Did holy shield change in 1.10?

[Vash]

Does Holy Shield only add blocking to the shield itself up to a 75% cap? In other words...would it be worthless using it on a 75% blocking shield?

[LucianDK]

Holy shield adds as much as around 35% extra blocking at lvl 20, but also a quite significant defence bonus that is improved by points in defiance. As they write in the skill desc, its geared towards usefull, but low blocking shields.

[Vash]

I know what Arreat Summit says...I just don't trust it =P

Do you know for a fact that it does what Arreat Summit says it does?

[LucianDK]

I have had a pally with lvl 20 holy shield, it added the numbers as shown on the AS. Both defence and blocking. So in this case it is right. And it now works on your total defense value, instead of just shield.

[Guest]

I suppose someone which remembers the formula will post it, but: the blocking is only capped at 75% at the last step, before that (the per level and dex is counted in) you can have it above 75 and it makes a difference.

That part you mentioned of AS hasn't been upgraded since version 1.0.

[Brista]

Essentially it means you need less Dex to maintain a 75% block - pretty useful in Hardcore

[Vash]

Yes that was exactly what I was looking for actually...I probablys hould have explicitly asked that question. To put Brista's response in question form:

Can holy shield alleviate dex requirements for blocking?

Now Brista...do you know this for a fact?

[Baajikiil]

QUOTE]Can holy shield alleviate dex requirements for blocking?
[/QUOTE]

Yes. Although a sheild's description only shows up to 75%, the 75% cap of actual blocking is applied *after* the dex per cl is calculated.

Try using holy sheild on a paladin who has a tower sheild of deflecting: Even though the sheild already shows 74% blocking, there will be a significant increase in blocking, assuming the paladin doesn't have enough dex to max blocking already.

Although you will still need to increase dex when you get high enough lvl, holy sheild(as well as twitch/guardian angel/safety ammy/swordguard) can help reduce the total investment in dex required to stay at 75%. Even if your sheild already says "75% blocking".

[Vash]

Thanks all.

[twentythree]

The exact formula is [ (2 * All blocking % added up * (Dex - 15)) / (Level * 5) ]

An example: Say I am a lvl 50 char with 75 dex. I have a shield that has 50 base chance to blacok, and a mod on the shield that adds a "+10% chance to block. I have enough points into holy shield to give an extra 25% to blocking. Theirfore .....

= [ ( 2 * (50+10+25) * (75-15)) / (50*5) ]
= (2 * 85 * 60) / 250
= 10200 / 250
= 40.8 % chance to block

This final number can never be over 75 and never be under 5. Theirfore, the more points into holy shield the less you need into dex in order to reach the 75% cap.