To Shield or not to Shield..

[ManicMan]

Okay, working on an all-metal Clan rat unit (my first completed modern unit (in that one I did a while back, not modern figures.. well, a couple) was mostly plastic with the odd metal) and as Clan Rats come with a shield by default, the Figures should have shields.. fair enough. I got a few spare shields, also got some I made which are pretty good PLA prints (I put the files on this forum if anyone is in need though.. not really too much reason unless you can't find quick and nice plastic blank shields) so that's not a huge problem.. Most of this unit are ones which have the old shield nub so that's where they go.

However, I just finished the one figure and I was going to work out a place to put the shield as it was one of the ones without a nub (another one I've already done was like that but had a good place for the shield) and noticed.. there wasn't really a good place, or atleast not one I was happy putting the shield. So I started to think, while it's BEST to have the unit be correct (if it's armed with a hand weapon, you don't want the figure holding a bow), do I really NEED it to have the shield?

well, the answer is clearly no, but then the need wasn't so much rule based (with a unit, compared to skirmish, it's more a case of MOST of them being correct) but looks. Would a unit which was meant to have shields LOOK good if you have a few without them?

So I started to look around.. and noticed in the 4ed armies book, they do show a number of units which don't have every one with the correct shield, and it doesn't look too bad. So personally, I think it's okay. For the odd one anyway.

So while I pretty much have decided, I'm not happy about any shield placement on that figure and the odd one without a shield is fine, I'm just wondering about other peoples views on the subject.. What do they prefer, what do they think looks best, how to deal with such issues etc.

 

[Eric]

If the "unit" has shields and a reasonable number of the models have shields I think that's more than fine, same for other weapons and bits. Especially in the "games are fun" community I think as long as you're not doing something crazy confusing like "this unit of halflings represents a unit of dragon ogres" then you're good! No point sailing the models that won't obviously take a shield just because they are supposed to have one.

 

[KingOfTheLeadPile]

I would think of it like dominant chaos attributes. Not everyone on the unit will have that specific attribute, but enough that it makes a difference.
Also, when you think of shields, they confer +1 save. Now if shields are the only armour of the unit, that would be 6+. Si I am pretty sure, that the couple models in the unit without a shield, wear light armour beaneath their clothing, also +1, so also 6+. Makes perfect sense