First, you can block with anything that is your hands, weapon or shield. This is done with a Right Click. As long as you have Stamina, then you mitigate incoming damage when you block an attack. A shield just gives you some more armor, but two handed weapons and even bows can be used to block just the same.

So, the passive gives you 5% to 10% more damage reduction when you are blocking. If your not Blocking, then the passive has no effect.

Axorn wrote: »

i know i can block with everything... im using shield thats why i said shield.

I figured you did, I was just writing that so anyone who stumbled on this thread did not think they needed a Shield to get the passive to work.

Axorn wrote: »

i know i can block with everything... im using shield thats why i said shield. Passive name is deceptive not matching with the function iron skin sounds like general damage reduction it should say ; %10additional damage reduction while blocking. Fyi i ve been playing since beta got 3 vet 10+ chars :)thanks for the replies

There is another passive I stumbled upon last night, and now forget what it was, that does more clearly explain that you can block more damage (this one also reduces Block and Bash costs). So hopefully they change the tool tip.

One thing that can get it done faster is to /feedback this in the game. Tool tip changes are made on almost every patch.