Sengoku Period: The test was based on the samurai of this time frame, fighting more on foot than on horseback and wearing more practical gusoku type armor rather than a heavy and complex o-yoroi.
Viking
Armor Is Useless: Averted. Katana does nothing against chain mail. Unless, of course, you thrust with it.
The Peloponnesian War: Although most people know them from the Persian Wars, this was where they were most militarily successful and historically important.
Ninja
Badass Boast: The legendary master of death from Japan.
Boom, Headshot: The pirate does this at the end of the re-enactment, removing the Knight's visor and blasting him right between the eyes with his pistol.
Stuff Blowing Up: The first warrior (on the series, that is) to use an explosive weapon - in this case, a primitive grenade.
War Of The Spanish Succession: Many pirates of the type and period described on the show were veterans of this war, either as naval officers/sailors or privateers.
Knight
Badass Boast: Sword-wielding slayer of the medieval age.
Hundred Years War: Based on the info given at the beginning of the episode, the Knight would have fought here.
Rock Beats Laser: Averted. The pirate's more advanced technology (read: gunpowder) is cited as the reason the knight lost the matchup.
Mafia
The Sicilian crime family who flourished in the 1920s New York. Appeared first in Episode 5 fighting against the Yakuza.
Boring, but Practical: The baseball bat may not have been the flashiest weapon (especially compared to the Yakuza's nunchaku), but it was perfectly legal to carry, and pretty effective, too. A smart swing from one of the experts visibly snapped several of a test pig's vertebrae.
Badass Boast: Deadly enforcers on the mean streets of New York.
Kieran Elliot: "[William Wallace] married a lovely girl, and the English murdered her, and that's when he just went off the rails..." (Cue Skyward Scream, cut to Wallace kicking ass)
Improbable Weapon User: Attila's mid range weapon, the lasso. However, he may have been onto something, as, with the proper timing and aim, one could cause a hangman's fracture.
Alexander the Great
A God Am I: The Oracle of Delphi told him he was the son of a God.
Awesome, but Impractical: The Gastraphetes was a huge crossbow that certainly did damage when it hit its mark, but its insanely long reload time (1+ minute per shot) severely limited its effectiveness.
Badass Boast: The warrior king, whose brutal tactics carved out one of the largest empires in history.
The Mafia: Arguably the best known and most famous leader of the Chicago Outfit.
World War One: Erroneously claimed to be a veteran of this war. Also, half of his weapons on the show were specifically designed with this war in mind.
Aztec Jaguar
Badass Boast: Swift moving slayer of the ancient Mexican empire.
Badass Boast: Africa's deadly new breed of high seas hijackers who make millions holdings merchant ships hostage.
Enemy Mine: The ships fishing in the waters of Somalia were a common enemy for people who once fought each other in the Somali Civil War, from fishermen who spent their lives in the water to militiamen who knew guns.
Badass Boast: Colombia's killer drug lords who built the world's largest cocaine empire.
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: At the height of their power, the Cartel made up to $65 million a day; they put it to good use by paying off government officials.
Awesome, but Impractical: Played with via the chariot scythes. They look nice, and tore through two pig carcasses, but was deemed to lack true killing power and lost the edge to the Celt's burda club. However, it still got over 100 kills.
Badass Boast: The precision killer in a massive war machine who forged the largest empire the Middle East has ever seen.
Fall Of Constantinople: Lived around this time and in the region, and was famous in his lifetime for successfully fighting against the very same sultan who took the city.
Sun Tzu
Badass Boast: The ruthless Chinese warmonger who revolutionary "Art of War" led to the massacre of millions.
Which laps into Critical Research Failure as anyone who's read the book knows that he states that war is only meant to be have as a last resort and to obtain the least amount of deaths as possible.
State Sec: Yes, they did exist. The French Musketeers (the kind examined on the show) was divided into two branches: one worked to guard the king, the other for the cardinal.
Badass Boast: The bloodthirsty French emperor whose maniacal dream was to conquer the world.
Bait and Switch: His tactic that earned him the victory at the Battle of Austerlitz: fool the Prussians into thinking he and the Grande Armee were surrendering, luring them onto the hill Napoleon and his men were just on; then, obliterate the present forces when a dense fog overcame the area.
The Napoleon: The experts mentioned how 5'6" was normal height for a European man of that time period but he comes off looking like this anyway because he's paired with the freakishly tall Washington.
Little Miss Badass: At the age of 17, Joan led the entire French army to win the Hundred Years War; without her, a British victory would've been inevitable.
Badass Boast: The daring and deadly French duke who crushed his English enemies and crowned himself king.
Disproportionate Retribution: Edward the Confessor promised William that he would be the next Duke of Normandy. After Edward's death, when William found out that the new duke became the son of Edward's advisor, William felt that he was betrayed and started a campaign against Harold.
Eye Scream: How William used his crossbow to kill Harold.
Seppuku: Ok, they're Korean, not Japanese, and it is with guns by someone else, but the crucial elements of being Asian and making a big deal about submitting to their own deaths for honour are there.
The Korean War: Technically, the situation described on the show would go here.
Awesome Yet Practical: While having a less advanced arsenal than Lawrence, his Gatling gun was more reliable and his Krag rifle was more functional despite being less powerful.
Underdogs Never Lose: Most of the x-factors were against him and even most of his weapons and tactics were rated lower than his opponent, yet he still came out on top.
World War One: Tried to enlist in this, but was turned down by President Woddrow Wilson; partly due to his advanced age, and partly for political reasons. At least two of his sons fought in it though, with one getting killed.
Sanity Has Advantages: This is played straight in Hernan Cortes VS Ivan the Terrible, and is one of the biggest reasons why Cortes won the fight.
Swiss Army Weapon: The Alabarda has a pike on top for thrusting, a hook on the back for dismounting mounted opponents/pulling invaders off ladders, and an axe head for cutting.
The Sociopath: He was stated by the experts to display signs of psychopathy.
The Virus: Stated as the reason the zombies need to feed on living flesh is to pass this on.
Zerg Rush: Their primary tactic is to swarm and overwelm the opponent by sheer numbers. This is why they decided to pit an entire horde of almost-200 zombies vs 3 vampires.
Last Stand: Sort of. The final vampire can't escape because the sun is rising, and thus has to fight back against the remaining horde of Zombies. Does it end well? Yes.
Oh Crap: Cited as an actual X-Factor. As powerful as they are, they are still capable of feeling human emotions, like fear. Sure enough, the vampires freeze up, stare, and then retreat upon seeing a comrade get torn to pieces and then eaten.
One-Man Army: A fair fight was considered near 200 zombies vs. 3 vampires because one on one the vampires would win every time thanks to being able to One-Hit Kill zombies thanks to their superior strength. The vampires win.
Pyrrhic Victory: Technically won the fight, but then infection starts to set. Though the experts couldn't decide on rather becoming a Zombie Vampire was this trope or Cursed with Awesome.
probably the first. The resulting zombie-vampire would still have the vampire's weakness to sunlight but not the brains to avoid it, so would last until it tried to chase something in the dawning day. Final score: double KO.
Rise From Your Grave: Three vampires rise up from their coffins as soon as the fight begins.
