Elden Ring’s recently released Shadow of the Erdtree DLC introduced a new weapon class—dueling shields. While some players relish the challenge of mastering spells or colossal weapons, these spiked shields offer a far simpler approach.
Out of the two dueling shields available in Elden Ring right now, the stronger pick is the Carian Thrusting Shield found in the Shadow Keep. The shield has been championing a new kind of playstyle where players can dish out damage while ensuring near-perfect defense. This can be done by two-handing the shield, holding down the block button, and spamming the light attack button. A video post on X (formerly Twitter) on June 28 by YouTuber Scott Jund shows the playstyle in action, where he hilariously demonstrates beating an enemy by holding the block button and whacking the attack button onto his forehead.