IMHO guys stop wasting your time with shielder classes, and go either archer or 2hander. Then you will at least stand a chance. Shielder is the most hated class among the cRPG dev team, it can be easily judged by the amount of nerfs shielders sustained (the largest). From what Armagan originally put into shields in M&B, the crpg lolbalance team managed to nerf almost everything. So now shielders simply cannot compete with 2 handers (I am of course talking about professionals on both sides).
well i still say elite shielders never complain about it and they seems to do really good. besides that, 1h/shield is the easiest build to play and survive... but also the easiest build to play BAD. if you're a 2h/polearm you need some more practice than a shielder or you'll just instantly boom while as a shielder, if the things go back you just turtle. maul break their usual gameplay so they rage. but again, good shielders instead adapt and deal with maulers (and kill em).
usually, if a shielder see a maul in most cases should run away unless is a experienced player and knows how to deal with and knows how that mauler will play. as a 2handed would do when facing an archer/xbow/thrower. a mauler can easly take down an average shielder while an archer can easly take down a twohander.
a shielder can't hope to take down 10 2handed guys but also to be really effective versus ranged, while skipping the manual block training part of the game.
i see veteran shielders focusing and putting effort in what they play and do fine. guys, the shielder need to use the brain more than fighting skills. you need to figure it out.