Dear /tg/:
Are shields for pussies? Should I take the twohander instead?
Sincerely, an errant knight standing at the local town armory preparing to assault the orc fortress of the tribe that has been terrorizing the region and is ruled over by the mighty dragon Pauzulax.
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Is your maille of equal to or greater quality in defense than that which you'd receive from bearing a shield?
If ye, then need thee not a shield. If ni, forsooth.
Shields are NOT for pussies. Two-handed swords are cool, full plate is cool, but that doesn't mean shields aren't. If nothing else, it's less pussy to have your shield up to cover you than it is to be b***h and hide behind cover chucking spears and shooting arrows at the guy with the shield.
Depends if you need the extra strength given to a blow from using both arms or not. Will you be fighting using a combat system where the armour of your foes reduces damage to such an extent that one handed weapons are useless? If so, use a two handed weapon to crush them.
If, on the other hand, you are using a system in which armour just reduces the chance of you hitting them, there is no difference between swinging a weapon one or two handed, or a weapon always does it's normal damage when you do hit, then use a one handed weapon with a shield to reduce you chance of being hit as well.
You don't really need a shield if you have a good enough armor. Just use a pollaxe like a proper knight.
Learn to single hand a flamberge
Wield two of them.
Nay, shields are not just for those of the coney persuasion; why, I've witnessed feats of great heroism and sacrifice from the humblest of defenders.
Great sentinels who jump in the way of an attack towards a downtrodden ally or helpless escort, gladiator-esque warriors in skimpy garb rushing the fields and casting their shield like a discus between multiple foes, mystics who use shields to act as a barrier from the elements!
Hast thou attempted a true venture into fantasy and adventure, rather than stagnating in what the peanut gallery tosses its roses for?
A Zweihander, fine an arm as it may be, can do naught to stop the fire of a wyrm's brethe. A tower shield, or goode sized kite shield meanwhile can keep the flames at bay for a moment. Immaterial though it may be while fighting Orcs, any battle against the minions of a Wyrm can at any moment turn into a battle against the Wyrm itself. Especially a battle that seems all butte won.
You know that's a good question, what would be best against a dragon? The shield to survive it's breath if he happens to hit you square up front, or the greater sword/polearm to be able to pierce anything else than it's softest spots?
Field artillery.
The answer is always field artillery.
Shield to block breath weapon.
Sword-beam to attack.
>enter "grim avenger stance" with the greatsword
>grim avenger stance allows the user to reduce the damage of drakkonian rage (fire breath) and get a power buff, on top of giving the greatsword the "drakkon killer" effect
>grim avenger stance also allows the user to counter any hit in melee range that isn't a counter
>next turn, hero declares "grim vengeance", a sequence of two attacks that each have a chance to repeat multiple times without the normal damage penalty to follow-up attacks
>each one has the drakkon killer effect and power bonus on top of that
>this kills the dragon
Well, that's one of the best ways in my game. Your milage may vary with other games.
I have thought about this and I think dragon fighting as a block would be like pike and shot style. More pike less shot if medieval instead of renaissance. As an individual though, you probably want like, a shield and sword, but also a boar spear or partizan or something
>I have thought about this and I think dragon fighting as a block would be like pike and shot style.
Hark, let us all gather into a phalanx and remain unconcerned about the dragon's deathly gout of flame, or its like. This post was surely not made by a wyrm of great cunning.
Just dodge
During the Battle of Acre (1291), William de Beaujeu, Master of the Temple, was accused of cowardice when he retreated from the fighting. He lifted up his arm and replied, "Seigneurs, I can do no more, for I am dead; see the wound." An arrow had pierced him through the mail beneath his armpit—only the fletches were visible.
The Templar of Tyre, The Deeds of the Cypriots, P. Crawford (ed.), Ashgate: "Crusade Texts in Translation," 6 (2003)
You tell me.
Honestly I can't tell if your advice here is "Bear a shield or you'll die to arrows hitting your weak spot" or "Bear a two handed weapon because it'll make you die in style".
Maybe the real shield should be all the friends you made along the way.
Only if they're standing in front of you.
In a traditional European late-medieval meta, shields were made obsolete by plate armor.
They were obsolete long before plate armor.
>sword
A shield is nice since it is awkward to fight against and makes you able to ward off projectiles with less armour. However if you have full plate armour going more into two handed weapons such as polearms and two handed swords is better. If you are on horse i'd take a shield with lance and a onehanded weapon like a mace as backup since you already have a shield for the lance. But a flamberge is kino as frick so that is on you. Footknights are really cool though and you have a lot of freedom with the weapon selection, like flails or hammers and axes. Its on you what you find cool.
It is now the day and I am heading out to the fortress. After reading all of your responses my knightly brethren, I have decided that I shall... use a poleaxe as well as a pavise sheild. At the same time! I'm sure it will work well.
Wish me luck.
Nay, Sir Knight! Tis only right that the squire wield the shield to free a knight's hands for his weapon!
Sir Knight? Sir Knight!!
Perhaps you could try unpoling your axe? Like this!
Take the two handed sword, errant knight. Wear the shield on your back so that peasants can't defeat you with a filthy vile crossbow bolt to the back.
Rodella, morion, rapier, breastplate, and four iron cast bombs.
Lo! An orc fortress? A dragon? Doth madness seize thee, knight-errant? Verily, this realm hath remained unscathed for many a winter, forsooth!
...hark, doth yonder path lead not thither His Majesty's Royal Artificers?
Valiant Sir Knights, I have come to inform thee...
The valiant Ser which came through our village and vowed to rid us of the orcs and dragon... is dead! He charged into the fortress, poleaxe and pavise in hand. It went well, and he defeated the orc chieftain in combat, then felled the dragon... but then he tripped on the pavise on the way back and fell down into the river! He was carrying so much weight, he drowned!
Nay, woman. He did merely go forth into battle against the evil frog-men that dwell in the river. I am sure he will return to us victorious once more.
>Be frogman
>Chilling in a river when some madman splashes in. Looks like he's drowning.
>Eh... Frickit. Give him a water breathing boon.
>Get run through for my trouble...
>But...why?
Shields Ain't actually for pussies.
WHOA HO HO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Did armor really make shields completely obsolete? I can't imagine literally everyone who got a good plate armor ditched shields forever.
No, it obviously didn't. It made them obsolescent for a while, but a shield is just too goddamn useful in essentially every possible threat environment to be completely obsoleted.
Armor made shields obsolete long before plate armor.
Please tell us the approximate time period when that happened plus name the particular type(s) of armor.
It doesn't seem to have happened by the 1600s.
Don't engage people like him, he'll just move the goalposts and argue over definitions of obsolete.
>muh rodeleros
They lasted like what, two decades before they got phased out completely? Bigger joke than even memehanders. Definitely the single worst example you could have used to defend yourself with.
They still had a use against maces and warhammers
Not really.
Yawn. Try harder, bro.
Not going to put in effort into refuting video game memes.
Yeah, cuz you're too busy denying reality by pretending like you're an expert. But it's okay. It's what brings you joy.
Says the video game guy.
Look in a mirror, bro. Then look around. Now think to yourself, why is it you've got not gains? Could it be that you're a prentious wannabe knowitall that doesn't understand that his entire perception of reality is founded on lies? But whatever. It's okay. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't him drink. Even if he's dying of startvation.
Enjoy this last (You), troll.
Not reading all that drivel. Stick to Ganker.
It's best not to react to miserable sods like him anyhow. He's never played read a book in his life.
>Use better steel armor than anything historically accurate
>Still bested by a guy beating his brains in with a shield.
Idk, seems pretty useful.
Battle Brothers are my to go inspiration for what a "realistic" knights vs orcs combat would look like. Shields ain't for pussies, they save lives, and when they inevitably get chopped up by frickhuge axes, your bros start losing heads instead.
shields give you an extra layer of protection from extraordinary attacks.
more importantly, shields can protect your allies
Lemme hit you up with info, my khomie.
Two swords
TWO. SWORDS.
>+stab two khomies at once
>+stab one khomie twice
>+shields are for pussies
>-shields ain't actually for pussies
A wise knight would employ a variety of equipment when facing his foes. Approach the fortress with a shield to protect yourself from the orcs' arrows. Then when you are close, doff the shielf and draw your greatsword or poleaxe to crush them in melee.
Mine fellow knights.
I doth hesitate on whether the peasant and nobleborn ladies art judging me on the size of mine sword.
And even on whether doth they judge on whether I be overcompensating with a larger weapon or if the smaller variety be matching aught about me...
Goode Ser, worry not of gossip delivered by the towns maidenry, for it be naught but empty wind. Forsooth, the name maiden be but a jest, since their grace has long been sullied.
You have to move the shield consciously instead of just wearing it. Armor is for pussies, go play dressing somewhere else sir Tunacan wannabe.
if you have a full plate harness a shield is pretty useless.
Why not just use a shield and use the two-hander in one hand? DYEL?
https://poal.me/vjp8s9
#IVoted
>Are shields for pussies?
Yes.
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That armor is also for pussies. Remove it.
>Should I take the twohander instead?
Let me guess, you're going to use that to deflect blows instead of a shield? Pussy.
Depends on the system and setting. You will tell us what game you are playing, right?
I just really like the aesthetics of an armor clad warrior carrying a shiedl.
Good sir, if thou carest too muchly about protecting thineself thou dost seem like a bit of a pussy.
Girding thy personage in strong plate ist (verily) a noble pursuit, alike to hefting a weighty escutcheon to turn aside the blades of your foes, enduring with valour the slings & arrows of fate.
Alas, both at one time..? Nay. Dost thou even hoist, mine brethren?
people can argue all day whether shields irl went useless with plate armor
but a fantasy world with nonhuman races and monsters and magic brings so much complication that nobody can say for sure if a shield would be worthwhile or not (I say yea)
Jsut wear enchanted armor and get that cumbersome crap out of here
You got your nice set of armor? If so no need for a shield, get yourself a twohander, preferably one that can crack armor.
>javalins = pussy
>throwing stones = pussy
>full plate = giga chad
>shield = giga chad
>cross pommeled bladed weapon = giga chad
>pikes/spears = up to wielder, omega to chad
>bows = beta
>horse riding bowmen = barbarians barely even human
>lances = gigachad
Shields are weapons in and of themselves.
Aesthetically shields are too cool. A shield's scars can really tell a story, though I guess armor can do that too
The aesthetic of an imposing two-hander mogs hard
can you suvive hit or two? go for DPS
you cannot? go for not being hit
If you aren't strong enough to one hand a normally 2 handed weapon and wield a shield at the same time, you are a peasant and not a TRVE son of Bretonnia. Also you need way more bling on top of your helmet.