Leather Armor? (NO HOLDS BARRED!!)

[Dan Howard]

I wouldn't disagree that a large shield is a soldier's best defense against attack. However, if the shield was so good, there would be no need for armour at all. The fact that armour was worn in conjunction with a large shield suggests that the shield by itself isn't enough. If a shield was capable of preventing attacks from reaching the soldier then there isn't a "layering" effect going on. The armour was intended to stop attacks that found their way around the shield, not through. If this is the case then the armour must be expected to stop a full force attack, not one that was reduced by passing through a shield first.