User blog comment:Duncan322/Shaolin monks VS. Viking/@comment-27334870-20180129234322

Dargoo Faust's [REDACTED] Edges: "Corners of the World"

Weapons

Close Range - Viking

Ultimately, the Vikings will dominate at a close range when it comes to swordplay, as while the swords have similar lengths, weights, and metallurgies, the Monks lack armor, and will generally be less comfortable up close. That said, if the monks can close distance, they should be able to utilize martial arts to trip up the vikings, but that should be improbable for seasoned swordsmen.

Mid Range - Viking

The Axe takes the edge for legality, and when it matches the reach of the staff it's going to deal some serious damage. Granted, the Monks should be able to attack with remarkably faster timing, and should generally land more hits due to how heavy the axe is, however the Viking's armor once again makes dealing truly lethal damage here unlikely.

Long Range - Shaolin Monk

I'm giving the edge to the Guando due to it's ability to be used as a disarming weapon, which should be able to deal with the thrusting attacks of the spear. I'm no expert on viking combat, but I'm reasonably sure they did not use that specific design of spear as a thrown weapon, so ultimately the Guando should pull its weight more often, and possibly even deal with the Vikings better close ranged weapons.

Special - Viking

Easy edge for the viking. While the dao is a finely designed sword, the defensive options a shield can provide for a warrior, alongside the armor Vikings would typically wear make their defenses a major obstical for the Monks to overcome.

X- Factors and Verdict

One thing to put in battles to help make things more clear is X-Factors, or descriptions on how well the warriors excel in certain aspects of combat such as training, experience, tactics, brutality, et cetera. You can make a chart and assign numbers to them, and this'll help your voters make verdicts more easily on your battles and saves them some research time.

That said, I'm giving this battle to the Viking. In a close ranged, melee battle, the Viking will be a tank that the Monk needs to focus on tripping up instead of directly damaging, however being experienced swordsmen the Vikings should not go down that easily. The Monk's lack of armor ultimately seals the deal for me, while the Vikings will be able to take many hits from the Monks, the reverse is far from true.

DEADLIEST WARRIOR - THE VIKING