I’ll break down some of the key points of contention and where I stand on them:
For Leo:
The opaque bubble: I had a lot of trouble with this. I could buy that it would work, and that it would do most of the things he claimed it would, but I also agree with Smurph that it would probably hinder his character as much as help. I also wasn’t sure how he would switch between using the bubble and offense. Assuming the rebound spell doesn’t work, this becomes a stalemate unless Leo drops his shield, in which case the fight would seem to favor Smurph, UNLESS we take Leo at his word that the attacks could get through the shield, because magic.
For Smurph:
Dr. Light: I think he exaggerated Dr. Light’s abilities and interpreted him only from his highest of showings. I don’t think for a second that Smurph actually believes that Dr. Light is some kind of peer to Superman in terms of combat speed or offensive power. The same scan that shows him taking out Superman ridiculously suggests that Superman is sublight, despite all the evidence that shows that Superman can be much faster than the speed of light. I also wasn’t buying that Dr. Light could use all of his powers at once when there was no evidence presented that he could or would. Ninja instincts don’t compensate for that.
Overall, this was a very close match, and I’m afraid I’m not knowledgable at all about ANY of the characters being discussed (except perhaps Dr. Light), but I think while Leo did a good job of backing his amalgam, Smurph was on the offensive the entire time, and while his claims about Dr. Light go bit overboard, his plan was less complicated and his amalgam had a smaller margin of error than Leo’s, and so I see Smurph taking it 6-7/10 against Leo’s team.
Three categories to consider, which is my schtick.
Debating: Good debates from both of you, specially in the first part that really went back and forth with arguments and interrogations. As leo rightfully pointed in his own post, some questions were left in the air by Smurph in the end, which I might be related with the several delays on the debate itself... Either way, even without that, I think leo was more through with the debate, arguing even points that in my opinion were moot in the contention.
Leo 1 - Smurph 0.
Strategy: Smurph did something that usually pays off in difficult matches, which is to choose a reliable strategy. The plan was good, but I have grips with how passive the end result was, given the offensive capacity that his amalgam has. Also there is the fact that Leo came up with a definite plan to counter Lightlocke, it was tailor made for the match and seemed feasible. Kudos for leo to actually use a weakness of Nova to his advantage, it certainly gave him the inevitability that his plan sorely lacked without it (magic would be a dealbreaker if the initial assault failed).
So yes, this is kind of settled in my mind already, I was more convinced ot leo's strategy when entering the match, particularly since entering the fight tangible would hinder Light's defenses from the get to go. It was a risky gamble that in my mind didn't quite pay off.
Outcome of the battle.
As I said, Leo had inevitability, but could he actually get to the late game against Smurph? This is probaly the point that was more in contention among those we argued so far. Rebound might or might not work as advertised, but the shield could. Leo will see Lightlocke, because he never depended on light to locate them, and Nova certainly has the experience to fight in the blind with just periferical radars... It would be a match, this wasn't as loopsided as I expected it from the get to go.
I wish Smurph went for a more hit & run tactics using his superior speed as his main defense, but I feel that the CIS rule would rule that out, so it might've been the better choice to decide everything with a surgical strike.
About split in this category, could probably go to Leo also, but I admit there were enough alternatives to keep it debatable.
Leo 3 - 1 Smurph.
I give my vote to leonidas
Good job both of you, as always, it's a pleasure to read your debates. Aside: Is this the second time I rule against Doctor Light? I'm getting a dreaded sense of deja vu here?
I've read the match twice and made some notes for my vote. It's difficult voting a match when 2 knowledgeable people are debating.
Prep-I found both prep posts to be stretching the 3 seconds a bit. So I just went with both as if all prep happened.
Opaque, invisible, shields, altered wavelengths, tracking, holograms, etc. I gave both of you the benefit in your prep and battle plans. Some stretches and hyperbole on both sides, but there was nothing from the follow up critiques to compel me to disregard any of the strategies or feats.
For me this came down to whether Leo's defenses would hold long enough for his amalgam to track Smurph's amalgam and find a way to put him down. I believe that Leo wouldn't be able to instantly track Smurph. Smurph's plan was very solid from the beginning and would have put most other amalgams away fairly quickly.
But I was shown enough evidence that Smurph could be tracked. I think that Leo's defenses would hold until he found a way to register a win. I just didn't see Smurph getting through Leo's defenses quick enough to score a win. Leo picked the best (maybe only) prep option that would have worked against Smurph.
My vote goes to Leo in a very close match. Very good job to both Smurph and Leo.
Leonidas wins with a 3-1 vote. Congratulations on another win and quite possibly a record for longest championship tournament match! (Digi conceding not counting).
Gender: Male Location: Planning to take over the WORLD!
sweet! thanks for the assist bw, and thanks again. i was really excited at the idea of this 4 man event and i like to think it didn't disappoint. there were some really good, really close match ups in this, and i think i got by by the skin of my teeth in both my matches. despite the odd delay here and there, i'm glad this worked out and with summer rolling in, hope to do this again soon. and bw, this time i'm passing your invite along right now! maybe delph too? will discuss.
thanks again to the judges and my buds for taking part and making this work.
Gender: Male Location: Planning to take over the WORLD!
lol yeah, your bad. NO one wants to be confused with mindset.
and like i said, if mm wants to have a bz, sure, i'd do it. haven't seen him on recently though, but i've thought he seemed cool and i like his style. pretty sure he's been in a couple of tourneys i've been in in the past....
Gender: Male Location: Planning to take over the WORLD!
yeah, if only you'd all have had foreknowledge, ample warning and an invitation to reject the pick. oh, wait.
and btw, i absolutely think nova can be seen to fit the low herald. he's been beaten by some of the mid herald guys already, and isn't even the most powerful low herald, imo. he's a high-end low herald who could fit in with the lower end mids, but loads of guys can say that. the tier is full of potential and an ability to overlap tiers. which is one of the reasons i chose it.