All 69 Shields Compared by Size in X4: Foundations

In X4: Foundations, a shield is a generator fitted to a ship that soaks up incoming damage before it reaches the hull. Once the shield has taken enough hits to collapse, the hull takes the damage until the shield recharges. Shields come in S, M, L and XL sizes that match a ship's mounts, and makers, marks and lines change how much each one can take and how quickly it recovers.

PAR L Shield Generator Mk2

PLPAR L Shield Generator Mk2

It combines one of the fastest recharge rates with one of the shortest delays in the L class.

Mk

Mk2

Capacity

48,000 MJ

Recharge Rate

530 MJ/s

Recharge Delay

8 s

Price

255,913 Cr

Maker

Godrealm of the Paranid

Line

Standard

DLC

Base game

BOR L Shield Generator Mk1

It pairs one of the smallest capacities with midrange recharge in the L class.

Mk

Mk1

Capacity

50,400 MJ

Recharge Rate

300 MJ/s

Recharge Delay

10.5 s

Price

46,612 Cr

Maker

Queendom of Boron

Line

Advanced

DLC

Kingdom End

BOR L Shield Generator Mk2

BLBOR L Shield Generator Mk2

The Kingdom End Boron Mk2 is a midrange L option across capacity, recharge and delay.

Mk

Mk2

Capacity

61,690 MJ

Recharge Rate

365 MJ/s

Recharge Delay

10.5 s

Price

232,351 Cr

Maker

Queendom of Boron

Line

Advanced

DLC

Kingdom End

How shields work in X4: Foundations

Shields matter most in long fights, because a collapsed shield can't start coming back while the attack keeps going. Steady fire keeps shields down for as long as it lasts, which is why a ship under constant pressure can lose them fast. The hull doesn't heal on its own. Drones or a station have to repair it afterward, so every hit that gets past the shield costs you time later.

You can also use this against enemies. Instead of destroying a ship outright, you can aim at its turrets or shield generators to strip away its defenses.

Choosing the right shield size

Size comes first, and it's a hard rule. A shield has to match a mount on your ship, so an M shield needs an M mount. Bigger hulls gain more firepower, shielding and cargo, so the shields they carry grow along with them.

Size also sets the character of a ship. S ships are cheap and fast with thin shields, while large hulls are slow and heavily shielded, and the shield matches the job the hull was built for.

Even within one size, not every ship takes every shield. Compatibility depends on the specific hull, so check the ship before you spend money on a shield.

Capacity, recharge and delay explained

Shields are judged by three numbers. Capacity is how much damage a shield can take before it collapses, measured in megajoules (MJ). Recharge rate is how fast it refills, measured in megajoules per second. Delay is the wait before the shield starts to refill.

Each number does a different job. Capacity decides how much a shield can absorb in one go, recharge decides how fast it comes back, and delay sets how soon that comeback begins. The three don't always rise together. One shield may hold a lot but refill slowly, while another is small but quick to recover, so the right mix depends on what you need from it.

Shield makers, lines and marks explained

Shields come from several factions, including the Argon Federation, the Godrealm of the Paranid, the Queendom of Boron, the Teladi Company, the Terran Protectorate and the Zyarth Patriarchy. Each maker has its own balance of capacity, recharge and delay, so the same size can feel quite different from one faction to the next. The Envoy M shield is the one jointly made by the Argon Federation and the Teladi Company.

Within a maker, shields are sorted into lines. Most are in the Standard line, Boron's shields belong to the Advanced line, and the Terran Protectorate also has a Frontier line next to its Standard models.

Marks work like tiers. Mk1 is the starting point, and higher marks such as Mk2 and Mk3 generally bring more capacity and faster recharge. The Terran Frontier small shield goes up to Mk5 as well.

Some models were added by expansions rather than coming with the base game. Split Vendetta, Cradle of Humanity, Kingdom End, Tides of Avarice, Timelines and the Envoy Pack each add their own shields, so some models are tied to a particular expansion.

How to get shields in X4: Foundations

The usual way to get a shield is to pick one in a ship's loadout at a Wharf or Equipment Dock. Equipment Docks repair and outfit ships of any size, so they're a handy stop when a ship needs a new generator.

You can also build shields yourself. A player-owned Wharf or Equipment Dock can make them from the faction's recipe, which lets your own stations produce the generators you need.

Higher marks cost a lot more, so check the price before you commit to a bigger model. Racing versions can share a name with a standard shield while carrying their own price and recipe, so look at both before you buy.

Best shields in X4: Foundations by what you need

For the most absorbing power, look at the top of each class. The Terran Frontier Mk5 small shield leads the small class in both capacity and recharge, and the Terran Mk2 extra-large shield does the same in the extra-large class.

In the medium class, the Astrid M has both the largest capacity and the fastest recharge. In the large class, the standard Terran Mk3 from Cradle of Humanity recharges fastest, while the Terran Frontier Mk3 matches it for capacity with a much shorter delay.

If a quick comeback matters most, look at the Split shields from the Zyarth Patriarchy. They have the shortest delay in the medium, large and extra-large classes, and they're among the shortest in the small class.

On a tighter budget, the Erlking XL is the least expensive extra-large shield and sits around the middle of its class for capacity and recharge. It's a practical choice when the top models cost far more.

Racing ships have their own options. The Teladi racing version refills quickly and starts again after the shortest delay of any S shield, but it holds far less than standard small shields. The Paranid racing version offers more capacity and a faster refill than the standard Paranid Mk1, while the Argon racing version matches the standard Argon Mk1.

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