Shield Blocking, How does it work?

mindspat

I hear shield blocking is mitigating 95% of incoming damage.  Being it seems like such a large amount is able to shrugged off when shield blocking I was hoping some of you who are currently playing could answer a few questions:

Do you use Endurance from just shield blocking or do you only exhaust your endurance when getting hit while shield blocking?

How much Endurance is used when blocking an attack, is it equal to, more or less then would be consumed if you were swinging an attack?

Does shield blocking mitigate spell damage or does it only work agasint melee damage?

Is all melee damage the same or are there different types of damage modifiers associated with 1 Handed weapons, 2 Handed Weapons or a Polearm?

Do you use the same amount of Endurance regardless of using a Dagger, sword, two hander or polearm?

Are you able to move when shield blocking or are you fixed to a location untill you cease blocking with a shield?

Can you bash someone with a shield?

If you are actively shield blocking do you have to wait till you put your shield down before you can make a melee attack or will your attack not be affected by shield blocking?

Thanks in advance!

(I likely have more questions but these cover the basics of my questions related to using shields.)

 

Ashrik

I think 95% is way too high, it definitely blocks less than that. Perhaps a bit more than 50%.

Stamina is drained the entire time you're blocking/parrying, not when you're being hit.

Don't know about spell vs melee damage

From what I've been told, different weapons use different amounts of stamina. Polearms would drain the most. I only use 2H swords, so I'm not sure if its true or not.

You can move and run freely while blocking

There's no shield bashing

Yes you have to wait to put the shield down before attacking again. Though this part is very quick, the noticeable delay is in raising your shield.

HerculesSAS

In reality, it doesn't work much at all. This hasn't changed from beta either.

 

You're better off getting a two hander and playing, because using a sword and shield is a fast way to get ass raped.

mortharx

Shields can block melee and arrows.. not sure about magic

more heavy weapons drain more stamine when you swing with em like a polearm and they are slow too

yes you can move when blocking

you need to low your shield in order to attack

maybe someone else can answer your other questions I don't use a shield but I have fought people who use them

mortharx

Originally posted by HerculesSAS


In reality, it doesn't work much at all. This hasn't changed from beta either.
 
You're better off getting a two hander and playing, because using a sword and shield is a fast way to get ass raped.

 

People who use shields say otherwise with high skill I think it can mitigate a lot! and use less stam I think

They are nice for blocking arrows thats for sure

robertb

Originally posted by mindspat


I hear shield blocking is mitigating 95% of incoming damage.  Being it seems like such a large amount is able to shrugged off when shield blocking I was hoping some of you who are currently playing could answer a few questions:
Do you use Endurance from just shield blocking or do you only exhaust your endurance when getting hit while shield blocking?
You use stamina to block, yes. More stamina when actually blocking incoming hits, but you also drain more stamina, due to your block, from the attacker.
 
How much Endurance is used when blocking an attack, is it equal to, more or less then would be consumed if you were swinging an attack?
Similar
Does shield blocking mitigate spell damage or does it only work agasint melee damage?
Some types, it seems so, others not.
 
Is all melee damage the same or are there different types of damage modifiers associated with 1 Handed weapons, 2 Handed Weapons or a Polearm?
Based on weapon, so all you have mentioned are different.
 
Do you use the same amount of Endurance regardless of using a Dagger, sword, two hander or polearm?
No.
 
Are you able to move when shield blocking or are you fixed to a location untill you cease blocking with a shield?
You can always move in combat or doing anything except harvesting and, etc....
Can you bash someone with a shield?
Haven't see n such a skill, as of yet. May exist or may not. Players, even beta testers do not know all the skills in game right now.
 
If you are actively shield blocking do you have to wait till you put your shield down before you can make a melee attack or will your attack not be affected by shield blocking?
You must drop block to attack. If you are good, you can counter attack pretty effectively. 
 
Thanks in advance!
(I likely have more questions but these cover the basics of my questions related to using shields.)
 
Your welcome.
 

 

mindspat

Originally posted by HerculesSAS


In reality, it doesn't work much at all. This hasn't changed from beta either.
You're better off getting a two hander and playing, because using a sword and shield is a fast way to get ass raped.

Thank you for providing no benefit to this thread.  Try propviding some facts if you're the least bit informed otherwise you appear less then knowledgable about the game even for someone who might have tried the Beta. 

 

Turnell

Hitting the V button will increase your defense by parrying or shield block (if you carry a shield) it does reduce the amount of damage you take. The better your shield the more it absorbs. Basically, what I do is when Im attacked, I hit the V to figure out what's going on, get my bearings and decide to fight or run

mindspat

Originally posted by robertb

Originally posted by mindspat


Do you use Endurance from just shield blocking or do you only exhaust your endurance when getting hit while shield blocking?
You use stamina to block, yes. More stamina when actually blocking incoming hits, but you also drain more stamina, due to your block, from the attacker.
 
How much Endurance is used when blocking an attack, is it equal to, more or less then would be consumed if you were swinging an attack?
Similar
 
 
 
 
Do you use the same amount of Endurance regardless of using a Dagger, sword, two hander or polearm?
No.
 
If you are actively shield blocking do you have to wait till you put your shield down before you can make a melee attack or will your attack not be affected by shield blocking?
You must drop block to attack. If you are good, you can counter attack pretty effectively. 

 

Sweet!  I've got a few more questions. 

 

If the Endurance scales upwards when attacking with weapons such as Dagger, Longsword(assuming this is present), Two Handed and a Polearm does blocking such attacks also scale so that it takes more endurance to block someone wielding a 2hander then it would to block someone using a Dagger; basically, Does it appear that the Endurance consumed while shield blocking is directly related to the amont of damage mitigated from the attack?

If two players with full stats (keep in mind I've yet to play the game) stand toe-to-toe with 1 going into shield blocking and the other swinging a 2-hander like a mad man which one will run out of endurance first and how much endurance would the other have left, or would the attacker kill the shield blocker before running out of endurance? 

Are there different types of shields which consume different rates of Endurance to use whlie mitigating different amounts of melee damage?

 

Vroengard89

1. Enemy swings sword at face.

2. Put shield in front of face.

3. Sword hits shield.

4.?????

5. Profit!

Ashrik

Whoa, I just saw a guy blocking faster than a 2H sword could swing. Nice

javac

consumes a ton of stamina though.

robertb

Originally posted by javac


consumes a ton of stamina though.

 

Not as much as it drains from the attacker and not with high Parry skill it doesn't.

robertb

Originally posted by mindspat 
If the Endurance scales upwards when attacking with weapons such as Dagger, Longsword(assuming this is present), Two Handed and a Polearm does blocking such attacks also scale so that it takes more endurance to block someone wielding a 2hander then it would to block someone using a Dagger; basically, Does it appear that the Endurance consumed while shield blocking is directly related to the amont of damage mitigated from the attack?
Yes, the more damge that is mitigated the more stamina is used in addition to the more stamina being drained from the attacker. The system seems, in my opinion at least, fairly well though out. It takes a lot of time to get good at it and to develop the actual parry skill, but it is worth it, if you do, imo.
 
If two players with full stats (keep in mind I've yet to play the game) stand toe-to-toe with 1 going into shield blocking and the other swinging a 2-hander like a mad man which one will run out of endurance first and how much endurance would the other have left, or would the attacker kill the shield blocker before running out of endurance?
My experience is that if I simply let a 2-handed user beat on my shield and he is stupid enough to simply do so, he will run out of stamina well before I do and do almost no damage to me. I am not, of course, taking the use of pots, etc. into consideration, but simply the blocking mechanic versus the swing mechanic. Actually, this allows a good shield user a descent chance to outlast and eventually win many such encounters. (Good shield user, being the operative phrase.)
 
Are there different types of shields which consume different rates of Endurance to use whlie mitigating different amounts of melee damage?
Yes, but I have not gotten a chance to test them all. Let's just say that the better the sield, the better the mitigation, but the higher the stamina cost. This higher stamina cost being offset by increasing the parry skill. So a newbie shield user does himself more harm then good when using a shield that is much better then his actual parry skill.
It also appears as though the base stamina cost is fixed, so as you improve your stamina, your ability to blick for longer and longer periods also improves.



In Darkfall, most skills work in combination with other skills. Many of the instant gratification macroing types of players miss this fact, lol.  
 
 

 

mindspat

Originally posted by robertb

Answered Questions  
Yes, the more damge that is mitigated the more stamina is used in addition to the more stamina being drained from the attacker. The system seems, in my opinion at least, fairly well though out. It takes a lot of time to get good at it and to develop the actual parry skill, but it is worth it, if you do, imo.
My experience is that if I simply let a 2-handed user beat on my shield and he is stupid enough to simply do so, he will run out of stamina well before I do and do almost no damage to me. I am not, of course, taking the use of pots, etc. into consideration, but simply the blocking mechanic versus the swing mechanic. Actually, this allows a good shield user a descent chance to outlast and eventually win many such encounters. (Good shield user, being the operative phrase.)
Yes, but I have not gotten a chance to test them all. Let's just say that the better the sield, the better the mitigation, but the higher the stamina cost. This higher stamina cost being offset by increasing the parry skill. So a newbie shield user does himself more harm then good when using a shield that is much better then his actual parry skill.
It also appears as though the base stamina cost is fixed, so as you improve your stamina, your ability to blick for longer and longer periods also improves.
In Darkfall, most skills work in combination with other skills. Many of the instant gratification macroing types of players miss this fact, lol.  

 

Thanks for much clarification! 

 

So, I now have a few more: 

Is a player able to drink a potion/herb/consumable while shield blocking or do they have to let down their guard to do so and in relation to other actions, such as a melee attack, how long does it take to consume a restorative effect?

Is it possible for a player to stand behind allies who are blocking with shields, use a polearm to attack over/through them without causing friendly damage and recieve the blocking from your allies?

Do different shields have larger hitBoxes (keep in mind I've not played yet) such as a buckler or small shield protecting a smaller area then a tower or large shield would make it easier to protect your flanks?  (does this kind of variety exist?)

Can you use a shield and cast a spell at the same time?

Does a shield function as some sort of abaltive protection so that it degrades in condition with more use or more damage blocked?  (I get the idea that there's a skill associated with mitigated the degration of items, but not sure how dynamic or expansive this is)

Could someone provide a link of pictures showing a poor shield, a medium quality one and relatively good one for comparison?

again, thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

Blindchance

Originally posted by Ashrik


I think 95% is way too high, it definitely blocks less than that. Perhaps a bit more than 50%.

That's the way in which myths and rumors about Darkfall are created. If you don't know for sure don't spread the rumors.

Blocking with a shield actually absorbs 90 % - 95 % of the damage, parrying with a weapon absorbs less and it is much harder to block successfully. 

Fighting with 1 h weapon plus shield is much more difficult then 2 h weapon because of shorter reach and lesser damage per hit. It takes much more afford to actually kill anybody and definitely takes more time.

From my experience shield+1h is not bad tactics if you have a friend busy with hitting your opponent back or you aim to make your enemy to waste his stamina with 2 h.

robertb

Originally posted by mindspat 
So, I now have a few more: 
Is a player able to drink a potion/herb/consumable while shield blocking or do they have to let down their guard to do so and in relation to other actions, such as a melee attack, how long does it take to consume a restorative effect?
You drop your block and are vulnerable a couple seconds while you ingest the potion, food, etc.
 
Is it possible for a player to stand behind allies who are blocking with shields, use a polearm to attack over/through them without causing friendly damage and recieve the blocking from your allies?
No, you'ld get wtfpwned, by your buddy, in the back, lol. (Understand, even if you though you are blocking, you are not, in fact, blocking your back). If your opponent can get behind you, he can hit you.
Do different shields have larger hitBoxes (keep in mind I've not played yet) such as a buckler or small shield protecting a smaller area then a tower or large shield would make it easier to protect your flanks?  (does this kind of variety exist?)
Not really sure, haven't tested it enough. But yes, there are many different shield types in game.
 
Can you use a shield and cast a spell at the same time?
No.
Does a shield function as some sort of abaltive protection so that it degrades in condition with more use or more damage blocked?  (I get the idea that there's a skill associated with mitigated the degration of items, but not sure how dynamic or expansive this is)
All items degrade.
 
Could someone provide a link of pictures showing a poor shield, a medium quality one and relatively good one for comparison?
Can't help you with this, atm. No shots to post. SHields do, however look good, imo.
 
again, thanks in advance!
 
 Welcome.