The upcoming arena shooter,XDefiant, drops players into a futuristic version ofUbisoft’s Tom Clancy universe. Each of the five playable factions inXDefiantis derived from a previous Ubisoft title with the Phantoms faction being drawn, unsurprisingly, fromGhost Recon Phantoms—Ubisoft’s oft-overlooked free-to-play shooter.
With each faction boasting its own handful of unique powers and abilities,XDefiantbears comparisons to shooters likeOverwatch. Not only doesXDefiantfeature escort and control point modes similar toOverwatch 2, but with teams comprised of up to six players, gamers have to be cognizant of their team composition and choose their faction accordingly. The Phantoms, with their futuristic tech, adhere closely to the tank archetype of other shooters.
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The Origins of XDefiant’s Phantom Faction and Their Abilities
Whereas the Echelon faction—inspired bytheSplinter Cellfranchise—is focused on stealth and offensive abilities, the Phantoms faction is a defensive-minded faction based around map control. The majority of their abilities center around damage absorption, health-boosting, and close-quarters combat.
As far as shields, the Phantoms faction has a myriad of options. The shared ultimate of the faction is Aegis, a massive dome-like shield that centers around the player and moves with them. Upon deploying Aegis, Phantoms players are also given an electro-scattergun making it the number one choice for close-quarters engagements. Outside the ultimate ability, Phantoms players can also choose between the Blitz Shield,similar toCall of Duty’s Riot Shield, and Mag Barrier, a deployable barrier that allows Phantoms to shoot through it while simultaneously stopping enemy bullets from coming back at them.
Perhaps the most powerful component of the Phantoms faction is the Hardened passive ability. It is arguably the best passive abilityin Ubisoft’sXDefiantas it affords Phantoms a larger base health pool when compared to other factions. The Libertad faction is also capable of increasing its health through abilities and its ultimate ability, but the Phantoms have a higher health pool at all times. In a shooter with a relatively fast time-to-kill, the small increase afforded to the Phantoms can be a major game-changer.
The Best Loadouts for Phantoms Players in XDefiant
Since Phantoms will always be able to close distance better than other factions and force their opponents into close-quarter fights, they should build their loadouts around medium to close-range weapons. Fans ofTom Clancy’sThe Divisionwill already have a fairly solid understanding of the arsenal available inXDefiantand how each of the guns functions. Unsurprisingly, shotguns like the M870, as well as rapid-fire SMGs like the MP7, will make for great choices.
Phantoms players should steer clear of sniper rifles inXDefiantbecause it nullifies their faction’s advantages. Since both the M44 and TAC-50 areone-hit killer sniper riflesto the majority of the body, the Phantoms' Hardened passive becomes largely worthless. The only worthwhile skill for sniping is the Mag Barrier, but it ends up being a relatively selfish skill when sniping and is better used when pushing objectives with the team.
It’s key for Phantoms players to keep in mind that Aegis will automatically equip them with a powerful close-range weapon, so they may want to steer clear of shotguns like the M870 since they permanently have a close-quarter option at their disposal when their ultimate is up. As a result, the best option for the Phantoms faction will likely end up being an SMG or a closer-range rifle like the AK-47. Heavy-hitting but slow-firing options will always be a great option for the Phantoms faction as they will be able to take an extra bullet in gunfights.
