History Main / UriahGambit

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'', the protagonist boards a ship (which would allegedly take him and the crew back to England) to find Jane, her father and the rest being taken hostages by the ship's henchmen, leading to an intense escape sequence that ends with Tarzan getting captured as well. The reason for such a sudden attack? Why, it was set up by none other than [[spoiler:Clayton]]! He knew Tarzan wouldn't quite like it when he found out they were going to capture his gorilla family, so he got the henchmen to jump on him ALL at once to try and successfully overwhelm him!
** Coupled with BetrayalByInaction, considering [[spoiler:Clayton]] reacts exactly like you would expect when Tarzan asks him for help (and maybe even ''[[AddingInsultToInjury worse]]'').

** Sadly confirmed in the prequel fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/32138716 Shrike]]''

* Implied in the penultimate chapter to have been the true cause of [[spoiler: Karl and Quackity's deaths]] in the [[LetsPlay Dream SMP]] AU fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/28755084 Passerine]]'': [[spoiler: a paragraph in Dream/the Green' God's [[MotiveRant Motive Rant]] heavily indicates that he used his [[RealityWarper Reality Warping]] abilities to manipulate them into the forefront of a battle where he knew Technoblade (who he has ''also'' been using his powers to manipulate) would be leading the opposing forces, and against whom they didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell. The motivation for orchestrating the murders is implied to have been jealousy and fear of losing his friend Sapnap/The War God, who was in love with them.]]

*** During the Fourth Battle of Tiamat in the first movie Mückenberger sent his fleet out to the front of the battle unsupported, then gave the rest of his force orders to not worry about hitting friendlies when the shooting started. Just to make this clear, he was willing to kill over a thousand of ''his own ships'' and their crews just to see Reinhard dead. Just like Yang, Reinhard not only survives but [[spoiler:turns it around on him and becomes crucial to the Imperial victory]].
*** The first battle of the series, the Battle of Astarte, had Mückenberger deprive him of most of his talented sub-commanders, and then send him into battle and arrange for the enemy to find out he's coming so they'll send a much larger fleet to stop him. After Reinhard not only wins but [[CurbStompBattle inflicts the Alliance ten times the casualties he suffered and comes very close to annihilate the enemy forces]], Mückenberger realizes what kind of genius he's dealing with and makes sure to not be in the way when Reinhard starts his political ascension, [[spoiler:insuring his own survival when Reinhard takes over the Empire and other High Nobles try and fail to stop him]].

* ''Pegasus Device'', which serves as the sequel to ''Fanfic/RainbowFactory'' shows that this [[spoiler:was [[TheDragon Dr. Atmosphere's]] plan all along in order to get rid of Rainbow Dash as the Upper Weather Factory's Chief Director in order to put an end to constantly wasting resources [[PoweredByAForsakenChild on constantly killing Foals that failed their flight tests to make Rainbows from]] to instead starting up a fellow researchers' efforts into making Rainbows via a blood donation drive. Atmosphere intentionally sabotaged the ventilation system within the Main Theater so if any ponies had a chance to escape; Rainbow would dedicate a number of resources into trying to recapture them. If the foals managed to cause enough mayhem to the Factory, Dr. Atmosphere would then be able to approach the authorities outside to confess what was happening while Rainbow Dash and everypony else in the factory was distracted. All the more sweeter it was should the foals manage to cause enough destruction to the facility that several members of staff wound up injured or dying under orders by Rainbow that it could be used to remove not only her but a number of her sycophants as well: allowing for Atmosphere to be promoted to Director instead should Rainbow be considered too incompetent.]]

* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' -- what do you do when your Data Interface gains emotions, but you can't kill her off lest the protective BadassNormal called Kyon convinces Haruhi to recreate the world and wipe you out? You invoke the Uriah Gambit, sending the Interface to meet up with the Sky Canopy Dominion and hope she will GoMadFromTheRevelation.

* The whole plot of ''Literature/GoingPostal''. Moist von Lipwig, who was sentenced to death for fraud, is instead tasked with reviving the Post Office. The last four Postmasters have all died on the job. If he succeeds, great! If he dies too, well, that's just his sentence being carried out.

** This was also the reason that Palpatine supported the Literature/OutboundFlight project. Eighteen Jedi, six of them Masters, heading off on a dangerous mission into the Unknown Regions... why, ''anything'' could happen out there. The fifty thousand civilians with them? Too bad.

* ''Pegasus Device'', which serves as the sequel to ''Fanfic/RainbowFactory'' shows that this [[spoiler:was [[TheDragon Dr. Atmosphere's]] plan all along in order to get rid of Rainbow Dash as the Upper Weather Factory's Chief Director in order to put an end to constantly wasting resources [[PoweredByAForsakenChild on constantly killing Foals that failed their flight tests to make Rainbows from]] to instead starting up a fellow researchers' efforts into making Rainbows via a blood donation drive. Atmosphere intentionally sabotaged the ventilation system within the Main Theater so if any ponies had a chance to escape; Rainbow would dedicate a number of resources into trying to recapture them. If the foals managed to cause enough mayhem to the Factory. Dr. Atmosphere would then be able to approach the authorities outside to confess what was happening while Rainbow Dash and everypony else in the factory was distracted. All the more sweeter it was should the foals manage to cause enough destruction to the facility that several members of staff wound up injured or dying under orders by Rainbow that it could be used to remove not only her but a number of her sycophants as well: allowing for Atmosphere to be promoted to Director instead should Rainbow be considered too incompetent.]]

* In ''[[LetsPlay/AchievementHunterGrandTheftAutoSeries Let's Play -- GTA V -- Michael's Heist]], it turns out that [[spoiler:Michael plotted one of these, intending on getting Ryan, Ray, Geoff and Kerry killed while he, Gavin and a hidden away Lindsay got the money. The plan had Ryan and Ray being killed by a car bomb while Geoff and Kerry would die by a boat bomb. They died, but not the way Michael wanted -- Ryan had figured out Michael's plan early on and had plotted to go against him, but the police killed him and Ray anyway and Kerry and Geoff went onto Michael and Gavin's boat, forcing Michael to gun them both down.]]

* ''Series/{{Survivors}}'': This series is often about political conflicts, in one case resolving in a Uriah Gambit. In the two-part episode "Lights of London", a post-pandemic London of under 500 residents is mostly concerned with surviving rat attacks, mourning the vast majority of people, and trying not to think about [[spoiler:the very real possibility of human civilization collapsing within weeks]]... which is technically suppressed information, but easy enough for any resident to figure out and thus suppressed mostly by denial. Two of the biggest exceptions, the [[PresidentEvil fascist Mayor of London]] and his [[Deuteragonist last remaining anarchist critic]], find out that [[spoiler:London is indeed the last surviving population center]], a situation where [[TheFettered a principled revolutionary]] can be forced into a suicide mission due to surviving Londoners' high tolerance to the virus. The Mayor predictably attempts this out of any well-meaning sycophants' view, but then [[spoiler:uses a battle plan against the protagonist that is so openly insane, his ditzy right-hand man finally wakes up to reality and abandons him to a well-deserved death]].

* The short story ''All's Fair in Love and War'' by Jeffrey Archer has a twist. DirtyCoward Ralph Dudley Dawson recommends his wife's lover Jamie Corrigan for a dangerous mission rather than sending him himself. [[spoiler:Corrigan, on his return, dives into a trench, escapes the enemy fire]] and gets a Military Medal for his trouble, while [[spoiler:Dawson gets a bullet in his forehead as he [[WhatAnIdiot looks out to see where Corrigan is]]]]. Bonus point: since [[spoiler:Dawson]] dies intestate, [[spoiler:his wife inherits all his fortune and is free to marry Corrigan]].

* A less subtle variation combined with CavalryBetrayal in the history of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', when Horus put the loyalist elements of four of the Legions that supported his rebellion on the front lines of the assault on Istvaan III and then bombed the planet from orbit.

* In ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare 2'', this is combined with UnwittingPawn with fatal results for [[spoiler:PFC Allen. Shepherd sends him to infiltrate Makarov's inner circle counting on Makarov seeing through him and using him as a scapegoat to kickstart a war between America and Russia. It's even hinted later that Shepherd endsured Allen would be discovered by leaking his identity to Makarov.]]

** Loghain first tries to get Cailain to wait for reinforcements, then tries to keep him from being on the front lines. When both attempts fail and the signal fire is late, Loghain simply leaves with the rest of the men rather than charging in as they had planned. There is much argument among both fans and various characters as to whether he was intending for Cailan to die or simply trying to save as much of the army as he could thanks to the beacon fire being late. Either way, he isn't too broken up about it and refuses to admit his own role. [[spoiler:Even if you recruit him, he maintains that he was not trying to get Cailan killed but simply could not save him from his own foolishness. Buuut then again, other actions immediately before the battle hint that he was plotting something anyway, since Cailan was about to callously divorce his HotConsort Anora... aka [[PapaWolf Loghain's]] [[DaddysGirl beloved daughter]].]]

If it's the hero who does this, which will make their role as hero ''very'' questionable, they're setting themselves up (as in the TropeNamer) for a WhatTheHellHero and MyGodWhatHaveIDone. If it's done ''to'' the hero, Heaven help you if they should somehow not only [[WeDoTheImpossible survive but thrive]] on your {{Impossible Task}}s. In those cases, you may have a ReassignmentBackfire on your hands.

A subtrope of ShootTheDangerousMinion and MakeItLookLikeAnAccident. See also UnfriendlyFire for a more hands-on approach that can work in both directions. When you send someone out with an item that attracts danger, that's the TroubleMagnetGambit. When that someone actually pulls it off, repeatedly, it's SurprisinglyEliteCannonFodder. When you do this [[DrivenToSuicide to yourself]], it's SuicideByCop. For extra irony (as in the TropeNamer), can be combined with PleaseShootTheMessenger, where "Uriah" has to deliver the instructions that will get them killed. May overlap with ReassignedToAntarctica if the mission is to guard or otherwise stay posted in an extremely dangerous area. Related to TrickedToDeath, depending on the nature of the assignment.

** Late in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', while the teachers who are their respective Heads of Houses gather inside the staff room to decide on the best course of action after the "Slythrin's monster" had just taken Ginny into the Chamber of Secrets and [[CouldntFindAPen a message made with blood]] was left behind in its wake, [[MilesGloriousus Gilderoy]] [[FakeUltimateHero Lockhart]] barges in. Snape promptly suggests for Lockhart, who has spent many an hour propping himself up to the student body at every opportunity through the whole year, to personally tackle the monster himself, garnering support from the other Heads of Houses and causing Lockhart to make up a feeble lie before leaving.[[note]] He doesn't get to go anywhere because Harry and Ron force him to go inside the Chamber of Secrets with them soon afterwards, but no one knew that was going to happen at the time.[[/note]]

** Late in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', while the teachers who are their respective Heads of Houses gather inside the staff room to decide on the best course of action after the "Slythrin's monster" had just taken Ginny into the Chamber of Secrets and [[CouldntFindAPen a message made with blood]] was left behind in its wake, [[MilesGlorious Gilderoy]] [[FakeUltimateHero Lockhart]] barges in. Snape promptly suggests for Lockhart, who has spent many an hour propping himself up to the student body at every opportunity through the whole year, to personally tackle the monster himself, garnering support from the other Heads of Houses and causing Lockhart to make up a feeble lie before leaving.[[note]] He doesn't get to go anywhere because Harry and Ron force him to go inside the Chamber of Secrets with them soon afterwards, but no one knew that was going to happen at the time.[[/note]]
--->'''McGonagall''': That's gotten him out from under our feet.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'', Draco Malfoy is assigned the ImpossibleTask of [[spoiler:killing Dumbledore]], with the clear understanding that he will be killed if he fails. Narcissa Malfoy and Dumbledore (correctly) deduce that this mission is just a way for Voldemort to [[IWillPunishYourFriendforYourFailure punish Draco's father, Lucius, for his slew of recent mistakes]]. [[spoiler:Averted when Snape performs the deed instead; the reasons behind it are left for the final book.]]

*** Unfortunately, being on adventures so often and ''surviving'' means she's the most powerful paladin in her order. She almost kills [[spoiler: Hinjo in combat, with martial prowess alone.]]

* ''Film/JohnWick'': John's backstory involves being given an impossible task to retire his career as a hitman. Viggo was surprised (albiet grateful) when he pulled it off.

* The 444th "Spare" Squadron in ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown'' is a penal unit made up of Osean convicts, namely disgraced military personnel, political dissidents, and other inconvenient prisoners who fall on the wrong side of Osean military law. Their role pretty much boils down to an institutionalized version of this, where they are considered [[WeHaveReserves completely expendable]] and only the bare minimum amount of effort is done to keep them in any sort of military fighting shape, since their main purpose is simply to be fodder to distract the enemy. And if they die in combat, well that's all the better since its one less person for Osea to worry about.

* ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' examples:
** Yang Wenli of the Free Planets Alliance was given the mission of taking the impregnable Iserlohn fortress with half a fleet after opposing the Patriotic Corps. Not only it fails, [[spoiler:he succeeds without losing a single soldier]].
** Happens to Reinhard twice, courtesy of fleet admiral Gregor von Mückenberger and his belief that Reinhard got his rank only because his sister was the Emperor's favorite concubine:

* In ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'', one of the first things the Emperor does when he's able to communicate for the first time in millennia is order the Ultramarines - who he hates due to a mixture of their {{Mary Sue}} traits and the fact that he's been listening to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx61xeDV_60 their chanting]] for ten thousand years -- to go right into the [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Eye of Terror]] to capture a [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Daemon Primarch]] with their ships' [[DeflectorShields Geller Fields]] disabled so they have no defense against the daemonic hordes. [[BrickJoke Several episodes later]] he's astonished when the Ultramarines actually accomplish this suicide mission, and the Emperor has a change of heart, reasoning that a chapter of [[InvincibleHero invincible heroes]] may be annoying, but they can at least get stuff done, so he sends them on a seemingly impossible but non-suicidal mission.

** Most of Hercules' Labors were attempts to get him killed. They failed since Hercules was the WorldsStrongestMan and at times a clever one too. The labor of cleaning the Augean Stables (which had never been cleaned since ''ever'') was unique in that it was meant to humiliate Hercules instead of kill him. Backfired when Hercules ''diverted a river into the Stables''.
*** Though that backfired on Hercules, since technically the river did the cleaning for him, so it didn't count, so he had another labor added.
*** Other sources claim it didn't count not because of the river, but because he took payment from King Augeas for doing it, making it employment and not labour.