Unreviewed Mandalorian Dueling Shield

[Gel Karn]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a lightweight parrying shield for close quarters combat operations.
• Image Source:
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Imgur Link
  • Imgbb Link
• Canon Link: Shield.
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: Wookieepedia.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer:
  • Gel Karn
  • Iron Covenant Armorers and Forgesmiths
• Affiliation: Iron Covenant.
• Market Status: Closed Market.
• Model: Mandalorian Dueling Shield.
• Modularity: No.
• Production: Limited.
• Material: Beskar.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Shield.
• Weight: Light.
• Resistances:
  • Energy: Very High.
  • Kinetic: Very High.
  • Lightsabers: Very High.
  • Environmental: Low.
  • EMP/ION: Low.
  • Radiation: Very Low.
  • Sonic: None.
  • Acid: Average.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Relatively light
• Nearly indestructible construction
• "Caged buckler" design allows the shield to deflect and trap vibroblades
• Front facing hook can also deflect and trap vibroblades, though it is more often used to hang the shield off of one's belt
• When hanging from a belt by its hook, the Mandalorian Dueling Shield can be drawn quickly and easily as the shield's handle faces outward
• Lack of onboard electronics removes EMP/ION vulnerability and ensures that the shield never runs out of power or turns off in the middle of combat

STRENGTHS

• Exceptionally tough: Being made entirely out of Beskar makes the Mandalorian Dueling Shield incredibly tough, to the point that the shield is nearly indestructible
• Lightsaber resistance: The Mandalorian Dueling Shield can even block and deflect lightsaber strikes without risk of being damaged or destroyed
• Cage: The "caged buckler" design allows the Mandalorian Dueling Shield to not only be able to deflect viborblades but to catch and entrap them, rendering them harmless to the user of the shield
• Hooked: The Mandalorian Dueling Shield can also redirect and trap vibroblades with its front facing hook, though that is more often used to hang the shield off of one's belt
• Quickdraw: When hanging off of one's belt with its front facing hook, the Mandalorian Dueling Shield becomes incredibly easy to draw thanks to its grip facing outward
• Low tech: The lack of onboard electronics in the Mandalorian Dueling Shield removes its vulnerability to EMP/ION based attacks

WEAKNESSES

• Small: Because it is such a small shield, blocking ranged fire with the Mandalorian Dueling Shield is incredibly difficult to the point of being impossible
• Active participation: While many shields provide passive defense due to their large size, the Mandalorian Dueling Shield only really provides a defensive boost when actively used in the off hand
• Practice makes perfect: Being able to use the Mandalorian Dueling Shield to its fullest potential requires a fair amount of training and practice to get used to
• Entrapment: When catching and trapping an opponent's vibroblade, it is possible for the enemy's weapon to get "stuck" in the shield, making wielding the Mandalorian Dueling Shield somewhat more inconvenient for its user
• Expensive: Being made out of pure Beskar makes the Mandalorian Dueling Shield rather expensive and time consuming to produce in any substantial quantities

DESCRIPTION

When fighting in close quarters combat, many Mandalorian warriors choose to employ a small weapon or shield in their off hand, one that allows them to parry and deflect incoming blow. Gel Karn has taken this concept even further with the creation of what he calls a "Mandalorian Dueling Shield", a lightweight Beskar buckler with a number of unique and novel features that are designed to make the shield far more versatile in combat.

The Mandalorian Dueling Shield employs a "caged buckler" design, which allows the shield to not only redirect enemy vibroblades but to catch and trap them, rendering them harmless to the person using the shield. Being able to disarm an opponent in the middle of a fight can prove to be a huge advantage, and the Mandalorian Dueling Shield excels at doing so reliably. The Mandalorian Dueling Shield also comes equipped with a front facing hook, which too can be used to deflect and trap vibroblades but is more often used to hang the shield off of one's belt.

When hung in this manner, the shield's handle faces outward, allowing the shield to be drawn rapidly and comfortably, without having to worry about using the shield or keeping it on one's person. Of course, such shields are by no means a perfect defensive item, as they are quite small and nearly useless against ranged attacks and can accidentally get an opponent's weapon "stuck" in them, making them far more unwieldy than they might be otherwise. Nonetheless, the Mandalorian Dueling Shield is an attractive option for any Mandalorian warrior looking to engage in melee combat with all the possible advantages that they can get.