The effect of two orbital or planetary tool actuation strategies viz. helical and diagonal on tool wear rate during the generation of non-circular features is presented in the paper. Under both strategies, the effect of factors like tool path offset, scanning speed, current, gap voltage, pulse ON time and duty factor on the response have been studied in detail. Further, end condition of the tool electrodes used under different conditions has been studied and qualitatively compared. Among electrical factors, lower values of current, gap voltage and duty factor and higher values of pulse ON time are preferable for lower tool wear rate as well tool deformation. Tool motion factors viz. tool path offset and scanning speed is observed to have no significant effect on the response at lower discharge energy conditions. Analysis of experimental results suggests that helical strategy is preferable to diagonal strategy for the generation of non-circular cavities using EDM process.