I can only tolerate endless HA delayfests on Battle for maybe 30-45 mins at a time, and NA siege is always empty now, so I frequently pop over to the duel server just so I can actually engage in melee combat (you know, the entire point of the game). I don't initiate ranked duels, I don't care about epeenery, I don't trash talk, I don't make excuses when I lose, I don't mind getting crushed by superior players; it's just a place to have some quick fights and have fun.
I have 7 shield skill and rely heavily on the neutral shield nudge mechanic, so I usually duel with a shield (the little 3kg Knightly Kite, so it's not even a durable shield). It's how I play my character on other servers, so it's how I play my character on duel server; when I'm playing on my 2h character, I duel with a 2h weapon.
However, I'd say about a quarter of the players I duel spew vitriol about shield usage on the server, like how I'm clearly a garbage player for using one etc. I won't continue to duel people after they insult me, which frequently results in them harassing me nonstop in chat and/or following me around being a dick. Shields clearly aren't some kind of "I win button" for duel (I don't see anyone on the NA top 25 duelist list that duels with one), and I notice when dueling other shielders with/without their shield that it is typically more of a liability than an asset (slows you down, more susceptible to block stun and kicks, worse melee coverage, inability to tap block twice within a short period of time, etc.) It's a risk/reward proposition just like kicks, nudges, or stabs, yet people are much less apt to complain about those.
Anyway, my request is this: If you don't like dueling someone that has a shield, STFU and bring an axe next time, or just swing around the shield/kick like the good duelists do. And chill with the elitism about what you consider "real" dueling.
