One of the best features of a roleplaying game is the amount of options you have to make your playing experience unique. Thus, you have a variety of choices in picking your gear, which, in FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, includes the types of shields you can get. Also, with a game as challenging as Elden Ring, you will need superior protective gear to create exceptional builds. So, this article discusses the best small shields in Elden Ring. This way, you can create a build that fits your play style.
If you’ve put a few hours into playing Elden Ring, you probably already know that there are various kinds of shields you can use in the game. Players use small shields to include parrying into their combat. So, you can deflect enemies’ incoming attacks, allowing you to create a great opportunity to counteract. The one caveat of small shields over medium shields and Greatshields is that they don’t offer much in terms of defense stats. Nevertheless, if you want to commit to the ability to parry, then are here three of the best small shields in Elden Ring.
This small shield makes it to the top of our list because it offers superior resistance to physical and magical damage. It also increases your character’s “robustness” stats by 40 points and improves your frost resistance. You can also put powerful Ashes of War on your shield. Head to Caria Manor to find this shield. Behind the gardens, you’ll find a corpse on a ledge near a stone pillar. That’s where the shield is.
Parrying requires excellent timing in order to work. You can increase that timing window by using the Buckler shield. There are 8 parry frames with this shield, so you can greatly improve your offense with this shield. You will have to buy this shield from Gatekeeper Gostoc at Stormveill Castle for 1500 runes. You will have to first have the gatekeeper open the gates before doing business with this NPC.
The Spiralhorn shield is great for players who want to strike a balance between their defense and offense stats. So, it’s excellent for dexterity or strength builds. You can also cause your enemies some blood loss when you use this shield to attack an enemy. You can acquire this shield by looting a corpse by the Liurnia of the Lakes.
While these three may be the best small shields in Elden Ring, in our opinion, some honorable mentions include the Iron Roundshield, Coil Shield, Smoldering Shield (excellent for users looking for resistance to fire damage), and the Shield of the Guilty. Some of these shields are harder to obtain than others, so you will need to spend more time and effort looking for them. That said, this game is known for greatly rewarding player exploration.