Valheimplayers have the option of building their character for an attacking or a defensive playstyle. Survivors that prefer a more tactical approach to fighting will want to use a shield. When facing off against other players or bosses, having an extra layer of protection is nice.
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There are a total of nine different shields inValheim, which fall into either the Round or Tower class. Round shields have less of a movement penalty and gamers can parry while using them. On the other hand, Tower shields have a large movement penalty and prevent the character from performing a parry. However, Tower shields have more blocking power. This list will rank all nine of the shields from worst to best. There is no question that the final shield in this list is the best shield inValheim.
Updated on March 16th, 2023 by Hodey Johns:The Hearth And Home update to Valheim introduced two new shields for players to craft and use in-game; the Bone Tower Shield and Iron Buckler. The latest update, as of this writing, added the Carapace Shield and the Carapace Buckler. Each of these shields provides unique costs and benefits that suit particular playstyles. Both shields are appealing to new players because of how easy they are to craft given the utility of the items. Additionally, each shield has been given a table so that gamers can see, statistically, why the shield ranks where it does.
4
10 - 24
100 - 110
-20%
0
Tower shields provide less upside in general because of the movement penalties and players will not be able to parry while using them. That being said, the Wood Tower Shield is effective in the first biome and helps playerssurvive the game long enough to enjoy the narrative.
All shields can be upgraded by using the workbench and additional materials. There are a total of six different shield variants, including candy cane and blue checkered. These variants can be selected by pressing the item’s name in the crafting menu.
6 - 18
20 - 30
-5%
1.5x
The base Wood Shield may have less block, but characters will move faster and they will be granted a 1.5x Parry Bonus. The shield is more versatile and practical when fighting in the open world, though it has limited endgame value. Players will need to find Resin to craft the shield. The wood shield only has four different variants to choose from.
3
16 - 28
30
2.5x
The Bronze Buckler provides a moderate block and force amount to go with a 2.5x parry bonus. It has the highest parry bonus of any shield in the game. This means that despite a low parry force, it can still compete with the Banded Shield.
There is no Bronze tower shield option, so the round shield is awarded the top bronze spot by default. Gamers will only need two items to craft the shield: Bronze and Wood. Unlike many of the shields in the game, there is only one variant of the Bronze Buckler so good luck making it match one ofthe armor sets.
32 - 44
The Bone Tower Shield is better than the Wood Tower shield, but not good enough to compete with the Iron Tower Shield. Getting the materials to craft the shield is simple, just kill skeletons in the crypts for Bone Fragments and Skeleton Trophies.
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For new players, killing skeletons and getting these items is quite easy. Instead of wielding the useless Wood Tower Shield, survivors will have a viable shield early in the game. Also, it is one of the cooler items to own inValheim. Later in the game, it is more of a trinket than a usable shield. Do not expect tosurvive the Mistalndswith this equipped.
5
52 - 64
The next best tower shield is the Iron Tower Shield. The shield is a huge upgrade from the Wood Tower shield, providing an additional 40 Blocking Power. In order to get Iron to craft this item, players will need to first defeat the Elder. Iron Tower Shields have seven different variants to choose from. The black and white design is especially nice though it’s hard to recommend using this when trying todefeat the Queenor other tough bosses.
28 - 40
The new Hearth And Home shield has one main advantage: parry bonus. It provides the same 2.5x bonus that the Bronze Buckler does, but with up to 40 Block. For players that utilize parry and want to maximize their bonus, the Iron Buckler is a solid option a few hours into the game.
Ultimately, the blocking power of the shield is well overshadowed by the other shields below. For example, the Banded Shield, which is also an iron shield, has up to 54 block. Because block is more important than parry bonus, the Iron Buckler takes a backseat to the Banded Shield. At this stage in the game, it’s better tobe deceptive with trapsthan weather blows with shields.
42 - 54
40 - 50
It is no surprise that the round shield option is better. The Banded Shield provides greater block power and parry force compared to the buckler counterparts. There are only four different skins for the shield. In-game, the Banded Shield is often referred to as the Viking Shield because of its appearance. It’s a great mid-game item, but hold off oncrafting the SealBreakeruntil getting some additional upgrades.
60 - 72
The Silver Shield represents yet another upgrade in the round class. It is the strongest shield at the mid-game stage with 72 Block Power and 50 Block Force. Gamers will have a 1.5x parry multiplier as well. While it may have less block than the Serpent Scale Shield, the Silver Shield allows users to parry enemy attacks.
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Survivors will want to kill Bonemass, the boss that drops the Wishbone, before farming silver. Almost all of the deposits are hidden, and the Wishbone is crucial.Making ballistascan defend the base, but this shield can defend while on the go.
78-90
50
By gathering a ton of Carapace to go with some Scale Hide and Refined Eitr, gamers can craft the best buckler in the game. Conveniently, the upgrades all use the same materials. This buckler incredibly blocks more damage than most regular shields and tower shields.
Somehow, it retains its maximum 2.5x parry bonus, so anything hoping to hit a player equipped with one of these will need to get incredibly lucky.Craft the Demolisherfor offense and this shield for defense.
104 - 116
150 - 160
The second best tower shield is the Black Metal Tower Shield. The item provides 104 Block Power on the base build, but survivors will need a level 3 Forge to create it. Gamers will need two new items to Forge the shield: Black Metal and Chain. Black Metal is a monster drop in the Plains biomes and players will want to collect a lot of it to create Black Metal weapons and armor.
All seven base styles are available to crafters. However, as people will notice, the Black Metal Shields have a glossy finish. It really drives home that thisgame takes place during the Iron Age.
