Le One Handers!

[Penitent]

I think one of the best shielders is Grok.

My advice, take at least 7 PS.  Athletics depends on the weapons you want to use.  I prefer short hard-hitting weapons.  With only 5 athletics, a shield, and some determination, people kiting you is not a problem.  More ath is better though.

Shields, I take the fastest ones.  The knightly/elite cav line is nice.

[Casimir]

• heirloom all top tear gear 3 times
• sell a few loom points
• ???
• do well as shielder and claim to be great player

[Laufknoten]

MW Espada Eslavona! 33 pierce for the lulz. No seriously, it kinda looks like a butter knife, but the thrust is devastating. Who needs cut damage anyway? 

[Konrax]

I used the Espada and a lot of the other weapons in this thread and its important to remember as a 1h fighter that you need a well rounded balanced weapon to be effected.

Shield selection is also important, the Husc might be great for lasting a long time and a large protection area but its quite slow, I have a +3 Knightly Heater shield that can take a bloody beating and is nearly insta block at shield 6.

IMHO after using a MW Long Espada for a months I got sick of the swing not interrupting, since if you always spam stab its very easy to block. Other weapons that lack a stab become too predictable to be effective against the really good 2h players out there.

Swords offer the best overall balance, if you want speed and damage, go with a One Handed Battle Axe (Offers best range and speed with decent damage) otherwise go with something like Knightly Arming sword, Italian Sword, and Langes Messer. If you really want to be cool use the Arabian Cavalry Sword (33 Swing 105 Length!!!!) but its slow (96) and the stab is laughable on it.

Hope my advice helps.

[Elmokki]

MW Espada Eslavona! 33 pierce for the lulz. No seriously, it kinda looks like a butter knife, but the thrust is devastating. Who needs cut damage anyway? 

Espada Eslavona is very fun weapon to use indeed. Considerably faster and longer than a pick or a hammer and has a thrust on top of it all.

[Laufknoten]

Espada Eslavona is very fun weapon to use indeed. Considerably faster and longer than a pick or a hammer and has a thrust on top of it all.

The funny thing is when you run around in light armor or peasant gear and someones approaching you like "oh look there, easy kill with baby weapon" and you just do a fast stab to their face and kill them with one hit.

[Siiem]

The funny thing is when you run around in light armor or peasant gear and someones approaching you like "oh look there, easy kill with baby weapon" and you just do a fast stab to their face and kill them with one hit.

You can do the same with a long espada to cav xD stab them in the foot while they ride by and see the guy fall off his horse!

[KaMiKaZe_JoE]

Balbaroth's the best 1h/shielder I've ever seen. Just sayin'.

Many moons ago I too was a 1h/shielder, and I dare say I did rather well. My suggestions regarding equipment:

1. Don't weigh yourself down with tons of armor--you have a shield. Agility is your best friend, particularly when you're facing large groups of enemies. I've always gotten a rush from fighting 3+ people, weaving in and out of them like a ninja, rushing the people in the back unexpectedly.
2. Pick a good shield, and loom the fuck out of it. I suggest the brown lion heater shield. I used it, and it worked well. I had the pleasure of stealing Balbaroth's loomed one a few times, and I felt like god.
3. Use a variety of 1h weapons--be versatile. I've still got a small armory worth of 1h weapons to choose from in-game, which allows me to adapt to the situation on a round-by-round basis. For example, if I notice the other team's top players are shielders, I'll grab an axe and go a-hunting!
           -If you have the cash, carry two weapons. I'd suggest carrying your favorite sword/primary weapon, and a mid-tier axe in reserve for shield busting. Or, switch the secondary axe out for a bamboo spear for anti-cav work.

Oh, and I very much suggest that when you are fighting you do so like a boss. You need to constantly be moving, and when you move, it must be a) unexpected and b) with determination (don't pussy foot about, pick a direction and GO). When you attack, don't spam a single direction--attack from every angle, particularly the unexpected overhead or thrust. Fight as a member of a team, and do so effectively. A shield wall, however fun, isn't always effective. Holding off 5 enemy 2h/polearm bundle of stickss who are trying to flank your team is. Helping out a teammate who's getting swamped by enemy melee and cavalry is. Distracting the other team's archers by attacking them is (you may not kill them, but they'll have to kite you and run like bundle of stickss, and they can't shoot your team when they're doing that). When facing cavalry, be awesome and sidestep as they charge toward you, simultaneously overhead slashing the horse's face.

tl;dr: NERF CAV.

[ThePoopy]

• heirloom all top tear gear 3 times
• sell a few loom points
• ???
• do well as shielder and claim to be great player

works for every class, just look at me 

[H4rdn3ssKill3r]

1: get a long espeda enslova
2: make it MW
3: get a elite cav shield
4: make it masterpiece
result? Win at life.

[Diomedes]

• heirloom all top tear gear 3 times
• sell a few loom points
• ???
• do well as shielder and claim to be great player

I do alright with a MW Italian, x2 Brown Heater, and vanilla body amour totaling 29 points.  1h+Shield can be a very diverse class if one is willing to take the time to learn.

[Spawny]

There's a ton of tips on this topic in the beginners section allready.

Anyway, pretty much everything has been mentioned.

The most important thing you have to do is determine the "type" of shielder you want to be.

Heavy shielder (High strength/IF, hard hitting and a bit more armour)
light shielder (Agility build, hits like a pussy with anything but the can openers)
1h/cav (balanced build would be best for that imo)
...

I'm currently using the 21/15 build and only in duels with great swords and long polearms I really have to watch the range (using a knightly arming sword) or I risk getting outranged. It's a bit harder to face hug, you need to get used to your somewhat limited mobility.
This build is king in sieges though. Use any weapon you like and with 7 PS you will drop em like flies. Get a one of the hammers/picks and run through groups of enemies spamming left-right slashes and you kill almost all with ~2 hits.

[Kansuke]

Top 1 handers players (EU):
The only shielder I'm having hard time to kill is Muffin because of his insane lolstab hability
Renegat is really good too, deadly feint spammer 
Lor and Dahli are good but they use spamitar so...
DimaUrban is not that hard to beat in duel at least but I must agree that he is very good in group fight
Some STR guys are also fucking scary with 1handers
Kinngrimm because his shield never break and if you do 1 mistake you're dead.

My favorite weapon back then was the Niuweidao, fast, good cut damage and not too short, not too long but no trust.
Now I'm using the Nordic Champion's Sword because of it's lenght and decent speed/damage.

[Xant]

I'm honestly curious. Why would anyone go for 21/15 over 21/18? 21/15 seems a very popular build, yet it makes pretty much no sense, unless you're a hybrid..

[Osiris]

to go 21-18 you have to sacrifice too much as a shielder for most people to want to play it.

21-15 would let you have 7if 7ps 5shield 5ath 5wpm 21-18 you could have what 0if 7ps 5shield 6ath 5wpm

To me the gains from getting 1 extra to shield ath or wpm isnt enough to sacrifice all the IF.


unless ofc you going for 3or 4 shield but to me its not worth it.