I noticed when I play on the EU servers with about 150 ping it's almost impossible to block (with a shield or manually), if the person is just pulling back their swing you better start blocking or you won't get it up in time.
I used to play on NA servers a bit with 155 average ping. It wasn't that bad, when I wasn't lagging of course (my ISP is crap).
It's not impossible to block, you have to anticipate opponents moves a bit but it's fair from unplayable. I was able to kill some of the best players you have there, some of them using warspears...
Most good blockers block way before the hit get's to them, only those lazy bastards with 10-15 ping have issues when suddenly average ping on server goes up by 30-40 ping.
What I want to say is that blocking with sub 40 ping (I had 35 ping for few days) is piss easy and players with low pings shouldn't consider themselves great blockers.
And I'm not supporter of idea that skill means twitch reflex. Every asian kid has that, skill should be based on fast and creative thinking, not "muscle" memory. Sadly, in most online games there is limited number of tricks and after some time almost everyone gets on the same level and things become boring as hell. When I first started "dancing" versus multiple opponents (before they implemented earlier active attacks) I was able to kill 4 or 5 decent fighters just because they weren't used to my style and didn't know what to do in such situations. Right now, I'm pretty sure those silly feints and switching opponents won't help me and that first guy in that group would kill me with no problem.
Tricks are running out and one of them has just been successfully neutralized (although I don't consider hiltslash to be "smart" trick). Most of us play as 2H because it was the most complex combat style in Warband. Making it simple will just steer away people from that class and most likely will make them stop playing the mod.
Some people don't play just to have good scores (cavalry), some of us don't like easy mode (ranged), some of us value manual block, that's why we play as 2H. Most high quality 2H players during the old c-rpg enjoyed the game even when we were worthless peasants and practiced a lot to become good. People who don't understand that will never become the true (2H) warriors.