User blog comment:Leolab/Ancient User Tourney, Round 4: Ganzorig (Wass) v Tiberius Proditus (EA)/@comment-5078776-20160607042634/@comment-4661256-20160611050925

You actually aren't giving the spatha proper credit for its slashing ability. It actually started out as a cavalry weapon. The double-edged blade made it quite nice for hacking away at enemy combatants, and the cavalry variant was specifically designed to have a blunted tip so that way the horseman didn't accidentally stab himself in the foot when riding in the saddle. However, the Romans adopted an infantry variant that added a longer pointed end to the sword, making it an excellent thrusting weapon. Your claim that the scimitar is more versatile is thus quite unsubstantiated (especially the claim that the scimitar is more capable of thrusting than the spatha is of slashing). As a matter of fact, I would even go as far as to say that you're outright wrong in that Ganzorig's scimitar is well-suited for stabbing/thrusting at all. Since it is a Persian scimitar, it is a scimitar known as a "Shamshir," which is especially noted for its curve that is considered radical for a sword--5 to 15 degrees from tip to tip. This design makes it an exclusively slashing weapon, as thrusting attacks from this kind of blade, while obviously physically possible, would be incredibly difficult and unwieldy. That specification aside, a scimitar in general is not designed to stab anyway, and on Wikipedia's scimitar page the talwar is singled out as being notable for being "unusual in that it can be used for thrusting as well as cutting." So actually the spatha, as an infantry variant of the cavalry sword, is not only a great stabbing weapon but a proven hacking weapon, whereas the scimitar is only a slasher.

One thing you're not giving the plumbata credit for is their practicality in an arena-style fight such as this. Since the arena's 20 m radius negates the range advantage a bow would have, it's not like Ganzorig can stand outside of Tiberius' throwing range and shoot him with arrows. The plumbata's effective range was more or less 20 m anyway, so no matter where either warrior stands they'll be in effective reach of the other's weapon. The darts are much lighter and easier to carry, though, and also much quicker to deploy than a bow and arrow. Tiberius can also theoretically use his shield for cover while using his plumbata with the other hand, while Ganzorig has no cover to use while he's firing his bow. Yes, according to the rules of the tournament Tiberius cannot use his scutum in conjunction with the plumbata, but I'm just pointing out a strategic option that such a weapon affords which the bow and arrow does not.

For the special weapons, I have actually come to believe quite firmly that the pugio is the superior weapon. I'm going to quote what I wrote in a rebuttal above because it applies just as well here: "The pugio dagger is much lighter and quicker than the mace, and Tiberius will likely be able to anticipate and avoid Ganzorig's attacks with this weapon. Remember, both warriors have more or less the same amount of weight on their bodies in terms of armor, so it's not like Ganzorig can try to be quicker than his opponent when he's wielding the heavier weapon. The pugio also has a larger killing surface area with its blade (as the mace's killing surface area is restricted to only the mace's head), so if Tiberius closes that distance then the pugio will be more practical and more usable in close quarters than that mace will. Speed, killing surface area, and a more practical application in close quarters means the pugio will be deadlier.

Finally, with respect to armor, Tiberius is better protected. Considering both warriors are more or less equivalent in terms of the weight their armor is putting on their bodies, Tiberius is bringing more bang for his buck. Ganzorig's armor appears to be a breastplate, which leaves his head, neck, arms, and entire lower body exposed. While Tiberius' armor has the potential to be compromised by his opponent's weapons, it will take multiple, repeated strikes to accomplish this, and his armor covers a lot more of his body (the lorica goes down to mid-thigh and has 5-inch sleeves to help protect the arms, plus Tiberius has a helmet for head protection). Not only that, but Ganzorig has two get through two separate layers before he can hurt Tiberius (first the scutum shield and then Tiberius' lorica--and this is treating the lorica as one layer itself, ignoring the subarmalis used underneath as padding). Ganzorig might be better protected where he is armored, but he has less armor overall, while Tiberius' armor will still do enough to keep him in the fight for a while.