You can use it effectively in Battle but just not in strategus.
I witnessed Bjord holding off a complete grey/drz army in one of the last HRE city defences. There was a ramp going up to a citadel, and bjord, shieldless 20 feat infront of our shieldwall, bitchslapping anyone trying to get up, holding off five and more guys at once and taking down one after the other.
id say its valid shit