Shield Defense

Overview

Shield Defense is a defensive powerset released in Issue 13, it is available to Tankers, Scrappers, and Brutes. The original information release included Stalkers in the list to get Shields, but was corrected. [1]

Shield Defense is incompatible with the following powersets: Claws, Spines, Dual Blades, and Katana. When a shield is deployed, many emotes are blocked.

Your mastery over the shield protects you from all forms of attacks in the form of defense as well as some moderate damage resistance to most types of damage. Your training with the shield enables you to protect your nearby allies boosting their defenses.

Possible Shield Customizations.

Power Table

The Shield Defense powerset is available as a primary for Tankers, and as a secondary for Brutes and Scrappers. The following table shows which powers are available and at what level:

	Power	Level as Primary	Level as Secondary	Effect
	Deflection	1	1	Toggle: Self +DEF(Melee), +Res(Smash, Lethal)
	Battle Agility	1	2	Toggle: Self +DEF(Ranged, AoE), +Res(DEF Debuff)
	True Grit	2	4	Auto: Self +Res(Fire, Cold, Energy, Negative, Toxic), +Max Health
	Active Defense	6	10	Self +Res(Disorient, Hold, Immobilize, Sleep, Fear, Confuse, Repel, Knockback, DEF Debuff)
	Against All Odds	8	16	Toggle: PBAoE, Foe -DMG, Self +DMG
	Phalanx Fighting	12	20	Auto: Self +DEF(Melee, Ranged, AoE)
	Grant Cover	18	28	Toggle: PBAoE, Team (but not self) +DEF(All)
	Shield Charge	26	35	PBAoE, Superior DMG(Smash), Foe Knockdown, Self Teleport
	One with the Shield	32	38	Self +Res(All DMG but Psionics, Disorient, Sleep, Hold, Immobilize, Repel, Knockback), +Recovery, +Max Health

Powers

Active Defense

When you activate this power, it grants protection from Sleep, Disorient, Fear, Immobilize, Confusions, Repel, Knockback, Hold and Defense Debuff effects for a short duration. Recharge: Very Long

Recharge	Very Long
Minimum Level	10 (Brute)
	10 (Scrapper)
	6 (Tanker)
Effects	Self +Resistance(Disorient, Hold, Immobilize, Sleep, Fear, Confuse, Repel, Knockback, Defense Debuff)
Enhancements	Reduce Endurance Cost
	Increase Attack Rate
Set Categories	None

Against All Odds

The harder pressed you are in combat the greater your offensive abilities become. Each enemy that stands toe-to-toe with you in combat will grant you a damage bonus. The first foe you engage in melee grants the highest damage bonus, and up to 10 foes can contribute to this effect. Each foe in melee also suffer from reduced damage as your shield deflects a portion of their damage. Recharge: Slow

Recharge	Slow
Minimum Level	16 (Brute)
	16 (Scrapper)
	8 (Tanker)
Effects	Toggle: Point Blank Area of Effect
	Foe -Damage
	Self +Damage
Enhancements	Reduce Endurance Cost
	Increase Attack Rate
	Enhance Taunt Effectiveness
Set Categories	None

Battle Agility

Your incredible reflexes allow you to position your shield to deflect incoming ranged damage. While Deflection is active you will benefit from increased Ranged and AoE defense as well as some moderate protection from Defense Debuffs. Recharge: Fast

Recharge	Fast
Minimum Level	2 (Brute)
	2 (Scrapper)
	1 (Tanker)
Effects	Toggle: Self +Defense(Ranged, Area of Effect), +Resistance(Defense Debuff)
Enhancements	Enhance Defense Buffs
	Reduce Endurance Cost
	Increase Attack Rate
Set Categories	Defense

Deflection

Your mastery of the shield allows you to easily deflect melee attacks, and attacks that do get through your ironclad defenses tend to do less damage. While Active Defense is active the user will gain defense to melee attacks and some minor resistance to lethal and smashing damage. Recharge: Fast

Recharge	Fast
Minimum Level	1 (Brute)
	1 (Scrapper)
	1 (Tanker)
Effects	Toggle: Self +Defense(Melee), +Resistance(Smashing, Lethal)
Enhancements	Enhance Damage Resistance
	Enhance Defense Buffs
	Reduce Endurance Cost
	Increase Attack Rate
Set Categories	Defense
	Resist Damage

Grant Cover

You are able to use your shield to defend nearby allies. Any teammates who remain nearby gain a bonus to their defense. (NOTE: The defense bonus from this power is only applied to nearby team mates, but not yourself.) Recharge: Slow

Recharge	Slow
Minimum Level	28 (Brute)
	28 (Scrapper)
	18 (Tanker)
Effects	Toggle: Point Blank Area of Effect
	Team (but not self) +Defense(All)
Enhancements	Enhance Defense Buffs
	Reduce Endurance Cost
	Increase Attack Rate
Set Categories	Defense

One with the Shield

When you activate this power, you gain strong resistance against most types of damage and also to Disorient, Immobilization, Hold, Knockback, Repel and Sleep effects. One with the Shield costs little Endurance to activate and increases your recovery and maximum hit points for its duration, but when it wears off you are left exhausted, and substantially drained of Endurance. Note that One With the Shield is unaffected by Attack Rate changes. Recharge: Very Long

Recharge	Very Long
Minimum Level	38 (Brute)
	38 (Scrapper)
	32 (Tanker)
Effects	Self +Resistance(All Damage but Psionics, Disorient, Sleep, Hold, Immobilize, Repel, Knockback), +Recovery, +Max Health
Enhancements	Enhance Damage Resistance
	Reduce Endurance Cost
Set Categories	Resist Damage
	Healing/Absorb
	Endurance Modification

Phalanx Fighting

Fighting very near your allies allows you to deflect attacks much easier. You will gain a small bonus to your melee, ranged and area of effect defense this bonus grows for each ally near you. This power is always on and costs no endurance.

Note: The ingame description omits the fact the player gets a small unenhanceable bonus to melee, range and area of effect defense even without having allies in range.

Archetype	0 Allies (unenhanceable)	1 Allies (base value)	2 Allies (base value)	3 Allies (base value)
Brute	3.75%	6% (+2.25%)	8.25% (+2.25%)	10.5% (+2.25%)
Scrapper	3.75%	6% (+2.25%)	8.25% (+2.25%)	10.5% (+2.25%)
Tanker	5%	8% (+3%)	11% (+3%)	14% (+3%)

Minimum Level	20 (Brute)
	20 (Scrapper)
	12 (Tanker)
Effects	Auto: Self +Defense(Melee, Ranged, Area of Effect)
Enhancements	Enhance Defense Buffs
Set Categories	Defense

Shield Charge

You can throw all of your might behind your shield and charge through ranks of foes in the blink of an eye. Using this power allows you to teleport to a selected area to deal significant smashing damage to all foes in a long cone in front of you, most foes that are struck by your Shield Charge will be knocked down. Damage: Superior, Recharge: Very Long.

Recharge	Very Long
Damage	Superior (Smashing)
Minimum Level	35 (Brute)
	35 (Scrapper)
	26 (Tanker)
Effects	Point Blank Area of Effect
	Foe Knockdown
	Self Teleport
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy
	Enhance Damage
	Reduce Endurance Cost
	Enhance Knockback Distance
	Enhance Range
	Increase Attack Rate
	Enhance Taunt Effectiveness
Set Categories	PBAoE Damage
	Knockback
	Taunt (Tank/Brute Only)

True Grit

Your intense training has left you tougher than even the hardiest of heroes. You gain additional hit points and resistance to fire, cold, energy, negative energy and toxic damage sources. This power is always on and costs no Endurance.

Minimum Level	4 (Brute)
	4 (Scrapper)
	2 (Tanker)
Effects	Auto: Self +Resistance(Fire, Cold, Energy, Negative, Toxic), +Max Health
Enhancements	Enhance Heal
	Enhance Damage Resistance
Set Categories	Resist Damage
	Healing/Absorb

Historical

This section contains information about changes that took place in City of Heroes Freedom. It is provided for historical purposes.

• This set was added to the game in Issue 13.

External Links

• Shield Defense for Brutes at Titan Network's RedTomax
• Shield Defense for Scrappers at Titan Network's RedTomax
• Shield Defense for Tankers at Titan Network's RedTomax