Shielded1

Shielded1 is the boss variant of the Chapter 1 Shield buff, the weakest version with only 3 points of non-stacking Shield that regenerates at the start of each round. The boss trades 20% of its maximum health for this barrier. Three Shield is a very low barrier that most teams can break with a single moderate attack, making it the gentlest introduction to the Shielded boss mechanic.

At 3 Shield, this buff is a minor inconvenience in Chapter 1 boss fights rather than a serious threat. Most cats with even basic attacks can break through 3 Shield in one or two hits. The primary impact is teaching new players that Shielded enemies require breaking a barrier before dealing real damage, preparing them for the much stronger Shielded variants in later chapters. The 20% health reduction actually makes the boss easier to kill overall once the Shield is broken.

Almost any attack will break 3 Shield, so do not overthink the strategy. Hit the boss to pop the Shield, then follow up with your remaining cats' attacks for real damage. Use this as practice for coordinating attack order in later Shielded encounters. If you have Marked status or Shield-bypassing effects, they work here but are frankly overkill for a 3-point Shield. The 20% health reduction means you might actually prefer Shielded1 to no buff at all, since the boss effectively has less total effective health.