You just initiated Titanfall—now what? Moving around as a Titan is a completely different experience from roaming the map as a Pilot. So here’s some pointers on getting the most out of your Titan, complete with some insider tips from the developers at Respawn Entertainment.
The Dome-Shield
When you initiate Titanfall, your Titan comes crashing to the planet’s surface, temporarily protected by an energy barrier called the Dome-Shield—this is the default kit available to new Pilots. This shield remains in place for a few seconds, protecting your Titan from enemy attack. This should give you more than enough time to reach your Titan. The Dome-Shield is invulnerable, capable of absorbing heavy damage without failing. But the Dome-Shield won’t last forever, so get to your Titan soon. The Dome-Shield also disappears when you put the Titan in Guard or Follow mode. After you’ve entered your Titan, the shield stays in place for a few seconds, allowing you to get your bearings. Don’t dash out of the protection of the Dome-Shield until you know where you’re going and what you’re going to do. There may be enemy Titans waiting nearby. Also, avoid stepping into the Dome-Shield of an enemy Titan—you’ll take continuous damage.
Maneuvering as a Titan
Jumping into a Titan for the first time is an exciting yet somewhat jarring experience. Compared to the light and nimble Pilots, the heavy, lumbering Titans move at a much slower pace. The sudden change in speed and agility requires a different tactical mind-set. But Titans are by no means sitting ducks. Their ability to sprint and dash allows them to maneuver around the battlefield with relative ease. Dashing is ideal for gaining a sudden boost in speed. But it’s best to reserve your limited dashes for combat. Dashing laterally is ideal for evading incoming fire.
While you’re piloting a Titan, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment, charging headlong into battle with weapons blazing. But more experienced Pilots play more defensively, keeping their distance from enemies while formulating engagement and escape plans based on the surrounding terrain. What can you use for cover? Can enemy Pilots attack you from surrounding rooftops? If you’re ambushed, how will you escape? Are friendly Titans nearby to provide support? These are the things you should be thinking when piloting a Titan.
Health and shield Management
Despite their heavy armor and intimidating appearance, Titans aren’t invulnerable. Each Titan is covered in thick armor—think of this as the Titan’s health. A Titan’s armor is represented by the blue bars above the HUD’s reticle. As your Titan takes damage, this health bar is depleted. However, the installation of a battery will allow your Titan to benefit from a shield, represented by a solid blue line above the health bar.
In Titanfall 2, Titans deploy without a shield. A battery must be installed to give your Titan this protective barrier. When active, the shield serves as a Titan’s first line of defense. This is an invisible energy barrier surrounding the Titan that absorbs hits from incoming projectiles. Each subsequent hit weakens the shield, causing it to deplete. Shields do not regenerate; this is why it’s so important to utilize cover and evasive maneuvers. During combat, keep an eye on the shield bar. As the shield bar nears depletion, immediately seek cover, before your Titan takes permanent damage to its health.
If a Titan’s shield fails, all subsequent damage is dealt to the Titan’s hull. This exposes vulnerable parts of the Titan, allowing enemies to score high-damage critical hits. These weak spots appear as red glowing sections on a Titan’s hull. As damage piles up, the Titan’s health bar begins to deplete. A Titan’s hull cannot be repaired once damage has occurred. Thus, all hull damage is permanent, as indicated by a diminished health bar. Externally, heavily damaged Titans spew flames and sparks, making them tempting targets for enemy units. But a Titan with low health isn’t necessarily out of the fight. By carefully managing a shield, skilled Pilots can keep a heavily damaged Titan on the battlefield indefinitely. The key to survival is escaping danger before the shield is fully depleted and having reliable teammates willing to install new batteries.
Titan Batteries
When it comes to extending the lifespan of a Titan, the value of batteries cannot be overstated. Protecting your Titan (and those of your teammates) with a shield should always be a top priority. In some game modes batteries are found in predetermined locations. But batteries are also dropped by destroyed units—including Reapers and Titans—so look for the green diamond icons on the minimap and HUD to locate batteries. Batteries can also be stolen from enemy Titans. Perform a rodeo attack to yank out the battery. Unlike in the single-player campaign, you can’t install a battery by simply walking over it with your Titan. Batteries can only be retrieved and installed by Pilots. But before disembarking from your Titan and grabbing a battery, make sure you’re in a relatively safe location. Jumping out of your Titan in the middle of a fight is never wise.
Titan Abilities
Like Pilots, all Titans benefit from a variety of abilities, each providing a unique advantage. The abilities available depend on which Titan you select. For example, the Ion Titan’s Vortex Shield can catch incoming bullets, missiles, and rockets and redirect them at a target. This is a great way to use an enemy Titan’s weapons against them. The Tone Titan’s Particle Wall ability deploys a stationary energy barrier, capable of blocking incoming projectiles. However, unlike traditional cover, the Titan who deployed the Particle Wall can shoot through it, as long as they stay behind the wall. Or use the Ronin Titan’s Phase Shift to rapidly close distance on enemies, putting them within range of the Ronin’s broadsword and Leadwall Shotgun.
Take some time to get familiar with your Titan’s abilities. The Titans found in multiplayer are similar to BT’s loadouts in single-player. So consider playing (or replaying) through the campaign, if you prefer to practice in an offline setting. The massive Titan battle in the Trial by Fire mission is ideal for practicing with different loadouts and abilities. For more information on these abilities, continue to the Titans section.
Electric Smoke
All Titans are now equipped with the Electric Smoke countermeasure, perfect for deterring rodeo attacks on your Titan. But Electric Smoke functions a bit differently than it did in Titanfall. Electric Smoke isn’t available when you first enter your Titan—you have to earn it. Just like Pilot boosts, Electric Smoke can be earned by scoring kills and helping your team secure and defend objectives. You earn Electric Smoke when your Titan’s core meter—located in the bottom left corner of the HUD—reaches the 20 percent mark. You’ll be notified once Electric Smoke is available, but only deploy it in specific situations. In addition to obscuring your Titan in smoke, the electrical properties inflict damage on enemies within the smoke screen, including enemy Pilots and Titans. Electric Smoke is most useful for deterring rodeo attacks, but can also be used to mask your Titan’s movements during a retreat. Unless you’re using the Counter Ready Kit, you only get one Electric Smoke use per Titan deployment. So think twice before deploying it.
Core Abilities
Aside from weapons, the six Titans have another major difference: their core ability. When activated, these unique core abilities give Titans a significant offensive advantage. But that advantage differs based on the selected Titan. For instance, the Ion Titan benefits from Laser Core, triggering a devastating blast from a chest-mounted laser. The Ronin’s Sword Core enhances the Titan’s broadsword, allowing it to dish out incredible amounts of damage during melee attacks.
Core abilities aren’t readily available upon receiving your Titan. As with your Titan, you must earn them by scoring kills and helping your team. Your core’s progress is tracked on the Titan’s core meter, located in the bottom left corner of the HUD. Once this meter reaches 100 percent, your Titan’s core ability is ready for deployment. Once your core ability is available, wait to deploy it until you can put it to good use. In many instances a core ability can be used to damage (or destroy) multiple Titans. So if you’re outnumbered, consider activating your core ability as a last-ditch effort to survive.
Auto-Titan
Following Titanfall deployment, instead of embarking, Pilots have the option of initiating one of two Auto-Titan modes: Follow mode and Guard mode. While in Follow mode, your Titan will follow you around the map, automatically engaging enemy units it encounters. Obviously, a Titan cannot access all the places a nimble Pilot can, such as rooftops or building interiors. But the Titan will do its best to stay close to the Pilot’s position. In Guard mode, the Titan stays put and attacks enemy contacts within its line of sight, ideal for defending fixed positions.
Application of the Auto-Titan modes differs from Pilot to Pilot. Some Pilots prefer to stay on foot, allowing their Auto-Titan to serve as a distraction. In this sense, the Auto-Titan is a true force multiplier, adding its weapons to the mix while the Pilot continues to fight on foot. This is an effective way to divide and conquer during Titan battles. Have your Auto-Titan engage a threat while you fire your Anti-Titan weapon from a safe distance. Or better yet, rodeo attack an enemy Titan while your Auto-Titan engages it.
Doomed Titans
Even the most durable Titans eventually fall when subjected to heavy damage. Once the Titan’s health bar is fully depleted, the Titan enters what is called a doomed state, indicated by a striped yellow-and-black bar that appears at the top of the HUD. During this doomed state the Titan is still functional, capable of moving and firing weapons. However, a doomed Titan is extremely vulnerable, particularly to melee attacks. Instead of fighting, it’s best to eject. Otherwise your Pilot will die when the Titan explodes or get killed by an enemy Titan’s melee attack. Ejecting launches a Pilot high into the sky, allowing them to escape and continue the fight on foot.
