Ship shield is a type of ship component. It provides hitpoints before the ship's armor and components begin to get damaged. These hitpoints can be regenerated over time, without needing to explicitly repair them or pay any fees. This allows a ship with good shields to take on powerful opponents repeatedly without becoming increasingly damaged between the fights. They are a worthwhile investment for anyone looking to do a lot of space combat. Shields are most efficiently defeated with ion cannons and concussion missiles, and are least efficiently defeated by disruptors and seismic missiles.