User blog comment:TheWerewolfKing/who would win orc or nord?/@comment-24393354-20140705080600/@comment-12599067-20140709045802

Well, if you think about it, the guards in the Orc strongholds really aren't any different from those of the Nordic cities. Unless you're a thief or the Jarl, the guards of Skyrim really only offer the choice of "pay up or die/be run out of the Hold". The Orcs do the same exact thing. Lore-wise it would appear that the guards of the Orc Stronghold are more savage, but truthfully the guards are about the same anywhere.

Nords do seek out an honorable death. Many Nords wish to go to Sovngarde, but since Sovngarde only accepts those who die great deaths, not everyone gets "invited".

The Bretons of High Rock and the Redguard of Hammerfell often kill each other for political reasons. It doesn't necessarily mean they're powerful warriors, just good politicians. Not saying that a Breton spellsword or a Redguard knight couldn't prove themself capable of being extremely powerful.

It all depends on point of view. A Nord bearing light armor and a battleaxe (weapons and armor they are naturally proficient in) could move much faster than an Orc in heavy armor wielding, say, a sword and shield. The Nord would be able to get in many more attacks, but the Orc could likely withstand more. It'd be up to the terrain, the skill of the warrior, and sheer chance to decide who would win.