Vanguard players want major change to combat Riot Shield trolls in Season 2

Luca Di Marzo
Vanguard Riot Shield Season 2

It seems an influx of players are equipping the Riot Shield as a means of protecting their backs in Vanguard Season 2 and players are questioning if the Shield received a buff after noticing it is increasingly difficult to deal with.

Riot Shield complaints are nothing new to the Call of Duty: Vanguard community but some key differences in Season 2 are allowing players’ frustration to reach new heights.

If you’ve played even a few matches following the Season 2 update you might have noticed that the Riot Shield is strapped to the back of many Operators which has led players to believe that a major change is needed to combat the overpowered weapon.

Combat Shield Vanguard

Vanguard’s Riot Shield, also known as the Combat Shield, is a pesky weapon to deal with. Coming face to face with a Riot Shield can certainly disorient you but Vanguard Season 2 has proven that this weapon is most dangerous when on the backs of players.

A recent post on the Vanguard subreddit by sweetasthepunch07 highlighting the major issues with the Riot Shield in Season 2 sparked a ton of debate. The comment section was a chorus of agreement and frustration but it also provided a gem of an idea as a means to resolve the issue.

The post broke down the exact reason behind the excessive use of Riot Shields and it turns out a lack of proper counters is at the top of the list. Players lack the resources to combat Riot Shields and this starts with the fact that heads are now covered by the Shield following a Season 1 update.

Secondly, the new Sticky Bomb does not kill “stuck” players that are using the Fortified Perk which eliminates another method of dealing with Riot Shield players.

Riot Shield Vanguard gunsmith

In addition, the Serpentine Perk diminishes explosive damage and also cuts down the damage done by weapons if the player is using Tactical Sprint. Therefore, aiming for extremities beyond the Shield’s protection such as the legs is not effective.

One user suggested a simple solution that would act as a legitimate counter to Riot Shields placed on the back, “To me the solution is simple, let us shoot through them with FMJ rounds and kills against riot shield count towards the penetration kills camo challenges.”

This suggestion would not only limit the value of having a Riot Shield guard your back but it’s also a creative way to contribute to the penetration kills camo challenges as an extra benefit.


We’ll have to wait and see if Sledgehammer Games answers the call to nerf the Combat Shield in a future update. For more Vanguard, check out the best controller settings for CoD: Vanguard Season 2.

Image Credit: Activision / Sledgehammer Games

About The Author

Luca is an Associate Editor at CharlieIntel. An accomplished, writer with interests in sports and gaming alike, Luca is focused on Call of Duty and FIFA as a content creator. After earning his BA in English Literature at Concordia University, he began writing for Gamelevate, OddsShark, and H4X. Luca joined CharlieIntel in 2021. You can reach Luca at [email protected], or via X @TheLucaDiMarzo.