DW Rematch: Apache vs. Gladiator

So I have been rewatching some Deadliest Warrior lately and that has inspired me to dust of this little gem that has been rotting in my sandbox for more than a year now. Instead of using a composite gladiator like DW did, I picked the sagittarius, a type of mounted gladiator who shot poor fools for the entertainment of the blood thirsty Roman crowds. Can the Apache, the fierce warriors of the Southwestern US, obtain victory onces more? Or will the sagittarius avange the gladiator's loss? Only one way to find out!

Apache

Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These people fought the U.S Government in a series of colonial conflicts from 1851 to 1906. They adopted a style of guerrilla warfare to compensate for their technological disadvantage against their foes, and enjoyed a psychological advantage over their enemies as they would ambush at extremely close ranges and disappear right afterward.

• Bowie Knife
• Apache Self Bow
• Buffalo Hide Shield
• Native American Horse

An all-purpose steel fighting knife with a crossguard and a clip point used commonly by settlers in the Old West. The Apache got their hands on this knife through looting or trading. Its blade is 46 cm long and weighs 0.4 kg.

A bow made out of a single piece of mulberry wood. The Apache used these bows for hunting and as a side arm for when their rifle ran out of ammo. They would've had a draw strength of about 14-18 kg and a range of about 120 meters. The arrows had a flint tip.

A shield with a wooden base and one or multiple layers of hardened buffalo hides. They were created to deflect arrows instead of outright blocking them. The shield is lightweight and had a diameter of 50-60 cm.

Despite the name, Native American Horses are actually descended from horses brought to America by the Spanish. As a crossbreed of various horses including Mustangs and Arabian Horses they have many of the features these possess such as agility and endurance, able to survive in the hot summers of the southern US plains comfortably and travel long distances without fatigue. They stand at between 13-16 hands (132-162 cm from the ground to the withers) in height.

Sagittarius

A sagittarius was a type of gladiator that fought as a mounted archer. They were considered somewhat elite and often better fed and taken care of. Being a sagittarius also required a lot skill as one had to be accurate enough to avoid hitting the spectators. Sagittarii fought in mock battle against noxii, criminals and prisoners of war who were forced to fight as gladiators, a battle that was larely meant to be a showcase of the archer's skill and metaphorical of Rome's victories over its enemies. During this battles the amphitheatre would be adorned with rocks, trees and bushes to provide cover to the noxii, giving them a bigger chance than they would have otherwise. Sagittarii were modled off the mounted auxillery troops used by the Roman Army.

• Pugio
• Roman Reflex Bow
• Lorica Hamata
• Maremmano

Though the sagittarius was a mounted archer, it would've been likely that they carried a pugio or gladius as a sidearm. For this battle, the sagittarius will have an iron pugio with a 'leaf shape' blade 28 cm in length. It weighs 0.5 kg.

A reflex bow is a type of composite bow that has curved or curled arms which turn away from the archer throughout their length. This allows a bow that is significantly shorter than a recurve or a longbow to shoot with the same or greater velocity and power. This type of bow is most often used by the horse archers of Asia and Europe. It has a draw weight of 14 kg to 30 kg. Couldn't find a maximum range, unfortunately. The arrowheads would have been made out of iron or copper.

The lorica hamata is a type of mail armor used by the Romans. It comprised alternating rows of closed washer-like rings punched from iron sheets and rows of riveted rings made from drawn wire that ran horizontally, producing very flexible, reliable and strong armour. A standard lorica hamata weighed around 11 kg.

The Maremmano is a breed of horse originating in the Maremma area of Tuscany and northern Lazio in Italy. Originally a crossbreed, the Maremmano was a mix of Spanish, Barb, Neapolitan and Arabian horses. The Maremmano is known from being sturdy, having a lot of stamina, and being adapt to bad weather and rough terrain. It generally stands between 15 and 15.3 hands (152 and 160 cm from the weithers to the ground).

X-Factors

Training

Archery and horse riding were very important to the Apache life style, so they would have been taught both skills from an early age. They would often train in with wrestling games and mock battles. In order to built stamina, breathing control, and will power, young Apache boys dipped themselves in frigid mountain streams and sprinted hills with a mouthful of water they couldn't swallow. A boy's training would be completed when they had partaken in four raids.

Some gladiators were former soldiers and would thus would have received training before volunteering to become a gladiator. Veterans who chose to become a sagittarius were likely former members of auxillery from Syria. But weither they were a former soldier, condemed criminal, or citizen, all gladiators had to undergo training in a gladiator school. Volunteers required the permission of a magistrate to become a gladiator and then be assessed by a school's physicians. If found to be suitable, a gladiator would train under a teacher (likely former gladiators) into their fighting style. Fighting styles were probably learned through constant rehearsal. Ones the gladiator was deemed to be ready by their teacher, they would be allowed to enter the ring.

Experience

The Apache are often said to have a warrior culture, a reputation that is well earned. In order to survive and thrive, the Apaches were forced to raid other tribes and American and Mexican settlements for resources. They would often make use of hit-and-run tactics, often getting close to their enemy before striking, using the element of suprise to gain an advantage. Despite their violent reputation, the Apache rarely waged outright war against another tribe or the nation they lived in, only doing so as retribution if any slights has been inflicted upon them. Sometimes, the Apache were forced to fight the American or Mexican armies to defend their land.

Again, some who would volunteer to become a sagittarius were likely former Syrian auxillery who would have acted as skirmisher units, getting close enough to fire at their enemy before quickly moving out of range. Battles sagittarii would engage in were against multiple noxii, criminals who were condemed to die, who fought on foot. These 'battles' were largely for show as the noxii would have stood very little chance against their mounted enemy, and was largely to show off the archer's skill.

Notes

• The battle takes place in an open field.
• The battle will end when bot or either warrior has been killed, knocked out, wounded to the point they can't fight anymore, or have sucessfully retreated.
• This battle will be a 1v1.

Voting Rules

• Votes need to either be broken up into edges or a detailed summary on why either warrior.
• I decide which vote does or does not count.
• A rebuttal can knock a vote down to half a point.
• Voting ends when I decided I have had enough votes.