What is a LARP shield and what is it used for?
At many LARP events, battles are fought based on the theme and setting. Foam weapons are used in combat, some of which are modeled after real or fantastical weapons. These consist of fibreglass rods coated with foam (for more information about our foam weapons check out our ‘Tips for foam weapons article’).
LARP shields are a special type of foam weapon. They are constructed without a core rod, yet are made from thicker layers of special foam in order to absorb the blows of foam weapons. They are padded because a real metal shield could quickly become dangerous in a tussle. There are also combat techniques, such as ramming an opponent with the shield, which would cause injury if carried out with a real shield. In LARP it is not only about your own safety, but also about the safety of your opponent too.
Depending on the time period and genre, LARP shields can look very different:
- Wikinger-Fantasy Schild
- Kanaldeckelschild für Zombie-Larps
What are foam shields made of?
Most foam shields are constructed using the ‘sandwich structure’, but without a core rod. Various types of foam are used in the production process to prevent the material from wearing out. The shield is then sealed with a highly flexible protective silicone varnish. All of which, with proper and regular care, gives the shield a longer lifespan.
Types of Shield
Throughout history there have been shields of all shapes and sizes. Designs usually vary for practical or tactical reasons but sometimes it’s purely for aesthetics.
Here is an overview of the most common types of shield (there are countless other types but these are the best known basic forms).
- Round shield (classic wooden round shield with hump)
- Rectangular Shield (The Roman Scutum)
- Triangle shield (crusader shield)
- Long-pointed shield (fantasy shield – round at the top, pointed at the bottom)
- Oval shield (a children’s Scutum)
Which shield goes with my character?
When picking your LARP shield, there are a variety of factors to consider. Who is my character? Where am I from? Am I based on history or fantasy?
A shield is like a poster, it tells a story about your character and group as a whole. Shields have always had a decorative element to show a collective identity in addition to their protective qualities. In the world of LARP you see this with all genres of characters: knights will usually have crests on their shields, soldiers wear the colours of their regiment, orcs carry battered timber shields, whilst elves have finely ornamented masterpieces of craftsmanship. Vikings, as wild and distinctive as they are, are unified as one group when fighting with their iconic round shields.
There are of course historical shields that you associate with a certain time period, like the viking round shield or the Roman Scutum. If a viking character would have a crusader style shield instead, they would automatically become a fantasy character, as it would not be historically accurate. If you want to pay tribute to a certain time period, we recommend following the historical cliché of how people appeared in that era. This way you don’t need to keep explaining which character you are!
In our Andracor online shop, we have a genre-filter for you to easily select the LARP theme which best fits your character. This way you can quickly find out which shields are well-suited for Vikings and which are better fitting for Romans!
How much does a LARP shield weigh?
Our foam shields are relatively light (1-2 kilograms on average), which is ideal for larping, as not everyone has their own squire to carry theirs! They are ideal for long battles as they are easy to carry, as well as less strenuous in combat.
An unwritten rule does however apply in LARP, ‘a shield weighs what a shield weighs‘. If you swing a shield in battle as if it were made of paper, you will at best bore your opponents, as it makes the battle less realistic. It’s all about credibility not invincibility! The question must be: would my character be able to carry a shield for so long? Am I experienced enough to use a heavy shield or should I be training with a simple wooden shield first?
How do I care for my foam shield?
The same care tips apply to a foam shield as with foam weapons. You will find everything you need to know about this in our article ‘Tips for foam weapons’.
Grab your shield and into battle!
Your team from Andracor
