Minecraft: How to Make a Shield

The world of Minecraft can be a dangerous place. Sure, for the most part there’s just an endless expanse of land waiting to be developed. In you’re mind’s eye you can picture beach front property, a swimming pool the size of a football field, and maybe even your own stadium. But when night falls, the creepy crawlies that live in the world come out to get you. One of the ways you can protect yourself is with a shield. Here’s how to make one.

First you need a crafting table. Next you’ll need 6 Wood Planks (the type of wood doesn’t matter, just have six of them), and 1 Iron Ingot. Once you have a crafting table and the materials you need, open the crafting menu by right-clicking on PC, pressing Square on PlayStation, or pressing “X” on Xbox. This will bring up a 3×3 (for a total of nine squares) crafting grid. You’ll need to input your resources in a specific way, which we’ll show you below:

Once you place the wood and iron as indicated above you’ll have a shield. Just drag it to your inventory and you’re all set. Now you’ll be able to block attacks coming at you from the front, and protect yourself against those nasty arrows that Skeletons love to use.