User blog comment:Kazanshin/Powerhouses of the East: Samurai vs Song Soldier/@comment-39845974-20191231161623

Swords: Both of these weapons are very good on the cut, but neither are gonna be able to hack through their enemies armor with any level of effectiveness. But, unlike the Tachi, the Shoudao does still pack a heavy punch purely in terms of blunt force impact. The Shoudao has the ability to most definitely do some damage to the Samurai through his armor even it doesn't actually chop through it, while the Tachi most likely couldn't do so. Edge: Song.

Polearms: This answer is pretty clear cut to me. The Naginata is a good weapon and is itself fairly effect on both foot and horseback. But the main place were it fails is that I doesn't have enough to pack the punch to go through the Song warriors Lamellar. The Qudao on the other hand, has much more of an ability to damage an enemy through armor and potentially break the armor. While the Naginata is itself more mobile on horseback, it doesn't mean that the Qudao can't be used on horse back well. So in the end, while you could argue the fact that the Naginata could hit the Song warrior more, the strikes from the Naginata are very unlikely to go through the Song warriors armor. The Qudao on the other hand can much more effectively do damage on the hit, making it much more deadly in this battle. Edge: Song.

Bows: This is a hard one to call actually. While the Crossbow has greater range and can easily impact with much more force, it really can only be used once before having to be discarded. While it is possible to load a heavy crossbow while on horseback, it's not going to be easy even in optimal condition. Being in intense battle with arrows and and blades coming at you are not what I would say are optimal condition. But in the end, I'm not convinced that the Yumi could pierce the Song armor. While its a strong longbow and can pack one hell of a god damn punch, I personally don't think it could effectively go through the Song lamellar, its only real chance of doing damage being that it could possibly pierce the Eye slit (Which would take someone like robin hood to hit on a general basis). On the other hand, I feel that the crossbow could go through the O-yoroi in the end. The crossbow was able to go through the armor of contemporary cultures to the Song, Who themselves wore similar armor. If it could go through the much heavier and tougher Lamellar of the Chinese of the time, I am confident that it could pierce O-yoroi. So in the end, I am split. We have a weapon which has a single shot that could quite possibly pierce its enemies armor, and we have a different choice which has multiple shots which is unlikely to kill its enemy even if it does hit. Edge: Tie.

Heavy melee: While Both weapons could do a great deal of damage while on horse back and one foot, its clear too me what weapon is better. While the mace is easier to use in general, its simple design and lack of an edge making it easier to strike with, but its lack of an edge limits in greatly in terms of damage. The axe will always do more damage, mainly becuase it can apply all the axes weight and impact onto a narrow blade. This design allows for it too literally hack into or through armor, making it do much more damage all in all. And the 2 weapons are around the same size so I'm guessing they are around the same weight, making them about speed, with the mace possibly being even slower. So we have a weapon which can do much more damage, while possibly even being more mobile in the hand. No contest here. Edge: Samurai.

Armor: Both sets of armor are very heavy and clunky. While the Chinese armor is itself heavier, it's hampering on mobility is actually similar to the O-yoroi due to O-yoroi's shoulder heavy weight distribution. When it comes down too it, you have a little comparison. Do you want a slight advantage in mobility or do you want a slight advantage in defence. I personally prefer the advantage in defence. This is made worst for the Japanese set of armor, mainly because the 2 groups of warriors are mounted, making the mobility problems mostly moot. But the Chinese armor and its better defencive advantages still apply. And when you consider the fact that the Song warrior has an armored horse. This makes his mount much more durable and able to take damage much more effectively. With these 2 slight edges in the favor of the Song, I am personally favoring the song here. Edge: Song.

X-factor.

Training: The Samurai were between the 2 much more schooled and drilled with their Kata's and manuvers, But in the end the Song warriors aren't far behind. Both could follow orders very well, being drilled in following the orders of drums, trumpets and banners. So in the end, I'm gonna have to give it to the Samurai, here but not my very much. Edge: Samurai.

Experience: Both of these warriors would have some combat experience, but to me the Song would have entered battle more. While the Samurai would have entered combat on a semi regular basis in little land disputes and against people like the mongols, the Song delt with a very large and powerful enemy who they fought with on a regular basis. So in the end, I'm favoring the Song warrior here. Edge: Song.

Tactics: Between the 2 groups, I'm split. The way the Samurai fight is makes them very hard to catch and pin down, making it hard for the Song to actually pin them down and crush them with their chunkier and heavier melee weapons. But This comes back to bite the Samurai, mainly due too their lack of ranged weapons which could effectively pierce the Song warriors Lamellar. So its basically just a battle between 2 groups who can't effectively hit each other. One whos just too fast and stays at arms length and the other one who is just too tanking to effectively get taken out. So accordingly, I'm giving it a tie. Edge: Tie.

Winner. To me, This is a tough one to call. While the Song Cataphract took the grand majority of equipment edges, it really doesn't matter when considering they were all edges on melee, an area were the battle won't take place much. If the 2 groups entered melee and were melee combatants primarily, I would favor the Song warrior. But due to the Samurai using odd tactics which keep them at range, this battle will not likely enter melee for very long. But were the Samurai fail is in the fact that the Samurai's longbow won't be able too pierce the Song warriors Steel Lamellar on any type of regular basis. While I think that its possible to pierce the armor in bit at close range or be able to score an eye shot if one of the Samurai is lucky, I don't think the Yumi has what it takes the effectively pierce the Song armor. But in the end the Song warriors are much to standard and simple in their attempts to actually get close enough to kill the Samurai. While the Crossbow could quite possibly pierce the O-yoroi, It really only has one shot. And I'm guessing that maybe only one of the dudes actually carries a crossbow. So in the end, the battle could really only go 2 ways. The Samurai might be able too pick off the Song overtime, eventually scoring some Robin hood level of hit on the eyes and other such places. The other way it could go is that the Samurai might either run out of arrows or their horse will start to run out of stamina, letting the Song get in close combat and start hacking the Samurai to pieces with their heavier weapons and over time beat them down. Both of these scenarios seem unlikely, with the 2 groups eventually either giving it up or running off after the battle starts to take much too long. But I do think that one of the scenarios is more likely too happen. I feel that if the 2 groups were of a mind send that they were gonna fight too the death and weren't gonna back down, then I feel that that Conlusion were the Song warriors eventually burn out the Samurai and finally catch up too them is only slightly more likely too happen. The Samurai win goes down more too chance, it relying on the Samurai both being insanely lucky or them just being Robin freaking hood. The Song victory banks itself on the fact that the Samurai won't be able to hold off and stay at a distance forever. Eventually their horses will start to fatigue and they Song warriors will catch up and hack them to pieces. In my mind, the battle in real life would actually almost certainly be a tie, with both sides giving up and either one side or both side running away. But they they decided that they were gonna try and run each other down and not give it, then I feel the ending were the Song is more likely too happen, by like a little bit. This is probably the hardest battle I've ever had to call. But in the end, I'm favoring the Song by just the slightest bit. Winner: Song.