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Originally Posted by Lunatock
There are also variables i.e. **** happens that would be more likely to play into the samurai's hands.
Huge battle, Samurai that lose thier swords would be able to pick up and use Knight swords. Whereas the KNights don't know the biggest rule about fighting with a Katana if they lose thier swords. Always block with the side of it, not with the edge of the blade. A Katana is too thin to parry a sword strike that way.
Indoor fighting. Majority of Knights have thier one general purpose sword, samurai could tip the odds in their favor be having a Katana and a Wakizashi at thier disposal. Wakizashi being much easier to wield inside a Japanese or European castle than the most weapons the knights would use.
But how about Samurai vs Roman Legionares? The Romans got very close to invading the Norseman's home turf. And not quite so close to Japan.
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Good points. I'd like to know if we're talking mounted or foot. Mounted, a knight on a destrier (closest modern equiv. a shire or plough horse 7' at the shoulder) and in plate with pony in plate barding would smash our unfortunate nihonjin to shite. Destrier were only employed when stalion and trained to attack on their own account, being shod forword with sharpenned shoe. A Katana, a No Dachi, a Naginata or indeed any of the Japanese pole arms would not cut plate mail. Katana aren't meant for thrusting attack anyway. For the knight think of these possibilities: heavy lance, sword, broadsword, bastardsword, SHIELD, mace, flail, Irish flail, pick, morning star, halberd, axe, double headed axe, poleaxe. For starters. In the time period under discusion most chivalric fatalities in western battles were caused by internal rupture as opposed to bladed penetration of armour. For those that were, see above list. The plate on Knights was THICK. Samurai's only chance might be an asymetric bow. Besides at the time Western knights were well fed and, due to training, built like WWF wrestlers. Samurai, despite martial prowess were still short arsed. And only wearing **** armour.