To Shield or not to shield, that is the question....

Using Bushido and Parry will have a profound effect on your choice of weapon and/or whether or not to use a shield. Without drowning you in math, below are some examples of block chance % with Bushido and Parry at different levels with different set-ups.
Before the examples though, let's discuss basic rules:
- Basically, the higher your Bushido AND Parry, the more you will want to use a 2 handed weapon. Using a shield with high Bushido kills your block chance.
- If your gear is not that hot, you will want to consider using a shield for the extra bonuses. As your gear gets to a point that you do not need the extra item bonuses, you can shift toward Bushido and 2 handed weapons.
- With High Bushido, your chance at blocking with a one-handed weapon is almost as high with a 2 hander, but again you do not want to use a shield.
-Dex over 80 has no additional effect on Bushido/Parry/Blocking. (But it does have an impact on swing speed, bandage time, etc)
-DISCLAIMER: This is based on typical OSI calculations and values, I am not 100% on the formula for this shard and there may be some differences I am not aware of here yet.
EXAMPLES:
Example 1:
Current Parry 120
Current Bushido 0
Current Dex 88
%Base Block Chance 35
%Final Block Chance w/shield 35
ONE HANDED w/ Bushido
%block chance no shield 5
TWO HANDED w/Bushido
%block chance no shield 5 so, no bushido, you need a shield to have any real chance for blocking
Example 2:
Current Parry 120
Current Bushido 120
Current Dex 88
%Base Block Chance 5
%Final Block Chance w/shield 5
so, if you have high Bushido, do NOT use a shield or your chance for blocking is nil
ONE HANDED w/ Bushido
%block chance no shield 35
so, even a one handed weap with Bushido and no shield is MUCH better than using a shield
TWO HANDED w/Bushido
%block chance no shield 40.00243072
Before the examples though, let's discuss basic rules:
- Basically, the higher your Bushido AND Parry, the more you will want to use a 2 handed weapon. Using a shield with high Bushido kills your block chance.
- If your gear is not that hot, you will want to consider using a shield for the extra bonuses. As your gear gets to a point that you do not need the extra item bonuses, you can shift toward Bushido and 2 handed weapons.
- With High Bushido, your chance at blocking with a one-handed weapon is almost as high with a 2 hander, but again you do not want to use a shield.
-Dex over 80 has no additional effect on Bushido/Parry/Blocking. (But it does have an impact on swing speed, bandage time, etc)
-DISCLAIMER: This is based on typical OSI calculations and values, I am not 100% on the formula for this shard and there may be some differences I am not aware of here yet.
EXAMPLES:
Example 1:
Current Parry 120
Current Bushido 0
Current Dex 88
%Base Block Chance 35
%Final Block Chance w/shield 35
ONE HANDED w/ Bushido
%block chance no shield 5
TWO HANDED w/Bushido
%block chance no shield 5 so, no bushido, you need a shield to have any real chance for blocking
Example 2:
Current Parry 120
Current Bushido 120
Current Dex 88
%Base Block Chance 5
%Final Block Chance w/shield 5
so, if you have high Bushido, do NOT use a shield or your chance for blocking is nil
ONE HANDED w/ Bushido
%block chance no shield 35
so, even a one handed weap with Bushido and no shield is MUCH better than using a shield
TWO HANDED w/Bushido
%block chance no shield 40.00243072