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Originally Posted by Polydamas
My general impression is that the generic three-foot round shield is medium, that anything a foot in diameter or less is a buckler, that shields about two feet across like the Greek pelta are small, and that a rectangular or oval shield the size of a Roman scutum (four by two and a half Roman feet or so, although designs varied over time) or North African lamt is large. A lot of shields don’t fit within these clear categories, though. For example, is a two-by-three-foot rectangular shield medium or small? Even these basic classifications might be hard to make if I were new to GURPS.
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You're also conflating size with usage style. There is a note on B287 clarifying that buckler is not a shield that is smaller than a Small shield, but rather refers to the way in which the shield is used; if the shield is strapped to your arm, then it is a shield, whereas if it is held in one hand by a grip in the center of the shield, it is a buckler. Bucklers can be small or medium.
However, I'm in accord with you regarding your main point, being that there are no guidelines concerning how to classify any particular example of a shield. Perhaps this should be noted somewhere as an appropriate issue to be addressed in Low Tech or possibly in Martial Arts (along with customisation rules for bows ;-) ).
I have also had some problems in classifying examples of shields. I treat the Viking round shield as a Large buckler (with specific special modifications) despite the Basic rulebook saying that only Small and Medium shields can be bucklers. Speaking of which...
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Originally Posted by Dan Howard
IMO the only shields that can be classified as Large are those which are used in a particular manner. Examples might include Roman rectangular scutae, Mycenaean Figure-8 and Tower shields, Medieval pavises, etc. Though some had other uses, the primary use of this typology is as a mobile wall to stop missiles.
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While I might agree with you on the first three examples, I would be of the opinion that pavises no longer qualify as shields of any description and should be classified as portable cover. I would say that the term "shield" should be reserved for any object that can be carried by one man, in one hand, to be used to block attempts to harm the wielder.
Be that as it may, I shall eagerly join the baying mob, howling for the publication of clear guidelines on the classification of shields.