The next update will introduce the Bulwark — a machine that brings War Robots back to the roots in many ways. Many of you already have tried it on the test server… but if you didn’t, you probably have a question: what makes Bulwark so special?

Let’s take a closer look!

Bulwark’s role

All recent robots had some form of innate mobility. The triad of Kumiho-Haechi-Bulgasari introduced Dash, making maneuvering one of the primary skills of any great pilot. Inquisitor-Mercury-Spectre chose stealth + jump combo as their shtick. Pursuer? Infused sneakiness with its own gotta-go-fast attitude. And Hellburner is all about AAAAA-ing into the enemy lines, as fast as possible.

Bulwark has no jumps, dashes nor speed steroids. This is a machine that brings us back to Lancelot’s heyday — slow, hulking and near indestructible if you use it wisely. If Haechis and Bulgasaris are lions and cheetahs, Bulwark is a freaking elephant: Apex predators can try hunting it down, but good luck chewing through that skin.

Bulwark’s equipment

By pressing the ability, Bulwark switches between two combat modes. In one it is shielded by a regular physical shield similar to Lancelot’s (although smaller). In another it activates a special sort of defense — Aegis-class barrier.

Aegis soaks in everything: from rockets and plasma to Ember — and that alone gives you a great edge in close combat. A bunch of Bulwarks can overpower whole squads of Haechis when sent to the right place at the right time.

For fighting Bulwark has two heavy equipment slots. While you can put a couple of Dragoons or Zeuses and play skirmisher-style sniper, a regular Fury or Raijin will do this job better. Bulwarks fortitude is what makes it excellent close combat fighter. Take a couple of, say, Thunders — and go all-in. Exodus, an Orkan-like rocket launcher which is also coming in 3.9, is a great option for Bulwark too.

How to play Bulwark

There is a couple of things to keep in mind. First, Aegis can soak in a lot of fire, but it doesn’t regenerate automatically. Managing Bulwark’s Aegis is a huge part of its gameplay: it sure endures a lot, but if you don’t pay attention to remaining Aegis capacity you risk going defenseless in no time.

To restore Aegis you just turn it off and wait. Doing this, you become vulnerable to rockets and rear attacks. So better hide behind the cover, regenerate — and only then hit back with your full strength.

Another downside of Bulwark you can easily imagine: it is slow. You have to foresee where the fight goes next if you want to be in the middle of it. Otherwise, you’ll just be too far to create any meaningful impact.

But once you master your spider senses, Bulwark becomes a strategical powerhouse that disrupts the flow of Dash-waltz, no matter how complex or ruthless it is. Miss old times when “big and slow” meant “dangerous”? Then this is your time to shine once again!