I think shields are a fantastic way to alter the apperance of miniatures. Even a mediocre model can shine with the right shield on it! But it's not that easy to find interesting shields, especially not in plastic.
I recently saw these on an e-bay auction and I was wondering who made them? Are they old GW? Can't find them in any catalogue... So is there someone out there making these great shields that I've never seen before? Are there other companies that make plastic shield sprues that work well for fantasy?