Riftbound Shield: what it does
GlossaryShield is a Riftbound keyword on units that adds bonus Might — but only while that unit is defending in combat. "Shield [X]" gives +X Might for the duration of combat as a defender; the value disappears the moment the unit stops defending, and multiple sources of Shield on the same unit simply add together.
How Shield's bonus works
Shield is short for "while I am a defender, I have +X Might" — the Defender designation is granted during Combat, so Shield's bonus only ever applies for that window. If X is left off a card, it's treated as 1. Stack multiple instances of Shield (from the printed keyword plus any granted copies) and the values sum, so a heavily-Shielded blocker can swing well above its printed stat line for exactly the fight it's in.
Building a defensive shell with Shield
Because the bonus is conditional on defending, Shield rewards a deck that's happy to sit back and let the opponent attack into a wall rather than racing. It pairs naturally with Tank (forcing damage toward a specific unit) and Deflect (taxing what targets it at all) — see the Combat Keywords guide for how a defensive shell comes together.
Consult the Heavens is a real, officially revealed Radiance card printed with Shield — open it to see the exact printed rules text and its live price across stores.
Every Shield card
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Shield FAQ
What does Shield mean in Riftbound?
Shield gives a unit +X Might, but only while it's defending in combat — the bonus applies during that fight and goes away once combat ends.
Does Shield work when my unit is attacking?
No — Shield's bonus is specifically tied to being a defender. An attacking unit with Shield gets nothing extra from it.
What happens with multiple instances of Shield?
The Shield values are summed, so a unit with Shield 2 that's also granted Shield 1 by another card gets +3 Might total while defending.