Shieldbearer

Shieldbearers were warriors trained in the use of shields, bronze armor, and tsurugi, sword made of iron, military units which predated the Emerald Empire. They used the round shield and tsurugi as both offensive and defensive weapons, striking and bashing with the shield and parrying deftly with the straight sword.

Kyūden Asako
Half of the palace guards of Kyūden Asako were shieldbearers. The Asako family maintained this regimen in part to keep a nearly extinct martial art alive and in part because of their highly specialized role, their environment, and their dedication to their history. They replaced the outdated armamament and their weapons and armor were made of modern steel wrought in ancient patterns by skilled smiths. Kyūden Asako's Shieldbearers were highly sought after as yōjimbō.