Shielded1

Shielded1 is the Chapter 1 variant of the Shielded elite buff, the weakest version with only 4 points of non-stacking Shield that regenerates at the start of each round. The elite trades 20% of its maximum health for this regenerating barrier. While 4 Shield is relatively easy to break through, early-game teams may still struggle if their damage output is not consolidated.

In Chapter 1, teams are still developing their abilities and gear, making even a 4-point Shield regeneration a meaningful obstacle. Low-damage cats can spend entire turns chipping at the Shield without ever reaching the enemy's health bar. Shielded1 teaches the core lesson of the Shielded buff family: you must exceed the Shield threshold in a single round or your damage is completely negated. This is a manageable introduction to a mechanic that becomes much more demanding in later chapters.

Even basic attacks from a decently-leveled cat should be able to break through 4 Shield in a turn. Focus your strongest cat on the Shielded elite first to crack the barrier, then have other cats follow up with damage. This is a good fight to practice burst coordination that you will need for Shielded3 and Shielded4 later. If you happen to have access to Marked status or Shield-bypassing effects this early, they trivialize the encounter entirely. The 20% health reduction makes Shielded1 enemies slightly squishier than normal once the Shield is down.