Questions on Battle of Wits

I don't really know how to see this trope in battles, I kind of prefer long dragged out fights as opposed to one opponent outwitting the other. I only heard of series like Jojo through memes and posts but after hearing the premise, I don't know if I want to see it although it isn't because of the weirdness. I kind of feel intimidated by this trope because I know it requires some degree intelligence on the fighters part but I don't know if I am really that intelligent or smart since I mostly like seeing explosions. I have some questions on it, what exactly goes into this trope? could you still have Dragon Ball esque fights and still have this trope in effect? Do you need to be particularity smart or intelligent to utilize this trope? Do you need to some sort of master strategist or tactician to be in this trope? Could you still subscribe to honor before reason even as you are using this trope? Do you need superpowers or just be really creative?

Well hello there Mr. GAP. I believe I maybe able to help you with this.

Now,first of, YES. you can use Battle of Wits in an epic DBZ style fight. Strategy and spectacle are not mutually exclusive.

Second, the process of writing a Battle of Wits is actually exceedingly simple, just follow these two tips:

1. 1: Make each combatent unique in terms of fighting style. Give them different weapons, abilities, strengths, weaknesses ect.
   1. 2: Write the battle as you would any exciting fight scene, but whenever you try to decide what the characters actions will be consider these two things A) What are his strengths and how can he best take advantage of them? And B) What are his opponents weaknesses and how can he best exploit them?

That's all there is to it.

Still, any questions, just let me know.

I ahve some more questions:

1. Do you need to have read strategy books such as Sun Tzu, Twenty Stratagems, etc. in order to be familiar with strategy? I know simply reading those books will not make you a master strategist but it seems in works such as Jojo that most everyone is some sort of badass tactician that can defeat any foe with their brains. I don't want everyone to be a super tactician while I get DBZ-esque fights but do you need to be at least familiar with those works to learn strategy?

2. Speaking of super tactician, does everyone int he does have to be a strategist? How can I pull off palns without looking like an asspull or something that wasn't foreshadowed or planned in any way?

3. I want to avoid the Mary Tzu trope where the character is so smart that he probably planned the entire cast's lives before they were born. It is obvious jab at Bleach but still that I want to create a story where the Hero is so smart that I feel sorry for the antagonists who have to face them. Can this trope be avoided?

1. Not necessarily. A brief summary of strategy could be "know your enemy as intimately as possible, and use every tool at your disposal to manipulate them into doing what you want; and know yourself as intimately as possible to avoid enemy manipulation and self-defeat". A lot of strategy comes down to the problems of recognising what options are available (which often means thinking outside the box) and understanding the opponent (beginning with their immediate goals at the very least); handbooks to strategy give this same advice more thoroughly and for more specific situations. ^note I was introduced to strategy through Ender's Game and Wings of Dawn; I still haven't gotten around to reading The Art of War.

2. No. Even the best strategist can be defeated by someone less cunning, if the opponent overpowers or outmanoeuvres them (has better available options) or is simply an unknown quantity (making their responses difficult or impossible to predict).

3. Make sure that they each have useful strengths and detrimental weaknesses. Let them get annoyed at losing to a less-cunning opponent and make worse decisions as a result. Throw in unforeseen developments that change the situation when parts of the plan are already in motion. Abuse them through flaws in their character and put their desires in conflict, forcing them to choose what they want more. Let the Third Option turn out worse. Force them to take defeats and recover from them. Ruin plan B, and then if they have one ruin plan C. Take away their toys. Let accidents happen. Let the high ground be lost. Then let the hero assess themselves and their newfound situation, and find another way. No one will ever know everything about the other; the best that can be done is to try to arrange that what you don't know won't matter. (Guess how hard this is when you don't know it.)

edited 20th Nov '13 11:00:57 AM by Noaqiyeum