These are our picks for the best shields in Elden Ring. Whether you’re doing a DEX or an STR melee build, a shield will prove quite useful for defence, and on some occasions, even for offensive purposes. Because I think many players would stick to a shield of a type they prefer rather than switch them again and again, I’ll include about three shields (max) for each category. The categories are Small Shields, Medium Shields and Greatshields.
Buckler
This small shield is possibly the only good one of its kind. That’s because of its unique ability, the Buckler Parry. This parry is very easy to execute and parrying many enemy weapon strikes is almost guaranteed. The Buckler Parry window is way larger than the ordinary parry. There are downsides to using this shield, however. The main one is that it offers very little protection against attacks when blocking. It’s a parrying shield in every way and I wouldn’t recommend using it purely as an option for defence.
Beast Crest Heater Shield
While many other shields may outperform the Beast Crest Heater Shield in terms of protection, this is one of the lowest-weighing medium shields in the game. It also offers 100% physical damage negation so if you block, you won’t take damage, unlike with all small shields and some other medium shields. You can find it early on in the game and it’ll serve you very well until you find a replacement.
Brass Shield
Many players consider this medium shield to be one of their favourites, if not the favorite. It’s an exceptional shield and while its drop rate is somewhat low, many enemies carry it since the Limgrave section. So, it might be easy to obtain. Brass Shield is a superior shield to the previous entry but it weighs almost double. But the weight is probably the only downside to this, and you’ll have enough Endurance to wield this at some point in the game. This shield can perform well alongside many other powerful shields and it’s useful even in the endgame sections.
Banished Knight’s Shield
This is my personal favourite shield in the game because of its look and stellar performance. The strength scaling is D rank, just like the Brass Shield. It really comes down to preference when deciding between this or the Brass Shield. This shield also offers better protection against magic and physical damage. Upgrade it to the maximum level and it’ll carry you to the end of the game without problems.
Crucible Hornshield
This greatshield is a great pick for offence as well as defence. Its Ash of War is the Shield Bash and it will deal damage and knock enemies back. Because of its horn, the damage output is quite impressive for a shield.
Visage Shield
This greatshield is bizarre-looking and it’s quite unique in terms of design. Other than looking cool, it can deal a lot of damage with its skill, Tongues of Fire. As you might’ve guessed, it deals fire damage. It sprays fire from the tongues jutting out of its mouth, and the skill can be used while in motion. It’s a great option to incinerate multiple enemies in front of you while remaining in cover. And like the Crucible Horn Shield, its Ash of War is unique and can’t be modified. Its damage protection is also superb, making it an ideal choice for a STR build.
Erdtree Greatshield
As the name says, this is a greatshield and an absolute wonderful one at that. Quite possibly, this is the best shield in terms of defensive capabilities and it also looks great. The majestic Tree Sentinels carry these huge shields and you might’ve seen that already. It can be obtained in the mid to late-game sections, though. It’ll be a good option to go with another shield on this list (Brass Shield or Beast Crest Heater Shield is what I recommend because you can obtain them very early on in the game) until you arrive at the Altus Plateau, as that’s where you can find the Erdtree Greatshield. It also has a unique Ash of War that can parry sorceries and incantations. I consider the Golden Retaliation -which is the Ash of War on this shield- to be one of the best ones in the game.
