How do you counter shield belts on enemies?

[Pyrodes]

I just tried raiding an enemy faction base for the first time using only colonists with marine armor and charge rifles and got completely annihilated by a bunch of enemies with swords and shield belts after they all spotted us half of the map away from them, I don't really feel like using the same melee unga bunga strat they're using, so is there a ranged counter at all for these things?

[Beanslinger]

fly away with a jump pack if they get too close

[MerlinCross]

Originally posted by gimmethegepgun:

Originally posted by MerlinCross:

Nades? Explosions? I haven't really tested explosion weapons vs them.

An active shield belt, regardless of how much shield on it, will fully block any one impact, including explosives. However, explosives deal enough damage to knock out a shield belt in one shot.

One good option alluded to above is to bring a firefoam popper or two, or set up some firefoam IEDs, since the firefoam detonation will wipe out shields in the radius but you don't have to worry about it hurting your own pawns (only wiping out your own shields, which obviously isn't a problem if you're only using ranged)

WAIT Firefoam works? WTF?

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by MerlinCross:

WAIT Firefoam works? WTF?

Yep. Presumably the shield belt doesn't understand that all that matter flying at it isn't dangerous and so it throws everything it has at it.

[MerlinCross]

Originally posted by gimmethegepgun:

Originally posted by MerlinCross:

WAIT Firefoam works? WTF?

Yep. Presumably the shield belt doesn't understand that all that matter flying at it isn't dangerous and so it throws everything it has at it.

That is hilarious and I have a trick to try with my defenses now.

[ichifish]

Melee blocking (even with a shooter in marine armor, following the OP’s setup) works in a pinch, as long as you have enough shooters.

If you’re in the field “wall raise” can make a good temporary melee-block zone and cluster melters for an EMP/regular grenade or effective berserk pulse. Skip’s good as well. Hell, most psycasts are good (blinding pulse, vertigo pulse, even man hunter pulse) cause they’re OP.

Fire foam poppers require someone to set them off/shoot them, so ymmv on their effectiveness.

[GeneralVeers]

If they have a shield, they can't shoot. So they'll be armed with a melee weapon.

Therefore stick and move. Concentrate fire, kill one or two, then run before they get to melee range. Either hit the go-juice and run to another ambush point, or flee through a door.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by GeneralVeers:

If they have a shield, they can't shoot. So they'll be armed with a melee weapon.

Therefore stick and move. Concentrate fire, kill one or two, then run before they get to melee range. Either hit the go-juice and run to another ambush point, or flee through a door.

This is also far more effective when you have weapons that can stagger the enemy, since that works through shields. Those are the Revolver, both Shotguns, the Bolt-Action Rifle, the Charge Lance, the Greatbow and Recurve Bow, the Sniper Rifle, the LMG, and the Pila (eww gross).

Of course, Burden is also really helpful.

[Xilo The Odd]

berserk psycast, or psychic insanity lance. why deal with the shield when the enemy could do it for you?

[Mr W]

Wargs

[Xilo The Odd]

Originally posted by Mr W:

Wargs

i see your wargs and raise you Bionic Squirrels.

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by MerlinCross:

Originally posted by gimmethegepgun:

Yep. Presumably the shield belt doesn't understand that all that matter flying at it isn't dangerous and so it throws everything it has at it.

That is hilarious and I have a trick to try with my defenses now.

Put firefoam poppers near your turrets to keep them from burning everything down around them when they catch fire and... you'll see those shield belts of the attacking melee raiders go "poof with the sploosh." OR, should. I haven't paid attention in long time, but it should still work AFAIK. :)

And, remember - They're installed, so you can move them wherever you want and don't need a power connection for them. You can even move them to edge of a forest-fire to help out, if needed, or rush them to protect your Freezer if a nearby area is on fire. I can't recall if their targetable, though. (ie: Forced Shoot) If so, you've pretty much got an insta-gimp solution for massed shield-belted attacks. :)