Updated 2 Oct 2026
Abilities/Ward Pulse

Ward Pulse fills your Special slot. Guard special ability of the spirit school. Cast 6 ticks, cooldown 100 ticks. Wards 1 ally/allies for 30 in radius 6.

You get it by equipping 23 bases across 7 lines: Dawnsworn Shield, Emberguard Shield, Granite Shield, Gravewall Shield and Oak Shield and 2 more.

The draft can bend it 6 ways — Echo, Reach, Multiplicity, Area, Duration and Critical — and cards that ask for guard, ward and support will find it.

Between rooms it can be offered 142 cards: 33 written for it specifically, plus the 109 that any ability can take. Those cards can put Crumble, Brand and Burn on it, and attune it to Stone, Holy and Fire.

5 Uniques are built on gear that hands it to you: The Unopened Door, Rubble Rampart, The Usher's Aegis, The Shut Gate and The Watchman's Bell.

Gear that hands it to you

7 lines · 23 bases
LineSlotTiers, and the item levels they drop atFound in
Dawnsworn ShieldOff Hand
T6 iLvl 80+
MORTAL
Emberguard ShieldOff Hand
T4 iLvl 45–59T5 iLvl 60–79T6 iLvl 80+
DEMON
Granite ShieldOff Hand
T3 iLvl 30–44T4 iLvl 45–59T5 iLvl 60–79T6 iLvl 80+
DEMON
Gravewall ShieldOff Hand
T6 iLvl 80+
NIGHTMARE
Oak ShieldOff Hand
T1 iLvl 1–14T2 iLvl 15–29T3 iLvl 30–44T4 iLvl 45–59T5 iLvl 60–79T6 iLvl 80+
DEMON
Oakfather ShieldOff Hand
T2 iLvl 15–29T3 iLvl 30–44T4 iLvl 45–59T5 iLvl 60–79T6 iLvl 80+
DEMON
Sunpetal ShieldOff Hand
T4 iLvl 45–59T5 iLvl 60–79T6 iLvl 80+
DEMON

How the draft bends it

6 ways to change it
ChangeWhat it does to a guard
Echo
The whole cast plays once more after a short gap, at reduced effect.
+100% Repeats
-25% WardAmount
-25% Damage
Reach
The ability reaches farther.
+15% Radius
Multiplicity
More projectiles, targets or summons at reduced individual effect.
+1 HealTargets
-10% WardAmount
Area
Wider bursts, arcs and impact zones.
+12% Radius
Duration
Statuses, buffs, summons and channels last longer.
+20% BuffTicks
Critical
The ability crits more often; heals and wards grow instead.
+5% WardAmount

The fine print

the raw numbers behind it
Damage tags
Fires onwindup → release → barrier
Radius6
RangeUnits6
WardAmount30
HealTargets1
BuffTicks240
ArmorPercent0
FieldArmorPercent0
FieldArmorFloor25
FieldSlowFraction0.3
FieldHealingReceived0
ChargeUnits0
ChargeRadius0
Knockback0

Cards it can be offered

142 cards it can see
Written for this ability (33)
Widened Focus
Minor · common
Farcaster
Minor · rare
Widening Gyre
Minor · rare
Lingering Grasp
Minor · rare
Deadly Focus
Minor · rare
Focused Burst
Minor · common
Quickened Focus
Minor · common
Thicker Ward
Minor · common
Ward Reach
Minor · common
Barbed Ward
Minor · common
Warden's Resolve
Minor · common
Keen Focus
Major · rare
Crushing Blow
Major · rare
Flamebrand Focus
Major · rare
Rimebound Focus
Major · rare
Stormbound Focus
Major · rare
Venombound Focus
Major · rare
Bloodsworn Focus
Major · rare
Stonebound Focus
Major · rare
Lightsworn Focus
Major · rare
Voidtouched Focus
Major · rare
Endless Refrain
Major · legendary
Vast Focus
Major · rare
Longshot Focus
Major · rare
Lingering Focus
Major · rare
Opening Act
Major · rare
Flowing Finisher
Major · rare
War Rhythm
Major · rare
Lasting Light
Major · common
Bastion Plates
Major · common
The Long Watch
Major · common
Thorn Plates
Major · rare
Manifold
Major · legendary
Plus the ones any ability can take (109)

Nothing on these cards narrows the draft, so every ability can be offered them — see all 142 together →

What it can end up carrying

if the draft goes your way
StatusesCrumble, Brand, Burn
AffinitiesStoneHolyFire

Uniques

built on gear that grants it
The Unopened Door
Your Special grants 40% more Ward and its cooldown is 20% shorter.
Rubble Rampart
Your Special grants 50% more Ward and heaps Crumble.
The Usher's Aegis
Your Special wards 40% more and you carry 20% more Ward.
The Shut Gate
Ward Pulse shelters 4 more allies over a 40% wider ring, but each ward is 30% thinner.
The Watchman's Bell
Ward Pulse recharges 45% faster, but wards 35% less for 30% less time: a trickle, not a wall.