Medieval shields to fight hand to hand
The shields of the Middle Ages served as protection mainly against hand-to-hand fighting and were not useful for archery attacks and other throwing weapons. At the end of the XIII century and until the XVI century they had an equilateral triangular shape while in the sixteenth century they used metallic roundels with reliefs and inlays of great luxury for gala tournaments.
Medieval shields: buckler
Medieval shields could have different shapes, dimensions, materials and characteristics depending on the time, country of manufacture and soldier’s position. Warriors engaged in hand-to-hand combat needed a lightweight, small-sized shield to be able to move nimbly in battle. This is why bucklers were invented. Sturdy metal shields of small dimensions.
Knights used to use larger, triangular-shaped shields. In this way they could defend themselves from low attacks, protecting their legs as well. The coats of arms could be painted or engraved on the front: for example, the Templar warriors carried a cross, the English carried the lions and the French, carried flowers of lys.
The Spaniards used to fight with the shield of Castile on the front. At the end of the Medieval period, the coats of arms were used to decorate castles or for solemn ceremonies.
Medieval shields for painting
In our shop we have a large variety of medieval shields, from any time and country. Many of them are decorative, made of wood or metal. Others are functional, made of high quality metal to withstand shocks.
We also have models ready to paint with the colors of your recreation group or others in latex, suitable for LARP. There are polypropylene shields designed to withstand all sorts of hits during training.
