We do have a sword and mace/axe dps spec. Give elemental shaman a try.
Only if they finally let us transmog 2h weapons into 1h, because 99.9% of 2hs in the game look absolutely ridiculous due to how oversized they are.
I wish! Gave my DK in ESO an axe and shield for one bar and there is a whole skill line for it. I rather enjoy the playstyle tbh. Uses the shield for defense and to bash. He feels like a proper old school knight.
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If they were to make a true shield DPS spec, I think it would work best as a new class altogether. Trying to force a shield into any of the current classes as a DPS would require way to much reworking how the class works to keep it from being too tanky.
Which is the biggest problem with the idea. How do you make a shield spec put out enough damage to make it a viable DPS but not make it so tanky that it dominates melee spots in group content because its survivability is just to good. Or dominates PvP for the same reason.
Imho the best way to do that is just build a new class around the idea. Make the class mechanics use the shield as more of an offhand weapon, giving it a damage range like a regular weapon when that class uses it. Or just make a new type of shield just for the class called a bucker that acts as a weapon but also has a reduced armor rating compared to a regular shield.
Off the top of my head it could be something like this:
Raider class, strength based mail class themed around vikings.
First spec is a sword and board, slightly higher survivability with their defensives based around different shield blocks but plays similar to a two handed spec but with most damage coming from the main hand.
Second could be a ranged/melee hybrid that swaps between using their main hand and buckler as throwing weapons at range and normally at melee range.
Third could be a two handed spec that wears the buckler on their backs and only uses it for defensives.
Well, ackshuallyâŚ
The archetypal adventurer going sword and board is usually solo (Link, Dragonborn, Dark Souls protagonist) or their partyâs meat shield (MMOs or D&D inspired groups).
Sources: vintage illustrations, choose your own adventure books, actually playing D&D since the 2000s, Legend of Zelda, Dark Souls, various MMOs.
Shield is not very useful if you donât expect to trade blows with the enemy. And if your retort is âwell you can bash with itâ, then might as well⌠bring a second weapon (dual wield) or a bigger weapon (2-Hand) instead.
I love the traditional sword and board adventurer like Link, but theyâre usually relying on a shield (and a bow, and a hook, and bombs, and magic) as part of their kit because theyâre solo.
So are most of us
I dunno. If they concede on this, we might get ew⌠stealth archers. Or heaven forbid⌠Bards. Ugh.
Stealth archers? Howd you get that?
Sword and board is the most 2nd most boring Skyrim character spec. Beaten by Stealth Archers. I was mainly poking fun at how pedestrian it is.
On the flip side, IMO most 2H weapons have better models than most 1H weapons, scaling issues aside.
Crazy how they can figure out tanking without a shield, tanking as a leather class without shield, but struggle immensely with letting a dps class carry a shield.
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All this requires is proper ability tuning.
Limit self-healing capabilities and defensive CDs to account for the ability to block, or simply apply a large debuff to the block stat while in this DPS spec.
As a separate spec within an existing class tuning Sword + Board DPS really would not be any more difficult than tuning any other DPS spec, the only situation where tuning WOULD become complicated is if they tried to incorporate it directly into a tank spec like they did with the old Gladiator Stance talent.
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Every time I replay Skyrim every couple years, no matter what build I originally intended:
Ah, you were at my side all along. My true mentor. My guiding moonlight. /twack /crit
We will get that with the Dragon Knight SPEC for the Dragonsworm class coming in the next expansion dragonflight 
Iâm all for it. Gladiator stance was my jam back in the day
I already play any tank specs I play solo more than in groups, so Iâd gladly welcome the opportunity to do that with a spec thatâs actually meant to do damage.
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Yknow, Iâm kinda in for it. Probably not what youâre asking, but something that comes to mind is a support warrior spec that focuses on shouts. Kinda like another Augmentation evoker. Give the spec a brez where warriors shout people back to life
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make a ranged warrior spec that has a shield and throws spearsâŚ
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Well ele shaman ranged sword and board 
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" this is Sparta!"
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