Knowing how to effectively deal with Shield guys in Tom Clancy Rainbow Six Siege is one of the first things that every new player should know. While the shield guy doesn’t come at you with a powerful weapon or gadget, he is able to march steadily forward under heavy fire from fully automatic rifles and side arms. The shield bearer can also fire while brandishing the shield, albeit only while using his sidearm.

The shield bearer is not the only one who gains protection from this ancient defensive device. Allies of the shield operator can stack up behind him to move forward with their piece of mobile cover. When they reach the objective, the shield can be swapped out for a more powerful armament and brought back out again when needed.

Coming face to face with a shield equipped operator can be a scary experience your first time, but it’s important to remember that it doesn’t make the user invincible. There are ways to counter the shield that will render it useless, and leave any who were under its protection exposed or dead, here’s our favorites.

Flank the Shield

Pretty common sense stuff, but you would be surprised how many players you’ll see emptying whole clips into an advancing shield thinking one’s going to hit the mark. The battlefields of RS: Siege are not linear environments, there are always multiple routes to approach a target whether it be from above or below.

Use cover to sneak behind, or make use of the destructible environment to blast at the rear of the operator if they are on a different floor or the other side of a wall. The shield is only strong when facing its enemy, come at them from all sides.

Lay Traps

Traps can be invaluable when dealing with shield bearers. Of course this strategy relies on you predicting the enemy’s movements, but if you can either figure out where they’ll be coming from or use obstructions to funnel them into the traps, all you’ll have to do is sit back and watch the fireworks.

 Traps don’t have to be explosives though, you can use your team as the trap and yourself as the bait. Shield operators usually try to rush their targets to get close enough to kill them with their sidearm. Have your team lay in wait while you pretend to retreat, drawing the shield past where they’re hidden so they can get a clear shot at his back.

Aim for the Gaps

Even from the front a shield operator is not completely bulletproof, especially if he’s standing up. Aim for the feet when the shielded opponent is moving to deal damage, and hopefully either kill them or stop they’re assault.

If you happen to be at a higher elevation than the shield, you can often get a clear shot at their head or upper body. Remember this when positioning yourself on defense.

Grenades

Grenades solve problems that bullets can’t because they can be direct over and around objects, either by arcing them up or bouncing them off of other objects. When a shield is coming right at you, bounce a grenade behind or over them to circumvent the shield completely. Just be sure to watch for the toss back if they happen to get their hands on it before detonation.

Shields need not be the scar unstoppable force that