Small Shields

In the last couple of updates, we've slowly been gaining more weapons and items to help us in combat. Where swords and bows used to be the only weapons useful in combat, we now have a theme to our combat items. 2 melee weapons (Sword and Axe), 2 ranged weapons (Bow and Crossbow) and 1 melee/ranged weapon (Trident). With all of this, we still only have one type of shield, and one that is rarely used outside of deflecting arrows, at that.

This is where the small shield comes in. The small shield is crafted like so and would provide a new item for players to use in PVE and PVP combat situations. It would be the counterpart to the large shield, or the current shield that we have in the game. Below is a list of the traits that this shield has and how it is used:

Usage: You use the shield by pressing your place/use button just before or during an attack and if the block is timed correctly, you will take zero/reduced damage based on the type of attack.

Cooldown: The shield would have a nearly unnoticeable 1-second cooldown after you blocked with the shield, preventing continuous spamming of the shield in combat situations.

Movement Penalty: Unlike the large shield, one of the things that makes the small shield so good is the fact that the movement penalty when using the shield is heavily reduced, dropping your speed by a smaller (5-10% penalty total) amount when blocking and not cancelling your sprint while using it, allowing you to move around at a higher and more frequent rate to deal with (a) a large group of mobs or (b) another player in a pvp situation.

Damage Reduction: The shield would block different values of damage based on their source. Some examples are:

• General Melee Attacks (Zombies, Spiders, Etc.): 100% Damage Reduction if blocked properly.
• Sword Strokes: 100% Damage Reduction if blocked properly.
• Axe Blows: 100% Damage Reduction if blocked, 90% Damage Reduction if shield is broken and shield is disabled for 5 seconds.
• Projectiles: 50% Damage Reduction. One of the changes to still make large shields useful if you are attempting to block arrows/tridents.
• Potions: 0% Damage Reduction/Potions will still effect the user even if blocked properly.
• Fall Damage: 0% Damage Reduction.
• Suffocation: 0% Damage Reduction.
• Fire/Lava: 0% Damage Reduction.

Backstabbing: The shield will not protect you if you are attacked from the opposite direction of which the shield is facing/blocking.

Durability: 337, Much like the large shield.

Look: The small shield would have an iron-and-wood design similar to the large shield and be slightly smaller with a more 'round' look. It is based off of a buckler shield from real life.

Trading: Armorers could sell this shield at the same price/level as a large shield.

Patterns: Banner patterns could be applied to the shield, although it would only show the center of the banner.

Repairing: The shield could be repaired in an anvil with wood planks much like a large shield, or could be combined in a grindstone.

Enchantments: Unbreaking, Mending, Thorns.

Unbreaking: Unbreaking could be applied to your shield through an enchantment table or enchanted books and cause the shield to take more hits. Small Shield and Large Shield.

Mending: Mending could be applied to your shield through enchanted books in order to regain durability when collecting experience. Small Shield and Large Shield.

Thorns: Thorns could be applied to your shield through an enchantment table or enchanted books and deal damage to monsters/players who hit the shield during a successful block. Small Shield and Large Shield.

Curses: The curse of vanishing could effect this shield, but not the curse of binding.