So about the new block system...

It seems the devs decided to apply the armor formula to shields. This of course means that some damage will probably pass through even if your block power is higher than the incoming damage. My guess as to why they did this was to make armor more useful so you can't just turtle behind a shield while wearing troll armor in the Mountains.
This brings us to the new stagger system. Previously if any damage has gone through your block, you got staggered, but didn't take extra damage. Now there is a stagger bar that depends on your max health. if that bar fills up your block fails WITHOUT NEGATING ANY DAMAGE. In other words a staggered block is even worse than facetanking the hit since it wastes stamina on top of negating no damage.
Additionally any damage that goes through the block does more stagger buildup than just taking the hit.
So if you for example tried to block a troll with the new bone shield and totally failed to block any damage from it, what likely happened is:
1. You got a partial block
2. The damage that got through broke your stagger bar
3. You ended up taking full damage from the hit.

Just to be clear this is just my hypothesis based on what I have heard from other players.
If anything is incorrect, feel free to correct me.
2:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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Kauldric replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 10:16:21 am PDT

Yeah this is an awesome change. Kudos to the devs.
8:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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Broccoli replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 10:56:53 am PDT

They turned something that was based on player ability, you time your block right you get rewarded and it felt great.

to another tedious grind to always have the best possible HP food to do the things you did before.

Before If I played my cards right I could take on Trolls early game and it was a way to progress into Troll gear before then moving to the Swamp for fighting Dregs.

Now even with a bone shield I got clapped and could not stagger the Troll with a perfectly timed block but furthermore took a lot of damage even with the timed block. Not sure where you got your info from but maybe he had later game HP food stacked to increase his blocking capability. Which in itself is kind of a dumb mechanic (have hp will block?) /facepalm

I could kill at Troll at ease with a bow I crafted minutes into the game and wood arrows, So our ability to block them in the past did not seem op it just felt good, and when you're in tight quarters like crypts in the swamp blocking melee mobs with timed blocks also felt great.

Now you have some messed up system to get in the way of something that was intuitive...

This update took away far more than it gave imo.
8:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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Polaris replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 11:12:08 am PDT

The new blocking system isn't horrible, and you can block most of the damage from incoming hits, so In valheim, armor has diminishing returns the higher it is, but "block armor" is not just added to your base armor.

Instead, your "block armor" will reduce the damage of the incoming blow (the party bonus will multiply this armor value when you parry, but diminishing returns and all that), this reduced damage will then be what is applied to your character and their armor.

So with a shield, you will take very little to no damage, but costs stamina.

HP does not improve the block, but makes you harder to stagger.

You no longer stagger anytime damage gets through your block, only if enough damage gets through to fill your stagger meter. So with even one hp food, some armor and a shield, you will rarely stagger, unless your just face tanking a whole group of fulings ;D



I'm not saying it's better then what we had before, but it's workable, and it definitely makes tower shields feel a bit more viable (they knockback enemies when you block)

And you still get the stagger on an enemy when your parry for your crits :)

So parrying is still a rewarding skill to learn, but more for offense then defense.
8:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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Polaris replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 11:25:38 am PDT

Oh! One welcome change is that weapons seem to block better now, the bronze atgier could parry greylings and then strike back, it was fun, but the black metal atgier would leave you staggered if you tried to parry a fuling, last night I was able to parry fulings with the crystal battle-axe

So that's at least a welcome change :)
8:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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Dealman replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 11:27:29 am PDT

Originally posted by Broccoli:
They turned something that was based on player ability, you time your block right you get rewarded and it felt great.

Oh come on, the window of opportunity is huge. You can't really imply that parrying with a shield, or any weapon for that matter takes that much skill.

Then again, that's nice. Valheim really shouldn't try to be a Dark Souls game ;p
8:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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AugustusKron replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 12:01:20 pm PDT

enemies with bows are a lot more dangerous, since they can stagger you through a block while guys up close murder you
8:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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Kauldric replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 12:01:35 pm PDT

There is nothing in combat on this game ore or post patch that makes it remotely hard? Just stop dying
8:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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redgreen999 replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 12:11:08 pm PDT

I am new to the game, but I worry that they will keep making this game more complicated. People want everything in the game, and more and more gets added until it takes an hour to tie your shoe because of all the details.
8:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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Lucidess replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 8:46:43 am PDT

How to block before patch: Have Block skill and have a nice Shield.
How to block after patch: HP. HP. HP. Skill doesn't matter, shield doesn't matter, just HP.
5:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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FTZ35 replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 9:48:53 am PDT

Originally posted by pipo.p:
If you are staggered, don't you take more than "full" damage? I mean, when I stagger enemies, next hit is like a critical hit, always.
That's the next hit. I was talking about the hit that broke your guard doing full damage.
5:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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pipo.p replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 5:58:49 am PDT

If you are staggered, don't you take more than "full" damage? I mean, when I stagger enemies, next hit is like a critical hit, always.
2:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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Lunacy replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 6:25:19 am PDT

I'm still confused how exactly the shield stats work now. Can I just parry everything like before except now I take damage for doing it?
2:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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blankitosonic replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 6:26:47 am PDT

Originally posted by pipo.p:
If you are staggered, don't you take more than "full" damage? I mean, when I stagger enemies, next hit is like a critical hit, always.
Yeah but the player has a very reduced stagg time , like a graydwarf brute so its pretty hard take some of these extra hit when mobs staggs you


About the block system . maybe works like that with tower shields now but with bucklers and round shields its pretty the same as before just with the difference that a little damage pass even when u parries the enemy , remember that these shields have multiplier in the parry , iron buckler takes 100 , silver rounded 107 and Blackmetal 127
2:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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gsw mer replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 7:02:49 am PDT

so if you still receive damage even on successful block that means one thing only. progress in development is only working towards making ur suffering more extended, not less.
2:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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Dealman replied to So about the new block system... September 19, 2021 @ 7:03:30 am PDT

It certainly needs some tweaking, but I like the overall concept of this new system a lot better. Shields prior to H&H completely and utterly nullified any challenge the game had to offer, aside from going to a new biome "too early".

Haven't tested it all too much yet, but shields definitely don't feel as massively overpowered as they used to. Which is a nice change IMO.
2:13 pm, September 19, 2021
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