Shields as Armor Pieces

Shadowshire

For clarification: is a Shield (1) Light armor, or (2) Medium armor, or (3) Heavy armor??

This question arises in particular because of the new innate bonuses and penalties for each the three types of Armor, respectively. How have they been implemented in the game with regard to Shields?

Traditionally, a Shield has been considered as an 8th piece of Armor in addition to the 7 pieces which are worn on the body (head, shoulders, torso, arms & hands, legs & feet). A Shield has an Armor primary attribute, not the Damage primary attribute which Weapons have. If memory serves, then a Shield can also be included as a piece of an "armor set" to determine whether which set-item bonus, if any, is applicable. (The Shield must be made with the same Style as the other armor pieces that are in the set.)

Nonetheless, with respect to the new Armor bonuses and penalties, it seems that a Shield could be considered as a Weapon. After all, it becomes a Weapon for making a Bash Attack. Since a Shield is made of wood, it would be a light weapon like a Staff or a Bow. In my experience, Staves can be used to Block just as Shields are, and in that respect they are "armor". Staves can also be used to Bash an adversary, and in that respect they are a melee weapon.

However, I don't know whether a character can either Block or Bash with a Bow. I have never equipped a character with one, so I have no experience and few observations. It seems to me that characters should not be able to either Block an attack, nor Bash an adversary, with a Bow.

Regardless, to interrupt spell-casting, a character makes a blocking gesture with their weapon while facing toward the spell-caster. I don't know whether a Bow can be used for that purpose, but it seems reasonable that it can be.

Nord_Raseri

Althought it gives armor versus weapon damage and holds an armor enchantment, it is not counted as any type of armor but rather a weapon, part of the 1 hand and shield weapon line. It does not count as light, medium, or heavy. Unless they changed this as of now, but was not in patch notes. And yes, you are able to block/bash with any weapon line.

VaxtinTheWolf

Supporting the reply above myself. A shield is an armor piece without a weight classification, as it just adds an additional flat armor value of it's own and is considered one half of a pair to make up the 1 Handed-&-Shield Line.

Shadowshire

Thank-you for your replies.

Nord_Raseri wrote: »

.... And yes, you are able to block/bash with any weapon line.

IMHO, Blocking and/or Bashing with anything except a Shield is ludicrous.

Granted that a defender might be able to use their weapon to Parry an attacker's weapon, whether also to counterattack with it. So I suppose that The Elder Scrolls designers decided to keep it simple by considering parries as "blocking" the attacker's weapon. A defender might not only be able to parry the attacker's weapon but counterattack with their own, too. Still, "bashing" someone with a bow? Okay, a metal crossbow, maybe, after you're out of bolts.