# Tyrannosaur vs. 4 men with spears -- who wins? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458 "2012-07-17T00:05:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/21 "2012-07-17T14:26:35Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I think the key would be this bit of information from the Wiki link: > > The humans would be far more agile than the T-rex. Even though the dino might have been much faster in straight pursuit (and its running speed - or even if it could run at all - is highly debatable), the humans could probably evade it pretty easily. > > The main problem would be that their spears wouldn’t easily be able to reach any vulnerable areas on the T-rex (not that it had many). Their best strategy would be for some guys to distract it while others poked holes in it, then wait till it bled to death. The humans and Rex are not entering a dance contest. Though a multi pointed attack, simular to wolf packs, would seem to be a way of bringing down the beast. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/22 "2012-07-17T14:30:45Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > In an arena, my money is totally on the T. Rex. Out in the wild, where the people can formulate a strategy and choose the time and place of their attack, my money would be on the men, no question. Yes, I figured that if the men had enough time to observe the beast, they would likely devise some strategy to overcome it. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/23 "2012-07-17T14:32:11Z")
> [@RetroVertigo](#): > > The thought of a T-Rex sitting around coming up with different strategies makes me smile. Good! That was my intention, to elicit a chuckle or two. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/24 "2012-07-17T14:39:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Tyrannosaurus may have been slow to turn, possibly taking one to two seconds to turn only 45° — an amount that humans, being vertically oriented and tailless, can spin in a fraction of a second.[79] The cause of the difficulty is rotational inertia, since much of Tyrannosaurus’ mass was some distance from its center of gravity, like a human carrying a heavy timber — although it might have reduced the average distance by arching its back and tail and pulling its head and forelimbs close to its body, rather like the way ice skaters pull their arms closer in order to spin faster.[80] I doubt T-Rex was excellent at rapid turns, but it resembles a human carrying a large timber as much as a snake resembles a length of sewer pipe. A one ton crocodile can turn 90 degrees in less than a second and it can do little to redistribute it’s body weight. The statement even explains why it may not be true. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/25 "2012-07-17T14:51:22Z")
IMHO the men will get in a couple of good stabs with their spears. The question is, can a spear cause a fatal injury to a T-Rex? 8 or 12 men could probably do the job, causing enough injury and blood loss to weaken the T-Rex and set up a killing blow. I think the T-Rex could dispatch 4 men before they could do enough damage. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/26 "2012-07-17T15:09:26Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > The question is, can a spear cause a fatal injury to a T-Rex? Given the T-rex’s blood volume, it’ll certainly take a long time to bleed out - but I’d bet it will bleed out before the bleeding stops. And even though that could take some time, the T-rex will have difficulty assaulting the men because any time it gets close to them it risks another penetrating injury from the spears. Stab it once or twice, and it’ll probably stay the hell away from the men, and slowly bleed out. If it doesn’t stay away, it’ll get stabbed even more, and bleed out more quickly. Get in a good hack or two at the achilles tendons, and you may immobilize it, which makes it easier to stab it repeatedly with spears and swords. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/27 "2012-07-17T15:11:10Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > IMHO the men will get in a couple of good stabs with their spears. The question is, can a spear cause a fatal injury to a T-Rex? If they were able to blind it, they would win for sure. If they could approach it undetected at will, they could cut its hamstrings with their swords and bring it down so they could disembowel it. Whether or not you would have a good chance of blinding it with a heavy hand-held spear depends on its agility. On the other hand, if you had a lighter throwing spear like a javelin, or a bow and arrows, and were skilled in their use the rex would be dead meat. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/28 "2012-07-17T15:16:58Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Given the T-rex’s blood volume, it’ll certainly take a long time to bleed out - but I’d bet it will bleed out before the bleeding stops. And even though that could take some time, the T-rex will have difficulty assaulting the men because any time it gets close to them it risks another penetrating injury from the spears. Stab it once or twice, and it’ll probably stay the hell away from the men, and slowly bleed out. If it doesn’t stay away, it’ll get stabbed even more, and bleed out more quickly. > > Get in a good hack or two at the achilles tendons, and you may immobilize it, which makes it easier to stab it repeatedly with spears and swords. I don’t know how well a spear will penetrate their skin, much less damage their leg tendons. And 8 or 9 foot spears probably give you about a 6 foot range for effective thrusting, which seems too close. If the spears are throwable, you might wound it a little, but then you’ve lost your spear. A running throw might be more effective, but you need some major gonads to run full pace toward a T-Rex. The toughness of their hide will be a big factor in a spear having any effect at all. You have to consider if a group of 4, or even 8 or 12 human size predator dinosaurs could take down a T-Rex. I think not, but it’s really kind of hard to establish. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/29 "2012-07-17T15:20:02Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Whether or not you would have a good chance of blinding it with a heavy hand-held spear depends on its agility. On the other hand, if you had a lighter throwing spear like a javelin, or a bow and arrows, and were skilled in their use the rex would be dead meat. A bow and arrows, which is like a lot of spears with much more penetrating power would be a winner. Do we know much about the skin on a T-Rex? Do we have impressions or anything? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/30 "2012-07-17T15:27:16Z")
I’m not sure who would win, but I sure as hell would stand in line to make sure I got good seats. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/31 "2012-07-17T15:30:14Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’m not sure who would win, but I sure as hell would stand in line to make sure I got good seats. See post #11. I don’t think you want front row. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/32 "2012-07-17T15:40:00Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > A bow and arrows, which is like a lot of spears with much more penetrating power would be a winner. Do we know much about the skin on a T-Rex? Do we have impressions or anything? I wanted to keep projectile weapons out of the mix. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/33 "2012-07-17T15:45:13Z")
> [@Arrendajo](#): > > The best strategy for the men would be to quickly kill a large docile feed animal for the T rex to eat, and while he’s eating it, sneak away. Or if sufficiently desperate, trip or spear one of your hunting companions. Like the old saw goes, “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.” The applicability to tyrannosaurs is straightforward. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/34 "2012-07-17T15:46:13Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > See post #11. I don’t think you want front row. I was thinking skybox.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/35 "2012-07-17T16:09:13Z")
Who wins? Not all 4 of the humans - I think that’s fairly certain. If one or two of the men were prepared to sacrifice their lives, the other two might have more chance of striking a lethal blow. Is it still a win for the humans if not all of them survive? ---
**Author:** ![dngnb8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dngnb8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dngnb8)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/36 "2012-07-17T16:18:30Z")
My money is on Trex. They guys might do enough damage to kill the Trex over time, but they will be stomped, slammed, or eaten first. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/37 "2012-07-17T16:22:16Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > If they were able to blind it, they would win for sure. If they could approach it undetected at will, they could cut its hamstrings with their swords and bring it down so they could disembowel it. I wouldn’t count on it not being able to smell or hear which direction they were approaching from. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/38 "2012-07-17T16:43:51Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Who wins? > > Not all 4 of the humans - I think that’s fairly certain. > > If one or two of the men were prepared to sacrifice their lives, the other two might have more chance of striking a lethal blow. Is it still a win for the humans if not all of them survive? I would count that as a win. I would expect at least one of the guys to die horribly in this confrontation. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/39 "2012-07-17T16:47:15Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > I would expect at least one of the guys to die horribly in this confrontation. Otherwise I wouldn’t be psyched to buy a ticket. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458/40 "2012-07-17T17:02:53Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Otherwise I wouldn’t be psyched to buy a ticket. Of course! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyrannosaur-vs-4-men-with-spears-who-wins/628458.md?page=1)