It is a Skill Gem.
Attack
AoE, Sustained, Physical, Channelling
Tier: 5 (Warrior)
Level: 6
Cost: 11.25 Mana per second
Attack Time: 0.80 sec
Attack Damage: 38%
Requires: Level 21, Level 38
Requires: Shield
Repeatedly strike your Shield with your weapon causing damaging shockwaves in an area around you. Enemies hit by the shockwave lose Armour for a duration. While using Resonating Shield your Shield is raised and you will Block all incoming Blockable hits.
Skills can be managed in the Skills Panel.
In Path of Exile 2, Resonating Shield is a unique and powerful skill gem designed for players who want to combine shield defense with offensive capabilities. This skill allows you to repeatedly strike your shield with your weapon, creating shockwaves that deal damage to surrounding enemies while reducing their Armor. Let’s take a closer look at the mechanics, features, and optimal uses of Resonating Shield.
Resonating Shield is a channeled attack skill that lets you repeatedly strike your shield with your weapon, causing shockwaves that deal Physical damage and debuff enemies by reducing their Armor. The skill has a sustained damage output due to its channeled nature, making it a solid choice for defensive and offensive synergy. Here’s a breakdown of the mechanics:
Channeled Attack: The core of Resonating Shield is its channeled nature. By holding the skill, you strike your shield with your weapon, producing shockwaves that deal Physical damage to enemies within range. The shockwaves continue as long as you channel the skill, making it a reliable source of sustained damage.
Armor Reduction: Enemies hit by the shockwaves lose Armor for a duration. This makes Resonating Shield incredibly effective against armored enemies, as it not only damages them but also weakens their defenses, allowing you and your allies to deal even more damage.
Shield Block: While using Resonating Shield, your shield is raised, and you will block all incoming blockable hits. This makes the skill a great choice for players who want to stay on the offensive while maintaining defensive capabilities. As you deal damage with your shield strikes, you also mitigate incoming damage, giving you a balance of offense and defense.
Shockwave Radius: The shockwaves generated by Resonating Shield have a radius of 1.8 meters, allowing you to hit multiple enemies around you. This AoE effect is perfect for clearing packs of mobs and for providing crowd control in tougher encounters.
Physical Damage Scaling: The skill benefits from Physical Damage scaling, making it a great option for builds that focus on improving Physical damage or those using Shields as their primary defensive tool. The damage also scales with your shield’s stats, specifically Armor, providing a synergy between your defense and offense.
Armor Reduction: One of the standout features of Resonating Shield is the Armor reduction applied to enemies hit by the shockwave. This is especially useful in situations where you’re up against heavily armored enemies, as it makes it easier to penetrate their defenses and deal higher damage.
Defensive Block: The added bonus of blocking all incoming hits while using the skill gives Resonating Shield a unique defensive edge. Even though you’re dealing damage, your shield allows you to maintain a strong defense, making it an excellent skill for tanky builds or those looking to bolster their survivability while dishing out damage.
Sustained Damage: Unlike many burst-type skills, Resonating Shield provides sustained damage due to its channeled nature. You don’t need to worry about timing or waiting for cooldowns; as long as you channel the skill, you’re dealing consistent damage and applying Armor reduction to your foes.
Synergy with Physical Damage: Resonating Shield works best with Physical Damage scaling. For builds that focus on Physical damage, this skill can add a significant boost to your output, especially when paired with modifiers that increase your Armor or Physical Damage.
Armor Shredding: Resonating Shield excels against heavily armored enemies. By reducing Armor with each shockwave hit, you can deal more damage to these enemies over time. This makes it particularly effective in high-defense encounters, such as against bosses or elite mobs.
Sustained AoE Damage: The shockwaves from Resonating Shield allow for sustained AoE damage. This is ideal when you’re surrounded by enemies, as the shockwaves will continue to hit multiple targets, dealing consistent damage. Its synergy with Armor reduction makes it effective in group fights, as enemies will take more damage with each hit.
Defensive and Offensive Synergy: The shield block aspect of Resonating Shield ensures you’re always defending while attacking. This means you can use the skill to tank damage while dishing out sustained attacks, making it a great choice for builds that want to stay in the thick of battle without sacrificing too much survivability.
Mobility Considerations: Since Resonating Shield requires you to channel, you’ll need to be mindful of your positioning. Staying in the middle of combat is beneficial for applying pressure, but you’ll need to balance your positioning with the need to move and reposition. Consider pairing it with movement skills like Leap Slam or Whirling Blades for added mobility.
Shield-Focused Builds: The synergy between this skill and shield-based builds cannot be overstated. If your character focuses on maximizing Shield stats, particularly Armor, Resonating Shield can become an incredibly powerful skill, as it both boosts your defense and turns your shield into a formidable weapon.
Increased Physical Damage: Support gems like Increased Physical Damage or Brutality will significantly boost the damage output of Resonating Shield, making your shockwaves hit harder. These are essential for builds focused on maximizing Physical Damage.
Multistrike: For builds that rely on faster channeled attacks, Multistrike can improve the skill’s attack speed and damage output, allowing you to hit more often and generate more Armor reduction in a shorter time.
Area of Effect: Increased Area of Effect will increase the shockwave radius, hitting more enemies around you. This is great for clearing large groups of enemies, improving the skill’s AoE potential.
Melee Damage: If you’re combining Resonating Shield with melee strikes, support gems like Melee Physical Damage or Melee Damage with Attacks will enhance the damage of the skill’s physical hits, further boosting your offense.
Fortify: Linking Fortify with Resonating Shield can provide you with additional defensive layers, reducing incoming damage while you channel the skill.
Resonating Shield is a unique and versatile skill in Path of Exile 2, blending offense and defense into one powerful package. Its ability to deal sustained damage through shockwaves while providing shield block makes it a standout choice for players looking for a tanky yet damaging skill. The synergy between Armor reduction, Physical damage scaling, and shield block makes it particularly effective against tough enemies and in crowd control situations.
If you’re playing a shield-focused build or simply want a skill that allows you to tank and deal damage simultaneously, Resonating Shield is an excellent choice. With the right support gems and a solid strategy for managing your positioning and channeling, this skill can be an essential part of your toolkit in Path of Exile 2.