This part tackles probably the Item Pool for Uniques in the game that does see overall the least playtime overall. Apart from like one or two Unique Shields, everything else are Runewords or Character Specific Shields - so quit unsprisingly there are some major adjustments to pretty much all of the Unique Shields in the game.
As always, the idea is to make as many of these Uniques viable, be it in terms of a potential BiS, Midgame or Budget Build or simply a specific niche to make specific builds workable and as a result having a more interesting Magic Find and trading Experience.
All of the other Item Reworks I've done so far can be found here:
Imaginary D2R Item Reworks/Adjustments - Unique Helms
Imaginary D2R Item Reworks/Adjustments - Unique Amulets
Imaginary D2R Item Reworks/Adjustments - Unique Armors
Did colour-code to see what changes are nerfs/buffs/rescaling/unchaged stats. Also provided a small note on every item, trying to explain and justify my thought-process about the changes that I did and why. Apologies for not having exactly the right image for every item, couldn't find the right colours for most of these Items in their new and shiny D2R graphics - if you happen to know a place where everything is in high qualtiy and proper colours, please let me know!
Important: These reworks also assume that the mechanic of that Uniques with the Indestructible Modifier cannot be Ethereal has been changed, so that this Mod actually can also have Ethereal on them.
Medusa's Gaze
Spoiler
One of the rarest Unique Shields in the game to find and unfortunatly one that is just simply too weak overall, espeically considering it's huge amount of Strength needed to equip it in the first place. So considering that you have to Sacrifice quite some HP to be able to use this in the first place, the existing stats simply do not cover that investment. So first off I just added Faster Block Rate and Increased Block Chance as you just need to be able to reach 75% Block Chance without having to spent too much into Dexterity, given you already have a lot to invest into Strength. The main concept for the item is massive amount of Crowd-Control, with the combined effects of Slows Target, Decrepify When Struck and Holy Freeze Aura on Equip. Combined with a lot of Cold Damage and + % to Cold Skill Damage, this one should now certainly be a viable option for certain builds.
Additionally, to all the overall stats, Unique Shields now generally provide also improved Smite Damage, so that Smiters aren't solely limited their Paladin Shields and potentially allowing them to make use of more Shields overall.
Head Hunter's Glory
Spoiler
One of the few Shields that occasionally sees play, but generally just isn't effective enough to justify it being a BiS. Now it overall just got improved by the fact that it always rolls with 3 Sockets, so if you find one it won't be that just 1 in 3 that you find is actually anything worth at all. Also now has All Resistancees, although in a reduced fashion, but will still provide overall more Resistances that it did previously. Better Defense and Block Rate, along with nice Regeneration through X After Each Kill to both Life and Mana should open it up to quite a few possible builds now, much more so than previously.
Stormshield
Spoiler
As far as I know, the most used Unique Shield in the game and even then it is by far not the most used Shield at all in the game, so even this one get's a little buff to it. Will become even more so the best Defensive Shield in the game as it now also improves the Maximum Physical Resistance you can have by 5% along with some extra Defense and the ability to roll Ethereal now, this should most certainly make it way more useful to use on multiple Characters.
Spike Thorn
Spoiler
Was a weird combination of stats that it provided for the most part. My decision was to focus on the Attacker Takes Damage part of it and rework it with that in mind. First of all it does quite a lot of ATD and also provides a Thorns Aura ontop of it, so you can legitimately deal a lot of damage by just getting hit with this one. Combined with no Defense Bonuses, so you get actually hit, but plenty of Damage Reduction and Replenish Life, the combinatoin overall should still provide a lot of Offensive benefits, without making you too vulnerable to being attacked.
Spirit Ward
Spoiler
This is quite an important Shield in order to combat the issue of the Spirit Runeword just being by far the most used Shield in the game. Along with Lidless Wall, Spirit Ward will now be the best option of a +2 To Skills Shield if you overall value the defensive aspects, as of all these 3 it will have the best Defense, Block, Resistance and Hit Recovery, with the downside that it only provides +2 to a specific Skill Tree and has the lowest amount of Faster Cast Rate, so in the Offensive aspects it will be the weakest by a little bit. Overall I do think that without a doubt this will be a super solid option and I think will be the BiS in Hardcore for sure.
You might very well think that Spirit does obviously have better stats than this one in some aspects, but you can be made assured that I would look to rework Spirit down the line as well, to make it an actually Triangle, where all of these 3 Shields will have their strength and weaknesses compared to each other.
Blackoak Shield
Spoiler
Quite a simply idea for this Shield to give it a strong niche and that is that it will have by far the best Block Chance in the game. Think you can equip this Shield an not put a single point into Dexterity and have Max Block on any Character in the game, which if you consider having the most HP as possible might very well be a very strong option for you. Along with lots of Life and Speed it provides as well as Cannot Be Frozen are strong additions to it to make it further interesting.
Radament's Sphere
Spoiler
Keeping the main idea of the Shield and having it focus around Poison Damage, just with the difference that the Numbers are actually good now and not laughably weak. Also with the - % to Enemy Poison Resistance might make it very useful on specific Poison Damage builds.
Gerke's Sanctuary
Spoiler
Another Shield that has its use on the Immortal Sorceress, so not much has to change about that item. Given that it will have much more competition by all the buffed other Shields I also decided to improve this one as well and perhaps open it up beyond just being useful for that one Niche build.
Lidless Wall
Spoiler
Lidless Wall will once agian be an option as a BiS Shield for casters. It will have the strongest combination of + To Skills and Faster Cast Rate so in an offensive aspect will be the strongest out of Spirit Ward and Spirit. Also has a lot of Mana Bonuses and the always valuable Mana After Each Kill.
Tiamat's Rebuke
Spoiler
Keeping the main idea for the item, just buffing it up significantly and I think you can make some fun and interesting builds with this one that work also in the lategame.
Lance Guard
Spoiler
Did always like the Offensive Potential of this Shield, but generally wasn't just good enough to justify carrying on of them. Now however it does provide a lot more bonuses to Physical Attacks and will certainly give you a big boost to your Attacks, worth enough to make this perhaps a BiS on certain builds.
Stormchaser
Spoiler
Having both Charged Bolt and Blizzard on Strike can make this Item a really good choice to be incorperated into something like a Riftsin Build, as well as being a solid option for a Sorceress with the + % To both Cold and Lightning Damage
Moser's Blessed Circle
Spoiler
Also one of the few Shields that you do see for a little bit, at very least for as long as Resistances are poor. So to have it be a bit more useful for a perhaps longer or more niche situation, I decided that for this Item the Sockets also provide the Bonuses the Gem/Rune would provide to Weapons. So you could have for example use two Ists into it and provide 110% MF, essentially making it into the best MF Shield now by far.
Visceratuant
Spoiler
Will be now a quite good midgame option for having + To Skills and perhaps if you need the Life and Mana, could even be an option for the later stages as well.
The Ward
Spoiler
This items Niche will be that it will have the highest amount of Defense, if rolled close to perfect an Ethereal, as well as a lot of Block Chance, so making it a very good defensive Shield option, once gain being useful into the later stages of the game as well.
Wall of the Eyeless
Spoiler
Does provide the most amount of Faster Cast Rate on a Shield, so if you're looking to achieve the best Cast Breakpoints, this might be an option so you do have some options to be more greedy on other item choices and still achieve it. Also has some good, generally wanted stats, but you will be pretty much blind while carrying this item, which makes sense given that it doesn't has Eyes!
Bverrit Keep
Spoiler
The Fire Shield, provides a lot of Fire Damage and - % To Enemy Fire Resistance, so could be a decent option for any Hero with Fire Damage, at very least before they can get a Phoenix, which is one of the most expensive items in the game.
Steelclash
Spoiler
A good early-game option for some increased Physical Damage, but will be weaker compared to some other options available in the later stages of the game.
Swordback Hold
Spoiler
Will have all the three Damage Modifiers, being Crushing Blow, Open Wounds, Deadly Strike - might very well be good enough for certain builds to make this a strong option.
Stormguild
Spoiler
The Lightning Shield, so pretty much the same Idea as Bverrit Keep, good option for the earlier stages of the game for any Lightning Based Character.
Umbral Disk
Spoiler
The early game Magic Find and Extra Gold Shield, so will by that alone already have a strong niche for itself, even though Moser's can perfom better in both MF and Gold find if socketed with two Ists or Lems. Still quite useful throuhgout the game on an MF Character.
Pelta Lunata
Spoiler
As with all TC3 Items, essentially it keeps all its stats, but just are Based on Character Level, allowing them to scale into the later stages and perhaps find some specific builds where it can be a really good pickup.
And another Part is done and once again gonna be very happy with some views and perhaps the one or ther reply. Cheers folks!
Changelog:
V1.0 - Created (01-August-2022)
Florian_G
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