Shields

**Shields** are a newly introduced item type in patch 0.65, offering unique gameplay mechanics centered around the concept of "Repel." These defensive items bring forth a distinct layer of strategy to the game.

* **Primary Material:** Iron
* **Secondary Material:** Steel
* **Quality Affects:** Maximum possible number of Magic Stones that can be inserted into an item.

## Repel Mechanic

Shields introduce the Repel mechanic to the game. When a character is attacked by an enemy, a small shield mark is applied to the enemy. Subsequently, upon the character's next auto-attack on the marked enemy, the shield mark is removed, and the damage of the melee attack is augmented by the value of the Total Repel, represented by the yellow number adjacent to the shield mark above the enemy's head.

The bonus Repel damage is exclusively applicable to melee attacks and takes the form of an additional damage multiplier. Consequently, shields are most effective when incorporated into melee builds, particularly those focused on critical melee damage. Conversely, they exhibit lower efficiency in builds where the primary damage output derives from skills (commonly seen in WIS builds).

While the concept of Repel is intriguing, its implementation encounters a significant hurdle: the Repel effect hinges on the attack speed of the ENEMY. As a result, the shield's effect is only applied once every 2-4 seconds, and players have no means of influencing this interval. In the context of most melee builds with rapid attack speeds, the ability to augment a single attack every 2-4 seconds may not significantly enhance DPS.

On the contrary, players continually grapple with a shortage of SP. In such a scenario, the prospect of acquiring a damage multiplier dependent solely on rubies becomes enticing. To capitalize on this, substantial Total Repel values are required. Notably, patch 0.67 relocated the Total Repel increase passive to the Strength skill tree ("Shield Mastery" skill), positioning it alongside "Indefatigability." This alteration facilitates easier access to the skill.

Suppose the Repel effect triggers every 4 seconds, and your character, at this stage of the game, executes 5 attacks per second. In 4 seconds, the character delivers 20 attacks. Assuming you possess a shield with a base Repel of 25%, leveled up to level 40, the next attack will inflict an additional 1000% damage (40 \* 25%). With an investment of 10 SP in the "Shield Mastery" skill, boosting your total Repel by an additional 500% (reaching +6000%), the results are remarkable. Over the same 4 seconds, the character still conducts 20 attacks, but one of these attacks, in addition to its regular damage, administers an extra 6000% damage—equivalent to 60 standard attacks. Consequently, your average DPS increases fourfold.

In terms of characteristics, shields exhibit an intriguing blend of weapon and accessory attributes:

* **No Maximum Item Level:** Shields do not have a maximum item level. Your potential is constrained solely by the number of rubies you can accumulate.
* **Quality Effect:** The increase in weapon Quality affects the number of Magic Stones that can be inserted into a shield. However, not all Magic Stones can be inserted into shields. Stones directly affecting weapon damage (e.g., Stone of Dominance, Stone of Claw, Stone of Excellence) cannot be inserted.
* **Linear Damage Growth:** Damage increases linearly with each item level. As the item level rises, the Total Repel value increases in relation to the base Repel value, following this formula: R(L) = R \* L, where R(L) is the current total Repel of a shield with a base Repel value of "R" at level "L."
* **Non-linear Cost Increase:** The cost of leveling up a shield escalates non-linearly with each item level. It follows this formula: C(L) = C \* (1 + L) \* 1.1^L, where "C(L)" denotes the cost of increasing the level by 1 for a shield with a base cost of "C" at the current level "L."
* **Usage in Raw Shards:** Despite not being weapons, shields can be utilized in Raw Shards, despite the shard description stating, "Only weapons can be used." This interesting detail offers players additional choices in their gameplay.

Currently, the game features five types of shields. While the item icons may vary, the distinctions between shields are solely based on their base Repel values:

## Base Repel - Base Cost

* **5%:** 12,500
* **10%:** 100,000
* **15%:** 337,500
* **20%:** 800,000
* **25%:** 1,562,500

Should you choose to incorporate a shield into your gameplay, opting for the one with the highest Base Repel value is advisable.