Church Lighting Review: Chauvet’s Rogue R2X Wash, Rogue R1E Spot, and Maverick Force S Spot

Hey there! Matt from Church Front here. In our ongoing mission to help churches create better worship experiences through technology, I wanted to share my hands-on review of three lighting fixtures we’ve been installing in our newer builds. If you’re considering a lighting upgrade or complete systems overhaul, these fixtures deserve your attention.

The Fixtures Under Review

Today we’re looking at three distinct Chauvet fixtures:

• Chauvet Rogue R2X Wash (~$2,000)
• Chauvet Rogue R1E Spot (~$2,000)
• Chauvet Maverick Force S Spot (~$3,800)

I’ve tested each of these lights in multiple configurations to show you exactly what you can expect in various lighting scenarios.

Modern Church Lighting Philosophy

Before diving into the specifics, I want to acknowledge that not every church uses haze or atmospheric effects in their worship space. That’s completely fine! Lighting choices are partly cultural, and churches have different comfort levels with various production elements.

I personally see modern lighting as our contemporary equivalent of stained glass windows – they’re tools for creating beautiful, creative spaces that can help draw people into worship. Whether you’re looking for subtle enhancement or more dynamic effects, these fixtures offer options for various worship styles.

Front/Key Lighting Performance

Maverick Force S Spot

My top pick for front lighting is the Maverick Force S Spot. While it’s the most expensive option, it offers exceptional versatility and quality.

Key features for front lighting:

• Built-in “front lighting” color temperature setting (4,700K)
• Works beautifully with LED video walls
• Full color mixing plus a color wheel
• Impressive zoom range (can light nearly 30 feet from 35 feet away)
• Auto-focus capability that actually works well
• Adjustable frost feature for softening edges
• Iris control for pinpoint focusing

What makes the Maverick particularly valuable for churches with video walls is its cooler color temperature. Traditional incandescent lights run around 3,200K, which appears very warm when paired with LED walls. If you color balance your cameras for those warm lights, your video wall ends up looking unnaturally blue. The Maverick’s cooler front light setting solves this problem elegantly.

Rogue R2X Wash

The R2X performs well as a front wash with these notable characteristics:

• Softer edge blending (great if you’re less experienced with spotlight alignment)
• Full color mixing capabilities
• Wide zoom range
• Good brightness at 70% power

One consideration with the R2X is light spill. Because it’s a wash fixture rather than a spot, you’ll get more light spreading beyond your intended area. This could potentially affect projection screens if not carefully positioned.

Rogue R1E Spot

While this was my least favorite for front lighting, it still has compelling qualities:

• Extraordinary brightness (only needed at 37% for comparable output)
• 3,200K color wheel option to match existing incandescent fixtures
• Iris control for spot size adjustment

My primary concern with the R1E as front lighting is its very cool white light (approximately 5,500-6,000K), which appears quite stark without filtration.

Hairlight and Backlight Applications

All three fixtures excel in different ways when used as hairlights or backlighting.

Rogue R2X Wash

While the R2X lacks gobos and advanced effects, it creates beautiful washes of color behind your worship team. It works well as:

• A soft hairlight with full color mixing
• A brighter focused beam through haze
• A color backdrop element

Rogue R1E Spot and Maverick Force S Spot

Both spot fixtures offer similar capabilities as backlight/hairlight options:

• Multiple gobo wheels with various patterns
• Spinning and shaking gobo effects
• Prism features that split the beam for wider coverage
• Full color control

The Maverick edges out the R1E with its more refined optics and additional features, but both create stunning aerial effects when used with haze.

Floor-Mounted Applications

When positioning these fixtures on the stage floor, each creates distinct effects:

Rogue R2X Wash

• Works well as blinders (at reduced intensity)
• Creates silhouette effects when positioned behind worship team members
• Offers wide wash coverage for haze illumination
• Works with movement effects for dynamic scenes

Rogue R1E Spot

• Produces sharper, more defined beams through haze
• Combines gobo and prism effects for interesting floor patterns
• Creates dramatic congregation-facing effects

Maverick Force S Spot

• Delivers the tightest, most focused beams
• Offers the widest range of effects combinations
• Creates the most professional-looking aerial effects
• Shows the most defined gobo patterns

The Verdict

After extensively testing these fixtures, here’s my assessment:

Rogue R2X Wash – Perfect if you need versatile wash fixtures that blend easily. Ideal for churches transitioning from static to moving fixtures who want forgiveness in their front wash blending.

Rogue R1E Spot – A tremendous value for the brightness and effect capabilities. While not ideal as front light without filtration, it’s excellent for aerial effects, gobos, and backlighting.

Maverick Force S Spot – The clear winner for versatility. Despite the higher price point, it can effectively handle front lighting, backlighting, aerial effects, and floor-mounted applications. If your budget allows, this fixture delivers the most flexibility and quality.

For most churches, I’d recommend either getting the Maverick if it fits your budget, or combining the R2X Wash for front lighting with the R1E Spot for effects and backlighting if you’re working with tighter constraints.

Whatever your worship style or production approach, these fixtures offer solid options for enhancing your worship environment. Remember – lighting isn’t just about flash and effects, but about creating environments that help your congregation engage in worship.

What lighting fixtures are you currently using in your church? Let me know in the comments!

Matt Woltjer
Church Front