A buckler (French bouclier 'shield', from Old French bocle, boucle 'boss') 's a small shield, 15 to 45 cm in diameter, gripped in the fist; it was generally used as a companion weapon in hand-to-hand combat during the Middle Ages, as its size made it poor protection against missile weapons (for example, arrows) but useful in deflecting the blow of an opponent's sword or mace. There're two major forms of medievally documented bucklers. The first's a simple round shield with the fist positioned… (More on Buckler)