Ela is a very dynamic and well-rounded defender that I can’t really think of any situation or map where she won’t excel. She can be one of the best anchors around, but she can also terrorize the attackers a lot when she’s roaming. Even her special gadget, the Grzmot Mine, can be used both defensively and offensively.

That shows how Versatile Ela is, and she’s seriously a very fun operator to play. Especially when you’re quite experienced in the game. She also has unique weapons in her arsenal that make her such a menace in the field. And in this article, we’re going to discuss the best loadout combinations that will maximize her potential when she’s going head to head with her enemies.

5. FO-12 with Reflex B, Extended Barrel, and Angled Grip + RG15 with Suppressor + Deployable Shield

The FO-12 is arguably the best non-slug shotgun in the game, and the most probable reason why it’s not as popular as it should be is that it is only Ela that can use it. The FO-12 packs a huge punch per pellet, and on top of that, it is highly customizable since it can be equipped with different kinds of grips, barrel attachments, and sights. So when you’re playing Ela, you can really make the FO-12 to the shotgun that will fit your playstyle more and the advantages that you want to have.

Some of those advantages are being able to deal extra damage and being able to reload faster than normal. With the extended barrel on the FO-12 shotgun, its damage will increase from 24 to 26. And that might not sound like a lot at first, but we have to remember that that is damage per pellet, and the FO-12 shoots multiple pellets per shot. On the other hand, the angled grip will provide Ela with a 20% reload speed bonus on the FO-12 shotgun which will be of great help, especially when she’s engaging with multiple enemies at the same time.

Excels in:

• The extended barrel on Ela’s FO-12 shotgun will increase its damage from 24 to 26, and that’s a big increase considering it is per pellet and that you’ll be hitting enemies with multiple pellets per shot with this weapon
• The angled grip on Ela’s FO-12 shotgun will increase its reload speed by 20% which is a huge deal especially when it comes to dealing with multiple enemies at the same time
• The reflex B 1.0x sight will give Ela a clear front view when aiming-down-sights on her FO-12 shotgun due to the sight’s small frame that doesn’t take up a lot of screen space, and that is perfect for shotguns
• The RG15 handgun with a suppressor would be a menace for medium range shooting because of its romeo1 reflex sight, which is great for pinpoint shooting, making the RG15 a great weapon to switch to for dealing with opponents beyond the reach of the FO-12
• The deployable shield provides extra cover for Ela and other defenders. It’s bulletproof so it can create an angle that will be difficult for attackers to push especially with support from anti-projectiles operators like Wamai or Jager

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - FO-12 with Reflex B, Extended Barrel, and Angled Grip
• Secondary weapon - RG15 with Suppressor
• Generic gadget - Deployable Shield

4. Scorpion Evo 3 A1 with Red Dot A, Flash Hider, and Vertical Grip + RG15 with Suppressor + Impact Grenade

  For Ela players who prefer having a fully automatic gun as their primary weapon, the Scorpion Evo 3 A1 is the other choice for Ela’s primary weapon and it is a submachine gun so it is fully automatic. Its biggest strength is that it has one of the fastest rates of fire out of all primary weapons in the game, but that ultra fast rate of fire comes with a big drawback. That’s because it results in a weapon kick that is very hard to control. There are attachment combinations for that, however, and this loadout setup will give the player good control on the weapon.

Both the flash hider and vertical grip attachments that are present on the Scorpion Evo 3 A1 in this loadout setup specializes in lowering weapons’ overall vertical recoil, and with its vertical weapon kick decreased to its lowest possible value, the player will be able to concentrate more on handling the weapon’s horizontal and random recoil from all directions. On the other hand, Ela will have two impact grenades that will allow her to quickly create holes on soft walls which she can use to quickly escape our outmaneuver enemies. 

Excels in:

• The flash hider on the Scorpion Evo 3 A1’s barrel will greatly lower its overall vertical recoil while also removing its muzzle flash which could make it a bit harder for enemies to notice where Ela is shooting from
• The vertical grip partnered with the flash hider barrel attachment will further lower the Scorpion Evo 3 A1’s vertical recoil, allowing Ela to focus more on handling the horizontal recoil of the submachine gun
• The red dot A 1.0x sight will provide Ela with good accuracy at close to medium range due to its wide reticle area which usually shows the full view of enemies, making them easier to hit
• The RG15 handgun with its romeo1 reflex sight will be great for pinpoint shooting as it has a center dot reticle. It can also be used by Ela for silently disposing of enemy gadgets like drones and claymores.
• The two impact grenades will allow Ela to escape enemies that are hunting her when she’s roaming, or to flank them quickly, as she can use them to destroy large portions of unreinforced walls

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - Scorpion Evo 3 A1 with Red Dot A, Flash Hider, and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - RG15 with Suppressor
• Generic gadget - Impact Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the Scorpion Evo 3 A1 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

3. Scorpion Evo 3 A1 with Red Dot A, Compensator, and Vertical Grip + RG15 with Suppressor + Impact Grenade

For Ela players who are looking to have the best recoil control possible on her Scorpion Evo 3 A1, this is the loadout setup to have. Yes, the weapon has an incredibly strong vertical reticle, but generally, vertical recoil is easier to handle than horizontal. The good thing is, the compensator has been buffed by a lot a few seasons ago, and is now so much more effective when it comes to lowering the horizontal and random recoil of many weapons. With the compensator on its barrel. The horizontal recoil from the Scorpion Evo 3 A1 will be reduced by 35%.

The vertical grip on the other hand will help Ela maintain a good handle on the Scorpion Evo 3 A1’s vertical recoil, and that combination of added horizontal and vertical recoil will result in a much more manageable weapon kick despite the Scorpion Evo 3 A1’s very fast rate of fire. As for her secondary weapon, the RG15 handgun is one of the best pistols in the game, and that’s because its recoil is easy to handle, its firepower is very decent, and most importantly, it has a really good sight in the romeo1 reflex which is the default sight for the RG15

Excels in:

• The compensator on Ela’s Scorpion Evo 3 A1 submachine gun will decrease its tendency for horizontal and random recoil by 35%, greatly stabilizing its weapon kick despite its very fast rate of fire
• The vertical grip on Ela’s Scorpion Evo 3 A1 will greatly decrease its overall vertical recoil which, especially since it’s partnered with the compensator, will make the weapon so much more manageable
• The red dot A 1.0x sight with its wide reticle area will provide Ela with a good view of her target despite it having no magnification. It will also provide a 5% aim-down-sight speed boost 
• The suppressor on the RG15 will silence its shots and remove its directional threat indicator making it harder for enemies to quickly notice where Ela is shooting from
• One of the impact grenades in Ela’s arsenal can be used by her for reworking the map to her advantage, while the other can be reserved for countering shield operators like Osa

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - Scorpion Evo 3 A1 with Red Dot A, Compensator, and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - RG15 with Suppressor
• Generic gadget - Impact Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the Scorpion Evo 3 A1 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

2. FO-12 with Reflex B, Extended Barrel, and Vertical Grip + RG15 with Suppressor + Deployable Shield

While the FO-12 is a very powerful shotgun due to its high destruction rate per shot, heavy stopping power, high customizability, and fast rate of fire, it has one big drawback and that is its strong recoil. Because of its strong weapon kick and fast rate of fire, the player can easily lose alignment of their shots and have trouble hitting their target. That’s not an uncommon mistake for Ela players using her FO-12 shotgun, especially to those who are quite new to the game, as instinct can tell us that the faster you fire your weapon, the higher the chance you’ll win the gun fight.

With the vertical grip on the FO-12 shotgun, its vertical recoil will be much lowered, and it will greatly lessen the chances of the Ela player’s aim going out of control while the weapon is being fired rapidly. With this loadout setup, shots from the FO-12 while the Ela player is on aim-down-sights stance will be a lot more stable and accurate. They will also be more powerful because the extended barrel will increase the weapon’s base damage as well as lower its range damage drop-off

Excels in:

• The vertical grip on Ela’s FO-12 shotgun will make its shots easier to align one after another since it will greatly lower the weapon’s vertical recoil, lessening the chances of the user losing control of their aim while firing in fast successions
• The extended barrel will increase the firepower of the FO-12 and make each of its pellets more damaging. It’ll also increase the effective range of the FO-12 since it specializes in lessening weapons’ range damage drop-off
• The reflex B 1.0x sight with its small frame is perfect for shotguns like the FO-12 since it provides a clear front view due to its frame not taking up much screen space
• The suppressed RG15 handgun will be Ela’s weapon of choice when dealing with enemies that are far beyond the reach of her FO-12 shotgun, and she can access with just one press of the right button
• The deployable shield as Ela’s generic gadget will provide the whole defending team an extra cover. Ela can also use it to block an entryway and set one of her Grzmot Mine behind.

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - FO-12 with Reflex B, Extended Barrel, and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - RG15 with Suppressor
• Generic gadget - Deployable Shield

1. FO-12 with Reflex B, Suppressor, and Horizontal Grip + RG15 with Muzzle Brake + Barbed Wire 

This loadout setup will be what’s best for Ela because it will give her the most versatility. As mentioned before, she can be played as a roamer, terrorizing the attackers and picking them off one by one. To do that, she’ll need to have good speed and use stealth to her advantage. The speed she already had, but she’ll be able to use stealth to her advantage more with the suppressor on her FO-12 shotgun. That’s because the suppressor will remove the FO-12's muzzle flash and directional threat indicator, and most importantly, it will greatly silence its gunshots.

That means that when Ela is roaming, she’ll be able to make rotation holes on soft walls and destroy unreinforced hatches relatively silently. That will increase her capabilities in outmaneuvering enemies, especially since a horizontal grip will also be attached to her FO-12 in this setup which will give her a 5% movement speed boost. That perk will allow her to move from one place to another quicker than normal and make her even harder to hit when she’s running. There won’t be a recoil control providing attachment for the FO-12 in this loadout setup, but as long as the Ela player paces their shots well, they should be able to manage the FO-12's weapon kick.

Excels in:

• The suppressed FO-12 shotgun will have much more silent gunshots than normal, and that’ll allow Ela to create rotation holes and destroy hatches while she’s roaming with less chances of enemies being alerted to her current location
• The horizontal grip on Ela’s FO-12 shotgun will provide her with a 5% movement speed boost which will allow her to get from one area to another quicker than normal, as well as make her harder to hit when she’s moving
• The reflex B 1.0x sight will be a great sight for the FO-12 shotgun as its main frame doesn’t take up a lot of screen space, therefore, Ela will be able to see her targets very well when aiming-down-sights on her FO-12 shotgun

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - FO-12 with Reflex B, Suppressor, and Horizontal Grip
• Secondary weapon - RG15 with Muzzle Brake
• Generic gadget - Barbed Wire

Attention operator, please be advised. There is a new directive from Six. Read up on these related articles, and prepare for deployment:

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