Assault

From Devil May Cry Wiki

Assaults are elite demons sired by the emperor of demon-kind. They are very similar to the Blade enemies in the first game, in both appearance and attack style. They are able to burrow through the ground with their sharp claws, and are versatile enemies. Assault's have shields which they use to defend themselves, but destroying the shields will render them defenseless.

[edit] Strategy

Assaults can be aggravating opponents, especially when they fire projectiles and defend against your attacks with their shields. The shield can easily be broken, however, by using Devil Trigger and attacking with a fast combo. It can also be easily shattered with a single blast with a Charge Shot 3, and the secondary explosion will damage them even further. Even with their shields destroyed, Assaults are muscular and resistant to melee attacks, making it difficult to continue a chain of melee combos.

Nero's Devil Bringer comes in handy here, as he can use it to seize an Assault by the tail and then smash it into the ground repeatedly, in front of and behind him. Any enemies caught in the way of this also take damage. Dante's best bet is to blast the Assaults with the Coyote-A while leaping into the air to attack from above. The shotgun also helps break their shields, if they block with them.