The bread and butter of a typical warrior of the old world are most probably their weapon and shield. Without the other in the duo, they’re highly likely to lose battles. While many gamers fall into the mistake of just focusing on obtaining the weapon, the shield shouldn’t be put aside. Battles are not just about attacks but defenses, too.
In “Elden Ring,” shields are of incredible importance. They almost determine the outcomes of your adventures. Losing them is like not choosing to wield a weapon at all. Let PVP Live rank the best and toughest shields in this game.
1. Buckler: Best For Parrying
For parrying, there is no doubt the Buckler stands out. This very light and tiny shield may seem weak, as it may appear it won’t offer protection, but it provides the largest parry window of any shield in this action role-playing game. It makes the Buckler even more forgiving than the rest of the other shields for parrying, but not great, making it your best bet for consistently pulling off your moves.
2. Fingerprint Stone Shield: Best For Tanking Damage
In other words, this shield is the choice when taking cover to a whole new level. The Fingerprint Stone Shield, a sizable chunk of stone, is categorized as a greatshield that necessitates 48 Strength for you to be able to use it well. It also adds to your equipment load. But don’t worry because these figures are justified by the fact that it offers 77 Guard Boost and 100 Physical Damage Reduction, which are, by the way, extremely helpful already. No wonder it is best for tanking damage.
3. Great Turtle Shell Shield: Best For Stamina Management
This shield chose to go very simple. It uses the turtle’s shell, which is notable for excellent defense, even in the world of Pokémon. Aside from being easily obtainable, this shield needs just 14 Strength to wield, and even if it is a turtle shell, it isn’t too heavy, making it best for stamina management.
However, note that it can just block 87 percent of Physical Damage, but that’s a colossal figure already, still making things bleed through. Plus, it also boosts Stamina Recovery Speed by eight percent, making it a perfect choice for those who wish to stay mobile but would still prefer some decent protection that’s on point.
4. Inverted Hawk Heated Shield: Best Early-Game Shield
From a turtle shell to a hawk. Wait, a hawk? Yes, being the perfect shield for early game, the Inverted Hawk Heater Shield, despite its image of hawk wings made of feathers, of course, can provide complete protection against Physical Damage, unlike other early game shields. It’s best for defense and very lightweight, too. It also just requires 10 Strength, making it the ideal shield for all classes in the game. Go ahead and give this a try. It’s straightforward to get your hands on this.
5. Brass Shield: Best For Balanced Defense
Who wouldn’t want a shield for balanced defense, right, especially when you don’t want your defense strategies to be all over the place? When selecting the best shield for your player, initially consider focusing on medium-sized ones because of the balance they offer between weight and protection. This Brass Shield offers 100 Physical Damage reduction and 56 Guard Boost. That means you can use this shield to manage blows and still stay alive amid a sequence of attacks. While not the best early-game shield, you can still find this shield at this phase of the game.
6. Golden Greatshield: Best Greatshield
There is no jibber-jabber here, but the best greatshield is actually the Golden Greatshield. Let’s start with the downside. This shield is heavier than the others, requiring tons of Endurance to make their capabilities possible. However, they have incredibly high guard boost values and offer some of the best protection in the game.
The Golden Greatshield offers the right balance of stability and weight, making it the preferred among players who want Strength at its finest and guard counter-focused builds. It may be heavy, but it is still on the lighter spectrum compared to other greatshields. Block attacks before your stamina gets depleted.
7. Visage Shield: Best For Magic Resistance
Get to Caelid to find this shield that is best for magic resistance. The Visage Shield is also very useful for crowd control. Perfect for character builds that put tanking a priority over others.
This hulking shield just requires 44 Strength to wield. Even if it is available early in the game, you won’t be able to use it until you have gained sufficient stats. It can block 100 percent of Physical Damage and has high mitigation for several magic types as well. Don’t forget to utilize its Tongues of Fire skill, allowing the shield to spray flames even while walking, making it helpful for pushing enemies back and garnering some space. Yes, it sprays flames, but still a defense tool.
8. Carian Knight’s Shield: Best For Sorcery Defense
Here’s another shield that can help you defend yourself from sorceries. The Carian Knight’s Shield should be preferred if you wish to increase your defenses against magic, like how the Visage Shield works. Aside from 100 Physical Damage Reduction, it also has 71 Magic Reduction, relatively higher than the Brass Shield. The downside: its 49 Guard Boost. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic shield to wield.
What are you waiting for? Go wield that shield. Developed by FromSoftware, “Elden Ring” is an action role-playing video game inspired by “A Song of Ice and Fire” author George R. R. Martin in terms of the setting of his works. Happening in the Lands Between, you can control a customizable player character on a thrilling quest to repair the “Elden Ring” and be the new Elden Lord. Play it on PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows.
