Small Disruption Shield vs Teleporter

The Small Disruption Shield is a device that provides an extra layer of 200 rechargeable hit-points for a vehicle, while the Teleporter is an escape mechanism for displacing the vehicle to a random location when it is badly damaged during combat.

Though they are very different in function, the two can be compared because they are both normal sized modules (aka 2×2 slots in dimension). They can be gauged by looking at two different scenarios:

1. As compliments to existing shields. This can be on any ship with more than one standard module slot.
2. On their own. In this example on a Pheonix Hovercar.

Due to the poor implementation of the teleporters, the arguments will be very pro-shield. The argument will still be presented for your consideration. The teleporter is really more beneficial to the aliens than to X-COM.

Scenario 1: Compliments to Existing Shields

By the time you obtain Teleporters, this will be the most common scenario. You will have ships that can stock a plentiful supply of shields. With more than one shield, you will have the luxury of deciding whether or not to swap one Small shield out for the utility of a Teleporter, or hang on to that extra 200 hitpoints.

The shield increases the shield capacity cap. This increases the amount of damage that is required for total shield destruction. That is it as far as the exra shield's benefits go. In short: you can soak up a few more beams or missiles before your shields fizzle out.

By swapping one shield out for a teleporter, you will still be benefiting from the existing shields but a lowered total shield destruction point of 200 less hit points. The obvious benefit is that once the shields are destroyed and your vehicle sustains damage, the vehicle will be randomly teleported (theoretically) out of harms way.

This holds true for air skirmishes in Mega-Primus airspace as the scope of most air battles will be fairly limited. It is very effective, even if the destination and trigger of the teleport is unpredictable.

In the Alien Dimension however, the teleporter can prove to have disastrous results as UFOs will be covering almost the entire alien world. No matter where your craft ends up, the result would be its untimely destruction.

Keeping your shield banks safe is really a discretion issue in which you decide when to flee from the battle to save or replenish shields. Having one more or one less shield is generally not a big issue. This means either option will work well.

However, the simpler utility of the extra shield in being able to soak up a few more extra hits appears to be much more beneficial than the unpredictability of the teleporter. There are also other more useful options to consider in place of the Teleporter.

Scenario 2: On their Own

This example has a much clearer distinction between the two defensive mechanisms, as the previous scenario has your ship enjoying the benefit of the shields no matter the configuration. Any or all ships that can mount more than one normal module would be daft not to have at least one shield on board. The Hovercar on the other hand is one of the few vehicles that can only mount one normal module at a time. Also, as it cannot travel to the alien dimension, the benefits of the teleporter in the cityscape cannot be completely discounted.

Shields bring a new level to Hovercar combat, effectively doubling their hitpoints. The Hovercars can then sustain light damage but no physical damage, meaning less to no repair time. The shields however do not allow the Hovercar to flee quickly in the event it loses the shields and needs to get away from a heated air skirmish.

The most common way of getting any aircraft out of trouble is to land at a nearby building. Landing a damaged Hovercar or when its shields are nearly empty puts the Hovercar in a very vulnerable position as it will not be able to evade enemy fire while it is docking with the launch tube.

Replacing the shield with a teleporter on the other hand has a more interesting effect. The Hovercar will sustain the same physical damage it used to get, but will blink away to some unpredictable location once it is badly damaged. The effect here is instantaneous and (may) put the Hovercar out of immediate danger. You have to be vigilant of when the Hovercar teleports so that you can immediately issue it an order to dock at a building. If this is not done, an aggressive Hovercar may very well fly back towards the battle.

Here, it's the same old Hovercar, but it can flee faster when things go pear shaped.

Either proposition is quite valid and interesting choices for Hovercars, but the hybrid X-COM aircraft and their capacity to arm lots of shields will have superseded the use of Hovercars by the time the Teleporters appear.