Champion warfare

Tmutarakan ruler Prince Mstislav defeats Kassog Prince Rededya in 1022, ceasing mutual hostilities by way of duel. Painting by Nicholas Roerich, 1943.
Grand Prince Vladimir (wielding a sword) beholds enemy forces withdraw as his champion Nikita the Tanner defeats the Pecheneg champion. Detail of a 15th-century medieval chronicle.

Champion warfare refers to a type of battle, most commonly found in the epic poetry and myth of ancient history, in which the outcome of the conflict is determined by single combat, an individual duel between the best soldiers ("champions") from each opposing army. Champion warfare can also refer to a battle in which armies actually engage, but champions within the armies fight so effectively as to single-handedly carry the sway of battle, such as in the Iliad.