Conan Exiles is a sword and sorcery fantasy, making it quite difficult to stay alive at times. Still, one of the greatest forms of protection available is a trusty shield and a sturdy shield arm.
There are many potential shields available to use in the game but warriors worth their salt will want to make sure they only use the very best. No one wants to go to block a hit only to end up losing their life after all! Some of them can be hard to find, but the search is ultimately worth it for the protection they offer.
Updated on October 14, 2022, by Sid Natividad: With recent survival games like Grounded putting their own spin on the genre, there's bound to be renewed interest in hybrid RPG-survival games. Conan Exiles is one of those, and it's a tough and unforgiving game. Players will do well to keep their characters alive with the best shield in Conan Exiles.
There are a ton of them in the game, each presented to players as opportunities whenever they reach a progression milestone. So it's only fair to include some of the lesser-known ones in this Conan Exiles best shield roster. Some of them are more affordable or easier to obtain than others.
15 Dragonbone Shield
- Durability: 4000
- Weight: 4.20
- Damage: 40
It's a bit heavy, but the Dragonbone Shield is a good option for those who don't want to fuss too much about the crafting materials. The ingredients are simple, just a Shield Frame and a few pieces of Dragonbone. Besides, Dragonbone has many other applications.
The damage is decent enough if players want to use them for bashing with the Shieldsmash skill. Players will need to be mindful of durability as this shield isn't the best. Still, it's a good bonus reward after venturing into The Arena (the Dragonbone recipe can be found here).
Crafted with:
- 10 Dragonbone
- 1 Shield Frame
14 Black Ice Shield
- Durability: 4250
- Weight: 4.20
- Damage: 42
Those looking for something more regal or stylish than the usual barbarian duds in Conan Exiles will be delighted by the Black Ice Shield. It's one of the more elegant products of Frost Smithing and boasts good Armor Penetration which is almost on par with some of the best shields here.
It's not as durable, of course, and the weight is about as heavy as the Dragonbone Shield, but it deals slightly more damage and is handy if players already have a Frost Smithing setup. In order to get the Black Ice necessary for this shield, players can mine them in the Frozen Slopes and the Temple of Frost.
Crafted with:
- 20 Black Ice
- 1 Hardened Steel Shield
13 Acheronian Shield
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- Durability: 4375
- Weight: 3.03
- Damage: 37
The Acheronian Shield might have more components needed for crafting but they're not as rare compared to the other shield requirements. In fact, players might have a lot of them already available from excessive mining and Thrall refining.
It's marginally better than the mid-range shields due to the higher durability and lower weight, but players shouldn't expect much if they want an improvised source of damage. Steel Bars are easy enough to produce, combine them with Black Ice to get Hardened Steel Bars necessary for this shield.
Crafted with:
- 30 Hardened Steel Bar
- 10 Alchemical Base
- 1 Shield Frame
12 Serpent-Man Shield
- Durability: 5850
- Weight: 1.79
- Damage: 37
Quite a big jump up in terms of durability, the Serpent-Man Shield is an impressive option for mid-game. It's also one of the lightest options as far as shields go though this does come at a compromise of lower damage. Still, it's a shield anyway.
Another drawback is the fussy recipe which requires four components. They're not that hard to procure, but players will need to be more active with gathering and hunting if they want materials to be ready for this shield.
Crafted with:
- 30 Iron Bar
- 10 Alchemical Base
- 10 Reptile Hide
- 1 Shield Frame
11 Obsidian Shield
- Durability: 6450
- Weight: 3.15
- Damage: 40
If players are after armor penetration in a shield, then the Obsidian Shield offers the best out of all the options in Conan Exiles. The lower damage compared to some of the best shields, however, makes it fall off a bit since that somewhat nullifies its armor penetration.
Still, it's a well-rounded shield and the components are not too difficult to obtain. Composite Obsidian requires Obsidian and Steel. The former is found aplenty near the Volcano; it's approaching endgame when it comes to rarity and difficulty of procurement but the uses outweigh the risks.
Crafted with:
- 30 Composite Obsidian
- 5 Alchemical Base
- 1 Shield Frame
10 Flawless Star Metal Shield
- Durability: 7500
- Weight: 1.47
- Damage: 42
As far as craftable shields go, the Flawless Star Metal Shield is one of the easiest to procure. As such, it's a good option for players who don't want to risk their Skeleton Keys and safety trying to play the Legendary Chest lottery.
The Flawless Star Metal shield has some respectable stats and decent damage for anyone looking to squeeze in some hits while playing defensively. It's also light and the only downside is the durability that's easily beaten by better craftable armor.
Crafted with:
- 38 Star Metal Bar
- 1 Shield Frame
9 Scorpion Ward
- Durability: 7500
- Weight: 2.1
- Damage: 28
For anyone regularly slaying and farming items from the Scorpion Queen, then this shield might eventually introduce itself. It's one of the precious item drops of that monster boss and while the Scorpion Ward doesn't look too appealing offensively, it has other assets.
One of those is the +5 to Agility, making evasions and other movements faster and more convenient. As a shield, it still does its purpose well with highly comfortable durability, letting owners save up on their repair kits.
Found in:
- Scorpion Queen
8 Mistmourn
- Durability: 7500
- Weight: 2.1
- Damage: 45
The Mistmourn is one of the more popular shields in the game for tanky characters since one of the easier items to acquire from Legendary Chests. The stats are not that exciting and the only thing that stands out is the high damage.
Still, that makes the Mistmourn viable for players who fight more aggressively. Moreover, the weight isn't too bad, and durability-wise, it fulfills its purpose as a shield and blocks most attacks. Plus, the design is nothing to scoff at.
Found in:
- Legendary Chests
7 Voidforge Shield
- Durability: 7360
- Weight: 2.38
- Damage: 45
As good as the Mistmourn is, the Voidforge Shield slightly pulls ahead thanks to better availability. Since it's a craftable item, players can have an easier time obtaining it, assuming they have the resources. The Voidforge Shield is quite demanding in that category.
Stat-wise, its durability is slightly worse than the usual legendary shields found in Legendary Chests. The difference is minute, thankfully, and the Voidforge Shield makes up for it with high damage for a shield along with a +2 to Vitality and +2 to Grit.
Crafted with:
- 1 Shield Frame
- 17 Eldarium
6 Black Bruargh's Fury
- Durability: 7500
- Weight: 2.1
- Damage: 45
This shield from the esteemed and notorious bandit, Black Bruargh is a nice balance of evasive and aggressive stats. The damage ensures that players can still sneak in some surprise bashes. Moreover, the low weight is perfect for exiles on the move. As an added bonus, the shield also gives +5 to Agility in order to make moving more pleasant.
Since it's a legendary-grade item, expect to only find it in Legendary Chests that require a Skeleton Key and a level 60 character to become available.
Found in:
- Legendary Chests
5 Ancient Lemurian Shield
- Durability: 7500
- Weight: 2.1
- Damage: 45
It looks crude but the Ancient Lemurian Shield is actually one of the best and most accessible shields in the game. Unlike other legendary shields, the Ancient Lemurian Shield is craftable, making it more accessible to most players without the need to gamble away with Legendary Chests.
The downside, of course, is how it's rather bland for a legendary shield. It's also not the prettiest and lore-wise, it also smells like fish. That's pretty much a given considering the materials it was made from.
Crafted from:
- 1 Shield Frame
- 10 Insulated Wood
- 5 Alchemical Base
- 5 Scales of Dagon
4 Black Tusk Shield
- Durability: 15000
- Weight: 1.89
- Damage: 38
For a highly durable shield that won't cost too many Skeleton Keys or Legendary Chest trips, then the Black Tusk Shield is a great option. It has lower-than-usual damage but that's not what shields are for anyway.
Moreover, the Black Tusk Shield has that extra intimidation factor since it's made with tusks instead of the usual metal or wood. Getting a copy of this shield is easy enough as it has several locations ready for looting.
Found in:
- Stargazer's Crest loot chests
- Sepermeru loot chests
- The Jawbone Cave loot chests
- The Unnamed City boss monsters
3 Ymir's Targe
- Durability: 15000
- Weight: 2.1
- Damage: 43
Ymir's Targe is supposedly a religious and ornamental item but given its protectiveness and offensive capabilities, it's a waste if unused in combat. The shield is a healthy balance of high damage and defense, having one of the highest durabilities in the game.
Additionally, Ymir's Targe is an optimal item for use against enemies that deal cold damage or for when players venture out in the frigid wilderness. The shield grants a +20 to Cold Resist. Not many shields offer that along with high durability.
Found in:
- Servant of the Priest King drop
2 Fiend-Bone Shield
- Durability: 14750
- Weight: 2.38
- Damage: 42
Then again, having to play the RNG lottery with shields defeats the purpose since once players have slain the dangerous monsters that drop them, there's nothing else to use the shields against (unless they're into PVP). That's why craftable shields are always better and the Fiend-Bone Shield is the finest in this category.
It has slightly lower Durability compared to the top-tier shields but it's a lot more available for players. The damage also is high enough to compete with the best shield and it also won't weigh the users down. The cherry on top is the +5 to Strength which is always handy for melee characters.
Crafted with:
- 1 Shield Frame
- 17 Eldarium
1 Akbitanan Shield
- Durability: 15000
- Weight: 2.1
- Damage: 45
As for the best-ever shield any exile can have in the game, then it's the Akbitanan Shield. It's beautiful and is made with the finest steel in the land thanks to the knowledge of the Atkbitanan smiths in forging this bulwark.
Those smiths are so confident of their creation that they even claim the shield is unbreakable though that's not the case. Even so, it's tough enough and offers high damage for anyone lucky enough to get it.
Found in:
- Legendary Chests
Conan Exiles was released on January 31, 2017, and is available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.