Downside:
Sculpt is only so-so, attack is weak and the damage is pitiful.
Upside:
Defend. At every level she has a better Defend arc than the same level of Priestess for fewer points. Here's a low-cost figure that can move in formation with your Boomers or Fusers giving them improved defense, and the Defend will last longer. No, she isn't going to do any healing but how often do you use that SA on the Priestess anyway? In any application where you were using the Priestess for improved defense, the Maiden will do it cheaper and longer. Give her some thought.

I've played a 200 points tourney weeks ago and one of my opponents was using a single BPR army.

He was using two Maidens *** , Amazon Queen and some Boomers. The daisy chain is a nasty defensive system in 200 points, and the maiden is pretty cheap. The Boomers get much harder to hit, it's nice.

As you've said, that's all she can do. And the sculpt doesn't help.

Well after all, they call her a SHIELD Maiden for a reason. I think the fact that they would often clutter the 1st-2nd slot in a Lancers booster did not help her make any friends, either:rolleyes: . The Defend on the Tough version is playable- esp. with the defensively challenged Rebellion-era BPR figs. The Boomers just suddenly became deadlier (with the advent of 8inch FM and low-cost defend).

I just don't like her..

The *** version is 22 points and defend 16? you could get better things with a priest. Like healing...

I think the shield maiden is not that bad using the ** version still it is a 16 share defense then combine a leech medic** at the back you have more options.

I think for the points the Shield madien is great with boomers. I ts cheap and with the boomers battle armor, they get a really freakin high defense and can blast the He!! out of stuff!!!!

i think a horde of shield maiden with an emerald glade mystery is great. all figures got 19 defense.

:D :D :D :D :D :D

The **Maiden actually has the same Defend arc as the ***Priestess. The ***Maiden actually has an extra click of 16-Defend, for 7 points less than the ***Priestess. As said, she offers little else but if you need Defend she gives it to you cheap.

I think Gale Broneboss (the LE version) offers the cheapest 17 defence around, for 24 points. She's not that hard to get either.

Gale Bronzeboss...in a ring of Boomers, marching across the field...who do I know I can get one of these from??:)

gale bronzeboss sounds very cool with a 17 defend

Try ebay, where it's sold around US$10, or Neutral Ground here, where people will ask for a unique for her. Hope that helps.

The best thing to use a shield maiden for is to cut off the shield. It looks cool on a E@A.