How do I know if the shielding stat is more important than just hitpoints?

Ok, I have a question here from Connor Stormcaster:

Which is better the jacket of the withstanding with 175 hp 3% shielding and a tower shield card or the robe of consderation with only 242 hp also im storm and they dont have a lot of hp so which would be better for me?

My answer is . . . it depends.

(Looks like you've asked this question over on Central too)

The three percent shielding really isn't buying you much protection to be honest. If you get hit with a storm shark, which could do around 435 hit points of damage, you're only shielding 13 hitpoints of that attack. The only way the shielding stat alone would beat the hitpoints on the robe of consideration would be if it were to shield over 67 hit points (the difference in hitpoints between the jacket of withstanding and the robe of consideration) . . . around 5-6 storm shark attacks in one fight (which never happens).

However, you've got a tower shield card with the jack of withstanding. If you use the card once to guard against one of those storm shark attacks, you've shielded 217 hitpoints on top of the three percent shielding from every attack, which is pretty good protection.

The problems here are that 1- mobs don't always cast stormshark. 2- you have to actually cast the tower shield during one round and have it protect you from an attack. 2a- If the mob you're going up against casts fire elf to remove your tower shield, then you've only shielded 25 hitpoints of a 50 hitpoint initial attack. (Whoops! There goes the effectiveness.) 2b- if you have a deep deck, then you may not find that tower shield card before the fight is over. 3- I'm assuming you start each fight with full health.

So, what you need to do is figure out over 10 battles or so how much damage on average you take in a battle and how much you shield. Then it will become more apparent if the extra 67 hitpoints on the robe of consideration is better.

Not as easy as you thought, was it?

Now if you HAVE the tower shield spell in your deck already, then it's a no brainer . . . dump the jacket of the withstanding and slap on that robe of consideration because when you get down to the thread and needle of clothing, it's the tower shield card that makes that particular robe great.

word.

Happy Dueling!