Shields Minecraft is a simple yet useful defensive tool to aid in pixelated combat, used to block direct melee attacks or projectiles in a sandbox game. Minecraft shields are not upgradable so they suit everyone, but they can be customized with a banner to hide it in your own design.
Since caves in the survival game just got creepier with the Caves and Cliffs update, a shield is one of the first things you should consider before heading into the depths of the Minecraft world. Not only is it pretty cheap in resources, but since you can customize it, you also look pretty cool carrying it around. Here's everything you need to know about building, using and decorating a Minecraft shield.
How to make a shield in minecraft
To create a shield from scratch, you will need the following seven ingredients for your Minecraft shield recipe:
- 6 wooden planks
- 1x iron ingot
Arrange your six wooden planks in a Y shape in the crafting grid and then place the iron ingot in the top slot. If you have a damaged shield, it can be repaired either with an anvil or by combining two damaged shields in your crafting grid.
To repair a damaged Minecraft shield, simply place two damaged shields together on the crafting table and their durability will be combined.
How to use a shield in minecraft
Your newly crafted Minecraft shield is used to defend against enemies and other players. The best home for your shield is in the left hand slot and once equipped it can be quickly accessed using the Java Edition right click feature or crouching in Bedrock Edition to block incoming attacks however your movement speed will be greatly reduced when you crouch.
Outside of the short cooldown, Minecraft shields will block all frontal attacks. Preventing attacks with more than three damage (one and a half hearts) causes the shield to take damage equal to the strength of that attack, but your unique shield can be repaired before it breaks completely. Additionally, Minecraft shields can be used to deflect some incoming attacks, including arrows that ricochet and damage the enemy that fired them.
All effects that don't deal ranged damage, such as Ignite or Arrow Poison, are prevented when blocked by a shield. Knockback from melee attacks or projectiles is nullified, except for explosions, which are reduced to one block or less.
Minecraft's shield weakness is the ax attack - a hit will deactivate the shield for five seconds, leaving you vulnerable to incoming attacks. You can block the following attacks using your shield in Minecraft:
- Melee attacks
- Arrows (no piercing spell)
- fireballs
- tridents
- Snowballs
- Thorns
- Explosions
- TNT (not ignited by you or the redstone mechanism)
- Non-Magic Projectiles
- Guardian Lasers/Senior Guardians
Using your newly crafted Minecraft shield, you will be able to deflect melee attacks from hostile Minecraft mobs, prevent ranged damage, and recover quickly by using enchants or repairing your shield.
How to add a banner to a shield in minecraft
Whether you have a whimsical banner design to represent your foundation, or even just one simple color that matches your personality, you can easily apply it to your shield. All you need is a banner with your design and a shield. We have a separate guide on how to make a Minecraft banner, but once you get it, just place it on the crafting table next to your shield. Just like that one.
How to enchant a shield in minecraft
You can enchant shields in Minecraft using a Minecraft anvil or an enchantment table. The following Minecraft enchantments can be applied to your shield.
| Charms | Outcome |
| Curse of Extinction | Cursed shield will disappear when you die |
| ремонт | Restores a shield using your experience. |
| Indestructible | Increases the strength of your shield |
And that's all you need to know about Minecraft Shields. If you're looking for something different, our Minecraft brewing guide will give you all the potions you need to prepare for combat. Not sure about the differences between Minecraft Java and Bedrock? Read our guide to find out what makes these versions unique.
