Tips for 1 handed/shield fighting?

[ZEE_BISHOP]

I think you only need a good helmet.

You can wear mediocre body and still take a good 3 hits if you have 6-8 ironflesh, while having good head armor prevents all that bonus to head damage that may 1shot you.

8 iron flesh on a shielder? I had 6 on mine before and I totally regretted having that much, I guess you can do your builds however you want though but IMO ironflesh should be the last stat you even think of adding to as a shielder... If you've got AGI up enough you can have 4~ iron flesh and couple it with some armour, that way people at least can glance off of you. But that's just my opinion, I guess.

[Alskaer_Alvari]

Take a niuweidao and a round steel buckler wear light armors and use 15-24 build.

Wow yeah I fell for that one, didn´t I
Seriously, is that round steel buckler a joke item to piss of newbies or something?
Can´t believe I spent 7000 on that thing 
It breaks faster then my Nordic Shield and good lord, the size of that thing...

[ZEE_BISHOP]

Wow yeah I fell for that one, didn´t I
Seriously, is that round steel buckler a joke item to piss of newbies or something?
Can´t believe I spent 7000 on that thing 
It breaks faster then my Nordic Shield and good lord, the size of that thing...

You need high shielding to pull that thing off, then it has more HP / a larger "forcefield" to catch ranged... looming it helps too... It's really for a high AGI build though, zipping in and out of combat and getting people who are attempting to swing then escaping 

[Alskaer_Alvari]

Ah, sort of a specialists item. Well, I´ll keep it in my inventory and maybe try it again later...

On another note, reading through this thread and another one that was linked here helped me get a little better. Most important thing is to be aggressive as a shielder and I was pretty passive 
Also, I noticed that if you wanna play good first person is just out of the question in this game. It´s a shame, though, I much prefer it.

 Oh, and I now use the plate covered round shield. It serves me good so far.

[Froto_the_Loc]

The round steel buckler is the inbred cousin of the buckler family. The steel buckler is much better, the one that looks deformed.
And against faster weapons, the plated shield can be a problem if its a little slow on blocking.

[rustyspoon]

Also, I noticed that if you wanna play good first person is just out of the question in this game. It´s a shame, though, I much prefer it.

Actually if you practice you can play pretty well in 1st person. BobTheHero does pretty well playing as a 1-hander no shield in 1st person.

[Turboflex]

Im sure you can do fine, for me though the best part of shielding is the ability to take on multiple opponents at once for extended periods, and the extra visual range that 3rd person provides is important for the tactical maneuvering of that.

[ZEE_BISHOP]

Im sure you can do fine, for me though the best part of shielding is the ability to take on multiple opponents at once for extended periods, and the extra visual range that 3rd person provides is important for the tactical maneuvering of that.

I think I'd have to agree with this, I'm sure first person would be very handy for a pikeman however or a "Spartan"-esque build

[Benemortasia]

This thread has been so enlightening and after reading it yesterday afternoon and applying it last night my game has definitely improved.

And I have a question: Does sword and shield generally out damage spear and shield? I'm looking at this from a group melee standpoint where you land an attack every 10 or 15 seconds.

[kinngrimm]

...

And I have a question: Does sword and shield generally out damage spear and shield? I'm looking at this from a group melee standpoint where you land an attack every 10 or 15 seconds.

no it doesn't spectate KingGlype of clan Denbitre. Also Mercs have a crazy hoplite, he was eitehr with shortspear or war spear if i remember correctly, really good player and massiv k/d. He had often the ability to ride in his generations but also chose often not to and jsut go pure melee where he still rocked.(man what was your name sry too early for me need second coffee ... EDIT:Merc_Pully)
They are two totaly different playstyles where you can do different things with these.

[Benemortasia]

...

They are two totaly different playstyles where you can do different things with these.

Thanks and yeah, I've been running a nord sword and the basic free spear (upkeep problems) with a shield, and in engagements with multiple people I manage to hit more enemies and less team mates with a spear as opposed to the sword. But a one on one with a spear and shield I get trounced.

[ZEE_BISHOP]

I think most people do a little giggle to themselves when they come across a shield and spear person on his own because they're easy to chamber and block unless they put the shield away or are high AGI and do some mad spin stab wizardry. I'm sure some people can (and do) pull it off really well if that's your thing, but I don't think you need to waste WPF into it if you're keeping it as a 2ndry support weapon.

I sometimes take a cheap spear with me as a shielder (with 0 WPF in polearm) because it is handy to do support jabs behind the group without getting lolspammed by your 2H team mates and also handy for keeping the cav away. You're still capable of pole staggerning, rearing horses, and killing people with 0 WPF then like you say -- toss it away and take out your sword to fight when people are about to target you. 

[kinngrimm]

I think most people do a little giggle to themselves when they come across a shield and spear person on his own because they're easy to chamber and block unless they put the shield away or are high AGI and do some mad spin stab wizardry. I'm sure some people can (and do) pull it off really well if that's your thing, but I don't think you need to waste WPF into it if you're keeping it as a 2ndry support weapon.

not sure here, i got only leftovers wpf polearm and the main thing i use it for is to stop horses which works often enough. Still if you wanna go hoplite and do real good with it i would advice to 100+ wpf, i have the feeling you would less glance that way, but more important would be str and ps for a hoplite and "not to walk alone". If you go pure hoplite as i said a shortspear for close combat melee or a warspear which is also good without the shield. Think about what you want to do with the spear then decide.

I sometimes take a cheap spear with me as a shielder (with 0 WPF in polearm) because it is handy to do support jabs behind the group without getting lolspammed by your 2H team mates and also handy for keeping the cav away. You're still capable of pole staggerning, rearing horses, and killing people with 0 WPF then like you say -- toss it away and take out your sword to fight when people are about to target you. 

Agreed, i do the same with bamboo sometimes if i know there are some special cav friends aiming for me  .

[San]

My strategy is pretty much the same as kinngrimm's, but I am strength-oriented and he is more likely agi.

At 8 PS, hoplite rarely ever glances, unless you hit at the very tip, after most of the animation is over. It also hits like a truck and lets you sneak in kills more easily than 1h sometimes in a 2+ v 1.

[Alskaer_Alvari]

I decided to go pure shielder for now.

I´m 24 now, at 31 I could either be

21/18

IF 3 or 4
PS 7
Sh 6
Ath 6
WM 3 or 4

or 18/21

IF 3
PS 6
Sh 7
Ath 7
WM 3


I wonder what would be more noticable, the additional dmg and health from 21/18 or the additional speed and durability from 18/21?