William the Conqueror: The man who invaded England, killed their king, and took the throne…
Vs…
Alexander the Great: The Greek king who conquered every land he fought in and led the fall of the Persian Empire.
Who…is…deadliest?
"Today, we have the most unlikely of opponents; one who believed he was cheated out of a kingdom, the other gained the kingdom through his father's death." Mack said.
"Let's look at how these two stack up." Dorian said.
William the Conqueror:
Circa: 1066
Age: 38
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 215 lbs.
Weapons and Armor:
Norman Broadsword
Composite Crossbow
Torsion Catapult
Norman Helmet
Chainmail Hauberk
Alexander the Great:
Circa: 333 BC
Age: 23
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 155 lbs.
Weapons and Armor:
Kopis
Gastraphetes
Ballista
Chalcidian Helmet
Bronze Cuirass
Short Range:
Norman Broadsword vs. Kopis
"The Norman broadsword was not much different from the Viking longsword, which it is descended from. The point at the end of the blade was sharper and it had quillons, though. The sword itself is around 3 pounds and 30 inches long, a great steel blade." Baker explained.
To test the effectiveness of the sword, it will be tested against one unarmored target, an armored target, then a horse ride blow to the armored target. Geoff gives the countdown and the William expert thrusts into the chest of the gel torso, piercing the heart. He then swings at the neck, nearly decapitating the target. He goes to the armored target and hacks at the helmet, denting the helmet. He thrusts at the cuirass and manages to make a small hole in it. He runs to his horse and mounts it, then trots at high speed toward the target. He raises his sword and slashes at the neck of the target, making it swing back and hang backwards like a wrecking ball. "Nice job man, but on the helmet swing, you didn't have enough force to produce a skull fracture." Geoff said.
"Do I need to assess the injuries, on the first, you punctured the heart and nearly decapitated the target, on the next you also almost decapitated the target but you generated more force with the swing." Dorian said.
"The armor did its job though, so as long as you swing for that, I'm alright." Mack said.
"Our sword can pierce clean through your armor and was twice as effective on horseback." the Alexander expert said.
"The kopis was a favorite of the Greeks on horseback. It was 26 inches long, around 2 pounds, and was made of iron. The best thing for it was the curving blade; it let you reach down low so you could get to those foot soldiers." Baker explained.
The test is set up again, with new targets, one in William's chainmail hauberk and sheeted iron helmet. Geoff gives the countdown and the Alexander expert stabs into the stomach and rips the blade out. He slashes at the neck, cutting the throat wide open. He then hacked at the skull before moving to the next target. He stabs into the hauberk; 5 to 6 inches of the blade went into the body. He pulls it out and slashes at the helmet, barely leaving a scratch. He then runs to his horse and mounts it, then gallops to the target. He slashes, but the sword hits the hauberk, only nicking a few individual rings. "Nice man, you did get through the armor but not the helmet but the horseback test was a fail." Geoff said.
"Well, in the first stab, you hit the stomach, that would cause a lot of bleeding and you would die. Then, you got this throat wide open, you actually hit both carotid arteries too, instant kill. The hack wen through the skull but didn't hit brain, but still a kill. Then to the armored target, you got through the chainmail and punctured a lung, this is a mortal wound. But the swing from horseback was off; you wouldn't break any bones so the target would live."
So which close range weapon gets the edge? "I go with the Norman broadsword, the straight, double-edged blade cuts and slashes really well." Geoff said.
"It caused more trauma and had superior materials in it, edge broadsword." Dorian said.
"Not to mention it was more effective on horseback, edge broadsword." Mack agreed.
EDGE: Norman Broadsword
Coming up, we test the high powered torsion powered weapons of these battlefield leaders. Later, Mack dissects the tactics of the legends greatest battles.
Long Range:
Torsion Catapult vs. Ballista
"The torsion catapult was a challenge, made of over 700 pounds of wood, and at the bottom it had 600 feet of torsion, or twisted rope, and was pulled back by horses, adding to the torque on the rope on the throwing arm. When you released it, the torque would send the arm forward, throwing it's ammo up and over castle walls." Baker explained.
The next test will use a group of five soldiers 100 yards down range, one in Alexander's armor. The shots will be timed for an average reload. Four 20 pound stones will be launched along with a "diseased" pig head. Geoff gives the countdown and the first stone is launched, missing all targets with an overshot. The catapult is brought back down by a winch, then the pig's head is loaded onto the catapult. The head is fired and it hits a Macedonian square in the face, splattering infected blood into his mouth and eyes. The catapult is winched back again and the second stone is loaded. It is fired and hits two targets, the armored target in the head and a nearby unarmored target's chest. The third stone is loaded and fired; this one comes right down on top of the skull of an unarmored target, crushing the head open. The final stone is loaded then launched, hitting the one untouched target in the stomach. "Great shooting guys, average reload of around 1 minute 2 seconds." Geoff said.
"Well, on the first target, you hit him right in the face with that pig head, that would not only infect him but you also caused a depressed skull fracture, if he had a helmet, he would be fine, just infected. But the next two were nasty; the shot to the chest would contuse the chest from the leftover momentum of the stone, killing him in a few seconds. The armored target's helmet is dented inward severely, no question his brain is mush, instant kill. The next guy's skull is completely taken apart, instant kill. The last target would have collapsed lungs and broken ribs and contused organs; he's dead from all three in combination." Dorian said.
"But, it's very easy to dodge that big rock in the air, with our weapon, it's going flying through the air so fast you can't see it coming." the Alexander expert claimed.
"The ballista was one of the biggest crossbows in history. It shot 4 foot bolts with a torsion very similar to that of the catapult; the range was much further because it went straight through the air and not up and over, going up to 500 yards." Baker explained.
The test is set up as the last, only one is wearing William's hauberk and Norman sheet iron helmet. Geoff gives the countdown and the first bolt is fired, hitting the unarmored target next to the armored in the face. The expert cranks the hand winch on the ballista and loads the next bolt, firing it and hitting the armored target in the chest. He loads his third shot and fires it, hitting the next target in the throat. He loads his forth shot and fires, hitting the next target in the stomach. Finally, he loads and fires his last shot and hits the same target again, this time in the chest. "Nice man, we got an average reload time of 54 seconds." Geoff said.
"For the first shot, you went through the cheek and into the brain, that's an instant kill. For the armored target, you went through the armor and into the heart, another instant kill. The next shot went through the throat and into the spine, another instant kill. Finally, the last two shots, the first would hit the small intestine and cause a lot of damage and bleeding but the next shot would hit the heart and kill instantly." Dorian said.
"But to use this you have to fire bolts and you have to have a constant supply of bolts, ours just needs a heavy rock and boom, we're still going." the William expert argued.
"But, this has the wheels on it so it is much more easily moved, with the catapult, it's basically on the spot, you have to tear it down to move it from place to place." the Alexander expert argued.
So which long range weapon gets the edge? "Personally, it's the ballista all the way. It was more accurate, more portable, and quicker to reload."
"I have to go with the catapult, its ammo was a lot easier to find and carry with you, and the damage was much more psychologically traumatizing." Dorian said.
"I go with both weapons, they went through the armor, killed the targets, and were effective at their ranges." Mack said.
EDGE: Even
Coming up, Mack looks at William's uphill battle and Alexander's frontal assault. Later, William's compact killer against Alexander's gut holding armor piercer.
Battle Field Tactic:
Battle of Hastings vs. Battle of Issus
"Why was William's battle at Hastings so definitive?" Mack said.
"William had the disadvantage of fighting uphill but he fought uphill towards the English shield wall which was notoriously impenetrable, at the beginning his archers shot volleys of arrows that were blocked by the shields. He and his troops charge up to meet the Anglo-Saxon army and are cut down dramatically, he sustains heavy casualties and his horse is cut from beneath him, making many of his soldiers thought he was dead and ran back down the hill. It was when he stood up and shouted that his troops were rallied. In this retreat many of the Anglo-Saxons, some of them from the shield wall, ran down to attack the fleeing army. William and several of his knights killed many of the troops running down the hill before they could realize what was happening and run back uphill. William saw the shield wall was weakened and had his archers take to the sky, firing up and over the shield wall, killing many more soldiers; one arrow even went through the eye of Harold Godwinson, the man who William claimed to have robbed him of the throne, killing him. With no leaders left to give them orders, the army was soon disorganized and slaughtered; those who managed to survive ran from the battlefield. From that point on, William was known as William the Conqueror. Not to mention this was one of the earliest uses of the feigned retreat on the battlefield." the William expert said.
"Why was the Battle of Issus so important?" Mack asked.
"This was the battle that officially ended the Persian Empire. At the beginning of the battle, Alexander's cavalry off his left flank swings back and fights the cavalry of King Darius III, holding them off for a well-timed strategic cavalry strike from Alexander. While this was happening, Alexander and his infantry managed to punch a hole in the line of the Persians. He then mounted his horse and his Companion cavalry punched straight through that hole and the lines behind it and chased a now fleeing Darius. However, he sees that his left flank and center were in trouble and let Darius flee, then slammed into the rear of the Persians, which were the Greek mercenaries. They disperse from the battlefield as do the Persians when they see Darius has left them. Thus, the fall of the Persian Empire had commenced." the Alexander expert explained.
So which tactic gets the edge? "While William had a great move, it was more accidental than anything, if the shield wall had held and his troops had run back up; he'd lose even more men. While Alexander planned this battle very carefully, with only a few hiccups along the way, which he fixed on his own." Mack said.
EDGE: Battle of Issus
Mid Range:
Composite Crossbow vs. Gastraphetes
"This is the composite crossbow, the best thing besides the size was how easy it was to pull back on the string, you could even do it standing up. Then just load the bolt. For its size, it ranged very far and was fairly accurate." the William expert explained.
This test has four shots, one in the armor, one in the helmet, and two in unprotected areas. The experts will be placed 50 yards away, only a fraction of their total range. Geoff gives the countdown and he fires the first bolt at the helmet, only managing a small dent. He fires his next and hits the cuirass dead in the center of the chest, not managing to dent it. He loads his third and fires, hitting the target right through the left eye. He loads his next shot and fires, hitting the target in the throat. "Nice man, average reload of 12 seconds, very impressive." Geoff said.
"There's no doubt, both are instant kills, the first would hit the brain, the other is going straight through the windpipe." Dorian said.
"But, my crossbow can penetrate your armor." the Alexander expert said.
"Say hello to the gastraphetes, this crossbow was fired from the belly and when you had to reload you just push it against the ground and the lever system gets pushed back all the way and you fire for maximum power."
Just as the last test, he will fire four bolts at the armored target. Geoff gives the countdown and he fires his first bolt, going through the hauberk and into the chest. He pushes the bow down into the ground and loads his next bolt. He fires but the bolt fires out awkwardly, turning to the side and going only six feet. "It's a little inconsistent, sometimes." he said.
He loads his next bolt and fires, this one missing the helmet narrowly. He loads his last bolt and fires, hitting the target in the stomach. "Great, average reload of about 47 seconds." Geoff said.
"The first shot went through the chainmail and into the heart and the second would hit the large intestine and cause a lot of bleeding, both are kills." Dorian said.
So which mid range weapon gets the edge? "Composite crossbow all the way, it was more accurate, more reliable, and it reloaded much more quickly." Geoff said.
"I have to say the gastraphetes. It could go through the armor of William and it had more power and range behind it." Mack said.
"For me, it's all composite crossbow, more accurate and easier to fire." Dorian said.
EDGE: Composite Crossbow
Finally, the test must be completed with the X-factors of each warrior. "What'd you have for us this time, Rob?" Geoff said.
"For armor, Alexander's Macedonians will wear linothorax and Corinthian helmets and use the same weapons as him. To the X-factors, for strategy, we gave William an 89 to Alexander's 94 due to Hastings and Issus. For logistics, we gave William a 90 to Alexander's 93 because Alexander had great supply lines all the way to India. For physicality, we have William at an 89 to Alexander's 92 because Alexander was trained in pankration. For generalship, we gave William a 90 to Alexander's 87 because by the time Alexander got to India, his soldiers were getting restless and wanted to go to their families, so he let them go to not let a revolt happen. For endurance, we gave William an 86 to Alexander's 88 because of Alexander's pankration. Finally, we have audacity, we gave William an 87 and Alexander an 80 because no one suspected William would win any battle in England, not only did he win, he became the king." Rob explained.
"Only thing to do now is fire up the sim." Geoff said.
Rob clicks a button and the battle begins. The battle is set at a castle in England, grassy fields surrounding it. William, sitting atop his horse, plans to exercise along with two Norman horse men and two foot men. He hears a strange cranking in the distance and has his foot soldiers ready the catapult and his two horsemen to load their crossbows along with him. He looks up and sees Alexander the Great pulling on the crank of the ballista, two Macedonian horsemen and two foot soldiers stand nearby. He fires the bolt and it hits the foot soldier who just loaded the stone onto the catapult. William orders the other foot soldier to fire. He fires the catapult and it hits the Macedonian foot soldier to the left of Alexander in the chest as he cranks the ballista back again. William orders his horsemen to help bring the catapult back for another shot. Alexander loads the bolt into the ballista and fires; the bolt sings through the air and sticks into the door of the castle. William loads the stone and orders another fire, the stone whips through the air and Alexander leaps away from the ballista as the stone destroys the front end of it. Alexander orders his men to charge and he mounts his horse, running down towards the Conqueror. William orders all three men to fire, the bolts zing through the air and hit each Macedonian, the first bounces off Alexander's cuirass, the next hits his left horsemen in the side of his neck, tearing his veins and arteries apart, he falls off his horse and exsanguinates soon after, and the last hits his other horsemen in the shoulder, he rocks back and gasps in shock, then rips the bolt out of his skin. Alexander unsheathes his kopis and slices the neck of one of William's horsemen wide open trying to reload his crossbow, knocking him off his horse. His horseman slashes at the other Norman horseman, who ducks underneath and thrusts at the soldier, the blade goes into his mouth and out the back of his head, killing him instantly. Alexander's last foot soldier loads his gastraphetes and fires, hitting the Norman in the chest; he slumps onto the neck of his horse and falls off. The last Norman foot soldier loads his crossbow and fires at the Macedonian as he loads his bolt, hitting him in the eye. Alexander rides back behind William and stabs his Norman foot soldier in the back of the neck as he rides by. William grabs his crossbow and aims at Alexander as he comes back, but he can not steady his aim. He waits for Alexander to get close enough and he throws the crossbow at the Macedonian king, smacking him in the face and breaking his nose as he is knocked off his horse. Alexander scrambles to his dead soldier's gastraphetes and turns as William rides towards him and fires, hitting him in the shoulder and throwing him off his horse. William rips the bolt out of his shoulder and unsheathes his Norman broadsword. He stands up and eyes Alexander, standing just a few yards away. He lets out a shout as he charges at Alexander, blood flowing form his broken nose. He swings and Alexander parries, then grabs the sword and throws it out of William's grasp. He brings his sword back and thrusts at William, who narrowly dodges the blow. He grabs Alexander's wrist and lands a hard, flat fist to Alexander's elbow, breaking his arm. Alexander drops his sword and turns with a haymaker to William in the jaw, stunning him. He goes for a kick to the gut but William catches his leg. Alexander hops unsteadily on one leg until William kicks him in the crotch, then flings Alexander back to fall on his back as he grabs at his nuts and moans in pain. William finds his sword and walks back over to Alexander. He stares down at him and raises his sword above his head with both hands, then brings the sword down into the throat of the king. He takes his hands off the sword, leaving it standing up in Alexander's throat, then raises his fists in the air and shouts, "Je suis le conquérant!"
William Alexander
Norman Broadsword-53% Kopis-47%
Composite Crossbow-59% Gastraphetes-41%
Torsion Catapult-55% Ballista-45%
Armor Fail Rate: Armor Fail Rate:
Helmet: 2% Helmet: 12%
Armor: 65% Armor: 7%
2,597 Wins 2,403 Wins
X-Factors
Strategy: 89 Strategy: 94
Logistics: 90 Logistics: 93
Physicality: 89 Physicality: 92
Generalship: 90 Generalship: 87
Endurance: 86 Endurance: 88
Audacity: 87 Audacity: 80
"The reason William won was because his weapons were more reliable at any range and his catapult was very easy to get tons of ammunition for." Mack said.
Next week: It's a battle of opposites, Joan of Arc: the fearless French maid who helped the French win The Hundred Years War.
Vs…
Hernán Cortés: the ruthless Conquistador who brought about the fall of the Aztec Empire in a hunt for glory and gold.
Who will be…the deadliest warrior?