Help with shields

[jchaosmaster]

I need help finding or picking a shield. My hope is for a faith main build using blood flame and dark flame blade along with UCHIGATANA or NAGAKIB. I'm planning on have heavy ish armor the Erick tree helm as the only 100% thing for the plus 2 faith.

I'm planning two rebirth soon so I will be re ording my stats. I am currently level 75 on first play and hard stuck in the golden city. I plan on going barricade and not parry. I'm looking for something with a good mix of magix and physical defense if possible but not going to break my carry limit like the finger print sheild.

Weapons will be one of those katakana dont know a good neutral ash of war. Along with a god slayer seal.

[Sparhawk 59]

https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Silver+Mirrorshield

[Tetsuya_Kurogane]

If you want to stay with a medium shield, the Albinauric shield (need to be farm, but should drop fast enough) have good magic resistance and guard boost. Compared to the Mirrorshield, which might be the ultimate magic defense but is low on the other element and cost more stamina on a block.

If you have a bit of carry weight left, the Brass shield is the strongest of the medium shield but weight twice as much then most.

[jchaosmaster]

I haven't yet picked out my armor really. I only know for positively is the HALIGTREE KNIGHT helm will be part of it for the faith boost. My UCHIGATANA might be getting parry. My NAGAKIB im thinking VACUUM SLICE or STORM BLADE. I'm a little uncertain about what ash of war because most them interfere with dark blade and blood flame. I likethe BLOODHOUND KNIGHT chest peice. I. Looming for a good balance between magic defenses and physical.

[jchaosmaster]

I should also add this is poet focused. I have like no rl friends so I'm going solo everything

[Heimdall313]

Medium Shields:
- Brass Shield is the gold standard. 16 STR required, 100% Physical block, best Guard Boost.
- Carian Knight Shield has excellent magic resist, 100% physical block, but poor Guard Boost.
- Albinauric Shield is also solid.
- Silver Mirrorshield is very late game, horrible guard boost.

Greatshields:
- Eclipse Crest Greatshield. 32 STR, but has excellent stats across the board, simple to farm, and even has a passive boost to Immunity, Robustness, and Focus. Standard maxes out at 72% Magic resist, or using Magic infusion is 90% Magic resist with 95% physical resist and 67 guard boost. Fingerprint is the only shield that beats it.
- Cuckoo Knight Shield is aesthetic af, but is slightly worse than Eclipse. Not a bad choice at all though.

But if you want my honest advice:

Brass Shield to handle physical attackers (aka 90% of the game outside Carian Manor and Raya Lucaria), or greatshield of choice. Standard infusion, best guard boost you can get. Barricade Shield, or just no skill so you can use much more useful weapon arts.
Ice Crest Shield + Carian Retaliation (Magic Infused). 71% Magic defense, and you can parry spells. Weighs almost nothing, and even gives a passive +40 Robust. Switch to this against casters and keep your pimp hand strong. The other stats literally do not matter.
16 STR is the only requirement,

[jchaosmaster]

I already have the brass I think .

VACUUM SLICE or STORM BLADE do you know better arts for my sword

[C1REX]

If you want to use shields against bosses then you need a greatshield. Brass shield won’t be good enough. It’s only good if you have no STR to use a decent shield.

Most shields can be infused and be better against certain elements.

My favourite early game greatshield:
https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Manor+Towershield

then swapped to this soon later:
https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Golden+Greatshield

Then I would work towards fingerprint shield. Unless you insist on staying at low level there is simply no better shield. Everything else is a compromise between stats invested and guard boost you get.

[Heimdall313]

Originally posted by jchaosmaster:

I already have the brass I think .

VACUUM SLICE or STORM BLADE do you know better arts for my sword

Uh it sounds like you're using a Katana?
There's tons of good skills for it. Unsheathe is unique to katana and very easy to get if its not the default. I like Sword Dance, its good range and damage for low FP.
If you don't have a Brass Shield, the Beast Crest Heater Shield is good for low-strength characters (10 STR) too.
But for magic defense, that Ice Crest Shield and Carian Retaliation Ash of War (NOT the spell, the spell sucks) are both in the Carian Manor.

[GoreTiger]

Brass shield
Learn it, Live it, Love it

[Heimdall313]

Originally posted by C1REX-PL:

If you want to use shields against bosses then you need a greatshield. Brass shield won’t be good enough. It’s only good if you have no STR to use a decent shield.

Most shields can be infused and be better against certain elements.

My favourite early game greatshield:
https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Manor+Towershield

then swapped to this soon later:
https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Golden+Greatshield

Then I would work towards fingerprint shield. Unless you insist on staying at low level there is simply no better shield. Everything else is a compromise between stats invested and guard boost you get.

He's using an Uchigatana or Nagakiba in the OP, I didn't realize till after typing lol.
Golden Greatshield is amazing and I love it, I only mentioned Eclipse because it has high magic def. I edited out Erdtree Greatshield.

I assume he's aiming dex, so Brass Shield, Beast Crest, or maybe Lordsworn Greatshield (16 STR) is the most reasonable investment.
Dex just doesn't get good shields

[C1REX]

Originally posted by Heimdall313:

I assume he's aiming dex, so Brass Shield, Beast Crest, or maybe Lordsworn Greatshield (16 STR) is the most reasonable investment.
Dex just doesn't get good shields

I agree with you.
However even if I would use a katana I would go with 30str, 16 dex, then VIT 40-60 anyway.
Ivesting into str/dex/int/fth early on to improve damage is a trap. The damage gain is miniscule at that point. These stats should be invested into to be able to use gear and spells only. Not for damage. The most important stat is VIT and it feels like FROMSOFT trolled players by making it so strong. They know that most players just want more power and ignore this stat and put everything into dex to get 10% more damage when they could double their own health and make the game easier.
Well, STR at least gives more phisical damage reduction so it’s actually gives both - damage and survivalibility.