The Armour Archive

...Been fighting in the Outlands for a few practices since I got sent TDY to Ft Bliss and I used a center grip shield for the first time...

Wow what a difference. Center grip is defiantly more active than a strapped on shield in my opinion... not that you can't be active with a strap on.

I like this style and I’m looking at getting a center grip.

Anybody else fight both styles? What shape do you prefer? I've been using a heater shaped shield.

I like my centergrip heater.

Centre grip heater is definitely ... common ... here, especially in the South (and Citadel is pretty south). I switched from a large strapped heater (24" x 36", which I can span) to a MUCH smaller centre grip heater at the end of last year.

I've been having fun with it, though I do have a massive tendency to overblock that I'm working on and I was holding it far enough out that people would work angles past it (7' arm span. What can I say?)

Over all, I'm really liking ot more for almost everything, with the possible exception of working as a shieldman in melee.

I started out with a straped heater, then years later went to a center grip round due to persona change. I love center grip for war but as for tourny I am in process of making another strapped heater.

Definantly try the center grip in scenario battles, they can be alot of fun.

not that you can't be active with a strap on

Err...


Center-grip is basically a 2-weapon style, the shield is a weapon that can only attack the other guys weapon or shield.

It's mucho fun.

D. Sebastian wrote:

not that you can't be active with a strap on

Err...

Beat me to that one..LOL

I fight both spent about 18 years behind a strapped heater before moving to a center grip. I have fought both center grip round and oval. I am still a work in progress with it and being deployed for 6 months might as well write pell on my helm when I return

Both have their strengths and weaknesses. When I get back I plan on cutting my oval down a bit. It's a little big for my taste and not as mobile as I like.

Vebrand

D. Sebastian wrote:

not that you can't be active with a strap on

Err...

I deliberately left that one alone.

I fight both and perfer center grip all the way.

I've fought center grip round, heater with a forearm strap, and tear-drop with a fore-arm strap.

I suppose I'll have try a kite.

I've enjoyed all of it.

Mord.

I have an injured shoulder. When I switched to a center grip it decreased the pain by over 50%. I can go longer and stronger wo the need of a strap on.

(I couldn't let this one die)

Fought 18 years with a strapped heater ( sorry not going to use the other phrase ). Switched to a centergrip in February, and love it, and dont see me ever going back to a strapped style shield again.

Currently been playing with a centergrip elliptical, but going to try out a centergrip small scutum shape for a bit. Sides are not straight, they are slightly curved, but the tops are squared off.

Most of my SCA career was with a stapped shield of one form or another. Started with round and worked to heater. After I moved more to doing long (pole/spear) I found I was much more 'aggressive' in my blocking. A buckler is to me the most 'aggressive' of the bunch with a center grip being a larger version (so you can cheat and be lazy on yer defense) ... the strapped is the laziest (by lazy meaning conservation of energy that you can use in the rest of the fight). Don't get me wrong, I find nothing derogitory in any of them but feel you should find and use the one that fits your fighting style at the moment. I'm loving center grip oval at moment but also really love buckler (increased vision but traded off by having to use more body & shield movement to deny oppenent shots) which fits nicely with my love of polearm.

I first had the strapped barn door shiled when I began fighting. Over the past 2 years I have been fighting with a elpitical oval center grip shield. One thing that this shield is not static and you have to move it a lot more. I am still working on various techniques you can used with a center. Its a lot of fun but legs have suffered some in learning how to use this type of shield.

Aedinius

I have always used a center grip pretty much, just recently purchased a heater, mostly for the purposes of a more accurate portrayal.
My centergrip is about 20 in and I have always enjoyed it, I used a cats eye shaped centergrip for some time and enjoyed that as well

ive never strapped a shield onto my arm and dont really feel the need to. I fight with three different centergrips depending on the situation. I have a 28 inch round, a 20x36 kite/teardrop thingy, and 20x30 oval.

i started witha strapped heater, then switched to a centre boss elongated oval with straight sides

I loves me some centergrips.

Started off with a strapped heater, went to a strapped barn door, then a strapped round, and have played with strapped kites as well. Now I'm fighting mainly with a 24" centergrip round, and sometimes I play with a ~12", I guess, buckler. Fun fun.