Skill / Mercenary
Shield Dash
Turn a guarded opening into a short forward reset, closing distance without giving up the defensive route home.
Skill familyShield Dash
Class / weaponMercenary / Sword & Shield
Combat roleGuarded engage
Skill purpose
Shield Dash turns a protected opening into a short gap close. It is strongest when the Mercenary can arrive with a block or parry answer still available for the next exchange.
- Use cover to shorten the approach before dashing.
- Do not spend it through an unknown doorway.
- Keep enough stamina to reset after the contact.
When to spend it
Use Shield Dash when it changes the next decision: it creates an opening, protects an interaction, or makes the route home safer.
- Spend it after the enemy commits to a readable action.
- Avoid using it on a target that can simply walk out of the effect.
- Keep the next escape or control tool in mind before committing.
Pairing notes
The best skill bar has an opener, a control or protection answer, a finisher, and a way to survive the response. Test the pairing in the intended mode before upgrading around it.
- Pair damage with a way to hold the target.
- Pair support with a way to move after the protection lands.
- Use the map route to decide whether utility is worth more than burst.