A Fire Shield burns an attacker in melee if the attack hits.

Fire Shields do their listed strength in Magical Armor-Piercing Fire Damage, and never miss (of course). The base Damage (before DRNs) dealt is reduced by the Length of the attacker's weapon, however.

• A Length 0 hit (Bite, Fist, Dagger, or any other attack without a listed Length are Length 0) takes 0 less Damage from Fire Shield.
• A Length 1 hit attacks (Short Sword or Long Sword) takee 1 less Damage from Fire Shield.
• A Length 2 hit (Great Sword) takes 2 less Damage from Fire Shield.
• A Length 5 hit (Pike) takes 5 less Damage from Fire Shield.
• Note that, similar to how repel works, the effective weapon length is increased by +1 Length if Size 6 or greater. Reducing an additional point of Damage.
• Note that, also similar to repel, the tag "cannot be repelled" appears to render the attack immune to Fire Shield. So items like the Dancing Trident, Stone Bird, Astral Serpent, and Enchanted Salt do not trigger Fire Shield. Presumably because the attacks are not physically extensions of the attacker.

Some troops, Commanders, and Pretenders have an innate, persistent Fire Shield. This can be boosted by Empowerment or by giving them additional levels of Fire in Pretender Design; the Damage boost is +1 for every level of Fire more than what they started with.

• For example, the Baphomet has a Fire Shield with a strength of 16, but giving him 6 elevates its strength to 20, since he starts with 2.

The Fire Shield Spell gives the caster a Fire Shield with a strength of 9, +1 for every level of Fire they're overcasting it by. It's a Level 3 Enchantment that requires 1 and zero Gems to use.

• For example, an Adon with 2 would get a Fire Shield with a strength of 10.

Then there's the Fire Shield Bless; this provides a Fire Shield with a strength of 7, +1 for every level of Fire the blessed subject has.

• For example, a Witch Hunter with 2 would get a Fire Shield with a strength of 9.

Last-but-not-least, there are a few Items that provide a Fire Shield with a strength of 9; these Items are the Charcoal Shield (Construction 5, 21, 105), the Carmine Cleaver (Construction 7, 21, 105), and the Crown of the Fire King (Construction 9, 4, 25).