X Defiant: 5 Tips for Beginners (2024)

X Defiant is Ubisoft's latest entry into the fast-paced first-person shooter genre, joining the ranks of video games such as Apex Legends and Call of Duty. This game stands out by blending dynamic gameplay with unique faction abilities, offering players a fresh and engaging experience.

As with any competitive FPS game, a strong grasp of the game's mechanics is crucial. Therefore, we've compiled five essential Beginner tips that can significantly improve your performance in X Defiant's fast-paced environment. However, the ideal playstyle ultimately depends on your preference.

5. Utilize the Minimap

The minimap in X Defiant is crucial for maintaining situational awareness and gaining a strategic edge over your opponents. By monitoring enemy positions revealed when they fire their weapons, you can predict movements and plan your routes accordingly.

The minimap also helps you avoid unfavorable encounters and set up ambushes, giving you a significant advantage by catching enemies off guard. In Domination, it helps control and defend capture points by anticipating enemy movements. In Escort, it aids in protecting the payload and clearing paths, while in Zone Control, it ensures you prioritize and defend critical zones.

Additionally, knowing enemy and allied spawn points can help you anticipate reinforcements and plan coordinated attacks or defenses. Effectively utilizing the minimap enhances your situational awareness and allows you to make informed decisions. Ultimately, it improves your performance in X Defiant.

4. Customize Your Weapons

X Defiant offers a comprehensive weapon customization system that allows players to tailor their firearms to fit their unique playstyles. Each weapon can be equipped with various attachments that affect performance aspects such as recoil, fire rate, and mobility. For long-range engagements, prioritize attachments that enhance stability and accuracy. That includes scopes and long barrels, even if they might reduce your sprint-to-fire speed.

Conversely, focus on attachments that boost mobility and rapid-fire capabilities for close-quarters combat. Consider using short barrels and lightweight stocks. Similarly, experimenting with different setups will help you find the best combination for each weapon and situation.

Additionally, understanding the trade-offs of each attachment is crucial for optimizing your loadout. Foregrips and compensators can significantly reduce recoil, making maintaining accuracy during sustained fire easier. However, these may come at the cost of slower aiming speeds or reduced movement agility. Similarly, silencers can keep you off the enemy radar but might lower your weapon's damage output or range.

Always consider the map and game mode when selecting attachments to ensure your weapon is suited to the specific challenges you'll face. By thoughtfully customizing your weapons, you can enhance your combat effectiveness and adapt to various tactical situations in this FPS game.

3. Utilize Strafing

Strafing is the technique of moving your character side to side while aiming. It is an essential skill in X Defiant that can significantly enhance your combat effectiveness and survivability. By constantly moving, you make yourself a more challenging target for enemies to hit. The technique comes in handy during firefights.

Strafing allows you to maintain accuracy while adjusting your aim with your movement. It is a vital tactic for both offense and defense. Combining strafing with controlled bursts of fire helps you stay accurate while making yourself a more elusive target, increasing your chances of winning engagements.

On the other hand, incorporating strafing into your gameplay enhances unpredictability. Therefore, it becomes difficult for opponents to track your movements and land shots. This technique is advantageous when engaging in mid to long-range combat, where precise aim and movement are crucial.

Additionally, strafing can be used effectively in close-quarters combat to dodge incoming fire and reposition yourself quickly. So, you must practice strafing in various scenarios to develop a natural rhythm and improve your overall combat skills in X Defiant.

2, Understand the Game Modes

X Defiant offers various game modes, each requiring different strategies and teamwork to succeed. In Domination, the goal is to capture and hold specific points on the map. Teams must coordinate to control these key areas while defending against enemy pushes. For that reason, effective use of defensive abilities, such as the Phantoms' Mag Barrier, can help hold capture points. On the flip side, offensive skills can be used to clear and secure them.

In Escort, two teams compete to block the other as one moves cargo across the battlefield. Now, the attacking team must protect the payload, using defensive abilities to shield it and offensive skills to clear obstacles. The defending team should focus on setting up chokepoints and using area denial tactics to delay or stop the payload's progress.

For Zone Control, players must secure and defend designated zones. It is crucial to use area denial tools and abilities to keep enemies out of these zones. Ultimately, the team that best controls and protects these zones will dominate the match. Prioritizing objectives over kills and working together to defend secured zones are key strategies for success in Zone Control.

1. Recognize Enemy Factions to Predict Moves

Recognizing enemy factions in X Defiant is essential for predicting their abilities and combat styles, allowing you to adapt your tactics effectively. Each faction has a distinct appearance and unique set of abilities that define their playstyle. For instance, spotting a heavily armored enemy indicates a Phantom, known for its durability, Mag Barrier, and absorption of incoming fire. When facing Phantoms, aim for headshots to quickly reduce their extra health and be prepared for their defensive tactics.

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each faction can give you a significant advantage in battles. For example, Libertad agents benefit from health regeneration, allowing them to recover quickly from damage. When engaging them, avoid relying solely on one type of attack; use sustained firepower or different damage types to counter their healing abilities.

Cleaners, with their explosive ammo, cause persistent damage over time. To counter Cleaners, avoid staying in one place for too long and keep moving to minimize the impact of their fire damage. So, by quickly identifying enemy factions and adapting your strategy accordingly, you can anticipate their moves and enhance your combat effectiveness in X Defiant.

So, what's your take on our five best tips for beginners in X Defiant? Feel free to share your thoughts here or in the comments section below.