Shields are used to block damage from a weapon hitting a player or a target that would have otherwise have carried through to cause damage, injury, or death to a player or game object. Shields are carried by a single player, although they can be used to protect many. Below is the base construction information on shields from the Rulebook.
Shields shall be padded, covered with cloth, and made from lightweight, durable foam. Hard edges may not be exposed. Good materials to use include substances with some give, such as high impact plastics. An interesting alternative is to use a plastic snow toboggan, which will produce a light shield that requires less padding. Another popular shield design uses only a thick foam disc, thus negating the need for additional padding (just a cloth cover). Foamular™, a type of insulation planking sold by hardware stores, makes an acceptable lightweight shield, although it requires a little more taping to prevent small chunks from breaking off during combat. Be careful with these however, as not all foam materials are the same. Plank foam is a particularly durable and safe variety that makes for an excellent shield; while foam such as what “boogie boards‟ are made of is effectively a rigid material and requires padding. Thick strips of leather make good arm straps. When using a non-foam shield, bolts should be attached with the head affixed to the exterior of the shield with washers, and then heavily padded with foam. All rigid-core shields must either have foam folded over the edges or have the shield edges recessed into the foam. All rigid-core shields must be covered with a layer of foam that is at least 1 inch thick on the face, and 1 inch on the edge. Shields must be at least as safe as the weapons we use.
Ryu Arrigga with a large shield, 2008