User blog comment:Telaruhn/Aldric, The Elder Guardian/@comment-1330314-20140408052230/@comment-3974211-20140408122149

Protect is a skill I pinched from one of my champions that doesn't have a Guardian Seal. I admit it's a bit pointless to block stuff if you're going to give them a shield, but blocking stuff is a cooler shield - in my opinion. We need a shield champion that actually blocks stuff - it'd be a shame to have a second big-shield-support to come out and still not have a body-blocker skill.

The previous Guardian Seal feels too much like, in my opinion - that's why I proposed to not have it shield himself. To simply one-up another champions passive is lame. If Protect + Guardian Seal is too similar to Safe Guard, you could make the Rally passive his innate: "Whenever you activate an ability, you inspire surrounding allied champions: granting them (and yourself) 40 / 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 (+30% AP) bonus magic damage on their next attack." Although that has the exact same issue as Guardian Seal - it's just Gemcraft v2.0.