Shield Rod

Shield Rod
Type(s)	Cudgel
Description	"Extra effective with shield"
User(s)	Alucard
Statmodifier(s)	ATT +11, DEF +2
Attribute(s)	Strike
Found at	Final Stage: Bloodlines, Colosseum
Game(s)	Symphony of the Night

The Shield Rod is a club in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It is extra effective when used in conjunction with a shield.

Description

The Shield Rod is a low-end, slow club weapon that deals Hit damage and has a small DEF boost, it also grants an extra ATT +5 and DEF +2 when equipped with a shield, but its major utility comes from the "Shield Rod Spells" it can be used to cast. These will usually summon a being that either attacks enemies or grants stat boosts.

To cast a Shield Rod Spell, Alucard must have a shield equipped in his other hand. Both attack buttons ( + ) must then be pressed at the same time (alternatively, the shield spell can also be activated by holding the equipped shield up and attacking twice quickly with the Shield Rod); the resulting effect costs a set amount of MP and what happens depends on the shield used, with a different effect for each (see below for a list of effects). It should be noted that persistent effects do not require the Shield Rod to still be equipped.

The Shield Rod also features a hidden ability which acts at the same time as a little Easter egg. By performing the following sequence: ←, →, , a gear-shaped shield like those from the Gradius series will be summoned in front of Alucard. The shield will be sent forward a short distance and remain in place for a short time. While it doesn't deal any damage to enemies, it can in turn block projectiles and any other attacks a normal shield can. Up to four shields can be summoned at a time, which will disappear roughly after ten seconds of being spawned. These shields can be summoned whether an actual shield is equipped or not.

The Mablung Sword ("Lemuria Sword" in the Japanese version) has an undocumented ability to cast Shield Rod Spells, and also higher damage output and the same defense bonus, plus it is slightly faster to wield, although it doesn't provide an extra defense and attack bonus when equipped with a shield like the Shield Rod does.

Item Data

Item Data: Shield Rod
Image	Name - Game   Type - Users Description	Attributes / Consume	Statistics / Sell	Found	Notes
	Shield Rod (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Club - Alucard				[edit]
	Extra effective with shield	Attrib: Hit	ATT +11, DEF +2	Find: Final Stage: Bloodlines, Colosseum	Effect: Flail (slow), grants an extra ATT +5 and DEF +2 when equipped with a shield Special: ←→ + [Attack] for Shield; hold shield + [Attack]×2 for equipped shield's Shield Rod spell
Shields
	Leather Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Leather shield - low DEF		DEF +1	Buy: $400 Find: Alchemy Laboratory Drop: Slinger, Stone Rose	Effect: Projectile block Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (10 MP): Summon Cow – Defense Up (DEF +20) for 68 seconds
	Knight Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Armored knight's shield		DEF +2	Find: Colosseum (just outside Royal Chapel) Drop: Spectral Sword, Slinger	Effect: Projectile block Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (10 MP): Summon Horse – Offense Up (ATT +20) for 68 seconds
	Iron Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Hard iron shield		DEF +2	Buy: $3,980 Drop: Winged Guard	Effect: Projectile block that grants temporary invulnerability Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (20 MP): Giant Sword Attack (ATT +40, Attrib: Hit)
	Alucart Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Resembles family shield		DEF +0	Find: Marble Gallery (requires Double Jump and Stopwatch)	Effect: Projectile block. Equip with Alucart Sword and Alucart Mail for Alucart status (LCK +30) Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (10 MP): A question mark appears above Alucard's head, no effect but wasted MP
	Shaman Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Shield used in magic ritual		DEF +4	Find: Clock Tower	Effect: Projectile block Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (10 MP): Summon Baphomet – Intelligence Up (INT +20) for 68 seconds
	Herald Shield (Coat of Arms Shield) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Shield with heart crest		DEF +4	Find: Underground Caverns	Effect: Projectile block that gives a Heart Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (40 MP): Summon Maiden – Protection from Fire and Thunder for 68 seconds
	AxeLord Shield (Axe Armor Shield) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Favorite shield of Axe Lords		DEF +3	Drop: Axe Knight	Effect: Projectile block Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (20 MP): Summon Axe Lord (runs toward enemy then Axe Chop) (ATT +20, Attrib: Hit)
	Medusa Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Gorgon headed shield	Attrib: Stone	DEF +1, ATT +13	Drop: Medusa Head	Effect: Projectile block and shield attack that may petrify a vulnerable enemy. Immunity to Stone status when equipped Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (30 MP): Summon Medusa – Laser Attack (ATT +0, Attrib: Hit)
	Skull Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Shield with Knight's crest		DEF +4	Drop: Bone Ark, Yorick, Skull Lord	Effect: Projectile block Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (40 MP): Giant Laser Attack (ATT +100, Attrib: Hit)
	Goddess Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Engraved with goddess image		DEF +4	Find: Necromancy Lab	Effect: Projectile block Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (40 MP): Summon Goddess – Protection from Dark for 68 seconds
	Dark Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Unholy dark shield	Attrib: Hit	DEF +3, ATT +10	Find: Final Stage: Bloodlines Drop: Malachi	Effect: Projectile block and shield attack Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (30 MP): Meteor Attack (ATT +30, Attrib: Hit)
	Fire Shield (Flame Shield) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Shield with fire properties	Attrib: Fire	DEF +4	Drop: Fire Demon	Effect: Projectile block and immunity to Fire when equipped Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (50 MP): Summon Salamander – Flame Attack (ATT +70, Attrib: Fire)
	Alucard Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	Strong vs. all attacks		DEF +5	Find: Starts with and loses; Reverse Caverns	Effect: Projectile block Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (20 MP): Offensive shield with fixed ATT, Soul Steal, +1 Heart and about 2 seconds of invulnerability on contact, 68 seconds duration (decreases only when shield is held up), holding shield drains MP (ATT +255, Attrib: Hit)
	Woodland Shield (jpn) - Symphony of the Night (Saturn-only)   Shield - Alucard				[edit]
	The shield at which a tree soul dwell (fragrance of the rose)		DEF +3	Drop: Venus Man Trap (Saturn only)	Effect: Projectile block Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (30 MP): Summon Vines – immobilize and damage enemies (ATT +30, Attrib: Hit)

Gallery

Animations

Leather Shield

Knight Shield

Shaman Shield

Herald Shield

Fire Shield

Goddess Shield

AxeLord Shield

Dark Shield

Iron Shield

Skull Shield

Medusa Shield

Alucart Shield

Alucard Shield

Woodland Shield

Alucard decimating Galamoth with the Shield Rod + Alucard Shield spell in Symphony of the Night.

Screenshots

Shield Rod in "The Harvest", from the Castlevania animated series.

Trivia

Cane of Byrna from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

• The Shield Rod might be a reference to the Cane of Byrna from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Nintendo, 1991). Not only do both canes look very similar, but they also have the similar function of creating a shield that protects the user. This is further supported as Koji Igarashi has stated that A Link to the Past was a big influence during the creation of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

External links

• Castlevania Realm