Fantasy Combat! Hagrid vs Gregor =)

[TheKillerBs]

Yes, that could be a very effective tactic if Hagrid gripped the shield properly, as opposed to by the edge as I believe he would. Mostly because the mental image of someone trying to keep a rabid dog at bay with a trash can lid popped up into my mind as I was reading the thread, and I'm not really married to the idea. Hagrid is smart, I'm sure he could figure out the proper way to grip a shield just by looking at it. But yes, if Gregor knew it was coming he could do some damage by sliding. However, I doubt that, without a proper stance and especially without the muscle memory of training how to cut someone's legs while he slides, he could do manage to make a cut deep enough for muscle or ligament damage unless he was really lucky on where the blade sliced.

 

[Drakevarg]

I would like to point out that from a defensive standpoint, you really don't need a very big shield to deflect sword blows. Bucklers existed for a reason. Now, I wouldn't argue that Hagrid would know how to use a proportionately-buckler-sized shield effectively, but on the off chance he could figure it out intuitively it would function as a sort of cone of defense directed back at himself. Fairly minimal movement would allow him to send blows sliding away from him.

Since basic sense would argue he's using some Westerosi shield, on the other hand (it's not like he'd be liable to own one himself), I think a basic kite or round shield would be more likely. Finesse isn't exactly a popular approach in that country. Which also factors in to why I don't think Gregor's training would help much against someone with Hagrid's huge advantage in reach, strength, and durability. Gregor is trained as a shock trooper, not a fencer. That's not to say he doesn't know how to move - he clearly does - but he'd hardly be doing elegant capoeira around Hagrid while the half-giant lumbered around stupidly like a miniboss from a vidjagame.

This fight has a lot of semblance to the Mountain vs. the Viper in that it's a smaller, more skilled opponent against a much larger and stronger one, but the main difference is that Oberyn had a lot more speed and agility relative to Gregor than Gregor has to Hagrid, and Hagrid is way bigger and way stronger in proportion to Gregor than Gregor was to Oberyn. And Oberyn was doomed the very second Gregor landed a solid blow on him. It'd be a very similar fight, only with less swagger and with the smaller combatant not in any way accustomed to fighting opponents larger than himself.

 

[Sheilawisz]

Gregor, and only because Hagrid is not giving the weapon to which he is accustom. In reality, both would be lumbering targets.

I think what Crystal means is that, if these characters were real, they would not be nearly as strong and powerful as they are in their worlds. I agree with her, because even though there are and have been men as tall (and even taller) than Gregor, they would not be good warriors.

In my opinion, the maximum height for a healthy and efficient male human warrior would be seven feet. Many health problems start to develop when a person grows beyond that height, and even though some of them can play Basketball and other sports it would not be a good idea to send them to a battle.

A 7'8'' or perhaps a 7'10'' Gregor in the real life would be a poor fighter, and Hagrid is even more impossible than that.

Crystal: What would be Hagrid's best weapon, in your opinion? I considered to give him the crossbow, but that would have made the fight even more unfair just like the wand and magic would do.

I do agree that the shield is a major factor, and I said as much in an earlier comment. But I also think that something's not quite right with the initial conditions given for the fight. To make the fight "fair," Hagrid is given a sword and shield; and so in all "fairness," he obviously wins outright in 2 seconds. OK.

Hey Fifthview. I see that Gregor's supporters are very annoyed because of the unfairness of the fight. I said before that I tried to make the initial conditions as fair as possible, not that I would make it really fair. To me, the fight is so obviously unequal any way you look at it that the only way for Gregor to win would be to have a machine gun or a missile launcher.

I wanted Hagrid to have a shield instead of a full suit of armor, because if Gregor has near complete protection for his body then Hagrid should have some defenses too.

I'd like to point out that "proportional" size for weapon and shield was specified only after the fact by the poll creator.

It would be very weird to see Hagrid carrying a normal sized, 3 and a half feet sword and an ordinary shield, so I assumed that people would automatically imagine weapons scaled up to meet his size. Alright, I accept that the ten feet long sword is too much, so... What about an eight feet sword?

The shield is circular, about four feet in diameter and made of wood with edges reinforced with steel.

Please don't be annoyed at me anymore because of my Tyrannosaurus joke. Some funny pictures to illustrate what Hagrid's body could look like were posted and I didn't like them, but I know that it was just for fun. Banten pointed out that calling you Gregor's fans was harsh from me, but why is that?

Even if I had called you fanboys, I don't see why that would be bad. I am a fangirl of HP and also a Frozen fangirl, and that's fine. The reason that explains why I became confused is that I never expected that there would be strong support for Gregor, and I became dismissive because people were ignoring my arguments and my initial conditions from the start.

I am sorry, in case I managed to get you too mad at me.

 

[TheKillerBs]

A 12' (about 4 metres?) tall human is a physiologic impossibility, so "in reality" Hagrid would not be any sort of target. He just wouldn't be.

 

[Devor]

In my opinion the appropriate fight question is Gregor in full armor against Hagrid with a crossbow and wand. Trying to give Hagrid a sword and shield, I think, adds too much uncertainty. That does raise the thought, though - think about how powerful a crossbow would have to be if it was tuned to Hagrid's strength. Geesh, it would rip through Gregor's armor like paper.

 

[CupofJoe]

Oh... by the gods... 80+ posts and STILL no consensus.
Enough! I cry
Enough already!

 

[Svrtnsse]

Oh... by the gods... 80+ posts and STILL no consensus.
Enough! I cry
Enough already!

Write a story about it. Maximum 5000 words. Best fight wins. You've got one week.

 

[Devor]

Oh... by the gods... 80+ posts and STILL no consensus.
Enough! I cry
Enough already!

My two year old broke my mug this morning and spilled my coffee all over the floor.

Don't make me do the same.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Scratch that. Let's have a fight between Tea and Coffee instead.

 

[FifthView]

I say, let's put Rowling and GRRM in a cage match and see what happens.

 

[CupofJoe]

Scratch that. Let's have a fight between Tea and Coffee instead.

I'm a lover not a fighter...
Unless I can inspire the essence of certain Ethiopian Mountain Estate's cold roast single bean coffee to infuse me.
Then I'm all FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did I mention that I have family that import exotic coffees?
But I think 5th View has it... Let the authors work it out.
My money is on JK...

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

I'm a lover not a fighter...
Unless I can inspire the essence of certain Ethiopian Mountain Estate's cold roast single bean coffee to infuse me.
Then I'm all FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did I mention that I have family that import exotic coffees?
But I think 5th View has it... Let the authors work it out.
My money is on JK...

Sidebar, you need to make a magic system based off of coffee.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Sidebar, you need to make a magic system based off of coffee.

The dark roast art of Coffomancy.

 

[FifthView]

Sidebar, you need to make a magic system based off of coffee.

I'd make it something like Sanderson's allomancy from his Mistborn books, except imbibing different drinks has different effects. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, beer, tequila, and lemonade do different things.

 

[Devor]

I'd make it something like Sanderson's allomancy from his Mistborn books, except imbibing different drinks has different effects. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, beer, tequila, and lemonade do different things.

Yep. So, give Gregor a shot of coffee, and Hagrid a shot of tea. NOW who wins?

 

[FifthView]

Yep. So, give Gregor a shot of coffee, and Hagrid a shot of tea. NOW who wins?

Probably Gregor, simply because a) Hagrid has a natural resistance to poisons and such, so I doubt the effect of the tea on him, and b) Hagrid has much larger body mass anyway so Gregor will gain more benefit when both get a mere shot.

 

[glutton]

Oh... by the gods... 80+ posts and STILL no consensus.
Enough! I cry
Enough already!

There's often never a consensus on these things.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I think these death matches are hard to enjoy when one or both characters are likable. We had Arya killing Herimone once in a death match thread, and it was a close and exciting match. The thread died, likely because two preteen heroines just brutalized each other, and it kind of leaves a sour taste, though it's just in fun.

They have these hero vs. hero movies coming out--Capt. America vs. Iron Man, Batman vs. Supes... I think that's lame. Fanfic on a blockbuster budget? What's the fun of seeing superheroes go at it after a decades-long alliance/friendship/super-friendship?

 

[Penpilot]

They have these hero vs. hero movies coming out--Capt. America vs. Iron Man, Batman vs. Supes... I think that's lame. Fanfic on a blockbuster budget? What's the fun of seeing superheroes go at it after a decades-long alliance/friendship/super-friendship?

I think these movies are a bit different. There are story based reasons for these things. The Captain America movie is based on a comic book storyline where Captain and Ironman have a ideological disagreement that puts them on opposite sides of a "Civil War" of superheroes.

Then there's Batman Vs Superman. They've always been at odds with each other about ideology. What made things special in my eyes was their friendship in spite of their differences. They're just playing off of that, and by the end of the movie they'll be smoochie smoochie.

And remember, the most bitter rivals often started off as good friends. And sometimes the opposite of that happens too. Bitter rivals set aside their differences and become friends.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I don't doubt this is based on canon, but when you're not following the comics who is Batman? He's the campy man in tights who makes cartoon letters appear when he punches villains, then he becomes a hoarse whisperer in a breast plate with nipples, but you know whose side he's on.

Who is Superman? He's the clean-cut bumbling nerd who removes his specs and will turn the world backwards to save his love, Lois Lane, who he later knocks up and immediately hides in outer space to avoid paying child support. Aside from being a deadbeat dad, you know whose side he's on.

Now there's a preview with the two beating the crap out of each other. Who do I root for? Is it gray vs. gray—superheroes with this gray morality crap, where everyone's a hero until an agenda changes that? Is there a villain instigating the fight so that, halfway into the movie they're buddies again, so the "Vs." in the title is really an ampersand's secret identity?

The answer doesn't matter. I'll just watch Supergirl on TV for my superhero fix. It's a little corny, but I kinda like that for superhero stuff.