Shield - Quality

Any time you Oppose an attack with Weapon Skill or Melee Skill, you benefit from additional AP equal to the Shield Rating. If your weapon has a Shield Rating of 2 or higher you may also use your shield to Oppose incoming missile shots in your line of sight. This means that you may use a melee weapon in your primary hand to oppose an opponent’s melee attack at no penalty and gain the AP benefit of the shield in your secondary hand even though you did not specifically use the shield to oppose the attack.

Example: Uri is surprised by some Goblins who charge into close combat with him. He gains the Surprised Condition, so in the first round of combat his shield provides no benefit. In the next turn he is no longer surprised and his shield provides 2 AP on top of any armour he wears.

Uri sees off the immediate threat, but a Goblin shoots at him from a range of 50 yds. Uri could not normally oppose this attack, but because he is equipped with a shield he may use that shield to oppose it. Because it is in his secondary hand he suffers a penalty of -20 (as per the Two-Weapon Fighting rules in WFRP page 163) or no penalty if he uses Melee (Parry) (see WFRP page 296) lastly because it has the Defensive Quality Uri benefits from +1 SL.

Up in Arms (WFRP4e)