I've been finding myself getting progressively more annoyed at the royal jelly shield breaking way too easily, even against Pierce-Family enemies and it's gotten to a point where I'm wondering if the stats are in need of reviewing as, in my experience, a level 7 Royal Jelly Shield is worse at blocking pierce attacks than my level 7 Gorgomega despite having the same Health value and Normal damage resistance.
Unless the two Pierce Families do high damage than average I think I'm gaslighting myself into believing the Royal jelly shield has stats lower than telegraphed.
Anyone might have an idea what's going on? Something doesn't feel right about this.
As with non-shield defences and resistances, shield defences too are much less important than (innate) shield status resistances. Albeit for a different reason; shields have Immunity against the status resistances they resist innately. And the shield blocking a status it doesn't resist eats up quite a bit of its health. In general, I consider matching status res a lot more important than matching defences. Which means, yes, that the jelly shield is quite bad outside sleep levels, though it is still the best shield for no status slime or beast floors.
I can only assume that you tested in a shock or freeze floor.
Side note, chance to inflict status is rolled before the shield mitigates it, so an attack that doesn't guarantee status will harm shields more or less depending on whether the roll succeeded.
Try blocking a pure freeze or shock attack with your gorgomega (wisp, slag breath), and you will see that it takes no damage, and repeat that with your jelly shield.