Damage Shield is a defensive mechanism in Elder Scrolls Online that provides a temporary buffer to a player's health pool, absorbing incoming damage before it affects their actual health. It is essentially an additional layer of protection that can be activated through certain skills, such as Blazing Shield for Templars, Steadfast Ward for Restoration Staff users, and Bone Shield for members of the Undaunted. Each of these skills has a specific shield value and duration that applies to the damage shield effect, providing a set amount of protection for a certain amount of time. With the use of these skills, players can better protect themselves from incoming damage, making them a valuable tool in any battle. In this guide, LOLTANK will explain how damage shields work, when to use them, and when it's best to block and when not to block.

• What is a Damage Shield?
• When to Use a Damage Shield?
• When Not to Block?

What is a Damage Shield?

A damage shield is a temporary barrier that protects you from incoming damage. When you activate a damage shield ability, it adds an extra layer of protection to your health pool, absorbing incoming damage before it affects your actual health. Damage shields do not have block mitigation, which means that when you're blocking with a damage shield, the block mitigation will not start applying until your damage shield is depleted.

When to Use a Damage Shield?

Damage shields are most effective against non-blockable damage, such as damage over time effects or unblockable attacks. Damage shields tend to have much higher values than healing abilities, making them a better option for mitigating damage that cannot be blocked. For example, if you're facing mostly non-blockable damage, casting a skill like Hardened Armor, which provides around 15k damage shields, would be much more valuable than casting Calculating Blood, which only heals for approximately 10k.

When Not to Block?

If you have a damage shield and you block an attack that deals less than the value of the damage shield, your block did nothing but waste your stamina. Your damage shield will take the full amount of damage regardless of whether or not you block. This means that in certain scenarios, it's best to not block, as the damage shield will take the full amount of damage regardless.

One fight where this strategy is particularly useful is against Majin Culturist as a Dragon Knight. With DK's strong damage shields like Igneous Shield and Hardened Armor, you may find yourself rarely needing to block. However, if you're using the World Master Champion Point, your block becomes worth using even when under the effect of a damage shield. World Master reduces all damage you take while blocking under the effect of a damage shield by 10%. This means that if you're using this champion point, you have to flip your mentality and continue blocking as normal, even when you're under the effect of damage shields.

Conclusion

Damage shields are a great way to protect yourself from incoming damage in ESO. By understanding when your damage shield is enough to protect you, you can save a lot of stamina. Damage shields are less effective against blockable damage and more effective against non-blockable damage such as damage over time effects. When using the World Master champion point, you must continue blocking as normal, even when you're under the effect of damage shields. By understanding how to use damage shields correctly, you can maximize their effectiveness and become a better player in ESO.