Iron Gate Unveils Shield and Blocking Tweaks Coming in Valheim 'Hearth and Home' DLC

A new spotlight video from Iron Gate Studios, the developer of Valheim, outlined how blocking will be affected in the new DLC.

The video was uploaded to the official Iron Gate YouTube channel early on Monday, Aug. 23, and followed suit with other short spotlight clips. At just under a minute long, the studio's narrator explained how each specific type of shield will be affected once Hearth and Home officially drops. This DLC will be the first major content update for the game—which provides a unique opportunity for developers to make major system changes.

Iron Gate Unveils Shield and Blocking Tweaks

According to the spotlight, each different type of shield will correspond to a different type of gameplay. The shields covered in the video are:

• Tower Shield
• Buckler Shield
• Round Shield

Tower shields will receive a "significant buff" in the coming update. They will have significant knockback and durability which allows players to take on a more defensive style and protect against groups of enemies at once. Not even a cluster of three draugr could cause significant damage. This allows players to jump into the fray and get up close and personal with enemies or defend their allies.

"The Tower shield is safe and slow," the narrator explained, "but with the new knockback tweaks, it's a good choice for a tank."

The Buckler is described as the "opposite" of the Tower. It won't be able to protect or absorb as much damage as the larger Tower, but will allow players to more easily do damage and parry their enemies. It's a good choice for players who find themselves to be a bit more mobile on the battlefield.

The final shield shown was the basic Round shield—commonly seen in most Viking imagery and media. It is meant to be the middle ground between the Tower and Buckler and a good all-around item for those just starting out, unsure of their preference, or want something stronger than the Buckler for a long solo raid.

Those interested in checking out Iron Gate's channel will also find similar videos on Health and Stamina tweaks, food tweaks, and new recipes for Hearth and Home.