Shield Bash

Overview

Shield Bash is a melee combat skill in Crimson Desert, exclusive to Kliff. It belongs to the Stamina (Blue) branch of the skill tree. Shield Bash allows Kliff to strike an enemy with his shield while simultaneously blocking incoming attacks. This dual-purpose move combines offense and defense into a single action, making it a foundational technique for sword-and-shield combat.

Skill Details

How Shield Bash Works

Pressing L1 + R2 causes Kliff to swing his shield forward in a bashing motion. The shield connects with the enemy, dealing physical damage based on the shield's stats. At the same time, the shield provides blocking coverage during the attack animation, meaning incoming hits during the bash are partially absorbed. This makes Shield Bash one of the safest offensive actions in Kliff's toolkit because it does not leave him fully exposed during the attack.

Shield Bash deals less damage than a full sword swing, but the defensive coverage compensates for this. It is best used as a safe option when trading hits with an enemy, especially against aggressive foes that attack during your own openings.

Combat Applications

• Defensive Pressure: Use Shield Bash when you want to maintain offensive pressure but expect an incoming hit. The block coverage protects you while dealing chip damage.

• Interrupt Tool: Shield Bash can interrupt certain enemy attack animations if it connects during the wind-up. This is particularly useful against slower enemies with long telegraphed swings.

• Safe Engagement Opener: Open a fight with Shield Bash to test the enemy's response. You deal damage and block their counter-attack in the same motion.

• Stamina Conservation: Unlike dodging, Shield Bash does not cost Stamina. In situations where Stamina is low (extreme climate zones, extended fights), Shield Bash lets you stay offensive without spending resources.

Shield Bash in Builds

Shield Bash is a core component of defensive Kliff builds. The Kliff Longsword Build uses Shield Bash as a safe filler move between combo chains. When the enemy starts attacking during your combo, Shield Bash lets you absorb the hit and maintain your rhythm rather than retreating to dodge or block.

For a fully defensive playstyle, Shield Bash pairs naturally with Parry and Counter. The rotation becomes: Parry an incoming attack for the stagger, follow up with a combo, and use Shield Bash if the enemy recovers and counterattacks mid-combo.

Shield Bash vs Other Defensive Moves

Tips

• Shield Bash is available from the moment you start playing Kliff. Use it throughout the entire game as a reliable defensive-offensive tool.

• The shield's defense stat affects the damage reduction during Shield Bash. Higher-quality shields provide better blocking coverage.

• Shield Bash does not work without a shield equipped. If you switch to dual wielding, you lose access to this skill.

• Against groups of enemies, Shield Bash can only hit one target. In mob fights, prioritize area-of-effect skills like Spinning Slash instead.

• Shield Bash is a safe move to use while learning boss attack patterns. You deal damage while maintaining protection, reducing the risk of early deaths.

See Also

• Kliff Skills

• Shields

• One-Handed Weapons

• Parry

• Skills

• Combat System

Patch 1.04: Weapon Throw Parallel (Dual-Wield)

Patch 1.04 added a new dual-wielding skill for Kliff called Weapon Throw. It is important to note on this page because the new skill uses the exact same input pattern as Shield Bash, just with a different loadout. When Kliff has a sword and shield equipped, holding block then pressing heavy attack performs Shield Bash as described above. When Kliff is dual wielding instead, the identical inputs perform Weapon Throw: he launches the off-hand weapon forward as a ranged attack. This gives players who were already comfortable with the Shield Bash timing an instant ranged option the moment they swap loadouts, without learning a new control.

The thrown weapon deals damage as it travels outward through an enemy, and it continues to damage anything it clips on the way back when it is recalled. Enemies carrying a front-facing guard can still be hit in the back on the return arc if their backs are exposed. The feel of the skill is deliberately different from Shield Bash: where Shield Bash keeps Kliff locked in close with the shield providing partial block coverage, Weapon Throw opens distance and trades the defensive coverage for a short window of ranged pressure. After the throw animation, Kliff partly auto-swaps to shield, which can feel awkward in the middle of a combo if you were not expecting the weapon to leave your hand.

Input Mapping

The table below shows the Shield Bash and Weapon Throw inputs side by side. Both skills are triggered by holding the block button and then pressing heavy attack; the loadout decides which action actually fires.

Because both skills share the same combo, switching between them is purely a loadout decision. Players who keep a sword and shield equipped for defensive fights can swap to a dual-wield loadout when they need a ranged poke and the inputs carry over directly.

Retrieval

Shield Bash has no retrieval step because the shield never leaves Kliff's arm. Weapon Throw does, and the retrieval rules are worth covering here because the shared input pattern can cause confusion. Once a thrown weapon is stuck in the environment or has passed through a target, there are two ways to get it back.

• Press the same block-hold plus heavy-attack combo again. The weapon recalls toward Kliff, damaging any enemy caught in its return path. This is the fastest way to retrieve it and chain the damage on both the outbound and return arcs.

• Walk up to the weapon and pick it up directly. This is useful if Kliff has already closed the gap after the throw, since walking past the weapon collects it automatically without needing to re-enter the throw input.

• If the recall input is pressed while a different enemy is already in range for a melee combo, the partial auto-swap back to shield can interrupt the intended flow. Plan ahead: either recall the weapon first and then re-engage, or commit to a walk-up retrieval so the swap happens at a safer moment.

Related Skills

• Weapon Throw. The dual-wield companion to Shield Bash added in Patch 1.04. Same input pattern, different loadout, ranged instead of melee.

• Dual Wield Guide. Full primer on the dual-wield playstyle, including how Weapon Throw fits into the wider moveset.

• Dual Wielding Mastery. Covers the dual-wield skill tree and the ways to improve output when running without a shield.

• Kliff Skills. The complete index of abilities available to Kliff, including Shield Bash, Weapon Throw, and the rest of the sword-and-shield toolkit.

• Ambush. A parallel addition from Patch 1.04 for Damiane and Oongka that expands the stealth and opener options beyond Kliff's kit.