During early access and leveling to 80 on my protection warrior with protection loot spec, did not receive a single shield loot reward option from any quest or dropped from any mob. Including spamming many delves and dungeons.
Have spoken to friends with holy/protection paladins and shamans and all have had the same issue.
I purchased a BoE shield from the Auction House and when I equipped it received a warning that:
‘This is not your preferred armor type.’
From talking to others on class Discords seems like only Warbound/BoE Shield items are dropping at the moment.
Edit: some have reported that they are dropping from dungeons, but no reports yet of dropping from quest/world content.
I also have not seen a shield during any quest, or from looting. Bought one from the ah in holy spec and was given a message about it not being for my specialisation type when equipping.
I main an elemental shaman, and use a mace + shield combo, for increased defense over a staff, and a mace + shield comes out to about the same amount of +int as a staff. So its a viable combo.
Blizzard really does not want me to use that combo tho, “This is not your preferred armor type”, and no shields dropping from anywhere.
Please let me play and equip my class as I want, without some developer who’s never played the class, deciding I must use a staff.