Matchup Egyptian vs Yayoi soldier

Matchup: Egyptian vs. Yayoi soldier

Hey there every peoples!

Looks like we got the second warrior name of season 3! So now we not only have Hannibal to look forward to, but also Crazy Horse (as evidence by a guy in a video saying “I’m a Crazy Horse expert” in a video). Can’t wait to see what other warriors they got in mind for season three.

Anyway on to another match up. I figured I’d give you guys a break from the “primitive” warriors and do a matchup between the soldiers of ancient civilizations. One hails from the bronze age Middle East, the other from the early days of one of the best known nations in the world. This is Egyptian vs. Yayoi soldier!

My Egyptian soldier is the classic image of an Egyptian soldier, meaning he hails from the New Kingdom. The New Kingdom lasted from the 16 th century bc to the 11 th century bc and marked the pinnacle of Egyptian power and prosperity. The New Kingdom produced the man who is thought to be the greatest Pharaoh of them all: Ramses II. Under his command, Egypt became a military machine and fought to expand the empire. Their most famous battle was the Battle of Kadesh where Ramses and his army fought to a draw against the Hittites, an equally powerful empire.

Yayoi soldier

The Yayoi period in Japan began in 300 bc when the previous Jomon culture came into with outside nations. The Yayoi culture stretched from southern Kyushui to northern Honshu and lasted until about 300 ad. The Wei chroniclers of China give us a contemporary account of the later Yayoi period ( called the Wei Chih) but it is uncertain how much of it can be trusted. According to them Japan was at this time divided into warring tribal communities. A leader named Himiko, who was seen by no one but her servants, organized many of these communities into a confederacy. She was apparently on friendly terms with China, since the chronicles tell us that the Wei Emperor sent her many gifts. What is more, six years later he gave a military title to her envoy. This indicates that she was fighting against a rival land. She apparently lost, since the Wei Chih just says that she died.

Short range

Egyptian: Khopesh. Crafted in Sumer in the 3 rd millennium bc the khopesh or sickle sword spread throughout the middle east. The Egyptians adopted the kohpesh from the Hyksos and it played a part in their rise to power. The khopesh isn’t a true sword but is more akin to an axe. Even then it can’t really be classed as an axe either, because while axes made percussion cuts, the khopesh was used to slash like a saber. A standard khopesh measure between 20 and 24 inches longs.

Yayoi: Pick ax. A two foot wooden shaft with an iron or bronze blade inset. Basically a shorter version of the halberd.

Egyptian: spear. A 6 foot wooden shaft with a head made of bronze. Just another spear, plain and simple.

Yayoi: Halberd. A longer version if the pick axe. Its presence indicates contact with China, where it was a common weapon of Han Dynasty soldiers. The halberd had a bronze or sometimes iron head.

Egyptian: Throw stick. Told you the boomerang wasn’t restricted to Australia! The throw stick was actually not uncommon among Egyptian infantry, being cheap and easy to use. While maybe not the most effective weapon, it was used with some regularity until the end of the New Kingdom so it must have worked to some extent.The eamples below were found in the tomb of King Tut.

Yayoi: bow and arrow. Let’s face it; we are going to keep seeing this one again and again, given how it’s found in most cultures worldwide.

Special weapons

Egyptian: Mace axe. The mace axe evolved from the middle kingdom mace. When the mace was no longer able to break through enemy armor, the shaft above the mace head was extended and a bronze ax blade was attached. The mace head was enlarged and the shaft lengthened to allow two handed use. The ax head was the primary striking implement, but the mace part was still capable of bone breaking blows.

Yayoi: Sukanto tachi. A bronze sword measuring up to 30 inches long.

Egyptian: New Kingdom infantry wore little armor (see image at top of post). They mainly wore a padded cotton shirt and some weird looking breach cloth. They carried a large wooden shield faced with ox hide. The shield could be slung over the back when two hands were required to wield a weapon.

Yayoi: The Yaoi soldier carried a shield as tall as that of the Egyptian’s but narrower. The only other armor they had was a wooden cuirass.

So how does that sound? Who do you think would win? Is it a fair fight?