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The 10 Best Shields in Elden Ring (Ranked)

Published

8 months ago

August 21, 2023

Shawna Schofield

What are the best shields in Elden Ring?

Staying alive in Elden Ring is easier said than done, but a good shield can make it a whole lot easier.

If you’re lacking defense, then you’ve come to the right place because we’ve rounded up the best shields you can find in the game!

Keep reading to learn more about which shields you should invest in and how you can find them!

The 10 Best Shields in Elden Ring

The shields on this list have been chosen based on their stats and overall usefulness throughout the game.

We’ve tried to add a little something for every playstyle and class so you can find a shield that works for you.

If you’re ready to get your Tarnished some new gear, here’s our list of the 10 best shields in Elden Ring:

10. Coil Shield

Kicking off our list, we have the Coil Shield, a small shield that scales with strength and weighs very little.

While this type of shield does offer the least protection from incoming damage, it is a good choice for players who prefer dodging or parrying.

As a lightweight shield, it is also perfect for characters with low equipment loads who need to stay as light as possible.

The Coil Shield also comes with the shield skill Viper Bite, which allows users to perform a poisonous bite attack from a distance.

Not only does this skill look cool, but it scales with strength and deals a good amount of physical damage as well.

This shield can be found on a body in the Volcano Cave, northeast of the Ninth Mt. Gelmir Campside Site of Grace.

From the central chamber of the cave, take the right tunnel and drop down at the end onto a small cliff.

Immediately enter the tunnel behind you, and the Coil Shield will be on a body in the first room.

9. Banished Knight’s Shield

This medium shield scales with strength and comes with a good balance between defense and weight.

Because of this, it is a good shield for almost any combat situation, and despite not being as light as a small shield, it is still great for parrying.

Although the Banished Knight’s Shield doesn’t come with a skill, it can be infused with Ashes of War.

The Ashes you can use on it include Storm Wall, Shield Bash, Golden Parry, and Shield Crash, all of which are very useful.

Best of all, this shield is pretty easy to get, as all you need to do is loot it off of a Banished Knight wielding one.

A lot of these knights can be found in Stormveil Castle, while two can be found near the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid.

Although Banished Knights are fairly tough, you shouldn’t have too much trouble defeating one, even at a low level!

Of course, because Elden Ring is one of the best PS5 multiplayer games, you could always have a friend help you out as well!

8. Carian Knight’s Shield

The Carian Knight’s Shield is another medium shield and one that scales with strength, intelligence, and dexterity.

Like the Banished Knight’s Shield, this one offers a good balance between weight and defense while still being good for parrying.

Although it doesn’t come with a unique skill, it can be infused with the Ashes of War, giving it a customizable affinity.

However, this shield really shines if you upgrade it to boost guard, as it will effectively be as good as the Black Knight Shield.

If you want to get the Carian Knight’s Shield for yourself, it can be found at Raya Lucaria Academy.

Here, you will have to defeat Moongrum, the Carian Knight, who can be found in the Grand Library.

Be aware that he can be a very tough fight as his sword can deal a lot of damage, and he will cast sorceries.

7. Visage Shield

The first Greatshield on our list, and oh boy, it lives up to that name, if only because it looks so cool!

While the Visage Shield, like all Greatshields, weighs a lot, it provides the most protection of any shield type.

Greatshields are perfect for blocking attacks from even the hardest bosses in Elden Ring, though they do reduce mobility.

If you’re someone who isn’t interested in parrying, a Greatshield like this is perfect for you!

What’s more, is that the Visage Shield comes with the skill Tongues of Fire, which unleashes a torrent of flames outward toward foes.

This deals a load of fire damage to enemies hit by it, and it can be great for giving yourself an edge.

However, it is easier for enemies to break your guard while this skill is active, so keep that in mind before spamming it.

To get this shield for yourself, head to the Caelem Ruins, where you will need to defeat the Mad Pumpkin Head Duo bosses.

Once they’re defeated, you can access the treasure room, where this shield waits inside a chest.

6. Brass Shield

The Brass Shield is a medium shield that scales primarily with strength while offering a good weight-to-defense balance.

Although it doesn’t have a unique skill, it can be infused with Ashes of War and buffed with both Consumables and Magic.

What makes this shield stand out is that it has the highest guard boost of any medium shield, making it a favorite for players.

It also only requires 16 strength to use effectively, making it easy to grab in the early game if you really want it.

However, grabbing it can be easier said than done, as there are only a few ways to get it for yourself.

Brass Shields in Elden Ring are dropped by Raya Lucaria Soldiers who carry them, and also Godrick Solders.

That said, Godrick Soldiers only have about a 0.8% chance of dropping them, meaning the Raya Lucaria Soldiers are your best bet.

Almost all of the soldiers outside of the Raya Lucaria Academy are carrying one, but even then, the drop rate is about 2%.

If you really want this shield, you’ll need to prepare to do a lot of farming because that’s the only way to get it!

5. Haligtree Crest Shield

The Haligtree Crest Shield is another Greatshield and one that primarily scales with your strength stat.

This is another shield that comes with no unique skills but can be infused with Ashes of War or boosted with Consumables and Magic.

It also has a fairly high guard boost of 71, making it very useful for staying protected during tough battles.

Unfortunately, it is also one of the most difficult shields in Elden Ring to get, as it only has a 4% chance to drop from a specific Haligtree Knight.

While other Haligtree Knights will carry this shield, they won’t drop it no matter how hard you try.

The Knight that can drop this shield can be found in the graveyard next to the church at the bottom of Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree.

Of course, you could also use one of the best Elden Ring mods, the Grand Merchant, to make this shield purchasable from Merchant Kale.

4. Jellyfish Shield

The Jellyfish Shield doesn’t look like it could do much in the way of protection, but despite this, it is a very strong Greatshield.

While its description states that it doesn’t offer protection from piecing attacks, it actually offers 100% protection against all thrusting/piercing damage.

It also comes with its own unique skill, Contagious Fury, which imbues the wielder with the Jellyfish’s Wrath.

This boosts attack power by 20% for 30 seconds, and it can be great for making progress in a tough fight.

To find this shield, you will have to look for a broken wagon next to a corpse that is surrounded by four Jelly Fish.

The site is directly north of the Foot of the Four Belfries Site of Grace in Liurnia of the Lakes.

Although it isn’t difficult to get, if you haven’t discovered the Site of Grace yet, it can be a bit of a long walk.

3. Great Turtle Shell

This medium shield resembles a giant turtle shell, and it scales primarily with strength while having a guard boost value of 49.

While it can be infused with Ashes of War, it also comes with the skill Barricade Shield, which can be very useful.

When activated, this skill gives the shield a tier 4 hardness, making it able to deflect more powerful blows for 10 seconds.

Best of all, this shield also has a passive ability that boosts stamina recovery rate by +3 per second.

This also stacks with the Green Turtle Talisman and the Pickled Turtle Neck Consumable, which provide +8 per second and +10 per second.

If you want to get this shield for yourself, you’ll need to head to the Weeping Peninsula and the Castle Morne Rampart Site of Grace.

From there, look east and use the Spiritspring to jump towards the tower section of the ramparts.

The Great Turtle Shell can be found on the tower on a corpse that is very easy to spot once you’re there.

2. Erdtree Greatshield

It’s a good thing that Elden Ring is one of the best PS5 third-person games because this shield is gorgeous and deserves to be admired.

The Erdtree Greatshield offers a guard boost value of 60, and it scales with both strength and faith.

This shield is seriously powerful, and while it can’t be infused with Ashes of War, it does have its own unique skill.

Called Golden Retaliation, this skill unleashes a protective incantation that dispels sorceries and incantations while firing a homing projectile.

The projectile launched will deal holy damage, which scales as the shield is upgraded and not with any stats.

However, talismans such as the Sacred Scorpion Charm and the Shard of Alexander will increase its damage.

This skill can also reflect the player’s own spells, including the Triple Rings of Light, which will automatically return to the caster.

In order to get the Erdtree Greatshield, you will have to kill the Tree Sentinels found in the Atlus Plateau.

This duo can be found guarding the doors to the Outer Wall Phantom Tree grace, and you must kill them both to get the shield!

1. Fingerprint Stone Shield

Taking our number one spot is the Fingerprint Stone Shield, a Greatshield that boasts 77 guard boost value.

This shield is amazing, and it causes Madness buildup in enemies that can be incredibly helpful.

If it is set to an Arcane scaling affinity, this Madness build-up will also increase along with points spent in Arcane.

Similarly, if a Fire Infusion is applied, it will receive up to a 100% fire damage reduction boost, making it great for taking on enemies that use fire attacks.

While it can be infused with Ashes of War, it also comes with the Shield Bash skill, which allows players to ram enemies while maintaining guard.

Getting this shield can be a bit of work, though, as you will need to first defeat Morgott, the Omen King, to open the area.

After defeating Morgott in the Cathedral of the Forsaken, you can find a path behind the altar chest.

Following this path will lead you to a large vertical shaft, which you will have to delicately navigate down using the headstones jutting out of the wall.

After your fourth jump, you’ll find a corridor, at the end of which the Fingerprint Stone Shield will be waiting.