Shield Trooper

Shield Trooper is a melee-focused Order enemy found in the Praetorium. They are commonly encountered patrolling or holding fixed positions, and are often deployed alongside other Order soldiers in squads. Their main defense is a riot shield, which they keep raised for most of the fight and only lower when preparing to attack.

In combat, Shield Troopers are dangerous mainly because their shield shuts down frontal damage and makes them awkward to approach. The safest opening is usually to wait until they shift the shield aside to attack, then land a strong hit first. They can also be damaged by shots aimed at the exposed feet beneath the shield, although repeated hits to the feet will eventually force them to kneel and hide that weak point as well.

Several weapons and damage types bypass or punish their defense very effectively:

• Lightning Spear can hit them reliably if you strike the ground near them, since the chain lightning ignores the shield.
• High-damage weapons such as the Magbow can stagger them even while the shield is raised, and may deal some reduced damage through the shield.
• “Holy” damage ignores the shield entirely, making Lodestone Bolts and Lode Discs especially effective.
• Lodespear and Lodehammer are also strong choices because their attacks produce substantial “Holy” flame, allowing burn damage to stack quickly, though the fire can also hurt the player.
• Against multiple Order enemies at once, grenades are effective, especially the Thermite Molotov, since Shield Troopers can overwhelm a lone player if left unchecked.

When fighting in co-op, one player can use a Magbow or other stagger-heavy weapon to repeatedly expose the Shield Trooper while the rest of the group attacks from safety. Since their shield blocks most direct pressure, teamwork and burst damage matter more than sustained frontal fire.

Shield Troopers drop a Riot Shield, Sensor, and Combat Knife guaranteed, with additional chances for Military Electronics, a Cracked Shoulder Light, Military M.R.E., and Cloth Scrap. They can also be harvested for a Human Skull, and sometimes a Human Arm (Military). Trivia from the sources indicates that they may be related to the Interfectors, since they share the same knife, some armor pieces, and even a female voice, though they still drop the Combat Knife on death.