Understand Blast Shield
Useful when…
- Add Overshields to a MOA while giving it a close-range attack and knockdown effect.
- Consider it when the MOA can reach enemies within the leap’s range and the Overshield reset is useful.
What does Blast Shield do?
This standard MOA precept has two listed effects: it increases Overshields and makes the MOA leap at a nearby enemy. At rank 5, the Overshield increase is +3,000; the leap reaches an enemy within 10m, deals 30 Impact Damage, knocks down other enemies within 5m, and resets Overshields. The description does not specify how often the leap can occur or how the Overshield reset is triggered beyond tying it to the leap.
What changes with rank?
At rank 0, the listed bonus is +500 Overshields; the leap reaches 5m, deals 5 Impact Damage, and knocks down others within 2.5m. Rank 3 lists +2,000 Overshields, an 8m leap range, 20 Impact Damage, and a 4m knockdown radius. Rank 5 raises these to +3,000, 10m, 30, and 5m respectively. The mod has a maximum rank of 5, base drain 2, and Guardian polarity. Example fusion steps show 10 Endo and 483 Credits from rank 0 to 1, 40 Endo and 1,932 Credits from rank 2 to 3, and 160 Endo and 7,728 Credits from rank 4 to 5. Invest in ranks if the larger distances and Overshield bonus matter to your setup; the listed Endo and Credit costs rise at later steps.
How does it compare with other MOA precepts?
Shockwave Actuators is described as a periodic shockwave that knocks down enemies within 12m and recharges every 10 seconds. Anti-Grav Grenade instead levitates enemies within 6m, then makes them crash down after 6 seconds for Impact Damage equal to 80% of the damage they took while floating. Those effects have different stated conditions and reach; neither description establishes that it replaces Blast Shield’s Overshields or leap.
What should I keep in mind?
The leap is limited to targets within its rank-dependent range, and the knockdown radius is smaller than the maximum leap range. Do not treat its listed Impact Damage as the leap’s total damage against every nearby enemy: the stated damage applies to the target, while the other enemies are described as being knocked down. The reset is specifically tied to Overshields; no broader shield effect is stated.
Limitations and tradeoffs
- Higher ranks increase Overshields, leap reach, Impact Damage, and knockdown radius, but later listed fusion steps cost more Endo and Credits.
- The leap’s damage is limited to its targeted enemy in the description; nearby enemies receive the knockdown effect.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Expecting the 5m knockdown radius to match the leap’s 10m maximum target range.
- Counting the 30 Impact Damage as damage dealt to every enemy in the knockdown radius.
- Assuming an unspecified activation frequency or a general shield reset beyond the listed Overshield reset.