Counter Shield (カウンターシールド, Kaunta Shīrudo) is a Formchange in Kingdom Hearts III. It allows the user to transform the Keyblade into a shield, allowing for strong counters and throwing attacks.

Design

Counter Shield transforms the Keyblade into a golden shield with white, cloud-like embroidery and a lightning bolt at the center. A diamond rests at the top of the shield, and a blue heart-like symbol is at the bottom.

Mechanics

In Kingdom Hearts III, Counter Shield is the Formchange of the Hero's Origin Keyblade, associated with Guardian Form. It has a base duration of 30 seconds and a maximum combo length of 5. Its basic combo consists of Sora throwing the shield around himself and spinning it forwards, and the finishers consist of a spin attack and an electric forcefield. The Formchange's biggest boon is being able to perform devastating counters. Sora can use the Shield Charge ability to charge the shield by blocking and replace the Attack command with a reprisal up to two times. Wrathful Fist simply summons a giant fist from the shield, while Wrathful Flurry summons a barrage of fists. A single hit blocked with Shield Charge enables the use of Wrathful Fist, and 3 hits or more enables Wrathful Flurry instead.

The Formchange finish command has Sora transform the Keyblade into a chariot pulled by an ethereal Pegasus and ride it around the arena. During this time, pressing allows Sora to cast Thunder on any enemies present.

Abilities

Alongside the abilities from Guardian Form, Counter Shield also has access to Shield Charge, which overrides Barrier. The Wrathful Fist and Wrathful Flurry reprisals also override Counter Blast.

Form Actions
Attack		Attribute	Power Multiplier	Form Value	Reaction Value	Revenge Value	Guard?	Repel LV	Status Effect
Keyblade Transformation Attack (キーブレード変形演出中の攻撃, Kīburēdo Henkei Enshutsu-chū no Kōgeki)		Thunder	0.5	0	1	0	O	—	—
Shield Right Swing (盾右振り, Tate Migi-furi)		Physical	1.0	8	1	0.5	X	—	—
		Rightward swing with shield.
Shield Stance Rush (盾構え突進, Tate Kamae Tosshin)		Thunder	0.4(x5)	3(x5)	1(x5)	0.3(x5)	X	—	—
		Dash forward with spinning shield.
Shield Forward Throw (盾前方投げ, Tate Zenpō Nage)		Thunder	1.0	8	1	0.5	X	—	—
		Throw shield forward.
Shield Spin		Physical	0.7(x3)	6(x3)	1(x3)	0.25(x3)	O	—	—
		Spread your arms and spin at foes. (Combo finisher)
Lightning Circle	(flash)	Thunder	0.1	1	1	0.05	O	—	—
	(thunderbolt)	Thunder	2.2	8	1	0.25	O	—	Electrify (100%/5s)
		Raise your shield and strike the area with lightning. (Combo finisher)
Wrathful Fist		Thunder	6.0	8	50	0	O	—	—
		After charging your shield with Shield Charge, select Attack to hammer your foes with a giant fist and send them flying.
Wrathful Flurry		Thunder	1.0(x14) + 8.0	8(x15)	1(x14) + 50	0	O	—	—
		After fully charging your shield with Shield Charge, select Attack to hammer foes repeatedly with a giant fist and send them flying.
Finish (フィニッシュ, Finisshu)	(rush)	Thunder	1.5 per hit	0	1 per hit	0	O	—	—
	(Thunder)	Thunder	1.0	0	1	0	O	—	—
		Ride around in a chariot while casting Thunder on enemies.

Strategy

Counter Shield should be used mostly for Shield Charge, Lightning Circle, and Wrathful Flurry, as its other attacks are weak, have low range, and some like Shield Forward Throw can grant considerable end-lag as to prevent a consistent combo unless it's complemented with item cancel, but the merit of Hidden Potential does ease its further usage if applicable and no other Formchange is available. Since most of its attacks deal Thunder damage, it synergizes well with Thunder Boost. Frying Pan should be considered for a more Magic-focused build to compensate its weaker attacks if the defensively inclined traits of Counter Shield and Hero's Origin aren't desired, or if dealing with an opponent that noticeably resists the Thunder element.

Shield Charge provides an omnidirectional way to block attacks and minimal mobility to ease positioning across the map, but should not be over used as to not waste the Formchange's duration, and its low mobility can become an issue when dealing with attacks that can't be blocked, stalling with it as to recharge HP and MP with HP Walker and MP Walker is also done better by Frying Pan by its innate access to such abilities.

The innate combination of Second Chance, Withstand Combo, and healing from Drain Shock grants strong longevity, but the slow charge and high Focus Gauge cost of Drain Shock is suboptimal compared to Ever After's Shimmering Drops. This role becomes even less unique if Second Chance and Withstand Combo are obtained elsewhere.

Wrathful Flurry is the strongest attack in Sora's arsenal in terms of innate damage output and amount of hits in a single move (tying with Frying Pan's equivalent move in Flame Barrage), and has no Revenge Value, enabling it to be a good way to end a combo as to make the most of Combo Boost, Air Combo Boost, and Magic Galvanizer, but a combo should be built up with another Keyblade first as Wrathful Flurry being active also prevents the use of Counter Shield's regular attacks.

Wrathful Flurry can be used and have its charge retained by triggering a Formchange before its full animation ends (bar Rage Form as it'll override Counter Shield), allowing to use it multiple times without recharging it normally, and so it benefits greatly from Formchange Extender, the sheer amount of hits made by the move can allow for strong combo damage multipliers that Grand Magic can make use of, and so Overtime can also prove useful.

The finish command is inconsistent and weak damage-wise, but its sheer duration and included invulnerability grant it a niche to ease outlasting the MP Charge period, as well as to evade waves of strong attacks, such as the desperation moves of bosses.

Learning Counter Shield

Kingdom Hearts III

• The Hero's Origin has Counter Shield as its Formchange.

See also

• Frying Pan (Formchange)

• Formchanges