with enough force to bend the sword, preventing an accurate reading, but according to Spartan expert Barry Jacobsen, it would have severed a real spinal cord. It was also explained in the Ninja/Spartan episode of the Aftermath that the blow had already severed the main aorta, cause rapid death. Both weapons were also tested on pig carcasses. The ninjato was able to cut clean through the pig in two slices (cutting through the pelvis and the spine) as well as the short sword. The edge was given to the ninjato due to its power, lightness, superior range, and quickness. For mid-range weapons, the Spartan's spear was tested against the Ninja's black egg. The dory spear was first tested on a dummy while its thrusting force was measured; Geoff Desmoulin claimed that the measured force of the thrust was equivalent to a two-story fall onto the same spear if it were to be held up vertically. The dory was next thrust at a gel torso where it proved to be a devastating blow, breaking ribs, piercing the heart and a lung, and exiting the back. Dr. Armand Dorian claimed that a person struck with such a blow would die within 30 seconds. Black eggs containing both crushed glass and pepper juice were thrown at a Spartan helmet where it was proved to be blindingly effective. The spear got the edge since it could kill the opponent, whereas the egg was only a distraction tactic. For long-range weapons, neither the shuriken nor the javelin proved itself effective as the shuriken failed to produce more than minor wounds and the javelin proved slow and inaccurate. The javelin penetrated 2.5–3 inches into a ballistics gel torso, striking the pancreas. The shurikens' velocity were clocked at 48–49 mph, with Dr. Armand Dorian claiming that one of the shuriken blows to a stand-in could have broken a rib and pierced a lung. Another Ninja weapon, the blowgun, was also tested, with Dr. Dorian explaining that the weapon's lethality came from a toxin derived from the puffer fish, which can kill within 30 seconds upon entering the bloodstream. While it also failed to show great killing power on its own, its speed and poison darts gave it the edge. Being a vital part of Spartan combat, the Spartan's aspis shield was tested against the Ninja's kusarigama in special weapons, and proved itself to be a strong defensive