In Elden Ring, not only weapons are a big topic, but also the question of protection. In the following guide, we will show you what is essential for a good shield and which are the best. Elden Ring is challenging right from the beginning of the game, so you’ll need all of the protection.
Although equipping some good armor is essential, having a great shield is even more integral to success in Elden Ring. After all, it’s much better to block incoming damage than to be hit. Here are our favorite shields you can use in Elden Ring to increase your survivability in the Lands Between.
Elden Ring is the latest entry into the Soulsborne genre by developer FromSoftware. It takes their award-winning game design and combat systems to drop and experience a refreshing open world where people spend hundreds of hours. The game allows you to play the way you want, and using a shield and sword is a popular fighting style that most players tend to like. Knowing the best armor and where to find them can make the harrowing experience of overcoming Elden Ring’s difficulties easier.
How to choose a Perfect Shield in Elden Ring?
Shields in Elden Ring is a piece of defensive equipment that players can use to protect themselves from attacks from enemies and bosses. They are usually wielded off-hand, but you can also use them in both hands. Builds will benefit significantly from the Shield, even when they do not use it much. Shields can play a different role depending on how you use them. You can use them for blocking, dodging, and even attacking. When selecting the best Elden Ring Shield for your character, you need to consider a few things.
These include the Stat Requirements, Weight, Guard Boost, and Damage Reduction of the Shield. You should also keep your playstyle in mind if you have any personal preferences. Usually, Light Shields are optimal for parrying, Medium Shields are good for blocking with enhanced stability, and Great shields are all-rounders. Still, they offer less stability while blocking due to their heavier weights.
What types of shields are there?
In Elden Ring, like other Souls games, there are many shields. Some are used passively, while others are used actively in combat for protection or parrying. However, these are divided into three classes:
- Small shields
- Medium shields
- large shields
In total, the Fextralife wiki page lists 69 available shields of these. Many of these are helpful, but it’s easy to lose track of what makes a good shield with so many to choose from. The following guide will show you what is essential for a sign, which is the best, and where you can find them.
What do you have to look out for with shields?
A good shield is usually characterized by excellent defensive damage resistances, low attribute requirements, and adaptability to the ashes of war. This means the abilities of the shields. The damage resistances tell you how much damage the shield can block a particular type. If a shield can block 100% physical damage, you don’t lose a life on a blocked standard weapon hit. At 89%, however, only that portion of the damage will be blocked. The remaining 11% will hurt you.
However, one status that is often neglected is the “Defense Bonus”. The higher the value, the less stamina will be drained from you if you successfully block. This is important in fights where you have to take a lot of hits. Your opponent could overrun and kill you if your cover breaks too quickly. To prevent this, a high defence bonus value is essential.
Top Best Shields in Elden Ring
Here is a collection of the Top best Shields in Elden Ring. If you want to make the most out of your defensive equipment, you can pick any of these and learn to use them wisely. Remember that this list is in no particular order, and all of these are great.
Dragonclaw Shield
Dragonclaw Shield is one of the most attractive Elden Ring Shields. This Greatshield also has sheer strength as it can block some of the most potent attacks in the game. However, obtaining this is a bit complex as you’ll have to kill a Draconic Tree Sentinel.
- Location: Leyndell, Royal Capital Outskirts
- Active Skill: Shield Bash
Fingerprint Stone Shield
Where to find it The shield is located near the “Cathedral of the Lost” in place of Mercy of the same name. For this, you have to hang around in the dirty sewers below the capital Lyndell. Once you have defeated the boss in the cathedral, you must open the secret passage behind the chest in front of you. A hit against the wall is enough, and you gain access to another dungeon. Follow the path more profound into the crypt until you come to a room. This includes many wooden beams that provide crossings. Balance on the first one and jump down to the last shaft below you.
You have to jump on the protruding coffins and climb more profound until you reach a coffin with a corpse on it. Arrived at this coffin, you get access to a secret level. This level includes a small hallway with a corpse with a shield at the end.
What’s unique about the Shield? Fingerprint Stone Shield has the best defence for each shield element and the best defence bonus. So you can take a lot of hits without losing your cover. Elemental damage is also sucked in by this Shield, letting you dash through the area blocking like a tank.
Is there anything negative to consider? The weight and requirements are enormous compared to other shields.
- Weight: 29.0
- Requirement: 48 strength
It’s good to use the Shield in a Strength or Quality build to benefit from complete protection.
Kite Shield
When comparing the Kite Shield to others in its class, it falls short due to being slightly heavier, requiring a bit more strength in a build, and cannot be acquired until you reach the merchant in Lirunia of the Lakes. Shortly after defeating Godrick, the Grafted, towards the end of your journey in Stormveil Castle.
It’s a staple of games similar to FromSoftware Souls. It serves as a comfort item for fans of the developer who want something reliable and trustworthy in a world full of unreliable people.
Blue-Gold Kite Shield
Among the various shields on this list that may require some in-game progress or some resourceful searching to find, the Blue and Gold Comet Shield is one of the easiest to acquire. A merchant located just south of Minor Erdtree in East Limgrave will sell it to you for 1,000 runes.
It’s a bigger shield that limits agility but is solid for early game damage reduction. Parry is the active ability it comes with, which is pretty self explanatory. Access plays a big role in how useful an item is, and while the Blue-Gold Kite shield is pretty standard in a lot of ways, it turns out to be easy for most players to get their hands on.
Carian Knight’s Shield
The Carian Knight’s Shield is a medium shield that drops after defeating Moongrum, The Carian Knight, inside the Raya Lucaria Academy. Elden Ring is a game that allows you to play how you like, and those who enjoy blocking with a shield know how scary stamina management can get. Each attack stopped absorbs some of your stamina.
Shields have a stat called Guard Boost that limits stamina consumption in this scenario, and the Carian Knight’s Shield, significantly when upgraded, is hard to match. Unlike many other shields, this one only requires ten strength and ten skill to wield, so even magic builds can make the most of it.
Beast Triangle Shield
Where to find it Go to the Place of Grace at Holy Bridge in Limgrave. You do not go over the bridge but turn in the opposite direction and follow the path up. You’ll soon be greeted by a guard dog defending a camp.
Destroy all enemies in the camp and look for a crate. This is where the shield will be.
What’s unique about the shield? The shield has solid stats, and with a 3.5 weight and ten strength requirement, it’s a good option for medium shields. It does not have to be farmed and can be reached and captured quickly and safely by horse. Above all, the low weight and the requirement are perfect for the beginning because you can put on more armour and take more damage.
Buckler
Where to find it You either get the buckler when you start with the class “Bandit”, or you go to the right dealer. Boston, the gatekeeper who steals from you in Castle Stormveil after you die, sells this shield.
To buy from him, go to the place of mercy, “Stormveil Main Gate”. You run up the stairs and go through the left entrance into an anteroom. Boston is then in the room, standing against a wall. However, to buy from him, you have to open the main gate.
Talk to him until he gives you the option to open the main gate. After that, you can get your Buckler from him for 1,500 runes.
What’s unique about the shield? If you’re looking for a parrying guard, this little piece of iron is for you. The existing Ashes of War “Bulderhead Parade” allows you to dodge better. With conventional parrying shields, you have a small window of time to escape, and you have to anticipate your opponent’s attack before the blow.
You can take your time with the Buckler because your animation of the counter lasts longer, and you have a higher chance of a successful parry.
Is there anything negative to consider? The Buckler is great at parrying but very bad at blocking. It would help if you only used it to counter attacks. Otherwise, you are at the mercy of your opponent.
Jellyfish Shield
When a shield in Elden Ring has its unique active skill, it immediately gives it value. The Jellyfish Shield is an excellent shield with a skill called Contagious Fury, which raises the wielder’s attack power for a certain amount of time.
In terms of the acquisition, you will need to head north of the Foot of the Four Belfries site of grace until they happen upon four jellyfish enemies. Located at their centre is a dead body with an item pickup that happens to be this same shield. Appearance-wise it’s unlike any other security in Elden Ring.
Brass Shield
If you were to look up where the Brass Shield drops, you’d be happy to know it’s available in three locations. It is still super rare, with a reported drop chance of just 0.8 percent. To farm for the drop, it’s best to kill Godrick Soldiers carrying the shield or the Raya Lucaria soldiers found outside the Raya Lucaria Academy. The Brass Shield doesn’t have anything special going for it, and it’s just a solid all-around medium shield choice for the early to mid-game. It also doesn’t hurt that it is entirely gold and works in most fashion-souls equipment load-outs.
Good alternatives Shield with special effects
The top shields we mentioned do not necessarily have to be your best. Each player defines their top equipment through their playing style. We advise and show you the possibilities that are open to you. So we have three more shields that you might want to try separately.
- Iconic Shield – Regenerates your health over time.
- The shield can be found in the Leyndell area in the ruins of the forest people. You start from the place of mercy, “Great Forest Bridge”, and then ride down the valley until you get to the lower Elden tree. From there, head east until you get to the ruins. Surrounded by tentacle faces, the shield lies on the ground next to a corpse.
- Giant Tortoise Shell – Increases your stamina regeneration.
- To do this, you go to the Peninsula of Tears, south of Limgrave. At the place of mercy, “Wall of Castle Morne”, you turn to the rock face where a ghost spring jump is located. Line up south with your horse and jump onto the wall’s abandoned tower. There the shield is on a corpse. Many desperate players have given up their Tainted life to live like a turtle in the Elden Ring.
- Twin Bird Dragon Shield – Increases your Defense and Attack when HP is low.
- You get it in Leyndell at the place of gratitude, “Hermit trader’s hut”. Set the time of day to nightfall and ride east. You will come to a graveyard with large tombstones. A bird of death will spawn there, which you must kill. He drops the sign.
Those were our recommendations to you. Many of these can only be obtained later in the game, but these are worth it.
What do you think of the shields? Do you like them too, or do you have your favourites?
F.A.Q
Are shields good in Elden Ring?
There are several excellent medium shields in Elden Ring, but the best one overall is the Brass Shield. It’s on the heavy side with its weight of 7.0, but it also provides a fantastic guard boost rating of 69 when upgraded
How do I take off the shield Elden Ring?
How to Remove Skills from Shields in Elden Ring. You’ll need to find the Ash of War: No Skill to remove a skill. This can be purchased from Bernahl at the Warmaster’s Shack back in Limgrave. It’s a rather missable item early on in the game.
