How to Upgrade Your Defense with Tiered Shields

In vanilla Minecraft, a single shield type has to last you from the early game all the way to the End. Vanguard Combat Repertoire Mod replaces this limitation with a full progression of tiered shields that scale alongside your armor and weapons.

Crafting Across Material Tiers

Instead of stopping at wood and iron, you can craft shields from six standard progression materials:

• Wood
• Stone
• Iron
• Gold
• Diamond
• Netherite

Each step up in crafting material grants the shield increased durability, allowing it to absorb significantly more incoming attacks before breaking. Check your in-game recipe book at a crafting table or smithing table to view the exact upgrade path for each tier.

Pairing Shields with One-Handed Weapons

To get the most out of a tiered shield, place it in your off-hand slot and pair it with a weapon that matches your defensive playstyle:

1. Close-Quarters Defense: Equip a Dagger or Knife in your main hand. Because these weapons have reduced reach, you will take more incoming swings from mobs; a high-tier Diamond or Netherite shield lets you safely block attacks while closing the gap.

2. Safe Poke Damage: Pair your shield with a Spear. You can hold your ground with the shield raised, lower it briefly to strike from a safe distance using the spear's 2.5 reach bonus, and immediately return to blocking.