Deadliest Warrior

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

On Spike TV (if any of you have this channel), they're already into the second season of Deadliest Warrior.  If you haven't seen this, it's simply putting the best warriors in history against each other, comparing an even number of weapons each warrior uses, their tactics, and their common mindset, and then set up a fight simulation a thousand times to determine which side wins more.  It's somewhat interesting in information, but much of it is simply more graphic in gore, which is probably why this show will never be on History or Military Channel.

The first season had:

Samurai vs Viking = Samurai won
Ninja vs Spartan = Spartan won
Mafia vs Yakuza = Mafia won
Apache vs Roman Gladiator = Apache won
Shaolin Monk vs Maori = Shaolin Monk won
Spetsnaz vs Green Beret = Spetsnaz won
Taliban vs Irish Republican Army = IRA won
William Wallace vs Shaka Zulu = William Wallace won
Pirate vs Knight = Pirate won


Then a brief revisit of first season warriors:

Samurai vs Spartan = Spartan won
IRA vs Spetsnaz = Spetsnaz won


Now, in the second season, we've got:

SWAT vs GSG-9 = SWAT won
Alexander the Great vs Attila the Hun = Attila won
Jesse James gang vs Al Capone gang = Jesse James won
Aztec Jaguar vs Zande Warrior = Zande Warrior wins
German SS vs Viet Cong = Waffen SS won
Roman Centurion vs Rajput = Rajput won
Medillan Cartel vs Somali Pirates = Somali Pirates won
Persian Immortal vs Celt = Immortal wins
CIA vs KGB = CIA won
Vlad the Impaler vs Sun Tzu = Vlad wins
Ming Warrior vs Musketeer = Musketeer wins
Comanche vs Mongol = Comanche wins
Navy SEALs vs Israeli Commandos = SEALs win (closest match ever!)

And others I can't remember...

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

Update:  Jesse James gang beats Al Capone gang with 54% victories.  I figured that Jesse James' skills in gunfighting more than made up for lack of technology compared to Al Capone.

Aztec Jaguar vs Azande Warrior is next week.

[jedi472]

I'm really enjoying this show. Personally, I think the Aztec'll win.

[WeirdRaptor]

The show in question is complete bullshit. None of the various warriors' tactics or how their weapons were ever used in investigated. Its just straight weapon vs weapon, which is total fail.

When did you ever fight just one pirate, Spartan, ninja, or Apache? You didn't. Pirates always attacked in groups of least sixty...in pirate ships, with over a dozen cannons. Spartan used the shield wall, and always attacked as units. Ninjas are assassins who came up behind you and shoved knives into your back. And Apaches ambushed people, never fighting fair. Skip this show and watch mythbusters instead.

Another thing: they tossed the Indians out of the champs section because of lack of armor or technology, no nevermind that did fight people with armor and superior weapons: the U.S. frikkin military. Just ask Custer. Oh wait...

Edit: Yet anothet thing, they also misused the Crossbow, which was a revolutionary because anyone can use it. It's not meant to be used the same as regular bows and arrows. On top of that, their "assessment" of non-lethal police equipment is bullshit. Yeah, the flashbang didn't kill anyone, but guarantee that if I had the moronic ex-military hold while it exploded in his frikkin face I could walk in and have my merry way with him and he wouldn't be able to do a damn thing about it.

Edit 2: In conclusion, if you're not going to take into consideration just how these historical figures operated while trying to decide who is the best warrior: you're failing. A ninja would never fight a Spartan in the open. If some unlucky ninja encounteder Spartans out in the open, he'd be bumrushed by a whole group. Or, he'd sneak into their camp at night and slit their throats. Ninjas wee assassins, end of discussion.

[Noname]

Shows such as this one are highly speculative and are a perfect example of "edutainment"; shows designed with entertainment value first, and actual education next. Furthermore, all of the above criticisms apply. It is hard to make comparisons between different warriors of vastly different cultures, places, and time periods.

[WeirdRaptor]

Well, they do run simulations. If the computer guy would just program how these operated into the simulator, they'd get better findings.

The fact that I wasn't even trying hard to criticize this show and still managed to dig pretty deeply into the flawed methodology shows how poorly it's put together. The weapons are just a part of it. The reason people like Alaxender the Great, the Spartans, the Huns, and the like became so notoriously nigh undefeatable is because of how they did things. Their weapons and other gear were designed around their cunning. The tactics came first and foremost.

[f-22 "raptor" ace]

I'm predicting the Viet Cong will win next week.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

It's without a doubt that any fight among any individuals or groups is going to be a "case-by-case" basis.  The only comparisons here are technology, armor, & fighting styles.  Alexander the Great, for example, would've had a different outcome when it came to armies, for he showed excellent tactics against the greatest threats of his time.  That the show was about the weapons, some of which should not have been part of either side's arsenal.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

Now that Season 2 is at an end, there's already been talk about Season 3, with some new ideas about having more female warriors in the show, and possibly some fictional warriors.  My siblings and I have been making lists of potential warriors for the next season.

[Mirumoto_Kenjiro]

After some thought, I've been thinking of a show that is similar to this one, but should be more accurate in applying weapons, armor, numbers, past tactics and more factors.  I'm thinking of expanding it to Deadliest Army.

From a History Channel show about the realities of the events behind the Trojan War, with a section about using weapons, numbers, troop movement, and terrain to create statistics for the fighting, and they came up with the high probabilities of the two most noted battles in the Illiad, where Hector killed Achilles' cousin, and Achilles killing Hector.

Applying this to Deadliest Warrior should make it more interesting and more specific in outcomes and results.  Also, they should have more typical scenarios for the two armies to face-off, bringing out the best in each group.  I.E. A group of escaped gladiators accidentally runs into an Apache hunting party, or a troop of Spartan warriors walk into the territory of a ninja clan, or Alexander's army and Attila's army face off in an open field.