Smithscript Shield
Smithscript Shield is a small shield found in Taylew’s Ruined Forge. Its fixed Discus Hurl skill throws the shield as a returning runic projectile, making it an offensive ranged tool first and a lightweight emergency guard second.
Key Takeaways
A Shadow of the Erdtree medium shield that adds a returning thrown attack to a defensive equipment slot.
Hybrid defensive role
Smithscript Shield remains a shield first, but its dedicated throwing attack gives it a ranged option that ordinary medium shields generally lack.
Dedicated throwing skill
Its Shield Throw skill sends the shield toward a target and returns it; using the attack consumes FP, so repeated throws compete with other skill use.
DLC availability
It requires Shadow of the Erdtree and is obtained in the Ruined Forge of Starfall Past rather than from the base game's weapon pool.
Somber progression
The shield follows the unique-weapon upgrade path, using Somber Smithing Stones rather than the standard Smithing Stone sequence.
Practical trade-off
Its ranged utility distinguishes it from conventional medium shields, but its value depends on FP management and on whether a dedicated throwing attack fits the build.
Overview
Smithscript Shield is a unique medium shield from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree that combines ordinary shield defense with a dedicated throwable attack.
The shield’s defining feature is Shield Throw, which sends it toward a target before returning to the wielder. That gives a defensive character a ranged offensive option without replacing the shield’s normal blocking role. It is therefore distinct from conventional medium shields, whose value is primarily tied to guard, parrying, or shield-based melee attacks. As downloadable-content equipment, it belongs to the Shadow of the Erdtree progression rather than the base-game shield roster.
Statistics
Elden Ring publishes no 0–100 stat bars, so this page lists the verified requirements, scaling and handling figures instead. Taken from the project's verified weapons database, not from generated text.
- CategoryThrusting Shields
- Damage TypePierce
- Primary ScalingStr D
- Weight8
- SkillSmithscript Shield skill
- Str Req13
- Dex Req10
- How to ObtainShadow of the Erdtree - Belurat/Scadu Altus
- DLCShadow of the Erdtree
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar thrusting shields
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithscript Shield | 13 | 10 | 8 | Str D |
| Thrusting Shield | 10 | 13 | 4 | Dex C |
| Carian Thrusting Shield | 10 | 15 | 4 | Dex C |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Shadow of the Erdtree DLC
- Access to Rauh Base and Taylew's Ruined Forge
- 01In the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, travel to Taylew's Ruined Forge in Rauh Base. Enter the optional forge dungeon and loot the Smithscript Shield from the fixed chest inside; it is not an enemy drop.
- 02No boss, quest, or vendor interaction is required. The shield is a guaranteed pickup and is available once Taylew's Ruined Forge can be reached.
Availability
Requires Shadow of the Erdtree required
Smithscript Shield is DLC content and does not appear in the base-game item pool.
Requires Shadow of the Erdtree access
No separate vendor, difficulty, or NG+ availability restriction is established.
Mechanics and Handling
Smithscript Shield’s defining feature is its Shield Throw skill: it launches the shield forward and returns it automatically, allowing repeated ranged attacks without ammunition or retrieving the shield from the ground. The throw uses the weapon’s skill resource and temporarily removes the shield from its defensive position, so it is best used during an opening rather than as a substitute for continuous blocking.
Outside the throw, it remains a medium shield and can be used for ordinary blocking and guard counters. Shield Throw is an offensive skill, not a parry, and the weapon does not provide the quick-response timing of a dedicated parry shield. Its handling therefore alternates between conventional defense at close range and a committed ranged attack when spacing or an enemy recovery window makes the temporary loss of guard acceptable.
Returning throw
Shield Throw sends the shield toward the target and brings it back automatically. This return behavior makes the attack reusable and avoids the resource-management or pickup concerns associated with physical thrown items. Because the shield is away from the character during the attack, the throw should not be started while an incoming hit still needs to be blocked.
Defense versus offense
Smithscript Shield retains its defensive role as a medium shield, including normal blocking and guard-counter use, but its fixed offensive skill changes how it is handled. It has no parry-focused skill: players choosing it are trading some immediate defensive flexibility for a repeatable ranged option that can punish distance or recovery windows.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Combines a greatshield’s defensive role with Shield Throw, giving a shield user a repeatable ranged attack through a weapon skill rather than a separate ranged weapon.
- The thrown shield returns after the attack, allowing pressure from a distance while retaining the shield as the equipped defensive tool.
- Its unusual attack profile can supplement builds that otherwise have limited ranged options.],
- weaknesses:[
Best uses
- A defensive playstyle that wants occasional ranged pressure without changing weapon categories.
- Encounters where maintaining guard while creating space is more valuable than committing to a conventional ranged weapon.
- Players willing to spend FP and accept the handling and weight demands associated with a greatshield.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Shield | Primary distinction | Defensive role | Best fit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithscript Shield | Small shield with the Shield Toss skill, allowing a ranged shield attack | Utility-focused defense with an offensive throwing option | Players who want a compact shield that also supports ranged pressure | — |
| Buckler | Small shield centered on a specialized parry option | Parry-focused defense rather than ranged utility | Players building around timed parries | — |
| Iron Roundshield | Conventional small-shield option with a more traditional defensive role | General blocking and parrying without Smithscript Shield’s throwing identity | Players seeking a straightforward small shield for close-range defense | — |
Lore and Design
The item description places the Smithscript Shield among the smithscript arms associated with the ancient smiths of the Rauh civilization. Its concept combines a normally defensive object with the smithscript tradition’s throwable weapon design, connecting the shield’s unusual function to an older craft practice rather than to a named character, faction, or documented real-world model.
Trivia
- The Smithscript Shield is the only shield in the Smithscript weapon family, whose other members are conventional weapon classes adapted for throwing.