They are still good in general, but in their effort to nerf turtles, Fromsoft really gave shields the short end of the stick. In PVP, there are also the knight slayer ring, heavy weapons that break guard easy, WAs that break guard or bypass shields, or just kiting into backstab. Because everyone is dealing so much damage to each other, people would rather kill & get killed in 3-4 hits than go on the defensive, which the main game has taught us is not strategically encouraged because big attacks break shield guard in 1-2 hits. This mentality also made it into the end game meta. But in a game where bosses kill you in 2-3 hits, anything less than 100% block is trash. Arguably that's for variety and/or flavor, nothing wrong with that. It doesn't help that most shields don't block 100% physical. The point is to reposition, and since each roll cost less stamina than blocking weapons even as light as SS attacks, it's better to roll away. Dodging is so optimized, and it's easy to get solid defense with heavy armor while keeping below 70% weight, so medium rolls are still great even though you don't go as far. Players cannot use their Weapon's Skill without first putting a Small Shield away or without two-handing their WeaponĦ3 shields in the entire game and you only see 5-8 of them regularly, 12 at best if you count some great shields.

They are often used by players who prefer Parrying rather than Blocking.

Small Shields in Dark Souls 3 are a type of Shield that usually weigh very little and have the least form of protection from attacks. If you'd like to see comparisons of the different shield types, please click the the link above each list.įor the shields in the DLC, see the Ashes of Ariandel Shields and The Ringed City Shields. With offensive applications in addition to the obvious defensive applications, shield strategy can easily become far deeper than simply blocking damage. More than just a wall between you and the enemy, the player is presented with a wide variety of shield styles to choose from, allowing them the freedom to integrate their shield into their own personal playstyle. Shields in Dark Souls 3 are an integral part of your survival as you learn the game, since even a single blow past your guard can lead to your untimely demise.

Dark souls 3 best shield