If not using shield during the battle the player gets temporarily:
Tier 1: Attack Speed Increased Low + Attack Damage Increased Low
Tier 2: Attack Speed Increased Medium + Attack Damage Increased Medium
Tier 3: Attack Speed Increased High + Attack Damage Increased High
Using google translator I not speak good english or good spanish.
Try battle without shield and say if bonus is high =)
About incentive for not use shield... But we can make this. And I like make this =) is good for training.
If you use Swiftstrike Buckler, which is kind of like not using a shield, that gives you ASI High.
Nick himself said we need to be able to shield.
Also, those bonuses are too high. No amount of "but I want it" will help you.
There is a huge difference between using and not using Shifstricke shield.
Because Swiftstrike can defend... You understand if you try fight in tier 2 without shield in JK or in tier 3 without shield.
People, try fight without shield before say: those bonuses are too high.
...yeah, I don't think I would ever use this ability.
I would rather have a Swiftstrike which leaves me with the ability to shield-cancel and start charging from shielded, rather than going completely without a shield and get a potential +3 damage bonus.
And WHY, I ask, would you NOT go with a shield? Purely for challenge? For places in Haven etc so your costume can stand out? I see those two as reasons.
But if you wanted a challenge, then you should not be getting benefits from not equipping a shield.
And those bonuses are way too overpowered.
And to the bomber, useless.
If you want to fight without a shield then by all means go ahead, but I agree with the sentiment that we really should not encourage players to do so. Shielding is a vital element of SK and few players are good enough to survive the levels with using it. Last thing I want to see is players dead on the floor because they want the bonuses.
There are other ways to gain significant bonuses with drawbacks (see: Swiftstrike, Chaos set, Mad Bomber set) without going that far.
We don't actually NEED to shield, but having no shield breaks a number of game mechanics and overall would be just annoying. -1.
Fighting without a shield means nulling 'techniques' like shieldbumping and cancelling. Giving bonuses on top of that for making your gameplay more bland only makes the game simpler.
In other words, no. Stuff like the Chaos set is fine because it's high risk and high reward without detracting from the game's already fragile variation.
The bonuses are too high, and the game shouldn't incentivize you to fight without a shield.