Hunger Games of Epic

[Deleted]

A friend and I saw this after a few while hanging out and proceeded to spend all night debating it, which was awesome. We made a bracket and everything. However there are still some differences of opinion so feel free to chime in (I actually thought of putting up polls for each fight). Since there were 24 we took the "top 8" as we saw it and gave them first round byes. Match-ups and seeding done by RNG.

Preliminary Round

Indiana Jones vs Lara Croft

We both prefer Indy as a character but Lara has superior skills and weaponry unfortunately. Thus she got the win. Lara Croft

Hawkeye vs. Katniss

Wasn't even a debate. Hawkeye

Maximus vs. Alice

This was the first real debate. I don't like Alice and I think without her freaky stupid abilities she was unless. However she had some skill and superior weaponry. Alice

Beatrix Kiddo vs. Rambo

Another tough debate but it eventually came down to usage of terrain and range, which both fell in Rambo's favor. Though if it did become close range Bea would win easily. Still... Rambo

Sarah Conner vs. Aragorn

Another non-debate. Superior weaponry and superior experience and skill in survival situations. Sarah Conner

Nerard Stark vs. Black Widow

This one was close but came down to contrast of physical abilties and skill. We both figured Black Widow's speed and agility would overwhelm Stark in the end. Black Widow

Eowyn vs. William Wallace

Honestly, we don't know why she was in this. William Wallace

Bear Grylls vs. Elektra

Another one I don't like, Bear is the best survivalist but his combat (as we saw it) was just too lacking for our style of decision making. Elektra

Byes: Conan, Batman, Hit Girl, Miho, Xena, Leonidas, Achilles, Ripley

Second Round

Conan vs. Sarah Conner

A tough one but Sarah pulled it out, less on weapons this time. She beat Arnold before not to mention her abilities in the given terrain with surviving and hiding made her too much. Sarah Conner

Batman vs. Elektra

In a situation forced to go against his code, Batman is just better equipped and a smarter fighter. Batman

Xena vs. Rambo

Another I didn't like but guerilla fighting in a jungle setting feeds to Rambo's strengths to well for Xena to overcome. Though we agreed if they had sex instead of battle (or mid battle) that baby would be a Warrior God. Rambo

Leonidas vs. Black Widow

Not really close, everything advantage she has is negated by Leonidas' defense. Leonidas

Achilles vs. William Wallace

Power versus Speed, unfortunately Achilles also has superior skill though inferior equipment. The Claymore is just too clumsy for William to win. Achilles

Hit Girl vs. Alice

It seemed like a decent match up but Hit Girl is just too brutally efficient and willing to take advantage of a soft spot, like protecting little girls. Alice goes down! Hit Girl

Ripley vs. Hawkeye

This was a grind but in the end, it went the right way. Ripley's superior weaponry and survival skills take down the archer boy. Though this was probably the second longest debated one. Ripley

Miho vs. Lara Croft

Back to the short debates as Miho would drop Croft before the bimbo knew what was what. Miho

Third Round

Sarah Conner vs. Batman

A battle of greats but Batman's ability to manipulate the field in his favor was too much. He is used to armed opponents and could wait for nightfall to enhance his advantage, Sarah's toughness can't push pass. Batman

Leonidas vs. Rambo

Rambo had his run just like Sarah but he hit the wall of Leonidas' shield. There was no way we could see him over coming it. Leonidas

Hit Girl vs. Achilles

A heavily debated fight, ranking third, but in the end Hit Girl's inexperience and lack of physical strength would be her undoing. Achilles

Ripley vs. Miho

Really, Miho's stealth was just something Ripley couldn't compete with. Miho

Semifinals

Batman vs. Leonidas

Really it was close, especially since Batman was the best suited to take away Leonidas' strength of his shield, however in the combat beyond the Spartan was far better suited to victory. Leonidas

Achilles vs. Miho

The longest debate happened here and involved watching their fights from their respective movies, in the end an all Greek final was not to be. Miho's stealth, superior weaponry, and brutal efficiency win her the day. Achilles pride also contributed to his fall. Miho

Final Round!

Leonidas vs. Miho

The girl from Sin City gave it a great run and while there were those who could have taken the Spartan king, it would not be this day. With input from Dealiest Warrior on Spartan versus Samurai (shield vs katana) Leonidas won the day with brute ferocity and keen mind. Praise the champion for today!

Winner: Leonidas

To be honest there were a lot that we said we just cirumstances of who they ran into. We may revisit this, we may think up our own, and I may put this to you guys to vote with this bracket or a new one. For now, enjoy the read and discuss! ;D

["Unfettered"]

I applaud the research on this. I admit surprise, in seeing Leonidas best the goddamned Batman and would love to see a more indepth counter-to-counter on this, but this was a very entertaining read.

<_< I'll refrain from making a misinformed/uninformed vote, being relatively knowledgeable of most of these characters, admittedly.

[Stu Pott]

The trees rustled as Leonidas stalked his prey. He figured that the one dressed in darkness would be the easiest target; the air was white with the fogs of the jurassic landscape. Leonidas didn't know this word, "Jurassic", but its implications were obvious; the giant lizard skeleton emblazoned upon all the doors was a dead give-away that this land was inhabited by the gods.


Darkness didn't begin to describe the soul of the bat. His soul was as charred as the fire that he watched, the simpleton that was Katniss not even registering on his radar. He couldn't kill anyone, no, that was not his way, especially not a little girl. The trees rustled as he left, but only barely; nothing more than the light breeze that stirred the accursed fog that inundated the island. He was the night. He was the Dark Knight.


Dawn crested even as Leonidas continued his sole pilgrimage. His plan was obvious; take the high ground, and slaughter all challengers who came to him. He had already killed twice; a man with a whip was battling a woman with great child bearing features. He stumbled upon them as the woman had the man in the dirt, her ballistic weapon leveled at his head. The Spartan's shield whirled out of the tree line and smacked the woman in the neck, shattering bone and spilling blood as she crumbled. The man with the whip stood, thinking he found a savior, even as Leonidas stalked forward. His blood was spilled for Ares, forever blessed be his reign over War.


He had tied up three others, left them to rot in the jungle. It helped with his conscious if he didn't kill them by his own hands; it was something that he had promised himself long ago, many years after his mother and father had fallen by that bastard burglar's hands. They had been slain, their blood a pool of crimson liquid that stained his shoes and socks as he watched their lives ebb away. He knew they'd die, and he knew he'd be forced to kill before this day was done. He was prepared for every person in this competition; he had bought the information months before and had created files on everyone. He knew their weaknesses; he was their weakness. They knew nothing.

He knew everything.


He reached the crest and sat down. The wineskin and waterskin on his back were emptied quickly during this respite, and he looked about for another source of water. He figured this climate would rain heavily; it was unlike any weather he had seen, so it was more of a hope than a guess. He gathered wood to start a fire, a signal to all challengers. He did this, then climbed a tree to sleep. Tomorrow, tomorrow would be his enemies defeat.


The poor man grasped futiley at his rubbery suit. His hands clamped hard around the beefy man's throat, the red bandana on his head not soaked in blood, but sweat and fear, the man's bowels loosening even as the life ebbed out of him. He had committed the one crime he promised himself he never would. He had taken a life.

And strangely, it felt right. Perhaps... perhaps he had been doing it wrong all these years.


Somehow, Leonidas heard the sneaky approach of the Dark One. It was by chance, really, a freak bug landing on his cheek, stinging him awake even as the twig snapped to his right. He dropped from the tree, falling quickly and silently, rolling into a crouch, pulling his shield and spear up into the air, just as the batarang embedded itself into the soft bronze.

This was not a fair fight.


He ducked and dodged between trees, knowing that Leonidas was one of the strongest, and most able fighters in the competition. Not as bad as Achilles, who had only one weakness, but easily a match physically for anyone else here. Maybe Rambo was stronger, but not nearly as deadly; Leonidas was the king of ancient Sparta, and one does not become king of a warrior people without good reason. The long distance game was to see if he could get him to react first.

It worked.


Leonidas felt, more than saw, the projectiles coming at him, the tell-tale whine as they cut the air. They were quicker than arrows, and more deadly, he assumed. There. That one definitely came from there. And that one came from there... and now a pattern emerged. He rolled away and stabbed, hoping to find purchase in the soft underbelly of the Dark One.


It was sheer luck that he didn't die. The spear lashed out, and he brought down his left hand just in time to knock it aside, into the trunk of a tree. It immediately pulled back and lashed out again, and he used his right gauntlet to block it away. He lept away and back into the darkness, circling again. The grappling gun came out with a whoomp, and he was in the trees, looking down on the Spartan who now held his shield up high, his spear held in an over hand fashion.

Uh-oh.


Body coiled, he threw. His helmet was stifling, it narrowed his vision, and he must see far. His shield was heavy. It threw him off balance. The spear thudded into the wood behind where the Dark One had just been, forced to fall to the ground in a graceless heap. Now was the time to strike. His sword sang out of it's scabbard, the curve of it's blade deadly in the flickering and dying fire.

He needed to end this quickly. If that fire went out... The Dark One would be at his best.


His side hurt, something having pierced the hardened rubber of his suit, probably some sharpened stick. More than likely Leonidas had booby trapped the area. Dammit. The sword came out and his arm came up, the metal clanging against his gauntlet as he turned the strike, rolling away. This was not optimal. He grabbed at a cylinder on his belt, and out spiraled a 2 1/2 foot long baton. It was not the best weapon he could have against the bronze of Leonidas, but it would serve.


The strikes against the Dark One came fast. He drew blood many times, but received his own fair share of hits. At least one rib was broken by the metal rod that had seemingly sprung from nowhere, no doubt one of Hephaestus' machinations. Hephaestus was only revered by the blacksmiths in Sparta, his lame appearance more than enough for most Spartans to disregard him entirely. Leonidas felt a cold chill as he realized that maybe, just maybe, he was fighting an agent of the Gods.

Zeus above grant me strength.


The baton was chipping, the metal failing against the honed edge of the sword his enemy held. Batman needed to end this soon, but he didn't know how. Of course, his handy dandy utility belt would save the day once again. He rummaged into the compartment as he defended himself, and pulled out pepper spray. A liberal dose caused Leonidas to fall to his knees, but his eyes stayed open, his cries echoing down the valley below them, responded to by the unholy calls of the genetically engineered dinosaurs that infested this place.

Welp, shit.


His eyes stung with the spray that the Dark One used, but his arm moved on it's own. He sliced and stabbed, feeling his sword bite into pieces of the Dark One, who seemingly never tired. Sure, he wasn't moving as fast, but he was by no means as injured as he should be. Perhaps his skin was something else entirely? For the first time in his life, Leonidas actually feared he had met his match, but he knew his responsibility was to die fighting for Sparta.

So die he would! "FOR SPARTA!"


Jesus, this guy was nuts. Did he not realize he was a genetic clone of the Leonidas who had lived so long ago, recreated through a tracing program that analyzed the ancestry of the person it worked on? Regardless, it didn't matter. At any moment another competitor would stumble upon their screaming match, or worse yet, a dinosaur. Did Leonidas even know what a dinosaur was?

He took the fury in stride, attempting to get away. Leonidas was relentless, his eyes burned by the spray, his body bruised by the baton, but his resolve as strong a ever. He couldn't get close enough to employ all the training that Ra's al Gul had given him, lets he be impaled. However, it looked like it might be his only chance.


The Dark One came at him, throwing the baton, which bounced off of the great shield before rolling into the darkness. He saw this as an opportunity, but felt the huge bulk of the Dark One smash into him, his shield being thrown out of his grip as he skidded across the ground. He stood quickly, and the Dark One was on him again. But it was too little, too late. The blade snaked forward, sliding into the guts of the Dark One.

But he kept coming.


The pain was, strangely, bearable. Even with the sword slipped into this stomach, he kept fighting. He was the God Damned Batman, afterall, and he wouldn't die without at least taking this bastard down with him. He chopped at the man's hand, causing it to go limp, leaving the curved blade poking out of him from both ends. He then chopped at the man's neck, hoping to incapacitate him before dying himself.

His hand bounced off of a bronze helmet that gave nothing compared to the shield. Dammit.


His hand fell limp, and he braced himself for the head-shot that would come from anyone without a blade trying to end a battle quickly. He felt the blow as it rang in his skull. His left hand shot out, and grabbed the hilt, pulling as he twisted away, doing a full 360 and bringing the blade back around, aimed at neck level. The Dark One's head flew off in an arc, hitting the ground and rolling into the darkness.

Another foe vanquished. Another enemy destroyed.

"Tonight, you dine in hell."

[Your Mom~]

I would loooooove for there to be a round 2, and to debate in it. Just sayin'.

[Deleted]

Justin... that was awesome.

Ally-cat, I could start up another tourney for 259 to debate and vote on if everyone is interested.

[Your Mom~]

Hmmmmm that's true. But how to make it so everyone can debate but not have it stall or take forever is the thing. There'd have to be a judge or two (which I'd totally volunteer to do) and everyone gets one comment and one vote per bracket...? This could be fun.

[Deleted]

I'd say people vote with a reason given, majority wins, and further debate can be held while other stuff goes on.

[Your Mom~]

I like it.

[Deleted]

I will do a RNG bracket and post friday. ^_^


=^.^=