Shields

A shield is a portable piece of armour meant to deflect projectiles and block blows in combat. Common on virtually every world, shields appear in Ultima V,  VI,  VII,  VII Part Two,  VIII, and  IX, as well as in the Ultima Underworld series and in Savage Empire.

Description
Shields have been crafted from all manner of materials, although most are typically constructed from some combination of wood, leather and/or metal. Wielded in the hand opposite a fighter's weapon, these pieces of equipment serve to divert melee strikes away from their bearer and to block oncoming missiles, and may be used to parry blows such as to create the space for effective counterattacks.

In addition to their martial use, shields are frequently decorated with heraldic symbols, allowing warriors to openly display their allegiance on the field. Some shields are even designed purely as objects of ceremonial or ornamental value, and are poorly crafted for the art of war.

Bucklers
Bucklers are small metal shields designed for use in hand-to-hand combat, where they are used to protect the parrying hand in fights involving swords or maces. Given their small size, they offer little coverage against heavy weaponry or projectiles, although carrying one is preferable to bearing no shield at all.

In Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two, bucklers have a protective value of 1. In Ultima VIII, bucklers have a protective value of 1, albeit on a different relative scale of protectiveness. In Ultima IX, bucklers offer a 15%-35% of blocking any given blow.

Round Shields
Round shields offer a wide protective surface and are among the most common designs for shields across the worlds. Typically made of wood, these circular devices may be reenforced with metal or hide, and some round shields have even been fitted with spikes such as that they might offer their user a means of maiming their opponent's weapon hand while they block.

In Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two, round wooden shields and spiked shields have a defensive rating of 2 (with the latter also possessing an attack rating of 2). In Ultima VIII, round shields have a protective value of 3. In Ultima IX, "small" round shields offer a 30%-60% chance of blocking a given blow ("medium" round shields also exist in the game world, but are not equipable).

In  The Savage Empire's Eodon valley, round leather shields offer "fair" protection, whereas stegosaurus hide shields of the same shape offer "good" protection.

Kite Shields
Kite shields (and their close relative, heater shields) have an oblong shape which extends downward, offering protection to their bearer's lower body. Frequently crafted out of metal, kite shields often bear decorative patterns or emblems upon them, and in some cases may be embellished with jewels or precious materials.

In Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two, curved heaters, brass shields and "decorative" shields of the same shape have a defensive rating of 3. In Ultima IX, kite shields offer a 70%-100% chance of blocking a given blow.

Door Shields
Door or "tower" shields offer the largest area of protection of any shield type, and are typically designed for use with pole arms (although they may functionally be wielded in much the same manner as kite shields). Such shields are common on Serpent Isle where they are often used in a decorative capacity.

In Ultima VII Part Two, door shields have a defensive rating of 3.

Magic Shields
Many shields exist which have been enchanted to offer greater protection in combat, or to grant their bearers other types of magical boons. Such shields include the mystically enhanced shield of the wizard Kiran; the Mage Shield of Moonglow; and a shield specially enchanted for the knight, Dupre, by Lord British.

Shields in Symbolism
Shields are often used in symbolism to denote ideas of protection or guardianship, and many belief systems throughout the multiverse employ shields in an emblematic capacity. In Britannia -for example- a shield was briefly used as a talisman in the Abyssal Colony to represent the virtue of Valor, and on the dark world of Pagan, the Zealan people were known to utilize ceremonial shields in their religious practices.

Trivia

 * The term "heater shield" is actually a neologism developed in the 19th century. It was used to describe shields whose shape resembled that of a clothes iron.