[[File:Shards_Loading_Screen.png|right|400px]]
Shards are gem-like artifacts that slot into your Relics, Armor, and Weapons. Shards replaced [[Skill Spheres]] system and item [[Passives]] (while some items with unique passives still drop but have only one shard slot). Shards give your hero or your defenses extra stats or abilities, all green shards can buff only defenses and can be placed only in [[Relics]], while blue shards will buff your hero and can be placed in [[Weapon]] and [[Armor]]. Shards can be moved between pieces of gear and be upgraded straight from your inventory. A weapon or piece of armor allows to hold up to 3 Shards and can only equip Hero (blue) Shards and relics can hold up to 3 Defense (green) Shards. Blue shards give you hero new abilities or stats while they are placed in any item currently equipped by that hero, but green (defenses) shards strengthen only that tower, where relic containing them is equipped.