User blog comment:Leolab/Ancient User Tourney, Round 1: Hirai Norio (Cfp) v William Vigiles (Alock)/@comment-4661256-20160520205829

El Alamein's Edges:

 Iconic: The Exiled's Companion vs. Oak Truncheon:  This is such a one-sided weapons comparison that it's not even funny--I genuinely feel bad for William Vigiles because he's just going to get his ass beaten so, so fast. The Exiled's Companion is longer, is made of a superior material, and is actually designed to kill an opponent. The oak truncheon has the capacity to be lethal over the course of repeated strikes to the head, but Vigiles doesn't really try to kill people with it anyway. Overall, because the Exiled's Companion is a cutting sword going up against what is, in essence, a medieval police baton, it takes a serious edge. No pun intended.

Edge: Hirai Norio

 Mid Range: Kanabo vs. Longsword:  The two weapons are of equivalent lengths, but in my opinion it's quite obvious which weapon is superior. The kanabo's heavy weight will work against it here--while its size does mean basically any strike will shatter a bone, it also means that it will be cumbersome to wield and that its recovery time on a missed swing will be painfully substantial. The longsword can effectively stab or slash, and its large blade length gives it a ton of killing surface area that Vigiles will desperately need if he wants to stand a chance against Norio.

Edge: William Vigiles

 Long Range: Broken Oath vs. Crossbow:  Obvious edge for Norio's yumi. In such a confined arena, neither warrior's ranged weapon is going to be particularly viable, but the yumi still beats the crossbow. For one thing, Norio is likely more competent with his bow than Vigiles is with his. It's much simpler to load (which also translates to a faster reload) and it's probably got the potential for a stronger draw weight, depending on Norio's strength. The crossbow, is, admittedly, easier to aim, but that's about it, and while Vigiles tries to load a second bolt, he'll absolutely get killed. That being said, neither weapon is particularly effective in this scenario.

Edge: Hirai Norio

 Special Weapon: The Twins vs. Dagger:  Well, Vigiles' dagger is probably going to be one of his most effective weapons, just because its short length and narrow tip make it optimal for getting through small weak points in armor. I don't see Norio's twin wakizashi swords being of equal effectiveness up-close. Since Norio uses them against polearm-wielding opponents (a weapon class that Vigiles lacks), and since they are considerably longer than the dagger, if Vigiles manages to get right in Norio's face, he will actually be able to press an advantage.

Edge: William Vigiles

 Armor: Do-maru vs. Guard Outfit:  Holy crap, I really feel like 120 lbs. is excessive in terms of weight for a guy's armor. Like, holy shit, Alock, that's just... how does your guy move? Norio's armor is way, way more balanced--sure it has its weak points that could potentially be exploited, but overall its level-of-protection-to-mobility-afforded ratio is just way better than Vigiles' mess of a suit. It's just a no-brainer.

Edge: Hirai Norio

WINNER: HIRAI NORIO

Easy win for Cfp's character. William Vigiles has comparatively less combat experience, comparatively inferior training, and an impractically heavy suit of armor that will all work wonders against him. Not only that, but his primary weapon is a nonlethal tool going up against a katana. To top it all off, William Vigiles doesn't actively seek to kill his opponents--sure, he'll start trying once he sees how dangerous Hirai Norio is, but by then it will be way, way too late. The ronin is by far the better disciplined, trained, experienced, armed, and armored warrior in this comparison.