On my paladin I had a 619 shield, and her block was 54%
She had it upgraded to 636, and her block is still at 54%
This warrior has a 619 shield, and her block is at 36%
Make it make sense.
I believe block % is only affected by talents and mastery.
It could make sense because my paladin has a lot of Mastery.
But then why the amount of block on shields? What is it for?
I think it still has a % attached to it because some classes have talent choices for a flat rate % increase.
Plus, I personally find it easier to imagine what 50% block rate would look like in combat. Mayhaps that plays into it too - easy for all to understand.