Let shields make a difference

sir_spanksalot · September 20, 2019, 10:58pm

Shields can block DoT.

Get your recovery rate up to 100%

From another thread I commented on:

Here’s the TL;DR - go HAM on shields, or forget about shields.

This is a game which rewards specialization. More often than not, taking an all or nothing approach when it comes to building your spec is the best way to go. Of course exceptions do exist (I myself love making hybrid builds), however, if you lack the know-how, I’d recommend staying away from it until you become more experienced.

To answer your question as holistically as I can, we need some context about shields. These metal turtle shells have 3 stats:

amount of damage blocked per successful block

chance of blocking

block recovery (you can think of this as a cooldown shields enter upon a successful block)

I’ve listed the above in ascending order of what I personally view to be most important when designing a shield spec. Here’s why.

Because shields can block ALL sources of damage (this even includes DOT!!! There is one exception however - that being on-floor effects like the acid pools you see in ugdenbog) , the smallest damage tick may send your shield into its “recovery” phase, rendering you vulnerable to a more devastating blow.

So regarding shield recovery, a general rule of thumb is to leave it at 70% if increasing it would gimp your build excessively, or to get it up to 100%.

Personally, I always opt for the latter because wtf is the point of gimping my DPS if I’m not going to be able to be the iron giant?

Regarding block chance, I find 70-80% to be extremely reliable.

EDIT: at 100% block chance and recovery, you can basically view shields as a permanent, mobile, roided out inquisitor seal