I’m trying to understand the real advantages of using a shield in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Specifically, what does the shield’s defense stat actually influence? Does it increase the time window for successful blocks, reduce the stamina cost when blocking, or mainly just help reduce the wear on my weapon? Also, are shields mainly useful just for blocking arrows, or do they offer other defensive perks worth considering? Would love to hear about how shields fit into different combat styles and weapon choices!
5 Answers
Whether a shield is worth it really depends on your weapon choice and playstyle. For short swords and sabers, early in the game a shield helps a lot, giving you more defense while you’re still learning. But as you unlock perks, you might find a shield less necessary since perks can boost your damage and dodging. For axes or maces, using a shield makes more sense since those weapons don’t flow as easily with dodging and rely more on blocking. Also, in harder difficulty runs where enemies attack aggressively from multiple directions, shields become way more valuable to handle multiple strikes.
Sometimes it’s just about style too. I’ve been collecting the coolest-looking shields with coats of arms on them and love how they look on Henry’s back. While a short sword without a shield might offer better damage especially with the right perks, by mid-to-late game the actual difference is pretty small. So for me, the shield is also a bit of a fashion choice alongside utility.
I’ve done a heavy weapon playthrough with a shield and it really helps, especially early on against archers. I noticed with the new hardcore mode, enemies are more aggressive and the shield lets me soak up multiple hits, which would have been a huge problem otherwise. So if you’re running a big weapon or tougher difficulty, a shield is definitely worth it.
From my experience, shields offer a few key benefits all at once. First, they physically cover a large portion of your body, so enemy attacks and arrows can hit the shield instead of you. This means less direct damage taken. Then there’s the stamina side — blocking with a shield tends to cost less stamina compared to blocking with your weapon alone, which helps in longer fights. Also, shields reduce how much your weapon wears down because they soak up some of the hits. So yeah, blocking windows might feel a bit more forgiving too, but the main perks are damage mitigation, stamina efficiency, and weapon durability.
Thanks! That clears up a lot. The stamina thing especially makes me want to try using a shield more consistently.
One major advantage shields bring is protecting you from arrows and ranged attacks. If you have a shield on your left hand and get hit from that side, the shield takes the blow, often without losing any health yourself. This can be a lifesaver, especially in areas swarming with archers. Plus, blocking with a shield can let you riposte faster than blocking with heavier weapons, which is great for timing counterattacks.
Good point! I tend to struggle a lot in archer-heavy fights, so shields might really help there.
Oh yeah, that perk in Thievery that boosts damage when not using a shield makes going shieldless pretty tempting for sword builds.