Few other than the archetypal soldier united possess both the defensive and offensive prowess needed to undertake this rigorous journey. Those who are talented enough to achieve this balance become a master of attacking in standard melee combat, but especially excel at range.

Deadly Aegis

Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, shields have become not just tools for protection, but formidable weapons in your hands.

Shields can now function as martial melee weapons when held by you with the heavy, thrown, and versatile properties, in addition to the regular bonuses granted by a shield, and deal 1d8 bludgeoning or slashing damage (your choice) when you make an attack with one, or 1d10 damage if wielded using two hands.

Beginning at 6th level, the damage dealt by shields increases to 1d10 when held in one hand, and 1d12 when held in two.

Heroic Catch

At 3rd level, when you hit with an attack roll made using a weapon with the thrown property, you can cause the weapon to immediately bounce back to your hand. Your weapon travels in a direct, 5-foot wide line until it reaches you, passing harmlessly past creatures but stopping if it makes contact with a solid object that isn’t being worn or carried.

Justice

At 3rd level, you can add your proficiency bonus to ability checks you make to inspire others, intimidate hostile creatures, and persuade others to see your moral reasoning. If the check already uses your proficiency bonus once, you can add it twice.

Canny Deflection

Starting at 7th level, your skill with shields allows you to turn an enemy’s attack against them. When you are holding a shield and are targeted by a ranged weapon attack or a spell that requires an attack roll, you can use your reaction to deflect the blow. To do so, you let your guard down for a moment, choosing not to gain the shield’s bonus to AC against the triggering attack.

If the attack still misses you, the attacker immediately makes the same attack roll against themselves, as if the attack originated from you. On a hit, the attack deals half its normal damage.

Dynamic Toss

Beginning at 10th level, your precision with thrown weapons allows you to strike targets others would struggle to reach. Your thrown weapon attacks ignore all cover except full cover, and you can throw weapons through spaces occupied by other creatures, as long as they are not the target of your attack.

Additionally, you can use your skill to hit enemies who are hidden around corners or behind obstacles. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with a special throw. Choose an unoccupied point within the weapon’s normal range that you can see and that lies on a solid surface, such as a wall or pillar. The weapon ricochets off that point, and you make a ranged attack with it as if the attack originated from that location.

Predictable Return

By 15th level, you have perfected the art of catching your weapon again after throwing it, even if it has to pass through an enemy to do so. When a weapon returns to your hand through your heroic catch feature, you can make one attack roll against each creature of your choice the weapon passes through as it returns. You can only make a number of these special attacks per turn equal to your proficiency bonus.

Final Rebound

Starting at 18th level, your mastery over the shield has reached its peak, allowing you to unleash a devastating chain of attacks that few can withstand. When you take the Attack action on your turn and hit a creature with a thrown weapon attack using a shield, you can cause the shield to rebound between enemies with deadly speed.

After the initial hit, you can choose a number of additional targets equal to your level within 30 feet of the previous one, each of which must be within 30 feet of the last. Make a separate attack roll against each target. On a hit, the shield deals your full weapon damage and continues to the next chosen target, otherwise the attack chain ends. You can choose for the shield to return to your hand at the end of the sequence.

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you expend an Second Wind to use it again.