^^ That's because Shield procs suck in the hands of any other job except PLD atm lol. Axe may be 2nd in line to GA, but it's still nothing to scoff at in terms of damage output when done correctly.
Of course I don't want to open the can of worms that is the "enjoying new and different ways to play the game for each individual" argument since it's very dependent on each players perspective of what they personally enjoy about playing the game, and most players simply follow what everyone else tells them to be instead of finding their own play style. I'll say, Shield + Axe combo can be fun on WAR, and leave it at that.
I can say this though, during solo or duo play (minus a stun caster) a battle against a pesky monster that likes to either spam nasty spells or annoying TP moves, Axe and sword have nice stuns that help even out the battle. GA melee attacks don't always interrupt casters like a nice smash axe can. If better shield efficiency through new abilities could be found, there's a few jobs that would find it very useful. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for a GA stun ability, but till then, if I need to spam stun my trusty Axe and Shield will be whipped out.