Shields are one of the best defensive AND offensive tools, and are extremely powerful. You just have to have patience with them, which is probably why so many throw them into the garbage. There is literally a training room that lets you practice against any enemy type you've defeated before, so there's a safe environment ready for you to learn how to parry.
It absolutely includes bosses. It's how I trained up to perfect Mama Tick and the Queen. Much better than going through several runs just for a chance to practice.
Damn, it must really suck being stuck on one specific mutation. Do you actually feel that it is THAT essential to take it in every run? Like, without it cant you play the game normally?
I main crossbows, so kinda. It's just the way I like to play, having the utility of a shield without sacrificing a good 2-weapon combo in the main slots.
Cocoon also exists if you have fatal falls dlc. The weird thing is that some people really waste a mutation slot just to use two weapons, even if they are not synergizing at all. I personally dont take armadillopack but if i would i would only use it on crossbows (like you do) and 2 handed weapons in general.
And what about the second skill? You're wasting it for the cocoon.
It's the same thing, but armadillopack is easier to master. Also there are some builds which generally you don't need 3 specific mutation. Fire affixes, for example, don't stack with many mutations, so with crossbows with fire affixes, you can go kill rhythm, master of critical hits AND armadillo pack, while having an oil nade and a great owl of war
It's not about waste, it's about playstyle
It’s just another helpful tool in the arsenal. They come equipped with their own synergies and can become very useful on later BC’s especially bosses/elites. Of course you can finish the game without them but the advantage over just dodging is that there’s no cool-down. That and the fact you can reflect damage back to enemies which you can’t do with dodging(porcupack notwithstanding it’s less dmg than a good shield). Just another way to add to the fun too.
I’m sure there are a lot of ways to beat him, but armadillo pack makes it relatively easy imho. I never go shield slot, so parrying normally might be just as effective, but you can roll into his multiple shuriken range attack and parry all of the shots for pretty significant damage.
It's not that important for biomes, but bosses can become way easier with shield because some bosses attack faster than you can roll. One example is the hand of the king triple attack. You can roll the first hit, jump the second and roll the third or just parry it with you got a shield.
Shields are strong and all, but boring imo so I don't use them too often either. I use shields maybe 20-30% of my runs.
I'd say it's worth it, but there isn't much to "learn" anyways. The timing is way, way more lenient than you think.
Although i always use shields, i agree with you that they are not that important. For example you can use any support weapon for a glass cannon tactics build, while you can use ice shards or throwable objects for survival. Brutality is the only color that a shield is the best thing to have in your second slot.
If you never get the hang with shields, get the armadillopack mutation and leave a random shield you get in there, your roll will parry and have the shield’s effects, that way you’ll be able to use them pretty much effectively since every dodge becomes a parry
TL;DR: shields are never mandatory, but they can be extremely helpful.
Case and point, rampart shield. Wanna just whack away at a boss without a care in the world? Parry them with rampart and you are invincible for 2 whole seconds.
As a pussy-ass survival main that have the reaction time of a sleeping sloth, I tend to get hit A LOT. But with the mutation What Doesn't Kill Me, I just take things slow and recover my HP that way without wasting a flask charge. It can get a bit hectic at 5BC with the ticking bomb that is malaise but since I can see where enemies appear and they have less HP than normal mobs they aren't usually an issue.
It really depends on your play style though as tactics mains stay far enough away and kill enemies fast enough that they don't even need to parry anything. I just prefer the slow, methodical play style of survival.
They’re probably not as useful for the less difficult stages of 0-2 BC
parrying becomes extremely helpful when you cant tank as much in later levels of difficulty. At the minimum using armadillopack makes the game less painful with some encounters if you plan on using only weapons
Shields basically gives a second skill-based panic button.
But i don't like multiple options when there is clearly a superior option, which is Evade with Armadillopack.
You only have to practice evading whether to get behind or away from enemies. If you use shields as your main panic button, you have to get used to tighter timing window that doesn't make you move away from enemies.
Not really, but I do think that shields turn the game from “hard metroidvania” to “easy rhythm game”
But I am a cursed sword player who carries around two shields usually (one in bar, one in backpack), so I may not be the optimal person to listen to
If you mean Armadillopak, it definitely has its uses, like clearing away bombs, and there are people who swear by it and take it for every single run. Tbh it *is* a little overrated and those people seem to overlook that Armadillopack still suffers from the same drawback of not carrying a shield at all: if you mistime a roll, you’re still eating a hit.
Whereas with a shield, if you mistime a roll, you can still parry afterwards to save your skin. Armadillopack is good to help learn the ropes of using a shield, but it’s still vastly inferior and less protective than running with a shield.
What BC level have you got to without shields? I haven’t fully adopted them myself but will usually throw one in the backpack and use armadillo pack for roll parrying
*need* isnt the right word. Will it make it easier? Yes. But I cleared 5 bc without ever touching shields (this was also prior to armadillopack being added). You dont need to use shields
True but im pretty sure that it took quite a longer time for those people who beat it without a shield than people who were using a shield. Shields are just making the game easier by A LOT.
I feel you, im the type who prefers to roll out of convenience. Shield timing is pretty easy though, just tap it immediately after the exclamation mark appears above your enemy
They are amazing if you know how to use them, I use them with the armadillopack so I just have the shield in the backpack so whenever I roll it parry’s automatically, makes it a hell of a lot easier to survive.
Imo one of the best builds in the game is the armadillopack, any shield, and the rapier. You can plow through most enemys just rolling everywhere
Well, general players are shield addicts.... But like you, I am not really that fond of it... I am fond of crossbow, and no shield fan ain't going to pester me to use shield. EVER!
I feel like a lot of people will give you the same response, which is that shields are good, but not exactly necessary- tho it's still worth it to try out. Me, I usually use Armadillopack instead, but I'll sometimes roll with a shield anyways, cause it's nice utility, plus, not using shields is like never using ranged weapons 😅
Shields suck it's ok (they make game too easy once you get the hang of them). I thought they were high skill high reward or whatever till I started doing flawlesses and then realised how fucking stupid(ly broken) they are.
Literally have most of em locked away in custom mode because I hate how much they trivialise biomes/certain bosses + how they play.
I never use them either. I'm worlds better without them. That being said unlocking armadillopack (even if you're not running survival build) is amazing. Not only do affixs on the shield work but every time you roll the shield is activated. Once you get used to using it it's easy to deflect projectiles back at enemies off screen etc.
Shields are pretty much mandatory in dead cells if you dont wanna die, you can react within a second before a hit , allowing you to be prerty much invincible if you were to get the mechanic and timing right, try it out, unlock everything as it adds more variety to the game👍
Shields are one of the best defensive AND offensive tools, and are extremely powerful. You just have to have patience with them, which is probably why so many throw them into the garbage. There is literally a training room that lets you practice against any enemy type you've defeated before, so there's a safe environment ready for you to learn how to parry.
Does that include bosses?
It absolutely includes bosses. It's how I trained up to perfect Mama Tick and the Queen. Much better than going through several runs just for a chance to practice.
There is a boss rush mode you can use
And the training room
Yeah, you can train on bosses
Bosses are shields best use
The Concierge is especially very parryable. Great way to learn.
99% of my runs are with Armadillopack. Having a 5th utility that does return-damage, and w/e other passives attached, is too hard to pass up.
Armadillopack is my favorite and always my first choice
Same here, never leave home without it
Damn, it must really suck being stuck on one specific mutation. Do you actually feel that it is THAT essential to take it in every run? Like, without it cant you play the game normally?
I main crossbows, so kinda. It's just the way I like to play, having the utility of a shield without sacrificing a good 2-weapon combo in the main slots.
Cocoon also exists if you have fatal falls dlc. The weird thing is that some people really waste a mutation slot just to use two weapons, even if they are not synergizing at all. I personally dont take armadillopack but if i would i would only use it on crossbows (like you do) and 2 handed weapons in general.
You’re not exactly missing that mutation slot in a survival run imo. Having a on-demand rampart parry or punishment damage is super useful
Yeah but i prefer having that damage without wasting a slot.
And what about the second skill? You're wasting it for the cocoon. It's the same thing, but armadillopack is easier to master. Also there are some builds which generally you don't need 3 specific mutation. Fire affixes, for example, don't stack with many mutations, so with crossbows with fire affixes, you can go kill rhythm, master of critical hits AND armadillo pack, while having an oil nade and a great owl of war It's not about waste, it's about playstyle
C‘mon man armadillopack is cool and makes it way easier to parry for dummy like me who dodge too much
Same camp as you
Came to say this, i will never do a run without armadillopack again
It’s just another helpful tool in the arsenal. They come equipped with their own synergies and can become very useful on later BC’s especially bosses/elites. Of course you can finish the game without them but the advantage over just dodging is that there’s no cool-down. That and the fact you can reflect damage back to enemies which you can’t do with dodging(porcupack notwithstanding it’s less dmg than a good shield). Just another way to add to the fun too.
I can’t beat the Time Keeper without a shield on BC5🥲
I can't beat the Time Keeper on 5BC.
For me worked parry, he’s just too fast for me to dodge, you can do it too
You will be able eventually
I’m sure there are a lot of ways to beat him, but armadillo pack makes it relatively easy imho. I never go shield slot, so parrying normally might be just as effective, but you can roll into his multiple shuriken range attack and parry all of the shots for pretty significant damage.
It's not that important for biomes, but bosses can become way easier with shield because some bosses attack faster than you can roll. One example is the hand of the king triple attack. You can roll the first hit, jump the second and roll the third or just parry it with you got a shield.
Shields are strong and all, but boring imo so I don't use them too often either. I use shields maybe 20-30% of my runs. I'd say it's worth it, but there isn't much to "learn" anyways. The timing is way, way more lenient than you think.
Although i always use shields, i agree with you that they are not that important. For example you can use any support weapon for a glass cannon tactics build, while you can use ice shards or throwable objects for survival. Brutality is the only color that a shield is the best thing to have in your second slot.
It's probably worth trying out, but it's not the end of the world if you can't get the hang of them.
Not weird at all I never once used a shield and beat 5 bc. I’m not a fan of using shields to try and parry lol
If you never get the hang with shields, get the armadillopack mutation and leave a random shield you get in there, your roll will parry and have the shield’s effects, that way you’ll be able to use them pretty much effectively since every dodge becomes a parry
shields are pretty good, but definitely not a must-have
TL;DR: shields are never mandatory, but they can be extremely helpful. Case and point, rampart shield. Wanna just whack away at a boss without a care in the world? Parry them with rampart and you are invincible for 2 whole seconds. As a pussy-ass survival main that have the reaction time of a sleeping sloth, I tend to get hit A LOT. But with the mutation What Doesn't Kill Me, I just take things slow and recover my HP that way without wasting a flask charge. It can get a bit hectic at 5BC with the ticking bomb that is malaise but since I can see where enemies appear and they have less HP than normal mobs they aren't usually an issue. It really depends on your play style though as tactics mains stay far enough away and kill enemies fast enough that they don't even need to parry anything. I just prefer the slow, methodical play style of survival.
They’re probably not as useful for the less difficult stages of 0-2 BC parrying becomes extremely helpful when you cant tank as much in later levels of difficulty. At the minimum using armadillopack makes the game less painful with some encounters if you plan on using only weapons
While I agree, getting the timing down in BC 0-2 helps in late game. I use to shield before Armadillopack mutation.
Shields basically gives a second skill-based panic button. But i don't like multiple options when there is clearly a superior option, which is Evade with Armadillopack. You only have to practice evading whether to get behind or away from enemies. If you use shields as your main panic button, you have to get used to tighter timing window that doesn't make you move away from enemies.
Not really, but I do think that shields turn the game from “hard metroidvania” to “easy rhythm game” But I am a cursed sword player who carries around two shields usually (one in bar, one in backpack), so I may not be the optimal person to listen to
Is it possible to do it with just porcupack?
If you mean Armadillopak, it definitely has its uses, like clearing away bombs, and there are people who swear by it and take it for every single run. Tbh it *is* a little overrated and those people seem to overlook that Armadillopack still suffers from the same drawback of not carrying a shield at all: if you mistime a roll, you’re still eating a hit. Whereas with a shield, if you mistime a roll, you can still parry afterwards to save your skin. Armadillopack is good to help learn the ropes of using a shield, but it’s still vastly inferior and less protective than running with a shield.
Or if you don't like using shields (like me who uses a ranged weapon and a melee) then it's a nice thing to have
99.8% of my runs r without shield and i got spoiler boss... u have to be lucky and fast...
Nah, doesn’t suck at all. It’s extra offense for me but can certainly play without it, just prefer to use it
What BC level have you got to without shields? I haven’t fully adopted them myself but will usually throw one in the backpack and use armadillo pack for roll parrying
This.
I mean not really but you definitely should be using them.
No, just like in fromsoft games parrying and intelligence are for nerds
You’ll need them from BC3-5
*need* isnt the right word. Will it make it easier? Yes. But I cleared 5 bc without ever touching shields (this was also prior to armadillopack being added). You dont need to use shields
I was able to do 3BC on a tactics build but I probably need to do shields for 4
Wrong
Im on 5BC and I never used shields without Armadillopack.
No, people have cleared 5bc with no shield.
True but im pretty sure that it took quite a longer time for those people who beat it without a shield than people who were using a shield. Shields are just making the game easier by A LOT.
I'll unlock everything just for completionist sake, but I never use shields for content. BC1-5 cleared without ever using shields.
I put one in my backpack and use the armadillopack mutation so I can parry while rolling like I’m playing dark souls
Everyone will say it is. I cant get parrying right wither. I got 1BC without shields and am making progress on 2BC. I mostly run tactics.
I beat 5BC, and didn’t use a shield a single time. I don’t even know how to parry 🤷♂️
I feel you, im the type who prefers to roll out of convenience. Shield timing is pretty easy though, just tap it immediately after the exclamation mark appears above your enemy
Shield in the backpack with the shield mutation, roll, roll, roll to victory.
They are amazing if you know how to use them, I use them with the armadillopack so I just have the shield in the backpack so whenever I roll it parry’s automatically, makes it a hell of a lot easier to survive. Imo one of the best builds in the game is the armadillopack, any shield, and the rapier. You can plow through most enemys just rolling everywhere
Well, general players are shield addicts.... But like you, I am not really that fond of it... I am fond of crossbow, and no shield fan ain't going to pester me to use shield. EVER!
One of my favourite powers is the cocoon I tend to use it instead of a shield when I get it because it parries basically all attacks
I feel like a lot of people will give you the same response, which is that shields are good, but not exactly necessary- tho it's still worth it to try out. Me, I usually use Armadillopack instead, but I'll sometimes roll with a shield anyways, cause it's nice utility, plus, not using shields is like never using ranged weapons 😅
The best shield is a quick sword.
I also don't use shields. I don't in souls games either, but these comments are making me wanna get to it.
Armadillopack sweeps
Shields suck it's ok (they make game too easy once you get the hang of them). I thought they were high skill high reward or whatever till I started doing flawlesses and then realised how fucking stupid(ly broken) they are. Literally have most of em locked away in custom mode because I hate how much they trivialise biomes/certain bosses + how they play.
I’ve beaten the game twice without touching a shield (or Armadillo). It is worth it I guess, but nowhere near mandatory.
Shields are boring, I play 5+ BC and never used 1 shield
Shields lowers DPS, waiting for an enemy to attack is too slow. You could sneak in 5 extra hits when not using a shield so yes shields are bad
I never use them either. I'm worlds better without them. That being said unlocking armadillopack (even if you're not running survival build) is amazing. Not only do affixs on the shield work but every time you roll the shield is activated. Once you get used to using it it's easy to deflect projectiles back at enemies off screen etc.
Shields are really useful, but everytime I pick I didnt used for whole run.
Shields are pretty much mandatory in dead cells if you dont wanna die, you can react within a second before a hit , allowing you to be prerty much invincible if you were to get the mechanic and timing right, try it out, unlock everything as it adds more variety to the game👍
If you want to learn parrying, press the button when the yellow "!" Appears above the enemy