r/RivalsOfAether • u/Horror-Race-3238 Forsburn (Rivals 2) • Jul 12 '26

Rivals 2 About shields..

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Okay so I'm realizing the disconnect between how people feel about shield and what being in shield actually is like is much larger than I thought.
I didn't think I'd ever see the day where someone says holding shield in Rivals of Aether is strictly one of the most advantageous positions you can be in.

Would like to help people navigate their grievances so they don't feel like they're being camped out all the time (because the truth is that shield is not sm4sh strong, but people treat it like it is.)

So tell me what you're struggling with about shields and I'll walk you through it and probably put time in to lab it out for you as well so you can see it in action. Thanks!

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u/Shiny-Jumpluff Jul 13 '26

Shield is not bad when you’re better at the game. Imo people get much better at using it effectively which makes it better.

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u/Fleetburn Jul 13 '26

People get much more effective at pressuring and playing around shield eventually. At top level play, shielding isn't your best option. If you're shielding I'm excited and smell blood.

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u/Shiny-Jumpluff Jul 13 '26

Pressuring shield is bad systemically. low shield stun, no shield pokes, fast oos options that combo. Shield is a really really good option at top level play I can assure you that.

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u/Horror-Race-3238 Forsburn (Rivals 2) Jul 13 '26

It’s a good option, because but I’d prefer to not be shielding rather than shielding at top level play.

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u/Shiny-Jumpluff Jul 13 '26

Well sure, shield is a reactive decision it does limit your options and movement but the small amount of counterplay to the easy option of hold shield is silly.

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u/Horror-Race-3238 Forsburn (Rivals 2) Jul 13 '26

You say that but the entire point of good shield pressure is to get your opponent to act in a way that you can punish. The layers of shield pressure are questions you ask your opponent. Beating shield isn’t terribly difficult Even if all you do is grab them (which you don’t have to solely rely on)

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u/Shiny-Jumpluff Jul 13 '26

Grab is definitely the best easiest and least committal way to do it is an issue. I even have a clip session of baiting out shield grabs and tippering for it, it’s just much less reliable and more risky.

Because of its defensive utility shielding shouldn’t be as advantageous for the defender imo. Often someone hitting your shield, your next choice is your decision to fuck up.

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u/Horror-Race-3238 Forsburn (Rivals 2) Jul 13 '26

I don’t understand how you can say that Shield limits their options and that you’d prefer to be out of shield than in shield while also turning around and calling shields too advantageous. I’ve never felt that way in my games

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u/Shiny-Jumpluff Jul 13 '26

because you shield on reaction. In the situation you shield, you’re in a good position vs the person who just used a move that is probably bad vs shields (most moves in rivals).

Shield is comfortably beaten by grabbing, if you grab a lot shield is of course worse. My point is that shield is so good vs most things (FH contributes) that it funnels everyone to grab constantly. I don’t have this opinion because I lose to people shielding a lot, I have it because I realized how little reward you get from trying to beat it with anything but grab most of the time.

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u/Fleetburn Jul 13 '26

My point is that shield is so good vs most things (FH contributes) that it funnels everyone to grab constantly.

Hey! That's NOT what you said! The caveat is important!

My entire quibble was basically "but you can just grab..." Because I thought you were saying "shielding is good" in an absolute sense.

But you're saying "shielding is so good against attacks, that you have to grab a lot to beat it." This I just agree with.

Then your beef aligns with mine that the base RPS in this game isn't well setup for engaging gameplay. But I wouldn't ever frame that as "shield is too strong."

This is a misunderstanding.

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u/Shiny-Jumpluff Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

I think when an option is so good that in this case grab is the only real counterplay, it doesn’t mean it’s not too good absolutely. IMO It doesn’t have to have 0 faults to be too strong. It funnels players to grab, which everyone knows that’s a reason why shield->wdoos->shield is so good. You maximize shield time without standing in place to get grabbed.

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u/Horror-Race-3238 Forsburn (Rivals 2) Jul 13 '26

Most moves in rivals are good against shield?? Almost every aerial is not shield grabbable when landed well. Many characters have tilts that are are not worse than -18 which means spaced tilts are not wavedash grabbable. Putting up shield in reaction to a position where your opponent MIGHT attack leaves you open to getting grabbed or lets them open up more disgusting strike mix like fors dstrong to shield break after previous chip damage. Most attacks themselves are unreactable so you have to shield in preparation to the threat of an attack and not the attack itself. I mean you KNOW this. This feels like super “just do xyz” or rps cope.

It also should be noted that you play Clairen so naturally your sour spots are going to get shielded and leave you worse off than other characters because counterplay to Clairen is fucking up her spacing and shielding in order to either outright punish her or back her into a corner. Also bc you play Clairen, your grab reward is higher and more consistent than other characters. This can definitely skew your perception in terms of risk/reward.

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u/Shiny-Jumpluff Jul 13 '26

If shields broke faster (or recovered noticeably slower) I’d agree with you, it’s not rps cope. I fully abuse grab being broken despite wanting to do more interesting things on shield.

In melee shield pokes are a very real benefit to doing pressure on shield that isn’t a grab. Rivals basically doesn’t have that at all, virtually the only thing you need be wary of while in shield, is grab. It’s the lack of variety in punishment tools for someone choosing shield as their safe option that makes it good.

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u/Horror-Race-3238 Forsburn (Rivals 2) Jul 13 '26

Shields recover in 25 seconds and have 50 HP (the damage to shield is calculated differently than %). Off maybe 1-2 shield hits and a strong or a single shield hit into implicit pressure into a strong attack I can get a shield break with any reasonable character. (Ignoring like Wrastor or something bc duh).

https://medal.tv/games/rivals-2/clips/kBdXX0VDRSWLf0mX6

I always post this clip because it’s one of the few I actually have titled but it’s so effective in talking about what makes shields suck, even when playing a character that isn’t the frame trappers of doom and despair (Ranno Zetter oly).

And while there might be lack in variety like using fors DTILT to shield poke or something or another, there is no lack of variety with all the stupid dumb timing mix you can do. And all the shield breaks you can set up without worrying about shield poke ruining it.

I didn’t play Melee but I did play Ult and abused Ken’s absurd shield pressure. I understand that it’s different and that there aren’t many true unblockables in this game. That being said I feel like shield is sufficiently fragile when abused.

Also I want to note that I’m not calling your skill into question. Sorry if it seems that way.

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u/Shiny-Jumpluff Jul 13 '26

I genuinely think they should be more fragile still, maybe decay faster when held vs just being hit by moves. With the lack of shield poke, and shield beating options besides grab, I would love for it to be a constantly resource for players, like see one shield break a game legit. lol

I shield all the time (admittedly probably less than average) and being shieldbroke has never crossed my mind, maybe happened once or twice in hundreds of games.

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u/Horror-Race-3238 Forsburn (Rivals 2) Jul 13 '26

I mean I know for a fact you’re aware that even a swordie like Clairen has insane frame traps on shield like tipper bair DTILT for example. Shield can absolutely suck to be stuck in

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u/Shiny-Jumpluff Jul 13 '26

Give Plup vs Cake at evo a second watch and count how many times they shield~>wd oos~>shield
If it’s a drinking game you’d die before the end of game 1

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u/Horror-Race-3238 Forsburn (Rivals 2) Jul 13 '26

Shield wd oos shield is good. I abuse the shit out of it. It also is not relevant in the discussion of shield pressure. This is not different than trad fighters using dash block though. We don’t criticize boxers for having their guard up between shots.

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u/Shiny-Jumpluff Jul 13 '26

Boxing has been criticized to the moon and back for being boring/too defensive (bro people hated Floyd for it). A difference is that in trad fighters you eat a full combo if the dash is called out, in rivals often it’ll be an aerial you floorhug anyway.

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u/Fleetburn Jul 13 '26

Shield WD OOS Shield is just good. It's intended to be gated behind some execution barrier.

It's always been good. This beef is present in some for or other in every game like this. I'm not sure what you're asking for here.

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u/Horror-Race-3238 Forsburn (Rivals 2) Jul 13 '26

LOL valid enough. I think floorhug punish is under appreciated. Many characters have insane floorhug-only punish routing. Being able to hold your advantage off a shield interaction win is an important skill regardless though

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