is highly encouraged that the player run ahead with a shotgun and clear out as many Rodents and Snorks as possible.

During the mission, if Strider dies, Zulu and Sokolov will not comment on his death. Vano often will, seemingly distressed at his comrade's fate. Likewise, Strider seems to care only when Vano goes down, and shows little emotion even when he acknowledges the others dying.

After arriving in Pripyat, Strider will remain inside the Laundromat for some time. He will eventually disappear.

Related missions[]

  • Monolith survivors: The player must convince either Duty or Freedom to recruit Strider and his team.
  • Pripyat 1: After completing the above mission, Strider may join the player for the trip through the Jupiter Underground.

Endings[]

Strider has two possible endings depending on his fate through the events of the game.

  • If Strider is recruited into either Duty or Freedom and survives, the ending reveals that he formed a new group with the rest of his team, although their objectives are unknown.
  • If Strider is killed at any point during the game, the ending simply mentions that his death went mostly unnoticed.

Southern Comfort[]

Strider plays a prominent role in the English spin-off book S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Southern Comfort where he is introduced as a mysterious figure initially known only as Renegade. During the novel, he assists the protagonist, Major Tarasov, from the shadows and will often come in contact with him under a different call sign.

Heart of Chornobyl[]

Strider is set to appear in Heart of Chornobyl. He was officially revealed in a trailer named "Strider Story" that was published on GSC's official Youtube channel on November 30, 2023. His role in the game is currently unknown.

Gallery[]

Advertisement