Is the new Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, too difficult? Opinions are mixed, but fortunately, there are many options to make the DLC more doable if you're struggling. One of them that's particularly beloved by the community right now is one of the new weapons introduced in said DLC: thrusting shields.
The Elden Ring community has reached a consensus: these shields are good. Real good. There are dozens of threads on the Elden Ring subreddit praising them over the last few weeks, with one thread in particular shooting to the top of the subreddit in recent days with the following subject: "New Thrusting shields are the strongest weapons in the entire game and it's not even close. NG+ DLC was absolutely obliterated. Thrusting shields can be enchanted with any affinity/damage type that makes them extremely versatile. And it's just so much fun to slap the grace out of every single boss!"
Based on all the upvotes and comments, the community agrees. Some people are even suggesting the shields are too good, and that they're bugged, though other players insist their excellence is intended behavior.
If you're not familiar with thrusting shields, this new weapon type was added in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC along with other weapons like perfume bottles, hand-to-hand arts, and throwing blades. Unfortunately, there are only two of these shields in the entire game: the Dueling Shield and the Carian Thrusting Shield. These shields allow players to both attack and defend at once, and two-handed thrusting shield builds are especially powerful, allowing players to perform lunging stabs that deal major damage, all while still guarding from enemy attacks. And when you throw certain talisman or flask benefits on top of that (such as the Two-Handed Sword Talisman or the Deflecting Hardtear), the build becomes even more powerful.
Thrusting shields are so good, they enabled one player to beat Messmer...using a saxophone as a controller.
WE DOOTED HIM
— Dr. Doot ? (@DrDecomposing) June 28, 2024
At long last: after only 30 minutes of trying, I defeated Messmer the Impaler using an electric saxophone as a controller.
No summons. Just doots and the Carian Thrusting Shield.
This DLC is a masterpiece. pic.twitter.com/dX42XFYDRD
Regardless of how you feel about the thrusting shield build, it was inevitable that with time and practice people would find ridiculous new build combos in Shadow of the Erdtree that allow for "cheese" boss strats. Brutal as the expansion can be, tricks like this can help players push through its most challenging fights. That, or just finding enough Scadutree Fragments like everyone keeps telling them to.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
