Shield

A shield is a protective item wielded in the off-hand slot. A shield adds substantial bonuses to armour and to life points when wielded, and unlocks the use of some Defence abilities. However, use of a shield carries a price of not being able to wield a two-handed weapon or an off-hand weapon, resulting in a lower damage per second (DPS) value. Most shields carry a Defence level requirement to wield. Players who wield shields for extra endurance are commonly referred to as tanks.

History
For most of RuneScape's history, shields had largely been reserved for the melee class. Shields generally gave melee and Ranged defensive bonuses, making them most suitable for melee users, though rangers sometimes used shields with one-handed Ranged weapons. Mages had few options when it came to shield use, as most shields gave substantial penalties to Magic accuracy. Rangers and mages alike tended to wield books in the offhand, if not wielding a two-handed weapon, for their accuracy and Prayer bonuses. Traditionally, shields were made with the Smithing skill, or received as monster drops.

Gradually, a more diverse selection of shields began to enter the game. The dragonfire shield, released on 18 June 2007, provided a viable defensive option for players of all classes, with its high defensive bonuses and reasonably low offensive bonuses for non-meleers. The release of Summer's End on 15 September 2008 also saw the release of the spirit shields, two of which, the arcane spirit shield and spectral spirit shield, provided high bonuses to Magic offence and Magic defence, respectively. Additionally, new high-level shields for each class were added with the release of Dungeoneering on 12 April 2010.

Many new shields were added to the game with the Evolution of Combat on 20 November 2012, particularly low- and mid-level shields for rangers and mages. Additionally, the update made shield usage more attractive by increasing the effectiveness of a shield, as well as adding powerful abilities that require them.

Usage
Since the Evolution of Combat, the use of a shield has a more profound effect on a player's combat ability than before. Compared to a head-slot item of equal level, a shield adds the same amount of armour and more life points. Shields also allow for the usage of the strongest Defence abilities. Between a shield's extra armour, life point bonuses, and these abilities, players who choose to wield shields are significantly more capable of dealing with enemies' powerful attacks. Shield usage can be very helpful for players who are attempting to battle enemies with a much higher combat level.

Shield usage carries a tradeoff. Players who wield shields cannot use two-handed weapons or offhand weapons, both of which carry an extra 50% bonus to DPS versus wielding a single one-handed weapon. Additionally, abilities that require a two-handed weapon or offhand weapon cannot be used. This generally means that players must choose whether to focus on offence with a two-handed weapon or dual-wielded weapons, or focus on defence with a shield. The general consensus among players is to use a two-handed weapon or to dual-wield unless a shield is required for survivability.

In a group bossing team, one player may serve as the tank by wielding a shield and activating Incite, which will draw the boss's attention to them. The shield makes it much easier for the tank to survive the boss's focus, and the remaining team members can attack the boss more freely. A similar strategy may be employed in player-vs-player combat by a player who uses Provoke.

Notable shields

 * For a comprehensive list of all shields in the game, see Category:Shields.

Melee
Each type of metal in RuneScape, from bronze to dragon, has a square shield and a kiteshield. Prior to the Evolution of Combat, the two types of shields were more distinct, giving slightly different defensive bonuses. Now, however, square shields give slightly lower armour bonuses than kiteshields, though with the same life point bonuses. Square shields also tend to be slightly less expensive than kiteshields. Square shields and kiteshields, with the exception of the dragon sq shield and dragon kiteshield, can be made through the Smithing skill. In the interest of brevity, only kiteshields are listed below.

Ranged
Many Ranged shields, particularly the lower- to mid-leveled shields, were added to the game with the Evolution of Combat and can be made through the Crafting skill.

Magic
Many Magic shields, particularly the lower- to mid-leveled shields, were added to the game with the Evolution of Combat. A few can be made through the Crafting skill.

In Daemonheim
Shields of all classes may be found and equipped while Dungeoneering.