Robert vs Jamie: A Duel to the Death

[tallTale]

For the sake of argument, has Jaime defeated anyone that you could say was as skilled as Rhaegar?

[Larry of the Lawn]

The Hound isn't anywhere close to Jaime skill wise. The guy uses pure size, strength and aggression when he fights. The only times we've seen him fight one two on one, he's been pretty sloppy skill wise drunk. (Beric and Polliver). I actually think he has less of a chance than Robert because he doesn't have the advantage of the Warhammer. Sword for sword Jaime takes him 80/100 times.

Edit: The Hound did hold off his brother for a short while and I do believe he skill is better than the Mountains.

fixed that for you.

So any average Joe with a flaming sword could be a match for this guy?

IIRC Polliver took on the Hound by himself while the Tickler looked for an open spot to stab him, Polliver was driving him back and the Hound kicked a bench at Polliver making him lose his balance and giving the Hound a chance for the kill shot. I'll have to do a re-read to confirm though.

Cersei asks him to fight Tyrion in single combat, Jaime responds that he couldn't fight with one hand and that is when Cersei makes the Hound comment. People say that the Hound is quick for his size, not that he's as quick as Jaime. None of this points to his skill being on par with Jaime's.

The Tickler hacked the Hound in the neck from behind while Polliver was engaging him. He was also drunk.

Ah the what if fight where the world decides the fate by using other battles for example.

Robert was a very skilled fighter, and this is all fallacy about swords. I mean Robert has used his warhammer all through the Rebellion and at Greyjoys Uprising meaning he has survived battle after battle using just his hammer. I think we are giving Robert too little credit and Jamie too much.

If both men are in plate armor, Jamie using his sword and Robert using his warhammer, both in their prime the edge goes to Robert.

What we've had described about the warhammer it is very heavy, yes Ned might have been exaggerating about lifting it but he may have been speaking more of wielding it. And without much evidence we'll go with 5-6 feet, alittle bit longer than your average sword.

From what I understand most warhammers were much shorter than what you're suggesting.

it comes from the fact that he beat both barristan selmy and arthur dayne, the two greatest knights, on the lists. thats about as legit as it really gets when you are doing who vs who math.

Jaime wasn't allowed to fight there.

lol its never written that cut and dry for jaime by anyone. i read all the books last month and the only people that it actually is written that cut and dry for is barristan and dayne. its never stated by any single persons POV that jaime is "the best", only that hes good, and there are other good warriors as well.

Barristan compares one of his recruits to Jaime, saying the kid is the "best natural sword he'd seen since Jaime Lannister." He's using Jaime as benchmark of excellence, and he hates Jaime.

Plus GRRM said in an interview that Jaime in his prime was pretty much the best sword in the history of the seven kingdoms.

Given, I know nothing about swordfighting and I love Jaime and the Hound and don't really give a shit about Robert or Rhaegar, but these discussions are totally speculative anyway.

[Lord Syv Aldlark]

The whole thing about war hammers are, in real life they are short yes but it seems in most fantasy a warhammer is long. Until we have real facts in length most art-work shows it being long.

[Macklunkey]

Youthful Robert would win. Also he would have won surprisingly easily.

[mrunderhill]

Jaime would win more times than not. Brienne thinks Jaime is unbeatable when healthy and she has fought some of the best, Jaime think he is unbeatable. Barisstan has not seen anyone with more talent. Jaime even as a 15 year old managed to fend of the Laughing Knight for a while.

[Ours if the Fury]

JAMIE!

[Master Forel's Fro]

Like Brienne said Being knighted at 15 n joining the KG at 17 and a famous name makes ppl over exaggerate his skills.

[mrunderhill]

Like Brienne said Being knighted at 15 n joining the KG at 17 and a famous name makes ppl over exaggerate his skills.

Brienne did not say that after facing him. She said quite the opposite. She said nobody would stand a chance against him in the entire kingdom. Jaime is actually underrated in Westeros due to the lack of wars in his prime.

[The Sleeper]

It is not a question of who is the better fighter, it is a rock, paper, scissors deal. A sword can't go through plate while Jamie has to avoid the blows completly as a single solid hit would effectively end the fight. Your average knight was the tank of the battlefield and guys like Robert were the tank killers.

On Jaime and Brienne. People seem to forget that had she been shot with two arrows during the fight and was not trying to kill Jaime but to subdue him. They also seem to forget the actual result of the fight. After Jaime sufficiently pissed her off, she levelled him. Jaime's own thoughts of the fight were that she seemed that she was in steel cage when she was parrying his attacks suggesting great skill and speed and he compares her strength with that of the Cleganes, Robert's and the Greatjon's. With everything considered I think Brienne is much closer to Jamie than it is generally acknowledged, if not surpassing him.

[Corvo Attano]

Barristan Selmy acknowledged Jaime as being the best natural swordsman he had ever known, and Barristan had been close to Arthur Dayne, Gerold Hightower, etc;

Robert however, was, to put it simply, a tank. He was more a force of nature than a man when he was in battle. Nobody could withstand him, probably not even Gregor.

If Jaime was able to dance around Robert and avoid his hammer he would win, but one good blow from Robert would end Jaime.

[Turin Turambar]

I know what G.R.R.M said, but Jaime seemed to me a bit overrated as a fighter (or the fighter) in the books. After all, besides killing the Mad King and holding his own against The Smiling Knight in his youth, Jaime has zero actual engagements and accomplishments against worthy foes.

[Thendel]

I know what G.R.R.M said, but Jaime seemed to me a bit overrated as a fighter (or the fighter) in the books. After all, besides killing the Mad King and holding his own against The Smiling Knight in his youth, Jaime has zero actual engagements and accomplishments against worthy foes.

First off, it's a logical fallacy to argue that the author is wrong when it concerns the skillsets of his own characters. Second off, Jaime has indeed been in engagements against worthy foes:

1. The duel with Brienne. Granted, Brienne wasn't fighting to kill, but Jaime was malnourished and out of shape after having spent a year in captivity, and he was fighting with manacles on, forcing him into a less than favorable twohanded stance with a onehanded sword. Yet still he was holding her off for a time, until her superior strength and health condition carried the day.
   
2. The Battle of the Whispering Woods: Boarders seem to forget this little fact, but Jaime came perilously close to killing Robb that day. With a token force at his back, he cut his way through Robb's honor guard, only failing at his goal because his sword got stuck in a Karstark boy's neck.
   
3. Jaime won a tourney melee at the age of fifteen.
   

OT: I'll give this to Robert by virtue of superior choice of weaponry and the strength and skill to pull it off, though Jaime definitely would have a shot at winning due to the Barristan factor.