Best faction in XDefiant: All factions ranked by abilities

XDefiant offers players the ability to play as one of six Factions, each based on a different Ubisoft property: Watch Dogs, Far Cry, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and The Division.

Each Faction offers unique abilities and skills that can give a player an edge on the battlefield. All of these skills are based on the kind of gameplay of their respective franchises as well, such as DedSec from Watch Dogs being heavily focused on hacking and using technology to affect enemies.

But not every Faction is as good as the other, and so to help anyone looking to get a step up on the competition, here is how each Faction ranks at the time of writing.

Best faction to pick in XDefiant – recommended

After playing XDefiant for many hours and testing multiple factions across the game’s modes, we recommend Echelon as the best faction to start with on XDefiant. Many players – not just this tester – have been impressed by the faction’s Digital Ghillie Suit which gives you a major advantage as it makes you completely invisible.

There are merits to playing each of the factions in the game, some of which will suit you and others won’t. Below, we’re going to rank them 1-6 and explain all of the abilities so you can make the right choice for your play style.

1. Echelon

Ubisoft

Echelon: Abilities explained

• Sonar Goggles (Ultra): Reveal enemies and hunt them down with the classic Third Echelon 5.7 pistol.
• Low Profile (Passive Trait): Agent does not appear on enemy minimaps.
• Intel Suit (Ability): Shares the location of nearby enemies with your team.
• Digital Ghillie Suit (Ability): Renders the agent nearly invisible. Movement and aiming reduce the effect.

Echelon makes the top of this XDefiant Factions list thanks to its stealth capabilities, specifically the Digital Ghillie Suit we mentioned earlier that renders players completely invisible to enemies. This is an OP skill that can help you maneuver and flank points, enemy spots, and more to completely outplay opponents.

Further still, the Sonar Goggles are a huge boon for locating enemies on the map. Echelon’s abilities are simply too strong to be relegated to any other spot but the best one on this list.

2. Libertad

Ubisoft

Libertad: Abilities explained

• Médico Supremo (Ultra): The Médico backpack provides a large health and healing boost for a limited time.
• Espíritu de Libertad (Passive Trait): The contagious spirit of freedom slowly heals you and nearby allies.
• El Remedio (Ability): Launch a revitalizing gas canister that heals friendlies until destroyed or canceled.
• BioVida Boost (Ability): A fortifying wave boosts total health and regen for you and nearby allies.

Libertad is going to be one of the favored Factions as people start learning the ropes since its abilities offer plenty of healing opportunities. This should prove a huge help for beginners trying to better understand the shooter’s ins and outs.

But these skills are useful beyond just the opening hours, as healing abilities offer advantages for even the most experienced of players. Plus, they go beyond just keeping you alive, with many healing-related skills boosting the health of teammates as well. When used properly, this can be a game-changer.

3. Phantoms

Ubisoft

Phantoms: Abilities explained

• Aegis (Ultra): A spherical plasma shield combined with an electro-scattergun for close-quarters combat.
• Hardened (Passive Trait): Health increased as a result of tailored gene therapies.
• Mag Barrier (Ability): An electromagnetic barrier blocks incoming enemy fire and grenades.
• Blitz Shield (Ability): Equip a tactical shield. Press the Melee button for a shield bash.

The Phantoms use their unique technology to nullify enemy attacks, such as the Mag Barrier that will surround you and nearby teammates in a protective bubble. The ability can be incredibly helpful when taking a point in Domination, or just trying to get from Point A to Point B in a firefight.

However, one shortcoming is that Phantoms cannot deal damage with their skills. They are a defense-first group and while that is invaluable when used right, it can be tough when you are outnumbered.

4. GSK

Ubisoft

GSK: Abilities explained

• Flash Shield (Ultra): Blind and bash foes with an LED studded shield, which also provides a mobile cover for your sidearm.
• Hard Hat (Passive Trait): A ballistic helmet reduces the lethality of enemy headshots.
• ADS (Ability): Deploy an Active Defense System to intercept incoming devices thrown by enemies.
• Shock Wire (Ability): Drop briars of electrified barbed wire to zap and entangle foes.

The GSK Faction is great for holding down an area and not letting an enemy through chokepoints without a fight. These characters are like the Phantom class but without the extra health and are great in objective game modes like Escort, Occupy, and Zone Control.

However, they don’t have any damaging abilities, and their Passive Trait isn’t felt as much on smaller maps where SMGs are king and headshots are less important in gunfights.

However, the class has no obvious drawbacks like the final Factions ranked below it and still has a niche to fill for almost every mode and map, especially when playing defensively.

5. Cleaners

Ubisoft

Cleaners: Abilities explained

• The Purifier (Ultra): A flamethrower ensures enemies are thoroughly sterilized.
• Incendiary Rounds (Passive Trait): Incendiary ammo inflicts extra burn damage but decreases weapon range.
• Incinerator Drone (Ability): A napalm-delivering drone burns everything in its flight path.
• Firebomb (Ability): Detonate a Molotov cocktail, causing explosive damage and igniting the area.

On paper, the Cleaners sound like the most fun Faction in the game. Their incendiary rounds can cause fire damage against targets and their Flamethrower Ultra is, well, a flamethrower and those are always welcome additions to any game.

The issue with these guys is that their hitboxes are much larger than the other Factions in XDefiant, which turns them into big targets during matches. There is also the problem of their ability cooldowns being rather lengthy compared to other characters.

6. DedSec

Ubisoft

DedSec: Abilities explained

• Lockout (Ultra): Disable the enemies’ HUD, minimap, and abilities in the affected area.
• Fabricator (Passive Trait): After a device is deployed, the Fabricator prints a new one.
• Spiderbot (Ability): Deploy a Spiderbot that will target and stun the nearest foe via face hug.
• Hijack (Ability): Hack enemy-deployed abilities and make them your own.

DedSec is a cool Faction to use in XDefiant, as its abilities allow you to mess with your opponents and disorient them. When used at the right time, it can help your team come out on top.

However, some of these have proven pretty weak, especially the Spiderbot. If spotted, enemies can easily take this little guy out with a quick shot. And even though its effects may cause issues on the enemy’s HUD, it doesn’t do anything to reduce their damage.

Here is how to unlock DedSec in XDefiant.

The Factions are just one part of XDefiant. See what else you need to know:

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