Why Can A Little Guy With A Metal Plate Send Me Flying... While I'm Standing Behind Him?

[TinyLesbianRobot]

This isn't a really big deal, but lately, Grineer Shield Lancers have been irritating me to no end.  Their shield bash attack is extremely fast, can interrupt everything except an Iron Skinned Rhino, has a long reach, and has an arc that is something like 300 degrees.  This makes it extremely difficult to counter a charging Shield Lancer - they can interrupt a jump attack, they can interrupt a slide attack, they can interrupt a charge attack mid swing, they can interrupt a dodge in any direction, they can interrupt you while wallrunning and jumping, they can usually run faster than you, and if you try to flank, then they'll just swing the shield and catch you with their huge attack arc.

 

I love that Shield Lancers can knock you down - yes, good, keep it, it makes them a good, intimidating enemy who can leave you in a world of hurt with some of his buddies nearby, but as it stands, he's extremely difficult to counter, and everything in a game like this needs a reliable counter.

I think it'd be beneficial to the game's balance for the arc size and range of his shield bash attack to be reduced - either that, or make it so that he can't interrupt special attacks or dodges.  As it stands, he's cheap, not powerful.  The Fusion Moa is powerful due to good design (though he could use either a boost to his health/shields, a reduction in the time it takes for his drone to spawn, or an increase in his spawn rate), as are the Grineer Heavies.  Some hints could be taken from their books.

EDIT: Another idea is to add a 'sweet spot' to his attack arc.  When he hits you at the edges of his arc, at the start and finish of the swing, he only stumbles you, but if you catch the shield in the prime of its swing, you go flying.  Going flying because you got tapped by a barely-moving slab of metal is a bit weird.

Edited May 13, 2013 by WingedAnomaly

[AndryB94]

This isn't a really big deal, but lately, Grineer Shield Lancers have been irritating me to no end.  Their shield bash attack is extremely fast, can interrupt everything except an Iron Skinned Rhino, has a long reach, and has an arc that is something like 300 degrees.  This makes it extremely difficult to counter a charging Shield Lancer - they can interrupt a jump attack, they can interrupt a slide attack, they can interrupt a charge attack mid swing, they can interrupt a dodge in any direction, they can interrupt you while wallrunning and jumping, they can usually run faster than you, and if you try to flank, then they'll just swing the shield and catch you with their huge attack arc.

 

I love that Shield Lancers can knock you down - yes, good, keep it, it makes them a good, intimidating enemy who can leave you in a world of hurt with some of his buddies nearby, but as it stands, he's extremely difficult to counter, and everything in a game like this needs a reliable counter.

I think it'd be beneficial to the game's balance for the arc size and range of his shield bash attack to be reduced - either that, or make it so that he can't interrupt special attacks or dodges.  As it stands, he's cheap, not powerful.  The Fusion Moa is powerful due to good design (though he could use either a boost to his health/shields, a reduction in the time it takes for his drone to spawn, or an increase in his spawn rate), as are the Grineer Heavies.  Some hints could be taken from their books.

EDIT: Another idea is to add a 'sweet spot' to his attack arc.  When he hits you at the edges of his arc, at the start and finish of the swing, he only stumbles you, but if you catch the shield in the prime of its swing, you go flying.  Going flying because you got tapped by a barely-moving slab of metal is a bit weird.

These are the tactics I use:

1) A well-placed melee strike. Especially if you have a freezing mod, you can manage to hit them just as they're in front of you. This will stagger them (I use a Gram) and interrupt their ability. You can use a charged attack, but a normal melee will do. Con: If you're bad at timing, or if you're laggy, or if you meleed a bit too late, you're likely going to get slammed.

2) Run to the side as fast as you can (or roll). While charging, they have an awfully bad turning rate. Especially if you have a freezing mod and you hit them previously, they'll be super-slow-mo. If you can run enough, you can evade them. Con: You may leave yourself vulnerable to enemy fire, or your frame is too slow to do that properly.

3) Keep them at range so that they won't charge at you. Also, they are far less likely to charge at you if they are providing cover to one of their allies. You can snipe their head, which slightly pops out of the shield, or wait until they try to shoot at you (which, stupidly, they do).

[sambarpowder]

Same thing with ancients and their hitscan *@##$ slaps knocking me forward, so annoying

[AndryB94]

Same thing with ancients and their hitscan $#*(@ slaps knocking me forward, so annoying

Well, I play with a slight degree of lag on my laptop, but I noticed that, overall, moving quickly (perhaps turning so that you have an irregular moving pattern) or misleading the ancient (so that, for example, you're standing still, he goes to attack you, and you roll or quickly move) can easily dodge its attack. Also, closing into him and starting to stunlock him, especially with a freeze mod, works. However 1) stunlock is a horrible game mechanic 2) this is ineffective with other enemies around, especially other ancients.

Best way to deal with ancients is gun + freeze mod. Render them slow and their attack superslow.

[Quetzhal]

You can dodge Ancients, yes, but... I don't know, am I the only one that finds it really awkward that you can use a weapon with Freeze on them as they draw their hand back, run around them in a circle (while they turn very slowly to try to catch up), then their hand literally phases through their own body to hit you?

Don't get me wrong, those are really easy to dodge, it's just... really awkward. Animation wise and gameplay wise. Kinda breaks my immersion a bit. They do the same thing at normal speed, of course, it's just that much more awkward when they're frozen.

Back on topic, the same thing pretty much happens for me with the Shield Lancers. I can try to leap over them and completely clear the arc of the swing only to be knocked flying back. Like the ancients, immersion breaking. I like the sweet spot idea!

[Detheroc]

I had those moments with Loki, where i dodged a charging Ancient with my invis and ran in the other direction, his fcking annoying energy / shield drain hits me regardless where i am in his attackrange (360 degree).

[AgentXiri]

If you have a shotgun or anything with decent fire rate, can you not just spam bullets over the top of the shield into their head to interrupt their sprinting? <- I actually dont know but it sounds like it should work

[rksk16it]

Against shield lancers you can also fire at their feet.

 

Against both shield lancers and ancients, freeze weapons really help. I have freeze mod on all my weapons. Cant play without one, too used to it >.>

[AndryB94]

Against shield lancers you can also fire at their feet.

 

Against both shield lancers and ancients, freeze weapons really help. I have freeze mod on all my weapons. Cant play without one, too used to it >.>

You can fire the shield lancer's head. It's hard to see, but it's on the middle-top of their shields. Will do quite a bit of damage.

[RedFaceGeneral]

Everytime i see a grineer shield guy i just run and jump and hope that he misses me. :D

[Prepoznator]

:D

[Demonocolips]

they had a counter it was called penetration mods

then they were nerfed never to be used again