Ranking the Best Fighters -- My thoughts (TOM spoilers!)

[solarz]

Hi Everyone, this is my first post in these forums, so please forgive me if this has been hashed a thousand times already. :)

 

The reason I'm starting this topic is because I'm dissatisfied with what I've read of other threads on this topic. Here are my thoughts:

 

1- Duels and battles are never completely deterministic. There is always an element of chance. The best blademaster could be killed by a farmer with a pitchfork, but that doesn't mean the farmer is a better fighter. I think it's just as important to analyze *how* a fight is won/lost, rather than stating the outcome.

 

For example, when Rand was training against 6 swordsmen, he was defeated because the swordsmen made a "suicidal" gambit: they sacrificed themselves in order for one of their number of land a decisive blow. Compare this to Lan or Mat's fight against 6(?) swordsmen assassins. Those assassins might not have been willing to sacrifice their own lives in order to help someone else complete the mission.

 

2- Just because a certain fighter is described as really bad-ass fighting mooks, doesn't mean he's ready to play with the Big Boys. A good example is Galad. He fought Dragonsworn as if he was at a dance, and single-handedly broke their will. However, he had considerable difficulty against Valda, and in TOM, when he was pitted against Trollocs, he was anything *but* dancing.

 

3- As a corollary of #2, just because a group of mooks are described as "bad-ass mooks", doesn't mean they're not still mooks! Two good, and opposing examples of this are the Aiel and the Trollocs/Fades. The average Aiel soldier is extremely bad-ass compared to the average Wetlander soldier, but Named Characters, such as Gawyn, Perrin, Aram, can all cut through Aiels like the mooks that they are. Same thing for the Trollocs: a lot of people think Trollocs are bad soldiers because they keep getting cut to pieces by Rand and Co. But as we saw in TOM during the Whitecloaks vs Trollocs fight, they are actually extremely tough opponents and can easily overrun an army of professional human soldiers who are not prepared against them. Similiarly, while Myrdraal were really scary and deadly fighters in the early books, they just become fodder later on, simply because we keep seeing them pitted against some of the best fighters in the world (Lan, Mat, Rand, etc.). In fact, you could even add the Warders to this list.

 

4- Theme. Like it or not, WOT is a work of fiction, and as such, it tends to obey some thematic rules. For example, it just wouldn't feel thematically appropriate for a minor character to be a better fighter than a major character whose schtick is "the best swordsman", unless it serves a particular plot purpose.

 

So, with the above in mind, here is my ranked list of Best Fighters of WOT:

 

 

 

#1: Lan, or Mat when abusing his Luck.

- Lan is consistently described as the best swordsman in the world. He was the one that taught Rand the sword forms. He courts Death as a suitor would court a maiden. Even the Aiel think he is Death Walking. Mat is very good, but pure-skill, he probably lacks Lan's experience. Memories can only go so far, and those memories are geared more toward warfare than personal combat. However, Mat's Luck is pretty much a Deus Ex that lets him pull off any kind of stunt he wants.

 

#2: Rand, Mat, Perrin, pure skill.

- I feel that it's thematically appropriate for our 3 taveren to be about equal in combat prowess, but each have a unique ability that sets him apart. This is Rand before losing a hand, obviously.

- I think people tend to underestimate Perrin's fighting prowess, because he doesn't use fancy sword forms, or have crazy luck. Still, Perrin has waded through hordes of Aiel and Trollocs and made mince-meat out of them. In TOM, Galad was having a really difficult time against the Trolloc hordes, while Perrin stomped them into the ground. Of course, his new hammer helped, but that scene gave me no doubt as to who was the better fighter.

 

#3: Galad, Gawyn

- It is as yet impossible to tell who's better, Galad or Gawyn. Both are described as being master swordsmen, and both have fought their share of powerful opponents. Gawyn vs Hammar, Coulin, and Shaido. Galad vs Valda and Trollocs.

 

Special mention: Birgitte

- Give her a bow (and arrows!) and start her 100 paces away, and none of our male fighters above would be willing to get into a fight with her.

[EvilSocrates]

Are you talking about who is more dangerous in personal combat? That has as much to do with the weapon choice as skill. I mean, how do you compare Birgitte to Lan? He is the most skilled blade-master that exists, but obviously she would just shoot him in the face.

 

Randland combat is very strange. Perrin fights with a battle ax, and he has great strength, so you would expect him to wear heavy armor (the main point of an axe over a sword is armor penetration). Instead, he runs around in a normal shirt. He would be much better off with a spear if he refuses armor. Swords are strictly better than axes against unarmored opponents as well.

 

Similarly, it's odd how everyone seems to use long-swords in this setting when all the combatants tend to be either heavily armored or totally unarmored. Swords are great for displaying wealth or status, but they actually aren't all that practical as far as a weapon actually goes. Mat could beat Lan handily, even though Lan is probably better, simply because Mat has the good sense to use a polearm (and bow).

 

Realistically speaking, Perrin should have already been spitted by an Aiel spier 100 times. Run un-armored with an axe at a man using a pole-arm with vague plans to "catch the spear on your haft" and "go for the hamstring" and you would die instantly. On the other hand, an Aiel charge could easily be broken by dismounted knights or heavy infantry, but they are somehow treated as incredibly dangerous anyway. He's a blacksmith, he should make himself some armor, for goodness sakes. (Why people don't run around in cuendillar armor, I'll never know, but that's another topic).

 

The again, if you are looking for good battle scenes that display interesting and realistic depictions of pre-gunpower warfare, you are reading the wrong series.

[USURP888]

Are you talking about who is more dangerous in personal combat? That has as much to do with the weapon choice as skill. I mean, how do you compare Birgitte to Lan? He is the most skilled blade-master that exists, but obviously she would just shoot him in the face.

 

Randland combat is very strange. Perrin fights with a battle ax, and he has great strength, so you would expect him to wear heavy armor (the main point of an axe over a sword is armor penetration). Instead, he runs around in a normal shirt. He would be much better off with a spear if he refuses armor. Swords are strictly better than axes against unarmored opponents as well.

 

Similarly, it's odd how everyone seems to use long-swords in this setting when all the combatants tend to be either heavily armored or totally unarmored. Swords are great for displaying wealth or status, but they actually aren't all that practical as far as a weapon actually goes. Mat could beat Lan handily, even though Lan is probably better, simply because Mat has the good sense to use a polearm (and bow).

 

Realistically speaking, Perrin should have already been spitted by an Aiel spier 100 times. Run un-armored with an axe at a man using a pole-arm with vague plans to "catch the spear on your haft" and "go for the hamstring" and you would die instantly. On the other hand, an Aiel charge could easily be broken by dismounted knights or heavy infantry, but they are somehow treated as incredibly dangerous anyway. He's a blacksmith, he should make himself some armor, for goodness sakes. (Why people don't run around in cuendillar armor, I'll never know, but that's another topic).

 

The again, if you are looking for good battle scenes that display interesting and realistic depictions of pre-gunpower warfare, you are reading the wrong series.

 

 

The sword is actually the best melee weapon invented. The samurai favor their katana for a reason, it provides extra range of attack and can be used to either slash or pierce. The spear though is arguably better than a sword so long as the user manages to use it well enough to keep the swordsman out of range.

 

I remember the Aiel use a shortened spear and their preferred method of attack are quick stabs. This negates the range advantage of the spear and they do not have the ability to slash unlike the sword.

 

Mat's ashandarei and how he uses it is more in line with how a spear is normally used. Using it like a staff to provide superior range and cover than a sword and has the slash and pierce attribute as well.

 

Polearms, especially infantry heavy polearms are not suitable for hand-to-hand combat. It is primarily used to negate cavalry charges. This very long and very unwieldy weapon cannot be swung fast enough for it to be effective during melee combat.

 

The Bow is a long range weapon, so it is practically useless in melee fighting. I do not think we can really compare Birgitte to the other fighters, we have no idea if she is good at hand-to-hand combat but we all know everyone's dead if she has range enough to shoot her bow.

[solarz]

Are you talking about who is more dangerous in personal combat? That has as much to do with the weapon choice as skill. I mean, how do you compare Birgitte to Lan? He is the most skilled blade-master that exists, but obviously she would just shoot him in the face.

 

Randland combat is very strange. Perrin fights with a battle ax, and he has great strength, so you would expect him to wear heavy armor (the main point of an axe over a sword is armor penetration). Instead, he runs around in a normal shirt. He would be much better off with a spear if he refuses armor. Swords are strictly better than axes against unarmored opponents as well.

 

Similarly, it's odd how everyone seems to use long-swords in this setting when all the combatants tend to be either heavily armored or totally unarmored. Swords are great for displaying wealth or status, but they actually aren't all that practical as far as a weapon actually goes. Mat could beat Lan handily, even though Lan is probably better, simply because Mat has the good sense to use a polearm (and bow).

 

Realistically speaking, Perrin should have already been spitted by an Aiel spier 100 times. Run un-armored with an axe at a man using a pole-arm with vague plans to "catch the spear on your haft" and "go for the hamstring" and you would die instantly. On the other hand, an Aiel charge could easily be broken by dismounted knights or heavy infantry, but they are somehow treated as incredibly dangerous anyway. He's a blacksmith, he should make himself some armor, for goodness sakes. (Why people don't run around in cuendillar armor, I'll never know, but that's another topic).

 

The again, if you are looking for good battle scenes that display interesting and realistic depictions of pre-gunpower warfare, you are reading the wrong series.

 

While you bring up good points, it's not my intention to discuss the merits of RJ's knowledge of real-world cold-arms fighting. Rather, let's simply base our arguments on what the book presents. It's pretty obvious that in WOT, armor is just a fashion statement. :)

 

Perrin's berserker style might not work in real life, but in WOT, he slaughters Trollocs and Aiel alike. Likewise, Two-Rivers farmers should be barely more skilled than a militia, but in WOT again, they are more bad-ass than the most elite professional soldiers.

[Suttree]

Likewise, Two-Rivers farmers should be barely more skilled than a militia, but in WOT again, they are more bad-ass than the most elite professional soldiers.

 

Where do we see that? They are mentioned as being skilled with the bow and in woodcraft. Both skills they would realistically have, we don't ever see them cross paths with an elite fighting force and come out on top.

[EvilSocrates]

Are you talking about who is more dangerous in personal combat? That has as much to do with the weapon choice as skill. I mean, how do you compare Birgitte to Lan? He is the most skilled blade-master that exists, but obviously she would just shoot him in the face.

 

Randland combat is very strange. Perrin fights with a battle ax, and he has great strength, so you would expect him to wear heavy armor (the main point of an axe over a sword is armor penetration). Instead, he runs around in a normal shirt. He would be much better off with a spear if he refuses armor. Swords are strictly better than axes against unarmored opponents as well.

 

Similarly, it's odd how everyone seems to use long-swords in this setting when all the combatants tend to be either heavily armored or totally unarmored. Swords are great for displaying wealth or status, but they actually aren't all that practical as far as a weapon actually goes. Mat could beat Lan handily, even though Lan is probably better, simply because Mat has the good sense to use a polearm (and bow).

 

Realistically speaking, Perrin should have already been spitted by an Aiel spier 100 times. Run un-armored with an axe at a man using a pole-arm with vague plans to "catch the spear on your haft" and "go for the hamstring" and you would die instantly. On the other hand, an Aiel charge could easily be broken by dismounted knights or heavy infantry, but they are somehow treated as incredibly dangerous anyway. He's a blacksmith, he should make himself some armor, for goodness sakes. (Why people don't run around in cuendillar armor, I'll never know, but that's another topic).

 

The again, if you are looking for good battle scenes that display interesting and realistic depictions of pre-gunpower warfare, you are reading the wrong series.

 

 

The sword is actually the best melee weapon invented. The samurai favor their katana for a reason, it provides extra range of attack and can be used to either slash or pierce. The spear though is arguably better than a sword so long as the user manages to use it well enough to keep the swordsman out of range.

 

I remember the Aiel use a shortened spear and their preferred method of attack are quick stabs. This negates the range advantage of the spear and they do not have the ability to slash unlike the sword.

 

Mat's ashandarei and how he uses it is more in line with how a spear is normally used. Using it like a staff to provide superior range and cover than a sword and has the slash and pierce attribute as well.

 

Polearms, especially infantry heavy polearms are not suitable for hand-to-hand combat. It is primarily used to negate cavalry charges. This very long and very unwieldy weapon cannot be swung fast enough for it to be effective during melee combat.

 

The Bow is a long range weapon, so it is practically useless in melee fighting. I do not think we can really compare Birgitte to the other fighters, we have no idea if she is good at hand-to-hand combat but we all know everyone's dead if she has range enough to shoot her bow.

 

 

Samurai mostly used the spear and bow from horseback when they fought, actually. Again, swords (like katanas) are a status symbol--they are expensive and only useful for choppin' up other dudes. Besides which, you'll note that Samurai were heavily armored. They did not have enough metal to be able to use full plate-though, and a katana could still chop through the armor they had because it is sort of like a falchion(a lot of weight behind the one cutting edge, like an axe). Thus, the sword was a handy (and classy) weapon of last resort if you were dismounted or had to fight other armored opponents. I already indicated that using a armor penetrating chopping weapon while wearing heavy armor is a good idea--and that CAN work with a katana or falchion, just as well as a mace or ax.

 

Using a large two handed sword while unarmored in a large-scale fight is crazy talk in real life, but in WoT it lets you cut through people while "almost seeming to dance" like Aram. If he actually tried that against a someone with a shield (like say, an Aielman) or a man with a breastplate, they would just bind Aram's sword with shield or armor and cut his legs off. A spear-man would just poke a hole in him too. The only people I can think of who rolled around without heavy armor while using a sword (before gunpowder) were specifically tasked with cutting the legs off of horses, not with fighting other humans.

 

Pike formations are what you seem to be thinking of when it comes to setting against a charge. They are also extremely effective against most foot as well though. If you manage to confront a pikewall head on instead of flanking them, there isn't much you can do other than get stuck. An effective heavy pike-wall does wonders against centurion style formations, which is why armies started using pike as their main form of foot once they got good enough at preventing flanks.

 

If you think halberds and bills (heavy infantry pole-arms) were not suited for hand-to-hand combat, you are sadly mistaken.

[EvilSocrates]

SolarZ, OK if we go by the books themselves (were metal is 50x stronger when forming a weapon than when forming armor, where it turns to mush), then that basically means everyone is forced to fight un-armored. Thus, the winner is still the man who is the only person sensible enough to use pole-arm: Matt. I believe that Lan is probably the most skilled in fighting though.

 

Perrin is inexplicably dangerous. It's hard to rank him because he doesn't make much sense. He seems to cut through Aiel with a ax and a dagger pretty handily though. That should basically be impossible, because using an ax and dagger against a guy with a spear seems like suicide to me. Maybe that means he is actually the best? I mean, do you go with the guy who everyone says is super-skilled (Lan), or the guy who might as well be killing spear-armed Fremen with a dead trout?

[solarz]

SolarZ, OK if we go by the books themselves (were metal is 50x stronger when forming a weapon than when forming armor, where it turns to mush), then that basically means everyone is forced to fight un-armored. Thus, the winner is still the man who is the only person sensible enough to use pole-arm: Matt. I believe that Lan is probably the most skilled in fighting though.

 

Perrin is inexplicably dangerous. It's hard to rank him because he doesn't make much sense. He seems to cut through Aiel with a ax and a dagger pretty handily though. That should basically be impossible, because using an ax and dagger against a guy with a spear seems like suicide to me. Maybe that means he is actually the best? I mean, do you go with the guy who everyone says is super-skilled (Lan), or the guy who might as well be killing spear-armed Fremen with a dead trout?

 

Well, I like to take WOT descriptions of martial prowess in a more "wuxia" context: i.e. realism is less of a concern and skilled fighters have a certain "mystical" quality that allows them to slaughter dozens of lesser opponents. If you're not familiar with "wuxia", then think Anime. In both genres, equipment is immaterial, and what really counts is personal skill.

 

Also, one-on-one, polearms don't do that well vs sword. Again, when it comes to the kind of skill level described in WoT, equipment is largely immaterial.

[mandersen]

SolarZ, it seems you should've entitled this post "Please tell me everything you know about medieval weaponry and combat". As to your ACTUAL topic of discussion, I think you're probably about right (as much as we'd be able to tell based on the material). I've always considered Lan the best fighter. The man was born to be a weapon. The sword just happens to be the tool he grew up with. Had he been born Aiel i'm sure he would be just as deadly with a spear. The rest of your ranking seems plausible to me. I would be surprised though if there weren't others at the Galad/Gawyn level though. another blademaster somewhere or a particularly good Aielman. Too bad we won't be seeing Gaidal Cain fighting in the flesh. I'm guess he'll be a chart topper in 20 years or so.

[solarz]

SolarZ, it seems you should've entitled this post "Please tell me everything you know about medieval weaponry and combat". As to your ACTUAL topic of discussion, I think you're probably about right (as much as we'd be able to tell based on the material). I've always considered Lan the best fighter. The man was born to be a weapon. The sword just happens to be the tool he grew up with. Had he been born Aiel i'm sure he would be just as deadly with a spear. The rest of your ranking seems plausible to me. I would be surprised though if there weren't others at the Galad/Gawyn level though. another blademaster somewhere or a particularly good Aielman. Too bad we won't be seeing Gaidal Cain fighting in the flesh. I'm guess he'll be a chart topper in 20 years or so.

 

Well, the book does have a scene where an Aielman fought Gawyn to a draw in a pitched battle, and it was only due to luck that Gawyn won and his opponent died. Valda was also pretty near Galad's level.

 

Rhuarc and Elyas should also rank pretty high, but we really haven't seen them fight much in order to rank them.

[mandersen]

Well, the book does have a scene where an Aielman fought Gawyn to a draw in a pitched battle, and it was only due to luck that Gawyn won and his opponent died. Valda was also pretty near Galad's level.Rhuarc and Elyas should also rank pretty high, but we really haven't seen them fight much in order to rank them.

Yeah, I forgot about Elyas. I'm sure he's pretty formidable, what with years of warder training and life added to his wolfbrother-ness.

[Entreri]

Since you are ranking the best fighters, then definitely the Aiel have to be on that list, as a people they are the best fighters. Plus we should include dead fighters in the series.

 

 

tSR, Perrin compares Lan and Rhuarc: "Perrin was not sure which of the two men was more deadly, but he thought a mouse could starve on the difference"

 

Gaul unarmed took out at around 7-8 armed Whitecloaks

 

Mat on Couldain: "an inch difference, and that spear would have gone through his hear; Light the man had been good"

 

Gawyn vs. unknown Shaido Aiel, the fight was a draw, until the Aiel stumbled on a rock.

 

 

1/ Lan post Moraine, Jearom, the greatest ever Aiel fighter(Jearom of the Aiel, who would be a match for prime Jearom or prime Lan)

 

2/ Lan, Rhuarc

 

3/ Rand/LTT with two hands, Mat, Gaul, possibly Bael, the elite Warders (the historical best) not named above, possibly the greatest Seanchan blademaster in history

 

4/ Valda, Galad, Ryne, Couladin, the elite Aiel fighters (the historical best) not named above

 

5/ Gawyn, Riatin, Aiel Clan Chief or other such leaders of Aiel warrior societies

 

6/ Perrin, Be'lal, Sammael, Tam in his prime, Luc/Isam, Sleete, the elite Seanchan figters (historical best)

 

7/ Hammer, Coulin, Elyas, Seanchan enhanced assassins, Rand one handed, Gareth Bryne, the High Lord blademaster Rand killed in EoTW

[Suttree]

7/ Hammer, Coulin, Elyas, Seanchan enhanced assassins, Rand one handed, Gareth Bryne, the High Lord blademaster Rand killed in EoTW

 

Do we have anything to indicate Rand is particularly skilled one handed? Thought most of the sword forms required two...

[Entreri]

7/ Hammer, Coulin, Elyas, Seanchan enhanced assassins, Rand one handed, Gareth Bryne, the High Lord blademaster Rand killed in EoTW

 

Do we have anything to indicate Rand is particularly skilled one handed? Thought most of the sword forms required two...

 

he can adapt the forms for 1 handed combat. however, in his PoV he says essentially against a truly gifted fighter he would be doomed. Mat one-eyed probably goes into level 5 or 6.

[OptimusPrime]

I know this isnt really a contribution to the topic as such, but didnt RJ once say he had a swordsman skill level list like he did for channeling power levels?

[sleepinghour]

I know this isnt really a contribution to the topic as such, but didnt RJ once say he had a swordsman skill level list like he did for channeling power levels?

It seems like it. I asked Brandon once on Twitter, but I'm not wholly sure if he simply ranked the three people I mentioned or they are actually the top three swordsmen. Wish I'd phrased my question better. I believe there's also an old quote from RJ saying that Lan was #1.

 

sleepinghour: Who is the best swordsman in WoT right now? Lan, Galad, or Gawyn?

Brandon: Lan. Then Galad. Then Gawyn. Gawyn is luckier than he thinks he is.

[Entreri]

I know this isnt really a contribution to the topic as such, but didnt RJ once say he had a swordsman skill level list like he did for channeling power levels?

 

 

Not sure about that, however RJ did say that Lan is #1 and Rand is #2.

 

And Brandon revised the list after Rand losing his limb, Lan #1, Galad #2, Gawyn #3.

[The Don]

Because they are ta'veren; Rand, Mat and Perrin can't lose. But without it, lets see... in no particular order within the Tiers

 

Tier 1

Lan

Mat (which is funny cause he always thinks he's gonna get beat up)

Rhuarc

Be'lal

 

Tier 2

Couladin

Perrin

Galad

Gawyn

Rand (with 2 hands)

Slayer

Valda

Sammael

Demandred

 

Tier 3

Ingtar

Elyas

various Aiel and Warders

[Nae Bliss]

Not to throw everyone back off topic again, but I am a fairly skilled fighter with a sword and some of my friends are about equal to me but with sword/short spear and shield. It isn't easy but I don't find it extremely hard to get around a shield, even more so, when the shield is a buckler like the Aiel use. Also a spear is difficult to get around but if you fight against one enough you learn how o defend against it with a katana and it's not so bad. I realize also that a spear is usually easier to use, thus harder to fight. Also sorry to drag on but Perrin uses knife to parry, and hammer to attack typically I would assume and a heavy blow from the arm of a blacksmith is capable of breaking the bones of an arm behind a shield.

[OptimusPrime]

Rand? Tier 2 with two hands? I want to break something.

[The Don]

Yeah. He beat a blademaster, true, but there are levels of blademaster just like levels of black belt. Be'lal ripped into him, theres no way he could fight Lan, Mat has the memories of a hundred warriors, and Rhuarc is about as close to Lan as can be... its like the difference of an A and an A+. Not everyone can be on top

[Kiriath Til Asdod]

Ok felt compelled to post here:

 

Matt: besides beating both galad and gawyn at the wt with a staff, he also survived multiple gholam encounters, which no one else probably could have done. Like it or not luck plays a huge part in things, and matt is one flaming lucky bastard. He has unparalled quickness and hands. And also tons of memories from blademasters and fighting men. His weapon is power wrought and he is ridiculously good with it. And he is extremely strong ta'vern. Would you bet actual money against Matt?.....Really?

 

Rand 2hands: Remember he spent a lot of time training with Lan in the early books, and then he went to the waste and began training with rhurac and a few other aiel for two hrs a night...while still practicing the sword with lan for two hours....in the harshness of the waste...dude is a killing machine. I forget how tall he is, but I think I worked it out to be 6'6", huge leverage against most human sized opponents. He beat High Lord Turak in book two, a seanchan blademaster. And dont forget after being locked in a chest he killed two warders, the first with his bare hands after seeing min being beaten by aes sedia in LoC. Think about that for a minute, he killed two warders taking the dragon reborn to the white tower, this is the most important thing any of them have ever done. Warders never relaxe...so he is very strong and fast and has the training to back it up. And the memories of a blademaster. And He is the strongest tavern ever, he twists chance like no other.

 

Hartha the Seanchan Ogier Gardner: umm dude is what 10 ft tall? And is described as wearing enough armor for a heavy cavalry warhorse. No thank you sir.

 

Lan: Yeap its all been said. Plus he had the warder bond enhancing him.

 

One thing they have in common is power wrought weapons(excepting maybe Hartha, still his size skill and stength combo are unparalled assuming he is a few hundred years old). I disagree with the person who said armor plays little part in the series. Rand/matt/lan have had power wrought blades for most or all of the series so it makes sense for them to slice through armor.

Rhurac: "Perrin wasnt sure which of the men(rhurac or lan) was more deadly but he thought a mouse could starve on the difference." TSR ch 3 Reflections

 

"Bruan, of the Nakai, was big enough and strong enough for two blacksmiths...he sounded almost lazy, and his gray eyes looked so, yet Rand, knew otherwise; even Rhurac considered Bruan a deadly fighter and a devious tactician." TFoH ch2 rhuidean

 

Bael: Another huge guy, 6'8"ish? Another badass Aiel.

 

Perrin: He is a beast, his weapon choice may be weak, but his battle lust strength and speed make up for a lot. And the third ta'vern. He is probably the hardest character for me to rate.

 

Galad/Gawyn: valda for the first/bloodknives for the second.

 

Furyke Kadere: Being part of Tuons personal guard on three seperate occassions...thats probably a good sign he is a stud. They arent putting droopy dog on duty for the daughter of the nine moons.

 

Other aiel cc's/Elayas/loial

 

We dont see enough of other SC fighters but considering its bigger than randland, chances are there are more deadly fighters from there...and who knows about Shara? Obviously not including gholam.

 

I feel like I am forgetting somebody but I reserve the right to edit this post for inclusionary purposes.

[Entreri]

Yeah. He beat a blademaster, true, but there are levels of blademaster just like levels of black belt. Be'lal ripped into him, theres no way he could fight Lan, Mat has the memories of a hundred warriors, and Rhuarc is about as close to Lan as can be... its like the difference of an A and an A+. Not everyone can be on top

 

 

Rand at that time trained at most for 1 year using the sword before fighting Be'lal. Rand was less than 20 years old. Think on that. Even after a few months of training, Rand beat a Seanchan blademaster. That is true natural talent.

 

There is no question that Rand is the 2nd greatest blademaster in the series (after LoC), since RJ said so. He was training against 5 at once, and according to Bashere nobody does this.

 

He would destroy every other blademaster in the series expect Lan and Jearom, and he may win against them due to being the strongest ta'avern ever (luck factor).

 

Secondly, you have too few tiers. Already to what RJ and Sanderson have said it would be Lan, Rand (two hands), Galad, Gawyn, in that order (4 tiers by themselves). Perrin for instance had trouble fending off Aram due to the speed of this sword technique and the slowness of his hammer...But this may not apply against his new awesome hammer, we will need to RAFO.

 

We have not see Sammael and Demandred in battle using swords, and it is unlikely they would be as accomplished as LTT. LTT was #1 in AoL (One Power, general and very likely blademaster...most of the Forsaken were so envious of him they turned to the Shadow, that is how great LTT was).

 

 

 

Kiriath: "Bael: Another huge guy, 6'8"ish? Another badass Aiel." More like 7 feet, if not taller. Rand is around 6'5-6", Rhuarc and Lan 6'6", Gaul 6'7" or so.

[Kahsm]

When Mat fights Gawyn and Galad WAY back at the start of the series, Lan scolded them for underestimating a farmer. Lan's comment suggests what Mat did was not surprising to him at all, meaning there are other farmers, potentially lots, who fight as well with a q-staff. He even tells the story of the BM champ losing to a farmer. Given that a warder knows this, there's a reason they choose swords over staves. And I'm going to guess the difference is dueling is different than fighting. Sword forms are great 1 on 1, but if you're just hacking through trolloc bodies, you don't want a staff. And you can't carry an arsenal around with you. Swords are versatile.

 

If I wanted a guy to stand beside me and fight waves of people in my defense. I'd call Lan, Gawyn, Galad, Rand, Perrin, probably Rhuarc, hammar, sleete all before I called Mat.

 

However, if I wanted a guy to run my army, or, if I demanded a trial by combat (strict 1 v 1 duel), as they do in some fantasy/medieval settings, I'd likely want Mat... but I'd be praying his luck does most of the work.

[Finnssss22]

When Mat fights Gawyn and Galad WAY back at the start of the series, Lan scolded them for underestimating a farmer. Lan's comment suggests what Mat did was not surprising to him at all, meaning there are other farmers, potentially lots, who fight as well with a q-staff.

 

You mean Hammar not Lan right?

 

 

Also, I take Mat for any situation period. He has 100 times the knowledge, memories and most importantly, the actual experience of different situations of everyone you listed combined.

 

It doesn't matter if Mat is fighting solo or in a group. There is not another person even remotely close to his experience or knowledge in either.

 

His memories are quite varied, from being lowly pikemen holding a line to being actual Generals. He's seen every facet of battle from every possible angle and "job" many, many times over.