There are some points here that are in topic, but like many other posts on items, when people come to look up info on it, we should not go off subject, IE where, who, how many it take to get it. So i am just looking for some info on how a person should go about getting this.
Seems to me SOE has made a ton of great planar items for clerics. Only one problem, they seem to think clerics are pure casters so they aren't included in the usage lists on any of them. Now they get to vie with the chanters wizards and mages for all that great Int boosting stuff, with 5 AC. It seems cruel to me to dangle a nice shield like this in front of the poor guys when they can't use it.
Ya, I do have to agree with ya! ONLY use for shields (this one anyway) are for Shadowknight and Paladin. If you did put in back slot + secondary, it would have lots more value, since all class's would get more useage of this piece of equipment.
They made a bunch of shields back-slot wearable and now they seem to have stopped doing that. No-one is using these things in 'secondary' so making them 'back' would give them some value.
Any SHD/Pali who is filling an MA need would equip this in a lot of circumstances. I use my Stout Bulwark all the time, until I move into pure damage role. We also use shields to bash against casters.
I love mine, and think it's extremely useful - kudos this time around to Sony for the great shields we now get.