The Kite Shield, the KING of the Shields, part 1

[@bar0nger]

People who say its not necessary to have a shield that can protect the lower legs; don't have a leg to stand on.

[@shadiversity]

+bar0nger Lols ^_^

[@dgray3771]

+bar0nger I think that would depend on your goal. Bigger equipment takes more space. A lot of times in history you see that armor or protection is dropped for mobility. The "tower" shield was abandoned all together as well when horses came onto the field a mass. It is when prolonged fighting takes place that maximum armor is introduced. Walls of men fighting other walls of men seem to trigger changes to armor or be slaughtered. Like I said the horse on the field created change, but so did the machine gun in WW1. Men used to go for mobility to the max with nothing more then cloth and a helmet then that monster came, and gradually you see the tank appear on the field " the new armor". So constantly it is a battle between killing power vs armor. Necessity of leg protection is only needed if that leg needs protection in the first place. As with all armor/shielding.

[@nextlifeonearth]

+bar0nger If they still do, they'd better have a kite shield.

[@Calimbandil87]

It does protect the lower legs if you stand in a guard with one foot a bit behind. It does however provoke low attacks if your opponent is unseasoned. Low attacks expose a lot more since you need to be closer to reach. It is also less clunky than the rectangular scutum. I do prefer the oval scutum best however. The maneuverability of the viking skjöld but better formed to protect you.

[@nextlifeonearth]

Calimbandil87 I think they're a bit too large for me. I prefer a buckler, but that's because I spar with lighter weapons. If someone came with a mace, I'd like one of those scuta as well.

[@ThibautVDP]

oooh you mean the google map marker shield.

[@thewholesomewoofle3466]

When i make one ima make it look like one lol

[@bygon432]

Bet you're gonna love this: In Swedish it's named after the drop shape, but the translation of kite is "drake", which incidentally also means dragon. Translated, we would literally call them Drakskjöldar, Dragon Shields.

[@MrBrachiatingApe]

I always love learning new Swedish words. It's a fucking cool sounding language (as are all the Scandinavian ones, but since I'm half Swedish, I'm totally biased.) Takk so mycke.

[@JMRabil675]

Dragon kiteshield? Nice dude thats like 30m gold coins

[@wr0ng569]

Same here in Serbia 🇷🇸 ! Bcs our kite is also dragon too. Edit: It would be called be called Змајски Штит in our country

[@hubertrozalski7070]

Polish "almond shield" is pretty weak compering to "Dragon Shield"

[@ampeyro]

The perspective in this room is making my brain hurt.

[@JonatasAdoM]

oO

[@Darfail]

lol same

[@BobfromSydney]

How can there be any perspective in this room? Shadiversity is about Medieval weapons and warfare and perspective was only invented later during the Renaissance! ;-)

[@shadiversity]

Kite shields are awesome and here I'll tell you why.

[@urbanmyths95]

I am Shad I was under the impression that kite shields were stapped your arm use seem to imply they have a handle

[@shadiversity]

urbanmyths95 Indeed they do! Kite shields were used as much on foot as they were on horseback and when on foot center grips were very common. I go into more detail about this in my second kite shield video.

[@urbanmyths95]

I am Shad Ok thanks i'm watching your second video the stances you were using seem impractical in a line battle and information this is why i can understand the strapped kite shield being used on foot in a line battle

[@shadiversity]

urbanmyths95 True dat

[@urbanmyths95]

I am Shad thank you mate you taught my a fair bit about the kite shield

[@08animefan]

Wow the size of that shield is surprising. It looks a lot smaller on the wall compared to when it's held.

[@a_fuckin_spacemarine7514]

GamingIncarnate #Perspective.

[@Htrad]

I'm at awe at the size of this shield. Absolute unit

[@jello788]

Right? lol

[@alexmaxwell9525]

kite shields are a lot bigger than I thaught they were

[@JonatasAdoM]

+swag daadi Like the pavese ones? Those things were HUGE

[@seriousthree6071]

Check wikipedia, while most were about 5 foot some were as small as 3 foot.

[@g4gaming809]

@@JonatasAdoM not all pavese shields were huge, some Lithuanians used were indeed small.

[@Xenophaige_reads]

The two kite shields we have from archaeology are 39 and 42 inches long iirc. Cavalry ones appear to be longer than infantry ones from the Bayeux tapestry possibly even to the size of your one.

[@shadiversity]

Parfett44 Hey mate, thanks for the info. My Kite shield is definitely on the larger end of the spectrum when it comes to kite shields and I’ve done that on purpose. One, I like it bigger in terms of functionality and effectiveness. Two, I wanted to show that Kite shields actually did come in this size. Three, that Kite shields can be made big and still be VERY light and effective, just look how easily I’m moving it around. And four, by making mine on the bigger end I hoped to convey that kite shields on average are big shields, not always as big as mine, but big. They’re not heater shields. In my opinion a shield in the shape of a kite shield but in the size of a heater shield is a heater shield.

[@almusquotch9872]

You've converted me, Kite is now my favorite shield type.

[@shadiversity]

Almus Quotch Welcome aboard brother!

[@dylanmoniz7072]

I am Shad f*** the kite shield oval shield for the win!!! (love your channel)

[@shadiversity]

Dylan Moniz Lols, thanks man.

[@WritingFighter]

Oh yes, I enjoy lowering my rounded shield to protect my legs to, oh I don't know... EXPOSE THE ENTIRE UPPER HALF OF MY BODY!?!

[@poconogym8611]

I fight against Kite shields all the time. They are very hard to beat if they person holding it knows how to throw their shots while keeping the shield covering their body. The only disadvantage is that you can not raise it high enough to block some high rotational cuts. You have to sword-block those. The other disadvantage is that if the shield is too long it is hard to step over bodies and other obstacles on the ground. These two disadvantages for the kite favor the Heater. The kite shield used in the video seems to big for your body size. The kite should not be any wider then your profile with one foot and shoulder back. Thanks for posting the video.

[@shadiversity]

+Pocono Gym It's my pleasure mate. Yeah, my kite is most certainly on the larger end of the spectrum, I like em big . . . hmm that didn't sound right did it.

[@MrKirby2367]

+I am Shad No straps? I thought Kite shields had straps? or is this a misconception and they can have either?

[@shadiversity]

+Bloodaxetheirritable Yep, they can indeed have either. I talk about this in part 2 and in my opinion it's with a handle while on foot where the kite particularly shines.

[@cabelthewirecordd8473]

I have been binging Shad's videos to make a cool warrior. Im giving my character this shield for sure.

[@ThePittbull36]

I love to see how excited Shad can get about a shield

[@marshallferron]

I have to disagree about ancient horses not being strong enough to carry a person. A horses ability to carry a heavy load doesn't always correlate to it's height. Now granted you needed a specially bred war horse to carry a man in full plate, but horses were used in mounted combat well before even the classical period. What made cavalry more efffective in the medieval period, especially in the charge, was the invention of the stirrup.

[@mansfieldtime]

"This is a chair." "No." There's more." "Deer G-d."

[@mjoakes]

I thought that shirt looked familiar... then I looked down and realized I was wearing the same one!

[@bigdread3894]

There is a good video by Matt Easton that points out a very good reason why these shields were likely not used on horseback. The main point being that you can't change the Norman shield from one side of the horse to the other.

[@shadiversity]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIe4XqxtnK2qrZY kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIm4nZmuqr2Xg5Y Hope you enjoy.

[@bigdread3894]

Thank you for the extra videos to check out! Really insightful stuff. Should have figured you'd seen the video in question considering this video was uploaded years ago.

[@MultiMediaXL]

illyounotme Forgot armour.

[@jeffreyroot7346]

Except for contemporary depiction of Norman cavalry using kite shields extensively. Look up the Bayeaux Tapestry as a famous example.

[@kristopherruiz7644]

7:25 But Hanibal of Carthage, Boudica, the Persian empire and the Huns and the Gauls employed massive cavalry based armies well before the medieval period Shad.

[@spaghettiwizard830]

But he's referring to destriers a breed of horse made for holding up knights in full plate armor They where extremely muscular and in truth normal horses would not have been able to hold up a fully armoured knight This at least is what I have come to understand

[@fhilbo1701]

spot on with your analysis. I have larped with padded weapons, which is a far cry from the formal training of HEMA I'm sure, but it doesn't take too many nerdy weekends in the woods to figure some of this out.

[@darkbunny9994]

I have always considered the "kite" shield to be the "knight" shield. Meaning that I thought of plate armor with a kite shield and a lance on a horse.

[@gijoe2284]

There was also another important invention that "had to happen" before horses became effective combat mounts - the stirrup. This little improvement firmly anchors the cavalryman to his mount.

[@KanonHara]

i was surprised when he picked upo the shield lol. i didnt expect it to be as big as he was

[@baalhadad6297]

Agreed that the Kite Shield is very underrated...In fact it was also used by Saracens in the Desert, due to the lack of natural cover for archers, they used to plant the Kite shield in the sand and hid behind it for effective cover.

[@ott1186]

Lol I stopped watching at 8:10 then came back to it an hour later. Love your enthusiasm mate.

[@AE-wv8jd]

Kite sheilds are awsome and you make a good argument. But what about dragons

[@deadknight1402]

The Round Shield: Ultimate? No. Basic? Yes

[@gerbenwulff3923]

Shad, you need a big shield because you are a big guy. When they dig up old graves they find that people were smaller back then.

[@rafaelllaban4115]

medieval europeans are not much smaller than modern ones, romans were smaller, and so were europeans around the early modern period but medieval europeans are pretty close to their modern counterparts. One of the things that proves this is original armours which are not small and some are actually quite big

[@AudieHolland]

Very informative video. The only thing I am missing at this point is a demonstration how the shield is used together with sword, spear or other weapons the users of this shield employed. I hope it's in your second video.

[@dr.calibrations7984]

Shielding? More like Giants, Giants, Giants. BECOME UNSTOPPABLE

[@wlaba272]

I have a really serious question. Really, no trolling. How a historian could said, that horser before Medieval were to small and weak to take and armoured man, if one of the greatest victories of Alexander the Great, were achieved by an epic horse charges? :P I know, you wrote the disclaimer, but how could you even thought that way on the first place? :D

[@shadiversity]

Quite easy, my area of interest is medieval and not classical history ^_^

[@wlaba272]

Shadiversity Well, this is some point, I was really curious about that. Thank you for the answer! :D

[@kmann100500]

Evolution via selective breeding is on a scale that has drastically affected animals in the time since humans have domesticated them.

[@JonatasAdoM]

+kmann100500 Exactly, even the vegies and fruits were WAY smaller

[@firecage7925]

Well, thats not entirely true Jonatas. Some are larger. Some are smaller, but far more edible. Due to selective breeding, we would not have made the fruits and vegetables worse and worse. We picked only the best, whether it was the largest, the sweetest, the one which gives the most harvest, or a mixture of any good traits.

[@-timaeus-9781]

I always thought the kite shield was an evolution of the scutum where they just tapered off the corners for greater maneuverability.

[@Nomadsword]

The kite shield has always been my favorite design, functionality wize, it's just a bonus that it's the best looking shield when simply walking with it strapped to your arm.

[@shadiversity]

MegaHasmat Yeah man, the Kite Shield is the BOSS! or um, king, if I want to stay consistent.

[@wulfgar88-10]

you nailed it bro, I started my SCA career with a 27 inch round shiwld. my thighs got hit EVERYTIME i fought. I've started using a kite shield and my thighs rarely get hit now. the only problem I had with this video is the horse bit. fighting on horse didn't actually take hold until the Arabian horses were introduced and using a kite shield on horse back is complicated and makes you extremely vulnerable. anyways I like kite shields and I like this video. good job man :)

[@IrvineTheHunter]

The kite shield can be hard on horseback but a Kite shield can be used like barding for the horses flank when turning away, using speed advantage of horse + wheeling gives a flank weakness that this can help cover.

[@jakebaumfalk3965]

The big problem is when a bastard swordsman kicks the point of the shield to the side, then goes in for the stab.

[@TzarBomb]

Oh great (I am not a native english speaker) today I learned the word "peruse" and that the Kite Shield is the best shield ever.

[@thearcheduck8746]

I think it is the large rectangular shield, if the army is well organized.

[@WritingFighter]

Interesting I came across this. A HEMA player on a Facebook group went to reenactors and asked for tips and tricks on overcoming heater shields (which he specified were in particular, more difficult defenses to get through).

[@JTMC93]

I always learned they were Norman Shields, Heaters were Rampart or Eschucheon Shields, Smaller shields were Bucklers or Targes based on how they were equipped, Medium Round Shields were Berliner Shields, and larger Round Shields were Nordic Shields. Though I was taught Sword and Shield were primarily designed for Formations and Blocks with heavier leg armor.

[@thorinsonofthran1053]

I am writing a book that takes place in ancient times and I’ve been trying to decide on a shield that my charter can use I think I am going to use the kite shield. Thank you Shadiversity. And to any one who is not subscribed to Shadiversity you should be

[@Captain-Axeman]

I still think the round shield is supirour for these reasons 1. They are easy to use to redirected someone's attack. 2. Not having an metal ring around it makes it easier for the weapon to get in the shield and get stuck. So, the user of the shield can manipulate your weapon. 3. The shield isn't formed like an ice cream. 😂 (Joking) 4. The shield is still good for formations 5. If you want to use it on an horse. Just make an stap option there as well. It wouldn't be that hard to fit one in. So then it could be used at horses.

[@SirAlex-jb5dl]

On a round shield, if you defend your legs, your head is coming off. Medieval fighter were trained their entire life. They were fast, and strong.

[@Ben-dr9kh]

+Sir.Alex only the fewest were really trained, most of the armies concisted of peasants until the 15th/16th century

[@SirAlex-jb5dl]

Meh. I guess.

[@knightbrolaire526]

+Golden Bird Lawyered.

[@mdlancast]

Excellent video, but your point about cavalry in the ancient world is misinformed. I had a nice post where I listed the cavalry and infantry from 10 major battles from Issus all the way to Crecy, showing that the ratios of cavalry to infantry varied from 1:4 1:6 despite much larger armies in the ancient period. But, somehow the youtube app on the iPad managed to eat it. So, I make the same supposition without a bunch of evidence and links, but confident it can't really be overturned except with exception cases or fighting the steppe peoples :) Cavalry in the ancient world was more numerous post-500BC in Europe and the Near East than in the medieval period. Heavy infantry combined with cavalry was the order of the day for most armies of the period as well, until large units of foot archers began to be deployed in response to invasions / wars from the steppe. Just getting into your channel, but wanted to point out a historical note, because it mars an otherwise excellent point.

[@mdlancast]

Also, ancients had decent sized horses. The Nisean breed of the ancient Persians/Parthians/Sassanids were easily as large as later war horses, and were often deployed as fully armored cataphracts as early as 300 B.C.

[@vladimirroshkov5757]

Equites Romani, Hippeis and cataphracts - just some of the Calvary units that existed in antiquity. Horses were used well before the medieval period.

[@atlaslee8681]

Waiting for Elden Ring got me watching Shadiversity like a madman

[@abomesai18]

I always thought that a heater shield was a kite shield. Then I found your channel. Thanks for the education

[@seriousthree6071]

Erm, horses were certainly strong enough to ride, the problem was the saddle. Until they got a suitable one where you could fight from it there was little option of using a horse in combat. The Romans had an excellent saddle that you could use to fight very effectively. The real advantage is when on horse, where large rectangular shields had the problem of hitting the mount. It seems to have been developed specifically for mounted combat where it excelled. The Scutum or oval auxiliary shield would be a little more effective on foot. They were later replaced by smaller heater shields and by the time of Crecy the armour had improved to the point where shields were considered unnecessary by many knights

[@GoodFebruarian]

Hmm interesting, But how about... Kite Shield VS Tower Shield?

[@ProbablyEzra]

The main problem with tower shields over kite shields is that they're heavier and harder to maneuver with, now that's not to say tower shields are useless or always worse, but you'd want a kite shield a lot more in terms of traveling and marching to reduce weight even if a tower is preferable during battle

[@rogueraven1333]

I gotta point out that cavalry was used EXTENSIVELY in antiquity one example of this would be alexander the great loved to utilize his cavalry to flank and surround forces far greater in size than his own army as did the to a lesser extent but they perfected the pre-stirrup saddle. there were even fully armored cavalry units being used around this time period although more rarely. yes horses were smaller but so were the people and horses had been bred and trained by humans for war for thousands of years at that point. however further back like early and middle kingdoms of Egypt and the Trojan war yes cavalry was rarely if ever used for anything other than chariots but one never under estimate chariots.

[@EmileHerz]

This shield was used by the normans at the battle of hastings 1066, largly by cavalry that used to ride close and lob spears and javelings over the saxon shield wall. The kite shield fully shields one side of a horseman

[@goolash1000]

I suspect a number of far older civilizations would have a thing or two to say about the existence of cavalry in their day. Alexander, the Scythians, Mongolians, etc, as well as the Romans, to name a few. I think what you were talking about is popularly considered 'heavy' cavalry, i.e., fully armored rider and horse with a heavy lance designed to be braced in a charge, delivering the force of both horse and rider as opposed to previous ears where the rider carried a more or less standard spear and struck at opponents independent of the actions of his mount.

[@zaqzilla1]

The big thing in horse combat was the development of saddles & stirrups. Advances in these two areas are what made cavalry increasingly viable.

[@foruknau6923]

You know, I'm gonna have to stop you there, and say that the long heater is truly the best shield there is, Shad. It's just superior.

[@Cahirable]

FWIW, the kite shield was probably developed in the mid-10th century as part of the developing Byzantine infantry paraphernalia designed to deal with horse archers, about 1200-1300 after shock cavalry became a thing

[@ArtoriusRex]

i really like kite shields but the roman scutum is still my favorite

[@JourdanSmith]

I'm sure that the farmers and peasants of Gotland would have loved having these. Especially while fighting the well trained and equipped professional knights and soldiers at the Battle of Visby. The archaeological finds outside the walls of the town of Visby would back this up. It's pretty gruesome but the skeletal remains show that the main tactic of the Danish was to just hack at the legs of the poorly trained and armored (many were armored, but it was obviously so inferior that pretty much all of it was left behind to rot on the men that died wearing it) civilians they were attacking. Almost all of the leg bones that were found show many chips and chunks taken out of the shins and lower legs, some of them having taken like 7 and more hits to the legs. There are even finds where people had BOTH ankles cleaved straight through. Seeing as how they were covered in the best armor of the day, it's pretty likely that the Danes just came through quite nonchalantly, hacking peoples legs with swords and maybe poleaxes; then the spearmen came and finished them off as they lie on the ground unable to stand any longer. Honestly, Visby is one of the most brutal massacres in history..

[@leonidas_lifting]

From what I have read and heard, the idea of the round shield is that it is held further away from the users body. Therefore, protecting the users legs as the shield arm length is greater than the reach of an opponent to the leg. This means that as long as a fighter held out their shield outward the opponent had difficulty reaching the legs due to the bio-mechanical constraints (as the shoulder is high up on the body, lowering the target of attack shortens the range of the sword/arm reach) This means that the round shield is very much a weapon in the fight and is offensive. However when it comes to larger groups, as you say, the kite shield is superior. Round shield held away from fighter= better for "dispersed" fighting Kite shield held close to the body= better for closely packed large groups As for horseback fighting.... I have no idea :)

[@shadiversity]

Leonidas I agree with you completely in regard to the bio mechanics of a round. I have to wonder though how long a combatant could maintain such a stance. Even though these types of shields are lighter then people suppose, that shield held out will be getting mighty heavy before too long. That's why I've seen postures more akin to the example I give in my second kite shield video, but in that posture the leg is still vulnerable. Having said that the kite has weaknesses in this posture too. Awesome feedback mate, thanks!

[@Dannyheal]

You truly get used to using a "kite" shield in formation. When you put it into practice, I would use one any day over the round shield, especially when bracing with your brothers in arms. Hell, I'm looking at two now in my closet.

[@ArgieGrit]

It's the best looking shield, that's for sure!

[@jabohonu]

one disadvantage with this kind of shield its that they have less movility ( are more prone to crush with ur stuff )

[@Onewiththecheese]

kite shields are definitely my favorite shield type

[@mr.pooples2871]

I love his channel. Big fan.

[@livedandletdie]

There were 2 types of horse breeds back in the day, the old Mongolian breeds that were smaller and then there was the horses bred to be larger. Horses were smaller in the past, but in the Medieval period the Arabic was widespread and so many had a larger horse than the average horse size of the day. However to breed larger horses took time, for when the height of a horse is only 1.2m compared to horses today that can be as tall as being 1.8m it would have taken years, specially before people could afford to feed their horses everyday with lots of hay year round, making it harder to have multiple horses. Today a single person could manage a dozen horses by themselves. Back then people would be lucky to be able to feed 2 or 3 horses. Yet alone breeding them.

[@hedgehog3180]

As a bonus if you make it red and put a yellow cross on it you can pretend that you're a Gundam.

[@plaidpvcpipe3792]

Or a medieval christian communist! :)

[@rileyernst9086]

Round shield: I'm just going to lower the shield to defend my leg, and totally exspose my head because that totally could not be a feight. Kite shield: Meh.

[@andrewturner7297]

ohh boy.... your videos have came a long way lol.

[@KuraIthys]

I know it's an incredibly shallow reason, but I like the look of kite shields better than any other shield design I know of. So... There is that. XD

[@MrDudenaldo457]

Another thing is Byzantium (Eastern Roman Empire) also fully adopted the kite over their round shields after seeing it in combat.

[@rileyernst9086]

What I think is hilarious is that when people say that large 'out of date' shields were used by infantry and non noble men at arms till late into the medieval period. It's not out of date if 80% of the army uses it becasue they cannot afford the armour that would make a heater shield suitable, its just a bigger shield which is completely sensible.

[@feldsparfireball3259]

As a very tall left-handed axe-man I mainly prefer larger bucklers or basic larger skjoldars

[@jordonpohl7393]

Coolest kite shield of my childhood was in dragon heart with the dragons teeth around the rim 🤘

[@MadNumForce]

Hi Shad! It seems to me your kite shield is right in lenght (or height) - to me it has to cover from about the top of the foot to the shoulder -, but way too wide. I bet it's around 90cm in diameter. A friend made a nice round shield about 90cm. And that's from using that shield I immediatly understood it could be narrower but higher. Same surface = same weight, and you want to keep your shield light. I started to make an hexagonal scutum like often associated with the praetorian guard (which basically has about the same advantages as the kite shield, being a bit lighter than a rectangular scutum but still covering almost all your body), but I ran into some issues because of the material I used (basically a kind of very rigid double-sided plastic board to make flight-cases... but the plastic is too fragile, and I would have to cover it with thin sheet metal to avoid puncture). Anyway, my point is that the shield doesn't have to be wider than you at the shoulders. And it seems that how kite shields were wide, according to period art, if not narrower. spartacus-educational.com/MedNormK.jpg www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/c8be48a397eecf4813344bf899806b1ef9144530.jpg sprightlyinnovations.com/leafandleisure/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/London-148_fixed.jpg

[@shadiversity]

MadNumForce great points sir! my kite is a little bigger, as with my round. What can I say, I like big shields ^_^

[@s.l.8221]

in my opinion the Roman type of shield is the king of shields, because it firstly covers the legs as well like the kite shield but it outmatches the kite by weight distribution, and secondly it is a face to face weapon/tool but as well it is a battlefield warfare weapon, where as the kite is more of the warfare type and less practical in the 1v1. Also the Roman type of shield allows for formations which made the Romans famous for using them, like the turtle formation.

[@brotherandythesage]

I love the kite shield, especially when they're as overly-large as the one you made, but when you look for how long it was used and the areas it's not as ubiquitous as rectangle or round shields. Which seems odd to me.

[@WorkDayPegasus]

Kiteshields really are awesome!

[@WorkDayPegasus]

Stranger: Indeed

[@ptitnhane]

One of the most common weapon in viking age was the spear. I agree with what you said, but I would also point out that the kite shield is not ideal to protect your legs against spears attacks.

[@hippomantube]

The Wooden Throne: The KING of Chairs, Part 1.

[@b1laxson]

Back tracking through some older videos. OMG... the old wall is so blank in this one!

[@Marius696969]

the problem with this shield is they were usually quite heavy compared to other shields and while they offered near complete protection their size offered little in offensive tactics. typically these shields were used in conjunction with a spear, pole-arm, or pike and side by side with a line of people. when you see ,in movies and such, a group of soldiers in a line surrounding an enemy that is what those shields were basically meant for. you had your spear jutting out between your shield and the shield from your neighbor and you marched forward. the problem was they were too big for anything else besides that. with a sword you want to maximize your reach which is why you never squared off towards your opponent, a kite shield basically required you to do that and with a sword would end up shortening your reach. if you want to claim they were king of shields i'll give you that in shear size but they were by far the most versatile.

[@procow2274]

Well whether or not that's a chair is the subject of much scholarly debate

[@SSVjoker]

Romans had both Shock (spears) and melee (swords) cavalry, and if i'm not mistaken, at the very least their melee cavalry used shields. Also, Greeks had cavalry, Chinese had cavalry, Cartago had cavalry..... Well, you can see where i'm going with this

[@OlOleander]

Two questions: 1) Can we see the back bindings of the kite shield so we get a better idea of the angle at which it rests on your arm? 2) Can you do a review of the "Turkish" shield used extensively by East European cavalry and to a lesser extent duelists (at a smaller size)

[@SeaDog337]

I'd say your shield is definitely on the bigger end of the spectrum there. After looking at effigies and illustrations (which I know are all over the place in scale), my best guess is that a 6' tall person would want one about 44"x22" to get the right ratio and coverage without being too bulky.

[@JonatasAdoM]

12:12 The Ultimate Medieval Electrical powered House.

[@daboss640]

I feel like that kite shield is on the larger side. When someone is in a fighting stance, their knees should be bent, so a slightly smaller shield would still offer the same full body protection, but be notably lighter.

[@captainnyet9855]

As far as my lacking knowledge goes the kite shield is probably a better battlefield shield, whereas the round shield is the ultimate Dueling shield with it's mobility and the ability to use the shield much better in your offense. That most hits that land in HEMA land on the legs is a good example of this, the Round shield is so effective that the legs, a harder to reach part of the body, become one of the most valid targets. The kite shield, while being a worse Dueling shield is a superior battlefield weapon as it allows the wielder to make better use of shield walls and protects the lower body from arrows for example. It would seem to me, however, that the Roman box shield would be better than the Kite shield for this purpose as far as infantry goes.

[@HighAdmiral]

This shield can't do the turtle tactic you skrub. SQUARE SHIELD MASTER RACE

[@tectonictoaster3517]

Good luck on horseback.😉

[@pungivergiverofpuns3611]

I agree the scutum is pretty awesome.

[@shkeni]

FORM TESTUDO! ;)

[@kekero540]

+Teutonic toaster umm if you aren't going to use a horse het a Parma. Still Pavise or scutum for life

[@rockyblacksmith]

The turtle was almost exclusively used in siege warfare, medival sieges used alternatives. The scutum was specialised for formation warfare, the kite shield was good for individual (and, as mentioned, horseback) combat. Every development happens for a reason, including the abandoning of the scutum.

[@livinglifeform7974]

Round shield is probably better for offensive manouvers though. But yeah, kite shield FTW for defensive coverage.

[@grosstoastie1216]

5:32 Man doesn't even need a condom. The Chad Shad.

[@richardcramer1604]

While true the Roman shield was called the scutum which meant shield in Latin. The Romans borrowed the type of scutum they used from the Samnites (4 Latin tribes which included the Sabines), just as they borrowed the gladius from the Iberia. When the Romans found a good thing they had no problem with adopting it for themselves. So the shield is more properly called the Samnite scutum.

[@2ndio405]

0:03 That was so funny oh my god. I'm laughing while typing this comment.

[@KirillTheBeast]

Hi! Nice vid, giving that kite shield some well deserved love. As a (not even good) HEMA scrub, I've often found myself missusing kite shields, and it's because of the straps being at an angle that make it "slightly" difficult to actually keep the shield in a vertical position. Now, whatever angle you're holding your shield in stance is not relevant unless the shape of the shield makes it work in only one position, like, for instance, a Skjoldr wouldn't give a flying duck about the angle you're holding it unless your foe reads that through your stance and manages to exploit it, yet if you mess up your stance with a kit shield, it is extremely noticeable, and also can be severely punished (just try to block a proper mid/low hit with a kite shield holding your arm horizontally: leverage says you're screwed). I'm sure time and sparring will tell, but I find this otherwise awesome type of shield to be a lot more demanding than other types in terms of proper stance and technique, yet I'm failing to find an advantage over a heater shield when using a longsword, given that shortswords tend to work better with round shields and I suck using spears, which I feel is the way to go using a kite shield. This brings me to the kind of video suggestion almost nobody does: medieval to late renaissance arms race "meta", or how and why the development of certain weapons and offensive techniques forced the developement and obsolescence of different armor, shields and defensive measures in general.

[@nicodemusedwards6931]

The only real example of a Kite Shield in Video Games I found is Dragon's Dogma. I know there are others, but that's what comes to mind.

[@douglasfulmer5483]

When I think of Kite Shields, I think of the Normans, who used it to conquer Britain.

[@joshkidd5463]

"England"

[@douglasfulmer5483]

josh kidd Hmmmmm?

[@douglasfulmer5483]

MinutemanSam So the Normans took over Ireland according to you? Never heard of that.

[@OhnoesJG]

england is a city

[@arthurdentsandwiches5545]

The normans conquered england, wales and ireland, they made attempts at scotland but never took control

[@ollep9142]

Look at the evolution of shields: Round shield -> Kite shield (to protect the legs) -> Heater shield (to be able to cover both sides while mounted). Your argument that the kite shield is good for use on horseback is false, as it offers no protection to the sword hand side. That's why it was "truncated" into the heater shield for use by cavalry. * As for proper size I think the Bayeux tapestry provides good source material. * Main questions: How is it constructed, and how heavy is it?

[@carsongreen626]

That kite shield looked slightly larger than normal, but only slightly.

[@jasamgladaan]

Kite shielda were used quite long in the balkans, byzantines, serbs and bulagians prefered them over all shields even in late medievals.

[@shadiversity]

jasamgladaan Then they are men after my own heart.

[@Roland3ld]

Here is a full watch, like, and comment for engagement.

[@Zefurion1988]

I think they would had called it the Cross Shield in the Medieval ages. Because you have a Cross painted on yours and i think it would had made the most sense for them aswell.

[@shadiversity]

Ino Koludrovic It very well could have been ^_^

[@mrmadness2699]

chariots were most used in the bronze age. By the later classical world there WERE cataphracts and clibanarii which were heavy calvary.

[@494Farrell]

the kite sheild tail was to protect the horses flank as cavalry rode away (or that is what i have been let to believe in my research)

[@jonpgale]

Adding a comment to boost engagement for the algorithm which just randomly brought me to a 7 year old video!