Shields

(also known as armor) are items that protect Agents from incoming damage.
==Summary==
Shields increase the agent's effective health while also absorbing 66% of incoming damage. Agents can only equip one shield at a time per round. Light shields absorb up to 25 damage, and Heavy shields absorb up to 50 damage. 
Shields also have the following effects:
* They do not absorb fall damage
* They will not be replenished by heals (excluding Recovery Orbs in Team Deathmatch depending on the current weapon used)
* They are affected by Decay
==Usage==
Usage of shields vary per game mode.
===In Unrated, Competitive, Swiftplay, Premier=== 
During Buy phases of rounds, Agents are able to purchase a Shield item:
* Light Shields cost 400 credits.
* Heavy Shields cost 1,000 credits.
Agents carry over any remaining shielding they have from prior rounds. They can still repurchase shields with higher values but this will only replace and replenish the shield, it will not add on to the carried-over shields. If an agent buys shields in this case but then decides to sell them, their shield value will return to their previous status that they started the buy phase with.
If there are any missing players on the team, all players of that team will automatically be granted with Light Shields on the first round of the second half when switching sides.
===In Spike Rush===
Spike Rush automatically grants Light shields to all players at round 2, and Heavy shields at round 3 and Endgame.
===In Deathmatch and Escalation===
In Deathmatch, all players will spawn and respawn with Heavy shields. Health kits dropped by fallen enemies can grant full Health and Heavy shields.
===In Team Deathmatch===
:Main article: Team Deathmatch → Loadout
In Team Deathmatch, shields vary depending on the player's loadout.
===In Replication===
Replication has the same usage pattern as most of the other Plant/Defuse game modes, with the exception of it being that shields have to be repurchased every round.
==Update History==
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