# Shield of reflection

[   shield of reflection   

Appearance

polished silver shield

Slot

shield

AC

2

Special

reflection

Base price

50 zm

Weight

50

Material

silver

The shield of reflection is a rare, but useful item in NetHack. When unidentified, it appears as a polished silver shield; when blind, it is referred to as a smooth shield.

Contents

1 Generation
2 Effects
3 Strategy
4 Variants
5 References

Generation
The statue of Perseus on Medusa's Island has a chance of containing a cursed +0 shield of reflection; the second 'titan' variation gives it a 25% chance, while all other variants give it a 75% chance.[1][2][3][4]
Angels and Aleaxes have a 25% chance of being generated with a shield of reflection, while all archons are generated with one.[5]

Effects
When worn, the shield provides 2 AC and conveys reflection, true to its name. As it is made of silver, it gains a damage bonus against against silver-hating monsters when wielded as a weapon.

Strategy
Main article: Shield#Strategy
Although reflection is a crucial property, shields inhibit both twoweaponing and spellcasting, making the shield of reflection a somewhat unpopular choice for the ascension kit. Even so, it is still a solid find for early- to mid-game characters who don't plan to rely exclusively on spells; come the late game, it can serve as a primary or secondary means of reflection for late-game characters who cannot twoweapon, such as Cavemen or Rangers, or else do not want to, and who will not urgently need spellcasting outside of situations where the shield can be removed at will.

Variants
In UnNetHack 5.1.0, dNetHack, and SlashTHEM, Itlachiayaque is an artifact shield of reflection that replaces the Orb of Detection as the Archeologist quest artifact.

References

↑ dat/medusa.des in NetHack 3.6.6, line 57

↑ dat/medusa.des in NetHack 3.6.6, line 156

↑ dat/medusa.des in NetHack 3.6.6, line 274

↑ dat/medusa.des in NetHack 3.6.6, line 374

↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 340