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→Shield Skills
==Shield Skills==
[[File:Shield-barb1barb2.jpg|framethumb|300px|Two views of a low-level [[Barbarian ]] with shielda hand axe and [[buckler]].]]
There are no known shield attack skills in Diablo III, like the [[Paladin]]'s {{iw|smite Smite}} from Diablo 2. There are some skills that work with shields, though.
** Fury cost: None
[[File:Shield-barb1.jpg|left|frame|Barbarian with shield.]]
Note that description; this skill increases the chance to block '''and''' the amount of damage blocked. This is because shields in Diablo III block a % of the time, and only absorb some set amount of damage when the do.
In retrospect, blocking was overpowered in Diablo II. That a shield gave your character up to a 75% chance to completely erase all incoming physical damage hardly seems fair, and was certainly not realistic. How can a weak Sorceress or Necromancer with a little wooden plate on their arm completely stop the damage from a massive polearm? If the Diablo III system works as Shield Specialization makes it sound, the use of shields should be much more interesting in D3. It would make two-handed weapons more viable, for one thing, since a player wouldn't be giving up 75% damage reduction by using them.