Frontier Defense is a multiplayer game mode for titanfall 2, but unlike most of its other game modes where your main threat is other players in this game mode you only fight off computer-controlled waves of enemies while defending a main objective. Frontier Defense has a separate progression system from the main game, the more you use a certain titan in frontier defense the higher its aegis rank will be giving your titan more passives, therefore, making them more powerful. It is important you utilize each of your titans’ strengths and remember their weaknesses.
Before you even start frontier defending
Before you start you will choose your titan and will not be able to change after the first wave, choose wisely and work with your team. You don’t want to have a full team of only Ronins, your team will be able to do good damage but not take much in return so you will likely lose. You don’t want an entire team of only Legions, you’ll be able to take damage and deal damage yourself, but you won’t be mobile enough to take care of threats quickly and will likely get overrun. I would suggest having a maximum of 2 of the same titan, but this isn’t law or anything, if you feel like messing around with some friends by all going Ion, do it! If you want to play Tone and another player already picked her don’t yell at them to play another titan, talk to them to see if they could play a different titan or play a different titan yourself.
The Armory
While fighting the enemy waves you will get money for killing infantry and titans, you can also get bonus money by finishing the wave, being wave MVP(deal most damage), not dying that wave and by not letting the harvester take damage. In between waves you can spend this money at the armory to buy various things.
- Amped Weapons (100) – Applied instantly: increases firepower for all Pilot (but not Titan) weapons. Cheap, but the effect ends if you’re killed. The weapon dropped when you die will remain amped and can be picked up.
- Amped Battery (400) – Applied instantly: equips a special orange battery that can bring Titans out of the Doomed state, and provides more Health and Shield than a regular Battery. Can be used on your own or friendly Titans. Seems to restore 2,500 Health(one full bar) and fully restores Shields. It will restore Shields first, and any remaining energy goes to health. If Shields are full, it restores 5,000 health (two full bars).
- Arc Trap (650) – Deployed manually: a recharging trap that stuns infantry and slows Titans within its area of effect when triggered. Has a short recharge cycle between uses. Can be picked up and redeployed if desired. There is no limit on the number of arc traps that can be placed by each pilot.
- Sentry Turret (1,200) – Deployed manually: a sentry turret that shoots down any enemies it sees. Destroyed turrets can be repaired and reactivated by interacting with them. Turrets can be picked up and redeployed if desired. Each pilot is limited to two turrets.
- Nuke Rodeo (500) – Activated manually: when Rodeoing an enemy Titan, you’ll be prompted to Nuke Rodeo. This overrides the standard Rodeo and injects a Core Overload Grenade (essentially a modified) into the Titan; this causes it to explode after a short delay, whilst the activating pilot is launched clear as if Ejecting. Multiple uses can be held at once, and are not lost if you are killed.
- harvester shield booster: (1,200) – Activated manually: immediately restores the Harvester’s shield to 100% and makes it invulnerable for a few seconds.
What to watch out for
After you finish the 1st wave you will be able to call down your titan and you’ll likely be in your titan for most of the waves. But not only are you stronger than what you are in the base game but you’re going to have to fight more enemies at once and fight some specialized enemies in this game mode.
Special enemies only in frontier defense
- Mortar Spectres deploy in fireteams of 4 and act in much the same role as Mortar Titans, and are able to deploy Hard Cover on Hard and above.
- Stalkers are unarmed; they will simply march towards the Harvester and explode. Upon taking damage, they will start sprinting in intervals and may do so even if they aren’t attacked. They will also explode if stepped on by a Titan. They are usually unarmed but are equipped with EPG on Hard and above.
- Ticks may also spawn, both in Drop Pods and deployed from Reapers.
- Grunts will additionally spawn with a much wider variety of weaponry not seen in regular gameplay, such as the Charge Rifle and MGL on Hard and above.
- Shield-Captain Grunts will also spawn alongside their regular brethren, using their Particle Shields to protect their squad from incoming fire. However, they only spawn on Master and Insane difficulty. Plasma Drones will attack in packs of four or five, sweeping through and making attack runs on the Harvester.
- Cloak Drones can be annoying by cloaking enemy units (including titans) underneath them.
- Sniper Titans may be deployed to suppress players and snipe at the Harvester from afar, based on Tone and Northstar.
- Arc Titans utilize the Ronin chassis, along with all his abilities.
- Nuke Titans utilize the Legion chassis and spawn with a shield.
- Mortar Titans utilize the Tone chassis, albeit equipped with the indirect-fire-capable Quad Rocket. Mortar Titans have their health significantly reduced, possibly to compensate for rodeo changes.
- Aside from their specialized variants, regular Legions, Northstars, Ions, Scorch, Tone, Ronin, and Monarch will all spawn as standard Titans. However, they do not utilize their abilities as effectively as their specialized counterparts. Scorch Titans, however, are very effective and will accurately aim their Thermite Launcher and abilities without remorse.
that’s it
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