(An elderly Asian man wearing steel lamellar and a helmet while carrying a steel striped shield swings a curved sword at the camera.)
Kublai Khan: The elderly Mongol warlord who brought his empire's borders to it's greatest extent and nearly conquered Japan.
(Kublai sits on the back of his horse as he watches his armies in front of him ravage a Chinese army during his conquests of the Song Dynasty.)
vs.
(A Middle Eastern man in steel plated chainmail takes his spear and thrusts it at the camera.)
Mahmud of Ghazni: The Ghaznavid ruler who's conquests of the northern Indian subcontinent turned Ghazna into a regional powerhouse.
(Mahmud is seen leading his men into battle against an army of Afghans. He rides up to one and slices his head off with his kilij.)
WHO IS DEADLIEST?!
To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21st century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go head to head.
No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is...THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!
Here in our elite fight club we have gathered a panel of doctors, military historians, scientists, and weapons specialists to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two conquering generals from the medieval age.
Kublai Khan
Circa: 1279 A.D.
Height: 5'7''
Weight: 155 lbs.
Armor: Steel Lamellar, Steel Helmet, Wooden Shield w/Steel Plates
Mahmud of Ghazni
Circa: 1001 A.D.
Height: 5'8''
Weight: 160 lbs.
Armor: Steel Plated Chainmail, Steel Helmet, Leather Covered Iron Shield
''Today on DW we're coming back with another ancient battle and with this particular one we're having two famed conquering leaders from the medieval age. On one end of the spectrum we have the Mongol leader Kublai Khan who was the grandson of the infamous Genghis Khan and then on the other end we have Mahmud of Ghazni who was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid empire. It's going to be a great battle between these generals and I can't wait to see who emerges victorious.'' Ancient weapons and combat specialist DeadAliveManiac started off.
''This is a really interesting match we have here and if I had to choose a side I'm going with Mahmud. He has a weapon that is going to be tough for Kublai to counter plus, he isn't affected by old age like the Khan which will surely slow him down.'' Medical expert Zivon96 explained.
''Hm, interesting, well, I think I'm going to give the win to Kublai Khan because Mongols tend to win a lot plus, he has the better armor and the much more superior cavalry in this fight and that Mongol recurve bow of his is going to easily destroy Mahmud's armor.'' Weapons geek MKDemigodZ-Warrior countered.
''The last great Khan versus the man who created a regional powerhouse and was the first to hold the title of Sultan. I wonder how Kublai who is ripened by old age will fair against a man in his prime? We've got steel weapons, lances, bows and..well, a bunch of pointy weapons and once again we're testing elephants so let's see how this match unfolds in this battle between the East's most prolific leaders.'' Modern weapons and warfare specialist PFC Rice Man concluded.
Kublai Khan was the fifth Khagan or Great Khan of the Mongol Empire as well as the grandson of the world famous Genghis Khan and reigned from 1260 to 1294. He also founded the Yuan dynasty in China as a conquest dynasty in 1271, and ruled as the first Yuan emperor until his death in 1294. After defeating his own brother Ariq Boke, he embarked on an aggressive expansionist campaign which would take the empire to its greatest heights, reaching from Korea to Ukraine but was defeated in both Vietnam and Japan that costed him dearly.
''While that it's undeniable that he was beaten those two times he still left a mark as the last great Khan and was the final one who actually made any territorial gains. Mahmud needs to be prepared to battle a foe who won't stop until he has conquered all opposition.'' Rice Man concluded.
The last great Khan rode into battle with the typical arsenal of the Mongols that spilled the blood of millions.
Short Range: Turko-Mongol Saber
Mid-Range: Jida Lance
Long Range: Mongol Recurve Bow
Special: Counterweight Trebuchet
Today however, how will the last Khan fair against a powerful ruler who turned his kingdom into a regional powerhouse?
Yamīn-ud-Dawla Abul-Qāṣim Maḥmūd ibn Sebüktegīn, more commonly known as Mahmud of Ghazni was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid Empire. He conquered the eastern Iranian lands, modern Afghanistan, and the northwestern Indian subcontinent from 997 to his death in 1030. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazna into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire that covered most of today's Afghanistan, eastern Iran, and Pakistan, by looting the riches and wealth from the then Indian subcontinent.
''It was because of him that Ghazna was transformed into a powerhouse in the Middle Eastern region, his conquests of the lands mentioned made the Ghaznavid empire the most powerful for the time it existed. Kublai better watch out because if he doesn't play his cards right his empire might become a vassal for Mahmud.'' Rice Man explained.
The Ghaznavid ruler conquered his enemies with an arsenal of Middle Eastern inspirations that brought his empire to it's greatest extent.
Short Range: Kilij
Mid-Range: Iron Spear
Long Range: Tartar Recurve Bow
Special: Armor Plated War Elephant
When these two generals rode their trusted stallions into battle they carried with them two of the most famous and deadliest curved swords. Kublai Khan carried with him the most used weapon among the Mongolian cavalry, the Turko-Mongol Saber and Mahmud used the Kilij.
The panel watches the footage of the weapons in their debut appearances, in the episodes ''Genghis Khan vs. Attila the Hun'' and ''Vlad the Impaler vs. Hernan Cortes''. Let's see what their decision to do is.
''We've seen these two weapons before but never against the kind of armor the new competition of wearing today so let's see what we get.'' DAM explained.
Kublai expert Munkthur and Mahmud expert Fazli ride up with their blades in hand.
''Welcome to the range guys, today since we've seen your swords before with Genghis Khan and Vlad the Impaler respectively, we just want to see how they will perform off horseback against two torso's wearing your opponent's armor, one on a horse and the other on foot. Fazli you will be up first.'' Demigod said earning a nod from the expert.
''You got it, two dead Mongols coming right up.'' Fazli said cockily as he gets into position.
''Okay man, on 3...2...1...kill em!" DAM shouted out.
Winnying his horse forward the expert's stallion makes a mad dash toward the targets and as he approaches the first target being the unarmored one he readies his sword arm for a good swing and when he comes within range he swung with all his might and decapitates the target in one fell swoop. He rides away from the first target and embarks toward the second one, being the armored one. When he comes within range he goes to swing with all his might as he did the first one but only manages to leave a horrid gash as the blade had collided with the helmet and he fails to take the head off.
The team then make their way over to check the damage.
''You see? This is why curved blades should always be the ones used off horseback, not a straight-bladed sword. The curve of the kilij allowed you to execute a perfect decapitation on the unarmored target and he would've opened his mouth screaming as the blade came and turns him into Pac-man and he's done instantly. Compare this to the second guy I'm only seeing a large gash across his mouth and cheeks so you didn't slice his head off due to the parts of the helmet hanging off the sides protecting the sides of the face. The gash though will obviously hurt him and leave him open to other forms of attack so you can take the time to finish the job. All in all one man is down and the other is wounded.'' Zivon commented.
''There's no doubt that you're blade is extremely deadly and can hack someone's limbs off with no problem, but the Mongols excelled as cavalry and that would definitely take Mahmud by surprise.'' Munkthur said.
''It's the same test for you Munkthur with that saber of yours. Two mounted opponents, one armored and one unarmored.'' Demigod explained.
Not needing another word, the expert mounted his horse and waited for DAM to give the countdown.
''On 3...2...1...CHARGE!''
Mukthur winnies his stallion forward and the quadruped sped toward the targets and when the expert comes within range to swing his saber at the unarmored target he does just that and the head is sliced clean off much like Fazli and his kilij.
''I like how whenever we see the Turko-Mongol saber in use it always goes through testing and flesh so smoothly.'' Demigod commented.
With the first target out of the way Munkthur sets his sights on the second and armored target and rides toward it. He smiles as he knows he will accomplish the main objective of the test and when he comes within attack range he swings his saber as hard as he could and manages to decapitate the dummy, the armor providing no protection from the guillotine of a sword and blood spurts wildly from the wound and the head crashes onto the ground, the helmet portion of the armor coming off the rolling head.
''Let's go and see the results.'' Zivon said as they all walk over.
''As always we find ourselves impressed by the performance of the saber off horseback, straight through the neck and you easily sliced clean through all muscles, arteries and his vertebrae. We're seeing another case of where the armor will not be of hindrance to the Turko-Mongol saber as he has no protection for his neck which allows you to decapitate his head clean off killing him instantly. As always good performance.'' Commented the doc.
''I aim to please, the Mongolian cavalry was revered as the finest and deadliest of their time.'' Munkthur added.
''The only thing I have to say about the saber is that it is too long for my liking which is why I prefer to use the kilij for shorter length.'' Fazli commented.
After testing out both swords on horseback against the opposing armor, which one does the panel believe takes the edge?
''I have to give my edge to the kilij 100% percent because to me, it has the greater cutting power and you have less steel to move around.'' DAM started off.
''I don't know man, the Turko-Mongol saber has the much longer reach and that is pretty practical when it comes to infantry or cavalry. In regards to cavalry you'd want your blade to be as long as possible so you can break that wrist so I'm giving this one to the saber.'' Zivon countered.
''I would call this even because both swords have no problem cutting through a person's body and they are both suitable for cavalry.'' Demigod inquired.
The official tiebreaker would once again fall on Rice Man's shoulders.
''For me, if this was a foot battle I'd take the kilij for having less steel to maneuver around, but when I'm on the back of a horse I'd definitely take the saber for it's immense reach. I think I'll go with a tie on this one since both benefit from said scenarios better than the other.''
In short range weapons, our warriors are dead even.
Coming up, things are taken to mid-range when these two leaders bring out their favored impaling tools and then later two of the ancient world's deadliest bows are compared.
XXXXXX
When the use for cavalry spears were needed these generals brought with them the best impaling tools to the trade.
Since we've already seen the Jida lance countless times before with Genghis Khan and Timur the Lame we will move on with the preferred weapon of Mahmud.
''The spear Mahmud's army used was made of the best iron they had in that region during his time. It had a moderately long iron tip that was very similar to that of the Immortal's. The tip appears to taper ever so slightly that you wouldn't really notice it unless you actually took a good look at it. Mahmud's armies used these for infantry and when necessary, it functioned well as a cavalry weapon. It measures about 7 feet long and the blade measured about a foot long.'' Fazli explained.
''This really does look reminiscent of the Persian Immortals, we're going to test this weapon off the back of a horse and on foot and both targets for each scenario will be clad in the steel lamellar armor of Kublai Khan. Sound fair to you?'' DAM explained.
''Sounds very fair to me and I think I'm gonna break that fortress of steel.'' Fazli said confidently.
After Zivon and Demigod place the armor on each target and Fazli will first begin by attacking the mounted target and he mounts his stallion. Immediately the horse goes into a full gallop and approaching the armored target Fazli lowers his spear ready to pierce clean through the armor. He comes within striking distance of the mounted target and the spearhead impacts the torso in the lower abdomen and the force was enough to knock the dummy off the fake horse. With that target dealt with Fazli dismounts his horse and rushes over to the infantry target and thrusts the spear with all his might hitting the armor in the upper chest region before shoving the spear straight through the face causing it to spurt out blood.
''All done!" Fazli called out.
The panel then make their way to assess the damage.
''So what I'm seeing here with the first armored target is some degree of penetration and from what I'm feeling and seeing with this hole here is that you achieved barely an inch of penetration and you didn't even touch the skin underneath it. Moving on with the infantry target I'm seeing the same thing with the mounted one and that is a little teeny weeny hole in one of the plates. Once again, no damage to the skin underneath and the that means the armor holds true.'' Explained Zivon.
Munkthur walked up and shook his as he was clearly unimpressed by his opponent's futile attempts to penetrate the armor.
''It shows that the armor of the Mongols was defending them against most weapons they came across, what's an iron spear going to do against it?''
''Oh, while the spear may not pierce the armor to kill we have a weapon we will showcase later on that will take Kublai by surprise.'' Fazli said.
After reviewing the testing of the Jida lance from it's various appearances the team will now move on to decide the edge, let's see what they say.
''We've seen the Jida lance plenty of times before and while I'm sure it can pierce the armor Mahmud if wearing I can tell the iron spear will cause much more trauma with it's larger head.'' DAM began.
''I am tempted to call this even because both weapons can sure as hell take a guy out in one hit when used off horseback. They're both primarily stabbing weapons and will cause horrible damage if it hits the body.'' Zivon explained.
''The Jida is restricted to horseback because of it's length and using it for infantry combat is impractical because again, it's length. So I'm giving this one to the iron spear for better use for infantry and larger head.'' Demigod inquired.
''I can say the same thing as Demigod, if you're on horseback both weapons will do pretty well but the Jida takes a slight edge for it's abnormal length. However, when we take things to infantry the shorter length of the iron spear will allow for better movement and it's less cumbersome on foot. I mean c'mon, look at how long the Jida is!" Rice Man concluded.
For mid-range weapons, the edge goes to Mahmud of Ghazni for the iron spear.
Coming up next, two of the medieval world's most deadly long range killers come forth and then later, a powerful siege engine goes up against a natural battle tank!
XXXXXX
Now for long range, these two generals carried with them the most deadly bows to ever grace the medieval battlefields. Kublai Khan utilized the infamous Mongol recurve bow and Mahmud brings in the Tartar recurve bow.
The team reviews the footage of the bows from their various appearances in episodes such as 'Genghis Khan vs. Alexander the Great' as well as Mameluke Cavalryman vs. Sasanian Cataphract' and it doesn't take long for them to come to their decision.
''Yes, we've seen these bows tie before but when we factor in skill and power of the bows the Mongol bow will always be the top bow we've seen on this show and it will easily pierce Mahmud's armor. I'm giving it my edge.'' DAM started.
''I have to call this one a tie because both bows are similar in terms of power and look almost alike with their recurve designs. The only difference that sets it apart is where they came from and I think whoever gets the first hit with their arrows is the winner in this fight.'' Zivon explained.
''Hm..well, I guess I will give this one to the Mongol because Kublai's men are masters of the bow and they will easily exploit Mahmud's weaker armor and get a kill through the chainmail portion.'' Demigod said.
''The Mongol bow is more powerful and can easily pierce Mahmud's armor, the Tartar is I guess you can say the weaker bow in this comparison but it will still ruin your day if an arrow hits you. As such the Mongol's arrows are designed to pierce through even steel plating but with the right armor the Tartar can get a kill through it. In the end though I have to give my edge to Kublai's bow for it's reputation and legendary armor piercing power.'' Rice Man concluded.
In long range weapons, the edge goes to Kublai Khan for the Mongol recurve bow.
Now, we move on to the testing of the widely used special weapon of our generals. Up first will be Kublai Khan with history's most deadly siege weapon and descendant of the catapult.
"The counterweight trebuchet was a weapon that was recorded being used as early as 1200 A.D., but the earliest known records were in China around 300 B.C. Many historians believed it's design was inspired by the sling we all know and hate, or love. It had an arm that was 60 feet long with a leather pouch at the end where the projectile would be loaded into and then a lever was pulled. They were constructed in various sizes with ones that could be as tall as 35 feet and weigh over 80,000 pounds. This version we have is 25 feet in height.'' Munkthur explained.
To test out the effectiveness of the counterweight trebuchet, the team has set up charging Ghaznavid army in a formation that will be four soldiers deep.
''Fun fact before we start the test, the Mongol empire used this weapon against cities during their rampage like Beijing, Aleppo and Bukhara. Thought you'd might want to know.'' Munkthur interjected.
''Okay Munkthur and Rice, you guys have four shots to do as much damage as you can against your attackers. You will have three thirty pound stones and one cask full of burning tar. Think you're up to the challenge?'' DAM questioned.
The expert nods and as he loads a stone into the arm while his teammates prep the trebuchet for launch. As they finally have the weapon set Munkthur pulls on the lever and the arm goes flinging forward and after a brief moment of traveling through the air the stone lands helplessly in between several stand ins.
''Damn, looks like they aren't off to a good start.'' Demigod commented.
Undeterred they ready their trebuchet for the second shot and when it is set they load up the cask of tar and send the projectile flying forward and when the cask lands in between several of the targets it shatters and a few of the targets are set ablaze to the awe of the panelists. Smirking as a result the expert and his assistants consisting of Rice Man and two others prep for their third shot and when they send the projectile forward it manages to land on the top of one of the stand in targets before bouncing off and hitting another target square in the face knocking them both over.
''Jackpot!" Rice Man exclaimed.
The team then readies their final stone for launch and once they sent it flying through the air it manages to hit another target with enough force to pop the head open much to the excitement of everyone observing the testing.
''Hell yeah! Now that's the real jackpot!" DAM yelled.
After everyone settled the panel makes their way to the targets to assess the damage the trebuchet had done.
''Damn, ignoring the first miss the cask of tar managed to set a few of these guys on fire and since removing tar from your skin will only cause further damage you ca count on the flames eventually killing the guys that got covered in it. The third shot saw two guys take the stone with the first one getting hit right on the head fracturing his skull and killing him instantly while the second guy took the stone square in the face knocking him on his ass and probably losing some teeth in the process. The last stone hit this particular target right crown of the skull and yes, it had enough force to pop his head open and spill his brains all over the damn place. All in all you have two guys burned to death, one guy horribly injured and two dead from the stones which is a very good result.'' Explained Zivon.
''While the trebuchet is no doubt a deadly weapon what Mahmud used would be more effective as it is more mobile and maneuverable.'' Fazli said.
To counter the range of the trebuchet, Mahmud of Ghazni used a natural armor plated battle tank to terrorize his foes with the Armor Plated Indian Elephant.
The team reviews the footage of ''Hannibal vs. Attila the Hun'' to come up with their final decision. Let's see what they say.
''Okay, the elephant that would've been used in Mahmud's region would be the Indian elephant which is comparable to the Carthaginian African elephant they had. Since Mahmud had armor for his elephants we're going to see if the trebuchet's arsenal can take it down.'' DAM said.
The team now sets up piece of plate armor outfitted to fit the elephants used by Mahmud and place it over a large pressure sensor on a stone wall for safety reasons as well as to not upset hardcore animal lovers who might sue the show. Team Kublai will have two shots to cause significant damage on the armor plated war elephant stand in.
Team Kublai begins loading in their first stone they fire the projectile off and the earthly material strikes the armor where a real elephant's face would be leaving a minor dent. Despite producing little results Munkthur and Rice go forth with loading their second shot and when it was sent flying it comes down hard and hits the top portion of the armor where the top of the creature's head would've been.
''Judging by the readings we are getting we're detecting about 200 PSI going into each hit. Is it enough to kill the elephant? No, but you're spooking it badly and causing a concussion at most, if not at all.'' Zivon explained looking over the readings on the laptop.
''A spooked elephant is gonna have fun with you Mongols so good luck trying to stop it.'' Fazli snickered.
After gathering and reviewing the necessary data for both weapons our panel must now come to a decision.
''I like the trebuchet because it doesn't take mastery to control like an elephant which can flip out on you and kill you and your men if you're not careful with it.'' DAM began.
''I disagree and will go with the elephant on this one. It's armored meaning it is protected against most of the Mongol arsenal except maybe the armor piercing arrows they have. Other than that, if the Mongols aren't careful they're squished meat.'' Zivon countered.
''Hm, yeah I definitely agree and will go with the elephant on this one. Once you get that thing passed the range of the trebuchet you're good to go. Seriously that thing had and will always have intimidation on it's side.'' Demigod inquired.
''The trebuchet is meant to be a siege weapon, not made to combat an elephant let alone an armored one. It gets the edge all the way.'' Rice Man concluded.
In special weapons, the edge goes to Mahmud of Ghazni for the Armor Plated War Elephant.
Now we compare the sets of armor worn by our two generals and having seen this type of comparison numerous times before we already know what our panel is going to say.
''Kublai and Mahmud's are matched and their shields seem about even, however, with body armor Kublai takes it for obvious reasons.'' DAM said shrugging.
''Yeah, not much to say here. Mahmud's arsenal falls to the jida, recurve bow and the trebuchet while Kublai only really has to worry about that elephant stomping his guts out.'' Zivon seconded.
''Eh, solid plate or lamellar armor made of metal will always beat out chainmail even if it incorporates plates.'' Demigod added.
''Kublai takes it, c'mon he is wearing possibly the strongest set of armor we've seen on the show aside from the do-maru and French Knight's plate armor.'' Rice Man quipped.
In the armor category, the edge goes to Kublai Khan for his steel lamellar.
Coming up, Metal Harbinger will gauge the x-factors and then our battle between two titans of the medieval age begins!
XXXXXX
Welcome back to the fight club. Here we tested the weapons and armor of two medieval generals to determine who is the deadliest warrior.
For short range weapons, both the Turko-Mongol saber and the kilij were determined to be equally effective.
''The thing that evens out these two swords is that when we're taking things to horseback the saber dominates the kilij with it's reach. However, take it to foot and the kilij will outperform the saber due to it being too long for infantry combat.'' DAM explained.
Edge: Even
For mid-range weapons, Mahmud's iron spear proved to be more practical in both cavalry and infantry scenarios.
''It's easier to use off horseback when it comes down to it and while the Jida is much longer making it better for horseback warfare, the iron spear has a larger head and hits with much more force.'' Zivon explained.
Edge: Mahmud of Ghazni
For long range weapons, Kublai Khan's legendary recurve bow put down Mahmud's Tartar recurve bow.
''The Mongol bow is more powerful, can fire a wide variety of arrows and was world renowned for piercing plate armor and getting a kill. Mahmud wearing steel plated chainmail makes everything even easier for Kublai and his warriors to get a kill.'' Demigod explained.
Edge: Kublai Khan
For special weapons, Mahmud's armor plated war elephant proved more useful and deadly than Kublai's counterweight trebuchet.
''It's surprising killing potential, intimidation and the fact that when you get past the trebuchet the Mongols can do nothing about it. The armor plates added to the front of the elephants make it a lot more deadly too as there's no way you're gonna take down an armored elephant charging right at you.'' Rice Man explained.
Edge: Mahmud of Ghazni
And finally, for armor Kublai Khan's steel lamellar proved more effective than Mahmud's steel plated chainmail.
''C'mon! We've seen this comparison a thousand times over and we all know the steel lamellar will always beat out anything it comes across. So plated chainmail is no exception. The lamellar will give Kublai superb protection against literally everything in Mahmud's arsenal save for the elephant which will stomp the warlord to death. On the other hand, Mahmud's armor will fall to the lance and the recurve bow.'' DAM explained.
Edge: Kublai Khan
Now Metal Harbinger will gauge the x-factors.
''Let's do this.'' Said the metalhead.
''We're gonna start this evaluation off by doing strategy for these leaders and I ended up giving the edge to Mahmud here. Kublai was no doubt a military genius much like Subutai and Genghis Khan but he lost horribly during the invasions of Japan and Vietnam. Mahmud's conquest of the Iranian lands, Afghanistan and parts of the Indian subcontinent turned Ghazna into a powerful state so he gets an 89 to Kublai's 79.''
''For physicality this was an easy one because Mahmud is much younger and in his prime at only 30 compared to Kublai who is older in his 60s. This is a lot closer than we would think since Kublai fought since he was born and well into his current age. Mahmud as an 89 to Kublai's 84.''
''Taking things to logistics it's different and falls into Kublai's favor because during his time the Mongol empire was at it's greatest extent and he had a massive supply line, covered a lot more land than Ghazna and his forces were the best trained and equipped during that time. It's still close with Kublai getting a 90 to Mahmud's 87.''
''Generalship will come into play as well and we're giving this one to Mahmud. Like what was stated earlier Kublai did bring his empire's borders further but still failed in Vietnam and Japan, civil war with his younger brother would be the thing that set the downfall of the empire whereas Mahmud's leadership allowed his men to become the most disciplined army in the region. Mahmud has an 85 to Kublai's 80.''
''Fifth is endurance and this will be the same as physicality as Mahmud is younger while Kublai is elderly. Mahmud has an 87 to Kublai's 79. Kublai wasn't far off because he has heavier armor but Mahmud is from a harsher environment.''
''Last but not least we have troop training and Kublai took a narrow lead, the Mongols were the most powerful, best trained and dominant military force during the empire's reign. Kublai has a 98 to Mahmud's 95.''
The panel has now concluded weapon testing and plugging in the x-factors. We will now run the simulator one-thousand times to determine who would win in our battle of the generals pitting Kublai Khan and 4 Mongols against Mahmud of Ghazni, 4 of Ghanzavid soldiers and 1 war elephant. Kublai's Mongols will be wearing leather lamellar and helmets while carrying his shield and Mahmud's men will be wearing the same armor as their elephant will have plate armor on it's head and face.
Who will emerge victorious between two medieval titans?
''In the end, only one will prevail. Let's see who it is.'' Metal said hitting the button.
XXXXXX
It was another warm day in the nearby jungles of Northwest India and another day where they emerged victorious battling the Hindus. Mahmud of Ghazni was seen relaxing with his men in a makeshift camp near the entrance to the forest and were seen eating some recently killed game.
One of the men nearby tending and feeding their war elephant.
Mahmud of Ghazni: 5
However, the Ghaznavid warriors were not alone as they were being watched by five men next to a trebuchet. One of the men was none other than the great Khan himself Kublai and he has set his sights on the borders of the Ghaznavid empire to expand his empire further following their failures in Japan and Vietnam.
Kublai Khan: 5
Kublai orders the man next to the trebuchet to fire the massive siege engine and in doing so, the Mongol loads a cask of tar into the pouch and sends the projectile flying overhead. The Ghaznavids were unaware of the danger looming over them and it would be too late when the cask lands near one of the Ghaznavid warriors and he is engulfed in flames.
The man struggling to put the flames out before falling over immolated and dead.
Mahmud of Ghazni: 4 - Kublai Khan: 5
The cask's sudden appearance caused Mahmud and his remaining soldiers to jump in surprise and looking up at the hill from where he believed it came from and heard yelling. Finally seeing the hill he spotted Kublai and his Mongols charging forth on their horses with weapons drawn.
Mahmud orders his remaining men to mount their horses and attack while his man attending to the elephant mounts the beast and it cries out loudly before making it's way toward the attacking Mongols. Mounting his horse a Ghaznavid soldier takes the iron spear strapped to the stallion and speeds toward one of the Mongols armed with a saber. The two warriors fast approach each other but as the Mongol swings his saber the Ghaznavid warrior ducks while at the same time thrusts his spear forward skewering the Mongol in the gut.
Mahmud of Ghazni: 4 - Kublai Khan: 4
His victory would be short lived however, when Kublai Khan rides up to him and personally shoves his Jida into the man's back sending the body tumbling off the horse and landing on the ground with a thud.
Mahmud of Ghazni: 3 - Kublai Khan: 4
Elsewhere two of the Mongols were seen charging forward toward the approaching war elephant as they knew the beast was a huge threat. Bringing their horses to a stop they string some armor piercing arrows on their bows and begin firing away at both the animal and the soldier riding it.
The Mongols continue firing at the armor plating on the elephant until eventually several of the arrowheads managed to pierce and cut into the beast's skin causing it discomfort. Trumpeting loudly, the elephant begins speeding up toward the attacking Mongols and one of them falls off their horse after it was spooked by the mighty animal.
Seeing no other choice the mounted Mongol breaks and flees leaving his comrade behind and before he can get up the last thing he sees is the elephant picking it's feet up and stomps on his head splattering his skull fragments, blood and brain matter all over the grass in an earth shattering stomp.
Mahmud of Ghazni: 3 - Kublai Khan: 3
Mahmud himself gives chase toward the fleeing Mongol as he saw the exchange and takes out his kilij to chase the marauder. Hearing the sounds of hooves behind him the Mongol looks over his shoulder to spot the ruler charging straight for him and as he approaches he manages to raise his shield in time and blocks the kilij's attack. Lowering his shield he takes an arrow and goes to string it and once he watches as the Ghaznavid ruler turns around to charge back at him once more.
He fires the arrow but the ruler raises his own shield up and blocks the arrow and before the Mongol can string another arrow Mahmud swings his kilij and decapitates the marauder in one fell swoop.
Mahmud of Ghazni: 3 - Kublai Khan: 2
The ruler smirks to himself as he watches the headless body tumble off the horse. He turns his head to the other direction and spots his elephant rider engaging one of the last Mongol warriors.
Stringing an arrow onto his Tartar the Ghaznavid soldier aims at the Mongol's horse and fires hitting the stallion in the side causing it to shriek in pain before falling over dead. Growling in anger the Mongol picks up his recurve bow and the two men fire at each other at the same time and manage to hit each other in the shoulder.
Both men grunt in pain and seeing this as his chance the Mongol charges for the elephant and leaps onto a loose piece of saddle and manages to climb up to meet his enemy who was still reeling in pain. He takes the chance to fire off another arrow and sends the projectile into the man's skull killing him.
Mahmud of Ghazni: 2 - Kublai Khan: 2
His smile would disappear from his face as an arrow flies straight through his skull and the corpse falls off the elephant, courtesy of the last surviving Ghaznavid foot soldier.
Mahmud of Ghazni: 2 - Kublai Khan: 1
Now spooked, the elephant hurries off into the distance but Mahmud does not bother to retrieve it as his last man runs up to him with his bow and kilij in hand. The two men nod at each other before hearing a horse a few meters away. Turning their heads they spot the lone Kublai Khan with a Jida lance in hand as he eyes them glaringly after losing all his men.
Mahmud and his soldier stand ready to face the Khan and both sides begin charging toward each other. Mahmud and his horse would be the one to come to Kublai first and the ruler swings his kilij only for the Khan to duck the attack and ride toward the foot soldier and impales the man with his lance straight through the gut.
The soldier gasps in pain as he tries to pull the long weapon out of his body but he then expires before managing to do so.
Mahmud of Ghazni: 1 - Kublai Khan: 1
Bringing his horse to a halt the Ghaznavid ruler turns around and spots his man on the floor and a smirking Kublai Khan standing before the body. The sight only serves to anger Mahmud and taking his shield in hand alongside his kilij he points the sword at the Mongol warlord.
Undeterred by the threat the elderly warlord takes his shield in hand and does the same to the ruler. The two sides then charge forth releasing battle cries from the top of their lungs and when they come within striking distance they swing their blades as hard as they could and the results saw no damage done to each other, only hitting the sides of their armor.
However, the force of which Kublai had put into his attack caused the ruler to grunt as he felt the hit and swore he may have a broken bone or at the very least, a bruise from such an impact.
The two sides then face each other once more before charging again and this time when they came close to each other Mahmud manages to raise his shield in time to absorb the blow and quickly he grabs Kublai by the wrist and gives an almighty yank causing both of them to fall off their horses and the men land knocking the air out of their lungs.
Both men struggle to get up as the landing had taken a lot out of them but the younger Mahmud gets up first and slowly makes his way toward the seemingly unconscious Khan. Picking his kilij up he then raises the weapon to go in for the kill and brings it down.
Kublai suddenly raised his shield up and the kilij helplessly clangs across the steel plates and the next thing that happened was Kublai taking his saber and swinging it horizontally slicing through Mahmud's left leg up to the knee and severing the limb.
Mahmud was caught completely off guard and was left howling in pain and holding his bleeding stump. He spots a shadow looming over him and looks up to see the Khan standing with a grin on his face and knew his fate was sealed. Kublai reaches down to push his helmet off and grabs him by the hair and the ruler absolutely could not do anything.
"Mongolchuud tanai gazar asuukh bolno" Kublai declared before swinging his saber and decapitates the Ghaznavid ruler.
Mahmud of Ghazni: 0 - Kublai Khan: 1
Victorious, the Mongolian warlord raised both his bloodied saber and new trophy into the air while screaming to the heavens.
XXXXXX
Winner: Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan: 531
Turko-Mongol Saber: 164
Jida Lance: 97
Mongol Recurve Bow: 140
Counterweight Trebuchet: 130
Mahmud of Ghazni: 469
Kilij: 165
Iron Spear: 98
Tartar Recurve Bow: 130
Armor Plated War Elephant: 76
X-Factors
Strategy: 79/Strategy: 89
Physicality: 84/Physicality: 89
Logistics: 90/Logistics: 87
Generalship: 80/Generalship: 85
Endurance: 79/Endurance: 87
Troop Training: 98/Troop Training: 95
Armor Failure Rate
Steel Helmet: 1.2% - Steel Helmet: 1.2%
Steel Lamellar: 0.9% - Steel Plated Chainmail: 6.3%
Wooden Shield w/Steel Plates: 3% Leather Covered Wooden Shield: 4%
Following a close battle between two of the medieval age's most prolific leaders it would the mighty Kublai Khan to win it all with 53.1% to Mahmud's 46.9%. It was thanks to his superior armor and bow that won the day for him. Mahmud wasn't far behind as he had a more simple mid-range weapon and the surprising lethality of his war elephant.
''Kublai had the better armor, the better trained soldiers, and his legendary armor piercing Mongol recurve bow contributed to his win.'' DAM explained.
''Mahmud did everything he could to keep the stakes close but didn't do enough to win in the end. His armor was strong but Kublai's was much stronger.'' Zivon quipped.
''Hm, I guess it shouldn't be surprising the Khan won this one as Mongols tend to win all the time.'' Demigod inquired.
''If Mahmud had stronger armor then he may have won. His elephant made everything hell for Kublai and his Mongols but once they get past that beast then it's open season on him. His sword was equal and most of the time in the simulations they matched each other with their bows. In the end though, the last great Khan wins this one.'' Rice Man concluded.
(Kublai is seen on a large hill overlooking the large city of Ghazna as his armies ravage it below. He smiles as he knows he will be adding more land to his empire making it even more powerful. Strapped to his side is the kilij once wielded by Mahmud as a trophy of his newest conquest.)
XXXXXX
Next time on Deadliest Warrior: Rice Man's Edition. It's a battle between the Middle East's most fanatic terrorist organizations.
Taliban: Hardline Jihadists who's extremist beliefs in Sharia Law make them feared across the Muslim world.
vs.
Islamic State of Iraq: The Salafi Jihadist organization whose ultimate goal is to establish an Islamic Caliphate in the Middle East.
WHO...IS...DEADLIEST?!