Guardian Shield: Weapons 2

Learn how to use the Guardian Shield in God of War Ragnarök. Master its 'Shield Check' special attack and powerful counterattacks to break enemy guards and turn their own projectiles against them.

Alright, let's talk about the Guardian Shield in God of War Ragnarök. You actually start the game with this shield, but you lose it pretty early on after that big fight with Thor in the Wildwoods. Kratos hands it over to Brok for repairs, and you'll get it back right at the start of 'The Word of Fate' main quest. By then, you should have a good stash of materials, so you can get it up to par with whatever shield you've been using.

This is the same shield Kratos used in the 2018 God of War, and it’s got sentimental value since it was a gift from his wife, Laufey. While it doesn't add any special dialogue or anything in-game, it's a nice little nod to his past.

Description	Special Ability	Trivia
A shield fit for a balance of defensive options	Shield Check	A shield gifted to Kratos by his beloved wife Laufey. Wielded by the Just.

Guardian Shield Special Attack - Shield Check

Like all the shields, the Guardian Shield has a special move called 'Shield Check.' You can pull this off by double-tapping the Square button. You can also do some cool follow-up attacks after a successful parry by pressing Triangle or Circle. Keep that in mind as you get the hang of it!

Here's the full rundown on 'Shield Check':

“Shield Check: Double Tap Square to quickly Shield Check an enemy and break their guard. Parry (Press L1 before getting hit) and then immediately press Triangle or Circle to do special counterattacks.”

How to Perform Special Counterattacks

What happens after you parry depends on which button you press:

• Pressing Triangle will make Kratos quickly bash enemies in front of him, dealing good stun damage.
• Pressing Circle slams the shield down, knocking weaker enemies off their feet. Just a heads-up, this won't work on tougher enemies, but Triangle will always give you some decent stun.

You can also pull off a ranged attack after a parry. If an enemy throws a projectile, you can catch it and then launch it right back at them using the shield. To aim where the projectile goes, quickly press L1 right as you catch it, just like parrying a melee attack. This lets you send projectiles back at the attacker or hit something else nearby.

How to Use Shield Check

The basic 'Shield Check' move is done by double-tapping Square anytime. It's great for breaking the guard of most weaker enemies, and even a good number of stronger ones. Just know that some elites and bosses might shrug it off. Honestly, the Guardian Shield is pretty fun once you get good at parrying projectiles and firing them back, though there are probably better shields out there if your main focus is melee combat.

Remember, you can parry projectiles just before they hit you and then cast them back at enemies. It's a neat trick!