Destiny 2: Enemy shields - combat Destiny 2 Guide
Stronger enemies use energy shields to defend themselves. In this chapter you can learn how to fight with them with the best effectiveness.
Last update: 25 March 2021
In this chapter of Destiny 2 game guide you will find important information about the energy shields that stronger opponents use to protect themselves during combat. You can also find some advice on how to shatter and break such protective shields or barriers.
The basic defensive ability of stronger enemy units are energy shields. Enemies who poses such a shield can become vulnerable only if their shield gets destroyed. Some of them are clever enough to escape and hide after the shield is shattered, because after a while the barrier will regenerate. Thus, it is not a good idea to destroy the shield from a long range.
Energy shields in Destiny 2 - How to destroy them?
You can destroy enemy shields with any weapon, but you should keep in mind the proper type and color - there are four types of shields available in the game: Orange - Solar, Blue - Arc (Electric), Purple - Void and White.
As you may have already noticed, some of the weapons in your equipment have these markings. Change your weapon to the one which has the proper marking (that is, use a weapon with blue icon attacks against blue shields) to get rid of the opponent's protective shield after a few shots due to an additional damage type bonus. Kinetic weapons will inflict the least damage. Try to use any energy weapon (different color than required) against enemy shields, and you will still be able to count on a small damage bonus.
White barriers behave differently. These are usually protective fields that make the enemy totally immune to damage. When you come across one of these, you won't see the number of inflicted damage after you fire a shot. Such opponents are usually assisted by other minions or foes who provide them the power to use the shield - destroy them first, and only then head to attack the main opponent. Such barriers can be often provided by Servitors and Psions.
An additional type of shields are those that opponents hold in their hands (for example, Phalanx enemies). These shields give them total immunity. To get rid of such intrusive enemies, try to approach them from the back. You can jump over the shield or attack your opponent in the air. You can also shoot the enemy in the legs (but this inflicts low damage). Optionally, if you're skilled enough, you can throw a grenade behind the enemy.