Fariha Bhatti 
Valorant has a brand new shield type called Regen Shield, touted as the strongest in the game, but it’s not immediately obvious how it works.
The Valorant Episode 9 Act 3 trailer teased a third shield type that can regenerate mid-duel, sparking concern among competitive players about its potential to disrupt the game’s meta. Later leaks confirmed this new armor as the Regen Shield, the name confirming players’ worst fears. Now that more details about the armor have officially been revealed, it seems fairly balanced.
As evident from the name, Regen Shield regenerates over time, but the conditions and price tag keep it from being too overpowered.
How does Regen Shield work?
Regen Shield functions as a third type of armor available at the start of each round. Unlike the one-time 100 HP armor, this armor maintains a health reservoir that supplies power for two successive uses.
Regen Shield starts with a base 25 HP armor and has an additional reserve of 50 HP. Once the base armor absorbs all damage and is depleted, the reserve will regenerate the armor after a three-second delay. Once all 50 reserve points are used, players will be left without any armor. That means players get two refills from Regen Shield, not a constant stream of protection throughout the game as some initially assumed.
It may sound highly powerful, but Regen Shield is not cheap. It carries a fairly hefty price tag of 650 credits, making it a mid-line option between the standard 400 and 1,000-credit shields. Unlike the other two shields, it absorbs 100% of the incoming damage before damage to health occurs, justifying the hefty price tag. For three seconds mid-regeneration, players are completely vulnerable to enemy attacks, balancing out the powerful armor.
A notable drawback of the Regen Shield is that it caps the owner’s total HP at 125, compared to the 200 HP provided by full heavy armor. However, this armor provides better protection against utility damage since it’s not affected by decay.
Whether Valorant players should buy a Regen Shield comes down to the situation and state of the game. Playstyle, the round being played, the team’s economy, and the enemy team composition are all factors to consider.
Regen Shield appears to be a great option for countering enemies during half-buys, but it may not replace heavy armor during full-buy rounds, especially when opponents have one-shot weapons like the Operator.
