I. Love. Defender. I really really do. It makes me laugh when I pop open the 'safety bubble' ,as I call it, and confuse the enemy in PvP. It's especially good for Control. If you're trying to capture B and there are 3 enemy's coming at you, pop up the safety bubble and they have no idea what to do. The number of times they have tried to run in and punch me or shotgun me. I just bop them in the head and laugh. The melee is good too. I think it was on moon I took down 3 guys on A because shotgun, punch, get overshield, kill other two. The way I see it, defender is underrated, by this I mean I see almost no one use it. I get it depends on play style but I think that people just don't like it because 'it no get den kills'. Well, that's just me saying why I like the Defender subclass. I'd love to hear what you think.
Side notes:
-it is also very good for distracting bosses.
-It has a grenade that is odd but effective, it makes a big kind of Void cyclone which is VERY effective on the Cabal with the shields.
-it is also badass when and enemy in PvP shoots a rocket as you deploy the shield.
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I personally refer to it as the "trouble bubble." We defenders may not be the biggest damage dealers, but people sure as hell appreciate it when we save their bacon! And blessing of light... people figure out you have that and they flock in like flies to a gut wagon.