Top 5 things you likely didn't know about shields in Minecraft

When it comes to combat, Minecraft is more focused on offense rather than defense. When trying to defend themselves, players only have a few options, such as dodging attacks, using blocks and shields.

In Minecraft, shields are one of the most useful items for beginners. When starting a new world, players can die from almost any hostile mobs. During these tough times, they can protect themselves using shields.

While shields may look simple to use, there is a lot of background information players may not know about them.

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Facts about Minecraft shields

5) The "Not Today, Thank you" advancement

After crafting a shield, players can soon get the "Not Today, Thank you" advancement in Minecraft. Most players achieve it while fighting a skeleton and protecting themselves from arrows by using a shield. However, there are other ways to get this advancement.

Players can achieve this by defending themselves from any projectile by using a shield. In Minecraft, tridents, splash potions, and other such items are considered projectiles.

4) Shields cannot be enchanted using an enchanting table

Shields are among the few items that cannot be enchanted using an enchanting table. To enchant shields, players will have to use an anvil. They can apply mending, unbreaking, and curse of vanishing to their shields.

With mending and unbreaking enchantment, players can use their shields forever. The curse of the vanishing shield is meant for those who don't want others to have their shield after dying.

3) Shields cannot protect against piercing arrows

Piercing is a crossbow-only enchantment that allows arrows to pass through multiple entities while damaging all of them. Players cannot use shields to defend themselves from piercing-enchanted crossbows. Piercing arrows will pass through the shield and hit the player.

2) No protection from status effects

Lingering potion (Image via Minecraft)

Shields are better suited for defense against melee attacks and ranged attacks like arrows. Players cannot prevent status effects from potions thrown at them.

Similarly, shields can prevent direct damage from tipped arrows but not status effects in Minecraft Bedrock Edition.

1) Apply banners on shields

Shield banner (Image via Minecraft)

Minecraft Java Edition players can decorate their shields with banners. To add a banner to the shield, players just need to place them together in the crafting grid. They can create a variety of different banners using loom and then apply it to their shield. Sadly, Bedrock Edition players cannot create custom shields.

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This article reflects the opinions of the writer.