If you’ve spent any time in Warborne Above Ashes, you know how annoying shielded enemies can be. They’re tanky, resistant to most frontal assaults, and they tend to drag out fights if you’re not prepared. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with different builds and skill combos specifically to break those stubborn defenses. Below I’m sharing 17 of the most reliable skills (or skill types) I’ve found to deal with shielded enemies effectively.

Whether you’re trying to clear content faster, improve your PvP performance, or just want to stop cursing at your screen every time a shield-user shows up, these picks should help.

1. Sundering Strike
Bread and butter for shield-breaking. Its bonus damage to armored or shielded targets is a must-have in any loadout.

2. Crippling Wave
Great for stagger damage. Even heavily shielded foes will eventually drop their guard under repeated staggers, letting you follow up with heavy hits.

3. Overcharge Burst
It might look flashy but it’s not just for show. The high energy output bypasses typical shield resistance thresholds, making it ideal for burst phases.

4. Piercing Lunge
Not all mobility skills are made equal. Piercing Lunge specifically does bonus damage when the enemy is guarding, letting you punish turtle players or shielded elites.

5. Shatterbomb
This AoE tool is criminally underrated. Direct hits can instantly break weaker shields and severely damage stronger ones.

6. Grapple Breaker
Against humanoid shield users, this skill not only interrupts but often removes their guard stance entirely.

7. Explosive Bolt
For ranged builds, Explosive Bolt delivers consistent shield-shredding damage, letting you stay safe while wearing them down.

8. Warborne Solarbite
One of the best weapon skills for shielded enemies. Its burn effect doesn’t care about shields, ticking damage through defenses while the main impact deals solid stagger. Many players try to buy Warborne Solarbite specifically for this reason.

9. Arcane Rupture
If you’re using a mage build, Arcane Rupture has one of the highest guard break ratings. Even heavy shields will struggle to hold.

10. Thunderclap Slam
Two-handed users love this one. It delivers massive poise damage and frequently staggers even the heaviest shielded foes.

11. Incendiary Cloud
Excellent for forcing movement. Shielded enemies tend to stand their ground, but this area denial tool makes them break formation or risk constant damage.

12. Blade Dance
Multi-hit skills are very effective, and Blade Dance delivers rapid strikes that quickly chew through shield durability.

13. Siege Breaker
The name says it all. This heavy skill is literally designed for shielded targets, offering increased damage and stagger.

14. Fracture Shot
Bow users can rely on this to pierce shields and deal bonus stagger. Very strong in PvP for catching guard-heavy players off guard.

15. Soul Rend
A solid choice for hybrid builds. It drains stamina on block, letting you exhaust shielded enemies faster.

16. Elemental Surge
If you’re spec’d for elemental damage, this skill’s high raw output often simply overpowers shield mitigation.

17. Iron Tempest
Heavy weapons users swear by this. It’s slow but nearly guaranteed to break or heavily damage any guard.

Mastering these skills is key if you want to maintain momentum in tougher fights. Shields are designed to slow you down, force cautious play, and punish sloppy offense—but with the right toolkit you can turn them into little more than an inconvenience.

I’d also suggest experimenting with different combinations depending on your build. And if you’re looking to optimize even further, places like U4GM have become popular spots for gear trading and getting specific items or weapons you need to round out your loadout.