User blog comment:Leolab/Ancient User Tourney, Round 12: Hirai Norio (Cfp) v Gaius Leopold (Wandering Skull)/@comment-4661256-20160812045013

El Alamein's Edges:

 Iconic: The Exiled's Companion vs. Salt:  Salt wins. The Exiled's Companion is a scary katana, and I'm sure that most other voters will go "katana=win," but hear me out. First of all, Salt is longer (48 inches > 2 and a half feet). This allows Gaius to maintain his distance, a disadvantage that Hirai will be desperately trying to overcome (especially since, if my interpretation is correct, Hirai's preference for "swift, short cuts" would work better at a closer distance than "larger sweeping arcs"). The bastard sword is also more versatile. It can be used as a single-handed weapon or as a two-handed weapon, whereas the katana is primarily a double-handed weapon. Also, Salt's much sturdier design will make it the harder-hitting weapon. It might even be able to break the blade of the Exiled's Companion if it hits it in the right spot. All in all, Gaius Leopold has quite a few advantages when it comes to a sword duel, and this gets him the edge.

Edge: Gaius Leopold

 Close Range: The Exiled's Companion vs. War Axe & Viking Shield:  It's a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison, but I'm inclined to give this to the axe and shield combo. The shield will help Gaius deflect a lot of Hirai's attacks and press forward (and, heck, it will be a pretty decent weapon in and of itself), where the axe will work wonders to bypass the samurai's armor. Simply put, Gaius' loadout at close range will allow him to overcome his opponent's close range attacks and then counter by pressing a close-range advantage.

Edge: Gaius Leopold

 Mid Range: Kanabo vs. Halberd:  The halberd easily wins. The kanabo is a big and heavy weapon and it seems to go counter to Hirai's fighting style. It's also got considerably shorter range than the halberd, which can boast of several different (armor-shredding) methods of attack. Not a lot to say here--the halberd's simply the more practical tool.

Edge: Gaius Leopold

 Long Range: Broken Oath vs. Composite Bow:  I am inclined to give the edge to Hirai simply because, as a samurai, he would be more experienced with the bow than Gaius (who doesn't have anything indicating a special proficiency with the bow). It doesn't really matter either way, because neither warrior has their bow as their starting weapon, so it would be ill-advised for either one to try to string the bow mid-duel, but Hirai Norio is still better with his.

Edge: Hirai Norio

 Special Weapons: The Twins vs. Salt:  If the samurai is as good as utilizing these against a polearm-wielding opponent as is indicated, then Gaius might be in for a surprise with his halberd. In addition, they are shorter than Salt, so if Hirai is able to clsoe the distance, he might be able to use the length of the bastard sword against Leopold. The only problem is that Salt hits a lot harder and has that initial reach advantage, so in my mind this is a fairly even comparison. I could see it going either way.

Edge: Even

 Armor:  Norio's armor is lighter, while Leopold's armor is made of a more protective material. The problem is that Norio's armor won't hold up against most of Gaius' attacks (particularly from Salt and the halberd, although that axe and shield will still be problematic), so he will really have to rely on speed and dodging to keep him safe. Leopold, meanwhile, is relatively protected from most of Norio's attacks (with the exception of the kanabo, which is considerably large and a bit slower on the swing), so he can afford to be a bit more weighed down. 45 lbs. is not an unreasonable weight to carry around, either. Ultimately, because Leopold's armor does its job so much better than Norio's does, he gets the edge.

Edge: Gaius Leopold

WINNER: GAIUS LEOPOLD

Gaius Leopold is a pretty decent counter to Hirai Norio's type of fighter. Norio relies on precision and quick strikes to hit the opponent where they're vulnerable--and while he can still do this in spots where Leopold is unarmored (like in the legs), the problem is that Leopold will know exactly where to expect incoming strikes. Leopold is also packing a harder-hitting arsenal with Salt (which is a hugely versatile tool) and the halberd (and while the axe and shield are a bit on the heavier side, they're still a very respectable close-quarters combination), which blow the Exiled's Companion and the kanabo completely out of the water. It's going to be a hard fight for both, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this is going to be a curbstomp. However, I still think that Gaius Leopold will be able to win (which, ironically, makes one of my lines in the rap battle incorrect--well, you know, I guess we'd know that if you just posted the rest of it, Skully. *grumbles and glares*).