Skeletal Shieldman

From Diablo Wiki

Skeletal Shieldmen are Undead. These foot soldier skeletons spawn with large, round, glowing blue shields from which they derive their names.

[edit] Description

They carry a sword as well as their glowing blue shield, but use it only sporadically, and not with very great effect. Their chief purpose is as a defensive unit, and a phalanx of these skeletons can usually be found in front of Skeleton Archers or a Skeletal Summoner. They block very effectively, thwarting most attacks launched straight at them, but are very slow to turn and can be flanked or simply run past without much difficulty.

They have slow foot speed and attack speed, and very low hit points, so will usually die in just one or two hits, once their shields are bypassed.

[edit] Blocks

As of the WWI 2008 gameplay movie, Skeletal Shieldmen mark their successful blocks with the word Block, appearing on the screen above the action. This feature is controversial, with many players disapproving of the word showing up on the screen, as though the action were being narrated in a fighting game. There is no telling if that feature will remain into the final game, as early in development as the game is now.

It has been recently confirmed that the blue colored shields are destroyable. As the Shieldman blocks attacks, the color of the shield diminishes. When the Shieldman has blocked the fixed number of attacks that it can, the Shield breaks and the Skeletal Shieldman reverts back to the run-of-the-mill Skeleton.

[edit] Concept art and screenshots

A group of skeletal shieldmen

Concept art