User blog comment:Cfp3157/History is Rewritten for a Final Time! Rome's Enemies vs. England's Foes!/@comment-4661256-20140911023848

El Alamein's Edges:

=Hannibal vs. Saladin:==

 Close Range: Falcata vs. Scimitar:  Both of these are slashing weapons (as opposed to a more traditional, European thrusting sword) which gave both warriors distinct advantages over their foes in battle. However, the Falcata's shorter blade makes it a superior chopping/hacking weapon, whereas Saladin's scimitar is a superior slashing weapon (chopping meaning inflicting more blunt trauma, slashing meaning inflicting a deeper, longer cut). Saladin's chainmail is going to be not only more effective against Hannibal's weaponry, but it's going to let him be more mobile on the battlefield, allowing him to land quicker strikes on his North African foe.

Edge: Saladin

 Mid Range: Sarissa vs. Halberd:  Umm... I'm pretty sure the Halberd would be a weapon you'd see most likely in the hands of Saladin's European foes, not Saladin himself. Considering he was a mounted warrior, some sort of spear/lance would be the more appropriate choice here. But, the Halberd is by far more effective than the Sarissa, which is a very unwieldy weapon (20m long IIRC) meant to be used en masse in a phalanx-type formation. The shorter halberd, with its axe-head and hook, allow Saladin to be deadly against mounted foes and foot soldiers alike.

Edge: Saladin

 Armor: Bronze Musculata/Shield vs. Chainmail/Steel Shield:  Simply put, Saladin's armor is lighter and more durable.

Edge: Saladin

WINNER: SALADIN

Saladin was, historically, a more capable and more successful commander than Hannibal. The fact that he's more technologically advanced and more mobile gives him a massively OP'd winning combo. Hannibal, quite frankly, is screwed.

Spartacus vs. William Wallace
 Close Range: Pugio vs. Dirk:  The Pugio is a tiny, tiny, weak little insignificant dagger. There is literally nothing special about it - it's like the KA-BAR of its day. Yes, it gets the job done, sometimes, but... it's too small. The "highland" variant of the dirk dagger is probably longer (at 11 in. it's a sizeable knife) that is going to be more effective in the battle space under the control of the larger Scotsman.

Edge: William Wallace

 Mid Range: Claymore vs. Gladius:  Gladius vs. Dirk would be more fair than this. The 2-foot gladius does not compare to the claymore whatsoever. The claymore can probably deliver blunt trauma through armor if it's got a raging Scotsman swinging than bloody thing around. Comparing the gladius to the claymore is kind of like comparing a pistol to an assault rifle... yeah, technically they're the same type of weapon (swords / guns) but they do vastly different things in a fight.

Edge: William Wallace

 Armor: Gladiator Crap vs. Highland Chainmail:  See Hannibal vs. Saladin for this rationale, only include the fact that Spartacus' armor sucks even more, because it protects him even less.

Edge: William Wallace

WINNER: WILLIAM WALLACE

More modern warrior, with superior weapons, armor, and physicality, as well as a marginally greater success rate (it should be noted that both were killed, but Spartacus' slave wars ended with his death while Wallace's death spurred the Scots under Robert the Bruce to keep fighting and, ultimately, win).

Arminius vs. Shaka:
 Close Range: Club vs. Axe:  The Zulu Axe is certainly a decent cutting weapon, but I see Arminius' leather and iron armor giving the axehead trouble in this confrontation. The fact that the club is engineered to literally bash skulls in through helmets, coupled with the fact that Shaka is not wearing a helmet (or much of anything, to be quite frank here) really puts him at a disadvantage that he'll be hard-pressed to overcome. Arminius can block the axe with his shield - if Shaka blocks the club with his shield, he's losing the bones in the arm behind it.

Edge: Arminius

 Mid Range: Hunting Spear vs. Iklwa:  The Iklwa is a short spear, which, again, means Shaka has to close the distance and content with Arminius' game-changing club.