there is a difference between a war and the codes of honour associated with the concept of duelling.
it is true that, the raw essence of war is to win and ther eis no concept of unfairness or fairness.
but in later ages, as man came to appreciate the need to value true skills in combat, a code ofhonour did evolve in whcih men did pay respect to the individual skills each had developed. hence in France we saw the Musketeers, and in later years the gentleman's duelling code. Especially after the Dark Ages, mankind did come to appreictae that wars were ugly, but need not be dishonourable and leave a bad taste behind it if at all possible.
So for example: the most skilled fencer in the world could be most pitiably slain by a archer 30 yards distant. But it is the archers name which shall be forever tainted by his choice of way to defeat his opponent.
What is a combatant int he position of an archer to do? Sometimes, they call for a time and place for mutual combat and forewarned choice of weapons. Other times, the archer would merely cripple the fencer and then give him the chance to retreat alive, preserving their honour.
Dn't forget the code of honour, in times of hardship, it is all that divides men from animals.
