Two will enter, one will leave: The Thunderdome Thunderdome

[Torzelbaum]

Good boy that is happy (Missile) versus good boy that claims to be happy but that's kind of hard to believe (Droopy):
I think Missile is just way too nice and friendly to make Droopy angry. And Droopy also isn't one to start fights either.

Droopy can be pretty determined when he's trying to achieve something but I don't think that would be the case here. (Is there some kind of prize for the winner of this tournament or what?)

I feel like Droopy tries to be sensible and reasonable so maybe he'll try to get Missile to agree to a coin toss to decide the match. Will Missile think it's a game and try to fetch the coin in mid-air? Will Missile understand what's going on and use his power(s) on the coin to ensure a win? I'm really asking here since I'm not familiar with the character.

 

[Torzelbaum]

concerning the contest containing canines of conflict:
I feel like Caesar's greater tactical knowledge will allow him to develop a strategy to beat the powerful but predictable patterns of Sif.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

I don't know Caeser's strength but I agree with Torzelbaum the Missile/Droopy is a mismatch simply because motivating them to face off seems really really tough. I'm going to give it to Missile because he will lick Droopy's hand, creating the faintest echo of a smile on the dog and that's the greatest victory of all.

 

[Mogri]

I feel like Droopy tries to be sensible and reasonable so maybe he'll try to get Missile to agree to a coin toss to decide the match. Will Missile think it's a game and try to fetch the coin in mid-air? Will Missile understand what's going on and use his power(s) on the coin to ensure a win? I'm really asking here since I'm not familiar with the character.

My understanding of the nomination is that it's just Missile the dog, who has no powers. @JBear can tell us for sure.

 

[Daikaiju]

My understanding of the nomination is that it's just Missile the dog, who has no powers. @JBear can tell us for sure.

Yeah we need to know which version of Missle we're dealing with. It affects the outcome geatly.

Also Caesar can command armies but one on one, he's a chew toy for Sif.

 

[Mogri]

Ghost Trick spoilers inbound, maybe? If you haven't played Ghost Trick, go play Ghost Trick. It's an amazing game.

 

[JBear]

lol, I have zero memory of nominating anything. I don't read or participate in these, typically?

Anyway, I'm not willing to spoil Ghost Trick for the sake of this other than speaking in broad strokes, but the presence or absence of powers is beside the point. Missile is the goodest boy, going above and beyond, escaping the bounds of time and space to be the bestest boy who is, was, or ever will be. He made me cry at just how *good a boy* he is.

And yes, everyone should play Ghost Trick. It is readily available these days, and it's not even that long.

ETA: Er, wait, is the idea that this is a fight? Okay, in that case, I'd actually say this isn't that major of a spoiler compared to the big stuff. Missile's powerset is as follows:

Spoiler: Best Powers

-Can speak to the dead.
-Incredibly cute.
-Has been killed several times but keeps coming back better than ever.
-As a ghost, can possess physical objects over long distances.
-Can time travel to 4 minutes before a person's death.
-Can swap any two objects so long as they are of a similar shape, completely ignoring weight, size, etc.

 

[JBear]

Will Missile think it's a game and try to fetch the coin in mid-air? Will Missile understand what's going on and use his power(s) on the coin to ensure a win? I'm really asking here since I'm not familiar with the character.

This is a little murkier, because *waves hands* something something time travel means there's a multiverse of Missiles to consider and some might be smarter than others. I would say that, broadly speaking, you should consider Missile to be a dog with dog-like intelligence. He'll go above and beyond to save someone he cares about, but he'll also get distracted and chase something moving, and I would appreciate it if folks that know more keep that to themselves, because, again, I'd prefer not to spoil Ghost Trick here.

 

[Torzelbaum]

So based on what everyone else has said I don't think Missile will try to affect the outcome of the coin toss. So I'm going to have Heads for Droopy and Tails for Missile.

So according to random.org the winner is...

Missile

 

[Johnny Unusual]

I guess I'll go with Sif in the first match up? I don't know much about either but unless Caesar has skills I'm not aware of, and he well may, Sif seems to be, like, a big dog.

 

[RT-55J]

I don't feel like Caesar alone would have anything to counter Sif's big size. Sorry, good boy.

As for the second match, it's a toughie.

Like, I absolutely cannot imagine Missile doing anything that would incite Droopy to violence, which I guess would lead to a time out for Round 1. Maybe after a few more timeouts the referee would get mad that no violence was happening, get on the playing field, and start shouting at the dogs. This would make Droopy mad (nobody yells at Missile), so he would do something slapstick like drag a hole underneath the ref or just hit him with a hammer. After careful consideration and thorough examination of the rulebook, the judges would rule in Droopy's favor because he got 1000 points from bonking the ref, leading to a narrow (and rare) score-based victory (before you ask, only violence increases the score).

 

[Torzelbaum]

I pity the poor refs who have to try to officiate all of this weirdness and craziness.

 

[Daikaiju]

I'll back RT's take.

 

[YangusKhan]

 Sif will beat Caesar. Sif is a pretty big wolf, and she has a big sword. Caesar has some armor and probably pretty good iframes for dodging, but I still think sheer size wins out here.

Missile will "beat" Droopy but like a lot of other people have already said, this is really just a toss-up.

 

[Mogri]

Sif slices Caesar.
Missile overjoys Droopy.

vs

​

Domon Kasshu + God Gundam (Mobile Fighter G Gundam)
Defeated: Unicron

A Gundam so strong they called it God.


Goku (Dragon Ball series)
Defeated: Gurren Lagann

A hero so strong he was briefly a god.

vs

​

Maximilian Jenius + YF-29 Durandal Valkyrie (Super Dimension Fortress Macross)
Defeated: Ragnarok, Steel

Armed to the teeth.


The Luggage (Discworld)
Defeated: The foot, Haruko Haruhara

Lots of teeth, no arms. It's already beaten one giant body part -- but can it beat an entire giant robot?

vs

​

Darkwing Duck
Defeated: Shaq, Mothman

Uses a variety of gadgets to incapacitate his enemies. Engineering is cool, kids.


Link (Tears of the Kingdom)
Defeated: Ash, Leona

Creates a variety of gadgets on the fly to do basically whatever. Magical engineering is very cool, kids.



Votes due end of day Friday, January 26.

 

[Kirin]

Time for quick takes only:

Link over Darkwing. There would be a lot of fun back-and-forth with various gadgetry, but Link's supernatural edge to his puts him a step up in power level. Darkwing ends up comically toasty from some combo of bombs and lasers.

Max in a Valkyrie over luggage. This is just kind of a mis-match, the luggage doesn't have much to bring against an airborne opponent. It'll run off to bite another day before getting blown apart by heavy weapons fire.

As for God Gundam vs Goku... oof. Whatever happens, the collateral damage from this is gonna be terrifying. This once again depends on how much Goku powers up. Unlike the Lagann which runs on shounen hot-headedness, though, God Gundam runs on.. well, that plus *also* the power of Love sometimes. This one feels like it goes to a spectacular stalemate of clashing beam energy before they realize they should be on the same side.

 

[Daikaiju]

Link beats Darkwing. This fight would have the Duck Knight bring everything to bear. However, Link has faced multiple Dark Gods, not just Ganon. Also, the Hero Of Hyrule is immune to witty banter and that takes a very crucial tool out of DW's kit.

Luggage over Max. the sapiant pearwood box would clamp on to Max's plane and inexorably masticate the veritech into scrap. Never underesitmate the power of Narrativium.

God Gundam and Goku take each other out. Double KO, and the universe breathes some relief.

 

[Torzelbaum]

battle of characters whose names end with k:
I think Darkwing is far too susceptible to scoring own goals against himself to beat a hero as practiced and consistent as Link is. So I agree with Kirin and Daikaiju - Link takes the win there.

 

[Torzelbaum]

Max and YF verus Luggage and SP*:

While I think Max could easily outrange the Luggage I'm not entirely sure he could damage it in any significant way. I think Max could knock the Luggage upside down but I think the Luggage could easily right itself before the ref can finish the cound for the knockdown.

Hey @Mogri - Did you modify the arena so that the Luggage couldn't destroy it like he did when he fought Haruko? Even if that wasn't the case I think Max could easily dodge an attack like that. If the Luggage can't do that then it might try biting chunks out of other parts of the arena and spitting them at Max but I still don't think Luggage will be able to land anything other than glancing hits with that strategy.

But I don't think Max could keep dodging and firing on the Luggage forever. Eventually he's going to run out of ammo and fuel. Will the refs dare to try and call the match on points before that happens?

I think it's possible for the Luggage to beat Max but it requires Max to stay on the ground for a significant amount of time so that the Luggage can chew the YF apart. I think that's unlikely to happen.

So Max will win when the refs call the match on points but I don't find that outcome very satisfying.

*Sapient Pearwood

 

[Torzelbaum]

Mobile Fighter versus Z Fighter :

This is another one that seems really tough to call. You would think that giant robot against single person would be a ridiculous mismatch but that's not the case when that person is Goku.

So have Domon and the God Gundam ever been defeated or injured? Because I know that has happened to Goku - he's been injured and even died twice. But Goku can scale up his power pretty high. I think Goku has resisted gunfire before but I think that was only from small arms fire.

I think Domon might have a hard time hitting a target the size of Goku but I can also see Goku standing there and taking the hit just to gauge the God Gundam's power level.

So here's a weird and roundabout question I have - does Goku like Huey Lewis and the News?

 

[Mogri]

Hey @Mogri - Did you modify the arena so that the Luggage couldn't destroy it like he did when he fought Haruko? Even if that wasn't the case I think Max could easily dodge an attack like that. If the Luggage can't do that then it might try biting chunks out of other parts of the arena and spitting them at Max but I still don't think Luggage will be able to land anything other than glancing hits with that strategy.

Not to my knowledge, no!

 

[Olli]

Link wins because he's not afraid to use deadly force. DD is capable, but he's a lovable goof, not a god-killer.

Max can blast Luggage from a distance, which is the only safe way.

Goku is going to beat anyone in a straight fight. No matter how strong the enemy is, Goku can always become stronger. And yeah, the collateral damage is going to be universe-destroying.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Look, I've yet to watch G-Gundam but Goku once fought a guy so hard, the universe started to break so both parties had to learn to punch better so it stops happening. I'm going to go with Goku.

Link has this simply because while the match is mostly equal, Link is not going to fall into his own traps built on insecurity. DW is far more likely to fail when the stakes are lower, such as fighting another good guy.

Long distance battle is a rare weakness for Luggage it seems. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if it just Kirby-ate most projectiles. But it has no long range offense, so this awkward mismatch will likely end with Max showing near the luggage until it is buried in dirt and debris. It would eventually get out but it would take a while. Seems like a win to me.

 

[Torzelbaum]

clashing beam energy

So I think I've figured out how Goku against Domon and the God Gundam could go. As Kirin mentioned they will get into a beam clash and both of them will put ever increasing amounts of power into their beams until there is a tipping point that results in an absolutely massive explosion. Both of them will be violently thrown back by the explosion. Goku will be launched and embedded in a solid wall while the God Gundam will be pushed to the edge of the ring and Domon will just barely be able to prevent going out of bounds by the narrowest margin.

Domon and the God Gundam are declared the winner via ring out.

Goku doesn't get why he lost at first but the refs (and maybe his friends) will eventually be able to make him understand what is going on. He is disappointed but takes the news in stride.

 

[Mogri]

Maximilian sends The Luggage packing.
Link shows Darkwing how to get dangerous.

Goku vs God Gundam is an interesting case: two votes for Goku, one for the Gundam, and two for a tie. In the interest of keeping things simple, we'll give it to Goku.

---

We're back to the losers' bracket, where something has gone wrong, because we have seven remaining contestants. Rather than figure out where we went wrong, I'm going to get a little weird with it today (and, by extension, for the rest of this bracket).

vs

vs

​

Rush (Mega Man 3)
Defeated by: Whitney's Miltank, Man and Dog, Y'shtola

A robot that looks like a dog.


Dalek (Doctor Who)
Defeated by: Lt. Cmdr. Data, Optimus, Inframan

An alien that looks like a robot.


Bebop (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Defeated by: Hammer Bros, Bugs, Air Man

A man that looks like a warthog.

vs

​

Michael Scott (The Office)
Defeated by: Homer Simpson, O'Brien, Kramer

Office manager.


Flik (A Bug's Life)
Defeated by: Speedy Eggbert, Grover, Bomberman

Insect of the family Formicidae.

vs

​

Max Rockatansky (Mad Max)
Defeated by: A dog, Ash, Egg

Is he "Mad Max" as in "angry" or as in "insane"? I assume the former, but I really don't know.


Malenia, Blade of Miquella (Elden Ring)
Defeated by: Haruko Haruhara, Wolverine, JoJo

I'm gonna level with you: I have no clue who Miquella is.


I'm moving next week, so I'm not even gonna pretend this round has a deadline. See you on the other side.

 

[RT-55J]

oops i forgot to vote last round (but the ones i would have picked won so i don't feel too guilty)

Anyhow:

Flik will unionize, to which Michael Scott has no counterplay.

I will determine the other matches later.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Is he "Mad Max" as in "angry" or as in "insane"? I assume the former, but I really don't know.

Latter. Post-apocalyptic living g and losing his wife and child pushed him over the edge.

 

[Torzelbaum]

triple threat match:
I think the Dalek could easily win one-on-one matches against Rush and Bebop. I also think it could beat both of them at once even if they teamed up. But I don't see Bebop or Rush doing that. Would Bebop try to join forces with the Dalek? Probably not - that would take way more brains and initiative than he possesses. And I don't think Rush would willingly join with a bad guy like a Dalek.

Bebop and Rush facing off would be a more interesting matchup. That feels like it is less of a foregone conclusion.

I think Bebop and Rush could hurt the Dalek and Rush could possibly dodge its attacks but I just don't think they could do enough damage to put it down before the Dalek takes both of them out.

The Dalek exterminates its opponents (for a change).

 

[Kirin]

I'm pretty sure Michael Scott could be taken down by *regular* ants, as he commits one self-own after another in the process of trying to rid his office of them (though the damage levels would be much more spectacular if he were allowed to have Dwight involved). So I'm giving that one to Flik, who I'm pretty sure can last long enough for Michael to suffer self-inflicted injuries and/or storm out in frustration.

For the three-fer, my thinking is much the same as Torz in that the only chance to take down the Dalek would be a clever team-up attack, and Bebop isn't remotely clever, plus Rush is more of a sidekick than a leader, so I don't think they'd manage to pull off an upset over the Dalek's superior firepower.

I'm on the fence about the last one. Max might be just resourceful enough to come up with some strategy to take down a video game boss with patterns from afar, though Malenia would surely destroy him in direct face-to-face combat. But I don't really know a whole lot about either of them so I'm reluctant to commit.

 

[Torzelbaum]

M and M:
I think in order to win this one Max will have to use his guns to take down Malenia before she gets in close. If she can manage to get in close then I think it's all over for Max. So this really comes down to whether Malenia can tank (or dodge) enough hits versus whether Max can hit and run for long enough to put her down before he runs out of ammo.

Edit:
Now another thought that crossed my mind was whether the Scarlet Rot would be a factor. But Max is Australian and has survived in a post-apocalyptic world where there was a nuclear war so maybe it won't affect him.

I think Max's car might give him an edge in this fight but will it have any gas?

At this point what I'm leaning towards is that Max won't have enough answers to everything she does and so Malenia will win.