Greatest warrior in Randland?

[FortyFiveAuto 1]

Non-channelers in the Third Age cannot rely on the One Power to save them. They have to go it the old fashioned way -- with blood, guts, and steel.

 

Which begs the question -- who is the baddest of them all? Who could kick anyone's ass without resorting to assistance from the Power?

 

Some nominations:

 

-Rand al'Thor:

He has certainly sharpened his sword skills to a hairsplitting edge. Taking on six guys at once is how this guy works out in a given day, and he pays good money to make sure they're the best.

 

-Lan Mandragoran:

 

 

The Uncrowned King of Malkier doesn't wear a heron on his sword, but it's pretty well understood that he stands among those who do. We have seen Lan defeat blademasters, and he has never experienced defeat at the hands of another in single combat, that we have seen. Any man who single-handedly fights the Blight in his spare time deserves a shot at this title.

 

 

 

-Tam al'Thor:

Tutor to the deadly Aram, Tam rightfully holds the title of blademaster, earned during his service to the Army of Illian in the Aiel War. It's been a while, but let's not forget his impressive performance early on in TEoTW, plunging headlong into a band of Trollocs and making very short work of them. Aiel spear fighters could not touch his student, only after a few short months of training.

 

-Galad Damodred:

 

 

He's an extremely fast learner, and one of the best students seen at the White Tower in ages. He bested blademaster Eamon Valda, and has only been beated once, by Mat Cauthon (whose uncanny luck was no doubt a factor).

 

 

 

-Rhuarc, Clan Chief of the Taardad Aiel:

Age poses no barrier to any Aiel warrior. If anything, it serves them with more experience in battle, and as a Clan Chief, Rhuarc has seen much. His opinion seems to take precedence over the other Chiefs save for the Car'a'carn, which may be an indication of his combat prowess. All Aiel are extremely deadly, and Rhuarc's remarkable fitness coupled with his vast experience with the spear definitely puts him in the running.

 

 

Additions to these and/or comments are encouraged!

[jan 14]

Does Rand count? I think his skills do have to do with his ability to channel the One Power. At least, that's why he picked them up so quickly. Hard to believe that you "sharpen your skills to a hairsplitting edge" in a matter of months just like that!

 

Tam al'Thor: I agree. He might have some skills up his sleeve we haven't seen yet.

 

And, of course, I kind of zoned out after you said "Lan Mandragoran"

 

I have a feeling he's going to do something fantastic in book 12. In fact, I think he's going to die doing it!

 

 

And you forgot the Aeil, especially the Far Dareis Mai! For a long time I wanted to be a Maiden of the Spear! *sheepish*

[FortyFiveAuto 1]

Very well, let's take a moment to consider those East of the Spine of the World.

 

Out of the Far Dareis Mai, I would cast my vote for Sulin. She's a veteran of many conflicts, including the Aiel War, IIRC, and she is still fit enough to lead the society to carry Rand al'Thor's honor. Remember that ugly fisticuffs between her and Nandera (I think)? She showed the rest of the Aiel women who was boss.

 

Still, I don't think she'd hold a candle to Lan, or Tam, or any true blademaster.

 

And I stand by my prediction that Rhuarc is most likely the baddest of all Aiel.

[Marie 73]

So is your question really who is the baddest male around?

 

I personally think she could kill Tam. He might put up a worthy fight, but I see her prevailing in the end.

 

Anyway, I think the greatest is Lan.

[Ishmael Moridin 0]

I concur, the best is Lan. I think he is better than the other contenders, though all of them make a strong claim, he beats them all hands down.

 

Recollect the scene in tNS when he takes on 6 men and comes out alive.

Rand could have been the next closest,but

 

Now that rand has lost a hand, I think it will affect his skills with the sword.

 

[FortyFiveAuto 1]

So is your question really who is the baddest male around?

 

Well let's face it -- the greatest warrior in Randland is most likely male. Stronger upper body, longer reach, greater pctage fast-twitch musculature; all these things make a better fighter.

 

Don't get me wrong -- I have much respect for the female fighters, especially the Aiel and the Seanchan, but I'm talking about the best, period.

 

Sulin's advantage comes from her endurance and experience. She's always been a Maiden, and Maidens make a habit of running two marathons then fighting for the rest of the day. It is doubtless that she is in great shape for fighting, and of course Aiel women are not lacking in stature and thus reach is certainly not compromised.

 

Tam has been out of practice for several years. Perhaps this is why he did not escape the trollocs unscathed. But I believe his advantage lies in his choice of weapon, and not so much the fact that he is a man. A sword is a versatile weapon, capable of slashing and stabbing, vice simply stabbing, which is all a spear is good for. This is why there are so many more variations of attack with a sword, characterized fancifully by RJ as "Parting the Silk" or "Boar Rushes the Mountain", etc. Couple this with the fact that Tam is still a blademaster, and I believe the advantage tips in his favor.

 

Ajit you make an excellent point in your spoiler. I totally forgot about that.

[FortyFiveAuto 1]

Moreover, I would LOVE to see a female blademaster. I think that Birgitte's captain, Caseille, would make a great candidate for this. I would be stoked to see a narrated battle between her and a formidable male opponent.

[Ishmael Moridin 0]

Yep, that would be intresting indeed!!

[jan 14]

Moreover, I would LOVE to see a female blademaster.

 

Then you're reading the wrong series! Try 'Protector of the Small' by Tamora Pierce!

 

Back to the subject, good point, Ajit. Never thought of that. Lan it is, then!

[Eldaya 0]

Definitely Lan.

[jan 14]

Well let's face it -- the greatest warrior in Randland is most likely male.

 

Now that I've thought more of it, I don't think we can assume that. Marie and I were discussing it:

 

Payal: I'd like to see a Maiden go toe-to-toe with a swordsman. I think it's been done before, and I'm not sure having a bit sharp thing and longer reach is the begin all and end all of it!

Marie: Well think about it! Those swords didn't do too good during the Aiel War

 

Which is true. It's superficial to assume that bigger, stronger, sharper weapon means better fighter. There are different types of skills involved and they add up differently. Take Chiyo and Noah, for instance (*cough*... in a book I read recently!)... he is a foot taller than her, rather well built, but she would flatten him before he got up from his seat!

[FortyFiveAuto 1]

Payal: I'd like to see a Maiden go toe-to-toe with a swordsman. I think it's been done before' date=' and I'm not sure having a bit sharp thing and longer reach is the begin all and end all of it!

Marie: Well think about it! Those swords didn't do too good during the Aiel War

[/quote']

 

'Those swords' fared extremely well for Lan, Tam, Agelmar Jagad, Eamon Valda, Toram Riatin, et al during the Aiel War. There are many, many, many swordsmen in Randland, but only a fraction, like these men, are serious, disciplined warriors.

All Aiel, Maidens not excepted, are serious, disciplined warriors. There were more of them than those West of the Dragonwall, hence the destruction they wreaked.

 

Transitively, it is safe to say that your typical Maiden of the Spear would easily trounce your average swordsman West of the Dragonwall.

 

It's superficial to assume that bigger, stronger, sharper weapon means better fighter. There are different types of skills involved and they add up differently.

 

Skill is limited by your physical capacity to manifest it. All other things equal, if an average man and an average woman faced off in hand-to-hand combat, the advantage would be the man's, entirely because of his greater strength, weight, and reach. This does not necessitate the man's victory in said combat, but it does make it more likely, thus the man would be the better fighter in this scenario.

 

Granted: A blademaster is probably as skilled with a sword as a Maiden is with a spear. An easier comparison would be Aiel-to-Aiel. An Aielman trains just as hard as his female counterpart. Because of this, by and large, the Aielman is stronger than the female, because of his ability to produce testosterone at a far greater rate. Testosterone additionally encourages the growth of fast-twitch musculature, which enables an athlete to "explode" in a burst of energy. This ability is vital to a fighter, as it allows one to produce attacks which can outrun an opponent's reaction time and evade their maneuvers.

 

And so, in summation, all other things equal:

 

-the typical man is stronger, quicker, and reaches further than the typical woman.

-a sword is a far more effective weapon than a spear.

-blademasters and Maidens are probably equally deadly

 

and therefore, the greatest warrior in Randland is probably a male, and FURTHERMORE, probably a blademaster.

 

If you wanted to determine the greatest GROUP of warriors in Randland, I would definitely vote for a faction of Aiel, perhaps even the Maidens.

 

The deadliness of a blademaster versus that of a Maiden is a conjecture of mine that can be debated at length, of course.

[Ishmael Moridin 0]

Quite an explanation dude,.. I feel a blademaster would beat the toughest maiden.

[Vertex 23]

Since the main men in WoT seems to be unable to bring themselves to fight against girls,... they don't seem too baddest.

 

And I'd also think that in the WoT world, the most widley spread and deadly weapon is the bow or possibly the crossbow. Even Aes Sedai fears sudden arrows.

 

So the baddest warior seems to be Birgitte Silverbow, for being the best at a superior weapon and being able to shoot girls.

[Marie 73]

I think it's rather uneducated to think just any blademaster will defeat any maiden. You can say "all things equal" but fighters are rarely evenly matched. Most blademasters seem smart enough not to fight those crazy Aiel, male or female.

 

Besides, most women aren't stupid enough to fight a man head to head. Much easier to sleep with him, then cut his windpipe during the night. Because women are evil like that, as Vertex would agree.