It could be a thing PA. I don't feel like a dog chasing after a bone the whole time against classes that have evasive attacks, movements with invincibilities that take them out of combat or having to wait for them to unload on me before I can attack them because they have a lot of super armors. There are classes that just pretty much non stop spam attacks and when I spam attacks back I get owned. And it's because you're a gladiator you can't dive head first. You got to wait for the right time Yada Yada yada. That means you got to learn all 20 classes attacks and abilities. Which ones have super armor which ones don't. Which ones are evasive attacks that you're walking into a trap. Hence why piercing spear has become my go to with its flow. I would suggest improving its speed or chaining it to other actions. I'm using it after charging thrust but it's slow in transition. And pretty much classes that have the same range attack get theirs off before mine and im knocked down. I do not press the shield button but it does become active with shield charge flow. There are sometimes where you have to play the waiting game during their attack to get yours in.

I did get to 1950 points in karkea with out using the shield button. So it is playable but to Many on crack classes. Well pretty much all the classes have better attacks than you. And with shield nerf you don't know when you shields gonna pop which kind of sucks. Most classes can just spam attack after attack. Others can hit and run. Gladiator is your suppose to run then hit which really sucks. With piercing spear and it's flow as a real option even if you opponents stick and drive you you have a chance to close the gap or engage them on your own turf.

Well, it wouldn't be a Gladiator/Warrior if you don't have a sheild. And if you mean removing the sheild button by automatiacally putting up your sheild. It would definitely get rid of the option of either running or strafing as you cover yourself. It's a Gladiator's playstyle to only counter. And the indicator when your sheild's gonna break is that the block/deflect effect slowly turns from white, to, yellow, to red. You can always use Shield Charge as your mobility which only has 3 seconds CD. You can rinse and repeat this with, Shield Charge -> Evade -> Shield up -> Shield Charge -> Charging Thrust -> Sheild up, Repeat.

But what I can suggest is that, Gladiator deserves that double grab rather than Titan. But so far Gladiator is okay. And from what I see here in Asia there are Gladiators in 3k Karkea who's playstyle is sheild up -> wait -> Sheild Charge -> grab, if failed -> run -> spear, if failed -> repeat. Gladiator really needs patience to use, unlike Berserker.