This is so so SO wrong.


Block strength versus block rate is a matter of compromise.

Please understand that, as blocking is decided before parried, the more you block, the less use you get out of your parry. This means that tower shield actually offer more average mitigation than others ! If you actually compute the total block + parry Damage reduction for levi i100 shield versus weathered noct, you will see that the first one will provide 10.3% DR, while the second will provide 11.5% DR. The difference is as much as having 70 or 80 more parry. It is NOT negligible.

On top of that, bulwark add a flat 60% to your block rate. Due to this, it is about twice as more potent on a weathered noct shield than on a levi shield; in the first case it will be better than rampart, while in the second it will be way closer to a foresight in potency.

That being said, a tower shield is going to make you block less often for more DR (duh), which means your incoming damage is going to be more spiky. This is worse for your healers, who will have to heal you more at times and less at others instead of a constant amount, which is easier. It is also worse for potentially one shotting combo, like death sentence, since you don't care about overall mitigation, you just want to mitigate part of it, no matter what, to survive.

My take on it is i would use more shield rate on twintania if i main tanked and was feeling a bit low on health, but would use weathered noct on everything else. This shield is bananas. I would understand someone wanting to flatten their incoming damage curve, but saying it is the best choice no matter what is flat out wrong.