User blog comment:Kazanshin/Sun Tzu vs Hongi Hika (Maori)/@comment-3189283-20180815120640

Let's see shall we

Close Range 

The Jian has the all advantages here. It's got the longer blade, is made of the better material, has a larger killing surface and has more versatility in it's usage. Sure the more compact size of the Toki Axe means it operates better in a closer range but the unarmoured Hongi Hika and his men will be stabbed full of holes before they can get there.

Edge: Sun Tzu

Mid Range

The Taiaha is a pretty solid weapon with duel purpose as both a club and a spear as well as being the Maori's lifeblood when it came to warfare; they adored this weapon and spent years training with it. The Zhua is a clumsy, clunky weapon that probably didn't even exist and even if it did wouldn't be used nearly as much as the Maori use their Taiaha.

Edge: Hongi Hika 

Long Range

Call me crazy but I'm actually going to side with the Repeating Crossbow here. The muskets Hongi Hika brought and used were trade muskets designed for merchants, not military grade rifles. Hence they had a much shorter effective range (around about 40 metres) and was more prone to malfunction and misfire. Even without these limitations the Repeating Crossbow can spit out way more arrows than the Musket can in a similar time span and against the unarmoured Maori it will wreak havoc. Not to mention the bolts were posioned tipped, causing even more problems if they hit the bare skin of the Maori.

Edge: Sun Tzu

Special Weapon

The Bishou is a decent dagger I guess but it's going up against the skull crushing power of the Mere Club. No contest.

Edge: Hongi Hika

Armour

The Lamellar Armour isn't great but it provides some protection against the various melee weapons being used by the Maori. Hong Hika's complete lack of armour however makes him much more vulnerable to Sun Tzu's weapons, the Jian and the Repeating Crossbow especially.

Edge: Sun Tzu

Final Verdict 

I can't believe I'm typing this but I'm actually going to give the win to Sun Tzu in this battle. No you didn't read that wrong, I think Sun Tzu is finally going to end his 9 battle loss streak here. What really kills Hong Hika and his Maori in this battle is their lack of armour and going up against steel weaponry and poisioned tipped arrows they'll suffer grave injuries. Sun Tzu's lack of combat experience would be a problem in a one on one but this is a group battle and his men would be well versed in combat themselves so this minimises this disadvantage. Sun Tzu simply has the better weaponry here and is backed up by a limited but still effective armour and that should carry him to victory over his unarmoured adversary.

Sun Tzu: 3,000

Hongi Hika: 2,000