Shield Spikes — Blacksmithing Reference for Patch 1.12.1

◆How a shield spike works

A spike is an item with a Use effect. The blacksmith applies it to a shield, and the shield gains a permanent property: on every successful block the attacker takes physical damage. According to our server database the damage is: Iron spike 8–12, Mithril spike 16–20, Thorium spike 20–30 per block. Since patch 1.9 the spike no longer triggers on blocked ranged attacks, so only melee attackers get hurt.

A spike only goes on a shield, of any shield level. The key 1.12.1 restriction: only a character with Blacksmithing can apply it — 150 for Iron, 215 for Mithril and 250 for Thorium. The requirement was removed only in a later expansion, so a tank without the profession asks a blacksmith to attach the spike through the bottom slot of the trade window.

Thorium Shield SpikeItem Level 55Requires Blacksmithing (250)Use: Attaches a Thorium Spike to your shield that deals damage every time you block with it.Max Stack: 5

◆All shield spikes in 1.12.1

No blacksmithing trainer in our server database teaches these recipes, and no vendor sells them. Plans: Iron Shield Spike, Plans: Mithril Shield Spike and Plans: Thorium Shield Spike drop with a very low chance from regular creatures of a matching level and can be found in chests. Note that the Thorium spike is crafted at skill 275 but can be applied from 250. Other blacksmithing recipes are collected in blacksmithing recipes.

How to craft and attach a spike

1. Level Blacksmithing to 150, 215 or 275 — the route is in the blacksmithing guide.
2. Find or buy the plans on the auction house and learn them.
3. Prepare bars and grinding stones — the same blacksmith makes them; look for Essence of Earth for the Thorium spike among crafting materials.
4. Stand at an anvil with a Blacksmith Hammer in your bags and craft the spike.
5. Use the spike and click your shield. For another player's shield, the blacksmith places the spike in the bottom slot of the trade window.

◆Spike or shield enchant

A shield spike is a permanent enhancement and in 1.12.1 uses the same slot as enchantments. Attach a spike and the shield enchant is gone; enchant the shield and the spike disappears. So the choice is simple: either damage on block, or stamina, spirit or resistance from shield enchants. A raid tank usually values survivability more, while the spike stays an option for leveling and PvP. Armor kits follow the same logic: they also overwrite the enchant in their slot.

Use cases: leveling, tanking, PvP

• Leveling. A warrior or paladin with a shield blocks many attacks on group pulls, and each block adds a bit of damage — this speeds up clearing weak mobs.
• Tanking. Spike damage adds a little extra threat, but it does not replace your core threat tools. Details in the tank guide and the protection warrior build.
• PvP. Against rogues and warriors the spike punishes every hit into your shield. In Alterac Valley it is a cheap way to add damage to a protection tank.

Shield BlockWarrior, Defensive Stance10 RageInstant castRequires level 165 sec cooldownIncreases chance to block by 75% for 5 sec, but will only block 1 attack.

◆Related articles

• Gear enhancements in 1.12: scopes, armor kits, spikes, weightstones
• Weightstones for blunt weapons
• Mithril spurs
• Blacksmithing
• Tanking basics

Want to try a Thorium Shield Spike in combat? Create an account on WoW x5 and connect to the server — with x5 rates your blacksmith reaches 275 quickly.