History CombatPragmatist / LiveActionTV

* ''Series/Black Sheep Squadron '': When the Navy and Marine Corps is faced with attempting to evacuate a US Army division that's losing a battle on an island well behind the main Japanese forces ("island hopping"), Pappy suggests using a captured Japanese Zero fighter as a decoy, along with painting the Corsairs of VMF-214 with Japanese insignia and roundrels, particularly how the Japanese painted the empennage. The deception is wildly successful, as the Black Sheep are able to badly damage a Japanese carrier that otherwise would have wreaked havoc on the USN relief task force sent to evacuate the trapped Army division. Never mind that even then both sides used a form of "IFF" (Identification, Friend or Foe) which basically was a coded radio signal that would say they were "friendlies", else, the Japanese should have fired upon the Black Sheep masquerading as their own. Pappy, however, at the end of the episode, is miffed that the public announcement of the successful evacuation gives no mention of the VMF participation.

** In a series where the hero ships generally let belligerent opponents shoot first, and then finally fire back when their diplomatic patience has run out be only to 'disable the weapons and shields' so they can start talking again, Gul Dukat goes the other way. When a smuggling freighter refuses to let Sisko on board to do an inspection, Dukat suggests battering down their shield with the phasers, obliterating the bridge of the ship to kill everyone on board and then towing the wreckage back to Deep Space Nine for the inspection.

** ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'': Trakeena, after accidentally merging with Deviot and becoming pure evil, engages in this. In her final assault on Terra Venture, she has her remaining [[Mooks Stingwingers]] act as suicide bombers, having each one carry a bomb on themselves to cause mass destruction. And its very effective, quickly devastating the colony and destroying the Rangers’ remaining Megazords.

** ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'': The RPM team has no qualms about stealing Venjix technology for their own arsenal. The Whale Zord was originally a DoomsdayWeapon Venjix created, and the Ultrazord was programmed using codes stolen from Venjix’s servers. In the finale, “Danger And Destiny”, Venjix engages in this trope quite well. When he raids Dr. K’s lab, he steals all of her research, including the Biofield Matrix from which the Rangers derive their powers. He then hacks the Biofield, using it to erase Gem and Gemma from existence, along with two of the Rangers’ Megazords. To counter him, the Rangers, with the aid of a finally freed Tanaya, infect the evil virus with a virus of their own, turning his new “deleting” power against him to erase his army. To finally destroy him for good, Gem and Gemma, restored by Dr. K, destroy the supports for Corinth’s Control Tower, dropping tons of concrete onto the robotic tyrant to crush him into nothing.

** ''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue'': Carter Grayson, the Red Ranger. In the first episode, he tries to run over the Batlings AND demons with a Humvee and is far quicker to draw a gun than most other Red Rangers who prefer flashy close quarters combat.

* ''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue,'': Carter Grayson the Red Ranger. In the first episode he tries to run over the Batlings AND demons with a Humvee and is far quicker to draw a gun than most other Red Rangers who prefer flashy close quarters combat.

** Had a few of these, which is surprising considering that it's high fantasy, and the protagonist is nearly indestructible. Especially when considering how over the top its parent show could be. Probably the best example would be [[spoiler:Lindsey's hand. Lindsey dangles a scroll that Angel desperately needs to save Cordelia over an open fire while goading Angel. So Angel cuts the guy's hand off at the wrist then casually walks over and picks the scroll up]].

* ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Captain Cold took advantage of The Flash's drive to save people by derailing a train. After Flash saved everybody and stopped to catch his breath, Cold knocked him out [[IncrediblyLamePun cold]] from behind.

* ''{{Series/Sherlock}}'': John and Sherlock could qualify, but there HAVE been moments when they needed backup from the other. John (surprisingly) was pragmatic with snarky comments, and while tied to a chair at the time, killed a Chinese gangster trying to kill both Sarah and Sherlock. Oh, and he was pragmatic WITH a death threat on a professional killer that had Sherlock in a headlock in an attempt to strangle him, or, worse yet, SNAP HIS NECK! Bad idea. It would've ended, well....badly for the guy. It obviously didn't end well for the Chinese gangster, and it ended BADLY for the cabbie.

** The Judge was an immortal demon (meaning that you could cut him to pieces and he'd return alive as soon as the pieces are reassembled) and invulnerable to forged weapon: Buffy followed Xander's advice and shot him with a rocket launcher.
** Glory is a goddess too powerful for Buffy to match in normal combat: Buffy and the gang first slug her with the hammer of a troll god and a wrecking ball and then, when Glory retreats and leaves control of her human body to Ben, Giles calmly smothers Ben to kill Glory in the process.