History Main / PracticalTaunt

* The DLC character Sam in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' can taunt his enemies, which causes them to glow red, attack more aggressively and makes their attacks do block damage along with making them uncounterable, but it also makes them more predictable and greatly lowers their defense, allowing Sam to do double damage to most enemies and cut weaker enraged enemies apart with his normal attacks.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has several taunts for tanking classes: Flash increases aggro on all enemies within range (and at higher levels can inflict blind); Provoke specifically targets one enemy and increases the tank's aggro to be equal to the party member with the highest current aggro, meaning the tank still has to actually ''hit'' the enemy to start tanking: of the two, Flash is less effective overall at taunting, but has the practical advantage. In addition, all tanking classes have an area-of-effect ability that inflicts lower-than-normal damage, but specifically increases aggro on all enemies it hits: Paladins and Dark Knights get a point-blank AOE attack using light and darkness respectively, and Warriors get a cone-shaped attack. These attacks usually come with a higher Tech Points cost, meaning that spamming them will "tire out" the character and prevent them from using other abilities.

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': all classes have at least one taunt that can be used as an attack, such as the Scout's [[BatterUp Home Run]], the Soldier's [[TakingYouWithMe Kamikaze (and Lumbricus Lid)]], the Pyro's [[KamehameHadoken Hadoken]], [[BoomHeadshot Execution]], [[RingOfFire Armageddon]], and [[FartsOnFire Gas]] [[WeaponizedExhaust Blast]], the Demoman's [[OffWithHisHead Decapitation]], the Heavy's [[FingerGun Showdown]], the Engineer's [[InstrumentOfMurder Dischord]] and [[PowerFist Organ Grinder]], the Medic's [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice Spinal Tap]], the Sniper's [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice Skewer]], and the Spy's [[{{Flynning}} Fencing]].

** The original taunts were very much AwesomeButImpractical; They could hurt/kill your opponent, but were so slow and obvious that one would have to be an idiot to be hit by them. This was intentional, as it was meant to be a way to defeat your opponent in [[CherryTapping the most humiliating manner possible]]. With more taunts there came more interesting effects that didn't fit this rule though.
** When the Medic taunts with the Kritzkrieg, he regains 10HP. If he taunts with the Amputator, all nearby allies regain health. Engineer's Eureka Effect taunt "teleports player back to spawn and replenishes all health, metal and ammo". Pyro's Mmmph "Gives you invincibility for the duration of the taunt and eight or so seconds of crits afterwards." (This weapon is also nearly universally hated because of the ludicrous buffs it gets from just doing damage). Heavy and Scout have items they consume when you click the shoot button, though these items do the exact same thing when you taunt with them.
** There are several taunt achievements, and getting a certain amount of achievements can get you achievement items.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'', some enemies can "say something nasty" that affects a player character, lowering their Guts stat.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesKuroNoKiseki'', Van has a craft called "[[MoneyMauling Coin Bullet]]" that has him fire five 10-mira coins to the enemies in that path. He then ends up gaining a "Hate Up" status effect where enemies have a high chance of going after him instead of his party members.

** From the same game comes Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta. One of his moves is a quick taunt that builds up a level system (goes up to level 7) that empowers his next usage of either of his supers, as well as building the super meter. If he uses his Meteor Attack at level 7 and it connects, it's a OneHitKill.

* To DrawAggro on the attacker.

* In "James Ernest's Totally Renamed Spy Game", taunting a captured spy raises his point value.

* ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur]]'': [[AnimeChineseGirl Xianghua's]] taunts are an integral part of [[ConfusionFu her fighting style.]] Her feints are accompanied by a taunt to make her seem open to attack, as are her counter stances, which are indicated by a brief purple glow on her sword. If she successfully baits an attack, [[AttackReflector she auto-impacts it]] and says, [[IKnewIt "Gotcha!"]], then immediately follows up with an auto-counter. She also taunts whenever she cancels an attack, which is indicated by, [[ILied "Just kidding!"]], and can cancel her evasive moves as well which is indicated by, [[{{troll}} "Hey!".]]

** ''VideoGame/StreetFighterVI'': Blanka starts with three Blanka-chan dolls and has to use a taunt to recover one.

** Taunting at the exit gate with a combo still going will give you some extra points.

** It makes enemies get alerted immediately which is useful when trying to clear the levels as fast as possible.

** Holding the taunt button causes you to start breakdancing. Doing this while at the exit gate with a combo still going will give you some extra points.

* Red goblins, elite goblins, and turkey-family monsters in ''VideoGame/{{Miitopia}}'' all have a "tease" move which inflicts Anger on one or more party members if successful. This prevents them from using non-damaging moves, causes them to act twice per turn, and prevents the player character fron being controlled.
* ''VideoGame/PizzaTower'''s taunt button has a lot of practicality; At high speeds, it causes you to briefly pause without losing momentum, which can be useful for timing in tighter platforming segments. Taunting right as an enemy would land an attack on you turns it into a CounterAttack. Finally, getting a combo at least 3 turns it into a screen-clearing SmartBomb so long as you maintain your combo.

** Dan's taunt can extend his jump distance when used midair and, in ''IV'', can even stop several [[DesperationAttack Ultra Combos]] if timed properly. His Legendary Taunt Super Combo, which consists of Dan performing all his various taunts in a row, also counts in a way; as it can be canceled into his Ultra Combo, several Dan players are known to throw it out as psyche-out tactic, perhaps most famously seen with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdLK4madb1U#t=6m41s Justin Wong's Marvel Madness 2011 triumph over Air.]]

** Kazuya’s Side Taunt is Demon’s Wrath, a four hit combo that is the most powerful taunt attack in the game. [[DownplayedTrope That said.]] it has very little actual practical applications in an actual game but it can be good for mind games.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' series, taunting starts off as nothing more than simple enraging enemies within area of effect, but can be upgraded to charge up a character's HEAT gauge on a successful taunt. In ''0'' and ''Kiwami'', taunting is one of the actions covered by the "Quick-Change Clothes" in Zero, and the "Change-Up Taunt" skill in Kiwami, allowing for instantaneous changes in [[StanceSystem combat style]] while performing a taunt.

* ''TabletopGame/SpheresOfPower'': The Guardian sphere lets you taunt an enemy, making it easier for them to hit you, but harder for them to hit anyone else. The Sentinel class turns this UpToEleven, by also giving ''you'' a bonus to attack and damage rolls against ''them''.

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': all classes have at least one taunt that can be used as an attack, such as the Scout's [[BatterUp Home Run]], the Soldier's [[TakingYouWithMe Kamikaze (and Lumbricus Lid)]], the Pyro's [[KamehameHadoken Hadoken]], [[BoomHeadshot Execution]], and [[RingOfFire Armageddon]], the Demoman's [[OffWithHisHead Decapitation]], the Heavy's [[FingerGun Showdown]], the Engineer's [[InstrumentOfMurder Dischord]] and [[PowerFist Organ Grinder]], the Medic's Spinal Tap, the Sniper's Skewer, and the Spy's Fencing.

** If Kirby taunts while having a Copy Ability, he loses it. (This allows him to acquire a new, more useful copy ability, or regain the ability just suck enemies up and spit them out. Kirby also happens to have one of the fastest taunts to help lose a Copy Ability quickly.)