Answer: In Boss Lab, there is no single counter to defenses. Attack from the rear to get around a Front Shield, switch to beams or melee when a Reflector bounces your shots, and remember that Tesla slips past Shield but still has to deal with Reactive Armor. Figure out which defense is stopping you first, then change the build ( Boss Lab on Google Play ).

Disclosure: I'm part of Boss Lab Studio, the independent team behind Boss Lab, an Android robot-building auto-battler. Art and audio are AI-assisted; design, code and balancing are by the team. Android-only, free to play with in-app purchases, needs an internet connection.

This is a condensed rewrite of our original guide to countering Shields, Armor and Reflectors .

Quick lookup table, as a list

Front Shield: blocks eligible attacks from the front while it is on and intact. Counter it with rear attacks (which also get the rear damage bonus) or Tesla's core-only arc.

Reactive Armor: cuts core damage while its plates survive.…