Thanks for reaching out and for using Brave, @TallTrees.
Brave Ads is not appears on the webpage (like current ‘traditional ads’). Brave Ads displayed as system notifications. So you can have both Shields and Rewards (Ads) enabled.
- https://brave.com/brave-ads-launch/
- https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/sections/360004119132-Brave-Ads
- FAQ: Why am I not seeing Brave Ads?
By default, Brave blocks 3rd party ads and trackers. So, if you see an ads not blocked, feel free to let us know and create a post under Ad-Blocking category.
You can learn more about Brave Shields here https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/categories/360001053072-Shields