These are often more valuable than you might think at first. We’ve all made the mistake of dual-wielding swords before watching it catastrophically backfire against a powerful boss. This actually happened to me in Oblivion and then in Skyrim. So I’m here to help you not make the same mistakes that I’ve made in the past. I’ve managed to compile a list of the best shields in Oblivion so you can get a better idea of which ones will serve your needs. Keep in mind that some might be more useful than others in certain situations, so it wouldn’t hurt to carry a couple of them around if you can afford the extra weight.
11. Imperial Watch Shield
Where To Find: Used by Imperial Watch captains and the Palace Guard in the Imperial City Well being completely honest with you, the Imperial Watch Shield isn’t anything out of the ordinary. When it comes to basic shields in Oblivion, this is my personal favorite. However it doesn’t really offer much defensively after your character is level 10 or higher. I’m adding to the list for two reasons: The first is how easy it is to get, and the second is how cool it looks. Especially for an early shield. It has a simple but aesthetically pleasing design, as well as decent defending stats for the beginning of the game. If you manage to get your hands on one of these after leaving prison, put it to use during the first few quests!
10. Skingrad Shield
Where To Find: Used by the Skingrad Town Guard Alright, the truly useful shields start at number 9 here. But this one was another item that I couldn’t help but add to my list because of its design. Truth be told, there really aren’t as many useful shields in Oblivion as there are in Skyrim. But I did want to give you a couple of extra options in case you didn’t want to go “mainstream”. In any case, the Skingrad Shield is the one worn by the Skingrad Town Guard. It seems to resemble medieval shields worn by Turkish warriors, as it shares design similarities with the Turkish flag. It’s really not too useful after level 5, though.
9. Shield of the True Horn
Where To Find: Next to the corpse of Lord Kelvyn Now things are getting interesting, aren’t they? If you haven’t heard about the Shield of True Horn before, there’s a good reason for it: it’s actually one of the rarest shields in the game. It doesn’t officially come included with vanilla Oblivion! If you want to get your hands on this shield, you’ll have to install the Fighter’s Stronghold official plugin released by Bethesda. Then go out scouting for it. As you can imagine, the shield is used mostly by NPCs added with the DLC. It’s a heavy shield with decent defending stats, which means that you can expect it to be as heavy as hell. Be prepared to be over-encumbered but well defended.
8. Ebony Shield
Where To Find: Found by looting NPCs that wield it. The higher your level, the better your chances of encountering it The Ebony Shield is the first solid shield on my list that also has a fantastic design. I’ve read posts on forums where people talk about the Ebony Shield as one of their all-time favorites in the TES series. And I can’t help but agree with these comments. The Ebony Shield is part of the Ebony armor set which is, again, a personal favorite of many Oblivion players. That combination of black and yellow makes this shield, and the armor set as a whole, one of the best options to carry around in the game for those going for the cool look.
7. Shield of the Crusader
Where To Find: Earned by playing the Knights of the Nine expansion pack The Shield of the Crusader is the shield worn by all Knights of the Nine. Anyone who becomes a member of this order is sure to be granted with a complete set of armor that resembles the old sets worn by crusaders during the medieval ages. The Shield of the Crusader is particularly exclusive and differs from the rest of the shields worn by knights of the order. It can only be obtained by completing the Wisdom of the Ages quest. It also has the “reflect spell” enchantment which makes it a great shield to combat magical foes of all shapes and forms.
6. Mirror Shield
Where To Find: Can be found as unique loot in some dungeons The Mirror Shield is one of the most difficult shields to obtain in the game. There isn’t any info on where to find it specifically, so you’re going to need to search for it as loot. The shield is believed to be a reference to Legend of Zelda, as it actually has similar effects to one shield in the game which shares the same name. I mean, it’s pretty clearly a reference right? In any case, the Mirror Shield offers poor defending stats but fantastic reflective enchantments!
5. Tower of the Nine
Where To Find: Purchasable shield in the Imperial City Market District Arguably the best purchasable shield in the game, Tower of the Nine has a staggering base value of 4800 septims. This amazing shield doesn’t only have a unique design; it also shares a base armor value close to the Ebony Shield in addition to having four different enchantments.
4. Daedric Shield
Where To Find: Found as loot depending on your level, much like the Ebony Shield Daedric has always been known as the best material in the TES series until Skyrim. So it’s only natural that Daedric shields provide the best base armor value in the game. But this is one you’ll want to try for yourself to see if it fits your play style.
3. The Gray Aegis
Where To Find: It can’t be obtained unless you pop up the console. Whoops! Even though The Gray Aegis is a debug shield, I remember getting it back when I played Oblivion in the late 2000s after installing a mod that allowed me to use it. The Gray Aegis has a 100% resistance rate to magic, which means that no wizard will be getting past your defenses! I can’t remember if this is the correct mod, but check this out if you’re interested.
2. Escutcheon of Chorrol
Where To Find: Rewarded by completing the Sins of the Father quest This powerful shield reflects 35% of all damage that it blocks, then redirects it back to the attacker. Sweet! It also fortifies endurance by 10 points and has an armor rating of 22.5. In terms of sheer defensive value, the Escutcheon of Chorrol is the best shield in the game bar none. Well, almost none…
1. Spell Breaker
Where To Find: Obtained in the Shrine of Peryite This legendary shield was created by one of the last Dwemer kings, as the legends tell. It has a base armor value just one point below Ebony. But the fact that it has a 30% reflective rate towards magic spells makes the Spell Breaker the single best piece of defensive equipment in the game. I actually can’t recommend anything higher because this is such a badass shield. Seek it out as soon as you can.
