hey guys

Been playing a bit of lockdown recently. Working to build up recipes for my shock-based brandish line so i need to work on getting more krogo coins. I have some questions as to how some of the equipments and load outs work.

1. How do your shield bonuses work in lockdown? I have a bristling buckler and just want to see if I get any bonus damage to my swords if I equip the shield. Also, same question, is it worth even to equip any form of shield?

2. How far can you upgrade before you move to a next PVP tier? I am looking to upgrade my 3* sword to a 4* sword and I am having a jolly good time playing in Tier 2. Just checking to see how far we can push upgrades on armour and helmets before I see myself getting bumped up another tier against people with very very strong weaponry.

3. Will trinkets affect your tiers and do they work? I haven't experimented with this, but just want to know