Shield of reflection
[ shield of reflection 
| |
|---|---|
| Appearance | polished silver shield |
| Slot | shield |
| AC | 2 |
| Special | |
| Base price | 50 zm |
| Weight | 50 |
| Material | silver |
The shield of reflection is a rare but useful item. It conveys reflection. It also does silver damage against silver-hating monsters when wielded, though this is a highly suboptimal use for it. When unidentified, it is a polished silver shield; when blind, it is a smooth shield.
Medusa's lair has a statue of Perseus on the down stair. In the first variation of this level (with the circular central island), the statue has a 75% chance of containing a shield of reflection. In the second variation, the chance is 25%. In both cases, the shield is cursed.
All Archons start with a shield of reflection. Angels and Aleaxes have a 25% chance of having one.
In recent versions of UnNetHack, Itlachiayaque is artefact shield of reflection that Archeologists receive as their quest artefact. It replaces the Orb of Detection.
Strategy
Although reflection is a crucial property, the shield inhibits both two-weapon combat and spellcasting, making it an unpopular choice for the ascension kit. That said, it's still a potentially useful piece of equipment for early- to mid-game characters who don't rely exclusively on spells, as well as for a few late-game characters who can't or don't want to twoweapon and don't need to cast any spells that can't wait for the shield to come off. (Rangers and cavemen often fall into this category.)
