Block (Skyrim)

"Best offense is a good defense, am I right?"

―Hold Guard^[src]

The art of blocking an enemy's blows with either a shield or weapon. Blocking reduces the damage and staggering from physical attacks.

Block is a skill in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and is one of the six skills that fall under The Warrior character type.

Description

The Block skill works slightly differently from Oblivion's Block skill.

Having skill in the Block combat art allows the Dragonborn to parry or absorb melee and archery attacks with shields and two-handed weapons. Block with one-handed weapons is also possible if left hand stays unoccupied. Successful blocks reduce damage.

Blocking is not possible while dual wielding weapons, dual casting spells or having a weapon in one hand and a spell in the other. It's not available with bows either, although bows are still able to be used for bashing.

Blocking is not automatic, but equipping a shield gives a bonus to the overall defense rating. Blocking is more reaction-based in Skyrim.

It is possible to block with one-handed weapons and daggers, but they will be significantly less effective than using a shield or two-handed weapon. Additionally, the perks Deflect Arrows and Elemental Protection do not seem to work without using a shield. All other perks will apply to weapon blocking.

It can be activated by clicking and holding down the right mouse button (PC), the left trigger (Xbox 360) or L1 (PS3).

Governing Guardian Stone: The Warrior

Books and quests

The following books provide a permanent skill up to block:

The following Miscellaneous Quests increase the block skill:

Retrieve Amren's Family Sword for Amren in Whiterun (completing this also increases one-handed skill)
Retrieve Shield for Roggi Knot-Beard in Kynesgrove
Retrieve Hjalti's sword for The Ghost of Old Hroldan at Old Hroldan Inn (also increases one-handed skill)
Retrieve Rjorn's Drum for Giraud Gemane in the Bard's College in Solitude (also increases One-handed, Two-handed, Smithing, Heavy Armor and Archery)
Bring the Dragon's Breath Mead to Horgeir instead of Olda in Dragon Bridge.

Trainers

Njada Stonearm of The Companions (Expert) - Jorrvaskr, or the training area behind it, in Whiterun.
Larak (Master) -Mor Khazgur.

Perks

The following are the perks that become available to select as the skill is leveled up:

Perk (Ranks)	Requirements	Description	Two-Handed Weapon Compatible
Shield Wall (5)	None for first rank; each rank past the first requires 20 points in Block each, up to Block 80 for Rank 5.	Blocking is 20% more effective (+5% per additional rank)	Yes
Deflect Arrows	Block 30, Shield Wall	Arrows that hit the shield do no damage	No
Quick Reflexes	Block 30, Shield Wall	Time slows down if you are blocking during an enemy's power attack	Yes
Power Bash	Block 30, Shield Wall	Able to do a power bash	Yes
Elemental Protection	Block 50, Deflect Arrows	Blocking with a shield reduces incoming fire, frost and shock damage by 50%	No
Deadly Bash	Block 50, Power Bash	Bashing does five times more damage	Yes
Block Runner	Block 70, Elemental Protection	Able to move faster with a shield or weapon raised	Yes
Disarming Bash	Block 70, Deadly Bash	Chance to disarm when power bashing	Yes
Shield Charge	Block 100, Block Runner	Sprinting with a shield raised knocks down most targets	No (But refer to bug section)

Trivia

If an elemental weapon is equipped, such as a fire or frost damage weapon, Shield Bash will do the elemental damage to enemies as well.
The Quick Reflexes perk is one of the most useful perks available for sword-and-shield characters (and isn't too bad for two-handed either), and it can effectively reduce the challenge of melee combat to zero. Most opponents will use power attacks more often than not, and they will thus be subject to the massive slowdown and opportunity for disruption that Quick Reflexes affords.
If the Dragonborn has high level armor equipped and a low block skill, the damage received while blocking may exceed the damage they get if no block is attempted. This is most often seen when a high level Dragonborn has made block legendary.
There is a glitch with the Block Runner perk that allows one to move at a normal walking speed while sneaking. This is highly useful for someone who wants to quickly move a very short distance. Simply block with your weapon while sneaking. (Does not work with bows)

Bugs

PS3 Since 1.5 patch, Shield Charge may no longer function.
- Fix: With Dragonborn installed, reset all the perks in the skill tree, and then spend them again.
- As of the 1.9 patch, with the legendary perks, the Shield Charge malfunction may be fixed by resetting the skill to 15, then reacquiring the Shield Charge perk.
Shield Charge's knock-down may appear delayed after the impact, and there doesn't seem to be much of a resistance when running through. This makes it confusing to efficiently use, as the Dragonborn virtually runs through enemies, wondering if they just knocked one down or aimed badly. Also, especially in tight corridors, enemies can get knocked behind walls or inside of stairs, making the usual recovery of items impossible as the body becomes unselectable. The Dragonborn can also become glitched from this, making the landing sound after a jump all the time, even when just regularly walking.
There is a bug with Shield Charge that allows sprinting forever with the shield raised. When sneaking, raise the shield (block) and then start to sprint. Even though still in sneak, the Dragonborn will start to run as they normally would. When their stamina meter is depleted, they will continue sprinting anyway.
Bug where bashing would not actually count as a bash. This would cause problems with the stagger effects, and the disarming bash perk. It would also cause bashes to level the one handed skill not the block skill. It does however still cause damage to enemies like a regular bash. Fixed this by saving, going to Dashboard, and restarting the game/ Restarting the game on PC. (Xbox, PC)
Confirmed bug - During Quick Reflexes, dodging an enemy power attack by moving to the side and/or killing the enemy while their power attack is still in progress may allow a greatly extended slow time effect, allowing up to a minute of slowed time.
A variation of the above, if multiple enemies power attack at once or in short succession, the slow time effect may be extended indefinitely, at least until the next loading screen. Disrupting power attacks with shield bash may occasionally cause this.
When shield charging a great distance, the green effect that activates while shield charging may suddenly deactivate, making the ability to knock enemies away impossible.
After shield charging, the shield charge effect (the green aura) may be permanently activated when not shield charging, which means both hostile and non-hostile characters may be knocked back even as the Dragonborn just walks by, increasing their bounty. Loading an earlier save does not help. The game must be closed and restarted in order for the effect to go back to normal.
When shield bashing skeevers (with either a shield, weapon, torch, etc.) it pushes them back substantially. When done in tight spaces such as caves it can cause them to phase into walls, ceilings, and floors. This can, in turn, cause a lot of problems such as preventing waiting, resting, and movement.
There is a bug that allows a Silent Roll to be done without said Sneak perk. When sneaking, hold sprint, and while moving forward raise then lower the shield.
It is possible to perform shield charge without having a shield equipped. To do that just repeatedly press block with a weapon equipped when sprinting at the enemy.
PC When Block Runner has been taken and the block skill is made legendary the effects of Block Runner may be still active.
Block Runner may enable the Dragonborn to move faster while sneaking. If they raise their shield while sneaking, they will move the same speed they do if they have their shield up when not crouched.

Leveling Block

Although the Dragonborn may naturally level the Block skill during their adventures, there are faster ways to level this skill. The increments in which the block skill increases is dependent on the strength of the enemy and not necessarily how much damage is taken.
- An easy method is possible after obtaining Shadowmere from the Dark Brotherhood questline. Shield bash on Shadowmere to quickly level up.
- Provided you are high enough level and have the health, stamina and armor for it, you can level Block and your Light or Heavy Armor skill fairly quickly by fighting giants and mammoths, who have the strongest melee attacks of the wilderness monsters of the game. Make sure you have plenty of potions to weather the damage you will be taking.
Go to either an Imperial or Stormcloak camp anywhere around the map. Kill off all the guards except for the named leader (as they can not be killed). Walk to the corner of a tent and just hold the left trigger to block.
Go to a Guard Barracks and cause the guards to become hostile (this may be difficult if the Dragonborn is thane or have completed the civil war questline, which will make the guards be more forgiving to stealing and hitting them). Back up into a corner and hold the block button, it is recommended that the Dragonborn pickpocket any bows and/or two-handed weapons so that they will not be overwhelmed, the guards use power attacks which break blocks so it is not recommended to leave the block button held and leave it, have a restoration spell at hand and use the Become Etheral shout if needed.

Skills in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Mage	Alteration Conjuration Destruction Enchanting Illusion Restoration
The Thief	Alchemy Light Armor Lockpicking Pickpocket Sneak Speech
The Warrior	Archery Block Heavy Armor One-Handed Smithing Two-Handed