At The Division, we present the gear set B.L.I.N.D.
Among the four new gear sets of the Underground expansion, in addition to DeadEye, FireCrest and Rückholer, there is also the B.L.I.N.D. set. These four sets are available to PS4 agents from August 2nd – PC and Xbox users have had access since the launch of update 1.3 at the end of June.
B.L.I.N.D. already caused a stir at E3 2016, as gameplay footage showed a weapon tailored for this set: The B.L.I.N.D. System Assault Rifle. This weapon is now integrated into The Division, but it will only be unlocked in a future update. In other words: In the future, gear set-specific weapons will be introduced.
However, exact details about this are still unknown. Let’s see what the B.L.I.N.D. set has to offer in The Division.
This is what makes the B.L.I.N.D. set in The Division special
According to the patch notes, this is a hybrid gear set that allows control of the battlefield. It consists of several components, whose locations include the “Dark Zone” supply drops, Dragon’s Lair, and the Underground. You can also find them in Underground caches. Some pieces can be purchased directly from the Underground vendor. However, you should find sufficient parts in the Underground missions.
B.L.I.N.D. consists of a total of six components. If you collect and equip several of them, certain bonuses will activate. At four parts, you unlock the unique talent:
- 2 pieces: +20% Critical Hit Damage from the Impulse Generator.
- 3 pieces: +100% resistance against the “Blind and Deaf” effect.
- 4 pieces: When you kill an enemy, a blind effect is triggered at that location, blinding all enemies in the vicinity.
The talent is only triggered when you shoot the last, fatal bullet at the enemy. They then essentially drop a flash grenade that explodes after a time delay. If they die from a teammate, the talent does not activate, no matter how much damage you inflicted on them.
In order to resist the dropped flash grenade, the 3-piece bonus is designed. This bonus is meant to harmonize with the talent. The 2-piece bonus is a welcome advantage, but it could be higher.
However, these advantages don’t really impress anyone. The design idea is interesting, but sets like “Ruf der Wache” simply perform better in practice. Against high-level enemies, one prefers bonuses that increase damage rather than temporarily blind opponents. Moreover, you can’t even rely on the talent, as you have to deal the final shot to the enemy yourself. When in a task force, the effect occurs less often than you would wish.
Overall, the B.L.I.N.D. set is not a new overpowered set either. While it brings variety to the game, it cannot be recommended for major challenges.
With the exception of Rückholer, the new sets of the Underground expansion are not well received by the agents. Many users on reddit are therefore calling for Massive to first adjust and balance the existing sets before they release new ones.
A possible way to do this would be the special gear set weapons, which would better highlight the strengths of the sets. How Massive designs these will be seen in the future.
What do you think of the B.L.I.N.D. set?
Here we present the AlphaBridge set, which has been available to all agents since update 1.3.
