Defender PvP Guide

Defender is a versatile class, and there's a lot you can do to avoid insta-death via enemy supers in the Crucible. Be patient, use a shotgun, keep your Suppressor Grenade handy, and stay on your toes. For Ward of Dawn perks, I recommend Armor of Light if you are not part of a Crucible team. It will make you really hard to beat 1v1 inside the bubble. Additionally, Helm of Saint-14 is a must have for PvP.

Against Striker

FoH can be harmful if you do not see the Titan coming, but in the end it is extremely beatable. Ward of Dawn will initially block any blast that takes place inside it, excluding any residual effects following the bubble pops. To beat a Striker, hang out close to the edges of the Bubble furthest from the oncoming titan. Just as he/she engages their Super, back out of the bubble. The initial blast is contained, and in the moment of surprise following, just shotgun away. You'd seriously be shocked how numerous other players just assume they will kill you in 1 hit. If I had to guess, I would say this functions about 70% of the time general.

Against Voidwalker

In my opinion, Voidwalker presents the greatest danger to you, but only when they attack from afar and use the ability Nova Bomb with Shatter. For what ever purpose (bug or intended), it only requires 1 of the 3 projectiles to pop the bubble, and the other two will kill you. If they use an additional ability, exactly where the projectile remains singular, the worst-case situation is a ranged attack. In that case, the best technique is to sidestep away from the bubble, permitting it to absorb the initial blast. Watch out for the residual black hole thingy - that will kill you fairly rapidly. As soon as you are safely away from the super, you are just down to a gunfight. You may lose, but it is much more of a opportunity than you had prior. If the Voidwalker decides to get cheeky and attempts to super you inside the bubble, just use the exact same technique you would use vs. a Striker. Back out of the bubble, shotgun to the head, run away from black hole. For me, success vs. Voidwalker's super is about 40%. I certainly have much more deaths than kills against these guys, but most of these have been when they attack from far away. The only thing pulling that number up is that a lot of Voidwalkers think running into the bubble will work. It usually doesn't.

Against Sunsinger

Do not be complacent when facing a Sunsinger! There is no unique tactic right here, but if you are utilizing Armor of Light and a shotgun inside the bubble they will not have time to drop sufficient grenades to kill you. Whatever you do, do not leave the bubble to attack them. Sunsinger melee is fairly impressive with the Super up, so you will want your Armor of Light to shield you as lengthy as feasible. Utilizing a fast shotgun like Invective will give you the very best success. If you really feel like you are going to lose, slip out the back of your bubble (while maintaining distance from the Sunsinger) and jump back in. This will restore Armor of Light to full. This strategy can, of course, mess up if the Sunsinger follows you out of the bubble, so try to be intelligent with your timing. Success vs. Sunsingers? Approx 70%.

• Unique note on Sunsingers: There is not a lot you can do about it when they use their Super to resurrect, particularly if your bubble is already gone. Whip out the shotgun if you are close (or the Suppressor Grenade if you are at distance).

Against Gunslinger

Facing off against a gunslinger is a game of reaction time. They have sufficient shots in that Golden Gun to kill the bubble and you, but that does not imply it is a surefire defeat. The best way to deal with this threat is the Suppressor Grenade, as the vast majority of gunslingers will not be stupid enough to jump into your bubble - they will just take you out from afar. There is no AoE like Striker or Voidwalker, so there is usually the chance they will miss, but do not count on that. I've had the most success by jumping up out of the bubble and tossing a suppressor grenade at their feet. Generally, I can re-enter the bubble without them picking me off, but even then it is just a factor of reaction time. If the suppressor grenade toss is effective, you will pull them out of their super and they will shed any benefit they had. The only thing you can do here is be quicker than them. It is not simple, but my probabilities are usually about 40% against these guys. They are not as deadly as Voidwalkers because of the higher chance of suppressor grenade success.

Against Bladedancer

They are quick - extremely quick. You cannot outrun them, you cannot out-melee them. So what can you do? Hang out at the back edge of the bubble as usual, and park your self there with your preferred shotgun. They enter? Blast away. That is it. Effortlessly the most reliably countered super. Patience and a cool head will leave you the victor almost each time. Success is 80% or more.

General Tips

• Suppressor Grenade - Use it all the time. Watch your opponent's level bars. If they are flashing yellow, hit them with a grenade, and they will not be in a position to use their super for the subsequent ten seconds or so. You may lose the resulting gunfight, but it requires the unknown components out of the encounter. The AoE impacts numerous enemies, so use these to swing the odds in your favor when you are up against a bigger quantity of opponents. It is not unheard of for fairly epic killstreaks to happen when enemies charge into the bubble without their supers. Suppressor grenades can cripple a Hive wizard's attacks for a brief period of time.

• You need to use a shotgun while inside the bubble.

• Tag-teaming! If you have a buddy playing as an additional class, you can make some epic moves in each PvP and PvE. This is exactly where Blessing of Light and Weapons of Light come into play.

• Do not leave the bubble unless you are fighting an additional player's super as described above. Seriously. Armor of Light is your greatest benefit, do not squander it.

• Get familiar with the timing of Ward of Dawn. For some asinine purpose, there is no timer, so attempt to maintain a rough track of how lengthy it will stay open.