Guardian Shields are one of Fortnite’s new seasonal items that you can find while running around the castle-filled areas of the map. While not quite as fun as slamming someone with a Shockwave Hammer or spearing them with the Ex-Caliber Rifle, it’s still pretty powerful in its own right.
The Guardian Shield lets you raise a forcefield in front of yourself while moving, or you can whack it down on the ground to create a big protective barrier—pretty handy if you’ve got someone shooting at you and nowhere to go. There’s also a weekly quest that’s all about blocking shots with it, so if you want that XP you’ll have to use one sooner or later. Here’s where to get a Fortnite Guardian Shield and how it works.
Where to find Guardian Shields
The best way to get a Guardian Shield is from one of the new Oathbound Chests. These big white treasure chests are easy to spot, and you can find them inside or nearby the castle-like buildings in the yellow areas of the map. Guardian Shields aren’t guaranteed chest loot, so your best bet is to head to an area where lots of them spawn such as The Citadel, Breakwater Bay, or Shattered Slabs. Fortnite.gg (opens in new tab) has a full list of potential spawn locations for Oathbound Chests on its interactive map. I found that The Citadel was really good for finding them, since there are plenty of buildings with potential Oathbound Chests nearby.
How to use a Guardian Shield
Once you’ve got your hands on a Guardian Shield, you can start using it to block shots. Left mouse click lets you hold up the shield while moving, and right mouse click lets you aim and throw the shield down to create a static barricade.
While the shield is active, its charge gradually reduces, and it’ll start flashing red before turning off. When this happens you can pick it back up, and once its cooldown has finished, it’ll start recharging so you can use it again. It’s worth noting that if you plant the shield, shots blocked won’t count towards completing the quest, so make sure to just use its moveable version to complete the challenge.