One of Elden Ring’s greatest joys is the freedom it provides for exploring different philosophies of combat. Maybe you favor the tried-and-true strategy of hitting things with extremely large swords. Maybe you delight in the arts of high wizardry, measured in laser beams and hurled boulders. The options are endless—but they’re also wrong. Thanks to the new thrusting shields from Shadow of the Erdtree, players are discovering that they’ve been wasting their time finding the best builds for blood loss or Frenzied Flame incantations. Instead, they should’ve been asking one question: What if I was attacking while I was blocking?
Shadow of the Erdtree introduced two thrusting shields, a new weapon type based on a simple concept: blocking things is great, but blocking things would be better if it didn’t keep you from hitting things. Presumably aided by the guidance of some divine benefactor, FromSoft designed the ultimate weapon to finally answer that age-old conundrum—by which I mean they made shields with pointy bits on them so you can poke guys while you’re blocking their hits.
If you wield a thrusting shield two-handed, you’re able to attack while holding the block button, allowing you to safely spam light attacks and only suffer little bits of chip damage in exchange. The two thrusting shields, both of which are located in the DLC’s Shadow Keep dungeon, can be freely modified to suit your damage type and scaling tastes. Better still, they pick up extra counterattack damage from the Spear Talisman, and because you’ll be two-handing them, they benefit from the Two-Handed Sword Talisman’s damage boost, too.
As players on the Elden Ring subreddit have noticed, the thrusting shields are extremely potent—too potent, perhaps, particularly when you’ve got some stamina regen and guard-improving effects in play. Because it allows attacking without risk or concern, players are claiming that the weapon type trivializes boss fights, including some of the harder bosses of the notoriously difficult DLC. “Being able to just spam attacks and tank through everything only taking chip damage is insane,” redditor Drstrangelove899 said, calling the weapons “absolutely busted.”
Thrusting shields are proving to be the strongest weapons in the entire game, according to many players. This newfound weapon type, with its versatility and ease of use, has shifted the meta in Elden Ring dramatically. Players are having a blast with these shields, as they provide a new way to tackle the game’s formidable challenges, making once-daunting bosses feel trivial. The ability to enchant thrusting shields with any affinity or damage type further adds to their appeal, allowing players to customize them to fit their playstyle perfectly. The fun of using thrusting shields lies not just in their power, but in the satisfaction of outmaneuvering bosses while maintaining a defensive stance.
The new thrusting shields are the strongest weapons in the entire game and it’s not even close. “NG+ DLC was absolutely obliterated,” one player exclaimed. Thrusting shields can be enchanted with any affinity or damage type, making them extremely versatile. “And it’s just so much fun to slap the grace out of every single boss!” another player enthused on the Elden Ring subreddit.
The potential for these shields to disrupt the game’s balance is significant. Players who have taken the thrusting shields for a spin have noticed that they are conspicuously lenient on stamina drain. A thrusting shield testing video from YouTuber mmlubergames demonstrates that attacks blocked conventionally with a thrusting shield knock the expected chunks off your stamina bar, but attacks blocked while attacking with the safety poke only shave off tiny slivers. It’s a huge disparity that lets someone wielding a thrusting shield functionally ignore almost every attack coming their way, both in PvE and PvP. This leniency makes the thrusting shields a powerful tool, but also a potentially game-breaking one.
The disparity in stamina drain while using thrusting shields raises concerns about their balance. Japanese Twitter user @pirochanbanzai posted a video showing how simple thrusting shields make Rellana’s fight, with the Google-translated caption “Nerf inevitable.” This sentiment is echoed by many in the community who feel that the shields’ current state might be too overpowered for the game’s intended difficulty.
Speculation about a potential nerf for thrusting shields is rife. Given their power and the ease with which they allow players to navigate difficult encounters, it’s plausible that FromSoftware will introduce adjustments to bring them in line with other weapons. Until then, players eager to exploit this new tool should act quickly. The shields offer a unique and enjoyable way to experience the game, but their overpowered nature might lead to changes in future patches.
For those tempted to try a thrusting shield for themselves, now is the time. The experience of using these shields is unlike any other in Elden Ring, providing both defensive security and offensive capability in a single package. Their introduction has sparked a renewed interest in the game, drawing both new and veteran players to explore the possibilities they offer.
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