Joan of Arc vs Saladin

Beginning Analysis: When happens when a head-strong female takes on a religious male? Read on to see who...is...deadliest!?

Joan of Arc Quick Bio
Born in 1412 to Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romee, Joan was a young girl who lived in a village in the Duchy of Bar. Around the age of 12, she had experienced her first vision from god. She went out to a field shown in her vision, and was somehow able to identify Saint Michael, Saint Catherine, and Saint Margaret, who told her to drive out the English forces, and bring the heir to the French throne (the Dauphin) to Rheims to be crowned. At the age of 16, she asked a personal friend to bring her to a nearby military garrison so she could asked the commander there if she could visit Chinon, which was the home of the French Royal Court. After some difficulty, she managed to make it there, and convinced the nobility there to lead their men into battle, by this time she was about 17. After winning the siege of Orleans, she was 19 years of age, and soon afterwards, was captured by political enemies, and burned at the stake for trumped up charges.

Joan of Arc Weapons
Short Range: French Arming Sword
Medium Range: Halberd
Long Range: Steel Crossbow
Armor: Full Plate Mail

Saladin Quick Bio
Known in the Middle East as Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb, Saladin was born in the year 1138 A.D. in what would later become Tikrit, Iraq. Born to Kurdish parents, Saladin was a devout Muslin and incredible intellect, able to accurately identify numerous thing important to Arabic culture. In 1163, Saladin trained for war under his uncle, Asad al-Din Shirkuh, and traveled to Egypt to fight against those who had driven the sultan out. By the time Saladin had become ruler, he controlled Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, Hejaz, and Yemen. He was so impressive and brave, he managed to gain the respect of many crusaders, most notable of which was Richard the Lionheart. Instead of becoming hated in Europe, he was considered a pinnacle of the principles of chivalry, and stories & songs were made about him.

Saladin Weapons
Short Range: Arabic Sabre
Medium Range: Lance
Long Range: Recurve Bow
Special: Riveted Chainmail

Who Got the Edge
French Arming Sword vs Arabic Sabre: The French Arming Sword gets the edge. If Saladin can get in a thrust in on a weaker part of Joan's armor, then there's a good chance that he'll kill her. However, Joan's sword will more than likely get the kill before her opponent can.
Halberd vs Lance: The Halberd gets the edge. The Lance is only good on horseback, as it isn't an effective weapon on foot. With the Halberd, you can use it on horseback or on foot, and it has 3 ways of killing sombody (axe blade, spear tip, and hook).
Steel Crossbow vs Recurve Bow: The Recurve Bow gets the edge. Although the Steel Crossbow will easily pierce Saladin's armor, it takes at least 15 to 20 seconds to reset & reload the crossbow. In that same amount of time, a volley of arrows can be unleashed upon Joan and her forces, and said arrows have a good chance of piercing the plate armor.
Full Plate Mail vs Riveted Chainmail: Both armors get the edge. With the Full Plate, you have a suit of armor that can protect you from just about all forms of attack, save for piercing attacks. Full Plate's biggest problem is the fact that it's heavy, and it can greatly reduce body movement. With Riveted Chainmail, you have a light piece of armor that can protect it's wearer from most, if not all slashing attacks. On top of that, it's incredibly light, and was relatively affordable back in it's time. Problem is, it offers no protection against piercing attacks, and isn't as strong as Full Plate is.

Common Quality
Religious Fanaticism: Both of these warriors were highly religious. Joan of Arc (supposidly) heard the voice of god & angels, and it was through this that she devoted the rest of her living life to serving god. In every battle, she claimed god told her to do so, and that he was on her side. With Saladin, he was born into a family of Kurdish Muslims, and quickly picked up the faith. Islam's tenets of strength, loyalty, and belief meshed with Saladin's own system, and he used his faith to guide his actions until the day he died.

Setup
It was hot in the desert. The sun was high in the sky, and the wind was kicking up blinding sand. In a nearby castle, Lord Saladin, along with 4 of his warriors, were busy repairing the damaged structure. A while ago, Saladin and 50 men marched to this very castle to take it over. The castle was taken, but his 50 soldiers had died in the process, leaving himself to defend it. A lone horseman had come to take it from him, and after a fierce battle, Saladin sliced his opponent's head clean off his body, signifying that the castle was his.
Now, he was fortifying the castle for his forces to use as a staging area for further battles in the Holy Land. The front gate that had been damanged was now fully fixed, and would be able to hold back just about anything that would try to knock it down. The walls had broken stones replaced, and the watchtower was back in operation. However, on this day, things were about to change.
It started as a rather ordinary morning. The sun was starting to rise towards the top, and the watchtower had two guards inside looking out into the desert. Saladin, and two other men, were going over supply & battle plans. The guards in the watchtower didn't see anything at first, until one of them took out his spy glass, and looked out into the desert. At first, he saw a cloud of sand swiriling. Then, he saw 5 warriors appear out of the sand cloud. 3 of them were pushing a iron-tipped battering ram, and 2 were one horseback. This group of soldiers seemd normal looking, until he took a look at the second horse rider. He blinked his eyes, as he thought the rider was a girl. He looked again, and this time he wasn't seeing things. He ordered the guard that was with him to immediately report to the lord about the incoming arrivals.
The guard arrived in the main chamber a minute later, and told everyone there what was going on. "Is this true?" Saladin asked.
"I swear to Allah." the guard said. "3 men are pushing a battering ram in this direction, and another is on horseback. What is most strange is that a woman is riding with them."
"A woman?" asked Saladin. "Describe her to me."
"There's not that much to describe." the guard said. "She's wearing some kind of plate armor from her head to her feet, and she looks young. A little too young, if you ask me."
"This is truly strange." Saladin said. "Alright, you three get to your posts. I'll be with you shortly."
The three soldiers immediately exited the room. Saladin walked over to a small carpet that was facing east. He got down onto his knees, lit a stick of incense that was in a holder to his left, and started praying to Allah for guidance.
"Allah, I seek your wisdom. A new enemy is coming my way, one that my soldiers and myself have never faced before. On top of that, a woman rides among them. I've never had to harm a female in my life. Please, give me something to solve this mystery."
Just then, a gentle breeze went through the main chamber. The smoke from the incense wafted and waved around, but the incense itself didn't die out. Saladin smiled, and got back to his feet. He walked over to the wall, where his Sabre & Recurve Bow were hanging. He took them off the wall, then headed out of the room to confront the challenge that was being sent to him.
Saladin arrived on the eastern edge of the wall, where 3 of his men were watching the opposing soldiers coming towards the castle. The one soldier that was still in the watchtower was still keeping an eye on then, and had a bow to his side in case something happened. A moment later, Saladin shouted out to the incoming force.
"Stop where you are!"
The soldiers immediately stopped in their tracks. The female lifted up her own spyglass, and looked at the wall. She let out a huff, and put the spyglass down.
"What business do you have in this part of the Holy Land!? This castle is blessed in the name of Allah!"
"Silence your tongue, infidel!" the woman shouted back. Saladin was shocked by the words this woman had said. "Who are you, and what gives you the right to say that to me!?" he asked.
"My name is Joan of Arc." the woman replied. "I have received a vision from god to come to the desert, and to find this castle. The heavens above also told me of a foe that would be waiting inside, and that he must be defeated!"
"I'm terribly sorry, little girl, but I think that armor you're wearing might be weighing down your brain." said Saladin mockingly. His soldiers laughed at the insult, while Joan just gritted her teeth. The soldiers with her backed off just a little bit, cause her wrath against an enemy was great.
"You talk very big." said Joan. "I think that the castle must be compensating for something."
"Listen, little girl." said Saladin. "You seem a bit too small for fighting. Warfare isn't for those that don't know what they're doing. Turn back, and I promise we won't laugh at you."
While Saladin was talking, he didn't notice that Joan had taken a Steel Crossbow from one of her soldiers. She cranked the string back, and loaded a barbed bolt into the table. She aimed at the soldier standing just to Saladin's right. She pulled the trigger, and the bolt went flying. A second later, it landed in the soldier's head. Blood tricked from the wound, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. After a moment, the soldier's lifeless body fell off the wall, and onto the castle courtyard.

Joan of Arc: 5/Saladin: 4

Saladin quickly looked at the body of his comrade that just died, then turned back to look at Joan. A serious look came over his face as he readied his Recurve Bow. His opponent was too busy re-cranking her crossbow to notice that her opponent was aiming for her mounted lieutenant. With a release of the bowstring, the arrow flew towards it's target, and landed right in the lieutenant's chest, piercing his heart. He grasped at the arrow to try to pull it out, but his heart stopped beating, and he fell of his horse onto the hot desert sand.

Joan of Arc: 4/Saladin: 4

Joan turned to her side, just as her warrior fell off his horse. She looked backed up, and a arrow went right through her plated shoulder. She dropped her crossbow, as the pain was a bit disabling. Yet, the strength of God kept her from losing her composure, and she pulled the arrow out. She quickly got off her horse, and yelled out to her men at the battering ram to begin bashing the gate.
"Men, fire!" Saladin yelled. His soldiers started unleashing a volley of arrows upon Joan and her men, who had absolutely little cover from the attack.
"Soldiers of God, keep pushing." yelled Joan. She and her warriors kept pushing with the battering ram, cracking the door in an effort to push it down to get inside.
Back up on the wall, Saladin & his soldiers kept firing arrows from their bows. Most of them kept missing, but a couple landed in the battering ram. Joan's knights didn't flinch, despite the fact that they were close to certain death. One of the arrows coming from the wall hit a knight in the neck. Blood was pouring from his neck, and his body slumped onto the battering ram.

Joan of Arc: 3/Saladin: 4

"Men, keep it up!" Saladin shouted. He looked at the gate, and realized that it was starting to crack and weaken. Having seen this, Saladin started running down the steps of the wall, and headed towards the stable, where he had his horse waiting for him. He got into the saddle, and rode out of the stable. When he got out, the gate was getting weaker and weaker. Saladin picked up a Lance that was right by the entrance to the stable, and saw the hinges of the gate starting to rattle and shake.
"You two!" shouted Saladin while pointing his Lance at them. "Get down here and reinforce this gate!"
The soldiers dropped their bows, and came running down the stairs. The got right in front of the gate, and immediately put their backs to hit. Joan and her knights bashed the gate again, and the top hinges of the gate finally popped off. Saladin started worrying about the gate. It'll only take one or two more hits, he thought to himself. Another bash at the gate, and chunks of it were starting to fall down. "Men, get out of there!" yelled Saladin, just as the gate took one final blow. The gate started falling, and one of Saladin's soldiers ran out of the way, but the other one wasn't able to get out in time. The door came falling down, and crushed him like a pancake.

Joan of Arc: 3/Saladin: 3

The gate impacted with the ground, and a cloud of sand floated up. Saladin and his soldier on the ground saw nothing at first, but then they heard the sound of hoof beats. "You, draw your sword." he said to his soldier. The sabre came out of it's sheathe, and the blade shined in the spotlight. As for the other soldier, he was still inside the watchtower, and had an arrow ready for whoever was going to come through the sand cloud.
Just then, Joan, along with her two surviving knights, came bursting through the sand cloud. Saladin's soldier in the watchtower fire off his arrow, and it landed right square in the soldier's chest that was on the ground. That was the signal for Saladin to start riding towards him, with the Lance pointed straight out. He spured the horse to faster speeds, and within a few seconds had pierced the knight's armor, sending the Lance straight through his body. The knight dropped to his knees, and vomited up a torrent of blood. A second later, he slumped to the ground in a puddle of sandy blood.

Joan of Arc: 2/Saladin: 3

Meanwhile, Saladin's soldier on the ground eyed Joan's mounted knight. He doesn't look so tough, the soldier though to himself. He charged right at him, shouting things in Arabic that are better left unsaid. The mounted knight took a Halberd that Joan had given him, and charged towards his opponent. The spear tip of the Halberd shined in the sunlight, and it looked like it could pierce anything. Sure enough, it went right into the heart, killing the soldier instantly.

Joan of Arc: 2/Saladin: 2

Joan's knight pulled the Halberd out of the now lifeless soldier. His body fell backwards onto the courtyard with a thud. Saladin was alone on the ground now. He looked up at the watchtower, and saw that his last remaining soldier wasn't there. He wasn't bothered by this, as he now had two opponents to fight. The knight that had killed his comrade starting charging him. When he got within striking distance, the knights was surprised to see Saladin dodge the attack, and actually grab the Halberd, pulling him off the horse in the process. Saladin broke the weapon in two, and walked over to the knight, who was stunned by the fall. He drew his Sabre, and thrusted it into the knight's head. The body flopped for a second or two, then it became still.

Joan of Arc: 1/Saladin: 2

Saladin pulled his Sabre out of the knight's head, and turned towards Joan. She was still on her horse, only now did she released that she may be in over her head. Nether the less, she drew her French Armind Sword, and got off her mount to meet her opponent on even ground.
"I'll say this again, little girl, and you better listen." said Saladin grimly. "Warfare is not for the likes of you. Leave now, and as a gentlemen, I won't pursue you."
Joan just laughed. "You have been labeled an enemy of God. You must be slain!" she yelled.
Saladin sighed. "So be it." he said solumnly.
The two immediately clashed. The ringing of the swords could be heard through most of the castle, but the energy and emotion of the fight itself could be felt from a much further distance. Both religious minded warriors were keeping an immense calm as they engaged in battle, but there was also something of a fury between the two.
Joan and Saladin were still fighting, when she managed to take a stab at her opponent's side. Saladin suddenly dropped to one knee, but still had a will to fight. This went on for a few second, then his sword was swiped from his hand, and Joan had her opponent right where she wanted him.
"Do you have any last words before my sword sends you to hell?" Joan asked.
"Just a few." said Saladin, all the while breathing heavily. "Look behind you."
Joan turned around, just in time to see an arrow go right through her forehead. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her body fell to the ground. Saladin got up to his feet, and knodded at his soldier, who had successfully stopped perhaps his toughtest opponent yet.

Joan of Arc: 0/Saladin: 2

Saladin: 517
Arabic Sword: 150
Lance: 67
Recurve Bow: 300

Joan of Arc: 483
French Arming Sword: 200
Halberd: 200
Steel Crossbow: 83

Ending Assessment: Despite having newer weapons and armor, Joan of Arc was nowhere near as level-headed as Saladin was, and allowed her faith to guide her more than her own thoughts.
Strongest Weapon: With a armor-piercing 300 kills, Saladin's Recurve Bow is the strongest weapon of this fight.
Weakest Weapon: In contrast, Saladin's lance, with only 67 kills, takes the weakest weapon spot of this fight.