For some reason there's a comparison that comes to mind regarding Roman Legions fighting Germanic Barbarians. I don't know how true it is or if it's really all that provable anyway, but I remember learning that the Romans were quite effective because of their teamwork and discipline and the tools that they were able to use effectively because of that. While the barbarians liked swinging large swords and individual glory, the Romans had short gladiuses and long shields. They'd form a wall and just slowly advance while stabbing enemies in the guts.