User blog comment:Appelmonkey/Rematch: Samurai vs. Knights/@comment-422690-20180822160740

So...

Dagger: Rondel wins. The tanto is may be more versatile than the rondel, sure. Doesn't mean much when it can't penetrate armor. The Rondel at least has a bit more of a chance, due to the lower quality materials the Samurai had to work with.

Small Sword: Arming Sword wins. As mentioned in the dagger edge, the Japanese archipelago was not blessed with good quality metals. This means that swords varied widely in quality, from cheap pieces that broke easily to extremely expensive, months-long blades that were as good as continental steel. On average, however, Japanese steel was of lower quality than Eurasian steels; what this means is that, out of the katana and the plate, the katana's the more likely to break, and vice versa with the arming sword.

Big sword: Longsword wins. The Nodachi's sheer weight and size means it should be able to strike through armor, but the lnogsword is one of the most versatile tools in this match. In addition to striking with the blade, the knight's armor and ricasso allow for half-swording in close quarters or to get an extra bit of power. The crossguard, in addition to increasing the guard area, can also be used as a prybar to pull at armor. And, finally, there's a little thing called a "murder stroke," or "Mordhau," which involves using the pommel and crossguard like a mace to crush armor.

Polearms: Lance and Pike win. The cavalry lance is utterly devastating, with even blunted, non-metallic tournament lances known to kill. Its sole weakness s its high linearity. The Halberd is simply one of the most versatile tools out there, and is excellent at everything it does. The naginata is by no means a bad weapon, but it's typically used defensively rather than on the battlefield, IIRC. A Jumonji Yari would be a better comparison.

Club: Kanabo wins. It's going to crush armor more effectively than the mace, thanks to its heavier weight and longer reach. Besides, the Knight already has the Mordhau to fill the mace niche, so he doesn't really need another one.

Overall: I'm going to have to give this to the knights. The reason for this is very simple: this entire setup is heavily in the knights' favor. There's six of them on horseback, allowing for a flanking charge with the lances. The fight is exclusively close-quarters, which is their element and something the Samurai would generally try to avoid. The Knights' better metallurgy is just the final nail in the coffin.