How to play shielder properly .

[Tovi]

Good thread.
Forget KD ratio.

[Screaming Idiot]

For level 30:
15str-21agi =3 IF,7SHIELD,7WM,5PS,7ATH. Good agi based shielder build,deals enough damage ,damage goes extreme if you manage to use your footwork well to benefit speedbonus of 7 ath,good speed,good shield skill so you can a lot of hits if you want,if you don't you can just run back a good disrupter shielder build with 56 health ! This build shines with this playing method. Go between the enemies,nudge em,let them tk each other trying to hit you,if things go bad,retreat.

15 str is enough for 1hander class i think. Remember,powerstrike gives +%8 damage and since base damage from 1handers are between 20-35 (Max 39 or 40 with axe) PS doesn't change damage output as it changes in 2h class where there are weapons with 50 base damage. So investing in agi is superior. 21 agi is good start but to be honest 24 is better,the more the merrier.

Thanks, trying it out now. 
Also, what weapons do you recommend for a shielder? Using a Long Arming Sword now, thinking of switching to a (Elite) Scimitar.
Are shorter weapons better than longer ones? Also, should I carry a sidearm (a blunt 1h) with me for flexibility?

[Macropus]

because they are the most ignored class on the battlefield, since no one enjoys beating on a shield.

I enjoy beating shields with my long bardiche though. 

[Penitent]

Thanks, trying it out now. 
Also, what weapons do you recommend for a shielder? Using a Long Arming Sword now, thinking of switching to a (Elite) Scimitar.
Are shorter weapons better than longer ones? Also, should I carry a sidearm (a blunt 1h) with me for flexibility?

Weapons are extremely personal in my opinon, and there are so many great 1h weapons to choose from.  I've always been partial to the short-but-powerful weapons like steel pick and maces.  You should try out several and see what you like best.

[Screaming Idiot]

Weapons are extremely personal in my opinon, and there are so many great 1h weapons to choose from.  I've always been partial to the short-but-powerful weapons like steel pick and maces.  You should try out several and see what you like best.

Hmmm...

Okay. But what shield is best for this build? More width or more hitpoints?

[HarunYahya]

Thanks, trying it out now. 
Also, what weapons do you recommend for a shielder? Using a Long Arming Sword now, thinking of switching to a (Elite) Scimitar.
Are shorter weapons better than longer ones? Also, should I carry a sidearm (a blunt 1h) with me for flexibility?

To be honest, i choose my gear by looks
Long Arming Sword is best price/performance european sword in the game i think. I am RP'ing saracen theme so im going with elite scimitar.

Some good weapons i would suggest:

Long Arming Sword
Elite Scimitar
Niuweidao
Military Hammer
Steel pick
Spathovaklion
Broad One Handed Battle Axe (Epic weapon,secondary mode deals 30ish pierce damage,gg tincans.)
Knightly Arming Sword (Slightly better than Long Arming Sword i just don't think upkeep worths using it over LAS though.)
Winged mace : Very good close quarters spam weapon. Aim for the heads ! Let those guys drop down the floor then watch em get slaughtered by your mates.
Italian Sword : Very good , try it out if you tend to use stab rather than swings.(Swings of it are ok aswell though.)


As for shield,looks come first rather than stats for me.
Keep in mind,some shields are too heavy and reduce your movement speed but the more weight on the shield,the less chance someone can crushthrough your shieldblock with mauls. I would say if you are going to hold tightspots,such as defending on siege server,i would use heavy shield to protect myself from maulers,if you are playing on battle server or,if you just want to play more mobile than having the ability to block even crushthrough you better use a 5-6 weight shield.


About lenght, it depends on your environment. In tight spots,fighting with long sword causes trouble,your swings will stuck on your teammates,walls and such,you'll fail to deliver the hit and by that moment you would be open to incoming strikes and it may cause you life.
If you go with a short weapon however,you may be easy target for cavalry and people always will try to backpedal and hit you so you must be aware.

I suggest,using a long weapon (90-100ish lenght) as main and carrying "Cleaver" which deals 30c damage and it also has bonus against shields (I know it's retarded though.) It's weight is low so carrying it is just like carrying a dagger for cosmetic purposes,don't underestimate that,it is too damn fast and shines on tight spots where your opponent's swings stuck and your's don't.

Some important situational sidearms:
Dagger:It looks good,when your team gangbangs a tincan,it is wise to switch to your dagger stabbing him whenever you have the opportunity. Too fast for him to react,the hit will intercept his pace and it'll be gg.
Cleaver: Shieldbreaker and your best friend in tightspots like tunnels,rooms,hallways etc. It's spammable , deals fair enough damage.
Shortened spear: 1 slot,very very cheap,stops cav,low weight. Must have if you are playing in battle server with a short main hand weapon.

[Screaming Idiot]

Thank you for the advice.

One last question: What armor should I use for your suggested build? Light mail (Mail Shirt, Saracen Mail w/ Padding, etc.) or something lighter/heavier?

Also, been playing shielder for a bit with your build. Pretty effective, though you are a bit squishy unless you wear decent armor. Stab seems to cause a lot of trouble during stand-offs or backpedals, so I'm thinking of getting a stabless weapon (probably normal Scimitar for dat SPEED & LENGTH, plus low cost) with one of the daggers for can-opening, plus a Winged Mace for support/lulz. BTW, should I use all of these at once or swap them before spawning or just drop them on the go?
Shieldwise, thinking of using an Elite Cavalry mostly (possibly a knightly shield) and swapping to a Heavy Heather for tanking.

Sound good?

[HarunYahya]

Thank you for the advice.

One last question: What armor should I use for your suggested build? Light mail (Mail Shirt, Saracen Mail w/ Padding, etc.) or something lighter/heavier?

Also, been playing shielder for a bit with your build. Pretty effective, though you are a bit squishy unless you wear decent armor. Stab seems to cause a lot of trouble during stand-offs or backpedals, so I'm thinking of getting a stabless weapon (probably normal Scimitar for dat SPEED & LENGTH, plus low cost) with one of the daggers for can-opening, plus a Winged Mace for support/lulz. BTW, should I use all of these at once or swap them before spawning or just drop them on the go?
Shieldwise, thinking of using an Elite Cavalry mostly (possibly a knightly shield) and swapping to a Heavy Heather for tanking.

Sound good?

STR reduces the movement speed penalty caused by weight. Since the build i postedis not high str build, i suggest you to use light to medium armors (I suggest using 10-15 weight)to benefit your 7 athletics .

Winged mace is a great weapon (Like all blunt 1handers) knockdown is just epic.
It weighs 1.7 so if you are willing to carry that extra weight for maybe playing with mace in the round, go for it. I sometimes carry it with me, sometimes not depending on the enemy team's armor and mostly my satisfaction. You should do the same,play the way you like it.

My current setup on shielder alt:

(click to show/hide)

Saracen turban helmet with coif
green tunic over mail
mail gauntlets
mail chausses

elite scimitar
green crescent heater shield
long dagger
cleaver

I haven't used scimitar enough to compare it with elite scimitar, so i don't know if its good or not. I just like elite one's looks


About the build,yeah it is squishy,that is because you cannot complete shielder builds at level 30 due to extra skill (Shield) we have to put points in compared to other melee classes.
18 str 21agi @ level 33 gives you 5 IF, 6 PS, 7SHIELD, 7ATH, 7WM with 63 hp.
Your hits will hurt much,you wont die easily,you'll be faster with your armor.

[Kirman]

Well i'm a STR shielder(21/15). I actually like backpedallers. I just stand still while they are doing their silly spins/jumps/stabs. I know that you have to kill your enemy at some point but it's really fun to watch them miss everything while abusing s key.

NCS + Elite Cavalry Shield

[Macropus]

STR reduces the movement speed penalty caused by weight.

No, it doesn't.

The reason why STR characters tend to prefer heavier armour is that:
1) they are slow already, so some additional penalty wouldn't hurt too much
2) they usually have a lot of IF which combined with heavy armour makes them very tanky

[elpigeon]

Use your brain as a shielder. Best advice of this thread ;)

And if you want to have a max K/D as a melee player, take 2H or pole.

You can have good K/D with 1H shield, but generally, you are useless for your team, cos' you are not in the place where your team needs you.
Your place is in frontline, tanking the pikes and the 2H spammer. During this time, your team (2H and pole) can kill people.

I like your tips harun !

[HarunYahya]

No, it doesn't.

The reason why STR characters tend to prefer heavier armour is that:
1) they are slow already, so some additional penalty wouldn't hurt too much
2) they usually have a lot of IF which combined with heavy armour makes them very tanky

Are you sure of it Macropus ?
Few years ago there was a suggestion about it and i remember that it was implemented afterwards.

[Penitent]

I don't recall STR ever having an effect on armor weight.

[Macropus]

Are you sure of it Macropus ?
Few years ago there was a suggestion about it and i remember that it was implemented afterwards.

It might have been true before, but I'm pretty sure it's not nowadays.
You could read this thread: http://forum.melee.org/general-discussion/just-another-test-this-time-strength-and-movement-speed/
I think I have seen some of the devs saying it directly, but I can't find the link.

[HarunYahya]

Well i've done a research and couldn't find any hard fact about it.
I still think that str reduces weight penalty on movement speed based on my observations, but can't find a proof to support wheter it does or not,so do it at your own risk.