Worked out · Valheim 1.0.17
Best shields
Every Valheim shield at max level: block power at Blocking 0 and 100, parry power, movement penalty and weight — bucklers, round shields and tower shields apart, and the best one in each biome.
Best round shield
Nord Shield144 at skill 0216block at skill 100
Best buckler
Nord Buckler100 at skill 0150block at skill 100
Best tower shield
Nord Greatshield170 at skill 0255block at skill 100
Strongest parry
Nord Bucklerblock × 2.5375parry at skill 100
Best shield of each kind by biome
| Biome | Round | Buckler (parry) | Tower (no parry) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadows |  Wood Shield27 block · 41 parry | — |  Wood Tower Shield33 block |
| Black Forest | Wood Shield27 block · 41 parry |  Bronze Buckler42 block · 105 parry | Wood Tower Shield33 block |
| Swamp |  Shield of Roots90 block · 135 parry |  Iron Buckler60 block · 150 parry |  Iron Tower Shield96 block |
| Mountains |  Silver Shield108 block · 162 parry | Iron Buckler60 block · 150 parry | Iron Tower Shield96 block |
| Plains |  Black Metal Shield135 block · 203 parry | Iron Buckler60 block · 150 parry |  Black Metal Tower Shield174 block |
| Mistlands |  Carapace Shield162 block · 243 parry |  Carapace Buckler135 block · 338 parry | Black Metal Tower Shield174 block |
| Ashlands |  Flametal Shield189 block · 284 parry | Carapace Buckler135 block · 338 parry |  Flametal Tower Shield228 block |
| Deep North | Nord Shield216 block · 324 parry | Nord Buckler150 block · 375 parry | Nord Greatshield255 block |
Round shields
| Shield | From | Block 0 | Block 100 | Parry 100 | Move | Weight | Resists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nord Shieldparry × 1.5 | Deep North | 144 | 216 | 324 | -5% | 5 | — |
| Flametal Shieldparry × 1.5 | Ashlands | 126 | 189 | 284 | -5% | 5 | — |
| Carapace Shieldparry × 1.5 | Mistlands | 108 | 162 | 243 | -5% | 5 | — |
| Black Metal Shieldparry × 1.5 | Plains | 90 | 135 | 203 | -5% | 5 | — |
| Silver Shieldparry × 1.5 | Mountains | 72 | 108 | 162 | -5% | 5 | — |
| Shield of Rootsparry × 1.5 | Swamp | 60 | 90 | 135 | 0 | 4 | — |
 Banded Shieldparry × 1.5 | Swamp | 54 | 81 | 122 | -5% | 5 | — |
| Wood Shieldparry × 1.5 | Meadows | 18 | 27 | 41 | -5% | 4 | — |
Bucklers
| Shield | From | Block 0 | Block 100 | Parry 100 | Move | Weight | Resists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nord Bucklerparry × 2.5 | Deep North | 100 | 150 | 375 | -5% | 4 | — |
| Carapace Bucklerparry × 2.5 | Mistlands | 90 | 135 | 338 | -5% | 5 | — |
| Iron Bucklerparry × 2.5 | Swamp | 40 | 60 | 150 | -5% | 4 | — |
| Bronze Bucklerparry × 2.5 | Black Forest | 28 | 42 | 105 | -5% | 3 | — |
Tower shields
| Shield | From | Block 0 | Block 100 | Parry 100 | Move | Weight | Resists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nord Greatshieldcan't parry | Deep North | 170 | 255 | — | -10% | 5 | — |
| Flametal Tower Shieldcan't parry | Ashlands | 152 | 228 | — | -10% | 5 | — |
| Black Metal Tower Shieldcan't parry | Plains | 116 | 174 | — | -10% | 5 | — |
 Serpent Scale Shieldcan't parry | Ocean | 72 | 108 | — | -10% | 5 | Resistant Pierce |
| Iron Tower Shieldcan't parry | Swamp | 64 | 96 | — | -10% | 4 | — |
 Bone Tower Shieldcan't parry | Swamp | 44 | 66 | — | -10% | 4 | — |
| Wood Tower Shieldcan't parry | Meadows | 22 | 33 | — | -10% | 4 | — |
What each shield holds from every boss attack: shields vs bosses; any hit: block calculator.
Formula
Block at max level = (base + per level × (max level − 1)) × (1 + Blocking skill ÷ 100 × 0.5).
Parry = block × the shield's parry bonus, when the hit lands within 0.25 s of raising it. Tower shields have none.
ItemData.GetBlockPower, ItemData.GetBaseBlockPower and Humanoid.BlockAttack in the code of Valheim 1.0.17.