This really isn't a terrible idea, if I'm understanding our Chinese friend here correctly.
If shields were buffed so that a player could equip a shield without shield skill (instead meeting some strength requirement), archers wouldn't be nearly as irritating to melee. In turn, archers could keep cavalry in check because they wouldn't need to be turned into children firing nerf bows.
To use a shield a player would either have to meet a strength requirement to use it with no weapon OR meet a shield skill requirement to use it with a weapon. Perhaps 1h could even get their long awaited, long demanded damage/speed/whatever buff to compensate for poles & 2h getting to carry a shield free of charge.
edit: Better wording