>>3830908
Shields are not passive armor, they're active deflection that a warrior needs to position properly for deflecting arrows and weaponry. What a shield "is for" depends entirely on the type of shield and its purpose. Some are designed specifically for parrying in close quarter duels, others are designed to be used in formation to create strategic defensive maneuvers, and others are more ceremonial rather than practical. Sure, the intention is not to split someone's skull open or stab them, but the use of a shield is still extremely active and requires as much position and timing as a sword strike to utilize properly. Having shields give nothing more than a base armor bonus is extremely lazy game design.
