Dune Awakening: How to defeat Shielded enemies

Shielded enemies pose a significant threat in Dune Awakening. Unlike the run-of-the-mill opponents you'll face at the start of the game that you can kill without hassle, shielded enemies are different. Shooting at them won't yield much result, as projectiles bounce off them. The only thing you will achieve is wasting your ammo supply.

Thankfully, shielded enemies are not invulnerable and can be brought to their knees with a bit of know-how. While the kinetic barrier of the Holtzman shield can stop bullets, something can penetrate this seemingly impenetrable barrier. Here's how to deal with shielded enemies in Dune Awakening.

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How to defeat Shielded enemies in Dune Awakening

There are three ways to deal with Shielded enemies in Dune Awakening: Slow-moving objects, waiting for an opening, and special weapons and perks. Let's talk about each method.

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Slow-moving objects, aka Swords

Swords can pierce through shields (Image via Funcom)

While the Holtzman shield can deal with fast projectiles, it fails to counter swords. As in the films and books, you can use swords, daggers, kindjals, and rapiers to bypass the shield and inflict wounds.

To kill a shielded enemy at the melee, you have to use charged attacks. Don't open with a charged stab. Instead, you have to charge your attack when they are staggered and you're very close to them.

If you time it right, their shield will start glowing red before the attack lands, indicating major shield damage. There are multiple ways you can go about it:

• Stagger the enemy with a melee combo. With daggers (e.g. Kindjal), you want to charge the attack in the fourth swing if the combo is uninterrupted. With swords, you can do this on the second or third swing - but swords have a long wind-up animation, so make sure the enemy is staggered.
• Parry enemy attacks. If using a sword, this can actually stagger multiple enemies in a close frontal cone. Parried enemies can be charge-attacked directly to damage their shield massively, and if your melee weapon is up-to-date with the current level of progression, you will one-tap most melee enemies.
• Let the enemy charge an attack, dodge (Alt) to sidestep it, and charge-attack immediately. The enemy stumbles momentarily, which is what presents this window of opportunity.
• Bene Gesserit's opening ability (Compel) stuns any enemy. If you time it right, you can get two charge attacks off back-to-back.

If you time it right, it's also possible to chain multiple charged attacks. So far, we have been able to chain it as many as four times. However, there seems to be a component of randomization on how the enemy will react, and whether they will evade or counterattack in between.

If the enemy is a skilled Swordsman, getting to their shield will take a while, but it's nothing you can't handle. With enough perseverance, you can bypass their shield and fatally wound them. If you need some extra juice on top, look for the Kaleff's Drinker Schematic; it's a great quality-of-life addition to harvest additional blood from enemies.

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Wait for an opening

Look for an opening to return fire (Image via Funcom)

While the Holtzman shield provides a layer of kinetic energy around the user, when they use use their firearms, the shields temporarily drop till they stop firing. This leaves them open to counter-fire. If you can time your shots just right, you can use this window of opportunity to inflict severe damage on your opponents.

Of course, this is not very practical in all situations; hence, this method is still the best if you have a shield of your own. You can rush the enemy while they fire to close the gap, and strike them down with a melee weapon. Without their shield to protect them, they won't stand a chance.

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Special weapons and perks

Special weapons can render shields useless (Image via Funcom)

Certain weapons, like the Drillshot Rifle and The Disruptor, can counteract shields. A Drillshot Rifle can fire darts at variable speeds that slowly pass through the kinetic barrier. The Disruptor, on the other hand, fires statically charged darts at variable speeds to overwhelm the power supply of the shield.

They are very effective against shielded enemies, but remember that your shield will retract when you fire these weapons, leaving you open to counterfire. So choose your moment to fire carefully.

Certain skills also allow you to cause more damage to shields, draining them faster. One such skill that belongs to Mentats, called Shield Overcharge (Passive), reveals vulnerability on shielded targets, allowing you to exploit it and drain more power. Once their power runs out, they are yours to kill.

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Which method is the best for defeating shielded enemies in Dune Awakening?

Whichever method you choose, ensure you master it (Image via Funcom)

While either of the aforementioned methods works, getting in close with a melee weapon is the best choice. Yes, it is risky, but your shield will keep you safe from incoming projectiles, and every kill will feel satisfying. However, if you enjoy long-range combat, weapons like the Drillshot Rifle and The Disruptor are better suited to your playstyle.

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Read more Dune Awakening articles here:

• Dune Awakening: Best Unique Schematics to get early (Hagga Basin South)