Otomi Versus Gaesatae

Otomie Versus Gaesatae

A battle of Iron versus Obsidian. Which warrior would win when Aztec Soldiers would face Germanic troops in battle?

Otomi Versus Gaesatae

The Otomi

Background:

The Aztecs had an empire in Central America, starting from the 13e century. A true warrior culture, they were vicious in battle and both captured and slaughterd all of their enemies. With weapons to kill, they were feared and only got conquered by disease and gunpowder.
With a strict caste system and a organised military, the Aztecs also had some elite warrior groups that only the best warriors were allowed in. The Eagles and the Jaguars.
However, the Aztecs did not fight alone, they also had two other warrior cultures in their armies. These were the shorn ones and the Otomi.
The Otomi are, who we are going to focus on now.

There is not much known about the Otomies. The culture already existed before the Aztecs came to MesoAmerica and the Aztecs regarded the Otomies highly as skilled warriors.
Now the Otomi that fought besides the Aztecs were either decendents of the original Otomi or Aztec warriors that lived by the same name to honour the original culture. We do know that the Otomi were used by the Aztecs to fight in their wars as mercenaries and that they did use the same kind of weapons as the Aztecs. We also know that the new Otomi were, as the original ones, great fighters and earned a lot of respect. So much respect that they lived close to the palace of the emperor and that they were among the few allowed in the palace.
Only those of noble rank were allowed to join the fighters, starting with at the age of seventeen, Their training would be the same as with the other Aztecs. We do know that the Otomi were very proud and considered it an honour to be among the first on the battlefield.
Becoming a member of the Otomi was no easy task. A warrior had to capture six prisoners before he could be called an Otomi. This was very hard to do, as this was an elite unit.
War was very important in the Aztec culture and how higher rank you had, how greater your social status and how more important you were. The Otomi were one of most important units, only second to the shorn ones, and for this reason they had a lot of respect from the commen Aztec people and a lot of fans.

The Weapons:

Atlatl and Tlacochtli:
Known as the spearthrower, the Atlatl was a simple tool used by Aztec warriors. It was a hollow wooden shaft with a cup or spur, where the spear fitted in. There usually also was a string that would allow the user to throw better. By using the Atlatl as leverage, the warrior could throw the spear with more energy and the spear coul reach 93 MPH. Altough it was rather simple, the Atlatl would be decorated with images and feathers.
The Tlacochtli was a dart used in combination with the Atlatl and the actual weapon that killed the opponent. It was around six feet in total, had a obsidian point and small feathers to guide the dart in the air.
Altough the concept of a spearthrower and spear are known all around the world and belong to some of the oldest weapons known to man, the Aztecs had a special bond with this weapon. Almost as familiar as the Macuahuitl, the atlatl and tlacochtli were considered the weapon of the gods. Therefore only special warriors such as the Otomi were allowed to use this weapon. As the battle started, those who would use this deadly combination, would stand in the front and carry around three to five Tlacochtli's and throw them before close combat would start.

Teputzopilli:
The Teputzopolli is not a spear, it is not a sword and it is not a halberd. This is a weapon all on its own. A wooden pole-arm, the average lenght of a person (so around six feet) and a wooden head with a pointed end. This head was broad and two palms long. It also had small grooves with Obsidian blades in them. Used for both cutting and thrusting, this deadly weapon was commen on the battlefield.
Because of the lenght, this weapon could be used as two handed weapon. However a lot of pictures, including the one I added here from the Codex Mendoza, show the warriors also holding a shield. This makes me assume that the Teputzopilli could be used with one hand as well. It could also be thrown, as many other spears but not very good and I would consider that a last option.
Once a Spanish Conquistador named Bernal Diaz Del Castillo told how one of these weapons pierced his armour and he was only saved by the padding underneath.
Altough the weapon was used a lot, none of them have survived untill modern times, the last one being destroyed by a fire in 1884, in the museum in Madrid.

Macuahuitl:
The most famous of all the Aztec weapons. The Macuahuitl (translated as hungry wood) was a wooden sword of around 3 feet. It was made of thick wood and lined with obsidian. A cutting weapon, the Macuahuitl was used with sawing motions.
Every macuahuitl was diffferent. This could be in lenght, thickness and even the obsidian fragments could be different. Some were spikes, other simple fragments. Also some macahuitls had the obsidian in straight rows next to each other while others had them with empty spaces between them. There were also some two handed macuahuitls.
Another weapon of the elite warriors and feared on the battlefield, the macuahuitl was represented by the Aztec god Tezcatlipoka.
There are many legends about this weapon, that it could pierce steel armour or that it could decapitate a horse with one attack.

Quauholloli:
A simple yet effective weapon. The quauholloli is a wooden club with a wooden or stone head. sometimes the club was curved for extra striking power and sometimes it was straight. A weapon used a lot by Aztec warriors in the past, little now is know about this weapon. We do know that it was a very lethal weapon and a hit to the head would be fatal. As the Aztecs were known for taking sacrifices, the quauholloli was very usefull to disable the opponent without fearing to accidently killing him. The weapon could be used to break the arms and legs and pick up the opponent with ease. Feared by opponents, the Quauholloli was simple yet effective.

Defense:

Ichcahuipilli and Tlahuitzli:
The ichcahuipilli was a shirt made of cotton and a vibre called Jute, that grows around the gulf of Mexico. The two fibers would be  be blended and layered together for a laminate effect.
It offered defense for the warrior wearing it, being able to block obsidian and throwing darts. Not only did this shirt provide protection, the ichcahuipilli also kept the body of the user cool. The region where the Aztecs lived is very warm and the body heats up in battle as well. A warrior needs a outfit that keeps it body cool so he can keep on fighting without overheating.
The ichcahuipilli was the basic and standard armour for any Aztec warrior. From the most simple soldier to the elite, they all wore this shirt.
However, this was not the only armour that the elites wore. All the elite groups wore a fullbody suit called tlahuizli. This cotton or linen outfit covered the whole body, including arms and legs but gave only slight protection in these areas. The tlahuitzli was meant more as a sign of each different elite unit. The Jaguars had a tlahuitzli covered with Jaguar skin. The eagles had theirs covered with feathers and the tlahuizli of the Otomi was green. A green suit showed off the Otomi warriors.
As I said before, the tlahuitzli was not the main defense, that was for the ichcahuipilli. But the suit did do a good job of keeping the body cool, the same as the ichcahuipill. Together, the Otomi had well working armour, that showed off his skill and was able to keep the body very cool in this hot climate.
A last thing I want to name is the pamitl, or back banner. Not so much for defense, the pamitl was meant to show individuel warriors with their unit signs and their own signs. Not all warriors in a unit wore one, only a few (presumably the best in the group) These banners, that the warriors wore on their backs were very personalised but the ones of the Otomi always had green feathers on them.
Now altough these banners were not heavy, you still carry a weight with you. For that reason it is believed that the warriors that wore the pamitl also carried sticks with them to keep balance.

Cuacalalatli:
The helmet that the Aztec warriors wore, was named the cuacalalatli. This helmet was made of wood and covered most of the head and the jawline. It only left the face uncovered. As with the tlahuitzli, the helmet was only worn by elite warriors and as the tlahuitzli, the helmet showed off the group the warrior belonged to. The helmets of the eagles looked like an eagle, the helmets of the Jaguars looked like a Jaguar and the helmets of the Otomi were green. I have found very few pictures of the otomi helmet and I could not tell what animal it is supposed to resemble. You can always guess for yourself. Its the right one of the two in the middle. Above the Jaguar costume.


Cuauhchimalli:
There were different Aztec shields. I have chosen to go with the main shield for the elite warriors, that also offered the best protection. The Cuauhchimalli was a a round shield, about 1/4 the lenght of the user. Made from hardwood, it also had leather strips hanging from it to give a little bit more protection. The shield would be covered with paint and feathers, creating figures on it for decoration. Being able to be used with almost all the Aztec weapons, it is a good and solid form of defense for the warrior.

X-Factors:

Motivation:
As I said before, warfare was very important in Aztec society. When a baby was born, he would recieve a shield in his left hand and an arrow in his right. When the umbilical cord was cut, a warrior would bury the cord, shield and arrow on a battlefield. From that moment, the life of a warrior had begun.
First of all, as with all warrior cultures, the Aztec empire wanted to expend and kept fighting and conquering new lands. This made the empire only bigger and the warriors better. However, apart from conquering lands, there were also personal aspects for the Aztec warriors to become the best.
Great warriors had a big social status in the society and were praised by the commen folk. The more warriors you killed or captured, the more fame you would get and the higher your status within the society. As I have said with this, you needed to capture a certain amount of opponents to belong to a elite unit and with the Otomi, the warrior needed to get at least six opponents.
Taking opponents alive was a religious aspect of the Aztec empire. The Aztecs believed in multiple gods and like other cultures, wanted to please the gods and keep them on their good side. The Aztecs believed that the gods wanted human sacrifice and so they delivered. Only the bravest and best of the opponents would be considered for the sacrifice as only those, the gods would accept. This meant that there had to be a steady supply of victims to sacrifice and that meant more battle.
In conclusion, almost all of the aspects of Aztec society were centered around warfare.

Training and Experience:
The start of Aztec training would start at school. There was a school for commeners, which was called Tepochcalli, where the boys were tought both fighting and agriculture. They usually started around the age of ten with it and learned how to be a soldier and a farmer.
The school for nobles was called Calmecac. Noble children would start younger at school, sometimes at the age of five. They would learn fighting, tactics, commanding soldiers and all other parts of being a leader. These had the expectation to become high ranking soldiers and started training that way. It could happen for commeners to become warleaders as well, but the nobels got the training for it and were most likely to succeed that way.
Starting with the age of 15, warleaders and renown warriors would come and teach the boys how to use the weapons and continue more with the fighting skill. From this period, the boys also started hunting more to get even more training in and even went on campains with seasoned warriors.
Starting at age 20, the young men were expected to capture their first target and become real Aztec warriors.
The experience of the Aztec warrior came both from hunting and fighting. They hunted all kinds of animals, who were both fast and strong, this meant that the warriors needed to be fast and strong as well. This came in usefull when fighting other opponents and either kill them or capture them. Prior to the invasion from the west, the Aztecs fought opponents who used the same weapons as they did and the same tactics. this meant that they got to know the opponent very well but got little broad experience.

Tactics:
The Aztecs had ettiquets surrounding warfare. They would only fight at dawn or at noon, most likely to avoid the biggest heat. They would then use the slings and bows to barrage the opponents with projectiles. Then came the throwing darts as the Aztecs neared their opponents. After that, the warriors entered the battlefield. The shorn ones and the Otomi would be first, followed by the Eagles and the Jaguars. Then came the experienced warriors, who already had captures and the warriors who had no captures at all. In the end came the unexperienced young warriors, who only got to fight when the victory was sure. Usually, the Aztecs chose to capture rather then kill but they did kill if taking the opponent alive was not an option. Now I am not dealing with an army here, only a team of six Otomi. So they would just use the throwing darts and then start fighting.
The Aztecs used many tactics, I'l describe the two most used ones. With the first, the warriors would surround their opponents and then attack, with the targets having no way to flee.
The Aztecs were also known to use ambush techniques and make the opponents follow them, luring the enemies in a trap.

Links:

http://www.warriorsandlegends.com/aztec-warriors/
The main source I used, with a lot of info on the Aztec warriors. All the info is backed by other sources, this one explains everything just better.

http://libertyparkusafd.org/lp/Native%20Americans/Aztec%5CAztec%20army%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia.htm
Good information, especially when I researched training

David Prus
A friend of mine who knows a lot about Aztecs and was very patient in helping me out when I was confused or could not find anything. He helped me a lot.

http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/codex-mendoza-1542/
Many of the pictures I used come from the Codex Mendoza and I have gotten a lot of information from it. It is a manuscript of the Aztec empire and very good read.

The Gaesatae

Background:

They rushed into battle naked, high and angry. The large men charged at their opponents without fear and ruled the battlefield. For they were the Gaesatae.
When talking about the Gaulish warriors named the Gaesatae, this is what most people think about. But what is true and what is only a myth?
Finding information about the Gaesatae was very hard. I found a lot of contradictions on the internet and almost all the information we have about them comes from Polybius, a Roman historian. I am sorry if something here is wrong or unclear.. I try my best. Also, I have come across articles that describe the Gaesatae as Gauls and as Celts. I consider them more Gauls, so I will refer to them as Gauls but the weapons of these people are near identical so it does not matter much and if I cannot find any good Gaelic example, I will use Celtic.

The Gaesatae first appeared around the third century B.C, with no prior information about this this Gaulish tribe. They lived in the Alps, near the rhone and according to Polybius had more then 30.000 men and woman living in it. This is most likely wrong as the Roman historians had a tendency to exaggerate to have the Roman enemies look more fearsome.
Almost all the sources talk about the mecenaries, but that was a name given to them by Polybius. The Gaesatae had two kings, something rather uncommen with mercenaries and their name actually translates into Javelin or Javelin thrower as this was one of the main weapons of the Gaesatae.
From what I could gather, the Gaesatae was created by young men who left or were cast out of their own tribes. This way, they created a tribe of warriors that did take money to fight.
Two of the biggest tribes of that time: The Boii and Insubres needed help fighting the Romans and paid the Gaesatae large sums of money to help them fight the Romans.
The Gaesatae traveled over the Alps to meet this new foe in battle. The first battle between these Gauls and the Romans was a succes and the Romans were beaten soundly. A second Roman army came into action but the army of Gauls left before this new army could reach them. As the Gauls fled, a other Roman army landed before them. Now surrounded by two Roman armies, the Gauls knew that they had to fight.
This was the battle were the Gaesatae threw off their clothes so they were more agile and their clothes could get stuck in the brushes. This battle was a terrible lose and one of the leaders of the Gaesatae named Concolitanus was captured and killed while the other, named Aneroestes fled with a small group and commited suicide.
Now everything talks about the Gaesatae fighting naked, while Polybius only described one instance and how they removed their garments. This means that they did wear clothing before and this does paint a better picture about them. It was very custom for Gauls and Celts of that time to not wear armour however and that could be interpreted as being naked as well.
The Gaesatae dissapeared from history up untill the Second Punic war, where they were hired by Hannibal Barca in his battle against the Romans.
They showed off as great and fearless warriors, who were always the first on the battlefield and never fled. Their loyalty and bravery earned them the spot to become the personal bodyguard of Hannibal, but when the Romans beat Hannibal and destroyed his army, the Gaesatae dissapeared as well and never returned.
From all what I could gather were the Gaesatae very strong, loyal and fearless. They were known to be the first on the battlefield and fight the Romans.
I did come across a few mentions of them using poison and drugs but found no real evidence supporting these claims and are probably not true.

The Weapons:

Javelin:
The javelin, or throwing spear, is a weapon that has been used for a very long time and all over the world. The Gaesatae themselfs got their name from the word Javelin, as they were able to throw these weapons harder and further then anybody else. A short spear, the javelin is a wooden staff with a iron point. It would be four to five feet long and perfect for throwing. The javelin could be used for hand to hand combat as well but the warriors would only do so if they had little other choise,
Young men, who still lacked the strenght to fight in the battlefield itself usually used a javelin as to stay relative safe and hit the opponent from a distance. They would carry up to four or five javelins at a time and were thrown in a volley, with devastating effects. Even if the javelin hit a shield or armour, you cannot use a shield or run when a small pole is sticking out of it.

Spear:
The most simple of weapons and the most well know, yet deadly in its use. The spear.
All throughout history, fighters have been using spears for battle. They were easy to make, easy to master and very usefull. The Gallic warriors were no difference. Around six feet long, the spear was made of a wooden shaft, with a iron leaf shaped point. You could keep your opponent on a distance or simply kill them with a well aimed thrust.
Te Gaesatae did use spears as well and would charge at the opponents with the spear.
Little else I can say that you do not already know. Simple yet effective.

Longsword:
This is the weapon where I actually will be using the Celtic version. I have found several versions of these weapons and the Gallic swords would be more Nordic based. With that, the bronze Gallic swords were bad, prone to bending or breaking. Because they were made of Bronze, the swords needed to be thin and thus they were weaker. Now, the Gaesatae were known to be deadly and dangerous warriors, especially during the second punic war. With weak swords, they would never have gotten that status and I think that the Gaesatae would rather have used the celtic versions over the Gallic.
The Celtic longsword was made of iron and had a handle made of either wood, bone or horn. This all depended on how rich the owner was. The sword had two sharp edges and a good point. It could both cut and thrust. The blade had a leaf shape, what actually makes entering the body easier and is good for a balanced sword. The lenght of this weapon differ from sword to sword, some smaller ones only being 30 inces in lenght while there are examples of four to five feet.
The gaesatae were known for using swords and have been shown to be able to cut the Romans up.
Little else to say about this weapon. A sword has proven to be effective on the battlefield and this one is no difference.

The sling:
You take a piece of string and you take a rock. What do you get? If your answer is: A deadly weapon, then you are correct. Contrary to popular believe, the sling is indeed a fearsome weapon.
The Gauls were known to use slings in battle and to great effect. You only need a sling and the stones that lay around to have the stones thrown at high speed at the opponents. Other then stones, Gauls also used small balls of clay as projectiles.
A sling cam throw a stone around 1300 feet on average and is said to peform better then the bows of that time. A rock to a limb can break it and when one of the rocks hit the head... Its game over.
The sling does take a of skill to use but the Gauls trained with the weapon from a young age, getting very good with the weapon.
Here is a very fun site for all the sling enthousiasts: http://www.chrisharrison.net/index.php/Research/Sling

Defense:

Skullcap:
As I said before, the Gauls did wear little armour and especially the Gaesatae were known to run around naked in one battle. That does not mean that they wore no armour at all. The Gauls knew that protecting the head was rather important and so they did wear a helmet.
There were different kinds of helmet, some bronze and others iron.
They usually had a long tip and or a brim. Ceremonial helmets could be decorated and sometimes even have horns but its contested if these were used in actual combat.



Shield:
As most warriors, the Gaesatae did use shields and even in the battle where they went without clothes, they were noted to carry their shields with them in batte. In fact, the shield was for both the Celtic and the Gaul a very important piece. This showed who they were and this is what they were proud off. Lots of care went into the creation of the shield.
Almost as big as the warrior using it, the shield could be recangular, round, square or had a hexagon shape. It covered almost the whole body of the user.
Made from wood, it was usually covered with rawide, hide and sometimes had a iron or bronze boss in the centre. It was painted with several motives and designs to show off the warrior who used it.
Not only an defensive tool, the shield also got used to push the opponent around and get him off balance.

X-Factors:

Motivation:
The Gaesatae had two reasons to fight. Money and pride. They were known as a mercenary army as they let others pay to aid in the fighting. In their first battles against Rome, the Gaesatae only fought when other Gaulish tribes paid them and they fought for Hannibal in exchange of money.
However, when paid to fight, they were brave, loyal and always the first on the battlefield. Thee Gaesatae found it very important to show their skill and dedication. They found it important to be the first ones on the battlefield and even when they fought naked, it was to show that these warriors did not fear their opponents. The loyalty and their bravery got the Gaesatae a spot as the personal bodyguard of Hannibal Barca. Even the Romans had respect for them.
As with the Aztecs, great warriors deserved a lot of respect and were adored by others. The greater the warrior, the more fans he had. Celtic warriors were known to collect the heads of the ones they killed to show their strenght. It is unknown if the Gaesatae did this as well. There is no mention of it.

Training and experience:
Training for both the Celtic and the Gallic warriors were informal and mostly were just fighting with fellow fighters, hunting and experience.
As for Experience. The Gaesatae has experience fighting their own kind of warriors with their own weapons and the Romans. The roman army brough all kinds of weapons, units and tactics that these warriors dealt with. This combined with all the different soldiers they did see while serving under Hannibal meant that the Gaesatae got a wide range of experience with other warriors and weapons.

Tactics:
For this, I will rely mostly on Celtic tactics.
The Celts loved to rush the opponent with a mass charge. They would position themselfs next to each other and do a frontal attack and overrun the opponent. A tactic that had worked very well against the Romans. It was quick and devastating as the warriors overrun their opponents. This also fit with the bravery that they valued.
The Celts also peformed shieldwalls when at the defense, with all the shields interlocking. They mostly did this when the Romans threw their Pila at the Celts.
One last tactic I like to mention is Guarilla tactics. Celts knew the importance of little raids and ambushes and used them very well, especially when in woods where they could hide.

 Links:

I do not usually do this but I am going to ask everybody to read the links I am going to present as they may be more clear then I have been. Researching the Gaesatae was confusing and especially the Celt/Gaul thing.. Like I said... the main difference between these two people were the location and the name but most of the weapons and tactics were rather the same and especially placing the Gaesatae was hard and I had to do some compromis to make this profile and keep the strenght of the warrior.

http://www.ancientmilitary.com/celtic-warriors.htm
A good source on Celtic warriors, their weapons and their tactics

http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsEurope/BarbarianGaesatae.htm
My biggest source on the Gaesatae. Very informative

https://erog1.wikispaces.com/Weapons#List of Weapons-Sword
A good source for interesting weapons

Logan Flurrance
A friend of mine who knows a lot about Celtic warriors and who brought me on the idea on using the Gaesatae.

Compare the warriors:

Atlatl and Tlacochtli versus Javelin
The long range comparison is between the weapon combination of throwing dart and and thrower of the Aztec versus the throwing spear of the Gauls.
When I compare the weapons alone with each other, one clearly comes up on top. Both are throwing spears, where the warriors would have multiple of them and throw them right before getting in close combat. However the Atlatl plays a very important role in this. With this tool, the Otomi can throw further away and with more force then any human can on themselfs. This means that the tlacochtli will always hit first and chances of a lethal hit are very high. The point is made of obsidian however. That is very strong but does have the tendency to shatter on impact. This means that, once thrown, a dart cannot be used again. The javelins have a iron point, which can be used multiple times if needed.

If we look at the weapons versus armour, we get a very clear picture again. First let us see what armour the tlacochtli has to deal with.. Not very much. The shield, I can see stop the dart. The dart will penetrate a bit and get stuck but nothing dangerous. The helmet will provide protection as well, it might stop the attack, but this only covers the top and I do not see it being of any use.
The tlacochtli has no other armour to deal with and it is pretty safe to assume that, as long as the shield does not block the attack, it will either cripple or kill. That depends on the location of penetration.
The javelin has slightly more to deal with. First the shield that will stop the attack. If the javelin penetrates the shield, It will become useless but I do only see a few shots actually penetrating (remember that both the shield and the javelin need to be in one perfect line and the javelin needs enough force, for this to happen) The wooden helmet will stop the javelin the same as the shield will do as both are wood.
Now the ichcahuipilli is a rather interesting story. I do see the javelin getting through it however not much. The armour will slow down the throwing spear enough so that the Otomi might survive the attack.

For the skill part, I can be rather short and simple about it. The Aztec warriors trained a lot with the atlatl and tlacochtli and used it for hunting, ever since childhood. Skill with this weapon would be superb.
The Gaesatae were named for and known for their abilites with the javelin. They could throw it better then anyone else and so I do not doubt that their skill would be perfect.

We have compared the weapons, looked at how they deal with armour and the skill of the warriors with the weapons. It is time to give the edge in long range and see what weapon is better. This one is rather clear to me. The javelin is very good and a very usefull weapon. The Gaesatae can do a lot of damage with it. But the combination of atlatl and tlacochtli is just better. With these, the Otomi can hit from a longer range and hit harder. The fact that they have less armour to deal with does help as well. The Otomi have a clear advantage at long range and this gives them a medium edge.
Medium Edge: Otomi

Teputzopilli versus Spear
Two spears facing each other in combat, but they could not be more different. The teputzopilli is completely made of wood, with obsidian placed on it while the other spear is the more traditional one. Obsidian is one of the sharpest things on earth and so it cuts you open rather well. I see it better as a cutting weapon but it could work thrusting. The other spear is rather traditional and a very good thrusting weapon.
Now let us look at the differences  and similairities of the weapons. Both are around the same lenght ( six feet) and both could be thrown if the situation called for it. Now both could be used in a combination with a shield, but only with thrusting. This is no issue for the spear. For the teputzopilli however it is. If the Otomi wants to use it for cutting, he will need both hands, due to the lengt of the weapon. Not only would the shield get in the way of the movement, but the movement is so big that you need to have both hands for extra power
Now as I said before, obsidian is very sharp and will cut you open, but it is also very fragile and when force lands on it, the obsidian could break. This means that when both weapons lock in combat, the iron head of the spear could destroy the obsidian of the teputzopilli, leaving only a wooden spear. A wooden spearpoint can still be dangerous, but not as much as a iron one.

Now to compare the weapons with the armour. First lets take a look at the spear. I see it having the same difficulties as the javelin. The wooden shield and wooden helmet of the Otomi will be hard to penetrate.. But this time, the Gaesatae can take more use of the uncovered face of his opponent.
The Ichcahuipilli and the tlahuitzli will do the same as against the javelin. altough arms and legs will not be protected by the thin layer, the body is wearing a good vest and altough the spear will be able to penetrate it.. but the outcome depends on the one handed or two handed use. With one handed, the spear will not enter deeply and this can avoid a killing blow but a twohanded attack can get through the chest enough to kill. So chances are that the Otomi are only wounded and not killed by the weapon.
Now the teputzopilli has far less armour to deal with. In fact, only the shield will cause problems. When the weapon hits the shield, the shield will not only stop the weapon from hitting the opponent but the wooden shield can also shatter the obsidian and therefore making the weapon almost useless. The helmet, I do not see causing much trouble however.

Both weapons were rather commen on the battlefield and both were easy to use. It will not be a surprise that the skill of the weapon is rather high.

Now the midrange edge is rather interesting. The teputzopilli can do more damage and is more versatile then the spear due to the obsidian. But this vulcanic glass can shatter easily, especially when facing the spear or shield. The spear can be used better in combination with the shield as well.
Both have their pro's and both have their con's. In a really close race between these two weapons, I have to give a small edge towards the spear. I think that when the weapons clash, it will take some time with both warriors blocking each others weapons before there comes a kill and that might be enough for the obsidian to break down.
Small edge: Gaesatae

Macuahuitl versus Longsword
Starting this comparison, I can already predict that this will be very similair as the last comparison. The macuahuitl is a wooden sword, covered by obsidian. it can cut through bones with ease and can be used two handed. The longsword is a iron one handed sword, with two sharp edges and a point for stabbing. Now both can be used in combination with a shield, which is very handy. The macuahuitl can be used two handed for stronger blows and with its saw motion technique, could cut the head off an opponent.
The longsword can break the obsidian of the macuahuitl however, there are two sides on the weapon, so the Aztec does have two shots but nonetheless, the vulcanic glass can break which would leave the Otomi with a wooden sword. A wooden sword can still be dangerous however, especially two handed, however it should rely on force rather then cutting power in such an event,

If we look at the weapons against armour, the Celtic sword needs to get past a shield, and cut open the armour of the Otomi. Now the face can still be hit. Especially with the leaf shape of the sword, I can see the thick part cut the face..There will be lots of blood and I cannot see that do real damage. Thrusting at it is a safer option. The rest of the armour needs a thrust attack as well to work perfectly. The Gaesatae can cut at the armour but I do not see lethal damage done that way.
The macuahuitl needs only to overcome the shield, which can break the obsidian and weaken the sword.

Both warriors are know for these weapons and know what they are doing with it. I expect skill form both sides with these weapons.

Now this is the closest edge just yet. I can see it going to either warrior. The macuahuitl has more chances to kill the opponent but the longsword can take out the danger of the macuahuitl.
Both can be used in combination with the shield and that is the deciding factor. The macuahuitl works best in a quick kill situation while the longsword can endure longer. When both are armed with weapon and shield. the battle can go on for a while. This will cost the macuahuitl but not the longsword. There fore I give it a small edge.
Small edge: Gaesatae

Quauholloli versus Sling
A strange matchup, a mace versus a sling. The final weapons to be compared. let us see what will prove stronger.
The quauholloli is a wooden stick with a large stone. Simple yet effective. the wooden handle could be either straight or curved. The sling is a piece of rope that can send small rocks at the opponent. So the sling works best on a distance and cannot do anything close range while the quauhollili works best close range and cannot hit on a distance. Neither weapon can really defend against the other weapon but the sling could disable the hand of the Aztec so the warrior cannot use his weapon. The sling will hit first and can keep on hitting and distracting the opponent untill the Otomi has crossed the distance, that is if it can cross the distance while stones are flung at him.
From this perspective, I cannot point at either weapon and say it has the advantage.

Now in the weapon versus armour part, the sling needs to get past some armour. The face is the only target in the head, as the cuacalalatli covers all but the face. This is more likely in closer distances and a hit to the face will be a kill.
The body is covered rather well as the sling wont be able to do anything as long as the shield is there and the body is protected well by the jacket. A hit there might hurt and annoy but will not kill. The more likely spots there are the arms and legs, no kill but this can disable the Aztec. So the only kill shot is if a stone can hit the face.
the quauholloli only needs an helmet and a shield to get across. The helmet, the Otomi can just ignore as there are enough places on the head where he can go for the kill. The Otomi can break arms and legs and hit the chest to destroy the ribs and cause all sorts of malfunction inside the body. Not the first option to go with but a very good one.

If we look at skill, maces do not need much skill to be used and this is no different. You get in, hit hard and your opponent either breaks something or dies. The sling will need a lot of skill to be used, which the Gaestae will have. Slings are one of the most used weapons by these kinds of warriors and they have been working with it since childhood. When you train with a weapon since you are a little kid, you know you become very skilled with said weapon.

Now for the verdict. The sling will hit first and can hit a lot of times before the Otomi can close the distance. This means multiple chances of injury of death, even before the Aztec can use his weapon. But the sling needs multiple attacks to try anything, due to the armour of the Otomi. Would the Aztec not have worn armour, I would give the edge to the sling but he does and it will protect him against most of the stones. This means that I can see him closing the gap more times then the sling will take him out. This creates a situation where the Gaesatae needs to either fall back or chose another weapon, either way he needs to deal with a mace and has little defense against it.
I am giving a small edge to the quauholloli due to the fact that it can deliver more damage when its in range. That it is only a small edge is the difficulty to get in range.
Small edge: Otomi

Motivation:
Both warriors fight for the same reasons. They are both a warrior like people, whom their social status depends on their victories on the battlefield and both had an code of always be the first on the battlefield. Neither would ever flee as both the Otomi and the Gaesatae would see that as a great shame. Without anyone willing to back off, I call motivation a tie.
Edge: Even

Training and Experience:
The Aztec boys recieved intensive training to make them great warriors. They also recieved a lot of experience before they actually met an opponent on the battlefield. These guys were well prepared. An Otomi needed to have captured at least six opponents to become one, so he would already have seen battle and proven himself worthy enough to become one of the elite.
The only thing is, that the Aztecs lived in a very closed off society. This means that, up untill the Spaniards came, they only fought opponents with the same weapons and the same tactics. Now training and experience are good but if that is against only one set of opponents.. it becomes rather narrow.
The Gaesatae had little formal training as the Gauls mostly considered experience training. They did fight from an early age, getting a lot of experience. The Gaesatae were fought the Romans, so they got a lot of experience fighting armoured opponents and they served under Hannibal Barca. This meant that they had seen all different kinds of mercenaries and warriors fighting and all different kinds of weapons. None of these come close to the Aztecs, but the Gaesatae did get used to seeing all different kind of warriors.
Now either I give the edge to better training or more experience with all different warriors.. In the end, I go for experience. You can train as much as you want but if you are fighting someone or a situation you are not used too, you are going to have a bad time.
Small edge: Gaesatae

Tactics:
The final edge of this matchup. Both warriors used tactics to gain the upper hand on the opponent. They both used ambushes, a very usefull tactic but also one that requires a terrain where you can hide.
The Otomi also liked to surround their opponents. While distracting them, others in the group would flank the opponent and then attack. The opponent had no way to go and would soon be killed.
These could be combined as the Aztecs liked to lure their opponents in a trap, using ambushes.
The Gaesatae fought in line using open combat. Charging the opponent in a line could take them out rather quickly. If the opponent counterattacked, the Gaesatae would rely on their shieldwall to block all attacks and then attack.
Now both used very effective tactics and both can get a win. But in this battle, I feel the Otomi has the superior tactics. Fighting in line is very good as you are not individual warriors but one single group. The only downside is that if opponents manage to get behind you...defending will be difficult and the whole line falls apart. So the tactics of the Gaesatae play right into the hand of the Otomi.
There is still the chances of the Gaesatae overrunning the Otomi before the latter can surround the Gauls and destroy the Aztecs. So I will keep the edge only a small one.
Small edge: Otomi

The Battle:

'I think we are lost.' Hogan began. 'You figured that out by yourself?' A voice behind him commented. 'Ah shut up Dara.' Hogan said as he continued to walk. 'You are not scared are you?' A short man named Mannix asked.  'Hahahaa' Came it from the back. The leader of the group laughed. Hogan almost fell guilty about what he said as he heard Kain laughing. 'Just keep your guard up, You never know when Romans show up.' Kain said. 'Those pesky Romans.' Dara said and now they all laughed.
The six of them had just been promoted to be among the personal guard of Hannibal, an honour that these Gaesatae carried with pride. They were on their way towards the leader when the man got lost in a forest. At first, it looked small but they had been in the forest for most of the day now. Hogan was the youngest of this small group. He had fought many battles before and stood out because of his bravery, his ways with the sling and with the sword. Yes, he was going to brag about that for a very long time to come.
Apart from him, Dara and Kain, there were also Phelan, Allan and Quilliam. 'Any Roman who shows his face will meet my spear.' Quilliam said. He was the biggest man and had a habit of collecting the heads of his fallen opponents. Luckely, the man did not bring any on this trip.
Hogan rubbed his sword with his hand. That had become a good luck charm and he always did this before a battle. Somehow now felt a good time as any. 'I would like to see one of them elephants.' Allan said. A calm man with a fascination for animals. Allan was not as strong as some others and he always carried six javelins with him to use in battle. 'Don't walk in front of them when they are charging. You either end up flat or pierced by his horns.' Kain explained as he thrusted his sword in the air to show what he meant. 'Sounds.' Phelan suddenly said. Phelan was a man of little words but when he spoke, it was always good to pay attention. 'Yes I heard them as well.' Kain said as he looked around. They were not alone in this forest.

Citlali looked at the tracks in front of them. 'Men.' He said. 'Yes.'Eztli nodded. Citlali had just recently catched his sixth sacrificial victim and been allowed within the Otomi. Both he and his family were very proud of this honour. He was now with five other men in the jungle. He wore his new green clothing and held a newly made macuahuitl. They had been training together and hunting some Jaguars that had attacked villagers. Now however, the small group had encountered tracks that did not come from any Aztec. 'Must we warn the others?' Citlali asked Eztli. 'No.' The leader answered. 'They are with few. We can handle them alone.' The others nodded. They all thought about capturing these men.
A man named Cuetlachtli went up front. He was a skilled tracker and would lead them towards the strangers. Then came Eztli and a experienced warrior named Tlacaelel. Tlacaelel had been a teacher of Citlali for  long time and a person he looked up to. Then came Matlalihuitl and Citlali himself, with Amoxtli finishing the little unit.
'When we see them and they are armed, we will lure them here.' Eztli spoke as they passed an open spot. Citlali knew the plan very well. They were to goat these strangers here and then surprise them. 'Remember to capture if you can, not kill.' Tlacaelel whispered in the ear of Citlali. His mentor has not needed to say this but Citlali thanked him anyways.
When they saw the strangers, the Otomi hid from view. There were six of them, all dressed in odd colourfull garb and they all carried things that looked like weapons, made from strange stones. The men before the Aztecs now looked around. Had they heard us approach? Citlali wondered.
Eztli pointed towards Tlacaelel and Amoxtli. They were to attack these men and lure them towards the open space. The two warriors nodded and Citlali sped away with the others, leaving these two alone.

Something flew past them and impaled a tree. At first, Hogan thought it was an arrow but the object was too large. He had little time to study it as another one flew towards them. This one rammed itself on the ground before the feet of Hogan and now he could clearly see that it was some kind of throwing dart. A third one hit the shield of Quilliam but the fourth dart finally found a target as Phelan fell backwards. The dart had impaled his throat and he gurgled as the man died. 'Follow them!' Kain yelled and the five Gaesatae ran towards the place they had seen the darts come from. Some distance before him, Hogan saw two men, dressed in green running. While running, he took out his sling and picked a rock from his pouch. He flung it at the two but missed. A second rock hit one of the man but Hogan assumed that the man wore a green helmet as there was no response. Allan threw one of his javelins but missed target as well.
The two opponents finally stopped at the other end of a open spot in the forest, where a third man in green already was waiting. Now Hogan could see them better. They wore indeed green all green, from head to toe and they all three had feathers in their costumes. One of these three also carried some sort of flag on his back.
'Payback time.' Kain yelled and the five formed a line and ran towards the three targets. They were too far away to use javelins but the opponents did not have that problem as they prepared to throw their darts. 'Wall.' Kain commanded and all five took out their shields, interlocked it and slowly moved forwards. The darts flew towards the Gaesatae but the shieldwall protected them from any harm. When the warriors were close enough, they gave out a battlecry and charged. At that moment, a sound from behind the Gaesatae sounded. Hogan turned his head and saw three more of these warriors in green appearing.

Eztli jumped behind Kain and slashed the leg of the Gaesatae with his macuahuitl. The man fell down with a cry. He slashed at the leader of the Gaesatae again, but this time the weapon hit the shield. The other man jumped up and attacked.
Quilliam dueled Amoxtli. Amoxtli used his teputzopilli against the spear of Quilliam. The teputzopilli hit the spear and the obsidian broke off. Now Quilliam attacked with a two handed thrust that impaled the chest of the Otomi. The man howled in pain and fell down. Quilliam had little time to celebrate as Citlali slammed the big man in the face with his quauholloli. Quilliam went down as a sack of rocks and Citlali turned around to face other opponents. He was just about to attack again, when a stone hit the young warrior in the forehead and knocked him out.
Hogan had used his sling to knock Citlali out and drew his sword as he saw an opponent with one of the strange swords and a shield coming.
Tlacaelel charged Hogan, his macuahuitl ready to strike. The Gaesatae was just able to pull up his shield and the shards of obsidian flew off the Aztec weapon. Hogan attacked his opponent, who used his shield as well. For a while, the two opponents delivered attacks but each and everyone got blocked by the shields. By now, only a few pieces of obsidian were left on the macuahuitl. Tlacaelel aimed at the legs, knowing he had little chances left for a kill but Hogan was just able to jump away and only his leg suffered a cut. The young warrior then slammed his shield in the face of the Otomi. The man howled and Hogan thrusted forwards. His sword entered the mouth of his opponent, who looked in suprise and then collapsed to the ground. As blood entered his lungs, the warrior slowly choked to death.
Eztli and Kain were still fighting each other. Kain had some deep cuts and found it hard to keep his sword up high. The Gaesatae leader charged, only for the Aztec to move sideways and hammered his macuahuitl down on the head of Kain. The man died instantly.
Cuetlachtli and Dara were fighting each other. Cuetlachtli slammed his quauholloli against the shield of his opponent. Dara retaliated by thrusting his spear forwards, which hit the side of the Otomi. The man flinched for a second but the warrior grabbed the spear of his opponent with his free hand. Dara had no idea what was happening untill a pain exploded in his neck. He dropped down without ever knowing that the warrior named Matlalihuitl had cut him open with a teputzopilli.

Hogan and Allan slowly got cornered by Eztli, Cuetlachtli and Matlalihuitl He blocked an attack from Eztli, who now was holding a quauholloli and slashed his sword at the larger man. The attack did minor damage but it did create an opening that the young warrior could use. He dropped the sword and slammed his fist into the face of Eztli. Matlalihuitl came near but a rock from his sling kept the warrior on a small distance.
Allan took his chance and threw a javelin at Cuetlachtli. The throwing spear pierced the leg of the Aztec warrior. With his last javelin, Allan stabbed the other man in the face. Now weaponless, Allan turned and tried to reach a sword, only for Matlalihuitl to kill the the warrior with his teputzopilli.
Hogan was throwing rocks at Eztli, who was forced into defense. He saw how the last of his friends died and using all his anger, the Gaesatae flung a rock at Matlalihuitl. The rock hit the nose of the Otomi and a loud crack was heard on the bloodied field of battle. Matlalihuitl went down and never stood up again.
Eztli took his distraction and slammed the quauholloli against the left arm of Hogan. The young Gaesatae yelled in pain and picked up his sword as he walked backwards. He avoided another attack from the mace and retaliated. His sword cut off the opponent's hand and the leader of the Otomi yelled as both his hand and his weapon fell on the ground. Due to the pain, the Aztec could not avoid a cut to the face and fell down. Eztli tried to stand up but this exposed his neck and the sword came down on it.
Hogan looked at the fallen body of his last opponent. He had won but the rest of the Geasatae had died.. The young warrior had no idea how to explain this if he ever got out of this strange forest. Hogan heard a sound and turned around. One of these throwing darts pierced his right shoulder and the warrior fell to the ground. He saw one of these green men walking near and Hogan knew that this would be his last second alive. The man grabbed one of the maces and it knocked Hogan unconcious.

Citlali had woken up, only to see how Eztli died. He had never thought that the man could die but it happened and it seemed that while Citlali himself had been knocked out, the other Otomi warriors had fallen in battle. The Otomi, best of the best. These opponents were truely strong warriors but not strong enough to be victorious. Citlali had picked up a atlatl and a good tlacochtli to attack the last opponent. Not to kill, but to wound. The man would be a sacrifice to the gods. Only the bravest of opponents deserved this honour. With his fellow Otomi dead, this opponent has proven worthy enough to be a gift to the gods.

Winner: Otomi

The Gaesatae got a small edge in medium range, a small edge in close range and a small edge in experience. This gave them 1.5 points.

The Otomi got a medium edge in long range, a small edge in specials and a small edge in tactics. This meant that their final score was a 2.

Both warriors were great fighters and deserved a battle to show their skill in battle. The Gaesatae were great as they had good solid weapons and experience to rely on these weapons in any situation. They wore little armour and that proved to be a fatal blow. Altough the Gaesatae were good, the Otomi were slightly better. They combined good weapons with good armour. The obsidian is a glass however and glass is very fragile. They also always tryd and capture the opponent over killing them and that did cost the Otomi some points. The final victory was insured due to their tactics. The Gaesatae fought in a single line and that works very well. But when your opponent moves in behind you,.. your whole tactic falls to pieces.

Now I know that this match could be debated. I relied for this match on my own research and tried to add anything that I could find with some substance. (which was not much as little is written about either warrior) The whole situation would have changed if the Gaesatae would have worn bodyarmour and that coud have given them the victory. If you do not agree with this outcome, you are welcome to write your own battle between these two warriors and I will gladly read it.


Next time on BucklerArt, A thieving showdown as one of the most succesfull pirates ever faces a legendary Highwayman

Black Bart Versus Dick Turpin