[Keeper of Dol Guldur]

Western versus Eastern style? Ever watched Highlander? No seriously, some of those Katanas were sharp enough to halve a watermelon (I saw it on Mail-Call), of course a steel claymore or something of the like wouldn't be so easy. Still, bigger swords are quite clumsy (obviously not too clumsy, but 'clumsier' then a katana) But then I don't think all the grace and skill of Eastern style could overtake the quick and ultra-efficient style of Rapier-work. The rapier is point work, and so the blades edge is good for parrying, but the kill comes from the extraordinary ability to thrust and cover a huge gap doing so, because one can hack and hack all they want but those are still only flesh wounds, punching a pointed blade through somebody though-fatal. The musketeers did this sorta stuff (I saw that on Conquest, the History Channel? I need a life), and they did it well. Those blades will punch right through ringlets in mail, slip in between plate mail, and go through skull.