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This feature is exclusive to Java Edition. 

Shields are tools used for protecting the player against attacks.

Obtaining

Crafting

Ingredients Crafting recipe
Any Wood Planks +
Iron Ingot

Repairing

Ingredients Crafting recipe Description
Damaged Shield


The durability of the two shields is added together, plus an extra 5% durability. The repaired shield has no pattern.

Shields may also be repaired on an anvil by adding wood planks.

Usage

Defense

Shields are used for blocking incoming attacks. Using one causes the player to slow to a sneaking pace, and after four ticks, blockable attacks coming from in front of the player will deal no damage. When the shield blocks an attack, it takes damage equal to the strength of the attack (rounded down) plus 1. Some non-damage effects of ranged attacks (such as being set on fire by a fireball, or poisoned by a poisonous arrow) are prevented, while others (such as being set on fire by a flaming arrow) are not. Knockback from both melee attacks and projectiles is entirely nullified, while knockback from explosions is reduced to about one block. When a melee attack is blocked, the attacker will be knocked back slightly (one block away).

The shield blocks any directional attacks coming from up to (but not including) 90° away from the horizontal direction the player is facing, i.e. it covers almost a full hemisphere in front of the player. The player's vertical rotation normally makes no difference to the direction of blocked attacks, however a player facing straight up or straight down might be unable to block attacks from any direction. Similarly, an attack coming from directly above or directly below cannot be blocked as it has no horizontal direction.

Blockable attacks include mob/player melee attacks, arrows, fireballs, thrown items such as snowballs, damage from Thorns, and some explosions (e.g. creeper explosions or TNT ignited by another player are blockable, but not TNT ignited by yourself or by a redstone mechanism).

If attacked by an axe, use of the shield may be disabled for 5 seconds. The shield also does not block for 0.25 seconds after being selected.

When hit by an arrow, the arrow can ricochet off the shield and hit other entities.

Applying patterns

Ingredients Crafting recipe Description
Shield +
Matching Banner


Applies the banner pattern to the shield. The banner is consumed.
The shield must have no preexisting patterns.
Does not change existing durability or enchantments on the shield.

Unlike with banners, shields cannot be repainted or washed in a cauldron. Shields have only half the resolution of banners, making patterns look slightly different. In the game files, the pattern textures can be found in a separate directory called entity/shield.

Shields with patterns can also be obtained using the same commands as banners, except banner has to be replaced with shield.

Enchantments

A shield can receive the following enchantments, but only through an anvil:

Advancements

Icon Advancement In-game description Parent Actual requirements (if different) Resource location
Advancement-plain-rawNot Today, Thank You
Deflect a projectile with a Shield Suit UpBlock any projectile with a shield.story/deflect_arrow

History

release
1.915w33cAdded shields, which replace the blocking functionality of swords, although blocking more damage.
Their original crafting recipe included wool, producing 16 possible colored shields; there was no blank, uncolored shield.
Any of the colored base shields could be crafted with a banner of the same base color, to produce a patterned shield.
15w34cWhen an attack is blocked by a shield, the attacker may be knocked back.
Being attacked with an axe may disable shield use for 5 seconds.
15w37aThe crafting recipe was changed.
Crafting now produces a base wooden shield that can be crafted together with any banner.
Cooldown reduced from 0.5s to 0.25s.
Blocking now prevents some side effects.
Arrows now ricochet off shields
15w44aShields can be repaired by combining with other shields. This removes any banner that had been applied.
15w45aCrafting a banner onto a shield now consumes the banner.
15w47bAdded shield blocking sounds.
16w07aAdded more variation of shield blocking sounds.
1.9-pre1Increased durability from 181 to 337.
1.1116w33aCrafting a shield with a banner no longer changes the durability, nor does it remove enchantments from it.
16w35aShields now block 100% of damage dealt in melee combat.

Issues

Issues relating to "Shield" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia

  • Shields do not block Guardian lasers.
  • If a shield reduces an attack's damage to being less than 1♥, the player will still take damage and be knocked back, but no visual change on the health bar will occur, nor will the sound of being damaged be heard. It is not until these fractional damages add up to 1♥ or greater that the hurt sounds and visual changes in the health bar are present again.
  • In the Bedrock Edition, there is a box next to the player in the inventory allowing the use of shields; however, Bedrock lacks shields.

Gallery

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