Who knew shields were so complicated?
by Matthew Rossi 
Mar 3rd 2008 at 3:00PM
Reader Mike emailed in to ask us a question that we've long contemplated on the vagaries of Shields. Specifically, he was wondering why he and a warrior buddy both had different multipliers for block on their character window, but both blocked for approximately the same amount. Well, since I'm a prot warrior and therefore love shields and want to make little shield babies with them, I figured I'd provide some information.Using a shield means you have to keep track of two separate stats. The first is Block Rating, which is the percentage multiplier on the character window: it tells you the chance for you to block an attack against a mob at your level. The various Block Rating on gear like the Battleworn Tuskguard or Bulwark of the Amani Empire (both pictured to the right) add to your chance to block an incoming attack the same way that Crit rating adds to your chance to crit or Defense rating adds to your ultimate Defense score. You can even see that the nice folks at Wowhead have done the math for us on how the rating converts to chance to block. Block rating, however, only tells you half of the story.
If you look again at the helmet and shield I linked, you'll also see that they have a stat that reads "Equip: Increases the Block Value of your Shield by 51." This is known as Block Value, and it is the meat of the block mechanic. Block value is the amount of damage you can absorb on a typical shield block, unmodified by talents. Warriors have a talent called "Shield Mastery" that increases the damage absorbed by up to 30%, and the WoWWiki link takes you to the exact new math caused by this talent or the various Paladin or Shaman ones, but my eyes start to bleed when I look at formulas. At any rate, block value is important for both tanking classes that use shields because it tells how much damage the shield is absorbing on a block, and it's important for a warrior because Shield Slam, one of our big threat moves, is increased by the block value (not the rating) the character possesses.
So there you go: shields, and why I would raise a whole household of the little buggers if I could.
Filed under: Paladin, Shaman, Warrior, Analysis / Opinion, Talents
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ENIGMA Mar 3rd 2008 3:27PM
Glad to see someone finaly trying to get this point across. Other tanks don't seem to realize that they can get as much block rating as they damn well please, but if they don't have the block value to back it up, it doesn't help much at all.
Manatank Mar 3rd 2008 5:52PM
While this might be true for a warrior, block rating is the cheapest way to become uncrushable for a paladin (a concern that warriors don't have because of shield block's +75% chance to block). Even without a high block value, a block instead of a crush is a big deal. A blocked hit is normal damage minus block value, but a crush is 150% of normal damage. So, blocking rating is still worth stacking until crushes are pushed off the hit table.
Mike Mar 3rd 2008 4:48PM
Good info, thanks for the response.
Lab Monkey Mar 3rd 2008 3:50PM
I'm still unclear as to why the litter of shieldspawn would be so desirable but thanks for pointing out the two stats to keep in mind.
Matthew Mar 3rd 2008 3:52PM
As a prot war who just recently dinged 70, I have to say that it's odd that there aren't any (or am I missing someting) max-level BOE blue or purple shields. I've had awful luck getting shields to drop from instances, so I'm still using a Wayward Footman. The Wayward Footman is nice, but it feels weird to be using a 65 blue when I'm 70. I suppose I should start grinding out the Crest of the Sha'tar.
p-diddy Mar 3rd 2008 3:56PM
or just wait for a 71-level green quest reward when Wrath comes out. ;-)
-p-
Matthew Rossi Mar 3rd 2008 3:59PM
Shields you can look for while grinding for that shield:
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=32522 is a random drop off of a mob in Blade's Edge.
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=32652 is a rep reward for doing the Ogri'la dailies, which you may want to do anyway for the gold.
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=31490 is a good shield from a questline you'll need to do anyway if you intend to grind Netherwing faction at some point.
Also keep the PvP shields in mind, (Gladiator Shield Wall, available for Honor points if you feel like grinding out some Battlegrounds) as well as the Azure Shield of Coldarra available for a fairly affordable 33 badges.
Ghantu Mar 3rd 2008 4:15PM
I had terrible luck with the Shadow Labyrinth shield too, so I recommend http://www.wowhead.com/?item=31490 -- it's a quest reward, and it's the quest that'll get you started on Netherwing rep too, so it's doubly recommended.
Solnova Mar 3rd 2008 4:54PM
There's also a pretty good shield in bot, but yeah, just keep hammering away at that sha'tar rep. (and stay away from the badge shield...it's just not good enough to merit the badges. keep em for your pants, dude.)
Ironhide Mar 3rd 2008 5:01PM
Crest of the Shatar or better yet, the Season 1 shield.
I have the 33 badge shield right now and am grinding out the S1 shield which is significantly better.
Fearless Mar 3rd 2008 4:00PM
Thank you for writing this up, Matthew, it makes explaining things to people a lot easier.
Part of the problem has been Blizzard's design of the character frame. Up until very recently (maybe 2.3?) it was only showing block *rating*, and block value was nowhere to be seen. AddOns such as TankPoints were the only way to see block value numbers outside of combat. Even now, one has to mouse over the block rating info to see the amount of block value. All of this has led a lot of people to confuse the two.
If my understanding of Paladin tanking is accurate (I'm a prot warrior, I just go by what my prot pally friends tell me), they don't have an on-use shield block ability like warriors, but instead rely on high block rating and a talent that gives them a *chance* to block four attacks (Redoubt, or some such). So paladin tanks benefit from stacking block rating, while prot warriors benefit from stacking block *value*.
Manatank Mar 3rd 2008 5:47PM
No, we have redoubt (the chance on hit to have 5 charges of +30% chance to block), and holy shield (8 charges of +30% chance to block for 8 seconds with an 8 second cool down). Prot pallies keep holy shield up all the time, and our uncrushability calculations factor in its 30% chance to block (35% with a badge reward libram), but we never rely on redoubt.
That said, as after we become uncrushable, many prot paladins stack block value as means to decrease incoming physical damage.
Arturis Mar 3rd 2008 4:52PM
Huzzah for the little shield babies! You made my morning, Matt! /silly lives on! ^_^
dpak Mar 3rd 2008 8:31PM
Do not underestimate the importance in Block value in sheild slam.
This is not just one of the best threat builders for warriors, but possibly THE best, once you get some good block value.
Acceptable Risk Mar 4th 2008 1:43AM
I've never played a class that actually uses a shield, so perhaps someone could answer me this. What's the point of putting the "Equip: Increases the block value of your shield by X" on a shield itself? Why not just increase the built in block value by that much instead of having an "Equip:" effect?
Is there some kind of shield block value multiplier that only works on base shield block value the way Bear Form works with base armor?
superfrank Mar 4th 2008 6:01AM
Its to do with item level - there is an inherent amount of armour and block value that a shield of a certain item level will have; a shield with an "Equip: block value" stat on it has extra block value than other shields with the same amount of armour.
Angus Mar 4th 2008 8:40AM
Matthew:
You forgot a small factor of block value. So small I understand why. It will add up over time though.
Strength.
http://www.wowwiki.com/Formulas:Block
Notice the formula for determining block value has (str/20 -1).
That means if you have 400 Str you will add 19 block value. Not much, I know.
However most tanking gear has Str built in because it adds to threat and mitigation this way. Tankadin gear, not so much.
Good write up.
Bootsanator May 31st 2008 11:54AM
Hi. I'm all of the new shattered sun dailies. Do me, and you get the Dawnforged Defender when you ding exalted, which doesn't take that long.
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=34676