Comabt Style: Guardian Corps vs. SOLDIER.
Guardian Corps
Lightning's fighting style is stealthy and quick, using a variety of jumps, flips, and rolls to evade and capture the target by suprise. She uses a good mix of close and long range, magic and combat. Essentially, she's a lot like a Ninja, getting in and out quickly and efficiently. Lightning attained the rank of seargant.
Pros: Very fast and agile. Uses a variety of acrobatics to make her fearsome. Can evade damage with her speed. Higher rank.
Cons: Lacking in brute strength, better at evading attacks than deflecting them.
SOLDIER
Cloud's SOLDIER style taught him the use of the rifle, with his knowledge of the Buster Sword being passed down to him by his buddy Zack. Essentially, this style makes his a physical powerhouse, cleaving through foes with amazing strength. Also, he's trained more as a soldier than an operative, so one can argue that's he's the better combatant. He reached Second Class.
Pros: Relies on brute force, making his hits more devastating. Taught as a straight-up warrior.
Cons: Lower rank than Lightning, his straight-up training gives him a lack of tricks.
Edge: Guardian Corps. This was a close one, but Lightning's superior rank makes her more versatile, more able to adapt, and faster. Although Cloud isn't far behind; his use of strength and more straight-up combat training makes him formidable as well.
So, there we have it. We've evaluated four areas. Weapons. Abilities. Statistics. Combat Style. Although, how does this factor in? In a battle of supersoldiers, will it be male or female out on top? Speed versus Strength? Substantial Style or Stylistic Substance? The battle is on its way!
Lightning vs. Cloud
Who. Is. Deadliest!?
(Yes, this is supposed to be pretty cheesy. The show Deadliest Warrior is awesomely so, so I'm following their example.)