Pirats Vs. Ninjas

[who me]

for a long time there has been the Pirats Vs. Ninjas debate
really.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_versus_Ninjas

so we hear at speculative vision, one of the universes leading think tanks, should carefully examine this issue.

[Boikat]

Yarrrrrr!! Ninja's must die horrible painful deaths, and be taken to "the locker", I says!

[who me]

well first we have to set the parameters.
like what age are the pirates form?
as well as where are the ninjas and pirates going to fight?
how are they going to fight? If the ninjas attack the pirate boat at night with out the pirates knowing that a attack is coming the pirates are not going to fare well at all.


and since when did calico jack have a hot air balloon?

[Qray]

It's all balloons nowadays.

[The Master]

Pirates get to drink rum all day and say cool things like "ARRRRG!". Ninja's...move quietly.

Gotta go with Pirate.

[who me]

This is not about what you would like to be, but who would win in a fight Pirates Vs. Ninjas.

now I think the ninjas would probably be able to defeat pirates.

one must remember that ninjas were specialists and there three areas of expertise were
Rappa, Kusa, Suppa Sabotage, Assassination and Espionage.
most ninjas could swim and were good at fighting in enclosed spaces. both of these skills would prove use full if fighting on a pirate ship.

but ninjas could also be used in regular battles as a fighting unit.
in 1557 ninjas fought in the battle for Tokugawa Ieyasus to take the castle Uzuchi
also in 1570 in the battle of Anagawa, and the battle of Mikatagahara 1572.
to name a few examples.
war Lords would actually hire entire Ninja villages for important battles.

[Boikat]

Pirates would win because they don't fight fair. "Hi Ninja." <boom!> "Bye Ninja."

[Qray]

It would depend on the environment. In a pirate's natural environment, the sea, pirates and ninjas would never meet. Ninjas aren't skilled seafarers. At least not at the same skill level as a pirate. If ninjas were, then they'd be pirates also. Ninja pirates.

If it were just a pirate and a ninja walking down the street and confronting each other, pirate for the win.

Why? Pirates had guns. Gun beats sword.

[Boikat]

Aye! And any pirate worth his hoard will tell ye, any fight you walk away from was a fair fight! But some time runnin' away be the best tactic.

[who me]

ninjas did not fight fair either. they fought to win.
and ninjas did use crossbows, explosives and fire arms when they were available.

It is true that ninjas did not normally sail boats, and as far as I know never large boats like the ones used in the golden age of piracy.

but there were actually ninjas ( and samurai ) who specialized in aquatic fighting. ninjas routinely crossed water moats, to infiltrate a castle and then open the door to the invaders form the inside.

[Qray]

I wouldn't see a moat and the open ocean as being the same thing. If for some reason pirateas and ninja did encounter each other, the pirates would have a decidedly upper hand in a naval battle. Pirates were well known for sizing up an enemy and knowing if it was someone they could fight and win against. If they reasoned they couldn't, they ran. So the odds of ninjas being able to board a pirate vessel under sail is rather small.

During the Golden Age of Piracy, the Europeans were using Flintlocks while the Japanese where still mainly using Matchlocks. The Flintlock would give a pirate a distinct technological advantage as far as reliability and ease of use.

If you want to say that a ninja is a better swordsman than a pirate, a pirate would be better pistoleer.

[who me]

to true, But the pirates only had one shot (per pistol) and fire arms were expensive and hard to come by.
so there would be a good bit of sword fighting.