Which "defense" value are we talking about here? Is the armour/shield already included in the defense value shown in UNIT_PROD? Now I'm all confused.

I wasn't aware that the shield on the back negates the rear attack bonus, I don't think the guide says anything about that. This keyed off the "MeleeWithShield = No" field in UNIT_PROD, right?

Good info, I need to get this stuff straight.