The Shield of Solitude is a unique heavy shield, basically a Solitude guard’s shield that got promoted for good behaviour. Its enchantment does two jobs at once: it shrugs off part of incoming spell damage and makes your shield blocks soak up more punishment. It is a leveled reward, so the numbers grow with you, and at its best it gives 30% magic resistance and 35% better blocking.
How to get it
You earn it from Falk Firebeard, the steward of Solitude, after finishing his quest The Wolf Queen Awakened. That quest sends you after the restless spirit of Potema, the infamous Wolf Queen (brush up with Biography of the Wolf Queen if you like your undead with backstory).
- Talk to Falk in the Blue Palace and accept his request about the strange activity around the city.
- Work through the quest until Potema is dealt with for good.
- Return to Falk and collect the shield as your reward.
Because the enchantment scales with your level when the reward is handed out, it pays to wait. Around level 40 or later you get the full-strength version; at low levels the bonuses are much smaller.
Is it worth wearing?
For a sword-and-board character facing mages, dragons and other spell slingers, yes. Magic resistance is one of the few defensive stats that helps against nearly everything that glows, and the extra block value is a welcome bonus. The catch is that the shield cannot be improved at a workbench, no matter which Smithing perks you own, so its armor rating stays at 32 while crafted ebony or daedric shields climb far higher.
Its real long-term value is at the arcane enchanter: it is one of the few unique shields that can be disenchanted to learn a stronger Resist Magic effect. With high Enchanting and the Extra Effect perk you can stack that on your own gear for some serious anti-magic protection.
Good to know
- The Fortify Block part does not come along when you disenchant it; you learn the magic resistance.
- Weighing 12, it is as heavy as most heavy shields, so it is not a free pick for light builds.
- Compared with Auriel’s Shield (Dawnguard), it is far less flashy but much easier to get.
Stats
| Item | Slot | Type | Armor | Weight | Value | Enchantment | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shield of Solitude | Shield | Heavy | 32 | 12 | 40 | Increases Magic Resistance by 30%.; Block 35% more damage with your shield. | 0010EB65 |
Stats from the Skyrim game files (Skyrim.esm and the official add-ons): base values before Smithing and perks. Where several versions exist (leveled copies), all are listed.
