This game isn’t just about offense. With the variety of new enemies with different debuffs and bosses that can take you down in one shot, shielders are now in demand more than ever. These units provide you with that additional layer of protection, so you can charge into battle without worrying much about your HP.
Read along to find out the best shield characters in the game so far (Patch 4.1). Take note that by “best”, we mean to evaluate the shielder as a whole. This includes any other effects or buffs that may come with using the character, as units in the game have their own unique quirks.
5. Beidou
Strong and fierce is the captain of the Crux Fleet.
She is the most notorious pirate captain in Teyvat. Her feats of strength are legendary, and she has proven to be a powerful ally, as we’ve experienced in the archon quests.
Combat
Beidou is an electro claymore user who can do a whole lot of things. Her skill is currently the best block/counter move in the game, as she can deflect enemy attacks and hit back instantaneously when timed correctly. In its held version, she keeps her claymore raised to act as a continuous shield.
Her burst summons the power of electro to enhance all normal attacks with a jolt of electro. Her true shielding prowess awakens when you get her to C1. This allows her to create a strong shield every time she casts her burst. This gives you a layer of both offense and defense in just one ability.
She can be built in a lot of ways, but the all around option is to build her with the Noblesse Oblige set. The same goes for weapon options but the Prototype Archaic is a good craftable option.
Analysis
Her C1 shield can take a decent amount of damage and is retained when she’s off-field, making her a great sub-DPS for most teams. Pair this with her counter mechanic; she is a defensive powerhouse that offers a lot of value and an enjoyable playstyle.
What Makes Beidou Great:
- Has the best counterattack in the game.
- Her burst packs offense and defense.
- Off-field electro application is valuable on many teams.
4. Thoma
A hardworker deserves a sweet treat every now and then.
This next character is the king of stacking shields. Being the best pyro shielder, he fits on a whole lot of teams that appreciate his consistent flames.
Combat
Thoma is a polearm user who can make shields from both his skill and burst. His skill makes a decently sturdy one, but this is mostly used to generate energy. His burst allows him to shoot fire with every normal attack, all while generating shields that get tougher every time an attack is made.
You can try out building him as the main driver of a burgeon team, or simply focus on making his shields as hard as possible and let your other members worry about dealing damage.
His shields are greatly bolstered when built with the Tenacity of the Millelith set. The Favonius Lance provides him with the ER that he sorely needs to keep his burst up.
Analysis
The trick to playing Thoma is managing the uptime of his shields and knowing how many stacks you currently have. Low stacks would give you a poor shield, so keep this in mind.
The coordinating pyro attack, however, more than makes up for it, as it is currently one of the best triggers for burgeon teams. This also pairs well with normal attack-focused teams, where Thoma could provide protection and pyro at the same time.
What Makes Thoma Great:
- Consistent pyro application is great for burgeon teams.
- Both skill and burst can produce shields.
- Shields scale on HP, which makes building him easy.
3. Diona
She can make magic with almost any disgusting ingredient.
A reliable shielder since day one. This unit is still highly sought-after because of her well-rounded kit.
Combat
Diona is a cryo bow user who brings a lot to the table. Her skill generates a shield while sending cryo projectiles towards opponents. This has a generally low cooldown, so you can be sure that you’ll have your shield up the majority of the time. Her burst allows her to create an AoE field that heals your units while damaging opponents and applying cryo to them.
She makes good use of the Tenacity of the Millelith set but also works well with Noblesse Oblige. Pair these with the Sacrificial Bow, and you have an additional cast of the shield in case it breaks down.
Analysis
Diona’s shield is one of the tougher ones in the game and is really worth investing in. She provides a lot of value in most teams and her element is easy to pair with many team compositions.
What Makes Diona Great:
- Really good cryo application.
- Can generate a lot of cryo energy for her team.
- Can heal and shield at the same time.
2. Baizhu
Herbs and potions for everyone!
A 5-star doctor who can keep his team alive in the most dire of situations. He heals, shields, and provides a lot of dendro application, making him a truly valuable unit to have in your team.
Combat
Baizhu is a dendro catalyst user who brings the entire defensive package. His skill throws a projectile that hits multiple enemies before coming back and healing his entire team for a large amount. His burst creates periodic shields that, when destroyed, shoot out more projectiles while also providing healing. He also passively allows units to be healed whenever they pick up certain items in the open-world.
He makes good use of the Deepwood Memories set which enhances any dendro-related reactions. The HP provided by the Prototype Amber is a good option to beef up his healing capabilities.
Analysis
In most cases, he’s the only defensive character you’ll need on your team. His great dendro application also makes him invaluable in dendro related reaction teams.
What Makes Baizhu Great:
- Has a really powerful single-cast heal through his skill.
- Decent off-field dendro application.
- Synergizes well with other dendro characters.
1. Zhongli
With his age comes wisdom.
The best shielder on our list is, of course, one of the most powerful beings in Teyvat. As one of the archons, he is expected to hold much power, and let’s just say that he doesn't disappoint.
Combat
Zhongli has the strongest shield in the game through the use of his skill. It is produced when casting the held version, which also summons a pillar that pulses periodic geo damage. His shield can also shred enemy resistance, which is a rare trait to find in a shielder.
When it comes to offense, he can summon a meteor through his burst, which then deals impressive geo damage, while petrifying enemies who survived the impact.
A meteor-focused Zhongli can be built with the Noblesse Oblige, while Tenacity of the Millelith is the go-to option for boosting his shields. He can use multiple polearms but the Favonius Lance is the best when trying to regain energy for his burst quickly.
Analysis
Zhongli dominates the world of defense, making the game extremely easy to beat once you have him on your team. Only few enemies in the game have enough damage to take down his shield in one-hit and his combat prowess makes sure that you can dish out anything you can take.
What Makes Zhongli Great:
- Has the sturdiest shield in the game.
- Shield has no downtime when not destroyed.
- Shield can shred enemy resistance.
- Burst can petrify enemies and deal massive damage.
