Anthem: Becoming the Interceptor Javelin | Class and Build Guide

Anthem’s Interceptor is an agile, sneaky Javelin ideal for those who like to get in and get out. Certainly not for the faint of heart.

For those who love being in the face of their enemies and dealing a great deal of damage, the interceptor Javelin is for you. With this Javelin at your disposal, you’ll pop right up to enemies and have them on the ground before they ever know what’s happened to do them. Unfortunately, it also makes them the squishiest of all the Javelins. The payoffs are good if you’re fast enough at taking out your enemies.

We’ve crafted a guide to prepare you for the quickest combat you’ve ever experienced in Anthem, so prepare to learn about the most challenging Javelin in the game.

The Interceptor Javelin

How It Works

This gorgeously agile mech is the definition of squishy. You not only have to remain on your toes at all times, but you make up for it by dealing out devastating damage capable of clearing a small horde. You’re never safe, though. Thankfully, you have a more considerable escape compared to the other Javelin. You’ll find yourself right in the middle of the action, but within a few seconds you can return to the outside of a fight and regroup for the next assault.

An interceptor’s real skill is how well they handle their melee talents. The closer they can get, the more damage they can unleash on a single target. They can make Elite and Legendary foes look like ordinary soldiers with enough solid hits. This is especially true when the interceptor’s ultimate comes out to play. They take out their blades, and you can go to town on a single target or take down multiple foes in a short amount of time.

Their gear also complements their up-close strategy and choosing to take on small hordes all at once. You’re either going to use the Venom Bomb or the Cluster Mine to punish clustered enemies or use the Spark Dash to get in close and damage any targets along the way.

The Interceptor’s Offensive and Support Abilities

Assault System

These attacks were designed for the interceptor to use at a range. You use them when you’re closing the field, or when you’re on your way out of a fight.

• Cryo Glaive: Pick out two different targets and throw this glaive at them, potentially freezing them if your opponents are unshielded
• Cluster Mine: Use this ability to throw down a series of mines onto a targeted area, damaging any foe clueless enough to step over them
• Spark Dash: A dash that leaves behind a trail of electricity. Great if you need to get in close to a target, or need to go an area, but still want to do damage on your way out
• Venom Bomb: A grenade that creates a thick cloud of acid in its wake, damaging any foes in it
• Searching Glaive: A homing glaive that hits the closest target

Strike System

The interceptor’s strike attacks were made for an interceptor to deal out brief periods of damage to their foes, or to use up close when their weapons needed reloading.

• Plasma Star: A charged ability that throws out a damaging glaive made for a single target —decent at long ranges
• Wraith Strike: Your interceptor sends out a hologram of itself, going forward to attack enemies, redirecting their fire. It’s a great escape if you need a quick break from a fight
• Tempest Strike: A melee attack that deals massive close-range damage to nearby enemies
• Venom Spray: The interceptor sends out a corrosive acid spray, damaging foes in its wake
• Detonating Strike: An electrical melee strike that hurts an enemy over time. If an enemy dies with this effect still active, the corpse explodes and damages any nearby foes.

Support System

The interceptor directly supports their allies by making it easier to take down a single foe or clear out any harmful effects plaguing the team.

• Target Beacon: The interceptor marks a particular target. Any marked foe takes additional damage from the interceptor’s team and reduces their resistances. If the beacon is still active when the enemy dies, the effect jumps to the next available target
• Rally Cry: Unleash a rallying cry that removes your team’s damaging status effects

Ideal Playstyles

In and Out

• Shotgun
• Heavy Pistol or Machine Pistol
• Spark Dash or Cryo Glaive
• Wraith Strike or Detonating Strike
• Target Beacon
• Components: Increase the ammo and damage of your chosen guns, increase your armor and health, reduce your gear’s cooldown, and increase your melee damage

Playing the game of cat and mouse is fun, but when you’re a mouse playing as a cat, it’s a little rough. Because the interceptor is such a weak Javelin, you have to play this game carefully. With a shotgun and a reliable pistol at your side, you should make short work of your enemies as you quickly weave between them. Unfortunately, your dash won’t always be on cooldown. You can equip a second one, the Spark Dash, to get out of situations. If you know you’re good enough to get rid of your opponent’s shield, the Cryo Glaive can freeze any foe in your path, allowing you to make short work of them before departing. The Wraith Strike serves as a great backup as you can create a projection, or if you want to take out a small group, the Detonating Strike can deal some considerable damage. Couple all this with the Target Beacon and you’ll find your foes scattered at your feet, as you move on to the next target.

Despite how squishy this Javelin is, you don’t have to go in made of pure glass. You can use components to make to increase your health and armor, allowing you to take a few hits. Don’t forget to increase the damage of your weapons, and melee attack, and your foes won’t last long enough to aim at you. When you focus on lowering the cooldown of your gear as much as possible, you’ll never remain in the same location at once.

Sneaky Sniper

• Sniper Rifle
• Machine Pistol
• Cluster Mine or Venom Bomb
• Wraith Strike or Plasma Star
• Target Beacon
• Components: Increase the ammo of your sniper rifle, decrease your jet’s heat, increase your Javelin’s health and armor, and increase the drop rate of ammo

Sometimes it’s better to remain far away. Take a reliable sniper rifle with you and watch your foes scatter as you takedown targets with a single well-placed shot. If you have to get in close, you’ll have a machine pistol at your side, ideal for taking down your opponent’s protections. Once they’re down, you choose to surprise them with Cluster Mines or use a Venom Bomb to layer them with acid. You can always use a simple melee attack, too. If you’re finding yourself in over your head, use your Wraith Strike to make your foes take a double take. For those who are good at remaining at long range, the Plasma Star makes for an ideal alternative to attack when you’re reloading your sniper to confirm a solid kill. Right before any sniper shot, make sure to highlight your chosen fo with the Target Beacon to ensure their demises.

The sniper rifle doesn’t come with the best ammo reserves. Try to raise these as much as possible, along with improving the size of your magazine. Some players like to use the interceptor’s jets with a sniper rifle, so if you love doing this, then reduce the amount of heat they take. Lastly, you can increase the amount of ammo your enemies drop, keeping your sniper rifle happily full.

Quick Assault

• Shotgun
• Marksman Rifle
• Searching Glaive or Spark Dash
• Tempest Strike or Venom Spray
• Rally Cry
• Components: Increase the health and armor of your Javelin, increase your melee damage, reduce your gear’s cooldown, and increase the damage of your Strike Systems

Remain on the move with your shotgun and don’t forget you have a reliable marksman rifle at your side. You won’t take long with yoru foes, but again, you’re a glass cannon, so don’t give them the chance to fire at you. While you’re weaving between them, fire out the Searching Glaive to deal some damage, or, if you like having a second dash, the Spark Dash suits this build nicely. If you find yourself surrounded by a handful of opponents, you can whip out the Temptest Striek to bat them away or use the Venom Spray to set them up for a combo. Moving around this close is never easy, though. You’ll want to have the Rally Cry ability at the ready to remove any pesky status effects you, and your team mates, have to contend with.

Moving around this close is risky. You’ll want to increase the health and armor of this Javelin in anyway you can. However, don’t forget to reduce your gear’s cooldown, and you can bet you’re going to rely on your strikes in these close encounters. Do as much damage as possible with them, and keep the pain train rolling.