Summary
Dark and Darkeris a free to playco-operative dungeon crawlerthat features both PvE and PvP gameplay. This is an MMORPG that doesn’t attempt to be everything to everyone. Instead, it does one thing very well: It enables solo or teams of players to enjoy some classic dungeon hack and slash gameplay.
Shields have two uses in thisco-op MMORPG. Firstly, they can be used defensively to add armor rating to the player’s build. Secondly, they can be used proactively in combat to block and slam opponents. Depending on the player’s build and preferred playing style, they may prefer certain shields to others. For those unsure of what to pick, here isevery shield available inDark and Darker, ranked from worst to best.
7Buckler
A Basic Shield
The Buckler is a basic shield that can be used by the Bard, Fighter, or Clericclasses inDark and Darker. Though it may not be the most enticing shield available for players to make use of, a Buckler in the right hands does have its uses later in the game if no better option is available.
With great guard and shield slam percentages, it is excellent for defensive builds. And with just a small player movement debuff, it doesn’t impact mobility in battle very much at all. The downside with the Buckler is that its base armor rating is quite low.
6Heater Shield
A Mid-Game High Armor Rated Shield
The Heater Shield isusable by Fighters,Warlocks, and Clerics. In many ways, it is the opposite of the Buckler. Where the Buckler is a very active shield with great guard and block stats but a low armor rating, the Heater Shield has a great armor rating but low guard.
This shield is best carried by characters who simply want to enhance the armor rating totheir preferred buildwithout having to actively use the shield in combat. It is a solid shield for any player to use until they can get hold of a legendary or artifact replacement later.
5Pavise
Like Standing Behind A Wall
The Pavise is usable by either the Fighter orthe Ranger classinDark and Darker. This is a huge shield that acts more like movable cover. It has a great armor rating, but it is somewhat lacking in terms of active speed.
For players who enjoy taking on the tank role and don’t have access to one of the legendary shields, the Pavise is about as good as it gets. With the huge -50 player movement speed buff, it really is aimed at tanks who intend to stand in one place and soak up damage.
4Lantern Shield
Offers Utility And Defense
Usable by both the Bard and Fighter classes inDark and Darker, the Lantern Shield is completely different from all other shields in the game. The first reason for this is that it can be used as a light source by simply pressing “R” to turn it on and off. The second reason is that it is an offensive shield that can add to one’s DPS.
With the right timing, the player can trigger the blade attachment that is integral to the Lantern Shield. When the player manages to pull this off, it acts as a damage add for special attacks.
3Round Shield
Offers Balanced Defenses
The Round Shield inDark and Darkeris usable by the Fighter, Barbarian, and Cleric classes. It is perfect for players who want to carry a shield that cancover most situations acceptably well.
With its low player movement debuff and better-than-average guard stat, this shield is a great choice for new players who are not sure which direction they want to take their sword and board build yet.
2Delirium
The Artifact Version Of The Buckler
Delirium is the artifact version of the Buckler, making it a shield that is intended to be used proactively in combat by Fighters, Clerics, or Bards. This is a great upgrade over the basic Buckler if the player can manage to loot one.
With its excellent guard stat and the baked-in special that grants the player passive health regeneration, this is the best non-tank shield inDark and Darker. It may be somewhat lacking in defense, but it isn’t designed to be used that way.
1Aegis
The Artifact Version Of The Heater Shield
The Aegis is the artifact version of the Heater Shield inDark and Darker. This can be consideredan anti-mage shielddue to the backed-in special, which reflects incoming spell damage back on the caster.
However, this is a solid shield in its own right without the spell reflecting special. It has a decent armor rating and is quite capable of being used proactively in combat as well. Sure, there are better options for both the armor and combat shield roles, but as a single package, this is the most flexible shield inDark and Darker.
