Is blocking just the worst mechanic in the game?

[CombatWombat]

Blocking seems pointless, for the big bosses where you realy need it, it is uselss. I've tried shields multiple times on multiple occasions, but it's just so useless.

Doge is way superiour, atgir staggers on your command not on the enemies.

It is useless against bosses until you upgrade it to hell and back so that you actually don't stagger. You never stagger while doging.

Does anyone like and use shields for more than aesthetic reasons? How do you use it?

[Aurumworks]

Parry is magic. Even against bosses. Sure, the boss won't stagger, but you won't get much damage. Common enemies stagger and then die from the retaliation. Parry is magic.

[CombatWombat]

Originally posted by Aurumworks:

Parry is magic. Even against bosses. Sure, the boss won't stagger, but you won't get much damage. Common enemies stagger and then die from the retaliation. Parry is magic.

No that is not the case afaik. Boses just tear through your block same as stared. That's why I said it is useess.

[RagnCharran]

Block and parry power are dependent on your max HP level and therefore your food choices. If you cannot block a boss's attack with the best shield available (even without sequence breaking), you need to re-evaluate your food choices.

[muchdebate]

I generally (when going after a boss) use health/health/health the best foods I can get and then mostly permablock (doesn't cost stamina) and time my attacks.

I've been learning to parry, but the regular block seems to work just fine for me.

[Aurumworks]

But, but, but.... if you raise enemy damage to max and play with 500 people then damage scaling makes block useless because you will die no matter what and dodge is mandatory.

[CombatWombat]

Originally posted by RagnCharran:

Block and parry power are dependent on your max HP level and therefore your food choices. If you cannot block a boss's attack with the best shield available (even without sequence breaking), you need to re-evaluate your food choices.

That's the point I need to do a ♥♥♥♥-ton of things to even make it viable. While stamina food helps with doge spaming it also helps with every other skill. And it works without massive investment in a shield. It also scales with the difficulty and the amount of players while blocking does not.

My food is not the problem I use the best I can get per biom.

It is also not a "problem" since I can beat bosses just fine with doge. But every run I think: "Why not try shield again?" And I quickly find out, that it still sucks.

[Shaken_Widow]

Originally posted by CombatWombat:

Originally posted by RagnCharran:

Block and parry power are dependent on your max HP level and therefore your food choices. If you cannot block a boss's attack with the best shield available (even without sequence breaking), you need to re-evaluate your food choices.

That's the point I need to do a ♥♥♥♥-ton of things to even make it viable. While stamina food helps with doge spaming it also helps with every other skill. And it works without massive investment in a shield. It also scales with the difficulty and the amount of players while blocking does not.

My food is not the problem I use the best I can get per biom.

It is also not a "problem" since I can beat bosses just fine with doge. But every run I think:"Why not tried shield again?" And I quickly find out, that it still sucks.

shields do not suck you just don't know how to parry.

blocking right when a boss does its attack will make it so i only get like 0.1 damage and i will stun lock the boss for a time depending on which attack it used which then i get crits back to back on making the boss short work.

[CombatWombat]

Originally posted by Shaken_Widow:

Originally posted by CombatWombat:

That's the point I need to do a ♥♥♥♥-ton of things to even make it viable. While stamina food helps with doge spaming it also helps with every other skill. And it works without massive investment in a shield. It also scales with the difficulty and the amount of players while blocking does not.

My food is not the problem I use the best I can get per biom.

It is also not a "problem" since I can beat bosses just fine with doge. But every run I think:"Why not tried shield again?" And I quickly find out, that it still sucks.

shields do not suck you just don't know how to parry.

blocking right when a boss does its attack will make it so i only get like 0.1 damage and i will stun lock the boss for a time depending on which attack it used which then i get crits back to back on making the boss short work.

Please elaborate which shield at which upgrade you use for one of the bosses and how much health you have, because everytime I tried, they just punch through. But I never fully upgrade my shield. As I do with armor, just to much grind. But I still beat bosses with doge.

[CombatKing1237]

Your blocking capability completely relies on your level from my experience, and the parry bonus or block stat of whatever your using. at level 10 block you can actually start properly parry things like graydwarf brutes. the tower shields dont have parry capability, you have to block, same with anything that dosent have a parry stat. i think shields are really good if you get good at parrying but its not viable to just block it seems so the tower shield feels pointless to me.
In summery: tower shields suck ass and get good at parrying, also remember to get your blocking level higher or you cant parry or block harder hitting attacks.

[muchdebate]

Originally posted by RagnCharran:

Block and parry power are dependent on your max HP level and therefore your food choices.

Originally posted by CombatWombat:

My food is not the problem I use the best I can get per biom.
It is also not a "problem" since I can beat bosses just fine with doge. But every run I think: "Why not try shield again?" And I quickly find out, that it still sucks.

"Best" food meaning what? Health? Stamina? Combo?

If dodging with stamina food works - then good combo
If blocking with stamina food doesn't work (and you say it doesn't for you) - IF you want to use blocking - then switch to health food.

Also look at the stat changes on any given shield upgraded VS not.

[Twinkies]

I wouldn't say it is the worst mechanic. It really depends on your playing style. They come in handy in specific situations, like fighting archers, but most of the time I'm using a bow or magic.

[Honorable_D]

You need health food to block, you need to upgrade your shield to increase its block armor.

With a level 3 Carapace Buckler and a decent Block Skill along with at least 2 good HP foods you can shield parry even 2 star seekers.

Shield parry with bucklers is amazing. Tower shields are garbage cause they can't parry.

[muchdebate]

I'm not very good with the parry yet, but blocking with carapace and 3 health foods does me fine so far.

[Honorable_D]

You can even shield parry projectiles and stun the enemy that shot it...from long range. Yes, they are so amazed you parried their arrow that they'll be stunned even though you are nowhere near them.

Learn to shield parry with the bucklers and proceed to parry to win.

[knighttemplar1960]

Originally posted by CombatWombat:

Originally posted by RagnCharran:

Block and parry power are dependent on your max HP level and therefore your food choices. If you cannot block a boss's attack with the best shield available (even without sequence breaking), you need to re-evaluate your food choices.

That's the point I need to do a ♥♥♥♥-ton of things to even make it viable. While stamina food helps with doge spaming it also helps with every other skill. And it works without massive investment in a shield. It also scales with the difficulty and the amount of players while blocking does not.

My food is not the problem I use the best I can get per biom.

It is also not a "problem" since I can beat bosses just fine with doge. But every run I think: "Why not try shield again?" And I quickly find out, that it still sucks.

Parry blocking with your shield is king if you concentrated on melee and leveled up your blocking skill. Each level of blocking skill increases your block armor by .5 (at high level this makes a huge difference). High level block skill also reduces the amount of stamina a parry block uses (and parry block gives much more block armor than ordinary blocking which can mean the difference between survival and defeat). It takes ~1/2 a second to parry block an attack and even if you miss time it too early you still get the bonus blocking armor of a standard block against that attack. Non-boss enemies that aren't immune to stagger will be staggered which will allow you first post stagger attack to do double damage. For most enemies this all important first hit will give you enough time to get your 3 attack combo in which also will do double damage on the final attack.

Dodging takes more time both for the action and recovery/reposition for your next attack. This will significantly reduce your DPS unless you are playing as an archer. At level 85 bow skill you have the fastest draw rate and (iIrc) can draw while dodging. When dodging you have the invincible effect but only during the center of the dodge animation. If you are too fast or too slow on the dodge you will take damage. If you accidentally reverse the key board and mouse button presses you will leap into the air instead of dodge, will get hit in air, take damage, and get knocked back farther. This can be very unfortunate in the Mountains or Mistlands pre-feather cloak. Dodging in areas that have many obstructions can foul your dodge, make escape or the next dodge much more difficult, and if you run into the game bug you can actually get stuck inside objects which assures your death and corpse recovery run.

You really should learn to do both as there are situations where one type of defensive action is better than the other and being proficient at both is the best solution.