How to Break Shields – Hogwarts Legacy

One of the more challenging aspects of combat in Hogwarts Legacy is dealing with groups of enemies with different shields. Shields come in various types that require certain spells to break them. There are surprisingly a lot of variables when it comes to shields, and not all the solutions to breaking them are obvious at first.

What do the Different Colored Shields Mean?

There are three different shield types and they are color coded. What this means is that they require the player to cast a specific class of spell at them in order to break them. Let’s list the different colors you will see, and what spell classes can break them:

• Gold – Control Spells
• Red – Damage Spells
• Violet – Force Spells

Thankfully, the player’s spell diamond in the bottom right of their screen will color code their spells for them. This helps players intuitively know which spells they need for which shields. You will want to have three spells in different classes equipped regularly, so you can break any shield type.

One spell we don’t recommend for breaking shields is Incendio because it has a short range. You will find that the time you waste closing the gap on an enemy could’ve been saved by simply using another spell. This might be different if enemies rushed you more, but most shielded enemies are content keeping their distance.

After spells are upgraded, their shield breaking prowess also improves. Usually, upgrading a spell with a talent will result in it having an area of effect with its damage. You will be surprised at how often enemies with similar shields are next to one another, which can result in collateral shield breaks.

Setting Up Combos on Shielded Opponents

After you become comfortable with your main combat spells, you will want to work on using them to combo enemies. Typically, shielded enemies are the tougher ones in a group, so it is imperative that you do as much damage to them when opportunities arise. You can create opportunities and do massive damage with certain spell combinations.

When you break an enemy’s shield with a spell of the right class, the effect of that spell will still affect the enemy. For example, if you break a gold shield with Levioso, that enemy will start to levitate, leaving them open to follow-up combos. Use this tip to take out the more dangerous enemies first, or to incapacitate them while you attack their minions.

What about My Shield?

It might be obvious, but the player’s character doesn’t have a shield of their own. Instead, they rely on the spell Protego to defend against damage. The yellow halo that manifests around your head when an enemy is about to attack indicates when its time to cast Protego. By pressing / when this halo appears, you can defend against the attack and cast Stupefy to counter your enemies. You can also “Perfect Protego” by blocking right as the halo becomes thin — this effect interacts with some Talents.

Noxious Plants, Evil Curses, and Ancient Magic Can Break Shields

There are other means to break shields other than matching the spell class to the shield types. The most accessible means is your Ancient Magic Throw; this attack is readily available in most combat situations, and it will break any color of shield. To cast it, simply press when you see the prompt above an item.

Later in the game, players will have access to more effective and devastating means to break shields. The more common way will likely be through the unforgivable curses, which have a green color on the spell diamond. These will break any shield and are an effective means to deal with most enemies-if you can stomach such evil curses.

Lastly, for the Herbology builds, there is the Noxious talent. This talent (available after spending 21 talent points) upgrades the user’s Venomous Tentacula, so they can break enemy shields, while also doing increased damage. Once you have mastered all these different strategies, shields will be an afterthought when you engage hordes of enemies.

Have you found any other ways to break enemy shields? Which way do you find most effective? Give us the run down in the comments.