User blog comment:Leolab/Ancient User Tourney, Round 4: Ganzorig (Wass) v Tiberius Proditus (EA)/@comment-97.124.243.215-20160611103719

Mongol vs Roman Clash of empire builders and of bastards

The man: Ganzorig vs Tiberius Proditus - not the most important factor.

Both empires were famous for changing the continent they inhabit. For that reason both were equally skill in combat but in different ways. Tiberius Proditus would be, as a front-line infantry, would be more use to working as a unit and closing the gap between lines. Ganzorig coming from a highly mobile army would be more adept at keeping the foe at a distance. The key here is that Tiberius Proditus is a self serving prick only thinking about himself. He would be more willing to do what was necessary to give the best chance of survival. Tiberius Proditus would use any trick he could think of to close that gap and engage as soon as possible. Also while both are most likely to fight dirty Tiberius Proditus evade pursuers and even trick them into a mistake that he capitalized on.

Edge: Tiberius Proditus

Initial equipment: Mongol Composite Bow vs Spatha and Scutum

This is comparing apples to oranges here. On one hand, you got a bow, and on the other you got a sword and shield. Both are meant to be used in a different way. The bow does have the range advantage and is able to punch through most of the defense of Tiberius Proditus. Spatha and Scutum has the advantage closer to the target and has a extra layer of defense to get through. Ultimately I put my vote towards Spatha and Scutum for that little bit of defense and the fact that Ganzorig does not have an effective way of stoping Tiberius Proditus from closing the distance with the initial equipment.

Edge: Tiberius Proditus

Short range: Persian Scimitar vs Spatha and Scutum. The Spatha is longer than the Scimitar, making it more useful in a fight. However the Scimitar is made of better material, and thus makes it less likely to break in a fight. The swords themselves are even, however we need to consider the Scutum shield. Even though the Scimitar is capable of damaging the shield, the shield could deflected a few blows. Even though the shield is going to slow Tiberius Proditus, the combination of the Spatha and Scutum is going to slightly beat the Scimitar, due to the slight protection. Edge: Tiberius Proditus

Mid Range: Guan Dao vs Pilum. The Guan Dao is a very good weapon for fighting at mid range, able to keep Tiberius Proditus at bay. While the pilum can be used to fight up close like a spear but without the range of a true spear. But, the Pilum is also a javelin which means, it can be thrown, giving it an advantage over Guan Dao. The factor that makes the Guan Dao a better choice is the number of Pilum. Due to the relative inaccurate of the Pilum it is better to have more then one. Since that is not the case for Tiberius Proditus carrying the Pilum, edge goes to the weapon that is not a javelin or makeshift spear.

Edge: Ganzorig

Long Range: Mongol Long Bow vs Plumbata Darts. The range on the Mongol long bow is 500m while the Plumbata darts range is 70m as stated in a previous entry. However in this match range will not matter that much. The Mongol Bow is a killer weapon and is a proven track record for winning some fights. However let's not discount the Plumbata Darts. They are relatively small, they are light, and they could be used without telegraphing that your using them. These darts have a chance of killing the target, or could be a fancy distraction. The main problem is that there only three darts to ten arrows. The darts will run out faster than the arrows. However I have to give it to the darts for the reasons stated above, and one more thing you could use the darts one handed. The bow needs both hands in order for it to be effective.

Edge: Tiberius Proditus

Special: Iron-Flanged Mace vs Pugio dagger. First off I like the ability of the mace to crush the armor or heads. Even a glancing blow from the mace is going to to be seriously painful and may incapacitate a limb. However that mace is going to be slow and a huge waste of energy. Since both warriors move at the same speed without weapons, that mace is going to slow down Ganzorig. On the other hand you have a mini sword or dagger for Tiberius Proditus. Now while the Pugio dagger does not have the massive damage potential of the mace, it has it own advantages. It is lighter, it more maneuverable, and it's a one handed weapon. The Pugio dagger can get around the armor, cut wounds, cut necks, and be something that can annoy the heck out of you. That being said it depends if the mace hits the target. The damage potential of the mace counters the speed of the dagger. I will say they are even only because the question 'will the mace land?' affects the short range game of these two specials.

Edge: Even

Armor: Leather/Iron Lameller vs Lorica Hamata. First off we need to know where the armor cover. For Ganzorig, his Lameller armor covers most of the chest, the back, the shoulders, and some of the upper leg. I going to assume that Ganzorig has a helmet that cover the scalp, and the back of his neck while leaving the face uncovered. For Tiberius Proditus, I just going refer to the description of the Lorica Hamata since it says what I was going to do. With that out of the way I say the Lorica Hamata wins. Sure it is not as good as the Lameller in material but there is more of it covering more parts of the body. Also the chain is going to force Ganzorig to go for trusts or go for unprotected parts. Same could be argue for Tiberius Proditus, however he has least armor to overcome. In addition the shield is going to add another layer of defense Ganzorig has to get through.

Edge: Tiberius Proditus

Overall Verdict: Tiberius Proditus is the winner due to small advantages that made him more versatile and better protected than Ganzorig. Tiberius Proditus takes the edge in short and long range and armor, while Ganzorig only had the edge in medium range. The better armored bastard wins this round.

Verdict: Tiberius Proditus.