History PlayingWith / CombatPragmatist

** The episode spends twenty-nine minutes and fifty seconds following the summoning of the ghost of Bob Mann, [[WorldsStrongestMan the greatest warrior who ever lived]], and convincing him to go hurt Alice, who works for the IRS… followed by [[AntiClimax ten seconds]] of Alice [[DidYouJustPunchOutChtulhu destroying Bob]] by tossing a cupful of hot coffee to his face and [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl hitting him with a folding chair]]. The people who summoned Bob are utterly flabbergasted at how easy their plan failed.

** The episode spends twenty-nine minutes and fifty seconds following the summoning of the ghost of Bob Mann, [[WorldsStrongestMan the greatest warrior who ever lived]], and convincing him to go hurt Alice, who works for the IRS… followed by [[AntiClimax ten seconds]] of Alice [[DidYouJustPunchOutChthulhu destroying Bob]] by tossing a cupful of hot coffee to his face and [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl hitting him with a folding chair]]. The people who summoned Bob are utterly flabbergasted at how easy their plan failed.

** The episode spends twenty-nine minutes and fifty seconds following the summoning of the ghost of Bob Mann, [[WorldsStrongestMan the greatest warrior who ever lived]], and convincing him to go hurt Alice, who works for the IRS… [[AntiClimax and ten seconds]] of Alice [[DidYouJustPunchOutChthulhu destroying Bob]] by tossing a cupful of hot coffee to his face and [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl hitting him with a folding chair]].

** You know how there's the saying "Playing Dirty" with a standard CombatPragmatist? Then there's the saying "Playing like ThePigPen" with [[UpToEleven Alice]]. Weapons, {{Groin Attack}}s, [[ManBitesMan biting]], and basically turning the fight into a NoHoldsBarredContest.

%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???

** Alice’s tactics fall under the definition of "combat pragmatism", but they are just plain overkill to a degree that CrossesTheLineTwice, such as wiring enough high explosives to the supports of Karen's gym that instead of falling down, the whole building launches straight up into orbit a la ''WesternAnimation/KnightyKnightBugs''.

* '''Enforced''': The writers want to show how pragmatic Alice is in a fight for character development and/or a little humor.

** KAlice [[WillfullyWeak purposefully handicaps herself]] in the fight against Karen [[LetsFightLikeGentlemen "to make it fair".]]

** Karen has a history of not following dueling rules. [[ScrewTheRulesTheyBrokeThemFirst Alice doesn't expects her to act any better this time, and has planned accordingly.]]

** Karen [[WillfullyWeak purposefully handicaps herself]] in the fight against Karen [[LetsFightLikeGentlemen "to make it fair".]]

* '''Straight''': [[{{Face}} Karen]] challenges [[{{Heel}} Alice]] to a sword fight but [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight she pulls out a gun instead and shoots Karen]].

** Alice already had a gun on hand, so why not use it?

** Karen is [[MadeOfIron tougher]],[[{{Determinator}} more driven]], and a much better swordswoman than Alice and she doesn't want to be killed.

** Karen has a history of not following dueling rules. [[ScrewTheRulesTheyBrokeThemFirst Alice doesn't expects him to act any better this time, and has planned accordingly.]]

* '''Straight''': [[{{Face}} Bob]] challenges [[{{Heel}} Alice]] to a sword fight but [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight she pulls out a gun instead and shoots him]].

** Alice is challenged to a boxing match by Bob. Instead of showing up at the ring, [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill she uses some tactically-placed pipe bombs to blow up the support columns beneath the gym, thus demolishing the entire building with Bob inside it]].
** Bob sends Alice a challenge card as per the traditional rules of combat of their circle saying that [[LoserLeavesTown the loser of their match will have to leave town]]. Alice sends Bob a message of her own [[IHaveYourWife showing that she took Bob's wife, kids, parents and]] ''[[AndYourLittleDogToo pets]]'' hostage with the words: "Too busy to fight you now. Start packing."

** Alice engages in a sword fight with Bob but during the fight, she grabs a rock from off the ground and throws it at him to avoid being skewered.
** Bob asked for a fist fight. Alice, who is his perfect equal in the field of boxing, brings brass knuckles.
** Alice brings a gun to a swordfight, but it's purely so she can parlay Bob into [[DontMakeMeDestroyYou leaving her alone.]]

** Bob is [[MadeOfIron tougher]],[[{{Determinator}} more driven]], and a much better swordsman than Alice and she doesn't want to be killed.

** Bob has a history of not following dueling rules. [[ScrewTheRulesTheyBrokeThemFirst Alice doesn't expects him to act any better this time, and has planned accordingly.]]

** Alice [[WillfullyWeak purposefully handicaps herself]] in the fight against Bob [[LetsFightLikeGentlemen "to make it fair".]]
** Bob decides not to play fair and shoots Alice. BigBad Wallenquist, who sees Alice as the WorthyOpponent, has Bob killed and apologizes to Alice for his Dragon's lack of dueling etiquette.

** Alice pulls her gun and tosses it aside in order to fight Bob fairly in a swordfight.
** Alice instantly tries to use her gun at the beginning of the fight but Bob manages to charge into melee range faster than she can draw (or is MadeOfIron and is able to shrug off the gunshot), forcing her to fight him off with her own sword (or run around trying not to get stabbed) while she thinks a new strategy.

** During the fight, she gets knocked down and, seeing that she is about to be killed, grabs the gun and shoots Bob.
** Alice manages to "think of a new strategy"... reload and give Bob a MoeGreeneSpecial.

** Alice surprises Bob by pulling the gun on him bragging about how stupid he was for using a sword against a gun. But [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy she is a lousy shot]], enabling Bob to easily avoid her firing (through NonchalantDodge nonetheless) and then slash her down.

** Alice will fight fair until she's losing, then go for whatever dirty trick will put her on top. Then she'll fight fair again unless it's taking too long, at which point she'll use the necessary tactics to end the fight quickly.

* '''Averted''':
** Alice fights Bob in a fair sword fight.

** "Why would I fight fair when I could just shoot you?"

** Alice brings a gun to the sword fight, knowing Bob would be too honorable to have one himself.
** The BigGood hired Alice to defeat Bob, knowing she'll be more likely to shoot him and get it over with, unlike more honorable heroes.
** "[[DontMakeMeDestroyYou Bob, you know how much of a bitch I am when I fight. Please don't make me]]."

** Bob realizes Alice would likely pull a gun so he wore a bulletproof vest, forcing her to fight more fairly.
** Alice for once brought a sword just like Bob did - under the knowledge that once she start ignoring the rules, others would follow suit, and she would have a difficult time dealing with other opponents in the long run.
** Bob asks Jim to get Alice's wife and stand by the sidelines with a shotgun to her head and then tells Alice that if she so much as ''thinks'' of playing dirty, Jim will kill her as a "penalty".

* '''Discussed''':
** "Alice might not fight fair but at least she gets the job done."

** Alice learns how to actually fight. That way, she now knows and can exploit even more flaws in her opponents fighting styles than before, alongside being able to put up a tough fight even if she's unable to use her usual tactics..

** Bob pulls a sword and does a lot of {{flynning}}. Alice shrugs, pulls a gun, and shoots him.
** Bob challenges Alice to a sparring match. Knowing that she can't win, she instead kicks him in the nuts.

** Bob tries to kill Alice with a knife and nearly succeeds. In desperation, Alice grabs a gun and opens fire.

* '''Played For Horror''':
** Alice's tactics are pragmatic but overtly callous and lead to massive collateral damage; the result is that Alice is branded a [[WesternTerrorists terrorist]] and she ''deserves'' the label.
* '''Plotted A Good Waste''':
** Alice is sold as a strong fighter because her drive to shoot first (oftentimes literally) borders on NoNonsenseNemesis... and then she gets kicked out of the TournamentArc because she jumped the gun and knocked out her opponent before the match officially started. The lesson to be learned is that there is one time and place for fighting "smart" and a different one for following every cliché in the fighting media book.

** Alice learns not only how to fight dirty, but to actually learn how to fight. That way, she now knows about even more flaws she can relentlessly exploit, alongside being able to put up a tough fight even if she's cornered.

** Alice [[RaceAgainstTime needs to hurry for whatever reason]] and has no time to waste in a prolonged sword fight.

** Alice's decision to stick to "unfair" tactics ends up with her devolving into CripplingOverspecialization, so every time she's unable to utilize them, she is inevitably [[PunchPunchPunchOhOh screwed]].

** Bob is [[MadeOfIron tougher]],[[Determinator more driven]], and a much better swordsman than Alice and she doesn't want to be killed.

** Alice is [[WarIsHell in a war]] and doesn't have time to fight with honor.
** Bob has a history of not following dueling rules [[ScrewTheRulesTheyBrokeThemFirst Alice doesn't expects him to act any better this time, and has planned accordingly.]]

** Alice's way of fighting is seen as dirty: she quickly gains a bad reputation as a weakling and/or DirtyCoward for not fighting with strength, skill, or honor.

* '''Played For Drama''': Bob tries to kill Alice with a knife and nearly succeeds. In desperation, Alice grabs a gun and opens fire.

** Bob is a [[SupernaturalMartialArts superhuman martial artist]], somebody [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower so powerful]] that [[OutsideContextProblem most people find it impossible to believe he exists, let alone that he can be defeated]]. Alice is a very normal human accountant with the skills and feats of a regular member of the IRS. [[ActionSurvivor She]] [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu still managed]] [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable to kill Bob]] with a well-timed splash of hot coffee [[AHandfulForAnEye to his eyes]] and [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl bludgeoning him with a chair]] for about a half hour or so, after which [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown she just]] [[ExtremeMeleeRevenge couldn't lift the damn thing anymore.]]

** Bob is a much better swordsman than Alice (or has the advantage of greater strength/reach) and she doesn't want to be killed.
** Alice already had a gun on hand, so why not use it? Bonus points if there aren't any other swords around but Bob doesn't notices/cares.
** Alice is a firm believer in PayEvilUntoEvil and considers Bob's crimes horrible enough that [[JustShootHim just shooting him]] rather than give him a grand final battle [[UndignifiedDeath is a perfect insult on top of (fatal) injury]].

** Bob is [[MadeOfIron too tough]]/[[{{Determinator}} determined]] a foe to deal with in any other way.
** Bob has a history of not following dueling rules or honoring deals if he loses. [[ScrewTheRulesTheyBrokeThemFirst Alice doesn't expects him to act any better this time, and has planned accordingly.]]
** Alice is simply defending herself, as [[ReluctantWarrior she never wanted to fight in the first place]].
** Alice is a [[SoldierVsWarrior soldier,]] and therefore has no inclination to fight "fair".
** Intimidation factor. A honorable fight would leave Bob in condition to keep hounding Alice with constant duel requests until her inevitable defeat, which [[FightMagnet would open the floodgates for other duelists to come after her]]. By being absurdly brutal, she wins this duel... and (maybe) other possible duels in the future.

** Bob decides not to play fair and shoots Alice. BigBad Wallenquist, who sees Alice as the WorthyOpponent, has Bob killed and apologizes to Alice for his Dragon's lack of dueling etiquette.

** Alice's methods, while pragmatic, are also absolutely bizarre, like copying the entire fighting oveure of Creator/JackieChan.

** Bob is an ImplacableMan and/or the WorldsGreatestWarrior. There is no trick that Alice can pull on him that can faze him, and Alice is on the wrong end of a MookHorrorShow for the entirety of their encounter.

** "If you're going to ask Alice for a duel, do yourself a favor and don't do what I did. Get a BulletproofVest and ask Bill to give you some support with that sniper rifle of his."

** Alice is sold as the heroine of the work because she's the veteran ''Film/AtomicBlonde''-style pragmatist head-stomper, but she ends up becoming the DecoyProtagonist because the villain Walker is [[{{Reconstruction}} so driven]] to live a Franchise/JamesBond-style life that he immediately executes [[StopHavingFunGuys anybody who doesn't follows]] "[[BondVillainStupidity the standard etiquette]]".

** Alice needs to hurry for whatever reason and has no time to waste in a prolonged sword fight.
** Bob is a much better swordsman than Alice and she doesn't want to be killed.
** Alice already had a gun on hand so why not use it?

* '''Discussed''': "Alice might not fight fair but at least she gets the job done."

** Alice is a GoodIsNotSoft heroine who does what she can against villains but is much more restrained when sparring with fellow heroes.

** Alice is well-known for doing anything it takes to win, but follows the rules of engagement because [[PragmaticVillainy she has more to gain from being at least perceived to be a woman of honor]].

** But when her life is in danger, honor doesn't help, so Alice gouges and blinds her opponent.
** Alice decides it would be more intimidating to invoke "BaitTheDog" and "IfIWantedYouDead" and act honorably... for about five minutes.