How to start the Defeat The Stranger’s Forces event in Grounded 2

The Defeat The Stranger’s Forces event in Grounded 2 kicks off once you complete a specific objective tied to the main story, but it won’t trigger randomly or simply by exploring. This event forces you into defence mode just after you start building up your base. There’s not much room to breathe, and while the enemies aren’t top-tier, they can be tough if you go in unprepared.

This article breaks down how the Defeat The Stranger’s Forces event in Grounded 2 begins, how to retrigger it if things go wrong, and what kind of trouble you'll be getting into.

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A guide to trigger the Defeat The Stranger’s Forces event in Grounded 2

Sloane in Grounded 2 (Image via Xbox Game Studios)

The Defeat The Stranger’s Forces event in Grounded 2 is not something you click on or manually start. The moment you finish building two Spike Strips from The Art of War, it begins automatically. That’s your trigger. You’ll face a wave of O.R.C.-controlled enemies sent by the mysterious masked stranger. They’re not elite-tier enemies, but early on, they can mess you up if you’re not careful.

The list of attackers usually includes:

• O.R.C. Red Soldier Ants
• O.R.C. Spiderlings
• O.R.C. Weaver Jr.

How to survive the incoming swarm

The Acorn Turret in Grounded 2 (Image via Xbox Game Studios)

In the Defeat The Stranger’s Forces event in Grounded 2, setup and positioning are crucial. Be ready for when enemies start rushing your base. Here’s what works:

1) Lay Spike Traps around your base

Spam them with Spike Traps. The enemies come from every direction, which is why trap stacking is your best defense. If you have a gamepad, press X to place one.

To build a Spike Strip, you’ll need:

• 1x Weed Stem
• 1x Sap
• 1x Crude Rope
• 3x Thistle Needles

These items are everywhere in the park, so crafting several of them should be easy.

2) The Acorn setup

If you want to prepare well for the next fight, we recommend building an Acorn Turret. It functions both as a defense tool and a mini tower to help you get a better shooting angle. To craft one, you’ll need:

• 2x Acorn Shell
• 1x Acorn Top
• 2x Weed Stem
• 1x Flower Petal
• 3x Silk Rope

Place the turret somewhere central in your base, and when the swarm arrives again, you'll have better ground to defend from.

3) Use the high ground

Climb up wherever you can. Being above ground makes it harder for enemies to reach you, and if you’ve got a bow, even better. You can rain down shots while staying safe most of the time.

4) Prioritize the Spiderlings first

They're the smallest and most annoying. Clear them early so you're not swarmed while trying to deal with the bigger bugs.

5) Heal up and stay mobile

Don’t just stand in one spot. Rotate around your base and keep moving. Use healing items between waves if you need to. The fight might look small on paper, but it can get nasty quickly if you just tank hits.

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What happens if you fail the Defeat The Stranger’s Forces event in Grounded 2?

If you die or can’t hold the base, the masked stranger shades you and bounces. But the good part is that you can retry the Defeat The Stranger’s Forces event. Here’s how it works:

1) Go talk to Sloane again

Head over to one of the Ranger Outposts and interact with Sloane. This will restart the event timer.

2) Timer appears in the top right corner

You’ll see a purple hourglass icon, which shows the countdown until the enemy raid begins again.

3) It takes two in-game days to restart

The stranger pings you once every day. But the raid only begins after the second day. So instead of just sitting around, use the time to prep.

Note: You can’t sleep to skip the countdown. That timer needs to tick down naturally. While you're waiting, upgrade your base or restock gear.

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Rewards

Once you beat the Defeat The Stranger’s Forces event in Grounded 2, you'll unlock progression through the story — the loot’s decent too. Expect drops like:

• Red Ant Parts
• Red Ant Mandibles
• O.R.C. Receiver
• Web Fiber
• Orb Weaver Chunk

Check out: How to get Mite Fuzz in Grounded 2