Relatively few games are as punishing as the Dark Souls franchise. However, when it comes to Dark Souls 2, shields play an essential part in survival as you start understanding your enemy mechanics.
These shields are more than just a barrier as they help you to distance yourself against imminent attacks. In Dark Soul 2, shields are available in various sizes; therefore, choosing the best shields is vital as it increases your chances of survival.
So, are you tired of rolling around and trying to dodge each attack that gets thrown at you? If yes, then consider yourself at the right place. In this article, we shall be taking you through the best shields in Dark Souls 2 that will enhance your chances of surviving.
Havel’s Greatshield
Top of the list is Havel’s Greatshield. This shield is undoubtedly crowned king of blocking, and it is what every Dark Soul 2 player dreams of having one day. It is all for a good reason.
When you have 45 strength required to wield this shield, you will receive full physical mitigation, top-notch stability of 80 and +80 in each resistance. These combinations make a stony nightmare for adversaries.
With this shield in place, your only weakness will be in the form of poison or bleed since it only offers 73% protection against these resistances. Therefore, with this shield, you will genuinely be impenetrable; it is rock-solid and perfect for use in all encounters. This shield is found in a Gutter behind a forgotten key door.
Answer: What Is the Best Staff in Dark Souls 2?
Rebel’s Greatshield
Rebel’s Greatshield is among the best shields in Dark Soul 2. No shield comes close to the defensive properties of Rebel’s Greatshield. The shield requires 29 strengths along with 13.5 equip load, and it is all worth the benefits. 90% mitigations, 70% physical mitigation, and 85% dark mitigation is making one of the best stat to defense ratios in gaming.
It even gets better. When you upgrade and infuse this shield, it can offer 100% resistance for the respective infusion without having to sacrifice all of the shield’s stats. Combining that with the shield’s 65 stability, you get one of the best shields in the Dark Soul 2 franchise.
The Rebel’s Greatshield is located behind an iron key door prior to the Last Giant. You will need to go down the salamander pit from the Cardinal Tower bonfire.
Drakekeeper’s Greatshield
The Next top-notch shield in the game is the Drakekeeper’s Greatshield. This shield incorporates stats that approach the pinnacle. Drakekeeper’s Greatshield offers complete protection against any physical attack along with 75s across for everything except darkness.
This shield does super-fast work to wipe the floor with the competition. You should note that it is the shield with the second-height weight as well as strength requirement. This makes it one of the best shields, if not the best when you are not willing to go for top-pick in this list.
The Drakekeeper’s Greatshield is found in a chest located in Dragon Shrine. You will need to jump with Dark Priestess from the platform to access it.
Related: Best Armor In Dark Soul 2
King’s Mirror
If you are having issues with pesky wizards along with other casters, then King’s Mirror shield will be best for you. You will enjoy the look on their faces once you take this shield. In addition to having incredible values in defense (a little shy of the 100% physical mark), this shield is ideal for offering protection against sorceries.
What makes this possible is the top-notch spell-parry frame that surrounds it. This shield is perfect for the Shrine of Amana- an area that is heavily infested by casters and pesky wizards. To get this shield, you will need to trade your Looking Glass Knight Soul for a Weaponsmith Ornifex.
Dragonrider Greatshield
Here is another top-notch Dark Soul 2 shield. The Dragonrider Greatshield boasts full physical mitigation along with 78% in lightning and fire while having a stability score of 78. This shield sets a gold standard of what players want in the best shield in Dark Soul.
If you have been struggling against lightning and fire enemies, having a Dragonrider, Greatshield, will be best. To get this shield, you will need to trade the soul of the Dragonrider to Straid of Olaphis.
More: Best Weapons In Dark Soul 2
Greatshield of Glory
Like its name, this shield will grant you glory on the battlefield. In addition, the Greatshield of Glory features incredible stats offering physical mitigation of 99% as well as 97% fire reduction while having a less negative impact on its other stats. This makes it a fine choice.
Drakekeeper’s war pick-wielding drops the Greatshield of Glory in the Dragon Shrine. So, you will need to access the shrine to get this shield.
Gyrm Greatshield
Gyrm Greatshield is an ideal shield for protection against all sorts of fiery enemies. In Dark Souls 2, fire is undoubtedly the second most common enemy damage after physical damage used by all NPCs such as Flame Salamanders, Desert Sorceresses, and Dragons.
This shield offers complete coverage against fire damage without any infusion. Additionally, it offers excellent stability in other shields. If you do not want to get melted, then consider having a Gyrm Greatshield. This shield is dropped by the Gyrm Warriors.
Related: Best Gifts in Dark Soul 2 you Should Try
Mastodon Greatshield
Like the aforementioned shields, the Mastodon Greatshield is among the best shields in Dark Souls 2. Additionally, this shield is the best choice for use against lightning enemies like Looking Glass Knight.
With a lightning infusion, the Mastodon Greatshield will offer a100% resistance against lightning attacks as opposed to its standard resistance of 92%. The rest of Mastodon Greatshield’s stats are nothing to scoff at. In the game, this shield is dropped by Primal Knights- big elephant-like enemies.
To survive and perform incredibly well in Dark Souls 2, you will need some of the best shields available in the game. However, shields tend to come in all shapes and sizes in this game, making it challenging to choose one that best suits your needs. Fortunately, the aforementioned shields are undoubtedly the best in the game, and you will need them to conquer this game.