Titanfall 2 - What are Batteries (Green Cylinders) for?

One of the new changes in Titanfall 2 is the introduction of batteries. These green cylinders are extremely useful and beginners typically miss their importance in the game. In this post I'll discuss how to get a battery and what use they serve.

How to get a battery

Batteries are claimed from enemy Titans. The first time you rodeo a Titan, instead of planting a grenade you actually rip out the battery and jump off again. The image above shows a pilot ripping out the battery from an enemy Titan - this was upon the first rodeo.

During the game, you may see these green cylinder/canisters on the back of other players. They have a distinctive neon green glow, which although gives your position away far too easily to other players, they are still a valuable item for yourself and your team. You may also spot batteries on the mini-map, which appear is little green markers:

Battery on mini-map

Another way to claim a battery is to kill an opposing pilot who already has a battery on their back. Upon death the battery drops to the floor for another player to pick up. Simply walk over the batter and it's automatically added to your inventory.

The battery appears in your HUD inventory, besides your weapon and abilities:

Battery in inventory

What are they for

Batteries provide a shield effect for friendly Titans, making it a valuable tool during Titan fights. They can be used in two ways:

1. Implanted into friendly Titans

While carrying a battery, jump on to the back of a friendly Titan. The battery gets automatically inserted into their mech, providing the player with a protective shield. This shield activates automatically and is different to the other usable shields (e.g. vortex).

2. Used for your own Titan

If you're carrying a battery and decide to call your own Titan then you'll have an immediate shield once inside.

Tips

If your own Titanfall isn't ready then consider giving your battery to an ally to help turn the tide of a match.
Batteries can be used to "top up" a friendly players shield.
Watch out when carrying a battery - you'll become a higher priority to experienced players.
Dropped batteries are highlighted in green on the radar
Titans cannot pick up batteries, only pilots can