In this enjoyable plug for his roleplaying game, Varg does a comic demonstration of the utility of a mid-sized round shield.
For those of you who are considering a real-life use of a shield, below are some shield-handling considerations known to few folk in this sissy age:
-Your shield blinds you to a far greater degree than it does your opponent, causing you to have a blind spot from where the opponent can transition between attacking angles. this blind spot grows larger as the shield grows.
-Most shields should be used edge on rather than face forward as this clears the visual field to the front and extends the reach of the shield for both offense and defense.
-The larger the shield the more aggressive you should be, which is counter intuitive, but very true. One only uses a large shield to receive attacks passively when operating in large formations.
-The smaller a shield is, the more it should be used for counter-stroking rather than shielding.
-At most times continuity should be maintained between the shield and the weapon it is paired with. Unless drawing an attack, the swordsman should seek to keep his blade in close proximity of the shield, with the sword hand under cover of the shield.
By the Wine Dark Sea
link › jameslafond.blogspot.com
