4 socket shields feels like luxury for melee times, sure casters can put ton of point to STR just to equip Monarch but that does not feel logical that only heavy shield can have 4 sockets. Is it so balance breaking?
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I’m no expert in this matter but I could imagine it could break balance abit. With spirit sheild being good could now free up those stat points. Well that’s my guess anyways.
Spirit is already beyond broken. No need to make it better.
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I think it would make Spirit rw too strong for its low cost and no sideeffect like 156str to invest.
But on the other side of coin I understand, that other shield runewords would be more usable by casters that way, like Phoenix,etc. i think.
I am not sure I want to see a lighter shield with 4 sockets, but perhaps there should more payoff for heavier gear. Maybe add +life automods like paladin shields get stats on gear bases that need 200+ stats.
Actually i vote for removing 4s from monarch 
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Paladins have super light shields with 4 sockets already, so that feels bias that hammerdin can use 103 str and be all set while other casters need to cut corners to get to 150
Paladin needs a buff in strength compared to the other classes! /s
I think if they made the Hyperion shield a 4OS shield that would be a good compromise…
It really bugs me from an RPG perspective that there are no “round” shield options in the game with 4OS
A classic example of this is the Amazon… All her character art shows her using a round shield… She is a classic spear and shield character with close similarities to Greek Hoplites… But she has no good options for a 4OS round shield to match her character art…
Unfortunately, the best shield for the Best runewords is the Monarch shield, which is a kite shield… Kite shields are more a Western European thing, and don’t really fit the Amazon’s fantasy…
The only other options are Wards (kite shields) and Aegis (tower shield) which again do not fit that fantasy…
We have lot’s of flexibility when it comes to choosing body armor (MP/AP is obviously most popular, but many other light armours are viable if people prefer how they look…
Unfortunately, there is very little choice when it comes to shields and creating the “character look” that oyu prefer 
I would hope blizzard changes this one day.
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Let me have a shot on this too.
Add 4 sockets to Hyperion (large shield), Blade Barrier (spiked shield) and Troll Nest (bone shield)
Reduce monarch str requirement to around 130 and bring Blade Barrier and Troll nest up in str req since they got more defence.
Oh, and Aegis and Ward down too, cuz no1 uses them technically 
To balance things out.
Cuz we want to make a variety of looks, I believe they should be put around the same str requirement, since they got NOTHING like paladin shields.
OR if we want to keep things as they are,
still, expand the sockets to these shields, but buff these others that need high str req with some these:
hit recovery
chance of being uninterrupted (like concentration aura gives)
plus life and mana
And keep these low str req without any adds.
Agreed. But then spirit must be nerfed hard. max. +1 to all skills. It would still be broken for that price though.
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4 sockets are reserved for pallies prior to level 54… Everything in this game is optimized for Hammerdins.
Why not have all elite shields have 4 sockets like just like the armors?
Weapons have similar issues except most weapons have too few sockets for the majority of runewords:
Interesting enough only Hyperion and Luna doesnt gain a socket after their Exceptional counterpart.
I believe that luna should go 3os and Hyperion 4os, it would make sense.