Utility: The choices Gridlock has for her utility tools are between smoke grenades and breaching charges. Now to be fair, I have a personal affinity towards pistols, so this may not be a popular opinion, but it comes down to what each individual is comfortable with using and the limited three shots from the shotgun just wasn’t enough for me to survive with. Because of cases like this, I use the SDP.

In those instances, I had put myself at a huge disadvantage for the shotgun’s sake.

One specific corner that I found myself falling into a lot was when things got down to the wire and I didn’t have time to reload my primary, even with the M249’s quicker magazine clip. Instinctually, I first started playing with the Super Shorty because a shotgun is always nice to have, but while I did find use in the shotgun as a way to make peek holes through destructible walls, that usefulness became a lot less significant than I had anticipated. She can bring in the Super Shorty shotgun, weighing in with three - count em - three shots per “clip” or she can take the more reliable SDP 9mm pistol. Secondary: Gridlock finds a little harder of a pick between her secondary guns as both have their distinct uses. To be fair, it does have its drawbacks, found mostly in its lower than ideal fire rate, but nevertheless, this unique LMG is the star of the show for most Gridlock players and is the reason I first latched onto the character so heavily. The combination of all of these things make the M249 SAW a force to be reckoned with. Between its high damage distribution and the unobscuring ACOG’s availability, this LMG is even given a magazine rather than a belt, meaning the slightly smaller 60 bullet clip reloads faster than any other LMG in the game. While the F90 is a formidable version of IQ’s and Kaid’s AUG assault rifle, the M249 is a beast of a gun. Primary: Gridlock brings two choices in her primary guns, the F90 assault rifle or the M249 SAW light machine gun. This is just a superficial look at how her ability works and I will gladly give more tips on how the stingers can be used differently, but the heart of my passion for Gridlock lies within her loadout. The ability is impactful, which is exactly what you want from any operator, giving her an edge in versatility as the spikes can be used to block off your flank from roamers or flushing out defenders from the objective.

It’s an odd ability, yet there is a little more depth to it than I personally had thought during her reveal. When a defender walks onto a stinger, they take an initial 10 damage but will only take more if they continue to step through other stringers or back onto the one they first stepped on. Unlike Lesion, however, once placed, the stingers will continue to multiply as each stinger spits out another one of itself until the pattern is complete, as partially pictured below. Gridlock’s gadget is a self deploying trap that is similar (in concept) to Lesion’s Gu needle as a physical obstacle placed by the operator. With her durability as an aforementioned 3 armor, her accommodating weapon selection, and her surprisingly useful gadget, Gridlock has become a staple in my online play and I hope that, with this article, you’ll give her some more thought in your games to come. Gridlock is a character that I did not expect to enjoy when she and her companion Mozzie were released earlier this year, but over the course of this season, I’ve come to hold this 3 armor character in high regard.

Gridlock siege