Low Level Shields and their use?

I used q8/q7 tac for pvp (TA,RA&GvG) with my monk, was played with shield stance/balance stance before GW changed the skill description years ago afaik.

other than that, i just used any max shield with various mods depend on opponent - as it count q0 for 8armor

I personally use tactics q7/15 on monk (essentially RA but also true for GvG prot) and q5/13 on mesmer, ele (not often tho), necro (RA only). Basically for extra armor with few attribute points spent and you usually bring a tactics stance on these anyway ; q5 and q7 are the best compromise for these classes when it comes to general builds and available attribute points. Hope this helps!

I often find good use in the 11/3 ones on secondary attributes, since you can max two attributes to the limit and then just have enough point left over to bring such attr to lvl 3 - so you can have a secondary weaponset to defend with 11 ar instead of 0 (with a foc) or 8 (with a shield whose req you don't meet) as a backliner in case something hits you.

Since I use such builds that comes handy (e.g. a fire mage who maxes fire and ene since anything else would be rather useless, or a heal monk who maxes heal and div)

For PvP ofc an entire set with +10ar against any dmg types (7 in numbers) helps for maximum adaptivity.

Sometimes I leave one off to get use of 14/6 or 2 off even to use 16/8 - in case it is necessary for reasons. But usually in PvE there is only need for such if you are alon, which usually only happens at farming, where few builds exist, that aren't based on prot spirit (55hp) or sf thus this is not really applyable - at least to my knowledge. On PvP I have few experience myself, but 7tac seems to be an amount that is very attractive.

Almost any can be interesting to collectors, the 8/0 are sometimes used for style if you don't have attr spent, but want the core 8 ar.

i just remember, there was a time when HA filled with command monk/mesmer/anymid for support runer relic, q7/q5com shield was used pretymuch for this purpose

Quote from MaxBorken

I have sold several r7/16 tactics -2/stance -2/ench shields to high level pvp players over the years. They all sold for absolute top money, even 4 years ago, they sold for 2000e. That would probably be 4-500a in today’s inflation-destroyed economy.

Edit, before anyone asks... I have no idea why those stats are (were) particularly valuable.

They were probably bored and wanted a place to ditch money, dual reduction shields are useless in all PvP instances and definitely inferior to regular shields.

q0 - shields are strictly for collecting

q1 - shields are useless since all bars using warrior secondary can either put 3 or no points in the bar, hence there is no scenario in which that req could be useful

q2 - if you use a bar using only primary profession skills you have a privilage of ditching 3 points into tactics to get that 10 armor instead of 9 from default shield (covering weakness)

q3 - same scenario here without considering weakness

q4 - rather unpopular req since points allocation simply sucks, you either want not to give any points in tactics or 5-6 at the very least to get a decent points allocation

q5 - popular amongst RA monks (longer guardian/better DF, shorter stance )and midliners when playing with Protector's Defence or Balanced Stance.

q6 - pretty much all midliners from monk, provide decent points allocation, especially for domination mesmers.

q7 - shorter guardian, longer stance, the most popular among RA monks.

q8 - pretty much a better q9 shield, so you don't have to ditch 9/10 points in tactics.

As for what shield to pick is really up to the player and what he's after. Some people want longer stances, hence q7, some prefer better guardian and higher DF hence q5. Whether you want to take weakness under consideration or not is up to you, but I think it's silly not to since the loss/gain ratio speaks for itself.

Smexy said most of it, thanks for that.

Same question is raised for gvg (particularly prots, BUT, considering flux sometimes M/W is worth as fuze).

The answers are similar : depends on your own point of view : use q7/15 to have extra DF, or q8/16 to have 1 extra armor and 1s on stability. My own choice goes to q8/16, but many players would say q7/15 is the only good way.

Edit:

And yes, dual reduction shields are garbage for pvp. No need to explain why +10 arm vs X is way more efficient. Even +30 -2/ench aren't used. They only way to see such bonus used is pvp, would be a triple mod sheild with perfect stats (not necessarily for hp), but at least +10 vs X. But, if such sheild exists, it one the most expensive stuff in game (according to me ofc )