User blog comment:WraithOfWaffle/Battle Twelve: Black Mask (DC Comics) vs. Big Smile Lee (Sleeping Dogs)/@comment-4661256-20140614011443

El Alamein's Edges:

 Melee: Machete vs. Switchblade:  To be honest, 6 inches isn't really that impressive, especially not in an all-out battle. But when you compre it to a blade three times longer and with more force behind each downward hack (as opposed to a forward stab) and the dinky little switchblade pales in comparison to a longer, heavier, harder-hitting blade. Look, I get it, a switchblade is concealable and portable, but this isn't a fight centered on stealth - it's a gang fight. When guns come blazin' you want to charge in with reach on your side if you're using a blade, and the switchblade doesn't offer that combat luxury. Big Smile Lee has a range advantage and an intimidation advantage when it comes to duking it out in a close-quarters fight.

Edge: Big Smile Lee

 Pistol 1: Dual Colt M1903 vs. H&K USP:  While the dual Colt pistols do allow for more combined ammo capacity, it's probably likely that Black Mask is going to be firing both simultaneously and at very, very close range, considering it's very difficult to aim down the sights of two guns at the same time. The USP has a larger round with more stopping power (.45 vs. .32) and a larger magazine (if you compare it to one Colt M1903 - and you might as well treat it as 8 rounds if they're being fired two at a time). Having to deal with two guns also puts a strain on logistics. Overall, I see firing one USP with both hands as offering more control, better accuracy, and better combat disciplline than firing two Colt pistols akimbo style.

Edge: Big Smile Lee

 Pistol 2: Colt Double Eagle vs. Desert Eagle:  I'm not a fan of the Desert Eagle (as you all know) thanks to its massively huge .50 caliber round. Sure, it's going to ruin someone's day when it hits them, but it's very, very difficult to aim properly with the D'Eagle thanks to the huge recoil offered as a result of the huge size of the bullet. The .45 ACP still offers very decent stopping power without the negative effect of unmanageable recoil, and the Colt has one more bullet per magazine to boot (+2 if there's one bullet in the chamber). But really what gets Black Mask the edge here is just how combat impractical Big Smile Lee's Desert Eagle is.

Edge: Black Mask

 Shotgun: Remington 870 vs. Hawk Type 97-1:  The two shotguns are even as far as ammo capacity is concerned (any smart gangster will take advantage of that +1 in the chamber possibility), and they're both pump action and have pistol grips to allow for better accuracy. But Big Smile Lee's Hawk Type 97-1 is a good two pounds lighter, has a stock (which allows the user to aim the gun against their shoulder, and which Black Mask's Remington 870 lacks), and a longer barrel which grants greater range and accuracy (as opposed to Black Mask's Remington 870). Yeah, if you're in close range the sawn-off will make some really grisly wounds, but that's good for intimidation and racketeering, not combat. The longer range, better reliability, and greater accuracy of Big Smile Lee's shotgun gets him the edge here.

Edge: Big Smile Lee

 Submachine Gun 1: Thompson vs. H&K UMP:  Both guns come loaded with the .45 round, which is going to hurt a lot when fired in rapid succession. The Thompson's 50-round drum mag means it can sustain its rather high fire rate of 700 rds/min, as opposed to the UMP's 25-round box mag and its fire rate of 600 rds/min - although the box mag will be notably easier to reload. The UMP is also almost half the weight of the big and heavy Thompson, making it more maneuverable in a close-quarters urban fight like the one presented here. I'm going to have to call this even - the better ergonomics of the UMP are evenly matched by the faster-firing, harder-hitting capabilities of the Tommy Gun.

Edge: Even

 Submachine Gun 2: MAC-10 vs. MP7:  So, yeah, both guns have 30-round mags, good to know. I'd prefer the MAC-10's .45 ACP round to the 4.6x30mm round of the MP7 because the MP7's bullet is designed to pierce armor (which means that it'll punch more cleanly through an unarmored target than a normal round, which might tumble or otherwise cause more trauma) while the MAC-10's .45 is a plain old big and bad bullet. The MP7 does have a longer range, though, and it weighs less and fires a slower, more controllable rate of fire - all of these practical aspects, to me, make the MP7 seem to be the more combat-efficient weapon (and no wonder; it's the more modern one, after all).

Edge: Big Smile Lee

 Assault Rifle: M16A2 vs. G36E:  When it comes to an assault rifle, the 30-round box mag and 5.56 NATO round comes pretty much standard. The M16A2 can fire faster than the G36E, but that might not necessarily be the best idea with a small 30-round magazine. And both guns have a maximum effective firing range of around 800 m. The tipping point, for me, is the fact that the G36's E variant comes with an adjustable 3x zoom sight, allowing for more precise shots at longer range. Black Mask's iron sights are less accurate as the distance increases.

Edge: Big Smile Lee

''' Explosive: Mk. II Grenade vs. Grenade Launcher: ''' This further supports my claim that the G36 is the superior rifle - it's got a grenade launcher to boot. Black Mask's hand grenade is certainly going to be a useful tool, but with less range and less explosive capabilities, it cannot compare to the easily accessible underbarrel grenade launcher.

Edge: Big Smile Lee

WINNER: BIG SMILE LEE

First of all, Big Smile Lee takes the majority of weapons advantages in nearly all catergories - most prominently at long range, with his grenade launcher-equipped G36E. Now, yes, some of you have mentioned that Black Mask's combat experience and marksmanship, but I'm still concerned at his sanity rating. Big Smile Lee still doesn't far too behind in the majority of categories, while he takes a huge leap ahead in the mental health department. I think that when the guns go a-blazing, the superior SMGs and assault rifles on the side of Big Smile Lee will be able to give him just enough to win a brief but intense gunfight.