Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms - NA
All Discussions Screenshots Artwork Broadcasts Videos News Guides Reviews

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms - NA

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms - NA > Guides > FreshYyy's Guides
81 ratings
Devices for Beginners - A Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms Guide on Devices
By FreshYyy
If you think of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms as a MOBA, you'd probably think of your guns and ordnances as your active skills, your skill as a player and your team's unit cohesion as your passives, and your devices as your ultimates. Properly using your ultimate skills is tricky, but managing to do so rewards you with easy victory.

So let's get discussing about those ultimates, or should I say, devices!

The six devices that will be discussed in this guide are:
  • Blitz
  • ADS
  • Cloak
  • Scan
  • APS
  • Blackout
   
Award
Favorite
Favorited
Unfavorite
Created by
FreshYyy
Offline
Category: Classes, Gameplay Basics
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
12 Apr, 2014 @ 11:34pm
3 Aug, 2015 @ 9:15pm
3,272 Unique Visitors
46 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
Blitz 
Active Denial System (ADS) 
Cloak 
Scan 
Active Protection System (APS) 
Blackout 
Countering 
Postface 
Acknowledgements 
Comments
Blitz
Blitz is an Assault-class device which works like a riot shield, with a fast dash thrown into the mix. While using Blitz, the user is protected from incoming rounds from the front, while giving the user a massive speed boost. It is mainly used for offensive purposes.

What can you use Blitz for:
  • Brute-forcing through the enemy defense. Act as a vanguard to help your squad move up.
  • Disorienting the opposition. Those who have been blitzed before knows how potent Blitz is. It can be used to scare the opposition.
  • Moving very quickly. The speed boost given by the Blitz is marginal, and allows you to gain access to key points at the start of the match.
  • Blitzing enemies deal 25 damage. And yes, you can kill them with Blitz (however, unlike HEAT, killing with Blitz will be counted as a melee kill).

What should you do when you're using Blitz:
  • Before activating your Blitz, ask yourself:
    • Where are the enemies?
    • Who can counter my blitz attempt?
    • Are my teammates nearby?
  • Map a path using these information.
    • Decide who to blitz first, then who to blitz next, and where should you stop.
    • Be careful of those who can counter your blitz attempt. Do not face your back or sides to them.
    • You can stand near the blitzed enemy, wait for them to get up, then blitz them again. It counts towards "Master Blitz Combatant" qualification, where you have to knock two enemies in one Blitz deployment. And perhaps you can hit another enemy if they decided to show up all of a sudden. Ouch.
  • What about your teammates?
    • Teammates nearby? Before you start blitzing, notify your teammates. After knocking down enemies during Blitz, keep going. Let them clean up the enemies you blitzed. If no one helped you clean up, you can yell at them for being such a useless idiot.
    • No teammates? Stop blitzing. The enemies you blitzed do not get knocked out forever. Deactivate your Blitz and eliminate the enemies you knocked.
    • The maximum number of enemies you can Blitz and kill safely without teammate assistance is two (two or more enemies on the same location counts as one). You can push it and go for more, but there are no guarantees that you can kill all of them.
    Blitzing with friends* leads to higher device efficiency, and counts towards one of your qualifications.

What should you do when your teammate is using Blitz:
  • Follow that teammate. Help them clean up the downed enemies so your team can eliminate more enemies in one device usage. It gives them extra points and counts towards their qualifications.

What should you do when your enemy is using Blitz:
  • Don't panic. The Blitz can knock you down, but it's not omnipotent.
  • Run smart. Gain access to higher levels where the Blitz cannot reach you, or utilize the map structure to outsmart the blitzer.
  • Be ready to fight back. Your enemy can turn off their Blitz at any time and utilize your unprepared state to eliminate you.
  • If you see your teammate getting blitzed, get ready to rescue them the moment the blitzer is vulnerable.
  • Enemies behind the blitzer are also a threat. Eliminate them instead if you cannot eliminate the blitzer.
  • If you can't run, don't blindly fire at the blitzer. It's usually futile, and it gives away your position. Instead, try to hide. If the blitzer passed you, shoot their unprotected sides.

Additional Tips:
  • While inactive, your Blitz becomes a shield that protects your back. If your device is in cooldown, it's a good idea to switch to Blitz (press 'i' by default). (never mind, it's too much work.)

*trademark infringement not intended.
Active Denial System (ADS)
ADS, formerly known as HEAT, is an Assault-class device that fires waves of intense heat, designed to suppress enemy and injure anyone in the open. Balanced in nature, it can be used to facilitate an assault or hold down a base.

What can you use ADS for:
  • Area denial. The heat waves the ADS emits damages enemies, stops them from firing, slows their movement and blurs their vision. This will force the enemy into hiding.
  • If damaged enough, you can kill your enemy with ADS.
  • The ADS has an infra-red sensor that allows you to see enemies out in the open. Cloaked enemies are not lit in the sensor, but they have a visibly different coloration from the other structures (slightly darker).

What should you do when you're using ADS:
  • Move forward. While using ADS, enemies who are burned will not be able to return fire. Keep in mind that you only burn what's on your arc of effect.
  • Remember that the ADS has a range limit of 70 meters (upgradable to 80 meters). Enemies beyond this range can fire at you. Enemy snipers who are out of your range can and probably will target you first.
  • The infra-red camera shows you enemies who are in the open. This makes it easier to find enemies to burn.

What should you do when your teammate is using ADS:
  • Move forward. Remember that burnt enemies cannot fight back, so you're safe to proceed. Make sure that your teammate is firing the ADS in that particular direction first, though. You can see where the ADS was fired by looking at the walls for heat waves.
  • Protect the user's sides. Remember that the user is vulnerable from the sides.

What should you do when your enemy is using ADS:
  • Don't try to fight back. You're not going to be able to fire at all, and it will get you hurt. Instead, circle around and shoot the enemy from the sides or from behind.
  • If you do not see the heat waves hitting your cover, it means that you're not suppressed. Use this chance to stop the ADS-using enemy from advancing.
  • While behind cover, pay attention to other enemies who are trying to push into your position. You can at least minimize the casualty by doing this.
  • If you have ADS available, you can use it. This can stop the enemy from pushing forward.
  • If you have Blitz available, you can use it. Knocking down an ADS user disables their device with minimum risk.

Additional tips:
  • Your ADS can be zoomed to create two firing 'modes'. When zoomed out, you burn more surface area at the cost of the damage dealt. When zoomed in, you burn more intensely, but less area is suppressed. Each mode works better than the other on different situations.
Cloak
The Cloak is a Recon-class device designed to make you almost invisible. You can use this to infiltrate behind enemy lines and eliminate enemy defenders from an unexpected angle. The Cloak is for offensive purposes, with possible defensive capability when improvised.

What can you use Cloak for:
  • Infiltrating behind enemy lines. Slip into enemy fortifications unnoticed and eliminate your enemies from unexpected angles to help your team to push forward.
  • See where enemies are aiming. When the Cloak is activated, you can see enemies' red-colored lasers, which shows where your enemies are aiming at.
    • Only guns with laser pointer attachments have this red-colored lasers!

What should you do when you're using Cloak:
  • Remember that you are not perfectly invisible. You will look like the background, only somewhat blurry.
  • Scan and lasers can mark you.
  • Don't turn on the Cloak when you're close to where the enemies are. Activating Cloak produces a distinctive noise that can alarm nearby enemies to a cloaker's presence.
  • Gather enough device energy before using the Cloak. Cloak uses a huge amount of energy to activate, takes time before you turn invisible and drains energy over time.
  • All damages you take will deactivate your Cloak. This includes falldown damage. I know, I know. I wanted to do a Death From Above too.

What should you do when your teammate is using Cloak:
  • Redirect the enemy's attention somewhere else but your cloaked teammate. Pop out of cover for a short time, or use a device to attract the enemies' attention, allowing your teammate to slip in unnoticed.

What should you do when your enemy is using Cloak:
  • Identify the sound Cloak produces.
    • You can use the Firing Range to listen to the sound of Cloak turning on.
  • Don't move! Staying still makes it easier to see cloakers.
    • Look for a distorted background. That distorted background is your cloaker.

Additional Tips:
  • One way to use your Cloak effectively is Cloak Sniping.
    • Activate your Cloak before popping out of cover to snipe.
    • Buys you time to stabilize and aim your rifle before your enemy starts shooting at you (some might not even notice you, or they would just miss because they can't tell where you are exactly).
    • You can identify where your enemies are aiming at by looking at the lasers. Avoid the lasers.
    Sounds dirty and underhanded? Only the dead fight fair.
Scan
Scan, formerly known as Oracle, is a Recon-class device that allows you to legally wall-hack - you can detect and mark enemies for your teammates, even those who are behind walls. It is generally for defensive purposes, with possible offensive capability depending on squad coordination.

What can you use Scan for:
  • Detecting enemies through walls, as well as marking them on your teammates' HUDs.
  • Detecting cloakers.

What should you do when you're using Scan:
  • Use Scan often. Allow your teammates to know the location of the enemies.
  • Use Scan before entering locations that you are unsure of.
  • Do not switch your Scan on and off repeatedly. Scan uses a large amount of energy to activate and it drains energy while active.
  • Let one ping finish before deactivating. If you deactivate Scan before that one ping finish, the ping will not continue and stops where you deactivated the Scan.
  • Your pings are not visible for your teammates. Notify them if a certain sector is clear so they can advance from that point.

What should you do when your teammate is using Scan:
  • Remember the location of the marked enemies. Engage, elude or evade them as necessary.

What should you do when your enemy is using Scan:
  • Being detected does not mean death. You may hold your position if you are defending, leave if you're in hiding/sneaking in or proceed if you are trying to attack. However, be aware that the enemy can counter your attempts to attack if you are detected.
  • When you are detected, you are marked for a few seconds before losing your mark. If you want to move, try not to move while you are still marked. You are still visible while marked.

Additional Tips
  • Using Scan is the easiest method to obtain medals for the solo daily challenge.
Active Protection System (APS)
APS, formerly known as Aegis, also nicknamed Bubble, is a Support-class device that projects a spherical field that deflects incoming bullets. Enemies who get too close while firing on the field can damage themselves. It is generally for defensive purposes, with possible offensive capability depending on squad coordination.

What can you use APS for:
  • Advancing. The APS deflects all bullets from all sides, protecting your teammates behind your APS and yourself.
  • Defending. You can pop out of cover without having to worry about getting shot as you try to defend your position from enemy attackers.

What should you do when you're using APS:
  • Before charging the APS, make sure that most attackers are available. APS only shields people inside/behind the sphere.
  • When the APS is activated, push forward. Bullets cannot hit you.
  • Prepare yourself for attacks from unexpected angles. You are only shielded when the damage comes from outside the field. Inside the field, you are fully vulnerable to damage.

What should you do when your teammate is using APS:
  • Follow them. APS protects everyone inside or behind the field.
    • Bonus points for you and your teammate if you're inside the field.
  • APS draws a lot of attention, so use this as a distraction to slip in unnoticed.

What should you do when your enemy is using APS:
  • Shoot the field. It will shorten the duration of the device. Bullets that ricochet can hit and kill enemies.
  • Get into close range and shoot them from inside the field. Enemies are not invulnerable inside the field.
  • The ADS's heat waves penetrates the APS field. You can use the ADS to deny APS usage.

Additional Tips:
  • Grenades rolled on the ground can enter the field. Use it to eliminate the APS using enemy.
  • While using APS, you move on walk speed. You cannot sprint while in APS, so be careful for grenades.
Blackout
Blackout, a Support-class device, fires an EMP blast that disorients enemies, stunning them for a few seconds as well as emptying their device energy. It is mainly for offensive purposes, with a defensive capability.

What can you use Blackout for:
  • Disorienting enemies. Enemies hit by the Blackout will be stunned for a few seconds. Use this to your advantage.
  • Depleting the enemies' device energy.

What should you do when you're using Blackout:
  • Charge through the enemies' position before firing the Blackout (a high risk, high reward attempt). You want to fry as many enemies as possible.
  • Use the Blackout early-round. Stopping enemies from using their devices can give your team an advantage on the initial-C point contest.
  • If the enemies are using their devices, you can stop them from using it by frying them with the Blackout.

What should you do when your teammate is using Blackout:
  • Follow the Blackout user. You want to be able to eliminate as much enemies as possible, and one person might not be able to do it alone. The Blackout has a very short stun time.

What should you do when your enemy is using Blackout:
  • Run. Getting fried is very disadvantageous. Not only that you are stunned, your device energy is also depleted to zero.
  • Eliminate the Blackout-using enemy before they have the chance to fire it. Blackout users has to charge into where their enemies are to maximize the effect, so use this to your advantage when trying to eliminate them.
  • Identify the sound Blackout produces while being charged.
    • You can use the Firing Range to listen to the sound.

Additional Tips:
  • The Blackout fires its EMP in a 13-meter radius (if you are in Firing Range, 13 meter is the length from where you spawn until the boundary of the Firing Range).
  • The Blackout fires in a 13-meter radius only to the sides. It fires above and below indefinitely. Use it to your advantage in certain maps, such as Attica or Gallery.
Countering
Devices can be countered by other devices. This means that no device (and no class) is omnipotent. Here are what the devices can counter and how it counters them (this is a work in progress - more devices and methods will be added).

Blitz:
  • Counters ADS: it deactivates the device.
  • Counters APS: it stops the APS user from advancing although the field itself still persists.

ADS:
  • Counters ADS: stops ADS users from being able to advance.
  • Counters APS: the field blocks bullets, but not heat waves.
  • Counters Cloak: burning cloakers deactivate their Cloaks.

Cloak:
  • Counters APS: APS's field has a busy background - it is difficult to distinguish cloaked enemies while APS is active.

Scan:
  • Counters Cloak: marks the cloaker's outlines with a red border.

Blackout:
  • Counters every device: deactivates the device and depletes the device energy.
    • Counters Blitz the best: Blitz requires close proximity for it to work. Blackout disables devices in close proximity, and can be activated when knocked down by Blitz.
Postface
Thank you for reading this guide. I hope it helps beginners and veterans alike to understand how to utilize devices to their maximum potential.

And remember: Fight Together or Die Alone.

If you know something that is not mentioned here, do not hesitate to leave a suggestion through a comment. Your suggestion will be confirmed for its feasibility, and will be added into this guide if it is viable (you will also be mentioned in helping to create the guide).
Acknowledgements
Thank you for the following names and their contributions for making this guide more comprehensive:
  • Physics: Scan detects Cloakers
  • 20K: Enemy Blitz countermeasure
18 Comments
< >
tem 3 Aug, 2015 @ 6:12pm 
Scan is gucci but it has some flaws like it tells someone when they've been scanned
Chambill 4 Apr, 2015 @ 10:24pm 
cloaking is really useful for defending enemy blitz.
talking about defending blitz, if the blitzer missed you, don't just pop out and shoot him, it's ususally the case that he is followed by other enemies, wait for them, kill them, then kill the blitzer.
FreshYyy  [author] 29 Mar, 2015 @ 2:52am 
Some sections of the guide have been changed for better comprehension. Enjoy, Ghosts and Phantoms.
Jiarui 22 Feb, 2015 @ 5:17am 
THanks for the advice jsut got the game. The tips very helpful. add me, so we cna play together
Make Wine Grape Again 5 Feb, 2015 @ 1:23pm 
A good sniper can put one right in the forehead of a blitzer. It's tricky, but steady aim and patience pays off.
SojuGlow 10 Oct, 2014 @ 5:42pm 
I use Blackout for point hoarding. It's so cheap. Blitzing then gunning is a good way to get a free kill btw.
sBinnala 4 Sep, 2014 @ 8:04am 
so meaningful. Now i can my device wisely. Thanks for the guide :)
Fugazi 15 Aug, 2014 @ 7:50pm 
good guide..ty
FreshYyy  [author] 11 Jul, 2014 @ 6:17pm 
Some sections of the guide have been changed to incorporate Update 1.2. Enjoy, Ghosts and Phantoms.
BubbleButt 2 Jul, 2014 @ 9:13am 
awesome guide buddy! helps alot for us newbies/noobs/newbs out there that just started playing this game!