Ya that seems like the wrong thing to do, to me. It should still only cost 1 AP to swing a 1h weapon even if you're wearing a shield. You're not swinging your shield, after all..
But then shields wouldn't have a downside, which means they wouldn't have much of an upside to compensate. A chance to block attacks is a great benefit, but 1% on good shields at around level 6 isn't enough since there's no way to increase that through skills so there's no way it ends up being anywhere near enough of a reduction in damage.
I think increasing the chance to block is the easiest way to make shields better, but those talents and skills look cool too. I guess I'm not alone in feeling they're a weak choice, though.
