User blog:Manofgod/King David vs Count Roland (Battle of the Holy Warriors!)

















 In this special edition of Deadliest Warrior we will be pitting two of the greatest HOLY WARRIORS to have ever existed in history. Though their actual lives have been embelished by myth and legend over the centuries, these men still carved their names in the annals of their religion and culture.

King David: The King of Israel chosen by God himself to save the Israelite from their enemies.

vs

Count Roland: Legendary Paladin who stood his ground against certain death in the name of the Frankish people. 

It's a duel to the death... to decide who is... THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!

King David
King David was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, reigning in c.?1010–970 BCE. Depicted as a valorous warrior of great renown, a poet, and musician credited for composing many of the psalms contained in the Book of Psalms, King David is viewed in biblical sources as a righteous and effective king both in battle and in providing civil and criminal justice. David is also one of the most important individuals of the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Islam and Christianity).

Although an almost mythical figure, with most of his history coming from the Bible, there are historical records that evidences of his existence. The Tel Dan Steele and the Mesha Steele from the late 9th century mentions his name and his long dynasty of Israel's kings. His name also appears in an Egyptian relief belonging to Pharaoh Shoshenq that mentions of a certain place or tribe in Judah named/descended after him. All of these records did not came from the bible, and were not even Hebrew. Although skeptics still doubt his existence, most scholars and historians believe that the records are genuine and that David did existed. David's name, and the story of David and Goliath, became synonymous with underdogs and individuals overcoming a bigger and more powerful enemy.

Weapons
Short= Straight Sword A straight double edged sword made op of iron adopted by the Israelite from the Philistines. It was the most common sword during David's time when Iron was slowly replacing bronze as a chief material for weapons.
 * 2.5 feet in length
 * Double edged.

The traditional spear of Ancient Israel. 6-foot long and sporting an iron tip, it also has a butt spike that can be used as a weapon. Its large iron tip varies in size, and while not a true javelin, it is light enough to be thrown at a distance.
 * -|Medium= Hanit Spear
 * 6 feet
 * Iron tip and butt spike
 * Can be thrown at a probable range of 7 meters.

Composite bows were a popular weapon in Palestine, Egypt and in the Middle East, and the Israelite were no exception. Israelite normally used bows in large mass to take out whole armies before the infantry can engage in combat, but archers are also accurate enough to hit enemies from a moving bumpy chariot. The iron-tipped arrow head is strong enough to pierce through the strongest armor of its time at a range that outmatched other bows such as the d-bows of Ancient Egypt and North Africa.
 * -|Range=Composite Bow


 * Iron-tipped arrows
 * 350 meters

Israel first came upon iron scale armor during the Philistine occupation. The armor was made up of a shirt or vest covered with overlapping iron scales that are either sewn or riveted. The armor covered almost the entire torso from the waist up to the shoulders, and some variants also sport armored sleeves. The overlapping scales make the scale armor difficult to penetrate from every form of attacks ranging from slashing, thrusting to even bludgeoning and projectile attacks. Unlike the lamellar armor that has scales meshed next to each other, the scale armor's overlapping scales made it more durable in combat and creates more thickness for protection. As an addition to the scale armor, most soldiers of Palestine also has metal vambraces and greaves that protected their limbs, and a metal helmet with a conical shape that allowed it to deflect any strikes to the head.
 * -|Armor= Scale Armor and Round Shield

Aside from armor, Israelite shields called sinna and magen, were also used for protection. They were large round shield made up of wood but covered in thick bronze.

When talking tactics, David is a natural in using his own environment/terrain against his own enemies, wherever he's in his own territory or not. David's unique Use of Terrain can be seen during the Siege of Jerusalem, in which he used the city's own tunnels to bypass the city walls and surprise those people defending inside.
 * -|Battlefield Tactics=Battle of Helam

But his tactic was most highlighted during the Battle of Helam during David's war against the Ammonites. The Ammonites have recently allied themselves against the Arameans of Southern Syria for protection against the Israelite, when David organized an invasion force to invade Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites. And so the Ammonites and their allies prepared to meet David's invasion force if he ever crosses the Jordan Valley and into their territory. So what David did was that he didn't attack the Ammonites directly, but instead moved around them by using the water crossing of the Jordan River to hide his troops and protect his flanks. David then surprises the Arameans and the Ammonites at Helam, and even though his army was outnumbered, he had the element of surprise that eventually won him the battle.

Count Roland
Count Roland (died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was military governor of the Breton March, responsible for defending Francia's frontier against the Bretons. His only historical attestation is in Einhard's Vita Karoli Magni, which notes he was part of the Frankish rearguard killed by rebellious Basques in Iberia at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. His name later became famous however, when he became the chief protagonist of Chanson de Roland (Song of Roland), a highly fictionalized story of the Battle of Roncevaux Pass.

In the story, Count Roland was said to be a paladin who wielded a sacred sword called Durandal, and died fighting when he and the Frankish rearguard numbering 20,000 held 400,000 Saracens as they tried to attack Charlemagne's army in Roncevaux Pass. In the actual historical battle, Roland and the Frankish rearguard did not fought 400,000 Muslim Saracens, but actually fought a smaller force of Christian Basque troops. Roland also never wielded any legendary sword and was never a paladin or a nephew of Charlemagne. Also, his defense of Roncevaux Pass was not because he was too confident, but because he and his men were trying to delay the Basque as the main Frankish army escaped.

Nonetheless, Roland and the Frank's sacrifice saved Charlemagne's army from total annihilation. In the centuries following his death, Roland's name became an inspiration for Medieval knights and monarchs who were trying to follow the code of chivalry, like William the Conqueror. The Battle of Roncevaux Pass itself is one of the greatest and most well-known last stands and delaying tactic in military history.

Weapons
|-|Short=Longsword Although legend states that Roland used a legendary sword called Durendal that once belonged to Hector of Troy and augmented by Christian relics, and was so powerful that it can slice through people and even boulders, but setting aside the myth, Roland probably used a common Frankish longsword that was no different from those used during the Dark Ages. It has a wider blade than the hilt and a large deadly pommel (a common design for swords that evovled from the Roman spatha).
 * 3 feet in length
 * Double-edged with large pommel
 * Not magical

Francisca is the most iconic weapon of Medieval Franks. It is a large axe with an 18-inch shaft that can be used both as a melee weapon and a range weapon. The francisca also has a unique ability to embed itself on a wooden shield to render it unusable, or bounce off of shields with still enough force to kill any person next to it.
 * -|Medium= Francisca
 * 6--inch iron axe head
 * 18-inch shaft
 * Throwable with effective range 12-15 m

As javelins (angons) fell out of favor by the early 7th century, the Franks have started to adopt the bow as a principle weapon under the reign of Charlmeagne. The Emperor, impressed by the archers of Avars and the Slavs he fought, decreed that every Frankish infantryman and cavalry must learn how to use one themeselves (Aachen Capitulary). Since then the Franks have bused bows and had their own foot archers and mounted archers in battle. The bows that the Franks used were D-shaped longbows with a length of 2 meters. Being a military governor of frontier wild lands of Breton March, there's no doubt that Roland may have sported this weapon for hunting and for combat.
 * -|Range= Longbow


 * Iron-tipped barbed and non-barbed arrows
 * 200 meter range

Since Roland was military governor of the Breton March, he probably had access to some of the best weapons and armor, at the time when the Dark Ages was in full swing and that resources were few and expensive. Roland woukd have used a typical riveted chainmail shirt that protected his torso to his mid-thighs, sleeves for his arms, and some had coifs to protect the neck and the head. Non-padded chainmail was the lightest and most flexible armor of its time, able to deflect slashes and stabs. But it had its weaknesses, particularly very pointy arrows and spear tips, and it can't protect a user from blunt force trauma. Roland also probably wore a steel helmet to protect the top of his head.
 * -|Armor= Non-Padded Hauberk

Aside from chainmail, Franks also used large round wooden shields with a metal boss in the center.

Historians still debate whether or not the Battle of Roncevaux Pass was an actual battle or a small skirmish/massacre. The battle is nonetheless one of the most famous last stands in history, and the perfect example of Delaying Tactic in a battlefield.
 * -|Battlefield Tactics= Battle of Roncevaux Pass

As Charlemagne and his army was heading back home to France after the Siege of Zaragoza in Iberia, he had to cross a deep and dangerous mountain pass called Roncevaux. In order to protect his troops, he ordered a rearguard of soldiers to guard the retreat (which included Roland). Suddenly while they passed, the Franks were attacked by a large group of vengeful Basque soldiers, creating panic among the troops as they try to escape the mountain pass. But Roland and the rearguard stood their ground and fought the Basque to give the Franks time to escape. Roland fought against all odds, even if he and the rearguard were outnumbered and that the Basque had terrain and high ground advantage. The rearguard perished during the battle, but they succeeded in allowing the main Frankish army to escape annihilation.

X-Factors
|-|Experience= King David: 90

Count Roland: 85

It was difficult to rate these two warriors since their lives have been mostly embellished by legend and myth. King David's rule is still debated upon by scholars (some say he's an actual king while other believe he was only a tribal chieftain). He fought against some of the greatest kingdoms of Palestine in his time, and if one discard the bible and focus upon David's historical records, we can see that David was a brilliant ruler who turned Israel into a superpower, hence why his name was recorded by other kingdoms. Actual details of Count Roland's life is also slim (he only had one historical record that wasn't poisoned by legend), but he was in fact a military governor who fought the Bretons, and was also part of Charlemagne's army during his campaigns in Iberia. In the end, David seems to have a more detailed life with scholars studying and analyzing it than Roland.

King David: 90
 * -|Brutality=

Count Roland: 60

Since we don't know much of Count Roland besides his legend, we can't be sure how brutal he was historically. However, even if we read the Song of Roland, the paladin wasn't really that brutal unless you are trying to kill him in battle. King David on the other hand, based on the bible, was a very bloodthirsty warmonger. He put every enemy and kingdoms he had into the mouth of the sword, such as the Moabites, Edomites, Amalekites, Ammonites and others.

King David: 70
 * -|Metallurgy=

Count Roland: 80

Its obvious that a Medieval soldier like Roland would have better and stronger materials than King David. King David, while having the best materials in Antiquity as a king, was only limited to iron. Roland, being a Medieval warrior, had access to steel weapons. However, I only gave Roland a slight advantage since he was still living in the Dark Ages, a time when resources for metal and other materials were scarce.