Avengers League Playoffs: Siddon v. Sean Whitmore

[Jessica Drew]

Welcome to the next playoff match of the Avengers League! If you haven't been following the league, it is a large scale series of battles where posters draft teams and pit their teams against that of other posters, and you vote to decide who wins. When voting, please consider the strategies the players have written, rather than just the team's roster.

Each match is taking place on an empty battlefield, 100 yards away, and each character (with few exceptions) depicted is in his/her most frequent incarnation (therefore, no Iron Spidey or Extremis Iron Man), and the characters have to act in character (meaning that the heroes cannot kill if they aren't normally wont to do so).

If you have any questions about the strategies, please feel free to post these questions here, and the players will answer. The match will last twenty-four hours. After that time period, the player with the largest number of votes wins.

!!! - For your vote to count, you must have a post count of no lower than fifty.

Siddon's team: Songbird, Morgan Le Fey, Dr. Druid, Firestar, Blizzard, Magdelene, Captain America, Spider-Woman, Beast, Jarvis, Bendis

Sean Whitmore's team: Thor, Adam Warlock, Wiccan, Tommy Shepherd, Moonstone, Rick Jones, Busiek

[Jessica Drew]

Siddon's strategy:

Phase 1

Magdalene teleports Druid, Morgan, Cap, Spider-woman, Songbird across the field in a Song bird shield.

Dr. Druid takes mental control of the young Speed and Wiccan neither of these boys have had any telepathic resistence training so Druid should have no problem with these two.

Blizzard throws up a huge ice shield to deflect an immediate energy blasts or lightening strikes.

Firestar lets out a blinding flash to stop any incoming assaults by Speed or Moonstone

Morgan moves into her astral form and sends out a strong mental bolt on Moonstone. Moonstones powers make her a real threat in this match however her deeply debilitated mental state will make her easy pickings for Morgan in the astral plane.

Speed and Wiccan turn on Thor with Speed running around him and launching blasts at him. On the other side Wiccan attempts to open up the ground beneath Thor. Thor should defeat both of these boys on his own but the distraction will take him out of the match for a short period of time.

Jarvis and Bendis tag team Busiek and shave his beard off with out his beard Kurt loses all of his powers.

Beast crosses the field and engages in battle with Rick Jones

Phase 2

Morgan sends a mental bolt after Warlock as Spider-woman attempts to use her pheromonal powers to calm him down. Cap then bashes his shield against Warlock.

Magdalene teleports in and Magdalene, Songbird, Firestar and Blizzard all blast Thor in four different directions. Magdalene blast is the only one that will take him down but the other three assaults should be good enough to distract and further wear Thor down..

Druid sends several mental bolts on Thor and subdues him... again.

Phase 3

If Thor is still standing then Morgan will further attack Thor mentally until he finally gives in.

[Jessica Drew]

Sean Whitmore's strategy:

Okay, my team is badly outnumbered. So what we have to do is--seriously, how the HELL did this happen? 11 to 7? What was I think--? Ahem. Anyway, the way to win here is to get the maximum effects from minimum attacks.

FIGHT BEGINS – Protect Thor and Wiccan

Thor’s immediate attack is a ridiculously huge mystic bolt fired at Morgan Le Fey, the purpose of which is to keep her on the defensive. Songbird’s shields don’t have a prayer of stopping it. If Morgan teleports away or somesuch, the blast devastates the rest of her team. If Magdalene absorbs it, she isn’t teleporting anyone yet. Net result is Le Fey is occupied for a few moments. If Magdalene gets REAL tricky and teleports the blast back at my team, Thor reabsorbs it into Mjolnir and fires again. If Fey gets a shield around my team before Thor can fire, he uses Mjolnir to teleport them out of it and the other energy-blasters fire at Fey.

As Thor is attacking, Wiccan is concentrating on his quickest, most intense spell in the tournament: “No more technology!” With that, every circuit, every servo, anything with a remotely moving part on the field stops working, regardless of where they are or what they’re doing. Magdalene’s staff. Blizzard’s ice-generating suit. Firestar’s protective suit. And most importantly, Songbird’s carapace and implants, taking away her ability to create solid-sound constructs, and reducing her to a simple sonic scream (and really, she shouldn’t even have that because she burned her powers out, but I won’t get picky). And to be clear, the spell doesn’t keep the tech from working, the spell destroyed the tech. So even if Wiccan is knocked out a second later, it’s not gonna start suddenly working again.

The instant Wiccan’s spell is completed, Thor hurls Mjolnir at top-speed (read = light), but not AT anyone. Mjolnir circles the field at invisible speeds, creating a nullifying vortex that negates all mystical energy within (as he has against the Juggernaut). Gone is Le Fey’s power, and gone are all of Druid’s mystic tricks. The nullifying field stays in effect as long as Mjolnir circles the field, leaving Thor to his strength and Wiccan to his lightning. More than enough.

During the above, the rest of the team is protecting Thor and Wiccan however they can, even if it amounts to taking a hit for them. They intercept any energy blast or physical assault. Warlock will sense if anyone’s about to teleport over and engage them at the speed of sound, followed by Speed. If at all possible, Warlock and Moonstone rain power and karma blasts at the other team, or at a force field if one is place around them. If Speed gets the chance, he attacks the other team (immediately doing so if it looks like a force field is being erected around my team), running through their ranks and strafing them with explosions left in his wake.

FIGHT CONTINUES

This is tricky, since because of my defensive maneuvers in the first phase, I don’t know who’s still conscious. Any strategy below that I have being performed by someone who is unconscious, will be subbed by another team member who isn’t. If this means the attacks have to be consecutive instead of concurrent, so be it.

Warlock is the most likely to still be conscious, with his incredible durability. He swoops at Druid, pretty well protected against his paltry telepathy, and punches him out (to be fair, Warlock probably can’t create his Karma Staff within the nullifying field).

Speed races toward Songbird (who should be unable to fly at this point) and punches her out (many, many times) before she can scream. He does the same to Le Fey after this. Warlock should be able to help if needed, since Druid will go down quick.

Moonstone and Wiccan battle Spider Woman and Firestar in the air, respectively. Moonstone phases through venom blasts and returns fire with even more powerful beams. They are fairly equal, but intangibility will tip the scales, and flying beats gliding. This match will go to the more ruthless Moonstone. If necessary, both Speed and Warlock will be free before this fight ends.

Wiccan has the advantage against Firestar, who may be feeling the ill effects of her own powers. Besides, she won’t want to burn an opponent, and there’s not much more you can do with fire powers in the open air. Whereas Wiccan can just shock her with mild lightning. However, if the more experienced Firestar should win this battle, Moonstone will arrive soon after to defeat her, followed again by Speed and Warlock if necessary.

Thor engages all of the fighters on the ground: Captain America, Magdalene, and the Beast, fairly unable to be hurt by any of them.

Rick Jones makes quick work of the boy-hungry butler Jarvis. Kurt Busiek uses the street-fighting skills he learned as a child on the mean streets of New York, dodging Officer Crupke and whatnot, and destroys the Cleveland-born (read = loser) Bendis.

FIGHT ENDS

Once Le Fey and Druid go down, Thor calls Mjolnir back to his hand. If any of his ground opponents are still conscious, they won’t be once Thor gets his hammer back and magic lightning fries them into unconsciousness.

Any conscious fliers go down right after, between. Speed, Wiccan, and Moonstone take care of anyone else left standing. The powerless Blizzard is taken out by anyone, at their leisure.

Backup plans
If Wiccan or Thor are incapacitated before pulling off the anti-tech spell or anti-magic field, the other characters scramble to free or rouse them as soon as possible.

If just the anti-tech spell fails, Warlock advances on Songbird faster than she can scream and hits her with every ounce of spiritual energy his staff can muster. Moonstone phases through/melts anything Blizzard throws at her and fries him. Thor deals with Magdalene hand-to-hand.

If just the anti-magic vortex fails, Thor attacks Fey with all of Mjolnir's power, which abosrbs and redirects any magic she sends his way. Without any additional powerups, Fey's attack power shouldn't be equal to his, and she will fall before Thor does.

If, for some ungodly reason, NEITHER of them work, that would require a whole different strategy, which I don't know is allowed and I know I don't have time for. Thor fights Le Fey, Warlock fights Songbird, and the rest do the best they can.

[Sean Whitmore]

Magdalene teleports Druid, Morgan, Cap, Spider-woman, Songbird across the field in a Song bird shield.


Looks like Thor's mega blast takes out Beast, Blizzard, and Firestar then. :) Maybe the flier can dodge, but the other two must be out like a light.

And in the time it would take Songbird to create a shield AND Magdalene to teleport them, Wiccan's anti-tech spell should be finished already.


Dr. Druid takes mental control of the young Speed and Wiccan


Warlock and Speed are prepared for teleporters, and take out Druid before he can control anyone. Again, by this time, Wiccan's spell should already be finished, so there is no Songbird shield. But even if there was, between the two of them, it's far from impenetrable.


Morgan moves into her astral form and sends out a strong mental bolt on Moonstone.
Speed and Wiccan turn on Thor...



While Morgan is attacking Moonstone, Thor is free to create his mystical nullifying field. And since Wiccan is not being controlled and not being attacked, he is likewise free to complete his anti-tech spell, which should actually ALREADY be finished, and begin to counter-attack with lightning.


That should leave Thor, Wiccan, Speed, and Warlock against Firestar, Spiderwoman, Cap, a powerless Morgan, and a near-powerless Songbird. And, as I've pretty much accounted for almost that exact fight in my strat...

That, as they say, is that! :D


SEAN

[kentonator]

WOW I think sean whitemore did really well, I will wait a bit if Siddon can convince me otherwise, if not great fight!

[Siddon]

Looks like Thor's mega blast takes out Beast, Blizzard, and Firestar then. :) Maybe the flier can dodge, but the other two must be out like a light.

And in the time it would take Songbird to create a shield AND Magdalene to teleport them, Wiccan's anti-tech spell should be finished already.


One must remember that we play the game in character and Thor can not release a "mega" blast with the civilians of Jarvis and Bendis on the field. Also Firestar is letting out a blinding light to start the match. Thor doesn't kill.



Warlock and Speed are prepared for teleporters, and take out Druid before he can control anyone. Again, by this time, Wiccan's spell should already be finished, so there is no Songbird shield. But even if there was, between the two of them, it's far from impenetrable.

With all due repspect Dr. Druid is a power mystic and taking over two childrens minds is hardly a major feet. This is the same man who they called in to take on Thanos and took down Thor.

Really your biggest flaw is your opening move could Thor destroy my team, sure but Thor doesn't kill and his mega blast will do that.

[Sean Whitmore]

One must remember that we play the game in character and Thor can not release a "mega" blast with the civilians of Jarvis and Bendis on the field. Also Firestar is letting out a blinding light to start the match. Thor doesn't kill.


My fault for not explaining better. One blast, obviously, can't hit several different people standing in different spots. With Morgan out of the way, the blast would obviously hit the ground where she stood, resulting in a shockwave that knocks everyone around it out. Jarvis and Bendis aren't made of glass.

Or, the blast obliterates whoever was standing behind Fey. Not what Thor wanted to have happen, but he was trying to stop Fey, not kill whoever was behind her.


With all due repspect Dr. Druid is a power mystic and taking over two childrens minds is hardly a major feet. This is the same man who they called in to take on Thanos and took down Thor.


I'm not saying Druid couldn't take control of them. I'm saying that Warlock is specifically prepared for attacking whoever teleports over, and he does so by taking Druid out first. Even if Druid could control two minds faster than Warlock could knock him out, the control would disperse as soon as he was unconscious.


SEAN

[Will.S]

Hmm, the hardest part is wondering how fast Thor can shoot the blast vs Siddon's teleportation and added shielding. Overall Siddon has a pretty solid strategy and definitely has the advantage in sheer numbers and the beard shaving strategy was pretty damn funny but I think Sean just edges this victory out since he had multiple back-up plans and used his characters pretty effective. Plus he's got Thor who can cream like most teams, he's the toughest one to handle usually if none of the powerhouses on a particular team can take him alone a dogpile is in order any time the chance comes which Siddon does nicely here.

As Thor is attacking, Wiccan is concentrating on his quickest, most intense spell in the tournament: “No more technology!” With that, every circuit, every servo, anything with a remotely moving part on the field stops working, regardless of where they are or what they’re doing. Magdalene’s staff. Blizzard’s ice-generating suit. Firestar’s protective suit. And most importantly, Songbird’s carapace and implants....
For some reason I thought there was a joke coming there when you said implants but it just sounded kind of funny, and dirty and.....hot.

Anyway it's a tough match to judge although I'm giving the slight edge to Sean since he has a good deal of contingency plans but so far but I haven't decided to vote juuuust yet.

[Sean Whitmore]

Hmm, the hardest part is wondering how fast Thor can shoot the blast vs Siddon's teleportation and added shielding.


If it helps, I concede that Fey can teleport away before Thor's blast hits her. However, as detailed above, that doesn't negatively affect my strategy in the least. :)


For some reason I thought there was a joke coming there when you said implants but it just sounded kind of funny, and dirty and.....hot.



That's in the Avengers League: MAX Edition, coming this Fall. ;)


SEAN

[Will.S]

If it helps, I concede that Fey can teleport away before Thor's blast hits her. However, as detailed above, that doesn't negatively affect my strategy in the least. :)
Fair enough I guess.

That's in the Avengers League: MAX Edition, coming this Fall. ;)
Hahaha

[Sean Whitmore]

Thanks for a great fight, Siddon!

And thanks to everyone who voted...all SIX of you.

Jesus, what the hell happened there?


SEAN

[Will.S]

And thanks to everyone who voted...all SIX of you.

Jesus, what the hell happened there?
It's all downhill from here bub.

And congrats, nice job too Siddon.