Sora is asked to choose either a sword, shield, or a staff. Enhance Keyblades According To Priority. Mechanically KH1 doesn't play much differently in Proud, but in KH2 and KH3 critical mode gives you additional abilities, and in KH2 you actually do more damage in Crit. Block/evade - X. When facing strong enemies where supportive abilities (Second Chance, Once More, MP Rage) are very important, you'd want the Dream Shield. If you play on Proud, getting rid of Shield may make the game fairly difficult starting out. Besides attacking, Shields can be used to block attacks. Just like most armors in Kingdom Hearts, Goofy's shields can be upgraded using item synthesis. KH1: I usually take Shield drop Sword on Proud. RELATED: Kingdom Hearts: Should You Pick The Sword, Shield, Or Staff?Yes, mostly small stuff. Staff users are always the strongest Sora when you are going for. . Currently Playing: Dark Cloud 2 [PS2]The second is a dream weapon, which influences when you learn abilities. The sword represents a melee focus. Pawn ID:0720-BACA-FFEB & Switch Friend Code: SW-1954-8440-8702. Critical already gives you extra abilities like Finisher Plus and Reaction Boost. The Shield always gives the +2 Item Slots so choosing Sword. After you regain control, head to the newly opened path to reach a new area, where your battle tutorial will take place. *Rod. The power of the guardian. 8. The Desire and Power choices in the Prologuein Kingdom Hearts 3 affect Sora's stats and abilities. The Dream weapon affects abilities. ShionJrCitrine 8 years ago #3. Since you say you're trying for a 100% game, I'd suggest option 1 for the item- and munny-farming potential, although, I chose option 2, myself. Weapons possess their own base attributes, and add them to. Questions. So I searched for a while and couldn't find a single thread about this, but I seem to remember reading a while back in the Kingdom Hearts 1. Posted by. The decision. Kingdom Hearts. N/A Second Chance 2 The choices will have an effect on leveling speed and the order of abilities learned. For the most part, yes it affects max stats, but only as much as it affects starting stats. KH1. Kingdom Hearts Role-playing video game Gaming. Shield = easy Sword = medium Rod = hard Mp has the fewest amount of ways to increase and you need the Rod for the max possible amount of MP. Probably the club for attack is the best for level 1. Mysterious Abyss. Go then, there are other worlds than these. Overall Early game Shield>Staff>Sword Mid game Shield=Staff=Sword Late game Staff>Shield>Sword. (The sword gives you more strength, but that's not necessarily important as you can easily get a Strength boost item and get maximum strength either way). i think it was keep the rod give up the sword for strongest possible. This is the one I use most often; Take Staff, forsake Sword – Pure even throughout the stats, but. KH1: I usually take Shield drop Sword on Proud. I always choose the shield and drop the sword. - Max AP - Lucky Strike at LV15 (rather than 39 or 69) - Jackpot at LV24 (rather than 54 or 63) - Max Item slots If you do any synthesis, whether you enjoy or abhor item "farming", that combo gives you a huge leg up. The first choice changes the order in which abilities are obtained. Kingdom Hearts Role-playing video game Gaming comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment. How the choice affects the game. and Proud Mode. This is a list of weapons that appear in Kingdom Hearts II and the Final Mix version. If you choose Staff, you get magical abilities such as Fire Boost, Blizzard Boost, and such earlier. for sora, use all crystal crowns and ultima weapon. Question regarding dream weapon (sorry guys),. In kh1 the magic works. Enhancing. I chose the staff and got rid of the sword, starting with Cure and Fire was nice. In the opening of the game, you’ll have a choice between three weapons, the Sword, Shield, or Staff. It depends on your play style but I’d suggest choosing the shield and giving up the. 2. Lvl. 59, defender, combinaion boost ; Organisms belong to one of six kingdoms of life. Menu. Enhances magic to increase damage dealt with blizzard-based attacks by 20%. The game opens with a daydream about light and darkness, then shifts to a plane of nothing but round floors featuring Disney characters. The first object increases some of. Taking the Dream Rod will always net 3 MP at the start of the game and 10 MP at the end. Sacrificing the Shield will result in a slower defense stat at the beginning. Such as, if one option has 3 more strength than another at level 1, it'll have 3 more strength at level 100; both will get the same number of strength boosts, at the same levels. BlackKnight92 15 years ago #2. 5 + II. Choosing the shield means earlier defensive abilities sword is attack abilities and staff is for magic and support abilities. Favorite Boards. Inner strength. The weapon you drop only affects your starting stats. A lot of weapons I can't use because of what I chose in the beginning and then I change Goofy and. Best answer. In the beginning of KH2 we are given two chances to pick a weapon of our choice. For the most part, yes it affects max stats, but only as much as it affects starting stats. Most people opt to throw away the sword, but I gave up the staff and things went smoothly for me since I usually attack head-on instead of using magic. For Kingdom Hearts HD 1. Sword and Shield users from Monster Hunter will find this the best weapon they can use. Shown are the Support and Weapon abilities. You'll get 1 extra item slot Long term. Posted July 12, 2015. That must have been my start too! I remember I took like 20+ minutes to make my beginning choices about the sword, shield, staff. Home; Boards;. When I started the game in the snow white vitral it appeared a staff, a shield and a sword I choosedThe next choice comes from whether you want the power of the Warrior, the Guardian or the Mystic. Kingdom hearts 2 weapon choice. Take Sword, forsake Staff – High strength, low AP. kh2 sword shield staff level 1 kh2 sword shield staff level 1 on April 11, 2022 on April 11, 2022 Yen Sids Tower after recieving Valor Form. Weapons. By IGN Staff. The Dream Rod's main downside is that Second Chance (allows the user to survive a single fatal blow with 1 HP. 1) Pick the Shield and drop the Sword, or. which should I choose. Overall, go with the Shield. If you chose the shield, you'll get it at level 85. Raises percentage of obtaining rare items from slain enemies. Home; Boards; News; Q&A; Community;. Other difficulties I take staff and drop sword. Magic really comes into its own in the later parts of the game, by which point 1 magic point won't make much difference. Please see the KH2: Mechanics page for a full list of these abilities and when they unlock. 5 ReMIX PlayStation 3. Thunder Boost Rumbling Rose. Although I'd say aim for the ribbon equipment if you can. This also means that your initial choices within the world of Kingdom Hearts 3 are vital when it comes to choosing the right build for Sora, easing through the opening worlds, and much more. Mysterious Abyss Keyblade – Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix. You can lose the sword instead if you really want. Most people recommend Staff and lose Sword, new people will chose Sword and lose staff. It only changes the order of abilities, and Second Chance and Once More are important enough that Shield is what I go with no. For Kingdom Hearts HD 1. You pick one you want to get better in and one…Sword = medium. This is the same as choosing between the Staff, Shield and Sword and effects which abilities Sora will get as he levels up. (this game must be done twice, as you have to get less than that in order to progress through the Hundred Acre Wood) Clear Tigger's Giant Pot within 30 seconds. My first question is when at the very beginning it asks you to choose between 3 items, which ones did you guys go for? *Sword. KH2: Always Shield for me. Each option gains the same abilities and accessory slots, just at different. I started my replay of kh2 today and got to the point of choosing the weapon. Struggle Hammer, Defense +1. and then the questions it asks you on Destiny Islands. Choosing the Mystic will have Sora gain magic-related abilities earlier on, such as MP Haste and Magic Combo Thrift. In terms of abilities they're all pretty balanced, you'll always get some great abilities early and have to wait a long time for some of the good ones. As u/bobguy117 said, +Staff/-Sword will get you 1 more MP permanently. Then, I come to Roxas' dive to heart and am given a choice between a Shield, Sword, and Wand. Kingdom Hearts 3 Starting Choice Guide from Dec 13, 2021 · essentially somewhere in the middle of the two above starting choices, rather than the 100 hp/100 mp blend that it sounds like. I usually sacrifice it. Taking the Shield gets you more max item slots (for a total of 8 maximum), and Staff gets you 2 more max MP by the higher levels (in this one, more max MP= more spell power and spell duration). Your choice of weapon at the start of the Prologue (Sword/Shield/Staff) affects a few things like stat growth and how many items/accessories you can equip. This page was last edited on 10 October 2023, at 17:31. . Personally, I would chose +Staff -Shield because it's not likely that you would die much on such low difficulty. The staff is meh. Shield for protection, Sword for might/strength (im blanking. but is a fine choice if just playing for fun. View Kingdom Hearts 2 Sword Shield Staff Abilities; 10/10/2022. I generally choose the shield. fights with a shield, Donald fights with a staff, and Sora has the keyblade. Sword is a nifty choice if you want an uphill struggle, especially if you ignore the Air/Combo Plus abilities and stick to a three-hit combo. I. By. Choosing the Sword will also result in Sora learning the incredibly useful Scan ability much earlier than if players picked the Shield or Staff, gaining the ability to see the enemy's health bar. Kingdom Hearts - Polygon Plays Kingdom Hearts is celebrating its. News. This is a list of weapons that appear in Kingdom Hearts II and the Final Mix version. Weapons possess their own base attributes, and add them to the attributes of the wielder. Sword = Physical Strength Magic Rod = Magical Strength Shield = Defensive Power The first choice you are asked to make will determine what stat grows more quickly, wheras the second choice determines which stat grows the least. For example, 1st choice: Magic Rod 2nd choice: Shield Leftover. Sword gives you the alternative Combo-Attacks and stuff like Counter, Scan and Combo+ earlier. Sora: Defeat the Heartless at the Valley of Ice [1] Sora: Defeat the Raging Vulture [1]. Max HP: 90. Sora is given three pedestals, each with an item on top: a Sword, a Shield, and a Staff. Reset camera behind character (or center it on locked-on target) - RS (press) Hold to open shortcuts - LB. Sadly that didn't happen lol. 20 votes, 11 comments. Make smart choices in the beginning!. The only abilities you cannot equip/obtain are abilities. Have a moogle that is at least level 2 synthesize it when you have all the necessary materials. GameStop Moderna Pfizer Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Walgreens Best Buy Novavax SpaceX Tesla. Picking the shield gives you defensive abilities earlier which is great for proud's difficulty, and picking staff gives you a permanent mana boost which boosts your magic damage throughtout the whole game. you may adopt the shield abandoning sword, then the invincible speedster and unchanging armor, in that order. Cure is extremely useful and it is best to acquire it as soon as possible. I myself would pick the sword, because I prefer strength over magic and defense, but pick the one that fits your play style (playing offensively, defensively, or using magic a lot). + Shield: 8 item slots, early Guard, Second Chance, and Leaf Bracer. For Kingdom Hearts III on the PlayStation 4, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "The Sword, The Staff, or The Shield?" - Page 2. Veemon reacted to this. Critical already gives you extra. Then, you can pick the rod for Fire or the shield for Round Blitz, depending on your tastes. 5 and now that I'm almost through with it I can see how your choice plays heavily into your playstyle during your run. There are two choices in KH2 but no sacrifices. I'd say Sword is harder than Rod. In the intro, you can fight using the staff, sword, or shield. Dream Rod. For Kingdom Hearts HD I. What are the best choices to go for in the PS4 version of Kingdom Hearts 1?? PlayStation 4 PlayStation 4. KH2 - In the field, L2 acted like X. It's simple and reliable. Also, picking the sword and dropping the shield while playing on. As an added bonus, this short guide can be also be used for the PlayStation 3. Veemon reacted to this. It's all based upon what weapon you choose in the beginning when you're playing Roxas. MAGIC ROD: A lot of magic. I was ten and the appeal of the Sword was too great, and since I knew not a thing about the magic in the game I gave that up, hoping I could fight with a Sword and Shield. Gateway House, 28 The Quadrant, Richmond. P. they were once represented by the Shield, Sword, and Staff, respectively. Kingdom Hearts Should You Pick The Sword Shield Or Staff . Neoseeker Forums » PS2 Games » Kingdom Hearts II » sword/staff/shield. Welcome to KH13. 0. The extra mp is nice for healing in the first one, before the weird change done to magic, but honestly, the way your earn abilities with shield versus the sword or staff, the fact that you have all the strength you need (at least, for all runs except maybe lvl 1 runs and/or the one where you don't change equipment), and magic is still OP, the. 5 ReMIX. The sword, the shield, and the staff have been a staple of the main story games that shape gameplay so Im assuming theyll come up again in Kh3. In Kingdom Hearts, these are generally divided between rods, which give Donald MP bonuses and enhance his magical strength, and hammers, which enhance his physical strength at the cost of his maximum MP. Kingdom Hearts remains one of the most beloved JRPG series, which is why Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix was launched as the definitive version of the first game. ) is a call-back to choosing between Dream Sword, Dream Rod, and Dream Shield in the Awakening sequence in the original Kingdom Hearts; unlike Kingdom Hearts, however, the Struggle Bat only gives a bonus to a particular stat and will not dictate the order Sora will learn his abilities in. Business, Economics, and Finance. Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus's questions affect how fast you level - Primarily top answers ("your journey begins at dawn") have you. N/A. GameStop Moderna Pfizer Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Walgreens Best Buy Novavax SpaceX Tesla. Yeah, the choices here aren't nearly as game changing as they were in the original KH; All I can really mention is if you're into synthesis, you may wanna avoid the. SNOW WHITE advertisement Sora starts off standing on a stained-glass platform depicting Snow White. Inventory and stats carry forward to Sora at Prologue's end. High items; Take Shield, forsake Staff – High strength and defense, low AP and mana. The game is IMPOSSIBLE with the shield. Craftable Or Upgradeable Via Synthesis. You get less mana, but as “magic” isn’t a stat necessarily in this game it matters less because you can equip accessories/Keyblades later on if magic. KH2: Always Shield for me. Leap at an airborne enemy and attack with shield: 1 Charge 2: Charge and knock out an enemy with shield. 2022/08/30. In short sword has no long term benefits unlike the other two. Sword is probably the worst choice in a 100% run as it has no end game advantage over the other 2 choices. Kingdom Hearts 3 Xbox One Controls, Type A. Choosing the sword improves his attack, shield improves his defense and staff, obviously, improves his magic abilities. Best Starting Choices In Kingdom Hearts 3 Tips Prima Games technology is still a mystery. 3. The staff gives you more MP, the shield gives you more item slots, and the sword gives you more STR to start with. Sora’s Abilities are mainly physical and offensive, allowing him to deal more damage to enemies in a single combo. The stat not chosen for either will develop normally. or create a new account Register; Sign in with:Name Location STR MAG Buy Sell Adamant shield: Shops in: Twilight Town, Hollow Bastion, Olympus Coliseum, Port Royal, Pride Lands: 2: 1: 100: 50 Akashic RecordThe Shield and the Staff both give you an exclusive bonus that CAN NOT be obtained elsewhere. 5 on the Playstation 4 and wondering what the weapon choices at the start impact? This guide will help you choose the r. The second is a dream weapon, which influences when you learn abilities. you get three AP and two MP starting out and still good attack and defense. PSN: ChaosInuYasha (make sure you give me fair warning as to where you met me and why you wanna add)Story [] Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days []. For the camera, the KH1 one is just not great. Choosing the Sword will also result in Sora learning the incredibly useful Scan ability much earlier than if players picked the Shield or Staff, gaining the ability to see the enemy's health bar. The staff gives you higher mp, the sword gives you higher attack, and the shield gives you higher defense. ago. The staff is meh. Follow. The Desire and Power choices in the Prologuein Kingdom Hearts 3 affect Sora's stats and abilities. Kingdom Hearts Should You Pick The Sword Shield Or Staff . Staff is mage, and gets the highest base MP (and therefore highest magic/summon damage), and learns MP abilities earliest. Log in to add games to your lists. At the very beginning of the game, you're given a choice of a sword, staff and a shield, which purport to have an effect on the path you'll take. hatok. It would be the same deal if you sacrificed the shield. Otherwise you can get hit while healing. But what about the first one? Where it asks if you want Wisdom, Vitality or Balance? Is it the EXP rate like in. R. Your first pick will also change the order you get abilities by leveling up. Abilities are learned through the stat matrix alone, level up chips will always give the same boosts to stats. 5 Remix at IGN: walkthroughs, items, maps, video tips, and strategies. 1. A staff of wonder and ruin. For new players, shield – staff or shield – sword would be the best options. Won't die at all in the beginning of the game. ColdCalculist That's the power of the keyblade! •. Merc123 12 years ago #7. If you've played Kingdom Hearts 2 many times like I have, I would definitely try doing this challenge. Whichever one you choose, it gives you a free level up in that area. Equip more to entire party to boost effect: N/A MP Rage 2: Recover MP whenever you're hit in battle. Kh3 paintcolourchartHearts kingdom weapon choices sword guide final mix awakening ability shield staff abilities oc kh1 imgur weapons kh choose remix Kh3 obligatory platinum screenshot commentsKingdom hearts 3 level up chart. Below, watch us play Kingdom Hearts on PS4 — although we skipped over the sword, shield and staff portion, for everyone’s sake. All routes now gain two additional Experience Boosts, at levels 20 & 50, to assist in grinding. SWORD. Sora is also able to temporarily wield a staff while within his Dive to the. I've been reading that going with shield is the best choice for a critical run, but in a proud run there's no finishing plus at the start and you've got tons more hp. For Kingdom Hearts II on the PlayStation 2, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "What should I pick on Day 3? (Spoilers?)". In KH1, I picked Shield and dropped Wand because the magic isn't exactly a powerhouse like it is in later games, and I appreciate the larger health pool for how much damage Sora can take early on. I always felt that Donald covered the staff and Goofy covered the shield, so the sword seemed obvious. Oh right, I forgot about the mushrooms, good call. Initial choices: Normal, +Sword, -Shield, Night Kingdom Key Ultima Weapon Ultima Weapon* Max HP 84 Max HP 84 Max HP 102 Max MP 8 Max MP 10 Max MP 13 Max AP 48 Max AP 48 Max AP 57 STR 72 STR 81 STR 87 DEF 64 DEF 64 DEF 70 Items: 7 Accessories: 3 Abilities: 31 ROD. Choose the Shield, sacrifice the Sword. Sword: Gives you a little bit more strength at the start of the game, you get atk related skills faster earlier as you level up. Yen Sids Tower after recieving Valor Form. Added Oblivion, Oathkeeper, Soul Eater, Way to the Dawn, Kingdom Key, and Kingdom Key D from the Kingdom Hearts series Added Mythril Saber, Genesis' Rapier, Genesis Avatar's Greatsword, Braveheart, Lustrous Shield, Flame Sword, Flame Shield, G Slayer Gunblade, Firion's sword, Ricard's spear, Shadow Dragon, and Fusion. Kingdom Hearts Weapons by tomyucho on DeviantArt from images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2. Smaller shields are generally stronger, but are harder to block with, while larger Shields can block more. It is by no meansItem slots are nice, but having two extra Curagas at anytime is a lot better. but is a fine choice if just playing for fun. Kingdom hearts 2 choices. good for those early skills. You are required to make two very important choices within the first few minutes of the game. It is. Early game will be rough since that’s usually how staff route works but late game you should be better off than I am when you hit optional bossesStation of Awakening. This page was last edited on 28 June 2023, at 10:55. Being different. Unlike many other RPGs, Kingdom Hearts 2 doesn’t offer a character creation screen where players can choose their stats and appearance. 2. Sword, Shield, and Staff. The Staff is the weapon of choice for Donald DuckIn Kingdom Hearts these are generally divided between rods which give Donald MP bonuses and enhance his magical strength and hammers which enhance his physical strength at the cost of his maximum MP. Cheats. Here are my thoughts. 1. for goofy, use all omega arts and the massive bumper shield. Hercs Shield is obtained after conquering the Hercules Cup. My Animal Crossing New Leaf Dream Address: 4600-4928-5867My 3DS Friend Code: 4511-0982-8017. The Experience Boost Ability increases experience earned by 20%, as is unlocked at level 9, 17, or 7, depending on whether you chose the Sword, Shield, or Staff, respectively. CryptoKingdom hearts character builds. The number of item slots differ based on what's kept. As for stats, the choice should be between choosing the shield and staff. Notify me about new:. Middle 3. Each party member uses their own type, Keyblades for Sora, rods and mallets for Donald, and shields for Goofy, with others simply using their personal item. Shield: The power of the guardian. I'll give you reasons for each: SWORD: A lot more damage earlier in the game. Like some players, you may first choose the sword abandoning staff, to tie up the game. These three weapons represent the. If you choose Shield, you get defensive abilities such as Damage Drive, Defender, and such earlier. This has the effect of greatly reducing the power of your magic, having a lower MP total, and causing you to learn magical abilities VERY LATE, in comparison to getting shield and sword powers very early on. Either way sword sticks out as a sore thumb. Technically +Staff/-Sword is the best in the end since you will permanently have 2 more MP than if you chose the other options, but the beginning of the game is noticeably. Kingdom Hearts II. Sword is attack power (as a beginner probably preferred) Staff is magic (you probably are not going to form top notch strategies on how to use the very limited system) Shield is defense (game is not that hard when on normal) AutomaticBullfrog573 • 6 days ago. Author videogamefreak. KH2. The Dive to the Heart is composed of several enormous, illuminated stained-glass pillars known as "Stations", rising from unseen depths. Then on critical, I do staff sword or shield sword. You're about to get your Keyblade, but first, you gotta…So, the general consensus is: Sword: Best for fighting end game bosses but raising the character is harder from the middle game and up. High items; Take Shield, forsake Staff – High strength and defense, low AP and mana. This is a list of weapons that appear in Kingdom Hearts II and the Final Mix version. Normally, one MP is given for every 12 levels, with 1 exception for the Sword & Shield. Use situation command - Y. I'm pretty used to KH2FM on critical, I've beated it a lot of times already but never really used magic that much and never went lvl 1, so this is an exciting new experience for me, I'm really having fun dying and testing everything to everything like. Here's some examples I remember. If you choose Staff, you get magical abilities such as Fire Boost, Blizzard Boost, and such earlier. The Outer Worlds skillfully emphasizes choice and character development in a variety of familiar ways. Change to keep the Shield, drop the Rod. Sign Up for free (or Log In if you already have an account) to be able to ask and answer questions. First to use the amazing luckylucky ability. The weapon choice effects your starting stats and what abilities you learn at whatever level. 5 OT that some starting choices are far superior than others (Add/Drop Shield, Sword, Staff) I just started a playthrough of Kingdom Hearts 1. Sword is the worst, shield is second tier, staff is the best, since it gives an MP boost, which you can't get through Attack Boosts and the like. But you can farm as many STR ups as you wish so the bonus from the sword is totally useless. Taking the Sword or Shield will have you start with 2 MP and finish the game with 8 MP. As obvious/predictable as it sounds, the Idea is that it gives you more varied Melee Options the fastest. [deleted] • 5 yr. So its either pick staff or shield and drop sword. Kingdom Hearts Keyblades by o0DemonBoy0o on DeviantArt from. Staff/Sword:Summoning and Magic is really powerful, at the cost of your. What are you supposed to choose at the snow white platform. You always get once more first over second chance no matter what weapon. They are listed in the order of their earliest availability. RELATED: Kingdom Hearts Fan Points Out Interesting Detail on First Game's. Being indecisive. Synthesize after collecting 58 Synthesize materials & required rare items. This destroys the Shadow, and the other two ram you in the back, knocking you to the floor. Thankfully the choice of Sword, Staff, or Shield at the beginning of the game means that each run can still be a very different experience. Overall go with the Shield. I usually drop the Sword; the Defense drop makes it much easier for late-game enemies to kill you, and being stuck at 1 AP at the start of the game can seriously limit your options. )Now that Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix is on PC, players wanting to start on the highest difficulty can use these tips to get through it. Ultima Weapon. Most people say to go with either Strength or Defence. Im replaying both kh games on ps3, and im halfway through kh1. The former is risky for obvious reasons and the. Also, emphasis on Combo- Attacks. Critical mode is available in kingdom hearts birth by sleep, kingdom hearts ii final mix, kingdom hearts re:coded, kingdom hearts 3d: Proud mode · 2 · none ; This took so many hours and i am so tired of hearing this stupid kirby song. As for stats, the choice should be between choosing the shield and staff. It appears within Sora, Roxas, and Data-Sora's Dive to the Heart, alongside the Dream Shield and Dream Rod. You're gonna need that extra defense in the long run (especially at the start). You miss out on 2 MP from the Staff and an item slot you'd get with the Shield. ZeroSora. Shield is chosen at the start: Lv. For Kingdom Hearts on the PlayStation 2, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "shield/drop sword/night". The biggest change, however, is that the weapon you choose dictates the order you learn abilities - going with the Shield will let you learn defensive.