27. A Weapon That Set Its Users on Fire
The lantern shield’s lantern had an oil storage compartment to allow extended use for hours on end. Problems arose when the lamp was jostled. Being attached to a shield, the lamp could not help getting jostled, since the purpose of a shield is to absorb blows when used defensively and to bash opponents when used offensively.
When the lantern was jostled, its oil could leak out or spill uncontrollably. With the lantern’s fuel compartment attached to the shield, there was a strong possibility that the user’s shield-bearing arm, face, or body, would get drenched in flammable oil. That oil could then catch fire if it came in contact with the lantern’s flame. As a result, while the lantern shield was a decent-for-its-era solution to the problem of fighting at night, it came with the severe drawback of a tendency to turn its users into human torches every now and then.
