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In Virat war all Kuru warriors including Bhisma Drona and Karna were vanquished by Arjuna.
Go Haran Parva 62
Now, the same Arjuna in Kurukshetra war even with Lord Krishna with him, could not face these warriors. Arjuna killed each and every Kuru warrior through deceit.
Shalya Badha Parva 60
Lord Krishna also accepted that Karna, Bhishma and Drona could not be vanquished by Pandavas in a fair combat. Then how Arjuna defeated all of them in Virata war?
He didn't kill them in Virata war. They were still alive until Kurkushetra. Karna had the best weapon, Bishma had a boon to chose how to die, and Drona had to lay down his weapons. So it's not like they could ever have been killed straight on. Arjuna wasn't the strongest warrior and neither was Krishna, only Krishna was fully aware of that unlike Arjuna. So they had to improvise. And no matter how good of a warrior, you can't exactly kill someone fairly who can't be killed fairly due to a boon.
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https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04061.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhishma_Parva https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04067.htm https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04066.htm https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04067.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astra_(weapon)#Astras_in_Hindu_Epics https://www.isrgrajan.com/bhishma-pitamah-karan-and-arjun-what-were-the-greatest-difference.html
Arjuna has defeated all the kauravas and karna. He fought Drona and Kripa but defeated them. Kripa said all 6 warriors including bhishma, kripa himself, drona, karna and others should attack him simultaneously as he thought arjuna was able to defeat Nivatakavacha whom indrajit and ravana could not defat together and defeated gods included indra but Bhishma alone went to fight Arjuna and shovered a lot of arrows at each other and both of them not being injured. Bhishma pierced Uttara and Arjuna aimed and released arrow at Bhishmaś charioteer but Bhishma caught hold of the arrow in mid-air itself and threw the arrow that pierced him. Uttar then drove the chariot speedily at Karna, Kripa, and Drona as ordered by Arjuna where Arjuna defeated those and ONLY those three, not Bhishma. Arjuna invokes indrastra, which has a lot of arrows but bhishma nullified it with vayu astra releasing wind. Arjuna then used sailastra to nullify vayuvyastra. He then rushed to drona, kripa and others because they were the ones who stole the castle. Arjuna then invokes Sammohana astra that collapses the maharathis Karna, Drona, Kripa, Duryodhana and other 99 kauravas. Also, the main purpose of the Virata war was fought to steal the wealth of Matsya king Virata and main purpose was to find and catch the pandavas before the 13th year of disguise
Methinks, Bhishma is not stupefied, for he knoweth how to counteract this weapon of mine. So, pass thou on, keeping his steeds to thy left; for those that are sensible should thus be avoided.
See, Arjuna clearly states that Bhishma knows how to counter attack the Sammohana astra
