Best Devices in XDefiant, ranked

Devices in XDefiant are similar to regular grenades in other Shooters. There’s a small but lethal selection to choose from, so what should you bring? Here are the best Devices in XDefiant, ranked.

What are Devices in XDefiant?

Just so we’re all on the same page, you can find Devices in your loadout menu that are all different types of Grenade. At the time of writing, there are five very different Grenades in XDefiant, all unlockable through simple challenges. Some require you to inflict Status Conditions on opponents, which you can do with EMP Grenades.

All Grenades in XDefiant Ranked

Now that you know what Devices are, let’s see how they shape up from worst to best. I must stress that some Devices shine in specific game modes, but here’s how they rank for general use.

#5 Proximity Mine

The Proximity Mine isn’t useless by any means, but its utility only shines in specific modes. You’ll get the most value from Proximity Mines in modes where you can lock down an area, like Zone Control and Domination.

Outside those modes, Proximity Mines provide niche value. You can perform some cheeky plays with Mines, like dropping them if you’re being chased, but it’s not something that often comes into play. 

To make matters worse, Proximity Mines do less damage to crouching opponents, and this may become an issue when more players learn about this mechanic.

#4 Sticky Grenade

The Sticky Grenade is functionally identical to Semtex from Call of Duty. You can stick these explosives to surfaces and even score instant kills if you stick one to an opponent. 

The issue with Sticky Grenades is that you usually need a line of sight on your target. This won’t always be a problem, and sticking Grenades to the Escort robot always scores a few kills in a match. That said, you can’t control the fuse on a Sticky Grenade, which leads us nicely to our next entry.

#3 Frag Grenade

The Frag Grenade is an excellent throwable and arguably the best lethal option. You can throw Frags without presenting yourself as a target, and you can even bounce them off scenery.

My favorite thing to do with Frags is “cook” them by holding down the trigger before throwing them. A cooked grenade is almost impossible to react to and a great way to secure kills. Frags have a ton of utility and will perform in every game mode of XDefiant.

#2 Flash Grenade

Flash Grenades seem extremely strong in XDefiant. These throwables have a respectable blast radius, and the blinding effect is a death sentence as it lingers for a while.

The blinding flash won’t kill outright, but your opponents are helpless if they can’t see. There are plenty of ways to avoid lethal explosions but far fewer ways to dodge a flash. You can blind entire teams with the Flash Grenade, and they offer unrivaled utility.

Flash Grenades can be countered if you look away from the blast, but good luck doing that in the heat of battle.

#1 EMP Grenade

The EMP Grenade may fall down the list as players become more experienced. For now, the EMP Grenade is like a “nope” button that shuts down countless abilities. 

Whether your enemy is hiding behind a shield or is sneaking around the map while invisible, the EMP Grenade instantly stops these abilities. The EMP even breaks Incinerator Drones. 

Operators in XDefiant have weird and wonderful abilities that suit any playstyle, and they all fall to the mighty EMP Grenade.

Most unlocks are locked behind challenges, but some are less obvious than others. Quick-swap kills, for example, aren’t really explained in XDefiant but are easy when you know how.