Answer: In Boss Lab, there is no single counter to defenses. Attack from the rear to get around a Front Shield, switch to beams or melee when a Reflector bounces your shots, and remember that Tesla slips past Shield but still has to deal with Reactive Armor. Figure out which defense is stopping you first, then change the build (Boss Lab on Google Play).
Disclosure: I'm part of Boss Lab Studio, the independent team behind Boss Lab, an Android robot-building auto-battler. Art and audio are AI-assisted; design, code and balancing are by the team. Android-only, free to play with in-app purchases, needs an internet connection.
This is a condensed rewrite of our original guide to countering Shields, Armor and Reflectors.
Quick lookup table, as a list
- Front Shield: blocks eligible attacks from the front while it is on and intact. Counter it with rear attacks (which also get the rear damage bonus) or Tesla's core-only arc.
- Reactive Armor: cuts core damage while its plates survive. Getting past a Shield does not get you past Armor. Counter it with sustained pressure and more effective attacking time.
- Reflector: sends eligible frontal cannon and rocket shots back at reduced damage, spending energy and using a cooldown. Counter it with beams, melee, or rear positioning.
Front Shield is about angles
The shield only covers the front. Dash is one way to get behind it, but the position is only useful if your weapons are facing the target, in range, and powered when you arrive. See the Dash timing guide for that part.
Armor is about time
If Armor keeps the enemy alive until the Campaign timer runs out, flanking alone won't fix it. Look at how long your weapons are actually attacking, which interaction they have with damage reduction, and whether energy is the real limit.
Reflector is about projectile type
A laser swap avoids reflection but adds heat. A melee swap avoids reflection but creates a chase problem. Test the full counter-build, including movement and resources, against the same opponent. The weapon guide lists each weapon's role.
FAQ
Does Tesla ignore every defense? No. It bypasses ordinary Shield allocation, but Armor still reduces the damage, and Tesla's reach and energy demand still matter.
Should I just upgrade damage? Usually not first. Identify which weapon dealt your damage and which defense stopped it, then change one thing.
More build guides at bosslab.xyz.
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