Registered: Jul 2005
Location: Captain's Chair, CA
I know, that's why I said "take that for what it's worth."
In the Viking Vs Samurai episide, the katana only nicked the Viking's iron chain-mail, despite numerous attempts to cut through. I don't think it could do more to a heavy bronze shield during battle conditions.
I've been doing some research on their shields and I think you're right. In fact, the Bronze metal would be easier to cut than the wooden protion. The Wooden protio nwas quite thick. The shields weighed, sometimes, over 30 lbs. They were a slab of wood, basically. i was thinking they were much thinner with a coat of bronze. Not the case.
However, the hoplite's armor is made of bronze. Should be no problem to stab through. In same instances, should be no problem to even slice through.
All the same, i'd try to attack non-covered spots if I was the Samurai. Katanas can barely cut mail, so i'm not hopeful towards it's prospects of cutting metal plate in battle, even if it is just bronze.
I'd give this to the samurai all the same, though. Their armor and weaponry is just much more advanced, being made of steel. Samurai vs. knight would be a much more even topic for discussion imo.
I still can't believe they paired a Spartan against a Ninja. What an obscure match-up. Fully trained warrior versus an assassin. It's like comparing apples to oranges; sure they're both fruit, but c'mon!
Spartan versus a Samurai, or a Knight, would have been better. Put the Ninja up against the Viking or something.
__________________ Recently Produced and Distributed Young but High-Ranking Political Figure of Royal Ancestry within the Modern American Town Affectionately Referred To as Bel-Air.
__________________ Recently Produced and Distributed Young but High-Ranking Political Figure of Royal Ancestry within the Modern American Town Affectionately Referred To as Bel-Air.
Registered: Jan 2005
Location: Northumberland,
United Kingdom
Samurai would win it as far as I'm concerned... Better weaponary, more modern tactics. I mean, in the 16th century they used gunpowder... Even without that they had their Yumi, which was a decent powered compound bow.
And the people who say that the spartans were more skilled... How is this even possible to know? A Samurai spent his life training, so how can you say he is less skilled?
Registered: Jan 2005
Location: Northumberland,
United Kingdom
Haha,
Saigō Takamori's rebels numbered around 40,000 in total, until they dwindled to about 400 at the final stand at the Battle of Shiroyama. Although they fought for the preservation of the caste of the samurai, and officers often wore samurai cuirasses, they did not neglect Western military methods: they used guns and cannons, and all contemporary depictions of Saigō Takamori represent him wearing the uniform of a Western general. At the end of the conflict, running out of material and ammunition, they had to fall back to close-quarter tactics and the use of swords, bows and arrows. In a parallel to the movie, they also fought for a more virtuous form of government (their slogan was "新政厚徳", "New government, High morality").
On the battle featured at the end of The Last Samurai.
That would be a good point, if not for the first post specifying that the samurai was "from the Sengoku period is his Yorei armour and his huge helm and his Yari and Katana and Wakizashi ". So looks like this is specifically a close-quarters fight.
Registered: Jan 2005
Location: Northumberland,
United Kingdom
My main point still stands though, better equipped with more modern tactics... Tactics that have been developed through the centuries since the Spartans.
The Samurai would be aware of the Spartan's fighting style... The Spartan would have never heard of a Samurai.
Why would Samurai from the sengoku period know anything about Spartans? I seriously doubt, with most outside influence then being from missionaries and british/dutch traders, and other than that fairly isolated, they would have even heard of the Spartans. Hell before "300" came out most westerners couldn't have told you anything about spartan tactics.
Nov 20th, 2009 04:52 AM
That's a good point. Depending on the era the Samurai could just shoot the Spartan.
