Elden Ring has a wide variety of arsenal ranging from some of the best weapons, spells, and incantations to small, medium, and large-sized shields that lowly tarnished can equip. Even if you’re wearing a low-resistance armor set, a shield will pretty much do the trick to save up your breath, all the while shielding yourself from incoming attacks. With that said, today, I present to you the best shields in the Elden Ring.
- Why Trust Us: Daniyal Malik has spent over 900 hours in Elden Ring, which makes him a trusted source for information regarding the best shields.
- The main purpose of shields In Elden Ring is to guard you from enemy attacks. They can be additionally used for bashing, parrying, and even attacking.
- There are three types of shields: small, medium, and large. Their ability to deflect attacks depends on their size.
My Top Picks For Best Elden Ring Shields
Here are the Best Elden Ring Shields that I suggest, all compared to each other:
Shield Name | Best For | Physical | Magical | Fire | Light | Holy | Boost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iron Shield | The Highest Physical Guard In Small Shields | 71.0 | 38.0 | 38.0 | 16.0 | 38.0 | 40.0 |
Rift Shield | The Best Starter Small Shield For Focus | 71.0 | 38.0 | 38.0 | 16.0 | 38.0 | 40.0 |
Man Serpent Shield | The Lightest No-Skill Small Shield | 65.0 | 30.0 | 45.0 | 15.0 | 30.0 | 32.0 |
Blue-White Wooden Shield | The Greatest Defense-To-Weight Ratio In Small Shields | 63.0 | 42.0 | 33.0 | 19.0 | 38.0 | 35.0 |
Perfumers Shield | The Best Small Shield For Parrying And Immunity | 61.0 | 33.0 | 33.0 | 14.0 | 33.0 | 30.0 |
Great Turtle Shield | The Best Stamina-Regen Shield In Elden Ring | 100.0 | 44.0 | 39.0 | 43.0 | 46.0 | 48.0 |
Scorpion Kite Shield | The Best Light-Weight Medium Shield For Parry | 100.0 | 45.0 | 46.0 | 33.0 | 50.0 | 47.0 |
Carian Knight Shield | The Best Early Shield For Magic Defense | 100.0 | 58.0 | 28.0 | 19.0 | 54.0 | 47.0 |
Shield Of The Guilty | The Highest Bloodloss In Small Shields | 62.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 30.0 | 35.0 | 29.0 |
Black Leather Shield | The Most Visually Stunning Medium Shield | 79.0 | 45.0 | 31.0 | 46.0 | 47.0 | 37.0 |
1. Iron Shield
![Iron Shield](https://cdn.exputer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Iron-Shield-Elden-Ring-Best-Shields.webp)
Stat | Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Boost |
Attack | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Guard | 80 | 42 | 42 | 18 | 42 | 0 | 41 |
2. Rift Shield
Stat | Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Boost |
Attack | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Guard | 76 | 33 | 37 | 18 | 37 | 0 | 38 |
The Rift Shield, though small compared to others, excels in parrying due to its strength scaling. Being a player who prefers timely parries over blocking, I’ve frequently used this shield. Ideal for agile builds, it enhances traversal and style in fights.
3. Man Serpent Shield
Stat | Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Boost |
Attack | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Guard | 75 | 35 | 48 | 18 | 33 | 0 | 39 |
The Man Serpent Shield is lightweight and scales with strength, requiring a minimum strength of 8. It suits agile playstyles and offers good fire resistance due to being tempered in lava.
4. Blue-White Wooden Shield
![The Blue White Wooden Shield](https://cdn.exputer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Blue-White-Wooden-Shield-Elden-Ring-Best-Shields-e1647613481752.webp)
Stat | Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Boost |
Attack | 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Guard | 73 | 45 | 35 | 22 | 52 | 0 | 39 |
The Blue-White Wooden Shield has a regal appearance with blue accents and is a small, lightweight shield requiring decent strength. Its manageable size is useful for agile classes with limited inventory space. I frequently used it in my first playthrough, and recommend new players to do so, too. Reinforced with metal, it’s user-friendly for beginners but offers less damage mitigation than metal shields.
5. Perfumers Shield
Stat | Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Boost |
Attack | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Guard | 66 | 35 | 35 | 16 | 35 | 0 | 37 |
The Perfumer’s Shield in Elden Ring boasts a stunning appearance with its golden shimmer and royal engravings. It requires some strength but is designed with lightweight materials, allowing you to wield it effectively even if you are low on strength. Originally used by Leyndell perfumers during their military service, it prioritizes agility over defense.
6. Great Turtle Shell
![Great Turtle Shell](https://cdn.exputer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Great-Turtle-Shell-Elden-Ring-Best-Shields.jpg)
Stat | Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Boost |
Attack | 81 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Guard | 87 | 44 | 39 | 43 | 46 | 0 | 49 |
The Great Turtle Shell resembles a turtle’s back and demands significant strength to wield in Elden Ring. I found that it provides excellent balance between protection and weight, making it effective against swift, high-damage foes. However, it’s not as lightweight as a small shield, which hinders parrying.
7. Scorpion Kite Shield
![Scorpion Kite Shield](https://cdn.exputer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Scorpion-Kite-Shield-Elden-Ring-Best-Shields-e1647613529432.webp)
Stat | Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Boost |
Attack | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Guard | 100 | 45 | 46 | 33 | 50 | 0 | 52 |
The Scorpion Kite Shield displays a golden Scorpion symbol, intimidating foes. It’s larger than a typical small shield, requiring additional strength.
This shield balances weight and defense well, but it hampers mobility. It excels at reducing damage and blocking attacks. Known for its sturdiness, the metal shield features a yellow scorpion on its front, inspiring fear in enemies. It includes the parry skill for deflecting and staggering foes, which I found to be pretty helpful. You can enhance this sheild with Ashes of War, magic, or consumables.
8. Carian Knight Shield
Stat | Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Boost |
Attack | 63 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Guard | 100 | 71 | 28 | 19 | 54 | 0 | 49 |
Now, Carian Knight shield picks up the ante as it needs not only strength but requires you to have a decent amount of Intelligence and Dexterity under your belt as well. I believe that it offers great protection despite its weight and makes tanking up damage a breeze. On the subject of Int/Dex, read my Dex Build.
9. Shield Of The Guilty
Stat | Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Boost |
Attack | 75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Guard | 68 | 36 | 36 | 31 | 37 | 0 | 33 |
The Shield of the Guilty features a thorned design with a veiled maiden on the front, symbolizing a maiden’s transformation blinded by the Briars of Sin before rebirth in Elden Ring.
10. Black Leather Shield
Stat | Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Boost |
Attack | 75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Guard | 88 | 45 | 31 | 46 | 47 | 0 | 44 |
The Black Leather Shield, wrapped in black leather with a gold rivet pole star design, which, I found to be pretty attractive and sturdy as well. It’s medium-sized but on the larger side, ideal for blocking and parrying, requiring a strength of 10 to wield. It can offer you excellent protection against fire, damage, light, and holy attacks.
Other Honorable Mentions
There are several excellent options for the Best Shields in Elden Ring that I did not include in my top 21 list because of different reasons.
- Beast Crest Heater Shield: Undoubtedly one of the greatest shields, but it has no set location; you need to farm it.
- Marred Leather Shield: A shield that has a high base attack but no skill.
- Blue-Gold Kite Shield: Despite reducing damage in the early game, Its limited nimbleness makes it a weaker option than the others.
- Fingerprint Stone Shield: A good choice, but it typically consumes more stamina when blocking attacks. High stamina consumption can leave you vulnerable.
My Take On The Best Shields In Elden Ring
After having spent hours upon hours in Elden Ring, trying the many shields it has to offer in a variety of builds, what I came to understand is that there isn’t one best shield, but multiple choices can become the best option depending on the situation.
Generally, I preferred the medium shields, specifically the Brass Shield and the Carian Knight Shield, for their all-around utility and weight-to-protection ratio. I suggest you experiment with all the options available, and decide which suits your builds the best.
There are also tons of armors you can come across in the Lands Between. I’ve got you covered with the best Elden Ring Armors that will boost your stats to a whole other level. If you want to mix things up a bit more, check out my guide on Incantations vs sorceries to find out which spells suit you best.
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