I really want a Riot Shield for my rookies, that absorbs damage from the direction that the unit is facing and acts as a mobile cover.
Isn't the common tactic to wait for the Aliens to come out of the UFO and trigger reaction fire? That means that the player never get to see the inside of the ships. Its a waste of assets.
A Riot Shield would allow my soldiers to breach the ship with safety. And most importantly, Immersion!
To balance it all it needs is to be heavy, be equiped on a Hand, and take some stats away, like energy or TUs.
And what about small Armor plating? An item that can be equipped on Shoulder, Leg or Backpack. It gives a small amount of protection on those areas, but is also heavy and takes space.
As it is, I don't know if such items can be made.