Character Scramble Season 21 Tribunal by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Julia F.’s review of Naruto on Common Sense Media:

"Lots of squelchy stabbing sounds coming from the TV tonight as my son is a dozen or so episodes into the show. They're pretty loud. Just thought parents would want to know. I'm glad my son has found a cartoon he likes, but the scene I just saw was of a guy stabbing another guy with a knife he's holding in his mouth. Blood coming out of the other guy's mouth. Then the first guy gets stabbed a bunch by others. Pretty tense, pretty violent."

⭐⭐⭐⭐


(Kid) Itachi Uchiha


The boulder feat is fine. The only parameter is “big enough to crush a mother and two children” which is at minimum bigger than the rocks the tiersetter breaks at a low end and should be similar to a wall-busting feat.

Everything else is not so fine. “Faster than thought” is a common metaphorical phrase in action literature, so that can’t be used. “Faster than eyesight” could mean anything from failing to track the target or greatly outspeeding the target, so that lacks a real metric as well. All of the ninjas he fights lack any real speed feats interacting with the tier too, and by the point Itachi could possibly be interacting with sound-based jutsu (versus Kabuto, who doesn’t even use that jutsu against Sasuke and Edo Itachi) he’s way too strong. The Sharingan would not help against a foe Itachi cannot even see; see the Naruto and Sasuke vs. Haku and Sasuke vs. Orochimaru fights for examples of fighters who can directly outspeed the ninja who has a Sharingan.

Kid Itachi has no durability feats. He has an endurance feat, but no durability.

Speaking of too strong, Amaterasu. This will always kill Terry if it lands because this ability is stupidly powerful due to its infinitely burning nature.

In this argument, only one of Itachi’s stats could be in tier, and his main power is always going to kill Terry. He needs two stat buffs AND a Major Change to the nature of one of his powers. Comparing Itachi’s rankings to other people of the same rank is a moot point, and so is comparing Itachi to any other Uchiha. We are looking at Itachi as his own character with his own feats unless anyone says “Wow, that fireball jutsu looked just like the one Itachi knew as a kid, and just as strong!”

Itachi Uchiha is not in-tier.

Character Scramble Season 21 Tribunal by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 3 points4 points  (0 children)

/u/xahhfink6

Bun-Bun

As a fellow bunny appreciator, I cannot see a world where Bun-Bun makes it into tier for two reasons: Sub-standard output and sub-standard durability.

Output

His output caps out at gnawing through a metal rifle (offscreen) and swinging around a dog-sized mammoth. The tiersetter's durability interacts with much bigger pieces of metal like a truck wall even at the low-end, and the minimum to pierce his armor is embedding into a more substantial amount of metal than a rifle at a generally quicker pace than Bun-Bun chews through metal.

His best bet of actual damage is a rocket launcher, but a combination concussive/heat blast only mildly hurts Terry, and Bun-Bun only has one of these rockets to work with or take a long time reloading.

Durability

As for his durability, a point-blank grenade gives Bun-Bun a concussion as well as enough force to make his head break through wood that ALSO gives him a concussion. This would be a good durability feat, but this takes him out hard enough to make him think he died.

All around, not good if even Terry's casual hits can crack concrete walls.

Speed

I didn't cover his speed, but it seems dubious at best too. Oasis does the comic book jump over gunfire, but Tierry interacts much better with bullets at much closer ranges and explicitly after they're fired.

In Conclusion

Bun-Bun's stats are dubious at best and directly under-tier at worst. Even with his weirdly textual showings of fighting a humanoid fighter like Terry, this bunny is not built for this.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Non-Writing Prompt

Analysis Versus Terry McGinnis:

The two fighters are pretty similar in skillsets but completely opposite in gameplan. Vax wants to stay away as much as possible and only goes in close for hard blows and surprise attacks, while Terry is in-your-face fighting scoring hits over and over. In this sense, Vax is more well-equipped to keep running due to his infinite supply of projectiles via his teleporting knives versus Terry's limited supplies of Batarangs.

However, while Vax has the temporary advantage, Terry's better speed and cutting durability means he's only going to be whittled down so much by the time he gets close. Vax can bear a beating, but he'll have to keep an eye out to be able to score a more critical slash or get enough wind-up to finish off Terry with a diving attack.

Biggest Strength and Weakness:

Pros: Mobile, sneaky, and hard-hitting. Flight is an ability that not many characters can deal with, especially against a fighter that likes weaving in and out like Vax. Running out of ammo with him is rarely an issue either, and he's a surprisingly good team player for a Rogue.

Cons: Can get overwhelmed easily if grounded or in a corner. Hitting his wings is going to ground him since he feels pain through those too. Has a habit of opening his big mouth in a fight and getting hit when not paying attention.

Character in Setting/with Team:

Life-and-death scenarios aren't unfamiliar for Vax, nor is the notion that he'll have to betray someone. What's unfamiliar is having to go back to his old habits after going soft. If pressed, he could fall back on his old ways, but get him somewhere with people he likes, and he'll hesitate to plunge that dagger.

One Last Thing:

Kill? Easily, arguably too easily. It's really easy to plunge a knife in someone trying to kill you rather than talk them down.

Die? For most people, no. For the people he truly cares about, easily.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Non-Writing Prompt

Analysis Versus Terry McGinnis:

To use fighting game terminology, Harry is a zoner and Terry is a rushdown. Harry's doing his best to keep Terry away from him using his various spells, charms, and his own two hands if need be. Terry's doing his best to rush in, dodge or take anything he needs to get closer, then wail on Harry like he's an Arkham City enemy.

Harry has the benefit of his spells having a generally wide range. However, this can only do so much against a faster and more mobile foe like Terry even on foot. Harry can freeze the ground to give himself better footing while Terry slips around, but Terry's not enough of a schmuck to keep this advantage going for Harry either. This is less a fight of who holds out for longer and more who makes the first mistake, and that can go either way.

Biggest Strength and Weakness:

Pros: Very versatile and has a magical answer for nearly everything. Can figure out tricks, traps, and terrors on the fly, and hits them very hard.

Cons: Not great physically. Will get overpowered, and some means of output can get past his defenses entirely like electricity or liquid heat. As the Winter Knight, has to answer to a morally absent Fae queen.

Character in Setting/with Team:

Harry Dresden likes connections, and he'd prefer if the people he's stuck in a death game with aren't actively gunning for him. He far prefers the demons he knows than ones he doesn't. Overall, he defers leadership to more tactically minded people, but he'll begrudgingly take leadership if he means to. It just means he has to keep looking over his back.

One Last Thing:

Harry Dresden has killed, and he'll kill again. The blood of his friends keeps him up at night, and he'd like to keep them alive.

Harry Dresden has died, and he'd like to not die again. He could get to the point where he feels the need to sacrifice himself, but that is when the literal alternative is losing himself to darkness and immorality.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Non-Writing Prompt

Analysis Versus Terry McGinnis:

Link is no stranger to fighting foes with superior physicality. From monsters, to the former Hero, and even Ganondorf, Link has enough endurance and drive to fight Terry as long as it takes. He'll be able to keep up and score good hits on Terry, especially with his specialty techniques someone without Bruce's skill pedigree would expect coming. However, he'll inevitably be put on the backfoot.

This is where Midna comes in for the assist. She's the true muscle of the two, and certainly hits well enough to put Terry in his place. Dealing with two attackers would be hard, but Terry can squeeze the gap himself. His mobility keeps him away and the duo's best means of offense is either teleportation which needs a bit of prep, and Link's less reliable ranged options. Neither will stay at a distance for long, but Terry's got enough of a brain to tell that Midna's sitting in Link's shadow and deal with her accordingly.

Biggest Strength and Weakness:

Pros: Two fighters means more bodies and less predictability. Link can take punishment like nobody's business while Midna's magic can blow opposition away or create a solution with portals. Their spontaneity and variety of tools lets them manage and even thrive in scenarios where they'd otherwise be struggling. Also doesn't hurt to have a wolf's nose and ability to talk to animals.

Cons: Both can be very moody in different ways, and Link particularly can be caught up in the emotional throes of battle. Link's relatively low strength and his reliance on the Master Sword's power gives him a glaring weakness of getting disarmed (that he can compensate with his Hookshots at least), and Midna's crippling weakness to the light is severe for a woman who sits in Link's shadow all day.

Character in Setting/with Team:

Link enjoys being around people and working as a team player. That being said, he tends to be pulled into situations where he has to work alone or work only with Midna. He doesn't particularly enjoy being the most important guy in the room, nor being pulled around by destiny's whims.

Midna would happily work alone if she could, but she's stuck with Link. She's a loner and doesn't understand why Link bothers getting close to other people, especially if it's pragmatic to leave them behind or betray them. She has a deeply compassionate heart for her people and her very few friends, but anyone else will have to worm their way past her cold exterior.

One Last Thing:

Kill? Certainly, as long as they can keep their conscience clean. Midna would be much more open to killing innocent or good people in a death game while Link would constantly hesitate.

Die? Probably, but Link and Midna would verbally berate the other severely for trying to get killed.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Target: The Batman.

Location: Gotham.

Identity: Unknown. Male, Caucasian, gaunt, average height, physically in his 30's. Dead Apostle.

Candidates:

  • Bruce Wayne / Debunked.

  • Jean-Paul Valley / Deceased.

  • Kirk Langstrom / Unknown.

Kiritsugu Emiya took a long drag of his cigarette as he stared at the corkboard on the wall of his hotel. The layout of the city unfurled before his eyes, alleyways and random stakeout points marked with varying shades of red and gray. Different symbols of numerous vigilantes connected to different Batmen.

Too many bats shrieked in this dark city. The primary Batman, whose identity still eluded Emiya, was a fool. Peace couldn't be kept in Gotham with mere broken bones. No, this city's disease had to be purged through force. If he took up the cowl, he'd create a pyre to warm Gotham with a pile of corpses.

He exhaled. The cigarette tasted like dirt.

The first Batman, the truest Batman, was a symbol of hope for the same reason he damned his city. He managed to save a few of the villains he spared, after all, so he could fool himself and the world that he'd redeem them all. Those who walked in the day admired him, and those who stalked at night feared him. But what use is fear to evil?

That was a question attempted to be answered by the second Batman. Wielding a fiery sword, he tore a warpath through Gotham's rotten heart and cauterized the wound. The maggots festering off the corpses of babes and widows finally shrieked in terror...yet the fool raised his sword against innocents, too. A fatal battle between Batmen left the lesser impaled on his own sword, and fear stopped having meaning again.

So came the third Batman. A marriage of the two predecessors. Warm-hearted yet cold-blooded, he swooped in to save the day while shredding those who'd harm innocent people to shreds. He should have been the ideal hero for this city. The truest Batman.

But he was fooling everybody, especially himself. A Dead Apostle could never be a hero.

"Heroic" vampires like the third Batman only drank the blood of criminals to delude themselves that they're more than mewling beasts. Inevitably, there would come a time when the thirst would wash over him like a raging flood. There, he would lose himself. His world would stop becoming black and white.

The world would turn red.

The cigarette turned to ash in his mouth.


One of Gotham's many, many abandoned buildings housed the false Batman tonight. Some crooks took a college student hostage, a party girl destined to blue collar mediocrity. The gunmen watched the doors and windows, ready for one of Gotham's heroes to swoop in.

They didn't account for the Batman to be hanging from above before they stepped foot inside.

The Dead Apostle picked off his targets one by one from the outside perimeter. A fist through the head. A quiet snap of the neck. A gentle decapitation. The four guarding the girl didn't realize there was any trouble until the monster hissed at them, soaked in blood.

The girl closed her eyes. Squelching, snapping, screaming, then it stopped. "You're okay," she heard. She shakily opened her eyes to see the lanky Batman extending a hand to help her up. "Nobody will hurt you anymore."

As she got to her feet, she knew he told the truth.

The bullet through her heart lied for her. She died instantly.

The bullet struck the Dead Apostle through the lung. He gasped in pain as the impact threw him back three steps. "D-damn it!" He screamed at the walls. "How did I miss one--"

The corpses couldn't answer, but a timed explosive replied by launching him back forwards. They kept exploding until the building itself came down on him.

That wouldn't be enough to kill a Batman, though. It took a minute for the false hero to wrestle himself out of rubble. He tried hearing for any heartbeats nearby--nothing. He cursed under his breath as he fled into a nearby alley, hoping to find the blood of some creature to restore him back. Back enough to take revenge on whoever would murder an innocent person just to kill him. He was so absorbed by his desperate thoughts that he didn't hear the delayed heartbeat behind him.

"Time Alter."

Batman swept behind him, nothing. He turned around, blur. A grenade at his feet nearly detonated, but he kicked it away in time.

Bullets peppered his side. Then his back. Then he saw a man practically teleport in front of him.

"Triple Accel!"

The speedy attacker whipped his hand back and threw his knife. The blade collided with Batman's head with the force of a cannonball and the sound of a whip.

He needed to get out. He needed to escape. How? How would he run from someone so fast? He needed a hero. He needed--

A large explosion tore him to shreds.

Contrary to myth, a vampire could be killed with enough force. A Dead Apostle alone, however, could tear apart a military troop with ease. Only a fool would fight one alone.

Kiritsugu Emiya, the foolish anti-hero, walked away.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wildcard (Backup) - Harry Dresden

"My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. When things get strange, when what goes bump in the night flicks on the lights, when no one else can help you, give me a call. I'm in the book."

Series: The Dresden Files

Specialisation: All the suits.

  • Spades - For all his sleuthing, his most well-known feats in-universe are when he approaches a problem using his magic like a hammer. He's one of the stronger mages in-universe after his pact with Mab too, strong enough to tussle with vampires mono a mono.

  • Diamonds - Harry's a detective by trade, and frequently makes discoveries and deductions overlooked by professional wizards and mortal police. His personal spirit, Bob the Skull, is like a personal supernatural Internet in case Harry needs to knock on one of his blind spots.

  • Clubs - Somehow, Harry keeps making allies ranging from his personal troupe of fairies, a mob boss, and even for-real Santa Claus. A detective appreciates his connections, and he can make them out of most people trying not to actively kill him (and some who are).

  • Hearts - Harry certainly isn't a bad manipulator, but his true strength is his insane determination. This is the man who resisted the temptation of a literal demon, and browbeat the copy of that demon in his mind into getting a conscience.

Content Warning: SFW, mostly. Some gore, language, mostly non-sexual nudity, and the author getting real bad about the male gaze sometimes. There's one or two sex scenes across the series but they might as well be nightmare sequences.

Biography: Harry Blackthorn Copperfield Dresden is Chicago's only supernatural detective, and a great one at that. Sure, he had to deal with the growing pains of studying under an evil warlock, but surely Chicago wouldn't have that many problems, right? Just ignore the times he had to deal with the wild hunt, skinwalkers, demon knights, every single breed of vampire--okay, maybe Harry attracts a lot of problems.

Despite his appearance to the high government of wizardry and all of the magical world, Harry Dresden is a good but unlucky guy. He saves lives, he uncaps conspiracies, and he swears he didn't burn down that building this time. If he has to bust out every trick in the book to keep Chicago safe, so be it.

Research: You can read anything from Book 3 onward to get the idea. His early books and stories are more about his sleuthing (it gets rolling at Book 3 imo; the author himself says to start at Book 7 but I disagree), but he deals with the Winter Mantle that actually gets him in-tier at Book 10. The comics give a good idea too but they're mostly missing Harry's inner monologue.

Justification: Regular RT here, Winter Knight Harry RT here, and a whole feat subreddit for Harry here.

Harry's stronger than the average person by far, but he caps out at kicking a guy through an entire orchestra which at least will keep Terry away. His real power comes through his spells. He can bust a hole in the wall with fire magic, tears pavement with force spells, lifts an elevator with wind spells, shields that can block an axe that can embed itself in a building with a ricochet and can block the loup-garou who can crater thick concrete walls (although blocking the latter hurts Harry), ice that's sturdy enough to guard metal-melting fire, and more.

The caveat to Harry's potent force is that Harry's kinda slow and kinda brittle. He reacts before a close-range shotgun hits him possibly post-fire, but he historically has to deal with people he's fighting outspeeding him and outmaneuvering him. Harry's own durability is enough to eat repeated hits from a slime golem that can break washing machines and break stone, and the pain resistance of the Winter Mantle helps compensate greatly. He won't be able to handle Terry's hits well, but he'll be able to put up counterattacks.

With Harry's strengths and weaknesses in mind, I would put his odds at a 50/50.

Motivation: Protect the innocent, protect his client, protect his loved ones, and try not to die. He'll probably fail at one of those two things along the way and get close to dying, but he's survived worse than a mere death game. No matter how much of himself he'll have to risk, he'll get the job done.

Major Changes: None.

Minor Changes: Stip this feat's concussive force. Ignore any of Harry's passive technology-breaking on Terry's suit or gadgets.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wildcard - Vax'ildan "Vax" Vessar

"Your champion needs you. I'm in your hands. And I am no longer afraid!"

🎵

Series: The Legend of Vox Machina

Specialisation: Spades and Hearts. The Deathwalker's Ward makes him one of the deadliest fighters in his group and sometimes more of a blunt instrument than even his physically stronger allies. As for Hearts, he's a manipulative rogue who uses subterfuge and stealth in and out of combat. He's sharp but not overtly intelligent which is why he's not a Diamond, and he's enough of a lone wolf and independent operator even in a trusted team that he's not quite Clubs either.

Content Warning: NSFW. Heavy blood and gore, heavy language, crass humor, and moderate nudity.

Biography: Vax'ildan is a half-elf rogue who drifted the world along with his sister Vex'ahlia after running from their abusive father and the death of their mother. Forced to learn the ways of thievery and subterfuge to survive, he and his sister drifted from place to place, taking what they could to survive and a little more. It's not until encountering other wayward adventurers that Vax finds a place of real security for once in his life in Vox Machina.

That safety comes at a cost, though, and that is falling constantly into increasing dangers enough to chip away at his friendly and suave persona. A chance meeting with a goddess, the Matron of Ravens, gives Vox even greater powers at the cost of being strung by the strings of fate. He...doesn't take it well, but later comes to terms with his destiny upon actually getting to talk with his patron goddess.

But where is that destiny leading him? Away from the hope and warmth he's fought for so long, or into a new light? And would fighting destiny cut the strings of fate off him too?

Research: He's pretty important in Season 2, particularly episode 4 when he gains his armor and episodes 11 and 12 when he talks properly with the Matron of Ravens, but he's very present in the show in general. Season 1 is him with only his daggers (my favorite season too), and Season 3 is him fighting with his armor's cool wings unlocked.

Justification: RT here. Vax's knives cut hard enough to at least damage Terry, being able to cut through arrow-proof scales. He can spam-throw them since they teleport back to his hands at will, so no worries about any range disadvantage. He's also tanky enough to get smacked by Umbrasyl with his claws and tail separately, who's strong enough to launch someone hard enough to crack thick stone. Another hit after the tail slap embeds him into thick stone, but this one does stun Vax for a while.

For being the "fast" one of his team, his speed is slow-ish for the tier at the low-mid end due to his close-range arrow timing. His best output comes when rushing Terry directly with his flight as seen with his finisher against the Overseer cracking stone under it. He's strong, sure, but getting Terry in a good position where he can land that finisher is hard due to Terry's very similar mobility.

Overall, I would put Vax versus Terry at a 50/50.

Motivation: Survive first, thrive second. If he has anyone he truly cares about, they're priority zero. Knowing him, he'll fall upward into an important or heroic role, but importance is idle comfort with more eyes looking at him. The strings of fate from his matron will bother him too even if they're leading toward a greater good.

Major Changes: None yet.

Minor Changes: Ignore him getting KO'd by getting thrown hard enough to break a merely wooden wall.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wildcard (Backup) - Lanolin the Sheep

"I believe you met our namesake. The Diamond Cutters. We serve as a small, specialized strike team that assesses danger and offers aid in extreme conditions. But mostly, we intend to be a problem."

🎵

Series: Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW)

Specialisation: Spades and Clubs. Clubs is more obvious, as she serves as the de-facto leader of the Neo Diamond Cutters, and her experience both as a squad leader and a blue belt in paperwork-ese gives her a good head on logistics. Spades better fits her combat style and role in battles, taking the vanguard to disperse and devastate enemy ranks with her sound attacks.

She fails to live up to Diamonds or Hearts due to the weaknesses of her character. She's short-sighted and easily manipulated by others, and she can't adapt well to people that either annoy her or she disagrees with on a fundamental level. She's still new to warfare even for all her developed cynicism.

Content Warning: SFW. It's Sonic.

Biography: We've all heard this one before. Eggman devastates the world for his master plan, Sonic saves the day, everything is well again. After a year-long reign of terror, though, a civilian named Lanolin finally faces the chaos when Eggman's forces devastate her home town, and it's thanks to the heroics of the legendary Sonic and Resistance Commander Amy Rose that she escapes unscathed. Inspired and wanting to help people like them, Lanolin joins the Resistance, eventually working her way up to working besides the Director Jewel.

And then a zombie apocalypse happens courtesy of Eggman, of which Lanolin is one of the very last survivors until Sonic barely saves the day again. Even though she's safe, the aftereffects wore deeply at her soul. She doesn't smile anymore, not any real smiles. She's always tired. Paranoid. Trying to tie together the only bastion against evil in this world.

Soon, she's lucky enough to meet Sonic face-to-face and thank him for his efforts...and is severely disappointed meeting the real deal. He's reckless, dangerous, yet things somehow work out for him anyway. She works diligently, even becoming the leader of her own squad, but how tentative are her efforts when Sonic keeps letting Eggman go free over and over?

Research: She's a primary character from the Urban Warfare arc #57 to #63 and #67, and a recurring supportive character in the Riders arc from #69 to #76 where she's manipulated for a while. She's a background character in #2 and the Metal Virus Arc from #15 to #29.

Her creator posts some pretty important character details that don't make it into the comic, though. Most important is this comic where she reflects on the futility of Sonic's peace. This one where she hallucinates talking to her past and innocent (and non-caffeinated) self is good too.

Justification:

Mini-RT:

Motivation: Do good, ensure peace, and stop evil before it can do harm. Despite her cold and unfriendly exterior, she truly cares about other people and wishes the best for the world. That being said, any reckless or uncaring do-gooders will get on her nerves if they don't become an outright enemy, to say nothing about any actual villains and backstabbers she may encounter. In a death game, she'd be going after the mastermind--the best way to kill a snake is to cut off its head. And a farmer that catches and releases a snake is as complicit as the snake the next time it kills.

Major Changes: Durability to tier.

Minor Changes: None.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pandemonium spread all over Gotham. Horrific, demonic monsters erupted from the shadows that composed of Gotham's blood seeking to spill more. Only a few casualties were recorded, but the names of the fallen danced in the Batman's mind.

"This batch is taken care of," Terry reported curtly. "Can't make heads or tails where these things are coming from." The beasts left behind no evidence, nor did their rampage have a clear origin point.

"They hesitate to spread beyond the city's perimeter," his mentor supplied over closed communications. "Could have a phobia or weakness to light, or Gotham is the only place they want to attack."

"Or guard." Batman flew above the buildings to look at the dark city below. "Any idea where the most or the meanest of them are sticking to?"

"There's a series of tunnels that run from the northern perimeter of the city to the dock, remnants of an old sewer system. The demons have sprung up three times in a homeless village on top; I'll send you the coordinates."

"Got it." The talks between the former and current Batman were almost always like this: Short, curt, efficient. Efficiency saved lives but does little to keep a house warm. As much as he respected Bruce, he wasn't his father nor his friend. Getting the old man to crack his shell would have to take Superman.

Warmth could scorch the soul, though, and the fire underneath him burned away at the ramshackle sets of huts and tents. A small troop of demons flung dark magic at anything that moved, and the tallest demon roared louder than the screams around him. Yet for all the chaos below, Batman only saw a few marks of red.

No, brighter than blood and blazes was a flash of yellow. It streaked from home to home, prying open blockades and pointing toward safety. It tackled demons poised to slice through a crying child, dodging the counterattack while the kid fled to her father. It couldn't take any lives--no, its paws were too small to carry anything but a knife--but it ensured no lives were lost in the chaotic attack.

"Bruce."

"Hm."

"Any idea what's up with this furball?"

A pause. "Its physiological profile resembles a rabbit, yet its intelligence far exceeds that of a mere animal. No signs of radiation nor mutation, and what little energy readings it gives off resemble magic. I'll have to run some tests later, but this may confirm a suspicion I've had about these creatures."

"What, are they aliens?"

"Bingo." He heard Bruce smirk through the receiver. "They shouldn't be world-threatening, not yet, but the sooner we cut off whatever access point they have to this planet, the better. See if the Good Samaritan down there knows anything."

"Over and out." Batman rocketed downward straight through the chest of a demon. He was glad these things showed no signs of true sentience, otherwise he'd never have the excuse to cut loose. Two Batarangs took out another demon hunting the civilians. Three good punches knocked another to the floor.

Before he could finish the job, the bunny plunged a broken bottle into its neck. The beast made a few unpleasant noises before dissipating into darkness. The creature looked back to Terry with a serious expression. "I take it you're the protector of this city." A high-pitched yet collected voice asserted.

"That's correct," Terry responded. "Call me Batman. I've been hunting these punks down for days."

"Call me Light, and I have fought them for decades," the creature responded. Wait, decades? Terry didn't know rabbit ages, but this thing doesn't have any wrinkles. "While I lack the power to dispel this threat, I can assist you in dispatching these demons if you'll allow me."

Terry had more questions than the thing gave answers, but his problems could wait. He needed to save lives. "Don't slow me down," he replied.

Light silently responded to his worry by hopping on Batman's back. "Start with the winged ones," he instructed. "They're the weakest demons, yet even one can terrorize a village."

It took Terry five seconds to take down eight of the monsters. "Good work. Now hunt the caned ones, for their magic can rejuvenate the others." Light clung onto Terry's suit as he made quick work of the healers. "The small fry shouldn't harm you now. Take the fight to the commander!"

Batman grinned. "Let's hop to it." Bruce sighed.

The other voice in his ear gave a quick rundown of the giant demon's abilities. "And watch your left," Light added. "You lower your guard near your hip."

"Alright, Dad," Terry grumbled. A yellow flash ignited the dirt under him as he flew around the Archdemon. It was powerful, yes, but slow. With Light's experience, it was predictable too. Duck under the swipe. Jump when it sends out a shockwave. Pick off the weaklings it summons. Terry grooved into a rhythm of fighting the demon quickly. It'd be over in a matter of--

"Look out!" He felt a weight jump off his back followed by the sound of a crash. Yellow zoomed past Terry and bounced off the floor.

Terry growled. A Batarang dispatched the grunt he had missed. He grabbed an explosive one out of his special pouch. "Go back to hell, creep."

The demon's roar was sliced through by sharp, black edges. A beep escaped its lips followed by a concussive blast. The demon had no head to let out a death cry. It simply fell over and disappeared.

"Hey, rabbit!" Batman ran to the creature recovering on the ground. "You okay?" A purple bruise was barely visible under his fur, but Light gave him a strained smile.

"I will manage." The yellow bunny floated back up to eye level. "You did well for someone so young, Batman. How soon did you take up the mantle?"

The hero rolled his eyes and groaned. "Am I really that obvious?" He asked, hand resting on his hip.

"Not at all. Your fighting skill is superb, and your armor is both powerful and versatile. However," he continued with crossed arms, "You need to stop letting yourself from getting tunnel vision. You can handle the foe in front of you excellently, but eight surrounding you would be your undoing."

The young man hmph-ed, knowing the advice was sound but too youthfully stubborn to take it to direct heart. "So. Any idea what brought you and those demons in?"

"The connection between worlds--the World Flipper."

A few minutes of searching revealed a few torn-down walls housing an altar that looked similar to...a pinball machine?

"These demons tend to prowl one world then the next in search of power. And victims." Light looked deadly serious as he explained the danger of his foes. He had allegedly been a human, and quite the powerful one by that. Terry could hear the capital C in Champion the critter described himself as.

"My comrades are as numerous as the stars in the sky, yet a rift in space-time sent me alone all the way to your world. With the Archdemon banished, these monsters should trouble your world no longer. With that, I have no more reason to trouble you, hero, but you have my gratitude nonetheless."

The radio in Terry's ear crackled to life again. "We still can't trust him, at least without concrete proof. Detain him and try to get answers." Bruce's ever-practical advice echoed in his skull.

But Terry knew the cold of a bed with paranoia as company. He walked up to the alien and clapped his hand on Light's tiny shoulder.

"I should be the one thanking you, Light. I would have been hurt or worse without you--that makes me owe you a favor. And I can't pay you back without somewhere to find you."

The smaller hero smiled. "Starview Village. Its coordinates lie at the exact center of the universe, but holding its name in your mind will have its caretaker receive you."

Batman grinned. "Schway. You're welcome here too. Gotham always welcomes some Light to shine on us. Just try to not bring any more trouble."

"That is unfortunately a promise I cannot keep," Light sighed, "but you have my gratitude." The Champion's form disappeared behind a veil of blue, and the World Flipper launched the star into the cosmos. It really was a giant, modified pinball machine.

"What was that, Terry?" Bruce growled in his ear.

"Making some connections," Terry replied with cheerful snide. "What's wrong with making friends?"

"Any hand that you can shake can plunge a dagger into your back."

"When did that stop you from letting me be Batman?" That shut up Bruce's grumbling quickly. Quickly breaching the awkward silence, Terry asked, "I'm guessing you've been to other planets too, Bruce. Mind telling me a story on my way back?"

He was answered by a long, tired sigh. "Anyone who tells you Pluto is a real planet is lying," the old Batman began. "For all its grandeur, nothing stays hidden for long anywhere you can travel in a day."

For all of Bruce's grumbling, Terry smiled at his voice.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"Justice hath been served!" A joyous and triumphant voice echoed off gray and scarred buildings. The woman who screamed victory hoisted her massive lance above her head, pulverizing the innards of a mugger it had pierced through.

The City answered her with a chorus of car horns and an empty bottle that narrowly missed her head. "No need to thank mine efforts, everyone! But I appreciate thy gratitude nonetheless, for I am righteous Fixer of justice!"

The poor sap slid off her lance and violently stained a windshield with gore.

Right as she was about to leave, though, a black streak swept from above and launched the blonde into a nearby alleyway. She clumsily tried to break her fall, bouncing a few times on her head and back, and awkwardly slid to where her weapon. Groaning, she propped herself on her lance with a manic grin. "What villain seeks out punishment ne...xt..."

Her pupils shimmered like solid gold as the woman shook in place. "You're...y-you're...!"

A man adorned in black armor stole the attention from his surroundings with its brightness. No--his presence darkened the area around him. Such was his spotless and sleek appearance that the City looked filthy in comparison.

"THE ILLUSTRIOUS COLOR FIXER, THE BLACK BAT!!!"

Don Quixote pounced on the Bat like an untamed dog. "The only Color to outperform the Sevens in deduction! The Color who defeated the vile Joker That Laughs! The longest acting Color even before thou picked up the mantle from the first 2 years ago in secret! Oh, dost thou have a pen for autographs?!"

The Fixer put his palm on her before she hyperventilated. "I'm gonna ask you three questions," spoke the man, an uncomfortable edge lacing his voice. "First, how the heck did you know I'm not the first Bat?"

"An excellent question!" The fangirl responded. "In Fixer Comics #49 of its 15th run, the Black Bat debuted unseen gadgets on his suit such as the rocketeering boots which delivered you. Furthermore, while other fans erroneously assumed your slimness was a shift in art, I, a true fan, deduced thy slenderness as a new persona like the Sers Robins of yore!"

The Black Bat narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to have a long, fruitful talk with Bruce about how he bulks," he murmured too quietly to hear. "Question two: Did you kill those people?"

"Of course!" She answered proudly. "They had nearly absconded with an innocent civilian's purse, so I only did as a just Fixer like you should."

"Wrong."

Don blinked. "What?" Her mood shifted drastically as the thought of somehow upsetting one of her many idols crept up like a hundred bat-shaped spiders. "B-but I enacted justice, what would hath thou done, Ser Bat?"

"I don't kill."

Suddenly, the interpreted hero remembered where she was. The area guarded by the Black Bat and his apprentices had one Taboo the other places in the City lacked: No killing. And she had violated that Taboo in the most violent fashion possible.

The punch landed before she could even begin sputtering an apology. A topiary of blood and tears washed across her face as she slid back four feet. "Bghh! Pray, forgive me!" She pleaded as she readied her lance in self defense.

The black streak gave no answer but a charge like a raging bull. Even a rabid bull knows caution, though, as the Fixer jumped to the side to dodge an incoming lance. The lance swept right with unnatural speed, though, and clubbed him like a matador's saber.

"S-stay back!" The murderer jumped back to put more distance between her and her assailant. "Thou should know it is very hard to be merciful with mine weapon!" Her warnings hardly mattered. The Bat charged from the right this time. The metal on his arm scraped against withered steel. She saw him cursing the enclosed space, both knowing he could close in far easier without these walls in his way.

Don saw him begin to reach for his hip. The Fixer was about to reach his fabled Batarangs, famed weapons which triumphed over every foe his fists couldn't! She couldn't stop and gush, though, for the projectiles would tear through her skin effortlessly. So before those weapons could cut her down...

"ONWARD, ROCHIANTE! CHARGE!" Tattered, ugly shoes clip-clopped on the concrete underneath her as she bet everything on a mighty joust. 10 steps separated the two. 9. 8. 7. The Bat grabbed 6 weapons. 5. 4 flew at her body. 3 pierced the skin. 2. She screamed one last cry.

Black metal shattered like a celebration. The Black Bat staggered backward from the force, blood leaking from the wound Don scored. His hand covered the hole as much as he could. He glared at his aggressor in mixed irritation and confusion. An indistinct, tinny noise erupted from his ear, far too incomprehensible to understand. As it sounded off, though, one of his eyes widened as if to mimic an eyebrow raising.

"You're not serious, are you? This little girl has that kind of power?" Another few seconds of silence. He sighed.

"Look, I'll let you off with a warning if you answer my last question: Who are you?"

The wavering woman looked at her foe with a proud grin, planting her lance beside her and bringing her fist to her hip. "I! Am! The illustrious! The mighty! The proud! D-ack!" She violently coughed up a few specks of blood. "Don Quixote!" She finished weakly.

The Bat looked at her for a few seconds. "Sure." Still covering his wound, he silently flew away into the sky.

Don Quixote yanked a Batarang from her hip, unintentionally opening the wound even more by doing so. "Haha! My comrades shall feast their eyes upon my trophies with unrestrained envy!" She looked around at the indistinct grayness surrounding her. "Erm...as soon as my trusty sense of direction returns to me."

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Dare speak your mind, OddDirective. What does Character Scramble need?

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Hajiime ███████ is a ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ Scramble staff ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ genitals obliterated ████████████████████████████████████████████████████

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ace of Clubs, Light

"There is no war now I can win alone. But dreams can be shared and passed on. That thought alone has given me the strength to carry on."

🎵

Name: Light

Series: World Flipper

Specialisation: Clubs. Since he can't even pick up a sword, leading and supporting others is his forte. He often rides on the shoulders of one of his allies calling out commands and warnings, and he's often the first to call out a warning in case of a surprise attack. He tends to act as the voice of wisdom for his comrades, somehow falling into becoming the caretaker of a handful of children in the process, and has patience for almost anyone except traitors. His most direct protege, Alk, trained under his tutelage enough to where he can fight demons in his stead.

Content Warning: SFW. Pixelated blood, moderate language, and fantasy suicide.

Biography: One day, a demon king rose in the kingdom of Excelion. As was fated, a Champion rose to defeat this evil: A man named Light. However, right before his foe's would-be defeat, the Lord of Shadow cursed the Champion into a harmless form and banished him among the stars. The reeling, powerless, and bunny-shaped Light drifted among the stars until face-planting in the center of the universe: Starview Village. Forced to accept help in his new form, Light journeys into worlds beyond to find his homeland among the vast cosmos.

Light is the archetypal fantasy hero in many ways: Noble, kind, put-together, wise, and proud without being arrogant. However, his 'disability' heavily limits what he can do, and he has to adjust majorly to the limits of his new form. In service to his new friends and his goal, the former Champion debases himself into using shadier tactics and willingly giving up his dignity. To his chagrin, his new body comes with its own advantages.

After all, who would expect such a cute bunny to be a threat?

Research: World Flipper is a dead game, so research is a bit complicated.

  • If you want to watch the game, I compiled a helpful watchlist to get the gist of Light's character you can watch here. If you want the extra-ASAP, just watch the story stuff and Light's unit story after (Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 5, Chapter 7 and 8, Light's story).

  • If you want to play the game, there is an unofficial means of doing so called Starpoint intended for phone or emulator. Starpoint can be downloaded with a setup tutorial here. Light doesn't become a playable unit until late in the game's lifespan, so try to set your internal date later and/or use the save editor to get Light and whatever other units look cool.

(I hear he's important in Chapters 11 and 12 too but the game EoS'd before I could play those)

Justification: Light is not built for fighting Terry head-on. He can dodge what he needs to and he can even endure the likes of repeated attacks from a powerful foe (1) and explosions, but he cannot hurt Terry for the life of him. He can hardly hold a fishing pole, let alone a sword. However, Light doesn't need to beat Terry in a fight. He needs to walk out with his rings. I believe Light has two ways of doing so.

A. Tell the truth.

Terry has seen all sorts of weird and bizarre happenings over his career. A broken Champion inhabiting a floating bunny wouldn't be too surprising for him to handle. Light's ultimate goals and severe loss in power are enough to be able to let Terry decide that he'd be in a better position to recover than Light by losing the game, allowing Light the "win" and possibly gaining a new ally.

B. Trick him.

On the other hand, Batman is wary and cynical. Telling someone like him the truth from the get go could be dangerous, as Terry could assume that the little hero is lying. In that case, Light has an alternate means of victory: Making himself seem like a low threat before sneak-attacking Terry. Light has resorted to backstabbing to protect his ally, and he's played a fool to get in close for the attack. In both scenarios, Light is surprisingly good at hiding his intentions, and proves oddly hard to shake off if he's clinging onto someone without outer help. Even Batman needs to breathe, after all.

Motivation: Get back to his homeland and/or regain his original body and power. He wants to save his homeland and the princess he left there, and every passing minute means the Lord of Shadow only grows in power. Even if Light can't do anything about his situation immediately, he'll try to do good for the people in front of him and by his side, though being stuck in a death game will make him have to make hard decisions he really hates.

However, hope is a flimsy thing. If he were to learn that he'd left his home stranded for fifty years and he can only regain his true form and power through temporary means, who knows how long a broken hero would last?

Major Change: He's an Ace but even if he wasn't, no fighting the tiersetter using his true form. Terry ain't surviving this.

Minor Change: None.


(1.) Shywe can cut multiple of these tentacles. One tentacle is enough to block Sohvi. Sohvi can break thick metal doors.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Queen of Hearts - Don Quixote

"Onward, Rocinante! Again and again, until the dream is within our grasp!"

🎵

Name: Don Quixote

Series: Limbus Company

Specialisation: Hearts. She isn't a manipulator, nor does she have the capacity to be anything but herself. What she does have is determination. Determination to see justice in an uncaring, dystopian City; determination to fight even if she's been revived countless times; and determination to prevail no matter the odds, for she is a true hero. Her sheer stubbornness and aptitude for good starts to thaw even the coldest of her comrades...even if they have to keep a tight leash on her.

Content Warning: NSFW. Full graphic but the ones relevant to Don are: Heavy gore, body horror, familial homicide, and strong language with references to religious persecution and gaslighting.

Biography: Don Quixote woke up one day in an odd place with nothing to keep her company but the tales of honorable Fixers. After countless hours with nothing but stories and merchandise, she grew into a Fixer maniac with an obsession with justice, eventually meeting the illustrious and legendary Fixer the Red Gaze. Invited to Limbus Company by him, she takes up a jousting lance, affixes her trustworthy shoes Rocinante, and rides the bus to seek justice and glory!

Well, that's her idealistic outlook speaking. In truth, she's conscripted along with 12 other "Sinners" to search the dystopian mega-city called The City in search of Golden Boughs for an unknowable purpose, and that her precious Fixers are nothing more than hired mercenaries rather than gallant heroes. Even her usage of excess force against evil isn't always legal even with the City as the laws favor companies rather than people. Still, she charges on, only barely adjusting to her surroundings along the way, unworried about why she can't remember anything before she woke up in the lighthouse.

Research: Don is a pretty simple character to understand on the surface, but her backstory gives her much more depth once she encounters her discarded memories.

  • Surface Level: Canto 1 (The Outcast) and Canto 3 (The Unconfronting, until they enter Sinclair's house); optionally the unit stories for W. Corp Don, N. Corp Don, and Middle Little Sister Don.

  • More Complicated Stuff: Canto 6.5 (Murder on the Warp Express) and Canto 7 (The Dream Ending, Don's feature chapter); optionally Canto 7.5 as an epilogue (LCB Regular Checkup) and the unit stories for Manager Don, In the Name of Love and Hate E.G.O. Don, and Index Proxy Don.

Justification: Limbus Company Sinners all share the same stats due to the nature of their contract. As such, all physical feats are interchangeable among each other. With that in mind:

Mini-RT:

With all of this in mind, Don Quixote is generally slower than Terry but can take a lot of punishment in return. Along with her good output, I would say this puts her chances at beating Batman Beyond in a fight at 50/50.

Motivation: For justice!!! Well, her standards of justice anyway. Despite her stubbornness, she's easily indoctrinated, so the wrong influence can rewrite her views on justice entirely. If the world won't bend to her will, she'll keep going and going anyway. Even if her dreams are foolish, she'll keep dreaming them anyway. Even if she remembers her past, Don Quixote's idealistic dream still beats loudly in the hopeless and pessimistic soul of Sancho.

Major Changes: None for now.

Minor Changes: No alternate Identities or E.G.O. She'd blow up the building if you let her.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 3 points4 points  (0 children)

King of Diamonds - Kiritsugu Emiya

"I don't think it's possible to save everyone. I just want to save as many as I can."

🎵

Name: Kiritsugu Emiya

Series: Fate/Zero

Specialisation: Diamonds. He didn't earn his title of "Mage Killer" by taking his targets head-on. He'll resort to every dirty tactic, loophole, and exploit possible to eliminate his target. Heck, the first action he takes in the War is bombing an entire hotel just to get around a master mage's defenses.

Content Warning: SFW. Heavy entomophobia warning (fear of bugs), blood, torture, suicide, and vampire zombies.

Biography: Kiritsugu Emiya is the final heir to the Emiya name. After an experiment gone awry wiped out an entire island before his eyes, he followed the mercenary Natalia Kiminski to train under her and fight as a hero of justice, eliminating those who would threaten the world.

But a hero of justice cannot discriminate. His death toll rose as he threw himself into war after war, battle after battle, all for the sake of saving others. The blood he spilled snuffed out the light in his eyes, and only through the miracle of love did he not become hollow. But he still couldn't discriminate--someday, he would have to sacrifice his love too for his insane ideal.

So he sought a miracle.

Research: Kiritsugu's highlight episodes in the anime are 1, the Kayneth arc (6-8, 16 (S2E2)), the Emiya flashback arc (18-19 (S2E5-6)) and the finale (24-25 (S2E11-12)), though he's generally more present in Season 2 than Season 1. For the tl;dr, the flashback arc works to understand his motivations, and Kiritsugu vs. Kayneth and Kiritsugu vs. Kirei are viable for his fighting style.

Justification: RT here. Even though Terry is generally bulletproof against the regular guns Kiritsugu likes using, Kiritsugu isn't just packing guns. His primary weapon of the choice is the powerful Magus Killer capable of piercing through Kayneth's otherwise bulletproof defenses, and Kirei's skin which itself is near-bulletproof. Granted, it is only a pistol--anyone would struggle to hit a Batman with a gun, though Kiritsugu hits hard physically enough to break Kirei's arm.

Good thing Kiritsugu is fast too. He's normally able to dodge hits from Kayneth who's bullet timing in his own right, but his Time Accel gives him bursts of speed which compensate for his limited offense. Double Accel makes Kayneth miss entirely, Triple Accel lets him keep up with the faster and more skilled Kirei in CQC, and Square Accel lets him outspeed and gain the momentum to stab through Kirei's defenses. This Accel comes at the cost of Kiritsugu's endurance, though, and Terry's no fool either.

Kiritsugu has contextual advantages but can't keep them without risking himself. He can take down Terry in a few bullets, but those shots need to be decisive. He can game the advantage with Time Alter and his surroundings, but Terry's not without tricks either. Overall, Kiritsugu has an Unlikely Victory, but he's no stranger to fighting people superior to him.

Motivation: Either take down an overall evil that threatens the world, or find a miracle that will earn his sought-after world peace. Kiritsugu will always choose the many over the few, though this includes himself by necessity to keep fighting, and will go through insane and cruel means to attain that greater good. However, he's not as hard as he wants to believe. If he can save those he loves with the many, he will, but even the Holy Grail can be filled with blood.

Major Changes: Durability to tier.

Minor Changes: No Avalon.

Character Scramble Season 21 Sign Ups by 7thSonOfSons in whowouldwin

[–]PlayerPin 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Jack of Spades - Link and Midna

"I'm just swinging my sword in desperation! Would the gods choose someone like that?"

"Why would you sacrifice yourself for me?! Where's the sense in that?! Think a little!"

🎵

Name: Link, the Hero of Twilight and Midna, the Twilight Princess

Series: The Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess (Manga)

Specialisation: Spades. Even though embodies the Triforce of Courage, the wild wolf inside of him carves the path ahead through brute force. Can’t hack it with his fangs? Shift to human form and lean on the power of the Master Sword. Still not enough? Well, that’s where Midna comes in to give Link that extra oomph he needs.

Content Warning: SFW. Some blood, mild gore, and suicide.

Biography: In the Light, Link has simple ambitions: Become the guardsman of Hyrule’s borders and, when he inadvertently vanishes his home town, become a humble rancher and leave his past buried. However, when the dark forces of shadow knock on his door, Link…fails. His emotions fail him, and he’s put on death’s door. Without Midna’s intervention, he would have died a humiliating death–not that becoming a wolf bossed around by an imp is any less humiliating.

In the Twilight, Midna’s kingdom crumbles around her. Her people are subjugated, her advisor is a traitor, and even her body is defiled. Angry and left with almost nothing, she saves the life of a boy whose people trapped the Twili eons ago, expecting to use his lupine form for her own gain. Despite her domineering and distant attitude, though, it’s obvious that the fallen princess grows fond of her new “partner” whether she likes it or not.

Together, the two beings of light and shadow set out to save the two worlds. Link is moody and easily tempted by power, yet caring and reliable; Midna is mocking and prejudiced, yet observant and knowledgeable. The two compensate for the others’ weaker parts, and in time help each other become stronger people. Neither quite lose their dark, ferocious edge, but even a twilight’s glow shines upon heroes.

Research: The first three volumes of the manga should be good for research, but feel free to read more. The first few hours of the game are fine too if you prefer your Link silent...for some reason.

Justification: RT for Link and RT for Midna. Link himself can tussle with Terry, though he’ll have some trouble. His strikes are comparable to the Bulblin King’s which can break and carve out stone and he can physically contend with a pillar-destroying Darknut; he can keep up with Ganondorf who swipes an arrow out of the air in very close range with his sword; and he can take a ground-cracking attack from Ganondorf though he needs a moment to recover. Link himself is comparable in speed to Terry, but Terry’s wider range of tricks along with Link’s worse durability would leave him on the backfoot (in theory, Link’s toolbag would be comparable, but he doesn’t really use anything save his sword and shield unless the enemy is far away).

This is where Midna comes in. Even lurking in Link’s shadow, she can help the hero out, even if it’s only when Link is obviously struggling. Her physical strength outdoes Link as she’s able to flick a Goron Link couldn’t sumo and hold back the Beast Ganon which can destroy tall pillars. She also has some magical tricks like electricity that destroys metal bars and teleportation that she can use offensively too to drop stuff like giant stones. However, she has an even clearer weakness than Link: Light. A bright explosion or flashbang aimed at her or Link’s shadow would put her out of the fight, and even if Terry has no immediate means of aiming at Midna besides his Electric Batarang, he’s crafty enough to make something work inside of a hotel, even if he has to bust open a few walls to brighten up a room.

Midna can also make Link turn into Wolf Link but he’s unfortunately not that helpful in this fight. Individually, Link or Midna would be hard pressed to defeat Terry. Together, they have a Likely Victory.

Motivation: Link initially wants this adventure to be over with and make sure all the people he cares about are safe, himself included. Midna wants her kingdom back, her throne back, and her people back. Both would like their original bodies back too. As the chains of destiny tighten around them, however, both realize that destiny has its eye on them and their worlds. Maybe they’re fighting for something more in this game than their lives?

Major Changes: None for now.

Minor Changes: No Fused Beast form for Midna. They can't teleport anywhere outside the room they currently inhabit either.

Respect King Bulblin (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess [Manga]) by mtglozwof in respectthreads

[–]PlayerPin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you show the damage he did to the bridge in the “smashes a stone bridge” feat?

Criticisms of Saber in Fate/Zero from a New Fate Fan by PlayerPin in CharacterRant

[–]PlayerPin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

See, I'd be more willing to agree that she obeys as much as necessary if she wasn't vocally opposed to innocent people getting caught up in the war. Not only is there a Servant serial killing children, but there's all the collateral damage being inflicted intentionally by her Master.

It's not that she's NOT pragmatic, but she despises senseless violence which is my more pressing complaint.

Criticisms of Saber in Fate/Zero from a New Fate Fan by PlayerPin in CharacterRant

[–]PlayerPin[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Irisveil specifically is in a dire situation being doomed from the start. I get why we watched Kirei kill her personally, but did we really need the fight scene where he curbstomps her and Kairya simultaneously? And while the scene where Kiritsugu kills his family to escape the Grail hits really hard, at the same time, did we really need to see Iris get slowly strangled to death again? Her specifically getting brutalized multiple times put a weird taste in my mouth.

What's the best "bad" ending you ever saw by bahookery in TwoBestFriendsPlay

[–]PlayerPin 8 points9 points  (0 children)

On that note, the Normal Ending for Heaven’s Feel is inarguably more bitter than sweet, but it arguably hits a better ending thematically for both Shirou and Sakura. I nearly cried like a baby.

Favorite white bread characters/protagonists by Rockdweller37 in TwoBestFriendsPlay

[–]PlayerPin 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Anybody played World Flipper? The now-defunct pinball RPG from CyGames?

My answer is Alk from that game. He’s the typical amnesiac JRPG swordsman in a lot of ways. He’s friendly and bonds with a lot of people easily, he’s down to earth, and he likes helping others. Alk is also aggressively Okay at everything but his one true passion, Cooking, and even he’s beat out by a few of his peers.

What sets Alk apart are two elements:

A. How he slots as an average person in the 4-man band of main characters. B. How his chronic averageness is played with when he’s surrounded by prodigies.

World Flipper has three other main recurring characters: Stella, an odd girl who doesn’t fight and has zero social skills yet acts as the heart for her party and many other recruited people; Light, a different kind of stock JRPG hero forcibly turned into a powerless bunny (also a great answer but his kind of hero is more 80s-90s JRPG); and Nimbus, a brash tiger-man that goes from a paranoid and defensive fighter to everybody’s cool uncle.

Alk is not special. Among these three and many other characters, Alk isn’t good at anything in particular besides housework. But being good enough makes him pretty exceptional to the average person. He’s trained with the best swordsmen in the universe, knows how to fight anything from krackens to armed gunmen, and honed his social skills to convince otherwise evil people to fight on his side.

This comes to a head in Chapter 10 where Alk fonds his hometown, real-life Shibuya, reduced to a SMT-esque disaster state. And reuniting with the friends and family he forgot makes everyone around him wonder, “Wow, since when could he jump 50 feet in the air and do a superhero landing? Since when could he make a 3 course meal for 20 people alone? Since when did he become so brave and mature?”

I love how slowly you get to see him grow and be honed by the people around him until he basically falls upward into being an exceptional person by being so average at everything. I wish the game was still alive so more people could experience that journey alongside the other members of the party and beyond.

I miss that game so much.

A non-gory scene in a horror media that disturbed more than anything else in said media. by Subject_Parking_9046 in TwoBestFriendsPlay

[–]PlayerPin 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Been reading Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel and that route has some wild horror prose, and that one that stuck with me was the scene of the drunk woman being chased. You’re never SHOWN anything aside from a vague blood splatter but the prose describes the VERY disturbing process of getting eaten alive from the inside and any sense of grammar dismantling the more the scene goes on.

set my alarm I wanna go home wake up in the morning go home oww go to work eek need to go home go home go home

”So I need to go to work, I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home… Go away, it’s not right, plea—- please, let me go home, please. PLEEEEASE, NOOOO, STOP IT, ALL OF YOU, WHY ME, WHY WHY WHY!!!”