Best ways to counter XDefiant’s Incinerator Drone

The Incinerator Drone can be one of the most frustrating abilities to come up against in XDefiant. Here’s a quick guide on the best ways to take them down.

XDefiant’s Incinerator Drones might not be the most insufferable part of the game, but they can still cause quite a bit of hassle. Every Faction in the game has a suite of abilities that they can call upon and this fiery death machine is one of the Cleaners’.

A meandering murder bot that leaves a trail of fire as it stalks the battlefield before dropping a massive AOE explosion is the last thing you want to deal with. Luckily, they’re not indestructible.

We’ve compiled a quick list of the best ways to counter Incinerator Drones in XDefiant. Here are some tricks to tackle this ability.

How to counter the Incinerator Drone ability in XDefiant

How the Incinerator Drone works

The Incinerator Drone is a testament to the Cleaners faction’s identity which is reliant on fire and destruction. Its primary purpose is to slow the opposing team’s attack and flush them out into the open.

Flying over the map, the Incinerator Drone drops a path of fire in its wake and can travel over small and medium cover. At the end of its journey, it explodes causing massive damage to any player caught in its 6.5-meter radius. With that in mind, here are the best ways to counter the Incinerator Drone in XDefiant.

Using an EMP Grenade

EMP Grenades can be helpful in dealing with Incinerator Drones in XDefiant but they are a tad unreliable. You can throw one directly at the drone itself but you have to line up your shot and time it correctly which can be tough when you’re in combat.

You can also use the EMP Grenade against your opponents of the Cleaners faction to disrupt their ability to deploy one. This requires timing of a different sort.

Shoot the Incinerator Drone down from a safe range

One of the best ways to counter the Incinerator Drone in XDefiant is to eliminate it from a distance. This is the quickest way to stop it before it can get off its blast attack and decimate your team.

The Libertad and Echelon Factions are more predisposed to long-ranged combat and might make shooting down the drone a little easier. Loading out with a good Sniper Rifle certainly wouldn’t go amiss.

Hide in total cover

Hiding in total cover might not prevent XDefiant’s Incinerator Drone from doing its thing but it’s a surefire way to avoid it. Total cover keeps you safe from the drone’s blast attack essentially wasting an ability for the opposing Cleaners.

You’ll still have to be careful about the remaining fire trails and the fire caused by the explosion but you’ll be alive to do so.

Use DedSec’s hacking abilities

This one is a little more situational and relies on players enjoying the DedSec Faction. If you’re positively predisposed to a bit of hacking, DedSec’s own suite of abilities are a fantastic counter to the Incinerator Drone.

Lockout allows you to stop the opposing team from using the drone entirely, as well as their other abilities. Hijack allows you to take control of the drone yourself and turn it against the Cleaners by flying it to their position and giving them a taste of their own blast attack.

Those are the best ways to counter an Incinerator Drone in XDefiant. While not a guarantee, testing them out and finding which works for you can keep you safe in a pinch.

If you’re looking to prepare for combat in XDefiant, our lists of the best Assault Rifles, LMGs, and SMGs might also help.