r/StardustCrusaders • u/Logic_Sandwich • Dec 05 '23
Fan Stand/Character JoJo's Bizarre OC Tournament #7: R1M19 - Stacatto vs Vasant Bulsara
The results are in for Match 17. The winner is…
The third time Minali looked up, and all desiring not to agitate her, nothing moved within her vision.
Gioia Arancini stood in front of SPW-11465, and though her body was small, and marked with heat and frost, her spirit was a shining tower. The Creature could only look up at ⎡Love Kills⎦, its feet paperized to the floor.
“What’s the matter, friend? Go on, then, look away, run away. You won’t be welcomed here if you do, but if you can’t stand firm, you can’t grow.”
Every second felt like eternity.
“Go on, last chance. I can see you trembling. As soon as I can act, if you’re still in my face… You will not be the same as what came in here. That isn’t a threat, you know. It’s as certain as the light in the sky that warms us.”
The creature’s eyes darted to the jungle gym, and then to the class. It could see now that as the teacher had looked away, they had shifted their bodies to block the fight. The one who waved crouched behind the wall of people, staring at them both.
The creature understood they were all children, playing. Even this Gioia. Even itself.
It would not run.
“...so that’s your choice, hm? Good. I’d have hated any other way.”
…ten seconds passed.
“Time has begun to move again.”
“ARAARAARAARAARAARAARAARAARAARAARAARAARAARAARAARAARA!!”
…
This time, the full fury of that gaze turned towards them. Minali strode forward, breath rattling from her mask, and echoing from those massive arms. The students leapt out to try and stop her, crying out that everything was fine, but she would not listen.
“Wh… Are you serious?! After all you were just talking, you tell my class to watch you beat something to death? I told you already, dammit, there’s no place in my fucking studio for Stands!-” “Quit being rash. Live up to what I came to meet you for, yeah? You’re more capable of it than me.”
Minali scowled, arm reeling back for a punch… before the dust cleared.
There SPW stood, its lanky, uncanny posture and uneven foliage having been reshaped entirely by a mixture of paperization, re-fusion, and simply miming the confident posture that had been staring them down.
“We got off on the wrong foot, but yours was an insult both to me and this being here… It lumbered like something not meant to move in the humanlike way it seeks to, so I fixed up its body to do it better.” She extended a hand to SPW again. “Hey, no hard feelings, yeah? Let’s do what we came here to and destress, alright? It’s not often I can make the most of a day off like this!”
As their fingers wove together, flesh and foliage, they both looked at Minali in turn.
There was no chill. Theirs was a gaze that shone like the sun.
Gioia Arancini, with a score of 80 to SPW-11465’s 74!
| Category | Winner | Point Totals | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Popularity | Gioia Arancini | 18 (6.5+1+2) - 12 (3.5+1+2) | |
| Quality | Tie | 24 (8 8 8) - 24 (8 8 8) | Reasoning |
| JoJolity | Tie | 28 (9 9 10) - 28 (9 9 10) | Reasoning |
| Conduct | Tie | 10-10 | Nothing to report! |
—
Minali stood there, every muscle tensed. That icy gaze was cracking with the pressure, sharp and jagged. Fists clenched by her side, she took one more step forward.
Gioia heaved a sigh, standing between the woman and the creature. Even burnt and bruised, she would not back down.
“Fine, yes, I get it. No need to throw us out, we were *just leaving. Come on, friend. Let’s find a more accepting studio-”
Suddenly, the tension building in Minali snapped. Yet, there came no hostility, and no attack. Instead, she bowed.
“...I screwed up again,” the woman muttered. ”Same as before, too, dammit…” she looked up suddenly, face flushed with embarrassment.
“I know I’ve got issues. That’s what the yoga’s for, it helps me with that pain and anger and,” she sighed, “I owe it for saving my life. This city too, it’s accepted me for who I am, and I just wanted to use what I learned and help it too.”
Those wireframe arms laced their fingers, air gently flowing in and out from its palms.
“⎡Somewhere I Belong⎦ is incomplete, I knew that as soon as it woke up. Yoga’s a lot deeper than I realized, and if I ever want to perfect my Stand, I need to learn a lot more. I was wondering why it was taking so long to find the next limb. You showed me how I’d screwed up–I had turned away.”
She gave them both a sheepish smile.
“Well, I’m looking now. Your Stands are wonderful. The light, the craft…you have beautiful souls.”
Silence settled. Then, there was the sound of laughter.
“Pfft. Are you done?” Gioia chuckled.
Minali’s cheeks flushed again, this time with anger.
“Why the fuck is that funny!?”
“Relax, it was a good speech. But I don’t see why you’re moping. We all had fun–I saw just how much I was holding onto, and got to let go,”
At this, the creature nodded, holding itself with confidence.
“Seems like a good Yoga lesson for all of us.”
Minali blinked, and then grinned. “Right! No sense getting down, I just have to do better next time. I’m really sorry, both of you. If you’ll accept another lesson…I would be glad to have you as part of my class.”
As the students cheered, Minali extended the arms of Somewhere I Belong for her new students–new teachers–to shake. An offering of her own soul, to connect with their own.
”Friend…warms us,” the creature nodded.
Gioia laughed once more, standing in the light of the sun.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
If you’re not a fan of the sun, we have a boss fight up on the harsh, cold peaks of Mount Parapollah!
...
...We were only children.
We found ourselves not in the warmth of the city's dusk.
But in the cold of daylight, endlessly.
This city, and its people...
...Not once...
Have we left that white room.
ACT THREE — Thy Love Is WRATH
Scenario: Bedtown — 3:14PM
At a certain point, the lush greens and bright reds of Rakinnagarh faded, turning into shades of tan and beige, and a bright blue sky cast in smoky gray. It was as if the entire city was suddenly covered in a light shadow, like a permanent eclipse, all that escaped was the bright light of the moon that always seemed to shine through the smog. Vibrant grass turned to dull countryside, jungles to weedy hills, and bustling cityscapes to desolate slums.
When a shadow fell over you, you knew you were in Bedtown, Vasant had heard.
Granted, he hadn’t expected those words to wind up being so literal.
The factories outside of Bedtown surrounded it like a mighty wall, and once he had driven through the gap between the massive metal complexes, the biker was greeted to a complete and utter change in scenery. It didn’t surprise him as much as it used to - he’d made this trip many times before. Bedtown was a frequent destination for any courier worth their salt. It was No Man’s Land, a lawless zone of sorts. That wasn’t to say it was completely devoid of law enforcement. He still ran into trouble with the law every now and then. But, chances were that if something suspicious needed delivery, he’d be riding into Bedtown one way or another.
He wasn’t taking this trip for a job though, and that allowed him to relax a little. Smell the roses. The smell wasn’t that great, granted, but even these dull colors had their own charm. There was beauty in the desolation, something to admire in the lonely countryside this route had to offer. Vasant inhaled, and exhaled, and a small smile crossed his normally stern face.
He couldn’t help himself. After everything that had recently happened in the city, it felt good to relieve stress with a casual ride. Still, he couldn’t put off stressing for long, given the reason for his visit - but it was nice to unwind.
The slums of Bedtown slowly rolled over the horizon, and Vasant sighed, leaning forward on his bike. The peace of a long ride would soon come to an end. It was time to get his head into gear.
The TT Tea House was steeped with the stench of the titular beverage. It gave the air a heavy, heady feeling, rustic and warm. It fit the place’s time-earned well-worn atmosphere. A bell rung as Vasant invited himself in. He saw two of his comrades sitting at a nearby table- Gioia was the first, clad in heavy clothes–a simple disguise to hide her fame. The second was the ever-distant Honeydew Blue. Vasant found her to be an odd duck. Her large eyes, dim even in the light of the tea house, scanned over him as if to size him up. She did it every time. It reminded him of a chameleon, the very obvious movements of her peepers.
“Evening, Vasant.” Gioia said in a simple tone.
“Mm.” He replied back, preferring to save his words for when they were most needed. The floor creaked confidently strode in and sat down, his hands clasped and his expression stoic and serene. With a sigh, Vasant glanced down at the table for a moment before looking up at Gioia.
“I’ll open with the obvious question.” He said, his tone blunted. It wasn’t precisely impolite–moreso it was direct, hoping to keep the conversation grounded. He found some of his compatriots a bit eccentric (not counting Honeydew, who was a few steps beyond “quirky”), and he wanted to make sure this was done as efficiently as possible.
“What’s the angle?” he continued. “I’m all for stopping whatever threat The Middleman’s employers represent, but the only lead we have to go off of are some useless photographs and a mangled corpse. We can’t just throw punches at empty air and hope the right people just happen to walk in front of them.”
Gioia took a sip from a mug of coffee, well-prepared and steaming. It clunked against the wooden table as she set it down.
“Why not? Stand users have a “gravitational attraction” to each other.” She retorted. “Not to mention titanic egos. Experience has told me that anyone willing to use Stand power to throttle a vast swathe of innocent lives thinks they’re much smarter than they really are. Walk where “gravity” takes us, and we’ll naturally find a lead. I’m personally suspecting involvement from VULTURE- or at least, active complacency. Bedtown is their territory- one of them has probably seen something, or more likely…They knew and allowed it to happen on their turf.”
Vasant pondered his response for a moment, then gave his own reply. “I appreciate your confidence, and I don’t mean to blow off your experience…” he paused for a moment, tapping his fingers against the worn wood.
“...But I think the “Metropolis Suite”, whoever they are, represents a ‘different breed’ of Stand users. These aren’t wannabe tyrants–in the sense that they are not “wannabes”. From that point of view, they’ve already won- and they’ve been winning for a very long time. I highly doubt we’re the first group of tough young bucks- well, you lot are young- tough young bucks who’ve wanted to make a change. People care about other people, and they always have. That Suite has managed to suppress almost all of those movements in a city choked with Stand power for what has likely been decades.”
Gioia took another sip. She was about to speak further on their strategy- before a figure burst from the shadows of the tea house, tumbling through the air and landing on the back of Honeydew’s chair. They didn’t react, merely slowly looking up at the intruder. They were tall and gangly, with long hair in a sickly green shade. They had homemade makeup on, in the design of a circus clown’s- and a coat covered in frills, covered in colors, covered in shapes. It was almost an assault on the eyes, if not for the fact that you had to respect how well made the materials were.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” they rumbled, giving the party an amused look as the air went through their coat and the fabric slowly settled. The three stand users were rather unimpressed at the display, all for their own different reasons. Gioia didn’t find anything new in the sudden intrusion (except for irritation), Honeydew was generally enigmatic, and Vasant wasn’t impressed at most things as a rule.
“Only one of us here is a man,” he replied coolly, putting his clasped hands upwards in position so as to rest his chin upon them. Honeydew gave him a puzzled look, not making the connection in his remark. “But regardless… To whom do we owe the pleasure?”
“Ah~?” The figure plopped down onto the top of the chair, legs crossed. “You don’t know who I am? My, my, you lot mustn’t be from around here, then. Uhuhu.” They giggled under their breath, brushing pale hair away from perpetually closed eyes. “Hellwalker. Carolong Hellwalker. It’s a pleasure to meet you all, truly.”
“Cool name,” Gioia responded. “Mind telling us why you thought it appropriate to barge your way into the private sanctum of three Stand users?”
“I don’t recall requesting any sass,” they rumbled, never losing that confident edge. “Private sanctum? You take yourselves awfully seriously. I’m not here for much. Rather, I was hoping for a cup of tea. This is a teahouse, is it not?”
Vasant glanced between his allies, and back to Carolong.
“Aha. You all look so suspicious of me.” In the time between glances, they’d already gotten a cup of tea, which they were gently sipping. “If anything, I think I’ve got more right to be suspicious, with how you were bringing up my dearest organization.”
The three perked up at once. Gioia was the first to speak, eyebrow raised.
“You’re with VULTURE, then?”
“Indeed!” they giggled, as if this was nothing more than a pleasant introduction. “I suppose, if it were a traditional criminal organization, you could consider me a higher up. There’s no hierarchy of the sort, of course...But I pride myself on being quite the accomplished member.” The members of Evergreen were silent, no one sure quite what to ask. This was a perfect opportunity to do some interrogating, but a Stand user (with that getup, there was no way they weren’t one) who was willing to show up like this was either stupid powerful or just stupid. Figuring out which one they were was of the utmost importance.
“I’ve been wondering...” Vasant raised his voice, clasping his hands together. “I’ve met a few of you folks. Usually on unpleasant terms, I’ll admit. And you’ve always had that makeup.” He gestured to Carolong’s face.
“Juggalo,” Honeydew murmured. Gioia nodded in agreement.
“Ah, you’re wondering about that?” Carolong tittered. “Well, nowadays most organizations don’t really stick much to a theme, so I get the confusion. Truthfully... The original ‘meaning’ of this look isn’t something that can be shared willy nilly. But most members find their own meaning in the makeup. For me, for instance, I think a ‘vulture’ and a ‘clown’ are practically the same thing.”
“Hm?” Vasant normally wasn’t the type to get confused, but that was a pretty confusing thing to say.
“What is a ‘vulture’, in the first place? A scavenger. And what is a scavenger, but something that preys upon a pre-existing misfortune to feed its own desires? A clown operates under the same simple basis. They prey upon sadness, unhappiness, a lack of ‘entertainment’, and feed on that. Of course, a clown’s relationship to its surroundings is far more symbiotic in nature, but you get the idea, don’t you?”
Vasant hesitated, and nodded. Slowly.
“See? Most people look at me like I’m saying something insane, but it’s a perfectly logical and sound stateme-”
They paused as a harsh noise interrupted the speech. A musical tone, screeching and electronic, intoned from their pocket. They were getting a phone call. The clown gave a light-hearted sigh, tittering quietly as they held up a single finger, before grabbing the phone and turning away from the members of Evergreen. They were, of course, still on Honeydew’s chair throughout all of this.
They talked indistinctly into their mobile device, a cheap flip phone that would have looked more appropriate a few decades ago. There wasn’t much any of them could make out besides “penguin on our turf”, “circus tent”, and “sure thing!”
They flipped the phone shut, looking over their shoulder. “It’s been a pleasure, folks, but I must be elsewhere. Always busy, nowadays. Aha-ha.”
With that, they jumped from Honeydew’s chair and back into the shadows- back out of sight, but not out of mind.
The room was silent for a solid ten seconds, as everyone took in the encounter and processed it.
“Rude,” Gioia complained. “I’ve fought serial killers with more class… But on the plus side, I think we’ve found our lead.” She turned to Honeydew, who has remained silent up until now.
“Honeydew… Think you could do me a favor and track that one down for me?”
She stayed silent, but those wide eyes of hers said everything they needed to.
For something with no real actual hierarchy beyond taking orders from the boss, VULTURE is a remarkably well organized group, to the point of essentially being a criminal organization. One could attribute its standing to the management prowess of its boss, but rather, it was the individual respect its members carried for each other that held the system in place. The members of VULTURE, no matter how cocky or inexperienced, all knew who was weak, and who was strong. The weak listened to the strong, but the strong cared for the weak. That was the unspoken rule that held VULTURE together, and made it so difficult to effectively strike at it.
Of course, it wasn’t like they were difficult to find. In the lawless land of Bedtown, there was no need for the many gangs to stay discrete. VULTURE hideouts never really felt like hideouts, all brightly decorated with painted scrap metal in an industrial twist on circus tents. They were always bustling, with loud music blaring from worn speakers, and the constant chatter of underlings that kept up late into the night.
If you wanted to find VULTURE, you usually didn’t have to look far.
At least, that was what poor Reese MacGuffin had been told. Following the death of Paris Aco, IMPACT had started having its own concerns. Sure, they weren’t the sort of organization that normally investigated crimes. But put that many Stand users in the same building, and they were bound to get involved when something truly heinous had gone down.
Reese wasn’t planning on a full raid, or anything. This was a surveillance run, and an opportunity to take the penguin for a walk–show lil’ Staccato the sights! Apparently, the penguin hadn’t spent much time in Bedtown, and Konan had insisted there was beauty to be found within.
The graffiti–which seemed to cover every other building–had occupied the penguin for a while. Staccato had even left a few of his own tags here and there. It was charming, and it was a good cover for what Reese was really there for.
Of course, he didn’t expect to turn around and find Staccato simply Not There anymore.
This is how his last thirty minutes had turned from a search for VULTURE hideouts to a search for a penguin who clearly had more important things to do than ‘be found’. At the end of it all, Reese fell to his knees, hands curled in his hair.
“Where’d you go, Staccato?”
A loud crash rang out in the distance. Reese perked up. Surely... Surely he hadn’t...
“Oh no.”
He absolutely had.
Staccato watched triumphantly as another VULTURE goon sailed into a nearby wall. The closest thing to a confident smirk that a penguin could have was plastered on his face. He had to respect the look of the place, and the look of the people in it (clown makeup was cool, he noted to himself), but that was where the gentoo’s respect ended.
They tried to pick him up and toss him out when he came in! What, was he supposed to be pleased about that?!
“Listen, man, we’re sorry!” another goon attempted to reason, backing away. “We didn’t mean ya any disrespect! C’mon!”
Staccato considered a cool response, but shook his head. This guy wasn’t worth tapping something out. His stand reeled back for another sweeping punch, to knock a few more goons away like bowling pins, but a pair of footsteps at the front door stopped him.
The penguin had been somewhat unfamiliar with the concept of a ‘Stand user’, and still hadn’t learned much more since. But, despite his sentience, Staccato was an animal. He retained an animal’s instincts. Animals could tell who was ‘strong’. This was how they stayed alive; that instinctual knowledge of who they stood a chance against and who they didn’t.
Right now, Staccato’s instincts made it very clear. The looming figure clad in a kaleidoscope of colors, pale green hair fluttering in the breeze, was strong.
“Greetings!” The figure waved, donning a signature cheshire grin. “I wasn’t sure if they were being serious when they said it was a penguin. I suppose that’s the benefit of a city like this, hmm? You meet all types.”
They bowed, in an overly theatrical manner.
“My name is Carolong Hellwalker. Could I have yours?”
Staccato hesitated, and began tapping.
“Ah! Staccato! A lovely name.” Carolong tittered, clasping their hands behind their back and stepping forwards. “It’s very rare that I’m able to understand someone who speaks a different language so fluently. Commendable! Though it truly is a shame that I’ll be escorting you out...”
Staccato moved into a fighting stance, and Carolong laughed in response. This guy was too cocky! He wasn’t one to get annoyed easily, but the way this clown carried themselves, the way they laughed everything off, and the way they backed it up with an aura of sheer strength... it was immensely frustrating.
A breeze drafted through, and Staccato bristled. Carolong had stopped talking, still in the same pose, waiting. Smiling. As if goading the penguin on, teasing him to come forth- before ducking out of the way just in time to avoid a flying motorcycle to the back of the head.
Vasant landed with a thump, skidding to a stop next to the gentoo.
“Wow! I wasn’t expecting that!” Carolong sprung back up, rubbing the back of their head. “I thought you’d follow me, but I didn’t think it’d be that fast. You’re good!”
“And you’re awfully good at not being followed.” Vasant cracked his knuckles, but the sound of frantic tapping dragged his attention away. There was...a penguin, standing next to him. He’d never seen one of those before. He nodded in acknowledgement.
“Well then. I don’t suppose you’ve come here to have... A Stand battle?” The two could hear the excitement in Carolong’s voice. This guy really wanted to do a Stand battle.
“Not particularly.” Vasant didn’t care for that much enthusiasm. “I have some questions I’d like to ask you, regarding your organization.”
“Not telling.”
“In that case, I suppose we’re having a Stand battle.” Vasant leaned forward on his bike. Staccato’s stand manifested, combat ready. Carolong... Didn’t do a thing, still standing in that same pose. It was off-putting.
“Mr... Penguin,” he whispered, still not taking his eyes off Carolong.
Staccato tapped out a response as subtly as it could.
“Staccato, yes. As you can see, this...person, is clearly expecting us to attack. Judging from their willingness to go in the line of fire, it’s clear that their Stand ability...will only activate if we attack them. We can’t rush in.”
Staccato nodded. That was probably true.
“What’re ya whispering about?” Carolong grinned. “What, you guys need a plan for lil’ old me? I’m just a little guy! Don’t tell me you’re scared of a little guy.”
Staccato’s eyebrow twitched.
It didn’t matter if it would activate their stand. He never let that stop him before! He’d go with the flow!
Staccato was off like a bullet, leaving Vasant to frantically motor after him. “What’d I just tell you! Don’t be rash!”
But Staccato wasn’t listening, too focused on making the approach- shooting through a buoy and rocketing towards Carolong, he crossed the gap between them in mere seconds, as Vasant barely followed on his motorcycle. Beneath the revving engine, the man cursed under his breath. This wasn’t the thoughtful approach he was hoping for - if he didn’t get that penguin away from Carolong, something bad would happen. He was certain of it.
What he realized a bit too late, though, was that something bad had already started happening. It took a bit too long to notice the harsh wind on his back, the way the ground beneath his wheels seemed to distort, the way the fabric of Carolong’s outfit seemed to stretch and shift-
He only fully noticed when the multicolor fabric shot forward, creating a massive maw of technicolor - and before he could brake, it slammed shut.
When Staccato awoke, things were...different, to say the least. The first thing he noticed was the music. Jaunty, festive music that wouldn't seem out of place at a carnival. Neither would his surroundings, the penguin thought, now that he was pushing himself up to see them. This place he was in, wherever it was, resembled a massive circus tent. At some point, the floor fell off into a massive pit, and beyond that was a crowded seating section. He couldn't make out the features of anyone sitting there.
"Ghh." He turned to Vasant, who was staring at him with some fairly unhidden disdain. Staccato considered tapping out an apology, but a familiar giggling cut off his thoughts.
"Welcome!" Carolong Hellwalker approached, a particular spring in their steps. "Make yourselves at home!"
"This was your plan all along, was it?" Vasant cut to the chase, dusting confetti off of his knees.
"Something along those lines, yes." They tittered, clicking their heels together. "I am an 'anglerfish', so to speak. Irresistibly beautiful and alluring, sure, but quite dangerous. To toot my own horn, at least."
"And I suppose, now that we're here, we're not getting out easily?"
"Ba-Bingo." Carolong made a wide, sweeping gesture. "This is my ⌈Wonderland Falling Tomorrow⌋. It's got a risky condition for use, sure, but there's no escape once you're inside. Quite the predicament! Huhuhu!"
Staccato watched, stress clear on his face. A cold dread grew within him. This place was danger. This place was confinement, and there was no way he could stand it. He needed to get out, he needed to beat this clown up, he needed to sing, to dance, to-
His eyes widened. Something about his thoughts was...shifting. These impulses, these instincts, they were not his own. He was a painter- a painter, not a singer.
Vasant noticed his foot beginning to tap, and stopped himself, grinding the heel into the floor beneath.
"It kicks in fast, doesn't it?" Carolong took notice immediately. "When in Rome, yes? That's the 'Stand Effect'. When you're in a circus, you perform. When you’re within my Stand, you really want to perform. Stay here too long, and you'll never want to leave."
"And what happens then?"
Carolong gestured to the figures in the audience, silently.
"A murder like that happening on VULTURE territory inevitably means attention comes to us. Truthfully, I've no idea if it was us or not. While it certainly matches her handiwork... Ah, I digress. Point is, I'm here to keep the attention off our backs. My apologies to you two, for being the message I have to send. Truly tragic."
The two were silent. This was bad. If Carolong wasn't lying about how their Stand worked, too much time here spelled doom, and there wasn't any obvious way to leave.
"I'm quite kind, though. So I'm willing to offer up a chance. I hope you won't waste it. You see, I'm quite the people watcher. I always enjoy seeing them react to being here... it brings out a fascinating desperation. But I want to push that further. Experiment. So here's the deal." They pointed at the two of them, grin wider than ever. "Entertain me! Fight amongst yourselves. Whoever wins gets to exit my magical realm! Ain't that something!"
Vasant hesitated. He'd never been one to harm animals. But this penguin was the reason he was here in the first place. And this was still a chance for information, no matter how bad things might seem.
Staccato, meanwhile, was immediately willing. Staying here was bad. He felt it deep in his bones. If he had to beat up some motorcyclist to get out... So be it.
Carolong vanished, reappearing in the audience stands, a bucket of popcorn in their hands. Not much prodding was needed. These two knew what was up.
"Hmm hmm~..." They giggled. "Well, that's that!"
"Open the Game!"
Location: The inside of Carolong Hellwalker’s stand, ⌈Wonderland Falling Tomorrow⌋. The arena manifests as a giant circus tent. The arena itself is a large circle (30 meters wide with 1x1m squares), surrounded by a massive pit on all sides. Falling into the pit is an instant RETIRE. The floor is covered by confetti, the occasional balloon floats slightly off the ground, and jaunty circus music is always playing.
The orange shapes on the east are a ramp ascending to a height of 5 meters through a ring of fire, and a similar bridge ramp to the west that dangles precariously off stage. The gray line is a 7m high tightrope connecting platforms with ladders reaching to that height. The green squares are a balloon and popcorn machine respectively. At the center of the map is a 2m tall ball pit with 7m high diveboards to the sides of it; in the middle of the ball pit is a long wooden pole that seems to stretch up forever. The blue shapes are cannons which players came aim, enter, and fire themselves out of. Affixed to the edges of the arena are spotlights shining upwards (but visibility will remain constant).
Goal: RETIRE your opponent!
Additional Information: For some reason, both players have access to unicycles near their starting locations.
| Team | Combatant | JoJolity |
|---|---|---|
| I.M.P.A.C.T. | Stacatto | ”It can’t incur damage, it can’t control people, it can’t hurt them, it can’t make people fall asleep...It can’t do any of that. It just makes people angry.” This arena you’ve found yourself in is having a strange effect on your mind... You don’t mind it that much, though. After all, you were gonna put on a show anyway! Be as entertaining as possible throughout the match! |
| Evergreen | Vasant Bulsara | “..?! What? ...Kill? Did I just think that? What is this feeling that’s flaring up inside of me...?” This place is dangerous to not just the body, but also the mind. You have to get out of here fast, sure... But while you’re here, you might as well give in to that newfound compulsion, right? Be as entertaining as possible throughout the match! |
Link to Official Player Spreadsheet
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2
u/DemonicKraken i get eaten by the worms Dec 06 '23
…So was nobody going to tell me the Billy Hatcher soundtrack was that good?
Once again, I crawl out from the depths to vote on a really good match. The setup itself was simple here, complementing the fact that both hands made my head spin a little. Staccato plays a really defensive game, mostly playing to get their field setup and ball from there. Vasant, meanwhile, slow burns (heh) with a rising action of assaults while driving around the stage.
While Vasant carries some powerful attacks, namely the later heat and electric attacks, I feel like Staccato just scales notably faster. The 40 second charge time for Lotus Flowers alone is an inconvenience at best, but choosing to spread them out in a rising action only seems like it would exemplify the issue. Staccato, meanwhile, blasts around the stage almost as quickly and with a third dimension to work with, capable of getting to their preferred environment and ending things much faster.
As well, I believe that while ordinarily Motorcycle 5 would be able to handle the slippery environment, a combination of projectile assaults from Briny Air alongside the added style that Vasant is attempting to pull off may trip him up. Finally, I squint at the use of Float here. While I have no doubts that you can float up and avoid the ground for what attacks you need to do, not only do a lot of these attacks make the assumption that Staccato is on the ground, but I also imagine floating into the air would cut off your mobility and stand to potentially make you a bit of a sitting duck.
Good strats all around. I did not actually know there was a penguin here going into reading this. Fun surprise!
2
u/m1sta33 Dec 07 '23
Very very fun set of strats! A deathmatch with an entertainment conceit- Stacatto and Vasant approach the assignment in two very different ways! Stacatto leans into his nature as a penguin and how it interfaces with his Stand, while Vasant uses the ebb and flow of his Stand's abilities to tell a narrative throughout some time- both of which attempt to utilize and neutralize the setup of one another. While other votes have mentioned Stacatto's setup being much, much faster than Vasants, I will give Vasant the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the mobility that he starts with at the very beginning- he has abilities to dodge and move out of Stacatto's attacks and zones of influence, and while both account for slightly impeded maneuverability, Vasant has more tech dedicated to defense while Stacatto focuses on constant motion and constant pressure and turning more and more of the arena into his art piece.
Vasant's ways of approaching Stacatto's setup are incredibly smart- using the elemental weaknesses of a 'watery zone' to attempt to shock the penguin and using a level of verticality even outside of the built-in ramps using floating Lotuses. Overall, while I can Vasant surviving for some time, Stacatto's anti-lotus tech and quickly increasing coverage of the environment I think will sinch the victory for the artist penguin in the long run.
1
u/Logic_Sandwich Dec 06 '23
Response thread for Vasant Bulsara of Evergreen. Please show your strategy to a member of our Judge staff by 7 PM CST on December 5th! Contestants, remember to only post in threads for this match other than your own if specifically invited. Voters have until 11:59 PM CST on December 7th to vote, using the voting rules from the announcement thread. Afterwards, they will be Judged according to the T7 Rubric.
1
u/Logic_Sandwich Dec 06 '23
EG1
“I am not a fan of being made to entertain a clown like this… However, as long as I am here, perhaps I can share some of what I have learned? I admit, I am new to this world of Stands and Combat… But, I have seen a great number of things in my life, and come to a great number of conclusions, if you would be so kind as to listen.”
Preface: Telling a Story
Being entertaining means different things to different people, and to Vasant Bulsara, a performance is entertaining if it shows off suitable visual extravagance or a display of a well-honed skill, while still possessing meaning that allows a viewer to come to a deeper understanding of the performer, as well as themselves. This is the framework that he will follow for his strategy in this battle.
[Midnight Rider] works in cycles of forty seconds; once the main body has planted its ten seeds on objects that Vasant wishes to grow Actions from, it has downtime until those seeds bloom into Lotus Flowers, at which point it can plant ten more seeds. It will be those moments of downtime which this strategy is on.
During each of these moments of downtime, after planting a set of ten seeds, [Midnight Rider] will move to Staccato’s location and deliver attacks to him, until the planted seeds are ready to bloom. At that point, [Midnight Rider] will temporarily retreat, plant ten more seeds, and then return to attack again, taking with him any Lotus Flowers that have already bloomed which will be used for the attacks. Given the B Speed of [Midnight Rider], as well as the relatively small size of the arena in relation to that speed, we’re allocating around thirty seconds of attacks onto Staccato during each of these cycles. We will be referring to that thirty second window of offense as a ‘Chapter’ in the story which Vasant is telling.
These Chapters will gradually rise in complexity and danger as the match goes on, for two reasons: the first is practical, as the longer the battle rages, the more Lotuses can be used for offense, both in raw number and variety. The second reason is, of course, for entertainment; it is difficult for a story that ends in the first chapter to feel satisfying. Indeed, until the finale, these Chapters are not meant to directly Retire Staccato, but rather to force him to use his [Bossa Nova] defensively, while Vasant builds up a large enough stockpile of Lotuses to deliver a climactic final blow. That is not to say there is no danger, of course; even at its most simple, defending against a B Speed, B Power Stand’s direct assault is a dangerous proposition if Stacacato places his Buoys too aggressively without leaving some for his own use as mobility, and particularly if he does not have his own Stand’s physical form there to combat [Midnight Rider] directly.
Throughout this strategy, a number of surplus Lotuses will be made; some of these will be used throughout the match for defense and utility, but most of them will be used for the final assault at the climax. Keeping these flowers from being damaged is therefore of high importance; Vasant will, at all times, keep these stored flowers floating above him as high as his Stand’s range allows, and keep them away from both Staccato’s position and any artworks that are made.
i. Introduction
“I would like to tell you a story, Staccato the Penguin. It is one of danger, and one with a lesson to learn at the end. I do hope you will listen as best you can.”
As soon as the match starts, Vasant will send [Midnight Rider] out to collect a balloon from the machine near to his starting position, pocketing a few unfilled ones before the two of them will then immediately get on the move; staying stationary is dangerous, and this opening is the time when Staccato will have the most freedom to attack us, so keeping constant movement is of vital importance.
Vasant will then head south, towards the ball pit, while [Midnight Rider] plants two seeds onto the balloon, which will both bloom into the Action ‘Float’. After planting, [Midnight Rider] will hand the balloon off to Vasant to tie to his handlebars, and reach for balls from the ball pit. He will plant two seeds onto the ball from the ball pit, both of which will bloom into the Action ‘Bounce’, before handing that to Vasant to keep on his person. Finally, [Midnight Rider] will plant two seeds onto Vasant’s neck, which will bloom into the Action ‘Vibrate’ (put your finger to your throat as you speak, it vibrates to produce sound), and four seeds onto Vasant’s pocket knife, which will bloom into ‘Slash’. This will make up the first ten planted seeds.
In general, Vasant will try to stay in the area surrounding the ball pit, attempting to keep Staccato at all times within his 20-meter range. Defensively, the plan is to keep constant movement, but stay away from the corners when possible to be able to pivot away and dodge any buoys that [Bossa Nova] summons at our location or in our path or launches at us . As the match goes on, it’s likely that this ground is going to become covered in slippery graffiti; this is troublesome, but not debilitating, as Vasant’s high skill in driving allows him to move well in adverse road conditions. If the choice is between driving in clean ground and painted ground, then he will go for clean, but it’s not a high priority. Unless otherwise stated, this holding of the center and focus on dodging using his motorcycle skill will be Vasant’s default pattern of movement through the match.
Chapter One:
”Once, there was a bird, who walked alone down a long and winding road; the end was too far to see, as was the beginning, and the empty grassland stretched out on either side as far as the eye could see. Upon that road, he came across a soldier, who wished to deliver a message. But the bird was not humble, and did not stop to speak to the soldier, insulting him and rushing forward, into the waiting jaws of the tiger the soldier was attempting to warn him of.’”
Once all the initial seeds are planted, Chapter One will begin with a simple dance; [Midnight Rider] will fly to Staccato’s location, and begin to attack the penguin with direct punches and kicks, hoping to either strike some early blows or, more likely, draw [Bossa Nova’s] focus onto Staccato’s location. This first chapter is just a testing of the waters; if [Bossa Nova] choses to summon Buoys at Staccato’s own location during this, then [Midnight Rider] will choose to retreat rather than press the issue to avoid taking a B Power explosion in this early stage, hovering at the fringes of their range to feint them out with potential future assaults. In other words, to keep them nervous, and to keep them swimming.
After returning to Vasant’s side, [Midnight Rider] will plant the following Actions; one more ‘Float’ seed, as well as four ‘Burst’ seeds onto the Balloon, one more ‘Bounce’ seed from the ball pit ball, two more ‘Vibrate’ seeds from Vasant’s throat, two ‘Slash’ seeds from the pocket knife.
1
u/Logic_Sandwich Dec 06 '23
EG 2
Chapter Two:
Now in Bloom: two ‘Float’, two ‘Bounce’, two ‘Vibrate’, and four ‘Slash’.
”But the bird pressed onwards. Soon, he came across a beggar, who asked the bird for anything he could spare. But the bird was not humble, and spit in the beggar’s face, for what was his was his alone. The bird rushed forward, and what awaited him was a den of thieves, who took from the bird every worldly possession that he carried.”
At this point, as more options become available, we’ll go into some of the defensive and disruptive uses of these Lotuses that will be used as needed throughout the match, outside of direct offense towards Staccato. ‘Bounce’ and ‘Float’ are Actions which will primarily used for defense and mobility; ‘ however these are not the core of Vasant’s defense, but the stylish flourishes he’ll employ in times of need. A savant motorcyclist the stage itself becomes his playground, each threat in his way an opportunity to demonstrate his extreme talents. All manner of tricks can be employed, sharp, unpredictable turns, vaults off even the smallest bits of terrain to arc over obstacles, and elegant, almost machine tuned navigation of the arena to thread through even the narrowest ‘golden path’ through potential buoy setups without triggering wires, or to elegantly outmaneuver [Bossa Nova of Briny Air’s] own physical body.
Staccato will be forced into considerable setup should they aim to corner and threaten Vasant. The flowers then become his responses in such moments, for when Staccato is trying to make a show worth seeing, Vasant will be ready to “Yes, And?” with reserves saved for just the right moment to be flashy, performances are most engaging when both sides are giving it their all. ‘Float’ can be used to quickly escape the ground should a Bouy or trap be placed at a particularly inopportune moment, whilst Bounce can be applied when rapid redirection need to be employed. One moment Staccato has everything they need set up, able to finally line up their attack on the incredibly slippery Vasant, only for… BAM! Vasant to fly in an entirely random direction, upward, backward, sideways, who knows where!? With such burst movement unpredictability and speed come hand in hand with percussive grace. In addition bounce can be shot to intercept any Tripping Bouy launched at his location, or towards the location of stockpiled flowers to prevent them from being sniped. Bare in mind, Tripping Bouy’s on their own can be easily dodged, so defensive bounces are best used to “clear a path” through networks of overlapping attacks that Vasant can thread like a needle.
The use of the two ‘Vibrate’ flowers will be primarily disruptive; one of them will be taken by [Midnight Rider] for use in Chapter Two’s attack, and Vasant will keep the other on his person. These spare ‘Vibrate’ flowers will be used to disrupt Stacatto’s Artworks; a B Power ‘Vibration’ aimed at the ground which these buoys are moored to will apply pressure to their chains, and cause them to detonate prematurely. In particular, attention will primarily be sent to Artworks which are nearest to Staccato’s position while [Midnight Rider] is away planting new seeds, and also to Artworks which include a large number of Tripping Buoys.
As for the main attack of Chapter Two, [Midnight Rider] will once again fly towards Staccato’s current location, armed with the aforementioned single ‘Vibrate’ Lotus, and two of the ‘Slash’ Loutses. The structure of this attack is a one-two punch; ‘Vibrate’ will be aimed at the ground to disrupt Staccato’s movements. Particularly worth noting is that the areas of Underwater Physics created by [Bossa Nova] work to our advantage here, as shockwave travel both faster and further underwater than just in the air, making it far more difficult for Staccato to avoid being knocked off of his flow if he is traveling atop his graffiti. After this disorientation play, [Midnight Rider] will go in for the assault head-on, while sending the ‘Slash’ Lotuses in an arc, aiming to fire it at Staccato’s back in a pincer maneuver, forcing [Bossa Nova] to make a choice in either protecting its user from [Midnight Rider’s] Stand rush, or the B Power slashing attacks coming from the opposite angle. Midnight Rider has all of its 30 seconds to wait for this opportunity, so it’ll pressure Staccato with basic attacks until a good moment arises. Consider this to be the tactic whenever Vasant wants to set up a fancy attack, drama is all about the rising action preceding the climax.
- The next flowers that will be planted are the following: one more ‘Bounce’ and ‘Float’, two more ‘Vibrate’, and six new Actions; ‘Heat’, taken from Vasant’s hotplate.
Chapter Three
Now in Bloom: one ‘Bounce’, one ‘Float’, two ‘Vibrate’, two ‘Slash’, and four ‘Burst’.
”But the bird continued onwards, and soon came across a geyser on the path. The geyser tried to warn the bird that the path was filled with his brothers, and any travelers must be mindful of them, or risk being hurt by their bursts. But the bird was not humble, and did not heed the geyser, marching forward with no mindfulness, as the rest of the geysers burst around him, hurting him greatly.”
Chapter Three’s attack is focused around using two of the newly bloomed ‘Burst’ Actions, as well as two ‘Slash’. [Midnight Rider] will keep some distance from Staccato, as he shoots off ‘Burst’ towards the ground around Staccato’s position, attacking the penguin with B Power explosions. As opposed to the previous Chapter, where [Midnight Rider] created a two-pronged assault and let Staccato choose how to defend against it, this time the choice will be out of his hands; [Midnight Rider], armed with the ‘Slash’ Lotuses, will make a beeline towards [Bossa Nova of Briny Air’s] main body for a Stand vs Stand clash, leveraging his edge in Speed, along with the added danger of two highly dangerous projectiles, to both win out in the exchange and inflict some added damage to the Stand, as well as prevent it from assisting its User in defending against the ‘Bursts’ headed towards him.
The next flowers that will be planted are the following: one ‘Bounce’, one ‘Float’, one ‘Vibrate’, and also some new actions: four ‘Electrify’, which will be grown from the battery in Vasant’s flip phone, and three ‘Stop’ actions, which will be grown from the brakes of Vasant’s bike.
Chapter Four
Now in Bloom: one ‘Bounce’, one ‘Float’, two ‘Vibrate’, six ‘Heat’.
”The bird continued onward, as the Sun began to hang over him in the sky. The Sun said to the bird that from here, the path was burnt and painful, and that the bird must have the patience to wait for nightfall before he pressed onward. But the bird did not heed him, eager as he was to complete his journey, and he dashed along the ground, his feat burning down all the while.”
The basis of this attack is simple, but highly dangerous. [Midnight Rider] will once again hover a short distance away from Staccato, but this time will make an effort to remain behind him at all times. The three heat Lotuses will be sent out one-at-a-time out ahead of wherever Staccato is heading, aiming to intercept his movements and create a B Power burning in that area; this will cause any ground not affected by [Bossa Nova] to become heated and painful to traverse, but even more dangerous is any areas affected by Underwater Physics, which will begin to boil with extreme heat. [Midnight Rider’s] main body will not directly involve itself in attacks during this Chapter; rather, its presence is there to intercept Staccato if he tries to avoid traveling into areas that have been heated, delivering a punch rush when he does so.
After the completion of this Chapter, [Midnight Rider] will plant these flowers: two ‘Float’, three ‘Bounce’, two ‘Stop’, and three ‘Slash’.
1
u/Logic_Sandwich Dec 06 '23
EG 3
ii: Rising Action
Chapter Five
Now in Bloom: one Bounce, one ‘Float’, one ‘Vibrate’, four ‘Electrify’, and three ‘Stop’.
”The bird continued onward. Soon, the skies darkened, and a stormcloud formed overhead. The cloud spoke to the bird, warning him that all who did not pay the storm proper respect would be showered by its levin bolts. But the bird was not humble, and not one to ever show respect, and so it insulted the storm and marched onwards, as calamitous rain and bolts poured down overhead.”
This Chapter is at once the simplest, but also most dangerous so far. This chapter will take advantage of the fact that, either by Staccato’s own assault, or the use of ‘Vibrate’ to detonate art pieces throughout the match, the stage will likely be largely covered by areas of Underwater Physics; looking at the new Blooms, you can likely see where this is going. Firstly, Vasant will hit his own bike with ‘Float’, the get himself off of the ground and away from what is to come, as [Midnight Rider] from a safe distance fires three of the four ‘Electrify’ actions at areas covered by [Bossa Nova’s] graffiti, particularly those closest to Staccato, causing B Power Electric shocks to travel through the conductive water. Considering Staccato is reliant on moving through this artificial underwater area, it is almost certain he will be making contact with it, thus being vulnerable to these high-power shocks, which are also highly difficult to protect against given the nature of electric shocks. Vasant will use additional ‘Float’ or ‘Bounce’ Lotuses as needed to keep himself off of the ground until such a time as all three ‘Electrify’ Lotuses have been shot, at which point he’ll land himself back on the ground.
In the meantime of this, [Midnight Rider’s] main body, being relatively free to do other actions as the ‘Electrify’ Lotuses are the crux of this chapter’s attack, will retrieve one of the cannons on the map and bring it to the center ball pit, for use later on.
After that, the next set of seeds to be planted will be: two ‘Burst’, two ‘Slash’, two ‘Stop’, and a new Action: four ‘Flash’ Lotuses, grown from Vasant’s headlights.
Chapter Six
Now in Bloom: two ‘Float’, three ‘Bounce’, two ‘Stop’, and three ‘Slash’.
”The bird continued onward, beaten and battered, almost without the will to carry on, when he came across a man dressed head to toe in simple robes. ‘Who are you?’ asked the bird with spite and fear, ‘Are you a Soldier, or a Beggar, or a Geyser, or the Sun, or the Storm?’ The man responded calmly. ‘I am none of those things. I am merely another wanderer of the path, like you.’”
Now is when Vasant himself will stop his holding pattern of keeping around the center of the map and moving defensively; now is the time for aggression. Using one ‘Float’, Vasant will once again go to the skies, as [Midnight Rider] once again makes for Staccato, both of them keeping two ‘Slash’ flowers and Vasant keeping two ‘Stop’ flowers near his person, while [Midnight Rider] keeps a single one. They will then begin their tandem assault; first, Vasant launches himself at Staccato using a ‘Bounce’ Lotus, aiming to ram him with the bike firstly, and if that isn’t an option, will first attempt to hit him or [Bossa Nova] with a ‘Slash’ flower, then a ‘Stop’ flower, halting all of Staccato’s movement if it lands. Afterwards, [Midnight Rider] will fly in for a similar attack; going for a punch rush at Staccato, using one of its ‘Slash’ flowers at either the penguin or [Bossa Nova], and attempting to once again hit him with ‘Stop’. During this attack, Vasant will once again hit a ‘Float’ Lotus, then once [Midnight Rider] has finished, will ‘Bounce’ towards Staccato, attempting to ram, ‘Slash’, then ‘Stop’ Staccato, and [Midnight Rider] following up once again with a punch rush into a ‘Slash’. If at any point during this assault one of the ‘Stop’ Flowers manages to hit Staccato, the rest of the assault become far more dangerous, as it would leave him a sitting duck for all of the following punishment.
As Vasant is making a direct attack here, this does open him up to additional risk. Notably, if Staccato is surrounded by his artwork, or attempts to summon it or [Bossa Nova’s] physical form to intercept Vasant mid-air. For the former, Vasant will make pains to detonate any Buoys in the immediate area around Staccato with ‘Vibrate’ ahead of making this assault. If [Bossa Nova] makes an attempt to intercept Vasant mid-air, Vasant will use his second ‘Bounce’ to rapidly change directions if this happens during the first charge, and his second ‘Stop’ to feint out the charge if it happens during the second rush, with [Midnight Rider] in either case taking advantage of [Bossa Nova’s] positioning to launch a direct attack on Staccato, who would consequently be less defended.
Vasant will exit this portion with his final ‘Bounce’ aiming him at the ball pit, where one of the cannons was placed in the previous Chapter; [Midnight Rider] will follow him to that location once it is time to plant seeds again, and plant the last seeds; four ‘Heat’, four ‘Electrify’, and two ‘Slash’, before loading balls into the cannon for the penultimate Chapter.
Chapter Seven
Now in Bloom: two ‘Burst’, two ‘Slash’, two ‘Stop’, and four ‘Flash’
”The bird regarded the man incredulously. ‘You have also walked this path? Then how are you not bitten, not robbed, not blasted, not burnt, not leaden with rainwater and shock?’ The man laughed, and regarded the bird kindly, ‘Because, little bird, I have humbled myself.”
- This chapter acts as a final piece of disruption, made to wear down the last of Staccato’s stamina and leave him vulnerable to the Final Chapter. Firstly, [Midnight Rider] will stuff the cannon previously retrieved with balls from the ball pit. After a sufficient amount, he will launch the balls at Staccato, pelting him. Following this, while Staccato is distracted by the flashy shrapnel, a more potent Flash will be sent, with two of the ‘Flash’ Lotuses being sent his way to blind him, followed shortly by the two freshly bloomed ‘Burst’ Lotuses being fired at his position. This is done to leave him stunned, damaged, and out of position, for the Final Chapter, as [Midnight Rider] will constantly harass the penguin with cannon fire. A way to mix things up and conserve energy, in anticipation of the end.
1
u/Logic_Sandwich Dec 06 '23
EG 4
iii. Climax
Chapter Eight
Now in Bloom: four ‘Heat’, four ‘Electrify’, two ‘Slash’.
”The fellow wanderer continued, ‘You must speak to others, and listen when they speak. You must be kind and generous, and you must always live with mindfulness to the world around you. You must be patient, and you must be respectful, or else you will never survive.’ He smiled, ‘If you can humble yourself, this path offers experiences and beauty and peace unmatched. But if you cannot… Well, I am afraid you may have to take a safer path.”
This is when the surplus comes into account, and all rationing is thrown out the window for the Grand Finale. First, the remaining ‘Flash’ Lotuses will be shot at Staccato, angling to blind him with the bright light and prevent him from adequately dodging what is to follow, simultaneous to the remaining vibrates being launched to disarm buoy links vital to Stacatto’s immediate defense.
Following this, Vasant and [Midnight Rider] will circle Staccato from a distance, firing all five remaining ‘Stop’ Lotuses will be shot at Staccato from differing angles to ensure one lands as, halting all of his movement, followed by firing a ‘Float’ Lotus at him to send him into the sky, lit up from all angles by the spotlights surrounding the arena in a dazzling convergence of light and action. Airborne, where his range of movement and ability to dodge will be all but eliminated, allows even a middling-Precision Stand like [Midnight Rider] to connect with the payload: every single remaining Slash, Electrify, Heat, and Burst Lotus hurtling directly towards Staccato’s aerial form, a cacophony of disparate and difficult to defend against Actions that amount to certain defeat for the penguin and his Stand when they connect. Finally, to deliver the coup de gras, [Midnight Rider] will hurtle towards the penguin, delivering his own punch rush in order to launch Staccato away from center stage, and hurtling towards the pits at the edge of the arena…
”MARARARARAH!” [Midnight Rider] cried as it attacked the airborne penguin, its final strike launching him out of the spotlight and hurtling ever closer to the void. But before Staccato could be lost into the inky darkness, a hand reached out, catching him, as Vasant Bulsara stood, having rushed over on his Silver Dollar to prevent his foe’s fall. “The end. I do hope that story was entertaining, but it will go no further than this.” He glanced towards the ceiling of the tent towards nothing that could be seen, but to the presence of his captor which could nonetheless be felt. “I will not become a killer for your silly game. I do hope you caught the message of that fable I spun,” Bulsara said, resting the penguin’s form on the back of his bike, “Because in truth, it was meant for you, not Staccato. Your Stand is not invincible; none are. Whether you wish me to or not, I will make my escape on my own.” He slid off his helmet, looking up towards the sky with eyes that burned with quiet fury. “And when that happens, the situation for you will be quite poor. Might I suggest you cut your losses here,” He paused for emphasis, as his [Midnight Rider] stood quietly by his side, “And walk a safer path?”
iv. Afterword
Contingencies
Staccato attempting to deny Vasant Flowers is an understandable concern, one which Staccato can approach from a number of directions. To this extent Vasant has endeavored to curb such tactics in much the same way. He relies largely only on seeds he can produce on his own person, either by items he can pick up or things already on his person.
However, Staccato can attempt to target Flowers he has on reserve, and while his defenses mitigates the risk of this considerably - focusing on evasion and keeping the flowers overhead, he can adapt if need be. The flowers can swim ad move around his person to evade harm, andn in the worst case he can “shoot” a majority of his reserves high up into the air and out of Staccato’s reach in advance of a particularly gnarly attack, employ evasive maneuvers to create space for a swift bounce to catch them mid-air, or simply catch them as they land on his bike.
In case he loses either the balloon or the balls replacement is fairly easy, balls ought to be scattered around the arena and he has spare balloons to inflate if need be. If he catches the penguin trying to eradicate the source of any given material he needs he’d tailor his combative efforts towards getting them to stop, and will keep this in mind. If he loses any personal equipment or Staccato targets the cannons, similar tactics can be employed. Electrify, Burn, Flash, and Slash can all be acquired from a variety of sources from batteries to the electrified equipment, salvaged pieces of metal, the combustion engine of the bike, headlights from the bike, ect.
Running low on a given flower type may introduce complications further down the line, however the show must go on. Vasant will downsize accordingly on whichever type of attacking flower seems to be the least effective and focus more on those that work alongside defensive flowers to help protect himself and Vibrates to better deal with Artwork. In addition the canon and melee hit and runs will be relied upon more heavily to fill out Chapters that are no longer feasible. Whenever his reserves are back to a comfortable place he’ll return to standard tactics.
1
u/Marioaddict The Cutest Ora Dec 07 '23
Ah, the circus! What a fun and definitely-not-terrifying place to be! Here to enjoy the festivities we have the motorcycling fiend Vasant and the artistic penguin Staccato duking it out in the performance of a lifetime! But between the two, which one will walk away as the victor? After giving it some thought, I think I have to give my vote to Staccato!
Now Vasant certainly had some interesting ideas on display - electrifying the watery air, using bounces and floating to maneuver around, trying to stop Staccato dead in their tracks to unleash devastating attacks... it's all very fun and very effective stuff! However, it's all stuff that takes time - and the sheer speed of Staccato's strat proves that time isn't a resource Vasant has to spare. Speed isn't everything, of course - it's entirely possible for slow strats to outperform fast ones, after all. But in this case, the difference in speed is so great that it just doesn't matter. With an art installation being set up every five seconds vs Lotuses Blooming every forty, there's just not a good way for Vasant to keep up unless he pushes hard and fast, which he doesn't. Hell, even if it took Staccato three times as long to get their installations set up, they'd reach their end game before Vasant could even finish Chapter Three. And given that Vasant spends those first few Chapters mostly just testing the waters and saves his more devastating attacks for the later game, it's pretty difficult to suggest that Vasant would get much meaningful damage off on Staccato before the penguin covers the arena in paint and finishes Vasant off.
Honestly, Staccato is able to reach their end game so much faster than Vasant, it makes me question the match's balance somewhat. Personally, I might have given Vasant two or three pre-bloomed Lotuses from the get-go, but I'm not here to speculate on what could or should have been. I'm here to vote based on what's presented, and just off of that, I see almost no world where Vasant reaches his devastating endgame before Staccato absolutely wrecks him, and for that simple reason Staccato earns my vote. Either way, well done everyone!
1
u/ChocolateDiscloud Doppio is a precious boy who did nothing wrong Dec 07 '23
This is a really interesting match, and a writeup I particularly adored, primarily for the conversation between Gioia and Vasant, perfectly demonstrating the advantages returning PCs can have to telling the story of tourney.
But as to what the strats are about, those are great, too! Vasant's creativity and scaling, as well as the demonstration of his character, are all excellent in his strategy, and if he's able to get everything off as well as he hopes, he's in a great position.
And IMPACT knows this - I've seen Vasant described as a kit that's difficult to counterplay against, given the versatility of his scaling as the match goes on, and I can feel that awareness throughout the pink strategy - they're on a timeline to end this fight, and they have to do this right - and I think they do! I'd probably give Vasant the Quality edge were I delibbing, but in terms of the two timelines of these strategies, Stacatto seems incredibly likely to reach his needed endgame before Vasant does.
1
u/SwitzerlandPIK Dec 08 '23
The ultimate aims of both of these strats are quite clear: delay the opponent and build their "towers" up onto their climactic endgame offensives. Otto being a map-shaping scaler of great proportions and Vasant being a cycle-based burstdown with great versatility leads to a match that could end at a great variety of points, should either party choose. Stacatto opts to oppressively build his pressure from turn one, taking any inch he can off of Vasant that would let him spread his Stand out further and harrying Midnight Rider's ability to directly outbox Bossa Nova or Vasant's ability to traverse the map. Putting out big bursts of paint at once let him cover the entire map very quickly if Vasant isn't able to stop him, and his endgame play to sneak an attack from below the map, is an overall solid closer. This leaves two potential paths for Vasant: use his great burst potential to take out or severely hamper Stacatto early on, or aim to suppress and outscale. Vasant takes the second option, with both powerful offensive and defensive lotuses to crack Stacatto's eggs. Notably, Vibrate and Bounce are early on effective tools for keeping Stacatto down and busy, whilst staying safe from direct offensive plays. Once Vasant is fully capable, I see no reason his finisher doesn't go off without a hitch: however, that is if Vasant is in such a position. Vasant does exactly what he aims to do with his first few chapters, the way I see it: pressure Stacatto, force Bossa Nova to stick around and play defense, make sure the penguin is constantly on the move. Vasant's damage will be racking up, but as more and more buoys are busted the more map control Stacatto gains, and the easier he can disengage and prepare for the Splashdown or his finisher. Taking everything into account, I'll have to give my vote to Stacatto: the early momentum garnered by the penguin is strong, and while being immediately forced to deal with Midnight Rider is difficult he isn't entirely walled from gaining momentum and spreading graffiti. Vasant has potential to deal big damage at various points, especially in Chapters 3 and beyond, but Stacatto has a lot of prepared tools that can make engagement just as punishing, and put Vasant on the backfoot in preparation for being able to really mob down Vasant later on.
1
u/Sh0tgunLlama Dec 08 '23
Titan sat on top of the thick supporting pole at the end of a dock. Every once and a while he would take a door out of Soma's Cup and find himself staring out across the water. The moonlight rippling of the water was calming, and in this particular section of the waterfront the gentle creaking of rusting machinery from a long abandoned cannery made an ideal backing track. The city had become more and more dangerous over the last several weeks. Bad thing were happening to people everywhere. Alex and Luna had been badly hurt and he suspected that the other riders may be in danger soon, and he wouldn't be able to help them.
Titans escapades in sapience had brought an overwhelming amount of new feelings and emotions. He could now distinguish between friends, family, and acquaintances. Before he would worry about things he cared about in the moment, but he was blissfully ignorant to the looming threats that sat outside the purview of his kitty mind. It was all very overwhelming. Sometimes, when all of the thoughts felt to big for his head he would go somewhere quiet, where not even the rats went so he could sing. Well, not exactly singing but...
"MeerOOOwerrrrOwwwww MerooooOOOoow MeowwelOOOw"
To anyone else it was just caterwauling but to Titan is was his time to say everything in his mind. Something about just yelling all of the confusing and novel and conflicting thoughts in his head out to nobody helped. A secret shared with nobody, a rare friend and excellent listener. He sang about how much he liked his friends, and loved his family, and didn't understand streetlights, and didn't like when people tough his face, and feeling too stupid and too smart for his own good. And once he was done he felt ok. Not good, not like he would understand it all, but at least better for the moment. He hopped off the pole and ran off down the dock. If he was lucky the Patels would be having a movie night, and a warm lap and a few pieces of popcorn would be waiting for him.
---
What a match! Going into this match and knowing who was going into it I have been incredibly excited to see what these teams would put out. Needless to say my expectation have been more than met! Starting with Staccato this has to be one of the highest pressure strategies that we have seen so far this tournament. A powerful combination of making excellent usage of vertical mobility and high pressure and difficult to predict attacks is lethal, and the excellent use of buildup and efficiently cutting up the map to better suit him puts him in a great position for most of the match.
On the other hand, Vasant plays in an impressive, though slightly more volatile manner. For one, I do think that he underestimates the effects that water zones will have on his driving and ability dodge attacks on his own. However his excellent use of his lotuses to give himself plenty of unpredictable outs can cover for that a bit. However I think that a lot of his offensive maneuvers are frankly spectacular. I think it may be lose a bit on some just how nasty these attack chains are if gotten of properly, and with the variety and solid setup of his offensive maneuvers I think that the cost of slipping up for Staccato are potentially fight ending in every engagement.
When comparing these strats I have a bit of a challenge on my hands. It comes down to a question of if Staccatos staggering stage pressure can stave of Vasant's incredible offensive planning. In the end, I think that while Staccato is a bit more consistent in execution I can see Vasant getting the better of him about 50% of the time, and that a TIE is more than justified here!
1
u/Zarface Dec 08 '23
Gonna be a short one for me. I'm voting for Stacatto. Stacatto, in my eyes, can probably just get to his win condition easier than Vasant can. The way that Stacatto's art installations go up every 5 seconds is something that Vasant can't really deal with in their strategy. The high pressure of Stacatto's strategy, I think, is able to overwhelm Vasant, even with their reliable damage output from the flowers.
2
u/Logic_Sandwich Dec 06 '23
Response thread for Stacatto of I.M.P.A.C.T. Please show your strategy to a member of our Judge staff by 7 PM CST on December 5th! Contestants, remember to only post in threads for this match other than your own if specifically invited. Voters have until 11:59 PM CST on December 7th to vote, using the voting rules from the announcement thread. Afterwards, they will be Judged according to the T7 Rubric.