What use is a shield on my back?
In Mount and Blade Warband, A shield, when not held in hand, is worn on the back. Does this have any benefits, or is it purely cosmetic?
I may have seen something like "Arrow hit shield on back", but in the middle of a battle, I may have merged two sentences together.
Solution 1:
A shield worn on the back will protect you from missile fire, but not melee attacks. This does not apply to NPCs. I know this from experience and it is also stated on this wiki.
Note that the shield worn on the character's back in the pic most likely caught the arrows while he was holding it.