Does Shield Block Trap Damage in Gloomhaven?
Gloomhaven, the popular cooperative game of strategy and adventure, can sometimes leave players scratching their heads over the mechanics of shielding and trap damage. Shield is a powerful tool for defending against damage, but its effectiveness against different types of damage is limited. This article aims to clarify how shields interact with trap damage in Gloomhaven and provide some important takeaways for players.
Straight Answer:
In general, no, a shield does not block trap damage in Gloomhaven. According to the Gloomhaven FAQ, which has been repeatedly verified and validated by community sources and developers, a shield will only protect against damage caused by attacks. This is in contrast to damage from non-attack sources like traps, retaliation, wounds, and hazardous terrain. While a shield may stop 100 Phantom Attacks with ease, it won’t deflect deadly traps on your tracks or opponents.
Subsection 1: Shields Don’t Block Traps (by Design)
Some players might hope to take advantage of shielded dice or abilities to avoid trigger damage from traps. Unfortunately, traps were not designed to be shield-absorbable. Even with a powerful shield and an opponent using a ranged attack, your chances of triggering a trap and losing some health will always depend on the die roll alone.
Table 1: Shield Protection against Non-Attack Sources
| Non-Attack Source | Shield Protection | Retaliates? | Hazardous Terrain? | Wound? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attacking Enemy | X | X | X | |
| Trap | X | X | ||
| Retaliate | X | X | ||
| Hazardous Terrain | X | X | ||
| Wound | X | X | X |
As seen above, while shield helps reduce enemy attack damage, it completely neglects traps and all these secondary source-of-harm, which leaves us relying solely on rollouts!
Subsection 2: What This Means for Gameplay
To incorporate your newfound understanding into your in-game strategy, beware of your environment’s deadly traps and enemies using their abilities for harm, since shields are less relevant to these attacks. Adapt by using caution and staying prepared for both immediate challenges as well as strategic approaches for long-term progress.
Be prepared that an aggressive foe might, unfortunately result in your immediate downfall on top of whatever obstacles on hand.
Keep up on learning more; remember no traps can survive against powerful heroes like me when in our own minds (since Gloomhaven requires lots and lots).
What traps remain left as, let other opponents take down any they stumble upon since now – just remember where to, because there!