Block useless? : V - Skyrim

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:12 am

ok so i svck at it as at around lv 20 my block skill is still lv 10

The solution is simple, just have wolves attack you while your shield is up, or better yet, a skeleton as they're embarrassingly wimpy!

This is incorrect. I can't even come close to blocking 85% of all arrows.

But block is the best skill in the game, overall.

Not so, as the arrows actually fall to the ground in front of you!

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 9:26 am

Weapon Blocking works just fine -- in fact, you can block better with a weapon at a high skill than you can with an iron shield.

100 Block skill:
Daedric Shield - 63% damage resist
Any weapon (they are all the same) - 60%
Iron Shield - 56%

The Shield Wall perks all act like +10 Fortify Blocking enchants, i.e., with a rank of 3 in Shield Wall, you will block with a 2H hammer for 78% damage resist at skill 100. The descriptions for the perk are incorrect in-game. Note that the cap for active blocking is 85%, which stacks with AR, and you can easily hit the cap with a potent fortify block enchant or a couple of perks and a high skill level. If you have your AR capped (80%) and your blocking capped (85%), then you will only take 3% of the damage you would with no equipment -- a 100 damage attack does 3 damage instead.

Also, bashing with weapons does a bunch more damage than bashing with shields. The better material weapon and block skill you have, the more damage you will bash for. If you have a daedric warhammer, a 100 skill, and the deadly bash perk, a bash will do 102 damage per smack! :smile:

-Loth

Half an hour of searching and reading through this thread to find out the answer to my question - regarding damage reduction being 85% max TOTAL or 85% on armor coupled with 85% on block to end up with approx 3%. I do plan on reaching the armor cap and didn't want my block to be a bunch of wasted perks.

Thank you, I will not trash my character now.

So as to provide something useful instead of just a thank you -

I found this mod on the Nexus which fixes the bug on Deflect arrows - namely that having deflect arrows gives you 85% damage reduction to all physical damage rather than 100% DR to arrows that hit the shield. The only drawback to this particular mod is that it no longer checks against whether or not the arrow actually hit the shield - it just blocks 100% of arrow damage when blocking. It could be slightly OP, but it's not mroe OP than the current situation, which just breaks blocking entirely. You could also probably load up the CK and adjust the 100% damage vaue to 85% or 90% if you were feeling ambitious.

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=7740

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:54 am

If you go two-handed it is not vey important, but you still have good use of the bashing. If you use a shield it can be very good if you perk it.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:43 am

Really and truly you take Blocking to be able to Bash. Dodging attacks is superior to Blocking them. You can do this at level 1 and it requires no Stamina to perform and you take no damage at all. The reason you would use a Shield is if you use 1H weapons and do not want to dual-wield and be able to Bash, plus it is an extra piece of Armor you can put stats on. Don't even bother with Blocking Perks, take the Bashing ones. You can use these with 1H or 2H weapons.

Yeah, bashing works especially well on those pesky spellcasters. You don't even need a bashing perk to interrupt their spells, just a plain old bash will do the trick. I may try some of the power bashing perks. I was avoiding them because someone said it is better to save your stamina for power attacks, but I have a hard time hitting anything with a power attack cause power attacks are so slow.

EDIT: re the OP, if you are not blocking enough damage with your shield, you can always take the Deflect Arrows perk, which is bugged and will block maximum damage from all sources, not just arrows. May folks avoid it for that reason.

» Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:22 pm

I saw the title and went B***h Please IRL.

Block is my main skill. Yes, moreso than one-handed, or armour, or archery. It's all about block. Being able to run with your shield up, shield bash without losing too much stamina, counter arrows, magic and even power attacks without getting harmed severely, and bash the lights out of tough enemies to get a chance to strike makes for lovely, excellent combat.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:38 am

I feel imminent rage in saying this, but I think blocking is INSANELY OP. Killing troll with no shield = hard, with shield = lolwut? EASY
Same with Giants too. I think it makes the game a little too easy

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:37 am

Blocking is overpowered because of Deflect Arrows perk.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:00 pm

I love these:

http://carnagepro.com/pics/die3dragon.jpg
http://carnagepro.com/pics/diedragon.jpg

That shield is Spellbreaker and those are both Ancient Dragons. Power bashing them allows me to attack in the face of an Ancient Dragon's very powerful shout/blast. I am high level and the Dark Elf is very tough but I depend on my shield to attack them from the front. Which is how you get Dragon kill animations.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:05 am

I feel imminent rage in saying this, but I think blocking is INSANELY OP. Killing troll with no shield = hard, with shield = lolwut? EASY
Same with Giants too. I think it makes the game a little too easy

LOL. I don't use a shield for trolls. It's a kill ani for me about 1/3 the time. I have killed three in under 15 seconds.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:39 am

Yeah, that Deflect Arrow bug made a huge diff to my character, who's not primarily a board-n-shield and tries to avoid typical melee. I use a shield when forced into melee and before I got that perk it was still a challenge in melee (even with quick reflexes and power bash), as it should be, but I suddenly found myself almost invincible. I'd been pacing the smithing/enchanting to prevent OP, but that perk unknowingly caused essentially the same problem.

Because of it, I've all but halted progress in the smithing/enchanting tree and improving my gear in hopes that the level scaling eventually restores some meaningful melee challenge. I'd consider not using it, to restore some balance, but blocking with a shield in melee is just too damn fun as an occassional switch from the more passive stealth.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:18 am

get 100 and you become a freight train.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:19 am

For simple gameplay reasons, block is also very good. It simply makes fighting more fun.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:28 pm

I`m late in this, but at first I thought blocking was useless with just a 2-Handed sword, but lately, now I`m getting up in levels and choose 1 perk in Block, it actually helped.

I was in a thin corridor being attacked by 2 Thalmor soldiers and a mage. In desperation I tried to block the 1st Thalmor and it actually worked! I lost almost no health at all. This tactic delayed things long enough for me to actually win the battle.

So I think it`s just patience and developing skills.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 6:41 am

There's nothing I can say that hasnt already been sed BUT i'm gonna say it anyway...

I play warrior with 2 handed weapons and in the time it takes to swing that thing I'v been attacked 3 or 4 times but bashing staggers opponents which I can bash multiple enemies and that sets up for attack.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:02 am

There's nothing I can say that hasnt already been sed BUT i'm gonna say it anyway...

I play warrior with 2 handed weapons and in the time it takes to swing that thing I'v been attacked 3 or 4 times but bashing staggers opponents which I can bash multiple enemies and that sets up for attack.

Yep, and you don't even need as single block perk to do that. Bashing also takes down wards and interrupts spells.