Hello, palaeontologist-in-training here! Thought Iโd have a little think into this because hey, who wants to do coursework on trilobites when you could be considering T. rex instead?
Light and maneuverable is probably best when facing aย rex. Itโs big and itโs powerful but itโs not going to making any quick sharp turns any time soon.
According to our current estimates, aย T. rexย would be able to crush a small car with its jaws, so realistically, no amount of armour is gonna protect you if it grabs you.
If theย T. rexย manages to grab you youโre dead regardless. It could probably eat you within a couple of bites if it was trying.
Figures 1 & 2: Theoretical T. rex bite-force model fucking up a mini. Thank you, Bill Oddie and BBCโs The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs.
As far as armour goes, lighter is better, and at the end of the day isnโt going to mean shit anyway. T. rex canโt slash at you with claws, so itโs bite or bust, and if it bites YOUโRE bust. So, lets say a point to Weed Shorts. Why NOT fight a T. rex butt naked with swords.
T. rex had good binocular vision. Donโt believe Jurassic Parkโs lies -T. rexย was a hunter and could probably see you brilliantly whether you moved or not.
That said, aย T. rexโs eyesight will work about the same as modern birds of prey. Think hawk, or eagle. I reckon light bouncing off anything would be a fairly minor hindrance, or at least, wouldnโt affect it any more than any other hunting bird.
So, using light to blind and confuse the rex? May potentially work but might be hard and wouldnโt do much for long. Donโt rely on this for strategy.
T. rex actually had gastralia, sometimes calledย โbelly-ribsโ. These protected and supported the internal organs.There would also be some seriously thick abdominal muscles to get through.
Unless youโre planning to do some precision stabbing with a very long sword, chances are youโre not gonna be killing a rex by slicing open itโs stomach. Also, being under its stomach is gonna put you in-reach of the Jaws Of Death.
Iโm not sure how easy it would be, or how well it would work, to try and cut a T. rexโs tendons. Theoretically, sounds like it should work. However, youโre gonna need a lot of strength to get through them, probably.
Iโd personally cut the throat rather than stab through the eyes once the rex is down, but thatโs probably personal preference. Once youโve felled it, itโs dead either way! A T. rex unable to hunt is a dead T. rex.
Figure 3: The gastralia of a T. rex. Bless u Scott Hartman for your skeletal references.
As far as attack goes, the belly is not as weak a spot as it seems. So, point to Weed Shorts on his execution plan. Sounds pretty solid.
Overall, Iโd say that Weed Shorts had the best plan to defeat the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. If you ever see him again, congratulate him on his solid plan of attack.