Re: metal shields
 

I don't know the exact numbers, but I ran across TL5/TL6 Steel and Titanium Steel alternatives (if memory serves, Titanium gives the same DR for 1/3rd the weight. The cost was substantially more). Both were listed (as I recall) in GURPS High-Tech, 4th Edition. I don't remember where, but it was one of those inset boxes. Just ran across it the other day.

It was listed as armor that modern reenactors might be able to have made by TL. But I would certainly see this as being appropriate techniques available to low-tech cultures with access to the Magic tables. :)

Good luck!

-P.

Re: metal shields
 

Tin bronze. Tin and copper may be rarely (I think that's what you meant) found "together" NOW, but there's a LOT of tin in the british isles, and lots of historical tin mines in Europe and north Africa which have been mined out for hundreds (and sometimes literally thousands) of years. You don't need tin and copper to be in the same place, just enough societal advancement that you can get them to the same place.

There's no coincidence the start of the Bronze Age and the rise of large agricultural societies are largely congruent.

Didn't mention steel, deliberately, because afaik the line between "steel" and "iron" in low-tech hand-forged arms and armor is nebulous at best. "iron" is an obnoxiously imprecise word in common English.

Speaking of another obnoxiously imprecise word: what do you mean by strength?

Re: metal shields
 

Roughly speaking, it takes a rather robust organization to operate mines, caravans, shipyards, and merchant fleets. Not to mention the military it may take to secure the production and/or passage.

Alternately, you could hire out (the Phoenicians were the go-to guys for tin in the Med), but that just means a robust organization to get a surplus of something someone might accept in trade.

Re: metal shields
 

That does seem very generious, you're almost getting into D&D weights.

Does anyone have historical examples of metal shields and how much they weigh?

Re: metal shields
 

I should probably go with BL flat up with my reduced shield weights, but 2x BL is basically necessary for normal men to use metal shields with the Basic Set weights.

Re: metal shields
 

You could always have gradients of use measured in weight intervals. At the first interval the shield is used in all the ways a shiled can be, at the second wieght interval the shield becomes unbalanceda at the third interval the shield can only be used to Block or as cover for example. I am wondering what shield rules you use.

Re: metal shields
 

This implies that arsenic was intentionally added to copper. This has been shown not to be the case. Examination of local ore deposits in Africa and their associated smelted products indicate that the level of arsenic that is present in excavated artefacts corresponds to the natural level of arsenic in the ores that were used. In other words the smiths just smelted everything "green" that they could find and used the best results for making tools and weapons. It is a coincidence that the best alloys happened to contain arsenic. The first man-made bronze is still tin-copper.

Re: metal shields
 

They weigh the same or even less than a similarly-sized shield that was made of wood/leather. That is the whole point of using metal for protection. It weighs less than any other available material that offers similar protection.

Here are three examples: Iranian Qajar round shields made of steel:
1) weighs 2620g and has a diameter of 51.5cm.
2) 2270g, 39.5cm
3) 1960g, 39cm

Similar shields made of rhino hide with metal bosses:
1) 1880g, 51cm
2) 4500g, 61.5cm
3) 3270g, 51cm.

The problem is that we don't know the thickness and so cannot guess the DR. Obviously any metallic shield that weighs the same as a similarly-sized hide shield will have higher DR and HP.

Re: metal shields
 

To elaborate on your point Similarly Size refers to protection area, if they were the same volume, they would be heavier. But metal's strength is such it can be done with less material hence lighter, rather metal it self is lighter. (though some are)

Re: metal shields
 

Which was never done. A typical wooden and hide shield would be at least 5 times thicker than an equivalent metallic shield.