| abstract | - Shields are handheld pieces of armor used to block incoming blows during melee combat. They are available in a variety of materials and styles, and in all three armor classes: light, medium, and heavy. Blocking can only be performed with a shield, and is automatic in Morrowind. Shields are limited to use in melee combat; ranged and magical attacks cannot be deflected. The chance of successfully diverting attacks is governed by the Block skill, and is also influenced by the Agility and Luck attributes. It is possible to equip both a shield and a . Although the shield cannot be used to block attacks in this case, it still provides any bonuses granted by a constant effect enchantment. This can prove to be rather beneficial, as some shields have a high capacity for enchantments. The Daedric Tower Shield surpasses all other pieces armor in the game, with a 225 enchantment value. A shield's effectiveness as armor is correlated with armor class of the equipped item. The armor ratings listed in the tables below are the nominal values, as provided by the game's Construction Set. The actual value determined during gameplay is dependent on the corresponding armor skill (Light, Medium, or Heavy). At a skill-level of 100 the armor rating is the value listed below, multiplied by 3.333. For example, the Chitin Shield is listed at 10, but with 100 points in the Light Armor skill, its armor rating will be 10 × 3.333 = 33.33 points. The result is not rounded to the nearest whole number, and any digits following the decimal point are ignored (e.g. 44.995 becomes 44, not 45).
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