Shield advice?

[Wingsrising]

Shield advice?

So, I'm working on my second character, a Fishyzon. I feel like I more or less know what's going on with most of her gear at the moment, but I'm kind of clueless on the shield. My first character was a bowazon so I didn't have to do any thinking about shields there!

Right now I'm using Steelclash, a nice find from a impulse Act III temple clearing by my bowazon.

I guess my question is -- I'm really not sure what I'm looking for in a good shield. I want to keep my eye out for good shields for both the Fishyzon and the next characters I'm planning, a Frost Zealot and either a Meteorb or a Blizballer. But I'm not totally sure what I should be picking up as far as whites/socketed/rares are concerned.

What sorts of mods, blocking, etc. should I be looking for? What are the best base types of shields to use to make runewords? I know to keep any white or 4os Monarchs I run across but other than that I have no idea.

Oh, and is Steelclash worth upgrading (which means I won't be able to use it to twink anymore)?

Thanks!

 

[omgwtfbbqpwned]

Re: Shield advice?

No, Steelclash is not worth the upgrade.

Ideally, a good shield has +skills, resistances, sockets, good block (if you're after it), and preferably low STR/DEX requirements.

Good runewords: 'Rhyme', 'Spirit', 'Sanctuary'. 'Rhyme' will probably beat most rares you find, so you can just Charsi any rare shield you find. It's cheap too, comes with resistances, CBF, and has a nice block rate. 'Spirit' as you probably figured out is pretty good, 'Sanctuary' is costly so don't make it unless you're absolutely sure you need it. So you're mostly looking for 4os Monarchs and 2os shields with low STR requirements but high block rate. Light/medium shields are often preferred. For example, a Heater - it's light, it only requires 77 STR, and has pretty good base block.

As for uniques/sets, Wall of the Eyeless/Lidless Eye is good for casters if you can't get 'Spirit' or don't want 'Spirit'. The Ward, Moser's Blessed Circle, Tiamat's Rebuke, Gerke's Sanctuary, Stormshield, and Head Hunter's Glory are all good shields. Lance Guard is a shield that is often overlooked, but it's great for physical damage builds if you're not after block (DS, life, FHR). Whistan's Guard is awesome for blocking but not much else.

I think NF's guide did mention good shield choices for the build, so I'd take a further look in there. Off the top of my head, I'd say a Moser's Blessed Circle or 'Spirit' would work really well.

 

[Hp_Sauce]

Re: Shield advice?

You should watch for a few 2 open socket Grim Shields, as well as it's little brother, the Bone Shield.

They are ugly as hell, but have low requirements combined with good chance to block. They make great base shields for:

Rhyme - (Shael - Eth)
20% Increased Chance of Blocking
40% Faster Block Rate
All Resistances +25
Regenerate Mana 15%
Cannot Be Frozen
50% Extra Gold From Monsters
25% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items

I use these things all the time. They are cheap, it's easy to find Grim and Bone Shields to make them in, and they have great mods!

Also, watch for 4 open socket Paladin shields with +xx Resist All. They make wonderful 'Spirit' shields (would go nicely with your Frost Zealot mentioned above).

-hps

 

[Gillsing]

Re: Shield advice?

I like 'Rhyme', but I suppose that if I was using the mod that allows ladder runewords, I might want something different. But good blocking, magic find, resistance and Cannot Be Frozen seems like a very good package for me. Only thing better for any spellcaster (which I guess a fishyzon is, kind of) might be a shield with skill bonus. Is that 'Spirit'? Still, making a 'Rhyme' seems like a much better use of runes than to upgrade a Steelclash.

Edit: I play slow, I post slow.

 

[sirpoopsalot]

Re: Shield advice?

For runeword bases:

- Grim Shields are probably most popular base for 2-socket runewords.
- 3-sockets are usually either Tower Shields or Troll's Nests (Tower Shields have better requirements, but they're 'heavy', so they affect your run speed).
- As you know, Monarchs are the most popular 4-socket bases.

... and I wouldn't upgrade a Steelclash - it's really not that good.


Some of the most popular shields:
- 'Rhyme' runeword (excellent & cheap, great source of Cannot-Be-Frozen)
- Moser's Blessed Circle (2-sockets for PDiamonds = great resists, nice blocking)
- 'Splendor' runeword (great for casters/MFing)
- Sigon's shield (not bad for as common as it is)
- Wall of the Eyeless / Lidless Wall (great caster-twinking options)
- Gerke's Sanctuary (great defensive balance)
- Stormshield (old-faithful is still one of the best there is)

 

[Wingsrising]

Re: Shield advice?

Ah... I didn't realize heavier shields slowed me down. That means I should probably stick with light shields, then?

Am I right in thinking that the actual defense of the shield is probably less important than other attributes, such as chance to block? Or does that depend on the build?

Thanks for the advice. Sadly I don't have any the uniques/sets that have been mentioned here except Sigon's Guard and Wall of the Eyeless. Maybe I'll mess with Sigon's Guard for awhile (although that's heavy. Hmm.) and try killing some cows looking for exceptional 2os shields.

 

[Sectiplave]

Re: Shield advice?

Add another vote for Rhyme, soo cheap and easy, such a nice sheild. Yeah try go for sheilds that don't penalize your movement and stamina drain too much. It's kinda hard to tell but I think it's related to the STR requirement, someone more experienced can clarify.

 

[pharaoh1]

Re: Shield advice?

Ah... I didn't realize heavier shields slowed me down. That means I should probably stick with light shields, then?

Light shields are good, yes, but the penalty isn't huge, so don't sweat it.

Am I right in thinking that the actual defense of the shield is probably less important than other attributes, such as chance to block? Or does that depend on the build?

It depends on the build, but for your garden-variety javazon, you're going to want to prioritize block chance and speed over defense. What you should look for on a shield, for this sort of character, are increased blocking, faster block rate, and resistances. Other stuff like MF, skills, etc is nice, but not essential. Note that Rhyme has all the essentials, plus MF and GF.

Thanks for the advice. Sadly I don't have any the uniques/sets that have been mentioned here except Sigon's Guard and Wall of the Eyeless. Maybe I'll mess with Sigon's Guard for awhile (although that's heavy. Hmm.) and try killing some cows looking for exceptional 2os shields.

You're fairly new, or are restarting more or less from scratch, I take it? You might want to check some of the guides for popular builds and areas to run for items. This can help you get up to speed item-wise. If you use GoMule or ATMA, you can build up a big collection like many of us here have done.

Sigon's Guard is actually a pretty good shield for its level, with its only real downside being the heavy factor. Wall of the Eyeless is a great shield if you're having mana problems. With a big mob, a few shots of Lightning Fury can fill your mana bulb up in no time.

Add another vote for Rhyme, soo cheap and easy, such a nice sheild. Yeah try go for sheilds that don't penalize your movement and stamina drain too much. It's kinda hard to tell but I think it's related to the STR requirement, someone more experienced can clarify.

Actually, it's based on the shield type. Exceptional/elite shields have the same 'heaviness' as their normal counterparts.

Buckler, small shield, kite shield, spiked shield, bone shield, and all paladin shields are 'light'. Large shield and gothic shield are 'medium'. The tower shield is 'heavy'. I believe there is a 10% slower run/walk penalty with heavy shields, a 5% penalty with medium ones, and none with light shields. I think there's also a stamina drain penalty with heavier shields, too (ie, your stamina drains faster when you run).

Bear in mind these penalties are cumulative with those imposed by wearing medium and heavy armor. Tower shield + full plate mail == slow character. Of course, you can compensate by using faster run/walk gear and skills (Burst of Speed, Vigor, Frenzy, Increased Speed).

Increased Stamina on a barbarian will also offset the stamina problems, and considering a barbarian often wears heavy armor, it's certainly a winning skill, worth 20 hard points.*



*Obviously kidding on this last point. If you think 20 points in Increased Stamina is a good thing anywhere but in bed, go slap yourself upside the head with a salmon.

 

[Dodgydave]

Re: Shield advice?

*Obviously kidding on this last point. If you think 20 points in Increased Stamina is a good thing anywhere but in bed, go slap yourself upside the head with a salmon.

Play Hell Unleashed mod and you'll have a completely chanced view of the value of increased stamina!