Save the same, tired talking points. What I'd like to see are elemental Magian shields that can serve varying purposes and encourage flexibility.
Examples:
Earth 99 Shield--VIT +11, Physical Damage Taken -11% (basically the same stats as the Earth Shikargar), "Shield Bash": Adds "Slow" effect
Water 99 Shield--MND +11, Magic Defense Bonus +11, "Shield Bash": Adds "Magic Defense Down" effect (Poison and Drown don't seem appropriate)
You get the idea. Some quality shields that still take some work to build but not requiring the connections.