Thoughts on Reworking Shields?

Instead of providing a passive armour bonus, how about tying it into the tactics line to provide a % chance to block/evade melee and projectile attacks. This makes a bit more intuitive sense as shields are meant to prevent a blow from landing not to absorb it. Something along the lines of for every point invested in Tactics you gain a 1.5% chance to block/evade. At a nominal 9 points this would provide a 13.5% chance. Additionally against AoE type spells it could provide a passive 1.5 armour increase for each point invested (this would make it close to what it already was).

Maybe there could be a few more skills related to shields as well in the Tactics line. Something like:

Barb Shield (preparation): 10e, 2s, 30s
For 10 to 45 seconds any foe striking you with a melee attack suffers from bleeding for 10 seconds.

Shield Thrust (attack): 10e, 0.5s, 60s
You hit target with shield causing no damage but knock them down (max 2s) and push them back 5 feet (this attack has a 0.75s ‘aftercast’).

Shield Wield (skill): 5a
For 5 seconds you follow-up your next attack immediately with a shield bash that does an extra 5 to 25 damage.

Shield Spin (skill): 10e, 1s, 20s
All adjacent foes are interrupted if they are attacking

“Vengeance will be mine!” (shout): 10e
For 5 to 20 seconds you gain 50% more adrenalin whenever you suffer damage.


Maybe there could be some different insignias/inscriptions that reduce a specific condition’s duration by up to 30% (I seem to recall seeing them in pve but not pvp) or the hex-reduction mod (20%) be made available to shields.

I think this would add some more options without making shields overly-powerful. Thoughts, ideas, criticisms, suggestions?

What exactly is wrong with a passive armor bonus?

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

This has been suggested many times. Its been agreed that it should not be added since there are already skills that allow for blocking and it would require a reworking of it.
Furthermore, compare this to the only other current passive shield bonus -5 %20. On averageThat nullifies 5 damage every 5 attacks. Your suggestionn would nullify ALL damage every 8 attacks. Its imbalanced.


Barbed sheild would make sever artery obsolete in PvE. Preperations are currently unique to rangers and I believe it should stay that way.
Sheild trust actually seems balanced considering the recharge time. But I mean, we already have shove.
Vengence will be mine seems like a crummy version of For Great Justice.