Shields

A shield's primary function was to defend a soldier against enemy swords or projectiles in the battle field. Projectiles such as stones and arrows were useless against this sturdy primary defense of foot soldiers. Moreover, the soldiers could assemble themselves by cooperatively aligning their shields for defensive purposes or to help them progress slowly and steadily in the battlefield while minimizing damage caused from incoming offensive arsenal. This tactic was perfectly demonstrated in the movie ‘300’. The second main function of a shield was of recognition on and off the battlefield. The chaos that combat brings is actually a nightmare for soldiers and the only way of knowing friend from foe was thru the emblems or insignias on their shields. Although primarily designed for defense, shields can also be used as an offensive weapon. Since shields are made of metal and quite heavy, some were made to have spikes or sharp sides such as those found in Viking shields so the wielder could hit the enemy with it in close quarter combat. It didn’t matter how slow one’s reflexes would turn out in the battlefield as long as they have a trusty shield to prolong their survival in battle.