History Main / OutsideTheBoxTactic

** On the flipside, a Spy is typically unable to face a Soldier or Demoman in direct combat, which is perfectly within the realm of CompetitiveBalance. However, these two classes use weapons that do splash damage to everyone around them, including themselves, and the aforementioned Dead Ringer reduces the damage taken by the Spy. If the enemy is below half health (something [[StatOVision the Spy can innately see]]), a Spy with the Dead Ringer primed can run up into their face and cause him to [[HoistByHisOwnPetard blow himself up]] with a point blank explosion, then skitter away while invisible after [[FakingTheDead faking their explosive demise]]. A Scout can also do this by using the [[CaffeineBulletTime Bonk Atomic Punch]] to effectively become invulnerable for eight seconds, like a mini-Ubercharge.

* This is a very common strategy in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series. When CourtroomAntics and {{Indy Ploy}}s aren't enough, the PlayerCharacter usually resorts to solving the case by thinking of another method of wrapping up the case or by switching the crime's premise and structure into an entirely new set of facts.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII'', a similar exploit of low-power spell interactions occurs when you cast Wall on the FinalBoss followed by Toad. The Wall blocks the Toad, but in a way that has the spell animation still go off -- end result: Emperor Mateus, Lord of Hell, is subject to a wholly unintended BalefulPolymorph and hops off the screen to Firion's victory.

* In ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy5'', you start off controlling just Matt, and the other party members join [[DefeatMeansFriendship after you defeat them in battle]]. Each of those battles, however, has an alternate strategy that lets you win without beating the other character to a pulp, something that's even hinted at in the game's medal descriptions.
** [=NoLegs=] can be defeated by [[spoiler:hitting him with Matt's water attack]]. (This one is simple enough that you'll probably blunder into it in normal gameplay.)
** Natalie can be defeated by [[spoiler:having [=NoLegs=] use a skill to give himself and Matt the Lovable status, charming Natalie enough that she forgets why you were even fighting]].
** Anna can be defeated by [[spoiler:bringing her down to low health and inflicting her with status effects]].
** Lance can be defeated by [[spoiler:bringing him down to low health, blowing up his tank, and using Natalie's 7th Heaven]].

*** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX:'' Inflict Blind on Ozma. It only uses magic, so it should not impede its performance, but it wastes time curing it anyway. Such time wasting strategies are often the best to beat it. Also, Vivi and Amarant using [[AttackReflector Return Magic]] to send its [[ColonyDrop Doomsday]] back at the source; a true TacticalSuicideBoss.

* Some monsters in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' have particularly clever ways to take them down. Is BigEater Nibelsnarf giving you trouble with its charge attacks? FeedItABomb, then [[FishingMinigame fish it out]] to make it vulnerable. Is the Zinogre, which uses Mega Thunderbugs to attack you, on the verge of going into its [[UpToEleven third]] [[TurnsRed Rage Mode]]? Make it trip and catch them with a bugnet.

* In Creator/FranzXaverVonSchonwerth's "Literature/NineBagsOfGold", protagonist Marie needs to nine bags filled with gold. After curing the prince's sickness, Marie is rewarded with one bag full of gold, but she cannot figure out how she can find eight more bags. Her elven friends come up with a very simple solution: splitting the loot into nine parts and filling nine bags.

* In ''[[VideoGame/PLATOMoria Moria]]'' and some versions of ''VideoGame/{{Angband}}'', the spell "Turn Stone to Mud", normally used for digging new passages, can also be used to devastating effect against stone-based monsters such as golems.

* In the ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]] storyline ''ComicBook/JudgmentInInfinity'', Diana and her fellow heroines have been abducted by the Adjudicator and encased in individual pods which not even the team's [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} strongest]] [[ComicBook/PowerGirl members]] can break out of. However, Wonder Woman wonders whether their cages are also protected against someone trying to break ''into'' them. Wonder Woman spins her Lasso super-fast until turning it intangible, phases one end of the rope out of the bubble, and then she draws it back. The partially solid end of the rope hits the pod's outer surface and shatters her cage.

* In ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'' this is supposed to be John Rumford's signature. Arguably many of his tactics should not work, and those that do mostly involve exploiting his enemies' reluctance to kill innocent bystanders. Some of his greatest hits include taking hundred of pilots hostage, using spar torpedoes against modern warships, ambushing a convoy by having his men cling to the underside of a bridge and nuking a major city to deal with rioters.

** In the original NES version of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'', Tiamat can be killed with the instant death spell BANE due to a programming oversight.[[labelnote:*]]The chances are very small, however[[/labelnote]]

* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Saber is representative of [[spoiler:King Arthur Pendragon]]. She is vulnerable to items and spells that harm [[spoiler:dragons]] as a result.

** The "Raise Zombie" spell reanimates an intact dead body and makes it your minion for the next sixty seconds (longer with certain perks) until it turns into a pile of ash [[note]]The "Dead Thrall" spell, however, allows you to ''reuse the same dead body'' over and over again without having it crumbling into dust[[/note]]. The zombie, by itself, is fairly weak, since it fights only with the armor and weapons it had when it died (that is, if you haven't already looted them). However, since you looted their items, it's only logical that you can put items ''back''. Raise a zombie, put some good armor and a strong weapon on it, and send it in from a safe distance to rip apart foes (for extra VideoGameCrueltyPotential, said foes might have been its former allies!) Once the spell runs out or your zombie re-dies, you can collect its equipment from the ash pile it leaves behind. Said zombie can also function as a handy pack-mule: give your heaviest VendorTrash items to the zombie until you get under the CriticalEncumbranceFailure limit (300 lbs. with no perks or Stamina boosts). Fast-travel to the nearest town, and your zombie will follow! However, it will crumble to dust the moment you arrive, but that's fine, you can just pick your stuff up and drag it to the nearest store; you'd rather walk 200 feet with a over-heavy load than the three miles it probably would have been without the zombie.

** For example, Josuke Higashikata, TheHero of ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Diamond is Unbreakable]]'', has the power to [[HealingHands repair objects]], but instead of playing the role of TheMedic, he is instead a frontline fighter, using those healing skills to [[ThouShaltNotKill nonlethally]] incapacitate his enemies. For example, he takes down someone with total control over [[ShockAndAwe electricity]] by [[spoiler:taking a rubber tire from heavy machinery that had burst earlier in the battle, then "healing" the tire around the adversary to contain him within a small space and render him at Josuke's complete mercy.]]

** In ''Apollo Justice'', the titular lawyer has proven that a witness is a killer with pure logic, but without evidence, they can't be convicted. Apollo's solution is to [[spoiler:[[NoHonorAmongThieves convince the partner in crime to talk]], which the killer can't possibly stop from happening]].
** In ''Spirit of Justice'', the final opponent is so politically powerful that they can just [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem rewrite the law on the spot when things aren't going their way]]. The only way that the defense attorneys manage to get around that is to [[spoiler:prove that the queen has no claim to the throne, thus invalidating every law she ever made]].

* In Chapter 152 of ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565609/152/Odd-Ideas Odd Ideas]], through a series of events, Sirius ends up becoming Azkaban's warden. Knowing that Voldemort will eventually return, and that he will attempt to bust the imprisoned Death Eaters out of Azkaban when he does, Sirius gets rid of the Dementors and sets out to make said Death Eaters useless... by turning them into TV-addicted BigEater {{Lazy Bum}}s. By the time Voldemort attacks the prison, Bellatrix Lestrange is a morbidly obese woman who can't keep her eyes off the TV even as she tries to explain to Voldemort that she's the prisoner in the most fit of the lot.

*** Oblitzerator, an early boss, has very high HP for that point in the game; fortunately, you can take 80% of it off by casting Thunder on a conveniently placed crane three times and having the main character use a trigger command. That done, it goes down very quickly.

*** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'': Using Zombie on yourself against Omega Weapon; grants immunity to his opening Lvl 5 Death spell (so you can go in at Lvl 100), and reduces damage you take. You can get around ReviveKillsZombie with elemental absorptions.
*** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX:'' Inflict Blind on Ozma. It only uses magic, so it should not impede his performance, but he wastes time curing it anyway. Such time wasting strategies are often the best to beat it. Also, Vivi and Amarant using [[AttackReflector Return Magic]] to send his [[ColonyDrop Doomsday]] back at the source; a true TacticalSuicideBoss.
*** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Once you reach his second form, as long as you keep his arms out of action and your team free of statuses, Penance will eventually destroy himself if your team all has weapons with Counter Attack or similar.

*** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'': Black Elemental. The first playthrough you face him, go in with a Dark Knight and just use [[ActionBomb Charon]]. It has high defenses but not much health, so if your DK has high enough HP, you'll kill it in one hit. As it's a standalone fight, you don't have to worry about losing your DK either. For Trema, get rid of his MP; he'll be a lot less dangerous for it.
*** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': Both Hell Wyrm and Yiazmat have [[TakenForGranite Stone Breath]]. As the victim gets more petrified, the damage they take decreases, so stave off the Softs and Stonas (which cure Petrify) as long as you dare; it'll save on them and healing in the long run.

** For example, Josuke Higashikata, TheHero of ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Diamond is Unbreakable]]'', has the power to [[HealingHands repair objects]], but instead of playing the role of TheMedic, he is instead a frontline fighter, using those healing skills to nonlethally incapacitate his enemies. For example, he takes down someone with total control over [[ShockAndAwe electricity]] by [[spoiler:taking a rubber tire from heavy machinery that had burst earlier in the battle, then "healing" the tire around the adversary to contain him within a small space and render him at Josuke's complete mercy.]]

* A large draw of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' is their sheer frequency. Rather than [[OnceAnEpisode Once a Chapter]] every now and then, they happen ''constantly''. The manga owes its title in part to the strange powers both the antagonists and the protagonists have, so the mangaka, Hirohiko Araki, spends a lot of time and energy making them into [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower viable]], [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer practical]] powers. Josuke Higashikata, protagonist of Part 4, is a simple example: He has the power to [[HealingHands repair objects]], but instead of playing the role of TheMedic, he is instead a frontline fighter, using those healing skills to nonlethally incapacitate his enemies. For example, he takes down someone with total control over [[ShockAndAwe electricity]] by [[spoiler:taking a rubber tire from heavy machinery that had burst earlier in the battle, then "healing" the tire around the adversary to contain him within a small space and render him at Josuke's complete mercy.]]

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': assault cannons are humonguous one-handed gatling guns that require Terminator armor to hold and operate. They're supposed to be used against infantry, but Astartes targeting doctrines were modified after it turned out they worked quite well against some vehicles.

* Some games that encourage open-world exploration (e.g. the ''Bioshock'' and ''System Shock'' games) keep the game world persistent between lives. If DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist in a game (either because the penalties are so minimal you barely notice or you're leveled enough that they don't affect you at all), you can use the respawn mechanic to exploit this. Need to get somewhere in a hurry? If you have a respawn point near where you want to go, just drop a grenade at your feet. Low on health and need to replenish before going in to fight a boss? Suicide right next to the respawn point, and pop back to life at full health. If you're playing coop multiplayer, though, be advised that [[DevelopersForesight some developers know about this tactic as well, and will design their boss battles to keep you from exploiting it]].

** ''VideoGame/Persona3'' has the 6th full moon boss: Strength and Fortune. The gimmick of the fight is that every turn Fortune will use the "Wheel of Fortune" attack, which has a variety of effects such as inflicting damage, debuffs or StandardStatusEffects on either your party or on themselves. Fear is one of those status effects. At this point, if you're versed enough in fusions, it's possible to have a Persona with the Ghastly Wail ability, which instantly kills all enemies with Fear. Strength and Fortune are ''not'' immune to this. Provided you know how to manipulate the wheel, the fight can easily become a CurbStompBattle.

* In ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'', getting the seventh Dragon Egg requires you to avoid taking damage during the boss "[[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight fight]]" against [[spoiler:Erim]]. You can expertly dodge the boss's attacks until the invisible timer ends...or you can have a character with an Ignore Falling Damage ability repeatedly leap off of the arena, which gives them long enough MercyInvincibility to immediately jump off before taking damage.