Hi Dave, you dont play very ofthen now, so you probably haven't see, that mant arbalest users use 0 slot round steel buckler today.
So I can suggest to add some build with this shield.
I was planning this 1 to lvl 34
18/24
6 ps
8ath
7shield
8wm
150 wpf xbow
117 wpf 1h
I dont know can it help somebudy,but maybe it will 
Hi, Agor, nice to see you. There is a build called Scout in my guide, it's a build for crossbowmen who use Steel Buckler and the main weapon is not an Arbalest but Heavy Crossbow. Why?
1) I only observe builds which can be finished on lvl30 and 33. And this is one of the main reasons why you can't compare these builds.
Aim at lvl30 build because you will need lots of heirloom points and you obviously won't be able to play at lvl31 that much. There are some typical builds made by me (which are the most effective as for me), but feel free to experiment. There are also builds for lvl31-33 (I don't think I have to recommend builds to those who can reach lvl33+ because they will decide it themselves). Note that the first build in each class is a finished build, so it's not designed to be viable for those who want to levelup after lvl30.
2) I don't find 150 wpf enough for a Sniper, especially on lvl34
3) Crossbowmen don't really need a lot of strength. If Arbalest had 12 str requirements, I would pick 12 str build for my character. You might say something about HP and the power of attack. Look, let's compare our suggested builds.
4) Your character has 53 HP on lvl34, my Scout build has 51 HP on lvl33, not that big difference.
5) Your character has 150 xbow wpf and 117 wpf in 1h, so it's not a Sniper nor a 1hander.
6) My build is way faster than yours (+3 agility, +1 athletics, both give movement speed), so with successful attacks speed bonus will particularly annihilates the difference between damages.
7) My build is made for diversions, so it should be faster than almost anything. Heavy Crossbow is better for lower wpf users than an Arbalest. You hide, you shoot, if you don't miss but don't kill you come out, you chase (or reload) and you kill.
8) My build is designed for Anti-sniper activity as well. You can't overwhelm a Sniper with slower reloading and movement speeds.
9) This build was also designed for kinngrimm-like style, steel pick requires only 12 strength, you can use blunt 1handers aswell (winged/iron maces) or swords.
10) My build has more Weapon Mastery and more Shield Skill as well.
To sum up, I would say that my Scout with Buckler build is probably designed for other purposes and it's not better or worse, it's just different. If you can be excellent with some build, why shouldn't you use it? I only show the path, you can have your own different one and if you feel that it's better you should move there. And I know that you will succeed.
