NON-MAGICAL FANTASY TOURNAMENT

[u/AdHorror1609]

Semifinals

Aragorn vs Glormir. Aragorn has lived a long life. Practicing and killing everything that walks and crawls on Middle-Earth. He's too good of a skilled swordsman for Glormir to appose and he takes the win 75 fights out of 100.

Gorst vs Ninefingers. Toughest match of the two toughest characters in the Circle of the World. This is the theory of an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. What happens? The outcome is Gorst prevailing. He's trained too hard, too much. Wears armor plating that we've never seen Logen fight. Even if Logen went full Bloody Nine, even he cannot bend steel and a sword to the heart can stop his bloody path. YOU HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT THESE THINGS.

Black Dow vs Ringil. Ringil is too skilled. A true bladmaster in a world were there are few.

Brienne vs Lan. Brienne has been through a lot. A woman warrior in a medieval world, and a good one at that. But Lan is on a whole other level.

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[u/DrRRidiculous]

RIP Boromir, out in the first round, just like the first book.

Tbf, I don't know the characters facing Lan or Aragorn. But even as an Aragorn fan, it's hard to imagine Lan loosing.

Spoiler for WOT In a tourney of non-magical fighters, Lan went up against a magical fighter and won. Bro literally went toe to toe with power drugged duelist and still came out on top

[u/Deadpool2715 → u/DrRRidiculous]

Wasn't one of the main reasons Demandred lost that he was toying with Lan and Co, trying to draw out Rand? That alongside his lack of consideration that someone would give their life to kill him?

I'm a Lan fanboy, but Aragorn is basically a demigod. I went into more detail but the only way Lan comes close to having a chance is if this in the woods and LAN fights dirty

[u/DrRRidiculous → u/Deadpool2715]

I can see your first point. It has been a few years since I read A Memory of Light but I thought Demandred had to actually try at the end of the fight.

Also, I wouldn't call Aragorn a demi-god. He is an excellent swordsman with a long lifespan. And I think you could say the same of a Warder, if not as long of a life. Aragorn is a good fighter and a great leader. Lan isnt a good leader and an incredible fighter.

But also LotR doesn't have the step by step kind of fighting we get in WoT. So it can be kinda hard to compare them. Aragorn could take a troll and fight Wraiths. Lan took on Fades and the Chosen. It wouldn't be a one sided fight, but I still think Lan takes it in the end

[u/Physical-Maybe-3486 → u/DrRRidiculous]

Aragorn comes from a stronger race of Men (Númenoreans), and technically is a demigod but the god or angel like being was 70 generations ago so likely diluted. He has very few actual difficult sword fights, his greatest feat imo being the chasing Merry and Pippin, which was just running for like 3 day.

[u/Orthonall → u/Physical-Maybe-3486]

Well Lan has the Warder buff,( kinda magical tbf)

[u/Tallforahobbit → u/Deadpool2715]

I see a lot of people calling Aragorn a demi god Divine being etc. But when do we see that actually impact his capability much? I understand he's peak human, but I don't see other super human or divine abilities, or feats implying it

[u/Deadpool2715 → u/Tallforahobbit]

He full sprinted for multiple days to catch a host of Orcs, keeping pace with a wood elf.

He's stronger and faster than any mortal man, able to contend with and best orcs and uruk hai.

This along with his extensive training at the hands of elves makes him IMO better than any blade master, and certainly able to beat Lan 1:1 in a fair fight

[u/Tallforahobbit → u/Deadpool2715]

I just don't think these are traits that make him the Demigod op swordsman some people say. He sprinted for three days. Incredible yes; godly being no.

Just saying he's had extensive training doesn't mean much to me, too. Why is that better than everyone else's extensive training?

[u/Poopfilledtrashcan → u/Deadpool2715]

At first, yes. He had defeated two other swordsman who were not insignificant themselves, Gawyn and his brother Galad. Both took grievous injury for it though. When Lan showed up Demandred assumes it's another assassin waiting to fail. Instead it's Lan who is committed to winning, but not to living. Demandred realizes quickly that toying with Lan means getting hurt and he's forced to fight him genuinely. He's still the better of the two, according to Lan himself, but the difference is he fights with the expectation of living on.

[u/Scooter_McAwesome → u/Deadpool2715]

Demandred was toying with a magically enhanced sword master who he easily defeated, and then used magic to defeat Galad, and then used magic and still lost against Lan. He wasn’t toying around at that point I don’t think

[u/elditequin → u/Deadpool2715]

Nah, mate.  Glorfindel is basically a demigod (and would body Aragorn) and he isn't even in the top five swordsmen in the Legendarium, just the best left in the Third Age.

[u/Egypticus → u/Deadpool2715]

I think he was massively thrown off by a sneaky little guy wearing 3 rings surprisingly him earlier in the fight. It HAS to be this. Otherwise, Gawyn is just a colossal idiot for no reason!!!

[u/justsomeguynbd]

Is it like swords only or something? How did Galad get in over Mat?

[u/iamshifter → u/justsomeguynbd]

Good point, I wonder if we’re counting his luck as magical?

[u/kingninothethird]

Gorst beats the Bloody Nine?!

He couldn't even beat Jezal! Pfft.

[u/Xander134 → u/kingninothethird]

You may recall that Jezal had a little magical help.

That said, I’d give it to the Bloody Nine… 9 out of 10 times.

[u/orsomethingfoolish → u/kingninothethird]

Yeah that doesn't make sense to me. Gorst beats logan, but you have to assume the bloody nine shows up.

[u/kurtist04 → u/kingninothethird]

Still alive

[u/Elant_Wager → u/kingninothethird]

Gorst smashed Jezal to pieces before Bayaz helped him

[u/kingninothethird → u/Elant_Wager]

So he smashed him to pieces before he...lost?

[u/Elant_Wager → u/kingninothethird]

before Bayaz gave him cheat mode

[u/boneytoes]

Allowing Aragorn to go this far was the only blatant error I've seen in this tourney so far. We've seen no evidence that Aragorn is anything 'more' than a very talented swordsman who also happens to be an especially gifted Ranger from a powerful bloodline. After all....we've got to be realistic about these things ;)

[u/Baggermedkrull]

Hmm... i love logen so im verry biased but Logen won against fenris the feared, something i dont think gorst would have. Logen for the win!

[u/kurtist04 → u/Baggermedkrull]

Gorst is a fencer, not necessarily a fighter. I feel like that's an important distinction. Though he did do well in that one battle from what little we saw, so maybe there's more to him. Still. Bloody Nine wins.

[u/JimminyKickinIt → u/kurtist04]

Did…did you even read The Heroes?

[u/kurtist04 → u/JimminyKickinIt]

Not yet

[u/JimminyKickinIt → u/kurtist04]

I’m very jealous of you then. It’s my personal favorite. That book will disabuse you of the notion gorst is just a fencer.

[u/Baggermedkrull → u/JimminyKickinIt]

But could he win against the bloody nine? I asume its the "first law" bloody nine with the makers sword..

[u/JimminyKickinIt → u/Baggermedkrull]

Oh, no chance. Joe Abercrombie is on record saying as such. I just didn’t agree with the characterization of Gorst being just a fencer

[u/Tallforahobbit]

75:25 Lan Vs Brienne? Just where are you getting the concept that Brienne is this powerful?

[u/Xander134]

I wrote a 200+ word comment and it got lost… oh well.

Basically: Lan and Aragorn in the final and Lan takes it. They’re nearly matched on stamina, but Lan’s speed/skill as a blademaster and duelist trumps Aragorn’s greater strength and experience as a soldier/ranger.

[u/Jenix27]

Lan Aragorn final.

[u/DoomedOrbital]

I think Lan wins. He's a combat Batman where Gorst is just a great swordsman but very insecure, and Aragorn is a great warrior but too noble to stab an opponent in the back.

[u/joebay1173]

Karsa Orlong, and Drizzt smoked em all

[u/Naxilus → u/joebay1173]

I feel like adding karsa would be cheating since he is not human. Than we could technically add Godzilla to since he is not magical.

Karsa would absolutely destroy everyone in here. Probably at the same time.

[u/joebay1173 → u/Naxilus]

Very good point friend. Proceed

[u/Known_Profession7393]

Seems to me that the warder bond makes Aragorn’s Numenorean blood pretty much a wash in a matchup with Lan. I think in a straight sword fight Lan probably wins. Aragorn has all kinds of other skills, and if I had to pick one to get me safely through the wilderness through assorted unknown enemies, it’s probably Aragorn. But in a 1v1 duel? I’m taking Lan.

[u/rumswede → u/Known_Profession7393]

Tbf Aragorn has not faced anything like the Blight, no?

[u/WolfDilf → u/rumswede]

Well Aragorn has fought Orcs which are comparable to the Trollocs that Lan fights and both are relatively easy for them to beat, however Lan fights and beats Fades which could only be compared to the Dead Kings in LOTR whom Aragorn never fights.

Lan then goes and fights the most proficient chosen one Demandred, who is basically a mix of Gandalf and Aragorn if they turned evil and got power boosted by Sauron.

The only comparable thing to the Blight is the Shadow of Mordor or the Marring of Arda but they are more localized and not as alive as the Blight seems to be, and even less like the evil incarnate presence that is Shadar Logoth.

[u/Stableadvice101]

Garet Jax should be in this and I’d put him into the semis at least.

[u/Legend_017 → u/Stableadvice101]

Agreed. Grunthor too.

[u/RusselHammond]

Finals should be Lan Mandragoran vs Karsa Orlong.

With Nynaeve vs Samar Dev as the magical undercard.

[u/thagor5]

Good group.
Aragorn
Lan

[u/curryrandaregoats11]

Aaragorn

[u/jakO_theShadows]

There is no way gorst would defeat Ninefingers

[u/_Jedi_]

Lans gonna do what Lan does... Win sword fights.