No name. No story: Frankly, Spectre wants to keep it that way.

As the namesake of Operation Spectre Rising, Spectre joins the other Specialists as a true assassin. Armed with the fabled Shadow Blade along with Smoke grenades, Spectre can act as a stealthy and rapidly-moving presence on the battlefield.

Here is how Spectre’s arsenal can be utilized for operations in Multiplayer and Blackout’s Bounty Hunter mode, as well as how to counter this powerful dealer of death:

The Smoke grenade

From the 19th century onwards, the smoke grenade has become a common tool of warfare, used as a means of concealment and signaling aircraft.

While Spectre’s Smoke grenade doesn’t come with an airstrike, it is a powerful tool that provides assistance in the heat of battle. Like most grenades, Smoke is thrown in an arc and bursts open upon impact.

In Multiplayer, enemy forces caught in the radius of the smoke are outlined in white, allowing Spectre to see and eliminate opponents. Furthermore, hostiles who are stuck in the smokescreen will have Aim Assist disabled.

Translation? A smokescreen can be a fantastic way to help make enemies disappear both literally and figuratively.

When using this equipment, think tactically about placement. Due to the grenade’s effects on enemy forces, it may be wise to throw it towards where an enemy might run to, such as an objective marker. Should you do this, consider communicating to your team where enemies are in the smoke as Spectre is the only Specialist that can see through smoke without any weapon attachments.

If you are playing in a lobby with Spectre, consider choosing a loadout with a NVIR scope. NVIR’s can detect heat signatures even through heavy smoke. This can work well if you are playing as Spectre’s teammate to use the smoke to your own advantage or if fighting against Spectre to take them by surprise.

Another way to effectively use smoke is to shroud yourself in the cloud. Enemies may have a harder time picking Spectre out of a smokescreen, and while inside the cloud, you can snipe away with a thermal-outfitted weapon.

The Shadow Blade

In the eyes of Spectre, war is like a game of chess; cold, calculated moves that end with a single blow. The Shadow Blade is the catalyst for these crucial strikes, as one swift swipe of this Special Issue Weaponry spells death for any foe on the wrong end of it.

Upon activating the Shadow Blade, you are taken into third-person perspective and can strike with the sword by pressing the fire button. The melee button is replaced with a “roll” capability, which allows Spectre to take evasive maneuvers from bullets.

Consider using these evasive maneuvers frequently, but wisely, as this unique movement action may catch opponents off guard. You may also want to use the blade’s slicing and dicing while cloaked within a Smoke grenade, as enemies may not expect a quick melee strike while scrambling to exit the veil of smoke.

Aiming while in Shadow Blade mode takes you back into first person to ready the blade for a ranged coup de grâce. Pressing the fire button after aiming launches the Shadow Blade straight forward, slicing through and instantly killing anything in its path for collateral damage.

A word of caution about this: you can only throw the Shadow Blade once, and doing so ends the usage of the Shadow Blade. In other words, consider throwing the blade as a crescendo near the end of the Shadow Blade’s lifespan, or when the enemy team catches on and backs away from the whirlwind of death.

Eliminating the Assassin

So, you’ve decided to go one-on-one against the Spectre. Here are some tips to counter Spectre’s skillset and eliminating the assassin:

Consider avoiding the Smoke grenade’s smokescreen. Standing in it leaves you as prey for the masked liquidator. Spectre’s Smoke is also accompanied by a red light and a sound, warning you that the area of effect might be dangerous.

 If you have an idea where enemies are hiding in the Smoke or are using a NVIR scope, fire away into the cloud. Once you get a hit marker, you’ll know you’ve found your target.

As for countering the Shadow Blade, consider keeping Spectre in your line of sight and trying not to get to close. If you stay out of melee range, simply aim and fire for the kill. Spectre can roll and flip, but isn’t invulnerable. Tracking Spectre during movements with precise and well-place shots, can eliminate the assassin before it’s too late. Or, if all else fails consider using Special Issue Equipment or Weaponry of your own, like the Tempest, Ballistic Shield, Annihilator, or other lethal weaponry to stop Spectre in their tracks.

No matter how you use Spectre, it is a unique pick among the Specialist roster and is a tough soldier to pass up on for your squad… Yet that could be said for the other Specialists found in Multiplayer.

If you’re looking for another Specialist to use, take a look at our other Spotlights, and look for more in the future.

We’ll see you online.

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