60 year old blademaster fight

[Eleint]

I wish we could have had a comparison between Lan and pre-stump Rand.

 

We do, up to a point.  When Rand fought Toram Riatin (I think that's the guy's name), it was an even fight.  Rand was better, but he wasn't just overwhelming him.

 

When Lan fought him in Far Madding (I think it was, haven't gotten that far on my re-read yet), it was over in like ten seconds.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Well ... there are several other intervening variables there ... Rand's gloves in the first fight, Riatin's deteriorating condition after being around Mordeth for a longer period of time ... but its true that Lan is most likely better than two hand Rand ...

[bjclinton]

Also, you have the age-old philosophy that:

 

If A >B

and B > C

it doesn't guarantee that A > C

 

know what i mean?

 

Either way, on a scale from 1-100, I would give Lan a 99 and Rand (with two hands) somewhere between a 96 and 97. Please refer to past posts where I contend that there is no one alive in Randland that we have seen in the past or present that can beat Lan in a duel.

[Hallow]

Also, you have the age-old philosophy that:

 

If A >B

and B > C

it doesn't guarantee that A > C

 

know what i mean?

 

Either way, on a scale from 1-100, I would give Lan a 99 and Rand (with two hands) somewhere between a 96 and 97. Please refer to past posts where I contend that there is no one alive in Randland that we have seen in the past or present that can beat Lan in a duel.

 

IIRC that arafelin/malkiere dude in new spring was probably as good seeing as Lan said he beat him through sheer luck.

[MikeRiley]

What does it mean to be an "official" blademaster?  Is there some high-muckety-muck Order of Blademasters somewhere?  I sure haven't read about them.  I know Jordan gave those requirements, but is someone in Randland keeping a list or something?  If they were in the relative peace before the books, I doubt that they are anymore.

 

The only point that makes a difference to me is that two-handed Rand and Lan both can kill you, with a quickness.  I would have to chuckle at someone who challenges Lan and says:

 

"Ha!! You're not an OFFICIAL Blademaster, I bet I can ..." -head chopped off-.

 

The readers and the blademaster would know. Nobody else would recognize him as one, though. It seems that there is an official order if they have two ways you can enter and one requires a gathering of blademasters. Nobody knows Rand killed Turak, the Seanchan even think the guy was mobbed and murdered. If Rand was to use that for his proof of skill, he wouldn't get very far. He'd need a new demonstration.

[Mr Ares]

But he was likely already recognized via judges.

Why? After all, it's not like he would care enough to go out of his way for the recognition. If there happened be five blademasters passing by and they saw him practicing the sword, then they might let him join, but he wouldn't make any extra effort to join the club.

[Majsju]

 

IIRC that arafelin/malkiere dude in new spring was probably as good seeing as Lan said he beat him through sheer luck.

 

That was in NS. The Lan we see in the main series has +20 years of experience, plus the benefits of being a Warder.

[Thor]

people are going way too deep about the term or title 'blademaster'.

 

seriously it's just a name.  there are always going to be people who are significantly better than your average 'blademasters'.  a god amongst insects is still an insect.

[CUBAREY]

Also, you have the age-old philosophy that:

 

If A >B

and B > C

it doesn't guarantee that A > C

 

Actually its a proof in logic and yes it does in fact "guarantee" (prove) that A is larger then C.

[bjclinton]

Also, you have the age-old philosophy that:

 

If A >B

and B > C

it doesn't guarantee that A > C

 

Actually its a proof in logic and yes it does in fact "guarantee" (prove) that A is larger then C.

 

Mathematically, yes. Philosophically in an uncontrolled environment where outside factors and other variables exist to define A, B, and C with their own unique traits, strengths and weaknesses, then no.

 

I was using that "equation" the same way most use it in this forum. Better said (hypothetically), If Rand could kill Matt and Matt could kill Lan, it doesn't guarantee that Rand could kill Lan.

 

Better?  :P

[RobertAlexWillis]

Yes, a better comparison might be in sports ...

 

Just because Man. U beats Chelsea, and Chelsea beats Liverpool, doesn't guarantee that Man U. is going to beat Liverpool.

 

-waits for the rabid Man U. fans to scream that "YES IT DOES!"-

[MikeRiley]

I was thinking more along the lines of paper, rock, scissors when I read that. Maybe I'm just simple.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Well ... that doesn't quite work because rock always beats scissors, and scissors always beat paper, and paper always beats rock.  If they were all super-amazing swordsmen, then there would be at least a chance that rock beats paper, or scissors beats rock, or paper beats scissors.

[Luckers]

That depends--is the paper that recycled crap? And the rock... is it granite, or sandstone.

 

That, by the way, is me agreeing with Robert. You can't possibly think to ascribe mathematical values to such a confrontation. The variables would be incalcuble,

[albino_dog]

Well I wouldn't want to see that fight. There's only one person who in my view is able to fight on par with Lan without using the Power. And that person is Elyas Machera, not Tam al'Thor.

 

I'm afraid Lan would kill Tam pretty easily, so yeah I wouldn't want to see that fight. Tam is a nice guy, watching him killed by another person on the good guys' side wouldn't be that fun.

[MikeRiley]

Why Elyas? He's older than Lan and hasn't been a trained warder in some time. I took him to be a capable fighter but not to the point of taking on a blademaster.

[A Demon Llama!]

I wouldn't mind seeing another Galad + Gawyn vs Mat

[Blade]

I think Eamon Valda actually could have put up a good fight against Lan due to the fact that 1) galad's swordsmanship was impressive even to borderlanders who are already pretty darn good. If I remember right from their point of view they were practically standing in awe of him, and 2) Valda was beating Galad pretty handily in their swordfight. He basically only one off of a trick play otherwise he would've been dead. Galad was already better than 1 blademaster their trainer in the yards so Valda was on another level completely when it came to swordfighting. At the same time, I think the person with the BEST chance against lan in a fight (maybe not a swordfight but a fight) has got to be mat. He's got more battle experience than any 10 people, AND he's got the luck factor on his side. I really liked the POV in knife of dreams when it talks about mat using the other men's memories to know how to knife fight against swords and also how to make just the right cuts. That was pretty awesome.

[Thor]

what about farstrider?

[water_seeker]

It's really not fair to the people that don't use blades to limit this to a blademaster fight...

 

I'd like to see a practice fight between Lan and Rhuarc.

[mb]

I'd like to see a practice fight between Lan and Rhuarc.

Some past thread in this section discussed that.  Here is the link:

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,36547.0.html