Shield Skill

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Shield skill is a combat skill that determines a player's ability to activate an equipped shield to block an incoming physical attack. When a physical attack is successfully blocked by a Shield, the damage taken from the attack is significantly reduced.

• Shields can block any physical attacks coming from the front of the player
• The player does not need to be engaged to an enemy to block an attack.
• All shields have a hidden game statistic: Shield Size.
  • While not viewable in game, it is programmed into the game to each individual shield and can be seen on the individual wiki pages for each shield.
• The amount of damage reduction from a successful shield block is based on the shield size, its DEF, Damage Taken, and Shield Defense Bonus.
  • PercentDamageBlocked = SizeDamageReduction + (ShieldDEF / ((max(ShieldItemLevel, 99) - 99) / 10 + 2))
    • Only the listed DEF value on the shield itself and its augments are included in ShieldDEF. No other source of DEF is factored in.
    • Some simplified values for the ShieldDEF contribution to block damage reduction.
      • Use ShieldDEF/2 for non-ilvl shields.
      • Use ShieldDEF/4 for ilvl 119 shields.
      • Use the full formula for ilvl 100~118 shields.
  • FinalDamageTaken = (IncomingBaseDamage - ShieldDefenseBonus) × (1 - PercentDamageBlocked/100) × (1 - PDT/100)
    • Where PDT is the sum of "Physical Damage Taken -%" and "Damage Taken -%" from gear, up to the gear cap of 50.
  • The total damage reduction from Shield blocks is not subject to the -87.5% cap on Physical Damage Taken.

• A shield's block rate is determined by the attacking enemy's combat skill (determined by their level), the shield's Size Base Block Rate, and the player's shield skill, such that:
  • BlockRate = SizeBaseBlockRate + ((ShieldSkill - AttackerCombatSkill) × 0.2325)
  • 0.2325 is the average skill:block rate conversion over all skill ranges. For example, some skill levels the conversion factor is 0.25, for others it is 0.2.
    This average is used as all the Shield Skill:Block Rate tiers are currently unknown and this yields fairly accurate observable results.
  • The spell Reprisal and the Job Ability Palisade artificially increases the shield block rate by a set percent independent of the above formula.
• An Attackers Combat Skill can be determined by reversing the block rate formula using your Known block rates from parsing.
  • AttackerSkill = ((-1 × (ActualBlockRate - SizeBaseBlockRate) ÷ 0.2325) + ShieldSkill
    • where ActualBlockRate is equal to your Parsed unmodified block rate, and is greater than 5%, but less than 100%.
      it is impossible to determine attacker skill above or below those thresholds due to the minimum and maximum rate for blocking.
    • When obtaining this value in parsing, Use a substantial data set, without block rate gear, and without gear changing for the length of the parse.
• Ultimate shields do not follow normal rules regarding block rate and damage reduction. See the table below or their individual pages.
• The job trait Shield Mastery prevents the casting of spells from being interrupted by a physical attack if all hits while casting are successfully blocked and allows successful blocks to generate additional TP return for the player.

Standard Shields

Shield Size	Base Damage Reduction	Base Block Rate
1	-20%	55%
2	-40%	40%
3	-50%	45%
4	-65%	30%

Ultimate Shields

Shield	Total Damage Reduction	Base Block Rate
	-75%	50%
	-60%	~108%

Shield Skill Caps

Job	Grade	Level 49	Level 99
PLD	A+	150	424
WAR	C+	139	378
WHM	D	133	334
BST	E	124	300
RDM	F	114	265
THF	F	114	265

Equipment Bonuses

Item	Level	Slot	Jobs	Amount
Fighter's Mufflers +1	74	Hands	WAR	15
Gallant Leggings +1	74	Feet	PLD	12
Acheron Shield +1	75	Shield	WAR RDM DRK BST BLU	11
Ker's Mask	99	Head	WAR PLD DRK DRG	11
Testudo Mantle +1	99	Back	WAR MNK RDM THF PLD DRK BST BRD RNG SAM NIN DRG BLU COR DNC	11
Acheron Shield	75	Shield	WAR RDM DRK BST BLU	10
Boxer's Mantle	70	Back	All jobs	10
Fighter's Mufflers	54	Hands	WAR	10
Gallant Leggings	52	Feet	PLD	10
Master Shield	52	Shield	WAR WHM RDM THF PLD BST SAM	10
Rogue's Culottes	56	Legs	THF	10
Steadfast Shield	99	Shield	PLD DRK	10
Testudo Mantle	99	Back	WAR MNK RDM THF PLD DRK BST BRD RNG SAM NIN DRG BLU COR DNC	10
Warlock's Boots	52	Feet	RDM	10
Warlock's Boots +1	74	Feet	RDM	10
Creed Armet +2	85	Head	PLD	7
Fazheluo Radiant Mail	90	Body	WAR PLD DRK BST SAM DRG	7
Shield Torque	65	Neck	All jobs	7
Fazheluo Mail +1	90	Body	WAR PLD DRK BST SAM DRG	6
Kaiser Schaller	73	Head	WAR PLD	6
Skeld Sword	90	Weapon	WAR PLD DRK	6
Creed Armet +1	85	Head	PLD	5
Fazheluo Mail	90	Body	WAR PLD DRK BST SAM DRG	5
Knight's Earring	72	Earring	All jobs	5
Koenig Schaller	73	Head	WAR PLD	5
Light Buckler	40	Shield	WAR WHM RDM THF PLD BST SAM	5
Portus Annulet	94	Ring	All jobs	5
Sinfender	69	Weapon	PLD DRK	5
Storm Shield	70	Shield	WAR WHM RDM THF PLD BST SAM	5 (Assault)
Pilferer's Aspis	30	Shield	All jobs	5 (THF Sub job)
Shield Belt	30	Shield	All jobs	5 (PLD Sub job)
Buckler Earring	35	Earring	All jobs	3
Creed Earring	90	Earring	PLD	3
Fortified Chain	60	Neck	All jobs	3
Mu Necklace	75	Neck	All jobs	3 (Salvage)
Shotel +1	42	Weapon	WAR THF PLD DRK SAM DRG BLU	-3
Shiva's Shotel	72	Weapon	WAR THF PLD DRK SAM DRG BLU	-5
Shotel	42	Weapon	WAR THF PLD DRK SAM DRG BLU	-5
Agelast Torque	99	Neck	All jobs	15
Combatant's Torque	99	Neck	All jobs	15

References

• Shield Skill vs. Block Rate Testing (Martel, BG/FFXIAH)
• Block Rate Unified Formula Testing (Showmo, FFXIAH)

• Size 1+2 Block Rates (Martel, BG/FFXIAH)