Shield vs. Mace — Who wins? In Minecraft

Alright folks, today I’m hosting a real showdown between two update legends — the mace and the shield! As soon as Minecraft 1.22 hit the servers, my inbox exploded: “So, can the shield save you from the mace’s insane fall damage?” First thought: that’s not a shield, at best a pot lid against a sledgehammer! But less talk — more testing. I went to try it myself to finally see how much you can trust this wood-and-iron thing.

Prep for the big test

Arena picked, props ready: in one hand a shiny new mace (seriously, a beauty), in the other… wish it were the shield, but my partner has to take it. Test subject — my trusty Steve dummy (actually my second account; no sane friend signs up for this). Stage set: shield planted on the ground, I climb the scaffolding; 5 blocks — easy, 10 — getting spooky, 20 — now your heart really drops to your boots.

First strike: Honestly, I expected epic

Jump, full swing, from above — the decisive moment… The shield comes up at the last second, and I think, “Well, goodbye, friend!” Then, magic: the damage actually gets blocked! The shield takes the mace’s full force and — ta‑da! — your test subject only gets a hefty knockback. Sometimes it looked comical: you’re flying, the shield is shaking, but everyone’s alive! The key is timing; miss it and there’s no happy ending, it’s #rip_steve. I was surprised: looks like Mojang did think of the hardcore crowd.

Second wave: When the shield is helpless

Then came the real chaos. Once I tested the shockwave — that targeted “shockwave” the mace sends out even if you don’t land a head-on hit — I knew we were in trouble. My subject stands behind the shield, direct damage isn’t scary anymore, but the wave tosses everyone nearby, hiding or not! Honestly, I was between laughter and panic: the shield is utterly powerless, you eat fireworks and launch like an Elon Musk rocket. I wanted to shout: “How?! I was hiding!” But an update is an update.

My honest verdict and a bit of philosophy

Straight talk: the shield is great if you’re a timing master. In those split seconds between the fall and the hit, it’s your lifesaver. But if you plan to tank the mace’s wave, the shield is as useful as an umbrella in a hurricane — you’ll get blown away! My inner gamer protests: I wanted all-around protection; instead we got a reflex exam.

Your opinion matters!

In short, a flood of emotions. I’m for slotting the shield into your build, but use your head and don’t rush in without a plan! What do you think — is this balanced, or should the devs tweak something? Pitch your ideas for the next experiments; I promise to test any crazy concept (well, almost — don’t ask me to jump off the Ender Dragon with a mace!).

Drop a comment — which mace experiment should we try together? Your feedback is like a top-tier Luck enchantment for me!