Best ways to counter the Blitz Shield in XDefiant

Every Faction in XDefiant has its own quirks, but few are as annoying as the Phantoms Blitz Shield. Let me show you the best ways to counter the Blitz Shield in XDefiant so you can beat this obnoxious ability.

How does the Blitz Shield work in XDefiant?

The first step to beating the Blitz Shield is understanding how it works and its limitations. The Blitz Shield is exclusive to the Phantoms Faction, who can choose between the Shield and Mag Barrier as their Active Ability. While the Shield can be pretty oppressive, it’s on a 25-second cooldown after deployment.

The Blitz Shield protects from gunfire, and the user even has a little screen they can see through. While it’s tempting to shoot at their visible heads, the screen will block the bullets.

The most important thing to know about the Blitz Shield is it doesn’t last forever. A Shield user will eventually put the Shield down automatically, and they can’t use it for 15 seconds afterward.

How to beat the Blitz Shield in XDefiant

Now you know how the Blitz Shield works, let’s work out some options to beat it:

Use Lethal Devices

Sticky and Frag Grenades are death sentences to a Blitz Shield user. Sticking a Grenade to the Shield for a guaranteed kill is incredibly satisfying. You can also cook a Frag Grenade by holding the trigger before throwing it to give your opponent zero time to react.

If the opposing team has a couple of Blitz Shield users, I strongly recommend switching to Lethal Grenades to spoil their day.

Reposition and Flank

The Blitz Shield offers an impenetrable barrier from the front, but the player is just as squishy as usual from the back and sides. If you play with a friend, you can shut down a shield user, as they can’t face multiple directions simultaneously.

Keep your distance

This may seem obvious, but if you stay away from a shield player, they can’t lay a finger on you. Blitz Shield players can’t shoot you unless they put their shield away. They can kill you with a couple of Shield Bashes but must be at point-blank range. 

Ultimately, a Shield player should play to their strengths and force you to come to them. Don’t play their game and bide your time.

Wait for their cooldown

As I mentioned earlier, the Blitz Shield doesn’t last forever. You can use this to your advantage and strike when the Shield lowers. A decent Phantom player will likely move to cover when their Shield timer runs out. If you notice a sudden change in their playstyle, it’s time to run in and score a kill while they are defenseless.

If you put these tips into effect, you’ll counter Blitz Shield players so hard they may just swap Faction entirely. 

Devices are a superb way to shut down Shield users, but there’s a Grenade to suit every situation. It’s worth taking the time to try them all out to find what works best for you.