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7[[quoteright:249:[[ComicBook/SpiderMan https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_razor_fist_william_scott_3750.png]]]]
8[[caption-width-right:249:Let's hope he never gets jock itch. [[note]]Character is Razorfist, villain from ''ComicBook/ShangChi'', pictured from a ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' comic[[/note]]]]
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10->''"It's simple: Overspecialize, and you breed in weakness. It's slow death."''
11-->-- '''Major Motoko Kusanagi''', ''Anime/{{Ghost in the Shell|1995}}''
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13CompetitiveBalance exists so that there is some symmetry between specific advantages and the NecessaryDrawback. If someone can hit hard but is easily hurt, they are a GlassCannon. If they are [[SuperStrength unstoppably strong]] but slow-moving, they are a MightyGlacier. If they are incredibly fast but go down quickly when hit, they are a FragileSpeedster. A crippling overspecialization occurs when an obscenely powerful advantage makes a trade-off that limits [[AwesomeButImpractical how effective it is]].
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15In some RealTimeStrategy games, unit types are often specialized beyond all reason. They often have only one weapon, [[WeaponOfXSlaying effective against just one particular kind of enemy]], and usually cannot defend themselves at all if their particular weapon is ineffective. The most prominent examples can be seen in this genre: explosives will deal low damage to infantry[[note]]though maybe the problem isn't so much with their damage as with [[PowerfulButInaccurate their accuracy]][[/note]], while Anti-Aircraft cannons can't defend against ground units. This is usually a result of game balance. After all, if tanks are effective enough against other tanks ''and'' infantry, then why build anything else? Additionally, units in games are traditionally depicted with only one weapon. A few might have a second gun used for attacking enemy fliers, but that's about it.
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17Can result from a TacticalRockPaperScissors design scheme, from intensive MinMaxing in a character build, or a case of HighlySpecificCounterplay. People who do this for ElementalRockPaperScissors are suffering from PoorPredictableRock.
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19See also AntiAir, CumbersomeClaws, and StrongFleshWeakSteel. Compare to AnAdventurerIsYou, where this is used to force players to work together. See also SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining for a characterization equivalent and SingleTaskRobot for a {{robot}} equivalent. SeverelySpecializedStore is a comedic variation. DiminishingReturnsForBalance is when a game forces this by having a combat build that invests everything into one aspect being less effective than a more well-rounded playstyle.
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21Don't confuse "having a weakness" or "not being the best at everything" or even "not being quite good enough" as being this trope. Don't be tempted to list something because it failed in some way unless you can point a finger at its crippling specialty! Also don't list something just because it's specialized: as long as the specialization works and is useful, it is not crippling.
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23The opposites of this trope are TheRedMage, JackOfAllStats, and MasterOfAll. At the other extreme that loops right back is MasterOfNone, where the character has no great specialization... but sucks at everything anyway.
24----
25!!Examples:
26[[index]]
27* CripplingOverspecialization/VideoGames
28* CripplingOverspecialization/NonVideoGameExamples
29** CripplingOverspecialization/RealLife
30[[/index]]

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