Ive played both 2h and sheilder and playing sheilder is signifcantly easier than 2h.
It's different. When you're 2H you can survive some situations I can't when I'm on my shielder (but again, level difference between them is 6 levels). Being shielder is epic for group fighting, all I have to do is to hold that left swing chambered and attack with the group, hoping that some retard teammate won't hit me from behind. Usually I'm the one who gets the kill.
Fighting polearms as 1H is hard but fighting them with 2H is hard as well. Fighting other shielders and 1H swordsmen is piss easy because they can't spam me (again just hold chambered left swing and feint a little bit, they won't even try to attack you, damn turtles).
And dehorsing noob cav is even easier with 1H stab
1H is pretty strong these days, I don't remember it being this good last time I've played as shielder.
