Shield

Shields are defensive tools used for protecting the player against attacks.

Crafting
Unlike other items with durability, shields cannot be repaired by crafting two together. They can be repaired by adding a pattern to it or using wood planks in the anvil.

Usage
Shields are used for blocking incoming attacks. one causes the player to slow to a sneaking pace, and any attacks targeting the player on the shield's side while it is being used will deal significantly less damage. As a result, even if you block an attack, any armor you wear will still lose durability.

For melee attacks, the shield protects 90 degrees to the left and right of the center of the player's body. Shields can protect the player vertically, although protection from damage below the player is limited to 45 degrees. Skeletons' arrows damage the player the same as melee attacks, however they are more accurate.

Shields are effective against melee attacks and 'solid' projectiles (e.g arrows). They can reduce damage from Blaze fireballs, but they will not prevent you from catching on fire. Damage reduction from fireballs shot by Ghasts can only occur if the fireball collides with the center of the shield. This does stop the resulting explosion and fire.

Shields will block Creeper explosions, but will not block explosions from TNT and TNT minecarts.

Applying patterns
Unlike with banners, shields cannot be repainted or washed in a cauldron.

Trivia

 * Curiously, custom shield textures do not use textures from the banner directory, but use a separate directory called entity\shield.
 * The resolution of the shield texture itself is only half the size of the banner texture, leading to a loss of resolution in banner designs placed on the shield.
 * Shields will not stop arrows from sticking into the player.
 * Due to a bug, the shield will lose some durability depending on the color chosen.

Gallery
Schild (Kampf) Bouclier