Shields will sometimes announce their presence by banging on their shield a few times (Though this is only a sound, with no animation), which can let you hear them through walls or alert you if they're sneaking up behind you. Shields usually focus on a single player, even if there are multiple crew members around. Also note that Shields can spawn in packs, and thus can exceed the limit, though no more will spawn until it is lowered beneath the limit again. Triggered spawns can exceed this limit (such as Watchdogs Day 1), and their spawns are added to the total Shield head count on the map. There is an upper limit for how many Shields are allowed on the map at once, which scales to the chosen difficulty. Shields are usually spawned into the play field via common enemy deployment zones such as armored trucks and rappel spots. They will, however, bang loudly on their shields to announce their arrival on the site provided none of the player crew have seen them yet. Like the Sniper, the Shield unit is vocally silent, although other standard law enforcers will warn their compatriots to make way for the shield. Still, Shields seem to make melee attacks less often than normal units, so relying on them attempting to hit you every time you approach is not advised. This attack is similar in damage and animation to the standard knife hit of regular law enforcers and will leave the FBI Shield briefly exposed to attacks as he moves his shield arm to the left for the length of the animation. The FBI variant of the Shield has a knifing attack that they employ against the heisters in close quarters combat. Should the Shield decide to hold up in a square corner, this can be extremely frustrating, as the wider shield is large enough to almost completely cover up the remaining 90 degrees. The change in shield size is the most important difference between the two, giving the enemy some protection against attacks from the side angles as well as the front. They have the same health and head shot damage multiplier regardless of their apparent base unit type.Ĭompared to the SWAT Shield, the FBI Shield deals more damage thanks to his machine pistol and has a wider shield. It is worth noting that there are two variations of Shields: a SWAT Shield and an FBI Shield. Tasers will also attempt to electrocute players from behind shields, making them next-to-impossible to hit. Two or more shields will often accompany Tasers and Bulldozers to the location of the crew whilst forming a wall in front of them, effectively making the specials behind them bulletproof, which can be extremely disastrous in the case of the latter as they cover up the Dozer's main weakness, being his faceplate. The Shield poses an extreme threat to players while in enclosed spaces, although they are less threatening out in the open where quick maneuvering can be used to quickly dispatch them.Īnother tactic of shields is to become mobile cover for other specials. Shields will also consistently attempt to run near walls or corners, where they have the advantage of being able to gun players down while making it frustratingly hard to try and flank them without the help of another player to distract the Shield. They tend to focus on one player at a time, and that player will have the shield pointed directly at them. Their tall shields block a player's line of sight from other police, SWAT, and FBI teams, allowing law enforcers to rescue hostages. Upon deployment, they attempt to first block off critical areas, such as doorways or narrow corridors, before rejoining with other police units. Shields almost always deploy in teams, but they tend to separate quickly.
The shield's wielder is no more powerful than the non-special law enforcement officer he is based on and is extremely vulnerable from the sides and the back. The Shield wields a large, full-body riot shield that is impenetrable to all frontal assault from most firearms excluding explosives, armor-piercing rounds, and flames.
If one of the enemy can get behind them, they’re done." -Commissioner Garrett's notes on the Shield unit's weakness. It slows the wielder down and limits their vision. Unfortunately, their great strength can also be their biggest weakness. These units only appear on the Death Sentence difficulty setting alongside other Zeal-force combatants.īehavior " A great utility, but only if used correctly. The Zeal-force Shield is the Department of Homeland Security's answer to the DCPD and FBI's own riot units, sporting slightly different armament.