Are you ready to be the best at Ready or Not? If so, then it’s time to set up the ultimate shield loadout. Whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran of Ready or Not, having the right shield build can give you an edge in intense firefights.
In this guide, we dive into all aspects of setting up your perfect shield loadout so that when next you join a game, success is yours! Get ready to finally make the most of those shields and storm your next mission without pause!
Ballistic Shield in Ready or Not
Not many people know just how useful the ballistic shield is in Ready or Not. That is why today’s post will delve into what makes the ballistic shield so great, and what sort of loadout complements it the best. Not only that, but we’re also going to provide you with some tips and tricks that will help you make the most of ballistic shields. Being the one to don the ballistic shield isn’t easy, which is why we urge you to read on!
SWAT games have been popular for a long time now, and there have been countless iterations of first-person shooter SWAT games. The best have continued to revolutionize the genre as a whole. The latest, and arguably most revolutionary addition to this genre is Ready or Not.
Developed by Void Interactive, Ready or Not brought us realistic features and elements that not many games have had in recent years, and one of those is the ballistic shield.
The ballistic shield does what its name implies: it shields you from incoming ballistic ammunition. It protects you from all sorts of ballistic damage while also allowing you to shoot your pistol from the hip. All of this makes you a very valuable part of any team, as you’ll be able to tank a large amount of ballistic damage while also dishing out damage up close.
How to Best Use the Ballistic Shield
Although only usable with a sidearm, you can bring a primary weapon with you on all of the different kinds of missions in Ready or Not. The ability to do this is somewhat controversial in the Ready or Not community, and it’s mainly because of the fact that you can scout out enemy locations without having to risk your life as much. Naturally, there is still a chance that you can take damage, but it’s significantly lower than if you didn’t have one.
Regardless of how players view it, having at least one person with the ballistic shield on your team will drastically increase your chances of completing an objective without losing a teammate in the process. Losing a teammate will drastically decrease the amount of fun you have in Ready or Not, especially if you’re roleplaying and looking to get a perfect rank at the end of the mission.
One of the biggest flaws of the ballistic shield is that its intel-gathering aspect becomes obsolete once you take a certain amount of damage. What we mean by this is that continuous fire damages the mirror that allows you to see anyone in front of the shield – eventually rendering it useless for any sort of scouting. Still, it does a great job of protecting you even with the mirror damaged.
The Rescue Shield
Lastly, there is another alternative shield in Ready or Not called the ‘Rescue Shield.’ This is basically a reskin of the ballistic shield, and its stats are identical. The only difference is the fact that it’s locked behind DLC, which is what we talk about in our guide on how to unlock the Rescue Shield.
Top Shield Loadout in Ready or Not
If it suits your playstyle, the ballistic shield is bound to be your greatest friend. However, you’ll obviously be taking a very big risk by bringing it on a mission. And you have to keep in mind that it will reduce your mobility enough that you can’t rely on movement alone to get you out of a bad situation. With all of that taken into consideration, let’s look at how we built our top ballistic shield loadout in Ready or Not.
Primary Weapon for this Ready or Not Shield Loadout
Our primary weapon of choice for this shield loadout is the G36C Assault Rifle. The G36C assault rifle is chambered in 5.56, and it offers great stopping power and mobility. Most assault rifles with such a caliber don’t offer as much mobility as this weapon, which is why it’s a popular choice for people who want both stopping power and swift handling.
All of this makes the G36C one of the most reliable assault rifles in the game; having it as a primary for your ballistic shield is a must. You’ll be able to take cover and pop around the corner in no time, which is great if you’re in charge of leading your teammates into a building or hallway.
Related Article: The Best Guns in Ready or Not: Both Lethal and Non-Lethal
An Alternative Assault Rifle
The G36C might be your best choice when it comes to ballistic shields, but there’s another assault rifle that we’d urge you to consider. The assault rifle we’re talking about is the SA-58. This assault rifle is chambered in 7.62 rounds, making it a formidable weapon that can punch through nearly anything.
The biggest downside of this assault rifle is the fact that its magazines only hold 20 bullets. But, as mentioned earlier, it hits as hard as a cannon, which is a good enough reason to nerf it a little bit by lowering the number of bullets in a magazine. If you’re tired of the G36C, then the SA-58 will treat you well.
Best Primary Weapon Attachments for this Ready or Not Shield Loadout
Without further ado, here’s a list of attachments that we’d recommend putting on the G36C or SA-58:
- Optic: MicroT2
- Muzzle: SFMB Brake
- Underbarrel: Combat Grip
- Overbarrel: Flashlight (Optional)
You’re definitely going to need an optic sight in a game that prioritizes hyperrealism. The MicroT2 optic is great for this, and it helps with general accuracy. As for the muzzle, the pros of the SFMB Brake muzzle make handling assault rifles much easier. The Combat Grip underbarrel is also crucial in helping you control the G36C or SA-58 by reducing its horizontal recoil and increasing its accuracy.
The flashlight overbarrel attachment is optional. Overbarrel attachments usually don’t matter as much, and you’re advised to pick whatever suits you or the circumstances of the map/mission you’re playing on.
Related Article: Ready or Not Controller Support Details
Secondary Weapon Choice
There are many secondary weapons in Ready or Not. However, only a few truly stand out. The one that we’re going to go with for this loadout build is the 57 USG pistol. The 57 USG pistol takes inspiration from the real-world Five-Seven pistol. What makes it stand out is its fast fire rate and magazine size. People consider it to be the best pistol in Ready or Not across the board. We tend to agree with that sentiment.
You’re going to need plenty of bullets if you’re forced to shoot from your hip while wearing a ballistic shield. That is why the 57 USG will come in handy. With all of that being said, let’s move on to the weapon attachments you’re going to want to equip on both the 57 USG and G36C/SA-58.
Best Secondary Weapon Attachments for this Ready or Not Shield Loadout
Let’s take a look into the 57 USG and what attachments go well with the ballistic shield:
- Optic: SRO Dot
- Underbarrel: Laser Pointer
An optic will be crucial for any sort of weapon that you decide to pick up, and this is even more amplified with pistols, as they’re not known for having great iron sights. Now, for the most important pistol attachment in this build – the Laser Pointer. Due to the fact that you can only hip-fire with your sidearm whilst using a shield, you’re going to be heavily relying on the laser mounted to your 57 USG pistol.
Best Tactical Equipment for this Ready or Not Loadout
The main theme of this loadout is the ballistic shield, and the only way for you to find it is in the loadout menu among all of the pieces of tactical equipment that Ready or Not offers. As mentioned previously, ballistic shields offer partial immunity to ballistic damage when equipped in-game, and they serve an important role in full squads.
Given how we’ve already gone in-depth about ballistic shields earlier, we won’t pester you with more information about shields. All you need to know is that they’re very popular and effective tools for battling the inhuman aimbot of AI combatants. Not everyone wants to die to a random headshot the exact second they peek around a corner.
With that being said, we’re ready to move on to what type of armor is going to suit a shield loadout. There are quite a few substantial armor pieces in this game, but we’ll only be mentioning one.
The Importance of Using Armor with Shields
There are a lot of armor variants in Ready or Not, but not all of them serve the same common purpose or role. Heavy Armor is what we’re going for with this loadout, and that’s mainly because of the role you’ll be assuming by using a ballistic shield.
As someone who is rocking a shield, you’re likely not going to spend a lot of time behind your teammates in-game. It is expected of you to scout ahead and absorb most, if not all of the damage that is directed toward your squad. Since your legs and potentially hands are still vulnerable, heavy armor will make it so that shots from high-caliber assault rifles don’t cripple you.
The Right Armor Material
As for armor material, we’d recommend going with either ceramic or steel. Ceramic offers you the best of both worlds, but it can be inconsistent at times. Steel on the other hand grants more ballistic protection but hinders movement speed. You’ll likely have to test these two options and pick which one feels better for you.
Related Article: All of the Best Ready or Not Mods to Mix Up the Game
Munitions & Deployables
It is safe to say that you will use up a lot of ammunition while hip-firing any sort of gun. But just how much ammunition will be enough for someone who wants to bring a ballistic shield into the mix?
Deployables are also a decisive factor when it comes to this loadout, and they will take your shield gameplay to a whole new level. That is why we’ve gone ahead and created a list that showcases how you should edit your ammo & deployable slots in Ready or Not:
- Primary Ammunition: x2 AP Magazines
- Secondary Ammunition: x4 AP Magazines
- Grenades: x3 Flashbang
- Deployables: x2 Door Wedge
We’ve decided to take it easy with primary ammunition. You won’t really be using your primary rifle as much as your secondary pistol. Furthermore, seeing as how you’ll be forced to mostly use your secondary, we’ve upped the number of magazines you’ll bring for your 57 USG. This should compensate for the bullets you end up wasting due to hip-fire.
We’ve also added an additional flashbang to your role as a supportive front-liner. The flashbangs should let you aid your team in clearing out tight hallways and long rooms. Using the door wedges to cut off a potential flank will also prove highly useful once you and your team are clearing out rooms.
Recommended Headwear
Headwear options in Ready or Not are quite limited and don’t really offer much diversity. As of now, the night-vision goggles seem to be the most objective choice when it comes to headwear options in this game.
The other ones are situational at best, and don’t see much use outside of specific missions and situations. NVGS are obviously not that useful during the day, but most of the maps and missions in Ready or Not tend to take place in dark areas and buildings. So even if you’re playing on a day map, the NVGs are still going to come in clutch.
If you’re looking for an additional headwear option that could potentially be useful in your shield loadout, then anti-flash goggles are the way to go. This is especially true if you decide to bring more than two flashbangs into battle, as they can help protect your team’s eyesight from any incoming flashes.
However, it should be noted that rushing into a room right after throwing a flashbang would not necessarily be wise, and thus bringing any other type of gear besides night vision goggles may prove to be very risky in this scenario.
Final Thoughts on the Best Shield Loadout in Ready or Not
Ready or Not is known for its ability to let you experiment with different types of equipment and playstyles. This best shield loadout is very similar to our best shotgun loadout in the sense that you’ll be experiencing the horrors of close-quarter combat up close. Regardless, if you thrive in situations like that, or you like to be the one to charge in first, then this loadout might be perfect for you.
There isn’t nearly enough unique tactical equipment in Ready or Not. Hopefully, the future brings us some more shield types and other pieces of equipment that we can utilize in both multiplayer and single-player. Loadout diversity is what determines the success of games like this, and we’re sure that Void Interactive is aware of that fact.
Ready or Not prides itself on having a ton of features to explore, but not all of them make sense at first glance. That’s why we’d urge you to look into our detailed review of Ready or Not.
