If I’ve got to pick just one sworn enemy in Modern Warfare 3, it’s the Riot Shield users — not the rage quitters or even cheaters — that make me see red in CoD multiplayer battlegrounds. There’s nothing more humiliating than trying to outmaneuver them only to get eliminated with a measly few pushes. Fortunately, the Season 2 Reloaded update introduced a new way to counter Riot Shields with the Soulrender melee weapon.
Detonated first reported on this discovery, where they utilized the Soulrender to eliminate a Riot Shield wielder. In the clip, the melee weapon completely ignores the defensive device by shoving it out of the way. Of course, you can imagine what happens next, as the Operator takes down their enemy with Soulrender’s swift movements.
Many players in the comments have rejoiced at this new discovery, which has certainly been a long time coming. No longer will I be ashamed of my defeats against those pesky, once-inpenetrable shields. Yes, Aftermarket Parts and grenades may help, but it’s far too often the battle goes an unfavorable direction when it’s me versus the Riot Shield. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched those hulking shields find safety in corners as bullets ricochet off them, turning all our K/D ratios into dust.
Soulrender Riot Shield counters were intentional
Although Dentonated believed the tactic to be a bug for the new Call of Duty update, Sledgehammer Games confirms it is intentional. In a comment to the post, the developer mentioned that the Soulrender is meant to counter Riot Shields.
The takedown works similarly to the JAK Limb Ripper and JAK Purifier gun attachments. These items have the potential to remove the defenses as well. Nonetheless, Soulrender doesn’t require any add-ons, making it the only standalone weapon for the attack. We also have to consider that the JAK collection unlocks after reaching the maximum level of a gun, while the blade can do it right from the start.
In return, there are a lot more ways to counter the shield instead of running helplessly around it. Not to say that the Riot Shield is a bad weapon of choice, but now, this blade relatively levels the playing field. The only thing left to do is try this bad boy out and knock out some Riot Shields for all those times you were brought down.
