Major types of shields included round, kite and heater, according to Newman's "Daily Life in the Middle Ages." Northern European soldiers used round shields with metal domes to shelter the grip. In the 11th century, the Normans introduced kite-shaped shields with pointed bases and arched top. During a cavalry charge, soldiers planted the shields in the ground, overlapping the tops to form a defensive wall. In the late 12th century, soldiers favored the heater shield. In contrast to the flat kite, the heater's curved, triangular shape resembled the bottom of an iron.
Infantry soldiers used small round shields, known as targets or bucklers, for close combat. Soldiers used these 14-inch diameter shields to block attacks and deliver blows. In the 14th century, crossbow experts used the large, rectangular pavise for protection. Constructed out of wood and leather, the yard-wide pavise stood up to four feet tall.
Shield-makers built shields from layers of dense wood planks, placing metal strips across the back to hold the shield together. They avoided using metal, which was heavy and expensive, for the shield's body. Shield-makers later formed shields from several layers of thin planks. They connected the planks with glue and metal staples, positioning each layer's grain at a 90-degree angle to its adjacent layer. Shield-makers covered the shield front with cloth or leather.
Earlier shields displayed decorations, ranging from birds or dragons to wavy or diagonal crosses, known as saltires. Shield-makers wove these patterns in the central boss, or the round plate of metal in the shield's middle, as well as rivets, according to "Medieval Military Technology" by Kelly DeVries. Shield-makers later painted a knight's coat of arms on shields so soldiers on the battlefield could identify the knight.