Thank you, Ralph. You are a God amongst men!!! I've just watched this vid and spent about 25 mins trying to "perfect" my build. And I've tried it; this is, simply put, a thing of beauty. Thanks to this vid, I have solo'ed my first ever Lexington in World Tier 5, Challenging. I have never before been able to do this on this difficulty setting. Until now. PLEASE, keep these videos coming!!! I do not only appreciate these videos, I thoroughly enjoy them. (I even watch them at work on the crapper =) ) Thankyou again, Sir. Greetings from tzeh Germans over in Germany.
Omg. Skill Up. This is amazing. I keep a D3 set im my stash for long time now, but never even tried it. Last night just thinking why not. I did everything as you said (with minor tweak). My god. It is soo OP, it's hurt. Best Division video by far. Good job, thank you mate.
Your videos stand out of all the Division guides/vids and it's such a treat to watch them. Especially awesome are the timestamps. Saves a lot of people a lot of time when they just want to check on sth repeatedly. Keep it up!
Thanks a lot, Skill, for your continued, thorough research and logical presentations. I've tried so many different build recommendations by you and others, but yours always, more consistently, works best for me. I'm very grateful for your efforts. This game is made much more fun and interesting because of you in particular. Keep up the very appreciated, by many I'm sure, good work.
This is 90% what I came up with on my own when building a D3-FNC set, however you enlightened me to several little additions I could add and the guide was well formatted and enjoyable to watch. Keep it up!
Thanks for your new inclusion of time stamp markers. This makes looking for specifics very much easier. Great video and I'd already started with this build in anticipation of this guide. Couldn't believe how hardy this build was even before I'd started to buff it. Loads of your tips are going to help me build a very strong set. Thank you very much SkillUp
If you can get an MP5 ST with good talents it's among the best guns, since it can take the 12x assault rifle scopes that have the 18% headshot damage multipliers.
Man Skill Up you're killing me right now! Lol... I'm so conflicted with this video. On the one hand, I'm ecstatic that someone understands the power of this build because I've been running it "almost" the same way since 1.5 dropped. It's great to know someone appreciates something the same way you do. In addition it's always great for our community to be educated. BUUUT on the other hand, I'm so mad you're revealing or secrets! Lol! I've spoken to so many who've chucked this set to the side thinking it was trash by comparison. Never argued them too much for selfish reasons (hehe). Now thru you're very well thought out and A+ quality vid, our ranks will be flooded. 😂😂 So I'm a little sad. Cheers to the wedding tho! Welcome to the ranks. It's an awesome journey. Thanks as always for the vids.
I have the same sort of build and after watching this video so making a few small changes on mine gets it pretty close to yours and I am loving the build even more.
Bravo! Well done Skill-Up! I've been stocking up and saving for weeks in anticipation of this build video. Now to put it into play. Thank you for all of your hard work!
love the video, only thing I would add is pistol with cool headed. as soon as my shield breaks , I pull out the pistol , pop a handful of headshot and right back to the shield. keep up the good work skillup
i run this build on my agent before it even started getting popular, heres my two cents if your gunna make another video about it, how to improve your damage even further. i use barrets chest, and the healing backpack, i also use overdose (but switch to booster shot when focusing more on dps in a good group) all the stuff im about to mention is how im able to facetank pretty much anything and get away with 60k body shots/130k headshots. weapons:- ONLY use MP5 ST or Vector ACP as they are the only SMG's ingame that allow you to equip VX-12 scopes (the ones that grant 16-18% Headshot damage normally attuned to large caliber weapons such as LMG's and assault rifles) other smgs are/can be good such as the pp-19, but id rather use a poorly rolled mp5 st with a scope than a perfect roll pp-19, just see what works for you! Weapon talents:- Order of effectiveness Accurate (this is a must have, i know in skill ups video he discounted it and called it trash but its the best tallent you can roll on a D3 set smg build) why you ask? get a friend who also has a 4 peice d3 set to fire infront of you, across your view, and you will see that his bullet spray will be in a cone shape, now get him to try with a smg with accurate on it, it will hit in a streight line, like a laser instead, more bullets hitting the target - less bullet waste = more dps Destructive works well in pvp and 15% damage increace is not to be wasted Ferocious 10% damage to elites is a flat 10% damage increace that isnt dependent on range and since you will be encountering all yellow mobs anyway in WT5, your laughing Brutal 12% headshot damage bonus, enough said, ferocious is better but this is a nice talent if you are struggling to roll the other 3 Responsive the last tallent that is useful in this build, 10% damage increace but only if your in 10M range, which most cases your not, your either closing the gap between mobs or they run away in cover or try to flank you. weapon mods Scopes: - as mentioned above you want the Vx-12 scope with Headshot damage of 18%, then weapon range, and accuracy Muzzle:- Osprey suppressor, with 17% accuracy, 6% headshot damage, and stability or optimal range (last roll is personal prefrence) Underbarrel:- Small laser pointer with accuracy, Optimal range, and Reload speed Magazine:- Extended mag with 105+ magsize, Rate of fire, and Reload speed again last footnote: hope this helps anyone whos spent the time to read this and stack accuracy on your weapon, accuracy is key, stability will be okay anyway, due to the shield giving a stability bonus anyways! message to Skillup, Message me ingame if you would like to see it in action and if you need to clear a few things up, would love to share and improve your videos, peace out man Splinterz999
I love this gear set. It's so much fun. I totally thought it would be useless at the start but those vertical grips with SMGs really make this set come together
thanks for advice. I had a D3fnc build Frankensteined from what I had and I was impressed. After following some of your advice I was able to solo Lexington. This build is so fun solo
Skill bro, ;) I cant believe you made us wait theough your wedding for this!! This is pure gold! Thank you for all the hard work! Merry Christmas to you and your family and I look forward to seeing 75% of agents running this build now!!!
Seriously Skillup....this build is ridiculous!!! Soloed underground challenge with ease. Your recommendations just melted people. Thank you for all that you do and have done for this community😉👍🏼
Thank you for the write up, great information. Not being angry, sarcastic or anything, but I can explain the difference between magazine and clip. A clip is simply a holder for retaining bullets. It requires the user or weapon to push the bullets off the clip in some way. A great example is the M1 Garand that has an 8 round clip. You load the clip into the weapon and the weapon itself will push each round up until it's empty at which point the clip is ejected. In current times we typically use stripper clips with 10rds that are then loaded into magazines individually or quickly with a speed loader attached to the outside of the magazine. A magazine is a holder for retaining bullets but it has a spring inside which pushes the rounds out. This allows for faster magazine changes and lower reload times compared to a weapon using a clip or having to be loaded by hand. The reason it's a sticking point with gun fans is because confusing the two demonstrated a lack of knowledge on how a weapon functions. Typically people use this confusion when demanding some kind of gun control. Which means people are demanding restrictions on something without understanding how the item even works. It would be similar to someone arguing about the dangers of cars and not understanding the difference between a gas or diesel engine.
Mate honestly thank you for the video. I took a break from the game for a while and just came back and looking to pick up what the good sets out there are. This game me more than enough to work from and updated me to the current state of the game. Always appreciated x
This was an AWESOME review for the Defense set and a HUGE boon to my tanking toon. I need to optimize alot more and get a mask, but damn this was fantastic! Thank you thank you thank you!
Hello, Just wanted to say good job. I'm from France and we don't have much people doing videos of that quality of content. I've been running that gear set build since the 1.5 and I must say I've tried to get more fun or DPS taking way too much routes and I always finally comes back to those pieces. Earlier this week I've take the time to make a video like yours cause I really liked that gear and wanted to share with my Twitch/UA-cam viewers. The point of that comment you probably won't read or answer to is that you and a little amount of youtubers inspired me for doing that video and I'm sort of proud to see how close our videos are even before sawing yours first. Thanks for the inspiring and good job so far. Kazuma Kogaki
Great vid! I use this build for several days now! I use a reckless chest and a specialized backpack. It is a lot of fun and shreds thru enemies. Record was 8 minutes for Lexington on XBOX one. I tried several SMG's and it really does not matter which one you use. In PVE i use an AUG in the DZ i use an MP 5. Keep up the good work .... greetings from germany
Thank you for this build. I found fun in this game again after i stopped playing halfway through patch 1.2. I can solo 90% of all the PvE content. Only weekly HVT are difficult. I'm enjoying patch 1.5 very much. Thank you again Skill Up.
I used to be scared to go in the DZ cuz i run solo only and after getting this build about 60% of what you have it, i just run around without a care in the world, thanks!
Thanks for this guide SkillUp! I started running this build today and have solo''ed the tunnel and Lexington on challenge. I'm not brave enough to not run with out heal just yet as I'm not totally optimized but I'm loving how well this works.
Thank you so much for this, I'm a casual solo pve player and now with this build I can solo it all. I can now solo every HVT mission and challenge mode, something I wouldn't have dreamt that I could do before.
This video has several factual errors that need to be unpacked, especially if you're trying to use this as some kind of (misguided) effort to have the set nerfed. Tactical Scanner doesn't provide a 10% multiplicative bonus anymore. This value was stealth nerfed down to 5% in 1.5. Furthermore, it doesn't have the interaction with Precision mentioned in the video. Precision doesn't proc Tactical Scanner bonuses. Ballistic Shield damage mods do work to increase weapon damage (on an additive basis with other bonuses such as Booster Shot). This is easily confirmed at the marksman range. Doubling up on optimal range mods is overkill. In particular, by not choosing a MP5 ST with a VX-12 scope for headshot damage, you're paying a heavy opportunity cost in damage output. SMGs benefit more from additive HS damage than any other weapon class because they start with the lowest innate HS bonus (50%). If you must have more range (and honestly, you don't), a grip is more than enough. Not mentioning the Combat Medic talent (for 40% shield health recovery per medkit) is an oversight. The biggest whopper in this video is the idea that D3-FNC somehow outperforms Alphabridge for damage output. The meta AR build with FAMAS/Uncomplicated will still handily outperform D3-FNC; you're trading 2-3 additional damage talents (responsive, uncomplicated, etc.), 5% weapon damage from AB, 20%+ EAD, the chance to use a large muzzle for roughly 12%+ more additive HS damage, and the AR class' naturally higher innate HS bonus (75% vs. 50% for SMGs), all for a max of 36% damage from shield and a spot of CHD from the SMG. This isn't a favorable matchup for D3-FNC, at all, and it'll be disappointing if Massive buys into your faulty damage modeling and nerfs the set on account of it.
Ballistic shield mods were fixed in this latest hotfix, until then, no they didn't work. I know this came out only 4 days ago, and he might not have known they fixed the mods, but yeah.
this is my top concerned too, I dont want to see this set nerfed. I had a great, fully optimized reclaimer before the updates and it was great, but after much complaining, it was nerfed. this is a great set especially for the solo player or pve centered one. I hope they leave the sets alone and have us find new things about them as we go along. there are countless possibilities in gear construction. they lump everything into the pvp thing that they damage the pve aspect of the game. pvp needs to be reworked and pve talents should not transfer into pvp or at the very least greatly limited to even the field, no need to nerf a set, but make pvp run on a very different system and parameters.
in a sence you can say this will do more dps only because you can be more accurate and actually hit the targets resulting in more damage since you are in closer range and have a easier time hitting most of the time. Dependant if you play on console or pc ofc.
For anyone that follows his videos regiliously without your own testing, DO NOT THROW AWAY OR NOT USE YOUR BALLISTIC SHIELD DAMAGE MODS. They work just FINE. If you equip the mods whilst the shield being out, you will get the damage increase in words under your assault shield, BUT your damage wont actually be increased. You have to either equip the mods before the shield is equipped, or you can equip them while the shield is already deployed, throw away the shield and re deploy/equip it, and they will work just as intended. I love your videos man, but that was a big over sight and a lot of people will most likely follow your advice without there own testing, so if you could edit it for them that'd be helpful to your subscribers Keep up the good work though skill up!
You are right. Just cobbled together a 4 piece with parts I hadn't sold. Using a random SMG, I'm melting bosses on my farm runs. Can't wait to see how it does against Chains and Sgt Jacks... No wonder he's been so unstoppable. Thanks mate. Cheers!
I found a way to make the shield ridiculous, I've never heard of anyone else coming up with the same idea, but it's simple af. Just get another 4 piece D3-FNC, and a specialized backpack, roll every single piece of gear for electronics and skill power, and put on a gun that gives 15% skill power after a kill (forget the talent name), and put all electronics mods with skill power in this extra gear. Simply switch to it, get a kill for another 15% skill power, pop the shield, and switch your gear back. You can EASILY more than double your shield health.
Hey! Great breakdown of a build that I really enjoy amidst all the alphabridges. One thing that I've discovered that synergizes with this build (probably unintentionally) is the 'combat medic' talent. It states: "Use a medkit near allies to heal group members and proxies within 20m by 40%" This is so good because the shield counts as a proxy and will recover 40% of its hp when you pop a medkit. Hopefully they don't fix this hahahah
First of all, just wanna say thank you for all of your highly informative videos you have made. Following your guidelines, I found them very little that can go wrong (if none at all). Now down to business: I use 4x D3-FNC with Reckless chest and Specialized backpack (yes, still no luck with Barret's chest :p) but with correctly rolled stats on every gear piece. Skills are Booster shot, Assault shield and Recovery Link. Talents are Critical save, On the move, Precision and One is none. I also use MP5 ST as recommended so I can use large scope for highest optimal range and for other weapon at first I tried using LMG (MK46) but I found that I kill faster using Lightweight M4 (vendor reset-purchase 31st Dec) re-rolled Dominant to Predatory and that was awesome. Soloed underground challenge mode with all directives up, I can melt a 34 elite with less than half a mag (almost 1 mag for boss). Anyway just wanna share that (using M4 instead of LMGs) so I play like regular Assault Rifle style and when "Oh, shit" moment about to happen, I just deploy the shield as 1st line of defence without stopping DPS (and face-tanking), and just in case I also have recovery link as backup as well. Finally, thanks again for the vids and now I'm gonna click the subscribe button (and likes of course) :)
When 1.5 dropped I immediately farmed for the D3FNC set and literally built a build exactly like this one 😂 I knew you were making a video and I just had to watch it to see if you were thinking the same thing I was and it's exactly the same, two great minds think alike.
Ah my favourite build which I was running a lot but still managed to learn some tricks from your video. I was waiting for the OP word to be mentioned with this build. I know it makes things so much easier but it's nice to feel powerful for once. I hope they don't nerf this but instead maybe tweak a few things. I guess you'll be covering that in your next video. But yes, I love this gear set!
Skill Up I actually run a less powerful set that you have in this video as I wasn't aware you could bypass the crit restrictions (I'm sure that will change with an update). However, it's nice to use this especially since I solo PVE content a lot. To be able to use this gear set on challenge mode solo on missions is fun as I wouldn't normally stand a chance using other gear sets. I'm not that bothered having a gear set that makes me powerful in PVE as it's not an advantage over another player in PVP for e.g. It enables me to try harder content solo so this is a good thing, no? Also, I don't use this set all the time, it's boring to stick to one style of gameplay where you basically tank enemies head on. So I go back to other gear sets frequently. So all in all I don't really see a problem with this apart from the Crit cheat and things that work that shouldn't be allowed to etc but I do still like the mechanics of this set so I hope they don't change it with an update. If I'm able to solo the hardest content (excluding incursions) solo, is that wrong or am I just playing my game to its fullest?
Rick Ali Totally agree with you and it's the same for me. This set is perfect for the solo PvE player, which I am. Powerful? Yes. Skillup, I don't believe this ruins the game, I mean look at the PvP meta right now...Alpha Bridge for days. ARs with famas. I believe more ppl run Alpha Bridge in PvE also than D3-fnc so if it's not being overused and abused I don't think it ruins the game. Cheers!
I wouldn't go as far to say this build is over powered. Yes you can solo high level play extremely efficiently, and cruise through most missions if you know how to operate the gear. But as can you with alphabridge just the same with the INSANE amounts of bonus damage you get with 6 talents, ontop of the base enemy armor damage AR's are equipped with. AlphaBridge is amazing whether it be solo/group pve play or solo/group pvp play. The D3 gear allows you to solo missions, when you bring it into group play it isn't the most optimal thing. Same goes for pvp. I'm not saying it's bad for group pve play or bad for pvp, just not the best. I may seem biased cause I really do enjoy this gear set, but there's tons of other things that need fixing in this game as opposed to the D3 gear. The one thing I'd say to adjust is, when it says 'crit chance is reduced to 0% with smg' actually make it 0% no matter what. Whether it be debuffs or buffs, you should not be allowed to crit. Other than that I feel the set is extremely fun for solo pve play. Outside of that it is what it is. I did like the video though, as I do all your videos. Keep up the good work! (Once again guys this is my opinion so need to come on this comment and start crying how I'm an idiot or bla bla bla) Edit: Another suggestion if some people are having trouble keeping the shield alive or happen to be getting flanked a lot. When I first started using the gear before I got fully comfortable with it, I use to run vigorous chest piece and resourceful backpack, and a smg with the predatory talent, or roll 'x% health on kill' on armor pieces. This will give you constant and consistent healing to you and your shield!
Night x Wing x you are an idiot...just kidding. lol. Using this set is the most fun I've ever had playing this game! I hope they don't nerf this. It takes some skill and practice using and map knowledge to not get flanked and wrecked. PVP this set is tough to use effectively, especially solo, but so much fun for PVE.
Joseph Litt - Lmao, you got me at first. I was like wow right off the bat.. And yea your right, its not like this is a 'cheese' set, you can't just put it on and trolly your way through stuff with no care in the world. It does take practice, it take good positioning, good map and enemy spawn awareness, to use effectively. I can potentially see it being tweaked a teeny bit with the CHC, but other than that I don't see any other necessary nerfs/tweaks. Hands down one of the funnest times I've had in this game has been using this set, and hope it stays somewhat use able if any tweaks come into play in the future
when you run incursion ..this build is tank all tough enemy without in cover and let enemy shoot only you. will make your group easy not get hit when shoot the enemy and even you can take damage on falcon lost APC missile .clear sky mortar shot as long your shield face the target land on and slowly backward
A few days ago I tried a very similar Loadout out as a tank in Falcon Lost and noticed back then already that this is somehow way to OP now. Now since i watched your Video I know why! :D thx a lot man! I like this 'cause it is something different to what the Mainstream is! :D
Love this set. I've been running it for a couple weeks with decisive so I guess I'll be switching that out for savage now! No the less I can still clear challenging missions solo quite easily. I may try changing things up according to your build to try it out. Thanks for the tips.
Been running D3 since it got released. Even without this guide that make me realise im not optimizing my build, i still feel kinda OP haha. Thanks a bunch dude gonna prefect my build now :D
Great vid. You really hit on the strong points of this new armor set and how to maximize it. Btw, a belt fed machine gun's ammo doo-hicky is usually called a belt. A magazine fed modern rifle/pistol (M4/AK/most semi-auto sidearms, etc. ) is called a magazine. A clip is an old style of gun loading which isn't really used anymore -- think M1 Garand.
Right on time! I managed to get 4 pieces of this new set, used it and I find it absolutely very interesting. I'm also lucky to have the new "Barett bulletproof vest". Your analysis is excellent but I find most of the guides do not apply 100% good in PS4. Probably it's just me not doing something properly. I'm so eager to try this new set though. Thank you.
I've been running a ballistic shield since 1.4 dropped, and have loved it! I love the this gear set even more! I wasn't aware the damage mods were bugged...thank you!! I like running combat medic instead of critical save, since it heals your shield as well as teammates. I don't run much toughness at all though. Usually only around 250-275k, spec into firearms and electronics mostly. Skill power over 165k has been what I find my sweet spot to be. I'm not sure how much it differs, but I play on console. I noticed if you have a sidearm or your non smg weapon with talents that proc upon using a skill, like capable, competent, adept, etc... And you have said weapon drawn then deploy your shield it will proc those talents, so it's kinda like having alpha bridge for 15 seconds. I do hope the fix the bugs with the set, but sincerely hope they don't nerf this set!! PVE is great with this, but PVP is tough to do with a shield deployed. It's the most fun I've had playing this game and I have over 54 days of play time on the division...thank you SkillUp for another great video, and congrats on your wedding!
Been running the D3-FNC build with best of my gear but isn't much, a few things to consider for PVE. Great guide by the way, keep up the great work. 1. You will need healing of some kind if going solo, predatory is great for this as you are pushing for kills. Enemies will flank you no matter what you do. Getting a kill off before having to turn around can be the difference between using your ult or not, also for being full health for the next encounter. 2. There are times, especially in the under ground where for some reason, the AI gets angles that inexplicably allow them to get shots on you past your shield even when looking straight at them. Might as well be standing there with your *&*( in your hand. Nothing much to do here but try to avoid any odd angles where you are being damaged. 3. Not specially related to defence build, but goddamn are the drops screwed in this game. Yes you can get gear anywhere, but thats the issue, you can get any gear anywhere. The odds of getting something you need for your build are miniscule. I find this is leading to my greatest frustration right now and may be what moves me on to other things. 4. Melee, shield wielding enemies are a pain as you take a hit your character has to align both shield and gun, very slow response even when trying to roll as you may normally do to evade. 5. Those radio controlled car bombs are a bitch too, not sure how the AI fits an unlimited supply of cars the size of their backpacks into their backpack.
PUG'ed a two-man WT5 Hudson challenge mode with someone fully kitted with this set up and he easily did 85-90% of the work. It was unreal. Sgt. Blunt, if you're out there, I salute you. o7
I knew I had been waiting for this set since the division came out, equally as rewarding but totally unexpected has been this video on how to use it to it's fullest. Thank you, and once again #Skillupspeaksforme
Good video. I've run this from the beginning with some small exceptions. 1 - combat medic works to heal your shield for 40% each time you pop a med kit. 2 - even tho you don't need the heal the 10% bonus damage from booster shot adds more dps I'm. 3 - I've found skill power on mods to be better than armor
There is a trick I use with the shield. As you know, when you deploy the shield and then run, there is the slight delay in re-deploying the shield once you stop running. If you run up on a mob and bash, the shield is instantly deployed and you can immediately begin firing afterwords.
This is what the game needs.. a real tank set.. now let's make Healers the real deal and create content so we can have real mechanics that depends on a good tank and a good healer with 2 people doing dps checks to finish difficult fights
love this video, I'm currently running a D3-FNC build and I love it, I use a resourceful backpack and the shortbow pads just for laughs, however after watching this I'm going to try out the reckless and specialised backpack combo. I do use the kinetic breaker mod as my firearms are really high.
Skill Up, I have been using the D3 set long before you video, because I love it, and think it is incredibly underrated. I watched this video to see if my line of thinking was with yours, and the talents you pick up are understandable to me, but you should really talk about Combat Medic. It is a must take skill for this build IMO because it allows you to pop a med kit, and heal your shield for 40% of its HP. This allows you to stay in the fight much much longer, and not have your shield ever break. Also, as everyone else has stated, damage mods are not bugged, you just need to place them in the gear, THEN cast the shield. You can not have the shield out while changing mods.
should use talent that heals allies and proxies instantly for 40% when using a medkit. it heals the shield for 40% of its total health meaning you never lose the shield
I logged in to make the same comment, but seeing you already did, will just second this. Seriously, I don't know how this can be overlooked. Combat Medic talent is what you're talking about, and it makes the shield nigh invulnerable. It says it heals teammates and proxies for 40%, and that includes your own shield (a proxy).
Solaire The Bae - Gaming Tutorials and Let's Plays but then your missing out on the specialised backpack that adds 200% f and s to skill which further increases your shields health making it last even longer in the first place
It's a good tradeoff to lose that bit of skill power (which is just a little extra shield HPs) to be able to heal your shield. It effectively doubles the value of any heals you receive. Neither is a bad choice, but in PvP I prefer the ability to keep the shield up over it having a little extra health. It also means shield + support station is ridiculous, and that's in both PvE and PvP.
Skill Up, i use this build with vigorous chest piece, specialized back pack which i feel is pretty good. Thanks for the optimal range tip as well as the precision/tact scanner tip. keep it up bro.
Nice video mate, I've been running this build as a 3 piece with the 93r with coolheaded, accomplished Kneepads for pve means lots of XP. For the 4 piece a good G36 with focused is a good secondary weapon to use as you stated your shield is not on cool down so while in cover Focused Talent still works.
Awesome vid. I'm happy I can finally say I came up to the same conclusions as SkillUp on a build and it's variations, lol, but yours is better because i'm still on the hunt for a good MP5. Till then I'm using a good PP19, and an LVOA. I call this my "Snap Turtle" build (slow movement, heavily shielded, but has a helluva bite).
Here's a couple of overlooked suggestions to anyone running this build for PVE. 1. Combat medic heals your shield 40% when using a medkit. Teammates can also heal your shield with this talent. the Resourceful pack seems useless or doesn't work as intended (glitched?). 2. A two piece Nomad giving health on kill is a significant boost to survivability in tight situations. this approach also opens up options as to which gear slots to use for the 4 piece. I've yet to go back to using Exotic pieces after trying this. Try this if you haven't already. I works so well, sometimes I have to body block my shield to reduce my health so I can pop a medkit to heal the shield.
totally loving the D3FNC set and im glad you mentioned the bugged dmg mods as im running 4 of them that i'll need to switch out for now, i have 3 out of the 4 talents you chose so i wasn't too far off the mark in my setup but i'll try the optimal range underbarrel out on my mp5 but the 17.5% headshot dmg from vx1 scope will remain lol great vid as always cobber keep up the good work its much appreciated
Obviously this is old news because the D3-FNC set doesn’t nerf crits, but it does prevent any shield mods besides the Master Mod (which repairs the shield when not under fire)…so use the shield type that has the SHAPE you prefer (they’re all slightly different). The first mod has more coverage, making you a little harder to hit. Also, the reckless vest is a poor option. I use 2 predator’s mark pieces, 3 D3-FNC and a Ninjabike. The predator 3 piece bonus is unlocked, giving bonus damage of 8% to SMG/AR’s without a downside. Also reload bonus. This shreds. My gloves have SMG damage and the House I run has Deadly, Responsive. 6k Stamina, 122k Skill Power (to max the shield), the rest Firearms (around 5k). I swap out an Urban MDR with DPS talents or Lightweight M4 with Determined, Predatory and Destructive as I need but I can PVE or PVP just fine. I don’t run legendary missions (I have PTSD from trying with other builds, honestly I’m not sure how it does in those situations) 😂 Otherwise I’m farming the DZ and Underground and Resistance and this is by far my favorite set so far (I don’t have a classified matching set of anything but Final Measure and Reclaimer - both more group focused and I’m solo). It’s absolutely fantastic imho. Run Crit Save, Combat Medic, Precision and either On the Move or Strikeback and it’s put the game on easy mode for me
You either got too much time on your hands, insanely love this build or just set out to prove there is an alternative to the mainstream alfa bridge gear that some say is #1 at the moment. Great video m8, keep it up.
Bit of a toss up between strikers and alpha, depends on your playstyle though. I personally take strikers for pve and alpha for pvp both with run/gun tactics.
Just a bit of a warning: most of the suggestions towards the end is kind of dependent on having Barrett's chest piece. If you dont have that but have something like reckless or even vigorous plus a resourceful backpack and having health on kill (since it also heals the shield with resourceful) is also a good alternative. Having something like meticulous on your LMG or SMG if you lack ammo on your gear can also help a lot as well. I really like this gear set since you can have a lot of viable options if your gear isn't that optimized.
Hey there! So as someone who enjoys using this set for PvE and PVP, I figured I should share this. I don't know how many other people have tried this, but smart cover is ABLE to be shot at a shield and it will stick there! I know smart cover isn't used anymore, but this being the case, the shield now becomes a walking smart cover and moves with your shield user. It sounds odd I know, but it works. I haven't tested it lately, but maybe it's something you can look into?
Hi great video. Been running this since 1.5 dropped so already knew about precision and critting. You omitted the use of combat medic to heal your assault shield as another talent option.
Great video as usual... thanks for all your hard work keeping us up to date! It's probably worth noting that there are some Gold +4.0% Ballistic Shield damage resilience Prototype Performance Mods for sale in the Autumn's Hope Safe House this week (12/18).
Yup, i realized all this when i started to try a build for each gear set. I was amazed at how good the set is. I tend to use it for PVE especially lexington whereby i soak up all the damage in the team. I'm also lucky to get Barrett's chest piece probably only on my 30th run of lexington so for this gear set it is a big bonus. I will try it in the DZ one of these days but I'm not sure how good it will be since I'm a solo DZ player.
Im not sure how it happened but a few times Iv picked up heavy objects that force you to walk with only one hand free, while my SMG was still active instead of my pistol using this set. It looked really cool shooting the SMG one handed while walking and actually hitting targets with decent accuracy. Also something Iv notice about this set is that zoom function still works when the shield is equipped if you have a magnified scope on an SMG..
Im on PS4 and i get hell for running this build but damn it, its a great build. Only difference between ours is my firearms is higher but toughness is lower. Im going to change this when i get back on. Thanks and love the videos and help.
Having been unlucky on the chest piece, I've stuck with the D3-FNC chest, while using Savage gloves and a Specialized backpack. You might be onto something with regard to this set trivializing content...I feel like a demigod running around in this stuff (in pve). I've never felt as powerful in the game as I do right now, but I don't want to change it. There's something insanely fun about being in the middle fight, and feeling like an Abrams tank...absorbing bullet after bullet while you shred enemies like rice paper. It might be too powerful, but damnit, this is fun as hell!
Leave the video a like if you enjoyed it guys. Put a lot of work into this one, so really hope you find it helpful! :P
Skill Up try using damage mods with the shield you can up the damage you do from 20% to about 34% extra damage
I discuss this in the video- sadly these are bugged.
Some great clarification here. I was confused what was happening with smg crit when running this build. Thanks for all the work on this video.
Thanks for watching mate :)
Can you confirm if predatory on the smg combined with resourceful on the backpack heals the shield?
Thank you, Ralph. You are a God amongst men!!! I've just watched this vid and spent about 25 mins trying to "perfect" my build. And I've tried it; this is, simply put, a thing of beauty. Thanks to this vid, I have solo'ed my first ever Lexington in World Tier 5, Challenging. I have never before been able to do this on this difficulty setting. Until now. PLEASE, keep these videos coming!!! I do not only appreciate these videos, I thoroughly enjoy them. (I even watch them at work on the crapper =) )
Thankyou again, Sir. Greetings from tzeh Germans over in Germany.
Omg. Skill Up. This is amazing. I keep a D3 set im my stash for long time now, but never even tried it. Last night just thinking why not. I did everything as you said (with minor tweak). My god. It is soo OP, it's hurt. Best Division video by far. Good job, thank you mate.
Your videos stand out of all the Division guides/vids and it's such a treat to watch them. Especially awesome are the timestamps. Saves a lot of people a lot of time when they just want to check on sth repeatedly. Keep it up!
Thanks a lot, Skill, for your continued, thorough research and logical presentations. I've tried so many different build recommendations by you and others, but yours always, more consistently, works best for me. I'm very grateful for your efforts. This game is made much more fun and interesting because of you in particular. Keep up the very appreciated, by many I'm sure, good work.
Thanks Lyle :)
This is 90% what I came up with on my own when building a D3-FNC set, however you enlightened me to several little additions I could add and the guide was well formatted and enjoyable to watch. Keep it up!
Thanks for your new inclusion of time stamp markers. This makes looking for specifics very much easier. Great video and I'd already started with this build in anticipation of this guide. Couldn't believe how hardy this build was even before I'd started to buff it. Loads of your tips are going to help me build a very strong set. Thank you very much SkillUp
If you can get an MP5 ST with good talents it's among the best guns, since it can take the 12x assault rifle scopes that have the 18% headshot damage multipliers.
housetrotter ya...n many people dun get that, the best smg for the set is definitely MP5ST, PP19 2nd IMP.
Man Skill Up you're killing me right now! Lol... I'm so conflicted with this video. On the one hand, I'm ecstatic that someone understands the power of this build because I've been running it "almost" the same way since 1.5 dropped. It's great to know someone appreciates something the same way you do. In addition it's always great for our community to be educated. BUUUT on the other hand, I'm so mad you're revealing or secrets! Lol! I've spoken to so many who've chucked this set to the side thinking it was trash by comparison. Never argued them too much for selfish reasons (hehe). Now thru you're very well thought out and A+ quality vid, our ranks will be flooded. 😂😂
So I'm a little sad.
Cheers to the wedding tho! Welcome to the ranks. It's an awesome journey.
Thanks as always for the vids.
I have the same sort of build and after watching this video so making a few small changes on mine gets it pretty close to yours and I am loving the build even more.
Bravo! Well done Skill-Up! I've been stocking up and saving for weeks in anticipation of this build video. Now to put it into play. Thank you for all of your hard work!
love the video, only thing I would add is pistol with cool headed. as soon as my shield breaks , I pull out the pistol , pop a handful of headshot and right back to the shield. keep up the good work skillup
Exactly, not many people think about it for some reason.
forgot to say: great video. really appreciate all the hard work you do on these videos.
i run this build on my agent before it even started getting popular, heres my two cents if your gunna make another video about it, how to improve your damage even further.
i use barrets chest, and the healing backpack, i also use overdose (but switch to booster shot when focusing more on dps in a good group)
all the stuff im about to mention is how im able to facetank pretty much anything and get away with 60k body shots/130k headshots.
weapons:-
ONLY use MP5 ST or Vector ACP as they are the only SMG's ingame that allow you to equip VX-12 scopes (the ones that grant 16-18% Headshot damage normally attuned to large caliber weapons such as LMG's and assault rifles)
other smgs are/can be good such as the pp-19, but id rather use a poorly rolled mp5 st with a scope than a perfect roll pp-19, just see what works for you!
Weapon talents:-
Order of effectiveness
Accurate (this is a must have, i know in skill ups video he discounted it and called it trash but its the best tallent you can roll on a D3 set smg build)
why you ask?
get a friend who also has a 4 peice d3 set to fire infront of you, across your view, and you will see that his bullet spray will be in a cone shape, now get him to try with a smg with accurate on it, it will hit in a streight line, like a laser instead, more bullets hitting the target - less bullet waste = more dps
Destructive
works well in pvp and 15% damage increace is not to be wasted
Ferocious
10% damage to elites is a flat 10% damage increace that isnt dependent on range and since you will be encountering all yellow mobs anyway in WT5, your laughing
Brutal
12% headshot damage bonus, enough said, ferocious is better but this is a nice talent if you are struggling to roll the other 3
Responsive
the last tallent that is useful in this build, 10% damage increace but only if your in 10M range, which most cases your not, your either closing the gap between mobs or they run away in cover or try to flank you.
weapon mods
Scopes: -
as mentioned above you want the Vx-12 scope with Headshot damage of 18%, then weapon range, and accuracy
Muzzle:-
Osprey suppressor, with 17% accuracy, 6% headshot damage, and stability or optimal range (last roll is personal prefrence)
Underbarrel:-
Small laser pointer with accuracy, Optimal range, and Reload speed
Magazine:-
Extended mag with 105+ magsize, Rate of fire, and Reload speed again
last footnote:
hope this helps anyone whos spent the time to read this and stack accuracy on your weapon, accuracy is key, stability will be okay anyway, due to the shield giving a stability bonus anyways!
message to Skillup, Message me ingame if you would like to see it in action and if you need to clear a few things up, would love to share and improve your videos, peace out man
Splinterz999
I love this gear set. It's so much fun. I totally thought it would be useless at the start but those vertical grips with SMGs really make this set come together
Are you kidding me, this is the best, most detailed and well presented video I have ever seen. Nice Christmas present too. Thanks
thanks for advice. I had a D3fnc build Frankensteined from what I had and I was impressed. After following some of your advice I was able to solo Lexington. This build is so fun solo
Skill bro, ;) I cant believe you made us wait theough your wedding for this!! This is pure gold! Thank you for all the hard work! Merry Christmas to you and your family and I look forward to seeing 75% of agents running this build now!!!
Seriously Skillup....this build is ridiculous!!! Soloed underground challenge with ease. Your recommendations just melted people. Thank you for all that you do and have done for this community😉👍🏼
I'm definatly going to build this! I've been saving my D3-FNC gear for a time just like this!
Thank you for the write up, great information.
Not being angry, sarcastic or anything, but I can explain the difference between magazine and clip.
A clip is simply a holder for retaining bullets. It requires the user or weapon to push the bullets off the clip in some way. A great example is the M1 Garand that has an 8 round clip. You load the clip into the weapon and the weapon itself will push each round up until it's empty at which point the clip is ejected. In current times we typically use stripper clips with 10rds that are then loaded into magazines individually or quickly with a speed loader attached to the outside of the magazine.
A magazine is a holder for retaining bullets but it has a spring inside which pushes the rounds out. This allows for faster magazine changes and lower reload times compared to a weapon using a clip or having to be loaded by hand.
The reason it's a sticking point with gun fans is because confusing the two demonstrated a lack of knowledge on how a weapon functions. Typically people use this confusion when demanding some kind of gun control. Which means people are demanding restrictions on something without understanding how the item even works.
It would be similar to someone arguing about the dangers of cars and not understanding the difference between a gas or diesel engine.
Mate honestly thank you for the video. I took a break from the game for a while and just came back and looking to pick up what the good sets out there are. This game me more than enough to work from and updated me to the current state of the game. Always appreciated x
This was an AWESOME review for the Defense set and a HUGE boon to my tanking toon. I need to optimize alot more and get a mask, but damn this was fantastic! Thank you thank you thank you!
Hello,
Just wanted to say good job. I'm from France and we don't have much people doing videos of that quality of content.
I've been running that gear set build since the 1.5 and I must say I've tried to get more fun or DPS taking way too much routes and I always finally comes back to those pieces.
Earlier this week I've take the time to make a video like yours cause I really liked that gear and wanted to share with my Twitch/UA-cam viewers.
The point of that comment you probably won't read or answer to is that you and a little amount of youtubers inspired me for doing that video and I'm sort of proud to see how close our videos are even before sawing yours first.
Thanks for the inspiring and good job so far.
Kazuma Kogaki
Great vid! I use this build for several days now! I use a reckless chest and a specialized backpack. It is a lot of fun and shreds thru enemies. Record was 8 minutes for Lexington on XBOX one. I tried several SMG's and it really does not matter which one you use. In PVE i use an AUG in the DZ i use an MP 5. Keep up the good work .... greetings from germany
Thank you for this build. I found fun in this game again after i stopped playing halfway through patch 1.2. I can solo 90% of all the PvE content. Only weekly HVT are difficult. I'm enjoying patch 1.5 very much. Thank you again Skill Up.
Mag argument:
Belt-fed (M60, M249, MG5) = "belt"
Magazine (RPK, L86) = "mag"
Now to prepare myself for downvotes for "Y SO SRS?!?".
OMG, you've awakened the gun people! Here they come!!!!
John Edwards dats tru
Don't forget ''clips vs mags''
DANNYonPC what are drums tho? :P
Drum are high capacity mags
I used to be scared to go in the DZ cuz i run solo only and after getting this build about 60% of what you have it, i just run around without a care in the world, thanks!
Thanks for this guide SkillUp! I started running this build today and have solo''ed the tunnel and Lexington on challenge. I'm not brave enough to not run with out heal just yet as I'm not totally optimized but I'm loving how well this works.
nice that your back .... some proper, non-boring-content-information!
Thank you so much for this, I'm a casual solo pve player and now with this build I can solo it all. I can now solo every HVT mission and challenge mode, something I wouldn't have dreamt that I could do before.
This video has several factual errors that need to be unpacked, especially if you're trying to use this as some kind of (misguided) effort to have the set nerfed.
Tactical Scanner doesn't provide a 10% multiplicative bonus anymore. This value was stealth nerfed down to 5% in 1.5. Furthermore, it doesn't have the interaction with Precision mentioned in the video. Precision doesn't proc Tactical Scanner bonuses.
Ballistic Shield damage mods do work to increase weapon damage (on an additive basis with other bonuses such as Booster Shot). This is easily confirmed at the marksman range.
Doubling up on optimal range mods is overkill. In particular, by not choosing a MP5 ST with a VX-12 scope for headshot damage, you're paying a heavy opportunity cost in damage output. SMGs benefit more from additive HS damage than any other weapon class because they start with the lowest innate HS bonus (50%). If you must have more range (and honestly, you don't), a grip is more than enough.
Not mentioning the Combat Medic talent (for 40% shield health recovery per medkit) is an oversight.
The biggest whopper in this video is the idea that D3-FNC somehow outperforms Alphabridge for damage output. The meta AR build with FAMAS/Uncomplicated will still handily outperform D3-FNC; you're trading 2-3 additional damage talents (responsive, uncomplicated, etc.), 5% weapon damage from AB, 20%+ EAD, the chance to use a large muzzle for roughly 12%+ more additive HS damage, and the AR class' naturally higher innate HS bonus (75% vs. 50% for SMGs), all for a max of 36% damage from shield and a spot of CHD from the SMG. This isn't a favorable matchup for D3-FNC, at all, and it'll be disappointing if Massive buys into your faulty damage modeling and nerfs the set on account of it.
this.
Ballistic shield mods were fixed in this latest hotfix, until then, no they didn't work. I know this came out only 4 days ago, and he might not have known they fixed the mods, but yeah.
this is my top concerned too, I dont want to see this set nerfed. I had a great, fully optimized reclaimer before the updates and it was great, but after much complaining, it was nerfed. this is a great set especially for the solo player or pve centered one. I hope they leave the sets alone and have us find new things about them as we go along. there are countless possibilities in gear construction.
they lump everything into the pvp thing that they damage the pve aspect of the game. pvp needs to be reworked and pve talents should not transfer into pvp or at the very least greatly limited to even the field, no need to nerf a set, but make pvp run on a very different system and parameters.
in a sence you can say this will do more dps only because you can be more accurate and actually hit the targets resulting in more damage since you are in closer range and have a easier time hitting most of the time. Dependant if you play on console or pc ofc.
You truly are the King of Theory Crafting! Nice work Skill Up. Looking forward to trying this out.
For anyone that follows his videos regiliously without your own testing, DO NOT THROW AWAY OR NOT USE YOUR BALLISTIC SHIELD DAMAGE MODS. They work just FINE.
If you equip the mods whilst the shield being out, you will get the damage increase in words under your assault shield, BUT your damage wont actually be increased. You have to either equip the mods before the shield is equipped, or you can equip them while the shield is already deployed, throw away the shield and re deploy/equip it, and they will work just as intended.
I love your videos man, but that was a big over sight and a lot of people will most likely follow your advice without there own testing, so if you could edit it for them that'd be helpful to your subscribers
Keep up the good work though skill up!
just tried this build with my current stock items... serious OP lol
Thank you Skill Up for the quality videos!
You are right. Just cobbled together a 4 piece with parts I hadn't sold. Using a random SMG, I'm melting bosses on my farm runs. Can't wait to see how it does against Chains and Sgt Jacks... No wonder he's been so unstoppable.
Thanks mate. Cheers!
I found a way to make the shield ridiculous, I've never heard of anyone else coming up with the same idea, but it's simple af. Just get another 4 piece D3-FNC, and a specialized backpack, roll every single piece of gear for electronics and skill power, and put on a gun that gives 15% skill power after a kill (forget the talent name), and put all electronics mods with skill power in this extra gear. Simply switch to it, get a kill for another 15% skill power, pop the shield, and switch your gear back. You can EASILY more than double your shield health.
Hey! Great breakdown of a build that I really enjoy amidst all the alphabridges. One thing that I've discovered that synergizes with this build (probably unintentionally) is the 'combat medic' talent. It states: "Use a medkit near allies to heal group members and proxies within 20m by 40%" This is so good because the shield counts as a proxy and will recover 40% of its hp when you pop a medkit. Hopefully they don't fix this hahahah
First of all, just wanna say thank you for all of your highly informative videos you have made. Following your guidelines, I found them very little that can go wrong (if none at all). Now down to business: I use 4x D3-FNC with Reckless chest and Specialized backpack (yes, still no luck with Barret's chest :p) but with correctly rolled stats on every gear piece. Skills are Booster shot, Assault shield and Recovery Link. Talents are Critical save, On the move, Precision and One is none. I also use MP5 ST as recommended so I can use large scope for highest optimal range and for other weapon at first I tried using LMG (MK46) but I found that I kill faster using Lightweight M4 (vendor reset-purchase 31st Dec) re-rolled Dominant to Predatory and that was awesome. Soloed underground challenge mode with all directives up, I can melt a 34 elite with less than half a mag (almost 1 mag for boss). Anyway just wanna share that (using M4 instead of LMGs) so I play like regular Assault Rifle style and when "Oh, shit" moment about to happen, I just deploy the shield as 1st line of defence without stopping DPS (and face-tanking), and just in case I also have recovery link as backup as well. Finally, thanks again for the vids and now I'm gonna click the subscribe button (and likes of course) :)
When 1.5 dropped I immediately farmed for the D3FNC set and literally built a build exactly like this one 😂 I knew you were making a video and I just had to watch it to see if you were thinking the same thing I was and it's exactly the same, two great minds think alike.
Ah my favourite build which I was running a lot but still managed to learn some tricks from your video. I was waiting for the OP word to be mentioned with this build. I know it makes things so much easier but it's nice to feel powerful for once. I hope they don't nerf this but instead maybe tweak a few things. I guess you'll be covering that in your next video. But yes, I love this gear set!
Yes- I'm certain they'll make some big changes to it.
Skill Up I actually run a less powerful set that you have in this video as I wasn't aware you could bypass the crit restrictions (I'm sure that will change with an update). However, it's nice to use this especially since I solo PVE content a lot. To be able to use this gear set on challenge mode solo on missions is fun as I wouldn't normally stand a chance using other gear sets. I'm not that bothered having a gear set that makes me powerful in PVE as it's not an advantage over another player in PVP for e.g. It enables me to try harder content solo so this is a good thing, no? Also, I don't use this set all the time, it's boring to stick to one style of gameplay where you basically tank enemies head on. So I go back to other gear sets frequently. So all in all I don't really see a problem with this apart from the Crit cheat and things that work that shouldn't be allowed to etc but I do still like the mechanics of this set so I hope they don't change it with an update. If I'm able to solo the hardest content (excluding incursions) solo, is that wrong or am I just playing my game to its fullest?
Rick Ali Totally agree with you and it's the same for me. This set is perfect for the solo PvE player, which I am. Powerful? Yes. Skillup, I don't believe this ruins the game, I mean look at the PvP meta right now...Alpha Bridge for days. ARs with famas. I believe more ppl run Alpha Bridge in PvE also than D3-fnc so if it's not being overused and abused I don't think it ruins the game. Cheers!
bystolics I totally mirror your comment this set is especially good for me because most of the time I'm solo
One of the best Division Yt'ers, thank you sir!
Very helpful. Thanks for the advice and look forward to more. Cheers.
I wouldn't go as far to say this build is over powered. Yes you can solo high level play extremely efficiently, and cruise through most missions if you know how to operate the gear. But as can you with alphabridge just the same with the INSANE amounts of bonus damage you get with 6 talents, ontop of the base enemy armor damage AR's are equipped with.
AlphaBridge is amazing whether it be solo/group pve play or solo/group pvp play. The D3 gear allows you to solo missions, when you bring it into group play it isn't the most optimal thing. Same goes for pvp. I'm not saying it's bad for group pve play or bad for pvp, just not the best.
I may seem biased cause I really do enjoy this gear set, but there's tons of other things that need fixing in this game as opposed to the D3 gear. The one thing I'd say to adjust is, when it says 'crit chance is reduced to 0% with smg' actually make it 0% no matter what. Whether it be debuffs or buffs, you should not be allowed to crit.
Other than that I feel the set is extremely fun for solo pve play. Outside of that it is what it is.
I did like the video though, as I do all your videos. Keep up the good work!
(Once again guys this is my opinion so need to come on this comment and start crying how I'm an idiot or bla bla bla)
Edit: Another suggestion if some people are having trouble keeping the shield alive or happen to be getting flanked a lot. When I first started using the gear before I got fully comfortable with it, I use to run vigorous chest piece and resourceful backpack, and a smg with the predatory talent, or roll 'x% health on kill' on armor pieces. This will give you constant and consistent healing to you and your shield!
Night x Wing x you are an idiot...just kidding. lol. Using this set is the most fun I've ever had playing this game! I hope they don't nerf this. It takes some skill and practice using and map knowledge to not get flanked and wrecked. PVP this set is tough to use effectively, especially solo, but so much fun for PVE.
Joseph Litt - Lmao, you got me at first. I was like wow right off the bat..
And yea your right, its not like this is a 'cheese' set, you can't just put it on and trolly your way through stuff with no care in the world. It does take practice, it take good positioning, good map and enemy spawn awareness, to use effectively. I can potentially see it being tweaked a teeny bit with the CHC, but other than that I don't see any other necessary nerfs/tweaks.
Hands down one of the funnest times I've had in this game has been using this set, and hope it stays somewhat use able if any tweaks come into play in the future
when you run incursion ..this build is tank all tough enemy without in cover and let enemy shoot only you. will make your group easy not get hit when shoot the enemy and even you can take damage on falcon lost APC missile .clear sky mortar shot as long your shield face the target land on and slowly backward
Just tried this build on a challenge mode lex event run. It works!! Good job Skill Up.
i have had a ton of fun in 1.5 with this build / never really understood the damage resilience mods - thanks for that
A few days ago I tried a very similar Loadout out as a tank in Falcon Lost and noticed back then already that this is somehow way to OP now. Now since i watched your Video I know why! :D thx a lot man! I like this 'cause it is something different to what the Mainstream is! :D
Love this set. I've been running it for a couple weeks with decisive so I guess I'll be switching that out for savage now! No the less I can still clear challenging missions solo quite easily. I may try changing things up according to your build to try it out. Thanks for the tips.
Been running D3 since it got released. Even without this guide that make me realise im not optimizing my build, i still feel kinda OP haha. Thanks a bunch dude gonna prefect my build now :D
Great vid. You really hit on the strong points of this new armor set and how to maximize it. Btw, a belt fed machine gun's ammo doo-hicky is usually called a belt. A magazine fed modern rifle/pistol (M4/AK/most semi-auto sidearms, etc. ) is called a magazine. A clip is an old style of gun loading which isn't really used anymore -- think M1 Garand.
Right on time! I managed to get 4 pieces of this new set, used it and I find it absolutely very interesting. I'm also lucky to have the new "Barett bulletproof vest".
Your analysis is excellent but I find most of the guides do not apply 100% good in PS4. Probably it's just me not doing something properly.
I'm so eager to try this new set though.
Thank you.
I've been running a ballistic shield since 1.4 dropped, and have loved it! I love the this gear set even more! I wasn't aware the damage mods were bugged...thank you!! I like running combat medic instead of critical save, since it heals your shield as well as teammates. I don't run much toughness at all though. Usually only around 250-275k, spec into firearms and electronics mostly. Skill power over 165k has been what I find my sweet spot to be. I'm not sure how much it differs, but I play on console. I noticed if you have a sidearm or your non smg weapon with talents that proc upon using a skill, like capable, competent, adept, etc... And you have said weapon drawn then deploy your shield it will proc those talents, so it's kinda like having alpha bridge for 15 seconds.
I do hope the fix the bugs with the set, but sincerely hope they don't nerf this set!! PVE is great with this, but PVP is tough to do with a shield deployed. It's the most fun I've had playing this game and I have over 54 days of play time on the division...thank you SkillUp for another great video, and congrats on your wedding!
Joseph Litt i cannot use my smg while using my shield how
I've been using the shield seen the beginning of the game and I'm happy that the shield is getting so love
Been running the D3-FNC build with best of my gear but isn't much, a few things to consider for PVE. Great guide by the way, keep up the great work.
1. You will need healing of some kind if going solo, predatory is great for this as you are pushing for kills. Enemies will flank you no matter what you do. Getting a kill off before having to turn around can be the difference between using your ult or not, also for being full health for the next encounter.
2. There are times, especially in the under ground where for some reason, the AI gets angles that inexplicably allow them to get shots on you past your shield even when looking straight at them. Might as well be standing there with your *&*( in your hand. Nothing much to do here but try to avoid any odd angles where you are being damaged.
3. Not specially related to defence build, but goddamn are the drops screwed in this game. Yes you can get gear anywhere, but thats the issue, you can get any gear anywhere. The odds of getting something you need for your build are miniscule. I find this is leading to my greatest frustration right now and may be what moves me on to other things.
4. Melee, shield wielding enemies are a pain as you take a hit your character has to align both shield and gun, very slow response even when trying to roll as you may normally do to evade.
5. Those radio controlled car bombs are a bitch too, not sure how the AI fits an unlimited supply of cars the size of their backpacks into their backpack.
PUG'ed a two-man WT5 Hudson challenge mode with someone fully kitted with this set up and he easily did 85-90% of the work. It was unreal. Sgt. Blunt, if you're out there, I salute you. o7
Your vids are the best m8. Keep on the good job.
I knew I had been waiting for this set since the division came out, equally as rewarding but totally unexpected has been this video on how to use it to it's fullest. Thank you, and once again #Skillupspeaksforme
Good video. I've run this from the beginning with some small exceptions. 1 - combat medic works to heal your shield for 40% each time you pop a med kit. 2 - even tho you don't need the heal the 10% bonus damage from booster shot adds more dps I'm. 3 - I've found skill power on mods to be better than armor
Finally! Great work Skillup!
Thanks for the amazing video man!!! We appreciate all your efforts for these videos!
There is a trick I use with the shield. As you know, when you deploy the shield and then run, there is the slight delay in re-deploying the shield once you stop running. If you run up on a mob and bash, the shield is instantly deployed and you can immediately begin firing afterwords.
very good build! I'm going to switch from booster shot to pulse. I didn't realize you could get as tanky as you did
This is what the game needs.. a real tank set.. now let's make Healers the real deal and create content so we can have real mechanics that depends on a good tank and a good healer with 2 people doing dps checks to finish difficult fights
Elysium Strife You sir have the right idea going.
Thank for the video it confirmed what i was thinking. I thank you for the tweet back on the topic last night stay safe bro..
love this video, I'm currently running a D3-FNC build and I love it, I use a resourceful backpack and the shortbow pads just for laughs, however after watching this I'm going to try out the reckless and specialised backpack combo. I do use the kinetic breaker mod as my firearms are really high.
Bro super thanks I have so many pieces of this gear set. Very excited thank you bro!!!
Skill Up, I have been using the D3 set long before you video, because I love it, and think it is incredibly underrated. I watched this video to see if my line of thinking was with yours, and the talents you pick up are understandable to me, but you should really talk about Combat Medic. It is a must take skill for this build IMO because it allows you to pop a med kit, and heal your shield for 40% of its HP. This allows you to stay in the fight much much longer, and not have your shield ever break. Also, as everyone else has stated, damage mods are not bugged, you just need to place them in the gear, THEN cast the shield. You can not have the shield out while changing mods.
should use talent that heals allies and proxies instantly for 40% when using a medkit. it heals the shield for 40% of its total health meaning you never lose the shield
I logged in to make the same comment, but seeing you already did, will just second this. Seriously, I don't know how this can be overlooked. Combat Medic talent is what you're talking about, and it makes the shield nigh invulnerable. It says it heals teammates and proxies for 40%, and that includes your own shield (a proxy).
ultmast yea it's a no contest talent for the shield. also the weapon damage mods do work, atleast for me on Xbox they do
Or just get the backpack that makes all heals you receive apply to your skill objects and you wouldn't have to use that talent
Solaire The Bae - Gaming Tutorials and Let's Plays but then your missing out on the specialised backpack that adds 200% f and s to skill which further increases your shields health making it last even longer in the first place
It's a good tradeoff to lose that bit of skill power (which is just a little extra shield HPs) to be able to heal your shield. It effectively doubles the value of any heals you receive. Neither is a bad choice, but in PvP I prefer the ability to keep the shield up over it having a little extra health. It also means shield + support station is ridiculous, and that's in both PvE and PvP.
I had a feeling sheet DPS was still broken. I'll try this build out soon. nice explanation
Wow, thanks for the info on the damage mods. I didn't think to even test them. Will be switching back to resilience mods until they fix it.
Most fun build I've used since the release of the game. Not a single part of it needs a nerf.
Skill Up, i use this build with vigorous chest piece, specialized back pack which i feel is pretty good. Thanks for the optimal range tip as well as the precision/tact scanner tip. keep it up bro.
Honestly I already have a beast defense build but I'm always interested In your opinion my man! Keep it up! 🙌🏼👍🏼
mega thanks, mate - much appreciated, keep on with that great stuff!
I built something like this a couple days ago. 4 Pcs D3-FNC and 2 Pcs Lone Star. It is hands down my favorite build so far.
Could not have come at a better time, I just got all the peace's for this build last night well done (M6PEC) xbox + ps4
What a coincidence. Just managed to to get 4th and 5th piece of D3-FNC set 2 days ago.
Definitely will try this.
Nice video mate, I've been running this build as a 3 piece with the 93r with coolheaded, accomplished Kneepads for pve means lots of XP. For the 4 piece a good G36 with focused is a good secondary weapon to use as you stated your shield is not on cool down so while in cover Focused Talent still works.
It's so good to have you back bruv, finally a reason to change my playstyle from boring AB
Awesome vid. I'm happy I can finally say I came up to the same conclusions as SkillUp on a build and it's variations, lol, but yours is better because i'm still on the hunt for a good MP5. Till then I'm using a good PP19, and an LVOA. I call this my "Snap Turtle" build (slow movement, heavily shielded, but has a helluva bite).
Here's a couple of overlooked suggestions to anyone running this build for PVE.
1. Combat medic heals your shield 40% when using a medkit. Teammates can also heal your shield with this talent.
the Resourceful pack seems useless or doesn't work as intended (glitched?).
2. A two piece Nomad giving health on kill is a significant boost to survivability in tight situations.
this approach also opens up options as to which gear slots to use for the 4 piece. I've yet to go back to using Exotic pieces after trying this. Try this if you haven't already. I works so well, sometimes I have to body block my shield to reduce my health so I can pop a medkit to heal the shield.
totally loving the D3FNC set and im glad you mentioned the bugged dmg mods as im running 4 of them that i'll need to switch out for now, i have 3 out of the 4 talents you chose so i wasn't too far off the mark in my setup but i'll try the optimal range underbarrel out on my mp5 but the 17.5% headshot dmg from vx1 scope will remain lol great vid as always cobber keep up the good work its much appreciated
Hey bro, just gotta say i really love the quality of your videos :) Really entertaining and keeps you engaged
Obviously this is old news because the D3-FNC set doesn’t nerf crits, but it does prevent any shield mods besides the Master Mod (which repairs the shield when not under fire)…so use the shield type that has the SHAPE you prefer (they’re all slightly different). The first mod has more coverage, making you a little harder to hit.
Also, the reckless vest is a poor option. I use 2 predator’s mark pieces, 3 D3-FNC and a Ninjabike. The predator 3 piece bonus is unlocked, giving bonus damage of 8% to SMG/AR’s without a downside. Also reload bonus.
This shreds. My gloves have SMG damage and the House I run has Deadly, Responsive. 6k Stamina, 122k Skill Power (to max the shield), the rest Firearms (around 5k).
I swap out an Urban MDR with DPS talents or Lightweight M4 with Determined, Predatory and Destructive as I need but I can PVE or PVP just fine.
I don’t run legendary missions (I have PTSD from trying with other builds, honestly I’m not sure how it does in those situations) 😂 Otherwise I’m farming the DZ and Underground and Resistance and this is by far my favorite set so far (I don’t have a classified matching set of anything but Final Measure and Reclaimer - both more group focused and I’m solo). It’s absolutely fantastic imho.
Run Crit Save, Combat Medic, Precision and either On the Move or Strikeback and it’s put the game on easy mode for me
You either got too much time on your hands, insanely love this build or just set out to prove there is an alternative to the mainstream alfa bridge gear that some say is #1 at the moment. Great video m8, keep it up.
Mr.F1sh a little bit of all :)
Bit of a toss up between strikers and alpha, depends on your playstyle though. I personally take strikers for pve and alpha for pvp both with run/gun tactics.
Just a bit of a warning: most of the suggestions towards the end is kind of dependent on having Barrett's chest piece. If you dont have that but have something like reckless or even vigorous plus a resourceful backpack and having health on kill (since it also heals the shield with resourceful) is also a good alternative. Having something like meticulous on your LMG or SMG if you lack ammo on your gear can also help a lot as well.
I really like this gear set since you can have a lot of viable options if your gear isn't that optimized.
Hey there! So as someone who enjoys using this set for PvE and PVP, I figured I should share this. I don't know how many other people have tried this, but smart cover is ABLE to be shot at a shield and it will stick there! I know smart cover isn't used anymore, but this being the case, the shield now becomes a walking smart cover and moves with your shield user. It sounds odd I know, but it works. I haven't tested it lately, but maybe it's something you can look into?
Fan'freakin'tastic ! Great vidz! : )
thanks . that was very helpful video I run this build for long time without knowing a lot of stuff I just knows👍
Hi great video. Been running this since 1.5 dropped so already knew about precision and critting. You omitted the use of combat medic to heal your assault shield as another talent option.
Great video as usual... thanks for all your hard work keeping us up to date!
It's probably worth noting that there are some Gold +4.0% Ballistic Shield damage resilience Prototype Performance Mods for sale in the Autumn's Hope Safe House this week (12/18).
Yup, i realized all this when i started to try a build for each gear set. I was amazed at how good the set is. I tend to use it for PVE especially lexington whereby i soak up all the damage in the team. I'm also lucky to get Barrett's chest piece probably only on my 30th run of lexington so for this gear set it is a big bonus. I will try it in the DZ one of these days but I'm not sure how good it will be since I'm a solo DZ player.
Andrew Forde I love this set for PvE also, but it might not be the best for solo DZ, as you can be flanked easily.
I have had the most fun playing with this build in pve and pvp in a group in the dark zone
Thank gawd! Will be watching this a bit later. Thanks SU
Looking forward to part 2!
Im not sure how it happened but a few times Iv picked up heavy objects that force you to walk with only one hand free, while my SMG was still active instead of my pistol using this set. It looked really cool shooting the SMG one handed while walking and actually hitting targets with decent accuracy. Also something Iv notice about this set is that zoom function still works when the shield is equipped if you have a magnified scope on an SMG..
gg skill up, best build vid you've posted so far
Merry Christmas, thanks for all the good Videos you make.
Im on PS4 and i get hell for running this build but damn it, its a great build. Only difference between ours is my firearms is higher but toughness is lower. Im going to change this when i get back on. Thanks and love the videos and help.
Having been unlucky on the chest piece, I've stuck with the D3-FNC chest, while using Savage gloves and a Specialized backpack. You might be onto something with regard to this set trivializing content...I feel like a demigod running around in this stuff (in pve). I've never felt as powerful in the game as I do right now, but I don't want to change it. There's something insanely fun about being in the middle fight, and feeling like an Abrams tank...absorbing bullet after bullet while you shred enemies like rice paper. It might be too powerful, but damnit, this is fun as hell!