Spiral Knights - Shield Comparison

Shield Comparison

4 replies [Last post]

Fri, 08/05/2011 - 23:14

Carthiah

Legacy Username

So I've become aware that the best three shields, by popular opinion, are the Grey Owlite, Volcanic Plate, and Barbarous Thorn Shields. I've only ever used my Barbarous Thorn Shield (after I ditched that damn Defender), and I was wondering exactly what makes the other shields in the game so popular? I had always thought that the BTS was only *slightly* weaker than most other 5* shields, while it provided a damage bonus.

I sort of understand that the VPS has the highest health in the game, which allows it to tank a hit or two more than the BTS, but I don't fully understand exactly how much more durable the VPS and GOS are than BTS. Given that they do not provide any statistical bonuses other than shielding, there must be something that they do well. Anyone who could conclusively explain this to me would be appreciated. I've been thinking of adding a second shield to my arsenal and would like to make an informed choice.

Thanks in advance!

Fri, 08/05/2011 - 23:49

yusyus

Legacy Username

seriously?

BTS: Normal + Piercing + sword DMG med
GOS: Normal + Elemental + Fire & Shock
VPS: Normal + High health + Fire & Stun

shields only provide their bonuses when shielding (BTS aside) and fire & shock are some of the most annoying status effects.
depending on monster type, they do different dmg so it's kinda up to you which shield you choose for what situation.

Sat, 08/06/2011 - 10:10

culture

Legacy Username

Clarification

I have all three, so hope you find this helpful.

Owlite has a ton of elemental defense so it can take repeated hits from gun puppies, Vanaduke's Mask phase and construct attacks (e.g. Arenas.) Defending against the two deadliest statuses just adds to the allure.

Volcanic Plate is strong enough to tank Trojans and Vanaduke's mace smash. Its high defense will stand up to gun puppies, but not quite as long as Owlite. Its fire and stun resistance makes it well suited for FSC, but I slightly favor Owlite only due to Vanaduke's Mask phase... I don't really find myself needing a shield anywhere else in FSC.

On the other hand, Barb Thorn is noticeably weaker. It is going to break from one Mecha Knight charge attack, one Vanaduke mace smash and just 3-4 gun puppy shots. Trojans will blow through it like paper. It seems to take a long time to regenerate too, but I might just be imagining that. To make up for this, it has Sword Damage Bonus Medium, so if you don't need a shield for shielding then it is a great choice. The same can be said of Swiftstrike, at least Barb Thorn is 5* so will last longer. The piercing defense is deceptive, since an Alpha Wolver will still break it after a few bites due to the low health. (Best to dodge Alpha Wolvers, regardless of the shield used.)

Sat, 08/06/2011 - 20:08

Carthiah

Legacy Username

Thanks. Now for UVs?

Thanks for the insight Culture. Just for further clarification, how many more hits can the VPS and GOS take over the BTS? I always thought it might be just one more hit, but it seems they're much more sturdy.

In addition, I'm thinking I'll be adding the Grey Owlite to my collection. Which UV would be best on the shield? I'm thinking either Normal defense or Shadow defense. Thoughts?

Sat, 08/06/2011 - 20:22

Icee

There's more than FSC.

Culture speaks as if the Firestorm Citadel is the only stratum in the game. It's not. All three of those shields, and the dread skelly shield, have uses elsewhere.

Barbarous thorn shield and other 5* piercing shields can hold through the triple bite attack of tier 3 alpha wolver, making it the best shield for beast strata. It's also the best shield for jelly strata since those have lots of piercing attacks, too. Grey Owlite and others will shatter against piercing attacks. The reason Barbarous Thorn is more popular than Aegis is because it gives you a significant SF damage boost, which is better than having no bonuses.

Dread skelly will last a heck of a lot longer in fiend and undead tiers than the other 5* shields. Owlite is best against elemental (construct strata). Each type of defense has its place.

I haven't played with volcanic plate because, with only normal defense, it's just not as good as the other 5* shields. If its health bar is accurate (and it may not be), it has no more health than grey owlite or barbarous thorn shields, and with only normal defense, it will crack quickly against anything but gremlins in tier 3.

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Shield Comparison