Riot Shield

The Riot Shield is a primary weapon in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It will absorb any bullets or explosives that hit it. Getting a Riot Shield kill in a game winning killcam awards the Title "Owned" and an emblem of a Juggernaut with the word "JUGS" on its collar.

Usage
The Riot Shield is a primary weapon in Singleplayer, Multiplayer, and Special Ops.It is used by the FSB. Players holding the Riot Shield cannot hold a weapon, go prone, knife, or place a breach charge. The shield will deflect all enemy bullets, but the impacts will leave large cracks across the front of the shield, until the game reloads the image (It could overload the game eventually if it did not). The shield also greatly reduces explosive damage if pointed in the right direction, enabling the player to survive grenades and Claymores with little trouble. In some ways, it makes the Blast Shield unnecessary, although the Blast Shield is unidirectional.

The Riot Shield will slow down movement at all times. Sprinting with the Riot Shield will shift it to the left, but this vulnerability can be circumvented by running at an angle. When not in use (i.e. using a secondary weapon) the shield is placed over the player's back, where it can still deflect bullets. When looking at a player that has a Riot Shield equipped, they appear to have additional pads/armor on them as well as a helmet. This is likely the real reason behind the very slow movement of players using Riot Shields, as the effect does not disappear when the player drops the Riot Shield. This also explains why players who pick up Riot Shields are able to maneuver faster with them than those who begin with the Riot Shield as their primary weapon. However, the additional armor is purely for cosmetic reasons and players that spawn with their Riot Shield still take full damage when they do not have their Riot Shield.

The Riot Shield does have a number of offensive capabilities, such as a melee attack, in which the player bashes an enemy with the shield. Two melee attacks, or one melee attack in Hardcore, will kill the enemy. However, using this melee ability can expose the wielder. Bullets can also ricochet off the Riot Shield and kill enemies and so, it is advised to keep some distance against a shielded player. Deflecting enemy bullets with the shield will give a player bonus experience points, but the effect decreases over time to prevent abuse.

Unlike the enemies in Single Player or Special Ops, the player cannot use a weapon while wielding the shield. Switching to a secondary weapon places the shield on the wielder's back, which offers some limited protection. However, when engaging an enemy, switching from the Riot Shield to a secondary weapon takes a considerable amount of time and is one of the greatest risks of using Riot Shields. Players can throw grenades as per normal (exposing the player momentarily), and the Throwing Knife is particularly useful as a replaceable ranged attack.

It should also be noted that the Riot Shield can block several killstreaks including the Harrier, but the shield is useless against the Chopper Gunner and AC130 killstreaks. Although it protects against many things, it cannot protect the user against a falling Care Package or an Emergency Airdrop.

Shortly after the game was released, players found that they could "boost" experience with the riot shield. Players usually created two lobbies of six people and had them join the same game of Search and Destroy in order to continually shoot each other in the riot shield, and getting massive amounts of points. Many players frown upon this and some take it upon themselves to join an advertised lobby pretending to want to partake, but rather just kill everyone on the opposing team and leaving, thus making the boosters get angry, leave and maybe not do it again.

Using the Riot Shield
Mastering the Riot Shield is hard because of the complex angle work involved - even minor exposure can mean death. And because the Riot Shield is transparent, players using the shield are vulnerable to flashbangs. However, being exposed to either a flashbang or stun grenade with the Riot Shield in multiplayer will not lower a shield. A useful tactic is to combine the Riot Shield with the Commando perk. This causes the player to charge people with the Riot Shield from a significantly longer distance. Players will also find it very helpful to be using Lightweight, as Riot Shields slow down a player's speed dramatically and Lightweight can be used to counteract this.

When bashing with the riot shield, one should also learn to melee cancel. After bashing someone with the riot shield, pressing the equipment button and then the switch weapon button will cancel the 'unusable' time of the shield and allow another bash as quickly as possible. This can only be used with equipment that can be canceled, however, such as the Throwing Knife.

The shield is generally best used in tight spaces or doorways, as the user cannot be flanked as easily, minimizing the chance of them getting hit from the sides. Riot Shield users have to be careful, however, as skilled players will attempt to charge the shield to knife the user or otherwise circle around for a clear shot. To minimize damage from the sides, it is advised to cut down moving to the sides while under fire. Because of the way the shield is held, the player's left side tends to be more exposed than the right. Because of this, users should try to keep a wall or door frame on their left. Additionally, if a player is carrying the Throwing Knife, the optimal time to use the Throwing Knife with the Riot Shield is when an opposing player is seen reloading, preparing to throw a grenade, or when running directly at the Riot Shield user. As many skilled players will attempt to counter the Riot Shield by sprinting at it to knife the player, running in a straight line towards the player with the Riot Shield will leave them wide open for a Throwing Knife kill, as they can not shoot while sprinting or easily get out of the way. Players will also try to stick the riot shield with a Semtex for an instant kill. If under attack in melee range, always keep the shield pointed at the enemy and bash when the opportunity arises. Riot Shields take two hits to kill an enemy in normal gametypes and one hit in Hardcore gametypes, so take this into consideration.

Using the Riot Shield in conjunction with the Blast Shield will help the player survive most explosive attacks around the player and the player will most likely survive a Semtex stuck on the Riot Shield while donning the Blast Shield. Without a Blast Shield a player whose Riot Shield becomes stuck with a Semtex has a fairly low chance of survival from the blast. In the event that Semtex is attached to the shield, one counter-tactic is to charge the enemy so that the explosion kills the thrower. Changing the shield for another weapon that is on the floor (so not a secondary weapon) will drop the Semtex, giving one the opportunity to run away from it.

Riot Shields are effective with both Blast Shields and Stun Grenades. The Blast Shield grants the player immunity to Stun Grenades. Against multiple enemies, switching to a secondary weapon (such as Akimbo handguns) after throwing the Stun Grenade will be more effective. Scavenger is a useful perk, as enemies the player kills will replenish both his secondary weapon's ammunition as well as the user's Stun Grenades.

Some players will use the shield purely for rear defense while relying on a secondary weapon for offense, such as shotguns, Akimbo machine pistols, and Akimbo handguns. Just about any akimbo machine pistol is efficient in close quarters combat, but the Beretta M93Rs are more ideal due to their quick swap time and three-round burst - acting as a pseudo shotgun. Which also leads to the usage of Akimbo handguns, out of the handguns the Akimbo .44 Magnums are popular due to their sheer firepower, allowing for 2 shot kills in close quarters without having Stopping Power equipped. The SPAS-12 is one of the more popular shotguns wielded by Riot Shield users due to its power and reliability in close combat. But any shotgun would be deemed more than efficient, especially Akimbo Rangers due to their swapping time and immense firepower.

One preferred technique when facing the back of an enemy is knifing them instead of bashing them with the shield. This ensures that the target will not have a chance to react after being bashed for the first time.

One of the most effective uses with the Riot Shield relies on the player's secondary weapon, a pistol with the Tactical Knife attachment, the Commando Perk, and the element of surprise. When first confronting a target, crouch and block whatever they throw at the player. This could be shooting at the player, throwing a Semtex, or attempting to stun or flash the player. the player's aim is to dispatch them right when their guard is down. This is when they are either reloading, swapping weapons, preparing a Semtex grenade or a Fragmentation grenade, or even when they start to ignore the player and/or run away. During these instances, the player can quickly swap to his tactical knife and lunge at them, if he is at the proper distance from them. This technique takes a long time to master but is extremely effective, and nearly fail proof.

An effective use of the shield is to hold objective locations, such as in Headquarters or Domination, in order to safely secure it or prevent enemies from capturing it. A wall of riot shields in search and destroy can be very daunting to opponents and can be very effective when supported with firearms. Another variation of the wall is the Turtle technique, where two or more players with Riot Shields and Blast Shields walk back to back, which protects them from gunfire until they get to their destination, with the Blast Shields providing protection from Semtex grenades and Flashbangs, which should keep the group safe.

Also riot shields are good for capturing flags, as a player can crouch and slowly move towards the flag protected when the flag is taken the riot shield is swapped on the back then (while using marathon) the player can flee with the shield protecting the players back, which makes the player less prone to death.

A new tactic involving the Riot Shield includes equipping the Scavenger and Danger Close perks as well as Stun grenades and Semtex or C4. The Riot Shield user will engage an enemy and immediately toss a Stun grenade followed by a Semtex/C4 when the enemy is vulnerable this can be used to great effect killing multiple players in confined areas. In the meantime, the Riot Shield user is protected by the shield during the delay before the explosive goes off, this is not so common in the people using C4 as they double tap square on the PS3 to detonate so not to bring up the detonator which usually comes up and takes the said player off riot shield and leaving them vulnerable to random fire by the player they may have stunned. This tactic can even work against groups of people if the Riot Shield user has sufficient surprise, backup, or skill. Afterwards, the Riot Shield user can simply scavenge another pair of grenades from the fallen enemy, and if the tactic doesn't work the first time, the Riot Shield user can then rush the stunned opponent, quickly swap for their secondary weapon, or use the remaining stun grenade to facilitate the shield rush. Used correctly, this tactic can provide considerable offensive capabilities in Multiplayer, resulting in a relatively high volume of kills in contrast to more typical Riot Shield uses.

One another interesting tactic would be to stun the enemy whilst being equipped with the Riot Shield and throw a Semtex within his vicinity during his immobilization. This tactic equipped also with the Scavenger Perk can be done multiple times and is an alternative to the Throwing Knife tactic which some may find difficult to maneuver with. Stun Grenades can be useful as even throwing the stun grenade right next to the player with the shield facing towards it can stun other enemies very close to him and leave them vulnerable to the player's offensive capabilities.

Facing the Riot Shield
If a player has C4, they could throw the C4 and wait for the enemy with the riot shield to run by, the player would then detonate the C4 killing the enemy with the riot shield. A player using the Riot Shield is vulnerable in a number of ways. The shield does not provide full-body coverage. When standing, the player's feet are exposed. The head or feet may also be exposed while crouched, depending on how the shield is positioned by the player. If the player with a Riot Shield is crouching, it is possible that the player's knee is exposed. A well-placed round from a sniper rifle has the possibility to kill the player with the Riot Shield in one shot. A very keen shooter can exploit these openings, using carefully aimed shots to stop/kill a shield user in their tracks.

Explosives can be highly effective against the shield. For example, the Riot Shield can be stuck with a Semtex grenade, killing the user unless they have a Blast Shield as well. Explosives can also be tossed behind a player using a Riot Shield. However, enemy AI in Single player and Spec Ops will attempt to back away when explosives are thrown behind them, usually denying a kill unless the grenade is well-cooked.

Yet another strategy is to use a Throwing Knife. If a person wielding one is standing up it is possible to bounce it off the ground and kill the person. It is also possible to bounce knives off other walls and behind the person into the wielder. Or, if the player is being charged by a sprinting riot shield wielder, it is possible to hit them as the back-and-forth movements of the Riot Shield expose their sides.

Also, move a lot. Many Riot Shield users often equip a Throwing Knife so they are protected and exposed for a split second.

It is important to assess the threat of a Riot Shield when deciding how to engage. Shield users have limited offensive options and are often not a threat at all while at a distance. Be conscious of other enemies using the shield as a distraction and always focus on enemy shooters rather than the shield. Be mindful that an effective strategy for shield users is to get within Commando melee range, quickly switch to a pistol with Tactical Knife and kill players before they have a chance to react. This strategy is very fluid and depends on the victim underestimating its speed, so never pull a grenade or reload when they are capable of closing this distance.

Another strategy to take down a Riot Shield player is to equip a handgun with a Tactical Knife and rotate around the player while stabbing consecutively. Players will melee twice as fast as the shield user, and only need to find an opening once, while the shield user will need to land their melee twice. Throwing a Stun grenade near the shield user is also effective, as this not only slows them down but prevents them from turning quickly enough to block a players attacks, allowing the player to run behind them and knife or shoot the Shield user in the back—be mindful that if the Stun grenade lands in front of the shield they will be unaffected. Players should not run directly at a stunned Shield user, since they may decide to throw a knife at the player and kill them despite being stunned. Instead, players should run at shield users slightly to the left or right of where they are facing to prevent them from doing this.

A way to take down an aggressive Riot Shield user if no enemies but him are around, is to act like a bull fighter. The player lets the Shield user charge at them, and run at him if the player desires. Players doing this should try to keep to his left if possible. Then let them get close enough, dodge to the left (or right, but left is favored), and while turning towards him, knife the Shield user. This should stab him in the back, killing him. This takes practice, and a fair amount of timing, but works very efficiently.

Another method to deal with shield users is to rush them at speed while they are crouched. If there are no other enemies attacking the player, it is fairly easy to jump and stab the player in the head from the air. This method is best used with a Tactical Knife, since the player will still have the speed advantage if the shield user moves. Another way is to throw a C4 near their feet and blow it up when they close the distance. Several strategies are employed by a Riot Shield user, so the quicker the player figures out which one they are using, the quicker the player can counter it. If they are charging, it's probably a knifer/shotgunner; if they stop mid-distance and wait, they are probably lining up a Throwing Knife. Identify the threat, and deal with it accordingly.

Also, it is possible to tell roughly how far away the charging shield user is. A player could then plant a Claymore, and assuming that the player timed it correctly, the claymore should activate and catch the shield user off guard. If the user manages to see and avoid it, that should give the player the opportunity to stab them in the back while they are avoiding it.

Another useful strategy is to lead the shield user in a pursuit, abruptly turn about and shoot the shield using player in the feet, this will make the user unstable, exposing the back and head.

If a player has a light machine gun, they could open fire around the area of the shield that the user's vision is. It can limit their vision, possibly making them switch weapons.

Single Player
The Riot Shield is used by the various enemies in certain parts of the campaign, its first appearance is in "No Russian" when the FSB arrived to counter Makarov's terrorist group. It is then featured in later missions with Russian forces in The Gulag and Shadow Company soldiers in "Just Like Old Times". In addition, the shield features prominent in Spec Ops missions such as Terminal. If the Riot Shield is on the player's back in Single player, it will not block anything. Unlike players, all NPC enemies can wield a weapon and a Shield simultaneously (always an MP5K). If an enemy is killed that is using a riot shield, and shooting a gun, the enemy will drop both the riot shield and the gun. Enemies will charge the player if they get too close; otherwise they will usually remain in formation, where they are protected from frontal attacks.

Using flashbangs will stun the enemy, providing an opening to shoot or engage in melee combat. An interesting tactic is to equip a Riot Shield and bash just as the enemy attacks. It takes two hits to kill someone with the shield. Fragmentation grenades and Grenade Launcher are also effective if aimed behind the shield wall. Another method, although not preferred, is continually firing at an enemy's shield until he wears down. He will then be open for a kill shot in the leg.

Trivia
Riot Shield/Trivia