Mordhau shields information (Patch #7) – defend stats & information, methods to use and counter shields

Mordhau’s number of shields is remarkably numerous each in measurement and by way of their potential for utterly shaking up Mordhau’s magnificently elaborate fight system. And now, Patch #7 has launched, giving shield-users some added mobility and high quality of life tweaks, so it’s a great time to get began on studying this facet of Mordhau’s fight. This Mordhau shields information is, I feel, a obligatory addition to our Mordhau collection, as a result of not solely have I seen many gamers asking what the purpose of shields is as they seem far too weak and cumbersome, however I’ve additionally heard the outcries of many a participant who’ve come up in opposition to a seasoned shield-user and don’t know what they may presumably have accomplished to beat them.

This information will stroll you thru every sort of defend on supply in Mordhau and the way all of them function, earlier than transferring onto some in-depth ideas and strategies each for utilizing shields to the most effective of your capability, and for countering shield-users and abusers.

One fast point out earlier than we dive into the world of tolerance values, flip caps, and held blocks: in the event you’re on the lookout for extra of an summary of this glorious medieval brawler, then try our Mordhau guide for explanations and tips about nearly the whole lot, alongside hyperlinks to each different a part of our Mordhau guides collection, from stats and opinions on the entire Mordhau weapons to my in-depth and superior Mordhau melee combat information, and way more.

Mordhau shields information (Patch #7) – defend stats, ideas, behaviours

You might imagine shields are the best facet of Mordhau’s fight system, however in actuality they’re something however – as you’ll quickly discover out. We’ve a good quantity to cowl right here, so be at liberty to make use of the hyperlinks under to skip forward to a specific part.

Mordhau shields information – contents

Mordhau shields overview – how they work, how they assist, how they hinder

Let’s begin with the plain query: why use a defend? It’s a sound level; they price additional factors to select up, so it’s best to know precisely what you’re getting out of it.

Shields will be outfitted in your off-hand when you wield a one-handed weapon, which suggests you should utilize any sort of defend (besides Pavise) alongside something from a Dagger as much as a Messer or Bastard Sword. There are 5 completely different shields at the moment in Mordhau, which will be damaged into two varieties (and one outlier):

• Held Block – This sort of defend is bigger than the opposite, and – uniquely – means that you can maintain down your block indefinitely, slightly than having to time it as you’d a traditional weapon parry. The Kite Shield and Heater Shield are each shields of this sort.
• Timed Block – This sort of defend can not maintain its block, and due to this fact acts very very similar to a weapon in that you need to time your block/parry correctly for it to be efficient. The Buckler and Targe are each shields of this sort.
• Pavise Shield – We received’t be speaking a lot concerning the Pavise Shield on this information, as a result of it isn’t actually a defend within the bizarre sense. You can’t block with it in any respect, however you’ll be able to click on to position it down into the bottom to supply some cowl to cover behind. It’s primarily an enormous cellular wall.

The professionals and cons of utilizing a defend differ relying on the kind you’re speaking about, however some traits are common. For one, they supply bigger areas with which to dam an assault than any weapon – they usually additionally usually function very forgiving “Block View Tolerances”, which suggests you don’t should be fairly so exact along with your defend placement to dam an assault. Shields are additionally helpful as a result of they’ll block projectiles and typically even melee assaults even while you’re not blocking with them – you’ll be able to carry a big defend in your again and it’ll usually shield you from enemy archer hearth and the like.

Held Block shields even have the huge good thing about – you guessed it – with the ability to maintain your block. We’ll go into this in additional depth in a second, however belief me: this utterly modifications the game, usually in favour of the defend person. However, the bigger your defend the extra of your display screen is obscured when you battle, which suggests you usually want a good suggestion of your opponent’s assault animations and positioning with the intention to keep consciousness of what’s happening in a battle when you’re blocking.

Targe & Buckler

We’ll get the Timed Block shields out of the best way now, as a result of they don’t really change the game up all that a lot. The majority of this information will concentrate on the Held Block shields and methods to use and counter them – however that doesn’t imply there isn’t a spot for the Targe or the Buckler in your character’s construct.

Both these shields work in roughly precisely the identical means, however the Buckler is near-objectively superior to the Targe. The solely advantages a Targe has over a Buckler are a decrease price, and a barely bigger space to dam with. The Buckler is the truth is the smallest defend on supply in Mordhau, however it enjoys a number of advantages, together with a excessive “Turn Cap”, and the most effective “Parry Drain Negation” of any defend (joint high of any weapon, too).

I ought to clarify what these phrases really imply. “Turn Cap” means how freely you’ll be able to flip the digicam when you’re blocking or attacking. All weapons have completely different Turn Cap values, and the identical is true with Shields. The decrease a Turn Cap, the extra restrictive it’s; which is why the Buckler’s excessive Turn Cap could be very helpful and offsets the drawback of its comparatively small space.

To perceive “Parry Drain Negation“, you even have to know “Stamina Drain“. When you block an enemy’s assault, you lose a little bit of Stamina. The quantity of Stamina you lose is the same as the attacker’s “Stamina Drain”, minus your weapon’s (or defend’s) “Parry Drain Negation”. For instance, in the event you block a Zweihander’s assault along with your Dagger, you’ll lose 20-6=14 Stamina (rather a lot), whereas in the event you block a Dagger’s assault along with your Zweihander, you’ll lose 15-13=2 Stamina (not a lot in any respect).

All shields vary from 11 to 13 “Parry Drain Negation”, which makes them excellent at absorbing stamina injury. And none is best than the Buckler, whose PDN of 13 outshines even the large Kite Shield and Heater Shield.

Heater Shield & Kite Shield

Now it will get fascinating. There’s an terrible lot happening with the Heater Shield and the Kite Shield, so let’s get caught in.

First, their stats. The Heater Shield is the cheaper of the 2, which suggests you’ll be able to count on the Kite Shield to be the simpler defend – which it’s. Not solely is it bigger in space, however it has a better “Parry Drain Negation” worth and makes it simpler to dam assaults directed at your legs and toes. Much just like the Targe/Buckler debate, the one actual cause to select a Heater Shield over a Kite Shield is in the event you can’t afford the latter.

Now, let’s speak about how utilizing these shields really works. With such a defend outfitted, you’ll be able to maintain down your block button with the intention to block indefinitely till both you’re interrupted by one thing (a profitable assault or kick, or getting disarmed), otherwise you launch block. Simple, proper?

Not fairly. You can’t assault when you’re holding down block, besides while you riposte (assault simply after you block your opponent’s assault). Riposting additionally lowers your block, so bear in mind to carry block once more in time in your opponent’s subsequent assault. You’ll additionally discover that in the event you miss an assault, then you definately’ll be locked out of blocking for a short while (very similar to regular: in the event you miss with a weapon, it’s a short while earlier than you’ll be able to parry once more, which is why lacking an assault is so pricey in Mordhau).

The different huge factor price noting is that, like all defend or any weapon, blocking shall be utterly ineffective in opposition to kicks. If somebody kicks you, the one method to block it’s to relax (which extraordinarily few gamers have the reactions or the wherewithal to do deliberately). This makes kicking very highly effective in opposition to Heater Shield or Kite Shield customers.

How to counter shields and defend customers in Mordhau

I’m gonna do one thing a bit unusual right here, and begin with methods to counter defend customers (by which I imply “Held Block” shields; the “Timed Block” shields aren’t actually price speaking about in such element). Once you’ve learn by way of all this, I’ll offer you some tips about mitigating these weaknesses.

But whether or not you’re right here to make use of shields or to counter them, the most effective concept shall be to learn each sections so you understand what to anticipate out of your opponent.

• Make good use of kicks. The most evident counter to gamers who continually cover behind their shields is to kick. This could be very efficient because it stuns them and virtually at all times leads to a free hit so long as you combo right into a thrust (due to this fact that is greatest while you’re utilizing a weapon that favours thrusts, resembling a Spear or Estoc). However, the kick has a brief vary even after its buff in opposition to held blocks in Patch 6 (Patch 7 introduced the vary down once more; try the main points in our Mordhau patch notes/future content information), and an honest enemy shall be ready for this.
• Chamber-morph-cancel-kick-thrust. Catchy identify, proper? Here’s an efficient and highly effective method to make kicks work once more as soon as your enemy has tailored to them. Bait their assault (often a thrust), chamber it, morph right into a strike – this encourages them to dam slightly than to chamber with one other thrust – however as a substitute of following by way of along with your chamber-morph, instantly cancel it and kick. Your enemy will almost at all times nonetheless be in shut proximity to you after their preliminary assault, and they’re going to very hardly ever count on you to cancel your assault and kick as a substitute. After you’ve surprised them, comply with up with a stab to the face.
• Drags and good footwork might help get across the sides of shields. The different huge factor to include into your fights in opposition to defend abusers is cautious mixture of drags and footwork. If you’ve learn my Mordhau melee combat information, you’ll know all about dragging your strikes with the intention to get round an opponent’s parry. Not solely can bizarre drags usually greatest an inexperienced defend person, however sure sorts of drags will work effectively even in opposition to wonderful defend customers. One of the most effective examples is what known as the “waterfall” approach, the place you carry out and overhead strike, however by way of cautious positioning of your blade and good footwork, you make the blow land on the opposite facet of the opponent than the place you began. Check out this page for examples.
• Exploit their misses. No, that isn’t as morally questionable as saying it aloud makes it sound. What this implies is doing the whole lot you’ll be able to to make them miss their assaults, as a result of that is once they’re at their most weak as a result of delay earlier than they’ll block once more. The Dodge perk is superb for this; bait an assault from them, then concurrently dodge backwards and wind up your individual thrust. Most defend customers don’t know methods to take care of this correctly.
• Play the Stamina game. This will depend on your weapon. You would possibly suppose defend customers have the benefit in terms of “stamina-offs”, however really there are lots of weapons with a “Parry Drain Negation” that matches a Buckler’s or Kite Shield’s – and people weapons usually have a better “Stamina Drain” than what your opponent may have in the event that they’re restricted to one-handed weapons. For instance, a Maul has a Stamina Drain/PDN of 24/13, whereas a Kite Shield and Messer person may have a Stamina Drain/PDN of 19/13. In this case, if neither opponent lets themselves get hit, then the Maul person has the sting – however keep in mind you’ll need to make use of parries and ripostes slightly than chambers if you need this to work correctly.

Mordhau defend ideas and methods

Now we’ll undergo some superior defend strategies to assist fight the plain weaknesses that include utilizing shields.

• You can riposte with a kick. Something a big portion of Mordhau’s playerbase doesn’t really know, as a result of for no matter cause while you riposte-kick it doesn’t flip your reticule hole as regular with ripostes. But sure – you’ll be able to certainly riposte with a kick as a substitute of a weapon assault, which could be very helpful while you’re utilizing a defend, just because it’s not anticipated, and likewise as a result of the enemy is often attempting to get as near you as attainable to allow them to kick you themselves. Beat them to the punch with this nifty approach.
• Learn to dam on the final second such as you would with a weapon. Shields appeal to an awesome many newcomers at first as a result of it’s seen as a shortcut previous the “Panic-Parry” stage that everybody goes by way of when studying the game. But what you’re really doing while you block, except for the whole lot else, is obscuring your imaginative and prescient. And the sooner you block, the much less you’ll be able to see what your opponent is doing, which suggests they could be winding up an ideal waterfall for all you understand. Don’t simply block instantly after your assault; having eyes on the enemy is extraordinarily necessary.
• Wait for the opponent’s assault to land. If you cease blocking with out ready for the audio cue of the enemy’s assault touchdown, then you definately’ll possible get punished by drag-attacks. Listen out for the affect; solely then is it your time to behave.
• Pick up the Dodge perk to keep away from predictability. Just as Dodge is helpful in opposition to shield-users for its shock issue and skill to interrupt the stream of fights, so too does the perk profit shield-users themselves. Not solely can it’s utilized in precisely the identical means as talked about above, however it’s additionally a last-ditch escape in the event you’ve tousled your timing or assault, otherwise you’ve been disarmed. It additionally simply makes you much less predictable, which suggests your opponent shall be compelled to train extra warning.
• Choose your weapon very fastidiously. Many gamers choose the Short Spear for its attain and stabbing potential, however in opposition to an honest participant you’ll need one thing greater than perpetual thrusts. Likewise with the Rapier, which doesn’t even take pleasure in prolonged vary. My weapon of selection is sort of at all times both the Bastard Sword (sooner, cheaper) or the Messer (greater attain, extra injury) as a result of – for one-handed weapons – they’ve completely implausible injury even in opposition to Heavy Armour, and since their Stamina Drain could be very respectable, which helps you significantly in prolonged fights.

Aaaaaaaaaaand I feel we’ll cease there. That ought to be greater than sufficient to be getting on with, and I don’t need to overload you with info. The lengthy and in need of it’s {that a} 1v1 with a Heater or Kite Shield concerned is a very completely different beast from a non-shield 1v1, and there’s a complete new algorithm to think about in these conditions; however, as at all times, the victor will go to those that can break the stream of the battle and keep away from predictability.