Does the Jellyfish Shield Buff Stack in Elden Ring? A Deep Dive
Yes, the Jellyfish Shield’s “Contagious Fury” buff can stack, but with caveats and specific techniques required to achieve it. While the straightforward application of the buff doesn’t stack with itself, clever Tarnished have discovered methods to exploit game mechanics and apply the buff multiple times.
Understanding the Jellyfish Shield
The Jellyfish Shield is a medium shield in Elden Ring characterized by its distinctive jellyfish-themed design and the unique Contagious Fury weapon skill. This skill provides a 20% attack power buff for 30 seconds. The shield requires 20 Strength and 14 Dexterity to wield, making it accessible to a wide range of character builds. Its primary appeal lies in its ability to significantly boost damage output, making it a valuable asset in both PvE and PvP scenarios.
How Contagious Fury Works
Activating Contagious Fury consumes FP and applies a buff icon to your character. This buff increases all forms of attack damage, including physical attacks, weapon skills, sorceries, and incantations. The standard application only allows for a single instance of the buff. That is why the question of how this buff could ever be stacked has been of so much discussion.
Stacking the Jellyfish Shield Buff: The Technique
The method to stack the Contagious Fury buff involves utilizing two Jellyfish Shields and manipulating the game’s mechanics.
- Equip two Jellyfish Shields: One in each hand.
- Two-hand the left-hand shield: This allows you to activate the Contagious Fury skill on the left shield.
- Activate Contagious Fury with the left shield: This applies the first instance of the buff.
- Switch back to dual-wielding: Hold both shields again.
- Activate Contagious Fury with the right shield: This applies the second instance of the buff.
By performing these steps quickly, you can stack the Contagious Fury buff, effectively increasing your attack power by 44% (multiplicatively, as 1.2 * 1.2 = 1.44).
Patch 1.09 and the Jellyfish Shield
Patch 1.09 introduced changes to the Contagious Fury skill, primarily aimed at PvP balance. However, it also introduced a peculiar bug: the buff could persist even after unequipping the shield. This unintended feature further complicated the mechanics surrounding the buff, and added complexity to stacking strategies. Furthermore, patch 1.09 also decreased the effictiveness of the Contagious Fury buff in PvP.
Is Stacking Worth It?
Stacking the Jellyfish Shield buff can provide a significant damage boost, particularly useful for boss fights or challenging encounters. However, the process requires precise timing and can be cumbersome to execute reliably. Also, you need 2 shields, meaning that stat investment is critical. Whether or not it’s worth the effort depends on your playstyle and the specific challenges you face. For some players, the increased damage output justifies the complexity, while others may prefer simpler, more consistent buffing methods. Understanding the complexities of games and their impact on learning can be gained from resources like the Games Learning Society and their academic publications, accessible at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does the Jellyfish Shield buff stack with Golden Vow?
Yes, the Jellyfish Shield’s Contagious Fury buff stacks with Golden Vow. Golden Vow provides both an attack and defense buff, while Contagious Fury focuses solely on attack power. Since they offer different types of buffs, they can be combined for increased effectiveness.
2. Does the Jellyfish Shield buff stack with other weapon buffs?
Yes, the Jellyfish Shield buff stacks with most other weapon buffs, such as grease applications (e.g., Fire Grease) or weapon arts that increase attack power (e.g., Royal Knight’s Resolve). The buffs generally stack multiplicatively, further enhancing your damage output.
3. How long does the Jellyfish Shield buff last?
The Contagious Fury buff from the Jellyfish Shield lasts for 30 seconds.
4. Does the Jellyfish Shield buff affect spells?
Yes, the Contagious Fury buff affects all forms of attack damage, including sorceries and incantations. This makes the shield particularly valuable for mage builds.
5. Does upgrading the Jellyfish Shield increase the buff’s effectiveness?
No, upgrading the Jellyfish Shield does not increase the effectiveness of the Contagious Fury buff. Upgrading the shield primarily improves its defensive stats, such as Guard Boost and damage negation.
6. Can you parry with the Jellyfish Shield?
No, you cannot parry with the Jellyfish Shield. It is designed primarily for blocking and damage boosting, not for deflecting attacks.
7. What stats do you need to wield the Jellyfish Shield?
The Jellyfish Shield requires 20 Strength and 14 Dexterity to wield effectively.
8. Does the Jellyfish Shield buff affect summons?
No, the Contagious Fury buff only affects the player character. It does not extend to spirit ash summons or other allied entities.
9. Is the Jellyfish Shield worth using if I’m not stacking the buff?
Yes, the Jellyfish Shield can still be valuable even if you’re not actively stacking the buff. The 20% attack power increase for 30 seconds is significant enough to justify its use in many situations, particularly for quick damage bursts.
10. Does the Old Lord’s Talisman extend the duration of Contagious Fury?
Yes, the Old Lord’s Talisman extends the duration of Contagious Fury by 30%, increasing its uptime from 30 seconds to 39 seconds.
11. What happens if I switch weapons after using Contagious Fury?
Prior to patch 1.09, the Contagious Fury buff would be lost upon switching weapons, but the patch introduced a bug that allowed you to still possess the buff even when the shield is unequiped.
12. Does the Jellyfish Shield buff stack with the Red-Feathered Branchsword?
Yes, the Contagious Fury buff stacks with the Red-Feathered Branchsword, which increases attack power when HP is low. These buffs stack multiplicatively, providing a significant damage boost in risky situations.
13. Is the Jellyfish Shield effective in PvP?
The Jellyfish Shield can be effective in PvP, but Patch 1.09 decreased the effectiveness of the Contagious Fury skill. Nevertheless, the damage boost it provides can still create opportunities for quick and decisive attacks.
14. Does the Jellyfish Shield’s Guard Boost increase with upgrades?
Yes, upgrading the Jellyfish Shield increases its Guard Boost. This reduces the amount of stamina consumed when blocking attacks, making it more effective defensively.
15. Can I apply grease to the Jellyfish Shield?
No, you cannot apply grease to the Jellyfish Shield or any other shield. Grease is designed to be applied to weapons, not shields.