Dragon Shield (Golden Sun)


 * This item should not be confused with another Dragon Shield that appears in Golden Sun: The Lost Age.

The Dragon Shield is a Shield-class piece of armor found in Golden Sun and Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. In Golden Sun, it visually resembles a scaly shield colored tan. In Dark Dawn, the Dragon Shield retains its scaly appearance, but is now a green color.

Basic Description
The Dragon Shield increases the wearer's Defense by 26 points and increases the wearer's Mars Resistance by 30 points. It can be sold for 1800 coins and subsequently rebought for 2400 coins.

In Golden Sun, it is acquired from a treasure chest located out of the way in Altin Peak, after solving a puzzle involving mine cart tracks. As a shield-class item, it can be equipped by Isaac and Garet, and if transferred to The Lost Age it can also be equipped by Felix and Piers.

In Dark Dawn, the Dragon Shield can be acquired from a treasure chest in Ayuthay. It can be equipped by Matthew, Tyrell, and Eoleo. In order to get to it, the Alchemy Well must first be put into reverse so that the water level drops. The player must then make their way to the lower level of the stonecutters' room, and move a pillar into place. Once the Well is returned to normal, a raft can be ridden to the area where the chest is located.

Analysis
In Golden Sun, this Dragon Shield is most certainly an example of a piece of equipment that is a powerful asset to the party because it is more defensive than any other piece of equipment that goes on the hands that the party would have access to at that point in the game. It is sometimes missed by players because it is accessible only by solving an optional mine cart puzzle in Altin Peak, but when found it becomes a very practical item for an Adept to wear for quite a period of time.

In Dark Dawn, the Dragon Shield is the first Artifact Shield available to the player. It is far more defensive than any other hand armor available at this point. It will remain in the player's inventory for some time, as stronger shields are not available until the player reaches Belinsk. The Dragon Shield would be a good choice for both Matthew and Tyrell; it is worth noting that Matthew has lower Mars Resistance than Tyrell, and thus might benefit from the boost more than Tyrell would.

Trivia

 * The Dragon Shield and Mirrored Shield are the only Shield Artifacts to appear in every entry of the Golden Sun series. What separates the two is that the Mirrored Shield is guaranteed to appear in Golden Sun: The Lost Age, but the Dragon Shield will only appear if it's in the player's inventory when they transfer data from the first game to The Lost Age.