User blog comment:SkullinBones1/Season 1 Finale. Viking vs Samurai Rematch/@comment-3189283-20200116113742

Let’s see shall we

Polearms

Pretty obvious edge for the winged spear. First of all it’s longer, which is always a key advantage when it comes to firearms. Secondly the Samurai didn’t use the Naginata all that often as they were mainly horse archers and the naginata was mostly used as an infantry weapon. Thirdly the winged spear will be especially effective at dismounting the Samurai from their horses and will also be useful in their preferred tactic of a shield wall. All of these factors make the winged spear a better option than the Naginata in this particular scenario.

Edge: Vikings

Ranged Weapon

Since this is a 100 vs 100 battle the Javelin actually has more of a use than it would in say a one on one or small squad battle because they can be launched enmasse and accuracy isn’t so much of a problem. Still they’re not going to be as effective as the Yumi because, you know, the Samurai were horse back archers first and foremost so they’re going to be skilled in using them. I’m not sure how well the Yumi will do against a Viking shield wall but it will have little problem getting through the Viking’s armour as it was meant to be used against heavily armoured opponents.

Edge: Samurai

Sword

The Tachi seems like a pretty good weapon for use on horseback with it’s curved blade making it good for striking at infantry like the Vikings. However I doubt how effective it will be against a shield wall and the chain mail the Vikings are wearing will help to defend against its slashing attacks. The Sverd is longer and is more versatile being able to stab or slash and is also able to used in conjunction with the Viking’s shield. Again though I’m not sure how well it will do against the heavily armoured Samurai whose O-Yoroi armour can easily soak up the damage. I can’t really give either an edge here because they’ll both struggle against the armour the other warrior is wearing.

Edge: Even

Armour

As heavy cavalry the Samurai are rocking a highly defensive based armour which is focused on tanking damage over being light and flexible. This will help then greatly against the Vikings who are going to have serious trouble with actually getting through their armour. The Viking’s armour is not as good as the Samurai’s defensively but it does allow for greater movement and their shields are especially helpful for defending against the Samurai’s Yumi, especially when used in their favoured shield wall formation. Like with the swords I can’t really see myself giving an edge to either, they both suit their purpose well and provide a good defence against the weapons their opponent is bringing.

Edge: Even

Final Verdict

Hoo boy this is a tough one to call. There isn’t really much to call when it comes to weaponry, they both have swords that probably won’t be that effective and their way of dealing with the other would be different; the Vikings are probably going to try and dismount the Samurai with their spears while the Samurai are going to be focused on picking them off with archery. Each of their preferred strategy is also not of huge help here; the shield wall will make it hard for the Samurai to utilise their hit and run tactics and the Vikings can’t really utilise their javelin throwers for risk of being picked off by archers. While the Vikings do have experience in fighting against horseback archers it doesn’t seem like it was something they’d have done often and certainly not something they’d have prepared vigorously for. The Samurai have a lack of experience against shield walls but considering their strategy is harassing the enemy they’re unlikely to try and attack it directly which makes the battle a bit of a stalemate really; at least until somebody actually tries to make a move.

In the end I’m going to give the advantage to the Samurai but only just. The main reason for this is that, while the shield formation will cause problems for them they have a couple of important advantages. Their primary form of attack is via archery which means they don’t have to risk going into melee range and getting skewered by the Viking’s spears and also allows them to chip away at any Viking who breaks formation. They are also mounted which gives them a mobility advantage over the Vikings so they could possibly try and exploit the shield wall by sending part of their forces to try and flank while the others keep the Vikings pinned down. The Samurai also have the tougher armour so they can afford to take a few more blows than the Vikings.

In conclusion while I do think this is a very close battle the Samurai should be able to come out on top as I feel the Vikings are too dependent on their shield wall in order to nullify the Samurai’s usual tactics and breaking it, either as part of a tactic to try and get the upper hand or from being forced into it by the Samurai, is not going to end well for them. The Samurai’s stricter training is also going to help play into this as they are less likely to break from their tactics and will be more disciplined in how they operate. The Norsemen will put up a valiant fight but in the end the Samurai should be able to end up the victors.

Samurai: 2,550

Viking: 2,450