>>93565
No bet. Jesus, Excalibur is a little frightening.

>>93565
Excalibur is probably going to win, yes... but betting is not fitting of a judge.

>>93565
Excalibur has his own little minion, large ambitions, and is very calm while facing off against an apparently vastly superior foe. He needs watching.

Don't take the bet. Besides the ethical issues, you might actually lose.

Bob!t/UKid4z5s 2009/12/17(Thu)17:21 No. 93610 ID: 6164e0
File 126109931598.jpg - (244.46KB , 1200x800 , Beatles Excalibur Sparring.jpg )

>>93568
>>93573
>>93576
Perhaps I could claim the reason to be because I do not approve of such frivolous acts as gambling when working. Or perhaps it is because of how clam Excalibur appears. Either way.... I do not wish to accept this bet.

"No deal, Duo."
"HAH! Smart. Now, watch this, it should be quite interesting, I think."

I watch as the spar begins, unsurprised to see Barael charging forward, his mandibles starting to softly glow.

BARAEL'S BLADE!

Barael's mandibles become inflamed as he dashes towards the still stationary Excalibur, who-

THE SWORD!

I barely even catch what happens as the two fighters meet. Excalibur snaps his jaws open far wider than I would have thought possible, catching one of Barael's forelegs before it settles upon the ground, unbalancing the charging warrior. Excalibur's jaws slam shut with tremendous force, catching the larger beetle's own jaws firmly in their grasp.

With a heave, Excalibur lifts Barael off the ground, his legs now futilely scrabbling in the air, his mandible's fires extinguished in his surprise.

Barael struggles on for a few moments to retaliate in some format, before the bout is called, in Excalibur's favor. He drops his hold on Barael, who now appears enraged he was caught off guard so.

Interesting. He didn't approach it as a means of proving his strength, even when judges where present, but only as a means of most effectively achieving victory. I understand now why Big Duo was so confident, and yet.... 'tis true enough, that Excalibur won, but did he actually prove himself stronger? He only fought to win by the rules of a practice match as quickly as possible.

...As a judge, I could request that the two fight again. Barael would likely be more wary this time, and his anger should lend him strength, should he channel it appropriately.


What should I do? Should I force a rematch? Commune with someone?

Ask Duo if he thinks a rematch would be a good idea.

Do not FORCE a rematch, but request one. If Excalibur declines it is every bit his right.

>>93610
An honest match with a seasoned veteran would tire out Excalibur, even if he is as skilled enough to win. It would skew the examination.

>>93755
I agree. This is fair.

>>93770
The examinations are largely informal: All that matters is the end opinion of each judge on the apprentices. Strictly speaking, the judging has already started.

>>93623
"Duo, what say you, should Barael be given another chance, now that he is more wary, more focused?"
"Hmm.... well, it would certainly be a harder fight for Excalibur.... Ah, I do not know. I default to you, Bob Marley. What do you think should be done?"
>>93755
>>93818
"....Excalibur!" I blast the area with my scent, gaining everyone's attention as I address the apprentice. He simply looks at me, waiting to see what it is I wish to communicate.
"If you are willing, I would like to see you spar with Barael once more. What say you, apprentice?"

Excalibur continues to stare at me for a time, before he nods his head, and once more turns to face Barael.
"So Big Duo, what are your assessments of how things will go this time?" Guns N' Roses inquires as she trundles closer, her interest clearly piqued.
"...I don't really know, actually. Excalibur is very good at catching his foes off guard, but Barael is going to be more careful now.:
"Would you wish to make that bet you offered Bob Marley now? I would be willing to wager."
"...Yes. Yes I would. [10 units of Bohemian Rhapsody], on Excalibur winning."
"And so I shall be the same on Barael. Let us see how this goes."


OPTION: This fight can either be viewed normally from Bob Marley's perspective, or as one of the participants. If it is chosen to be viewed from a participant's vantage point, a D2 shall be rolled, to determine which one is followed. A 1 will dictate Excalibur, a 2 Barael.


From which viewpoint, Judge or Combatant, shall this fight take place?

rolled 2 = 2

---

>>93829
Combatant.

Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur...

>>93892
DAMN!

Quick, delete the post before Bob checks!

>>93892
>>93893
>>93904

I HAVE SEEN

>>93892

BARAEL, VETERAN LONGFANG, CHOSEN

Oh, I am going to grind that little cretin into paste, I will crush him for humiliating me so!

I see Excalibur before me, once more standing still, his mandibles held akimbo, awaiting my strike. I am perhaps 10 centimeters away from him, and considering that each of us are near to 4 centimeters each in length, the distance is short enough to be crossed very swiftly. Both of us are capable of flight, but at this proximity, it's usefulness can be difficult to exploit.

Barael's Abilities

BARAEL'S BLADE
Valiance
Can emit phosphorous and sulfur based powders constantly for five seconds, causing the mandibles to ignite and be inflamed for five seconds. After each use, twenty seconds must elapse before it can be used again.

TO TAKE THE BLACK
Valiance
Barael can eject ink from an organic jet built into the bottom of his jaw. The jet must first be readied before a given use, which takes 2/3 of a second.


I am... normally... fairly deft in my footing, despite my previous performance. I am also a very capable flier. Sadly, I do not know much about how Excalibur fights, other than his recent performance.


How should I approach this?

>>93959
Fight defensively. Ready the ink RIGHT NOW, and fire it when he becomes impatient and closes the distance. Then flip the little bastard.

>>93961
If he is so confident that he can employ that attack of his on me again so simply, then I shall endeavor to not give him the chance.

I set my jaw as I begin to prepare a blast of To Take The Black to blind my foe.

I see Excalibur tweak an antenna the moment I begin my preparations. He suspects I am preparing something, although it's unlikely he could predict what it is having never seen it before, or heard about it, since we Longfangs stand somewhat apart from the rest of The Beatles due to our... specialization.

Excalibur clamps his legs firmly onto the ground and flares his shell swiftly.

...Hrm, almost ready...

Excalibur's shell snaps shut with vicious force as I finally fire To Take The Black

MAGIC SWORD!

TO TAKE THE BLACK!

!? Excalibur is hurtling at me, far more swiftly than I anticipated. Thankfully, his speed works against him, as he charges straight into the jet of blinding ink.

....And seems completely unfazed by the loss of vision as he collides with me, accelerating to make sure he can strike me before I can move.

The impact is jarring, but my carapace can take such an impact. I manage to right and reorient myself, to find Excalibur already using his antenna to scrub the ink off of his eyes. He still does not seem able to see, although given enough time he will be rid of the ink.

I was thrown some fifteen centimeters away by the charge, and while jarring, I am not injured.


What should I do?

>>94548
Come from the side. He won't see something like that coming, considering his LOLCHARGE 'strategy'.

Press the advantage. It might be best to keep the second Valiance under wraps for now in case he doesn't know you have it, so rip into him the old fashioned way.

>>94554
>>94561
While he already has seen my other Valiance, Barael's Blade, the one I awakened myself, he does not know the mechanics behind it, not after only seeing it once. I decide to keep it in reserve for the moment anyway, just to keep something in reserve should I need it.

I circle around to Excalibur's side, noting that he does not even pause in his scrubbing to attempt to detect my placement by sound sans the scrubbing noise so close to his head. However, I do note him setting his jaws askew once more, only this time, stretching them.... phenomenally wide, now running parallel to each other like a great set of horns jutting from either side of his head. I was... not aware mandibles could even be opened that wide, not for beetles of our size. Quite flexible... and, if he demonstrates control over them equal to our first bout, potentially dangerous.

I continue to circle about, now somewhat behind and to the right of Excalibur, still vigorously scrubbing at his eyes. He still cannot see, but for how much longer, I cannot say.

I charge towards his flank at full speed, eager to finally beat some respect into this apprentice.

As I charge, I see Excalibur slam the end of his right mandible into the floor, driving it into the tree. Why-

THE SWORD!

Excalibur's form blurs as he wrenches his right mandible shut while kicking off the ground, his body careening through the air about the staked mandible. His rapid movement wrenches the mandible free, now turned to face towards my charge by his rapid movement.

And then I note he has once more flared his shell open and gripped the ground. That littl-

MAGIC SWORD

With my forward motion, the charge becomes far more brutal, and Excalibur rends a long gash down my side as he barrels past my left side, my body wrenched about by the impact. It wells with some ichor, but is not grievous enough to cause me undue worry. Damn that upstart, that caught me by surprise! As far as I can tell, though, he still can't see yet. If I could get close to him without him hearing my approach.... or, if I came at him with inflamed mandibles, I would gladly suffer another hit, if it meant I could counterattack, I know my personal mandible to be quite devastating. Currently, I am some twenty centimeters behind Excalibur.


What should I do?

>>94936
Well, flying is harder to track, isn't it? Get close to him via the air and use Barael's Blade again.

>>94942
Buzzing wings make a lot of noise. He'd probably notice us.

But, if we fly high enough, we'll be out of his hearing range. Then we can just stop flying, and land on the ambitious little upstart.

Bob!t/UKid4z5s 2009/12/20(Sun)16:29 No. 95499 ID: 6164e0
File 126135539092.jpg - (266.99KB , 1020x680 , Excalibur Emerald Sword Suplex.jpg )

>>94942
>>94973
Yes, if I take to the air and attack him from above, he should not be able to face my assault as easily, both of our forms designed for dealing with lateral threats. And if I simply drop onto him after ascending, he should not even be able to hear my approach. If I couple that with Barael's Blade, I could end this match now, and pay back the whelp for the humiliation he heaped upon me.

I flick my shell open and unfurl my wings, taking to the air with a furious burst of noise and wind. I see Excalibur cock his head to the side, his antenna still furiously scrubbing at his eyes. Then... he begins to make his way along the curve of the arena floor, finding a perch where the tree limb begins to slope away, his head aimed towards the sky, but not at my location.

I flutter still higher, in the hopes of gaining enough height to drop on him in silent surprise, ready to employ Barael's Blade as necessary. Once I am some thirty, forty inches above him, I snap my wings in and close my shell, descending towards Excalibur's form. At some ten inches distance, I ignite my mandibles in preparation for the conclusion of this match.

BARAEL'S BLA-!?

!?!? One of my mandibles won't ignite properly, it-

EMERALD SWORD!!

I snap my attention back to Excalibur, to see his shell flared open, his mandibles canted incredibly wide as he leaps from the tree branch, his wings buzzing furiously as he builds momentum, aimed straight at me. It seems he can hear the hissing flames shrouding one of my fangs. But as he nears me, he snaps his wings shut, abruptly accelerating even further, and jets into me faster than I can react to, his mandibles swinging shut about me with a morbid finality.

Our forms collide heavily in the air, and we crash back down onto the branch heavily, Excalibur's tenacious hold around me unrelenting.

But he is not done. As we crash to the ground, he immediately heaves his body, redirecting the force of the fall into flipping me about, and drives the ends of my mandibles into the tree, pinning me in place.

....The time he charged me, right at the start of this bout: I thought the impact caused me no harm, but he clearly damaged the pores on one of my mandibles with the strike, that's why it wouldn't ignite. ....Did he plan this? After seeing me use Barael's Blade but once, he realized how to wound my from to impede it?

...I

...I cannot free myself, either from the tree or his grip.

...I lost.

To a foe who was blinded for most of the match, who had to find me by sound and scent alone.

.........................................[BOB MARLEY].........................................


The match is called, with Excalibur once more the winner.

"HAHA! What do you think of that, Guns? I told you he was something special!"
"...I must admit surprise. Very well, Duo, after we are done here, I shall get you your winnings."

Guns N' Roses is not the only surprised one. I was not expecting Excalibur to direct the flow of the fight so deftly as that.


Well, what kind of opinion should I hold on Excalibur so far? On the one hand, his performance in practical combat is stellar (THREE abilities, without any Valiance to employ? Most interesting). On the other hand, he is rather consistently said to only perform well in combat, being apathetic towards most other pursuits....

Perhaps I should speak with him?

>>95499
Of course! He's excellent. As we've seen before with the relationship with the other beetle, he also seems to have a little talent teaching as well.

>>95499
What other pursuits are there, anyway? Let's go chat with him a little more.

>>95560
Anything the judges want, really. But each apprentice must be judged in the following categories before this event is over. Each apprentice must be deemed 'acceptable' or better by at least two judges in three categories or more to pass, and be eligible for the Rite Of Apprenticeship, their first active duty:

1: One-on-one sparring against other beetles to display hero-killing capabilities.
2: One vs. many group combat against a local beehive, to display ability to best groups of smaller foes.
3: Tactics comprehension: Hypothetical scenarios will be presented, with the judges assessing how each apprentice chooses to respond.
4: Ability to defend a target (An Acorn) from attack by others (The Beatles trainers).
5: A mobility test, assessed via a race from the base of the tree to the very top.

Other than the race and the one vs. many assessment, both of which involve all apprentices at the same time, any apprentice can be made to take any test in any order, the judges choosing when it happens. Excalibur's performance now can be used for determining how well he does in one on one matches: I would hazard to guess he passes in the eyes of all three judges for his display.

>>95501
I hail Excalibur, only moments before the boisterous Big Duo does the same.
"Excalibur, an admirable performance, that."
"Hah, quite the sight, you pulling those fancy moves! Well done, squirt!"

Excalibur, who had been finishing cleaning the last specks of ink from his carapace meticulously, stops grooming himself, standing stock-still. ...He smells.... wary?

"I...I simply chose the most sound actions I could take, in each situation."

"Bah, nonsense! You were stellar, kid!"
"I must agree with Big Duo, your aptitude for dueling is most commendable."

...He still smells wary, but something else is creeping into his scent. ....Nervousness?


What should I do? Now that Excalibur is speaking to us, he could be tested on tactics, by being presented with a hypothetical scenario to solve. Perhaps I should come up with one? Or should I do something else, such as request the presence of other apprentices to test, or move on to another subject?

>>96184
Tactics test!

>>96204
Hmmm...

"The enemy holds an object of great value that you are seeking, along with four other beetles. Assume for the purpose of this test that their abilities as warriors are average. The enemy has strong fortifications and an enourmous advantage in numbers. How do you proceed?"

>>96204
>>96228
Yes, this is a perfect chance to assess his ability to plan battles.
"Excalibur, say that you and four other beetles, presumed graduates of The Beatles, are tasked with retrieving a specific object from a heavily fortified enemy location, where there are sufficient enemy forces as to constitute an enormous number advantage. How do you proceed?"

Excalibur looks at me askance for a moment before responding, his nervousness gone, now replaced with.... mild irritation?

"Firstly, the specifics of who those other Beatles members fighting alongside me are would be needed before any plan of this nature could be made, as relying on individual potent units is largely based around exploiting each individuals particular strengths as much as possible.

Secondly, who the enemy is would need to be known. Is it a beehive? A termite mound? An outpost of The Mandarinian Empire? Any of these examples would have radically different methods of approach desired. There is no blanket answer from a tactical standpoint, not in this situation.

And lastly, no battle strategy can predict what shall happen over the course of a conflict: It is by it's very nature chaotic and unpredictable. Staying open to changing your methods immediately based on new events is the cornerstone of a good warrior. Planning an approach that may be rendered irrelevant by a new development or new intelligence gained mid-battle seems pointless. Just approach and adapt."

...Hm. while I suppose there might be some truth to the viewpoint he is expressing, he also seems to be missing the point of the question.


What was the point, and how did he do, in my opinion? And more importantly, does he have a mind that could be considered capable for leadership in military planning?

>>96757
He did very well!

Questioning the question itself is key to winning any situation! Gathering information before making a decision is important. I'd say the kid passes!

>>96757
I say he failed to take into account the possibility of the item being impossible to retrieve.

In this sense, he just correctly answered a trick question. I believe he did quite well.

>>96796
All he has proven is that he likes to know a lot of information before he commits to anything. Sometimes you cannot know everything, and trying to take the time to figure it out will mean mission failure. You must simply act quickly on best guesses and gut instinct. He does not know with precise detail what the other warriors are capable of, only that they posses no spectacular valiances, and the enemy is a foreign group of large, primarily land based insects who's brutal attacks have left few witnesses.

He did well in some respects, he adequately stated concerns which would be important in a combat situation, but he is somewhat lacking in other areas.
"You are the leader of a party, consisting of 2 stag, a tiger and a Hercules beetle, returning from a mission with the payment and an item in tow. You are accosted mid-journey by a force of innumerable 'bullet' ants. The Hercules was put down instantly and the items were taken and moved inside the large group of ants. The item must be retrieved. The beetles along with you posses no valiances. How do you proceed"

>>96762
>>97001
Certainly, if Excalibur's goal was to dissect the evaluation process and debunk it, he did neglect to acknowledge the possibility of impossible orders, or how knowing everything you could wish for planning purposes is an impossibility of it's own, the same as a generic answer being universally applicable.

>>96759
>>96796
...Although I could be acting harshly, I know tactics are something of a personal point of interest, and conflict and war theory are specialties of mine. He readily recognized the inherent trap in my vague question, and does demonstrate a practical acknowledgment of the need for flexible responses on a battlefield.

>>97009
Perhaps a non-trick question, then? To more directly assess how he approaches difficult scenarios?

"Then what of this scenario, Excalibur: You are the leader of a party, consisting of 2 stag beetles, as well as a tiger and a Hercules beetle, all members of The Beatles, returning from a mission with payment and a specific item in tow. You are accosted mid-journey by a force of innumerable 'bullet' ants. The Hercules was put down instantly and the items were taken and moved inside the large group of ants. While the payment itself is of importance, the additional item must be retrieved at any cost. The beetles along with you possess no valiances. How do you proceed?"

"That... depends. If our force is close enough to known locations of other The Beatles members or manned outposts, then at least one beetle should withdraw to seek reinforcements while the rest engage and harass the ants to prevent their departure or use of the item, whatever it may be. If, however, there is no chance of reinforcements, and we are faced with a force much larger with the capability to slay us.... well, none of that really matter, if the item must absolutely be retrieved, then if necessary, all but one soldier would be sacrificed to clear a path to retrieve the item and secure it's safe acquisition and removal from the hive. If possible, a plan to minimize losses might be enacted based on the specifics of the situation, but if the highest priority is the item's retrieval, than that is what must occur, no matter what."

Hm. Well, between this and his previous response, I imagine I have enough to determine if he passes from a tactical standpoint.


Does Excalibur possess sufficient tactical capabilities as an apprentice? And what else should I do? Perhaps summon other apprentices for appraisal, or move on to a different event?

>>97333
I would say he passes. Excellent. I hope he develops a Valiance, as good as he is without, imagine his power with one!

I would say that his tactical mind is definitely en tact an sound, though i must say that i don't like his attitude. i don't believe that he is showing proper respect.

Lets move on, call the other wannabes to do this trial. give them the same scenario.

>>97663
nah, different scenarios all around. The point is not how they respond to this specific question, or if they get the "right" answer, it is to judge their ability to think around a problem tactically.

>>97333
Excalibur shows a pragmatic and analytical approach to the challenge, though it lacks creativity and passion. He does get a pass for being able to think things through, but unless something changes about his thought process, it is unlikely he will find himself in a true leadership role. He may be suited to a second-in-command, advisory role in squad based deployment.

Bob!t/UKid4z5s 2009/12/26(Sat)20:12 No. 98721 ID: 6164e0
File 126188715143.jpg - (232.01KB , 680x1020 , Beatles Gallows Pole Appraised.jpg )

>>97663
>>97719
>>97334
Hmm. Well, attitude problems that could potentially cripple him in a supreme leadership role aside, he does display a sound grasp of general tactical planning, despite his crass nature. I must rate him as passable, and I imagine that the other two judges will feel the same.

I put out a call for apprentices, so that all may be tactically assessed and evaluated in one-on-one sparring now whilst we are here. I see beetles running about, looking from apprentices.

The first one to arrive is a heavy beetle with a brilliant green shell. He nods to Excalibur as he comes to a stop before us. ...From his scent, his name seems to be Gallows Pole.


Should I ask him a tactical question first, or ask him to do some sparring (And if so, against a fair opponent, or against a much stronger one [or someone specific])? Or should I do something else?

>>98721
Give him a fair opponent to fight. Then question him on his tactical knowledge.

Bob!t/UKid4z5s 2009/12/28(Mon)18:47 No. 100248 ID: 6164e0
File 126205485166.jpg - (250.08KB , 1020x680 , Beatles Gallows Pole Ranked Match.jpg )

>>98731

I call for an opponent to be brought for Gallows Pole, someone challenging but expected for an apprentice to spar against.

...Oh? The new one coming to face apprentices has just the same sheen to his shell as Gallow's Pole... Ah. His scent identifies him as Blind Guardian, from the same clutch as Gallows Pole. He however has already exited apprenticeship, and serves as a baseline instructor after having passed the Rite Of Apprenticeship some time ago.

Hm. I detect a singularly potent and intense pocket of emotions wafting through the air. Well, in any event, let's find out how well the apprentice can handle himself.

ROLL 1d2
1: Gallow's Pole
2: Blind Guardian

rolled 1 = 1

---

Either one will be interesting to play as. Hoping for Gallow's Pole though.

>>100260
GALLOW'S POLE CHOSEN

....Well.

I did not expect that I would have to face one of my brothers during these evaluations, but such seems to be my fate.

So, I must fight one of my brothers to be assessed by the judges here, hm? Well, I suppose I must accept my fate, and fight Blind Guardian.

Blind Guardian is larger and stronger than me, though I am faster than him. I know this rather concretely, as I recall our time spent as new members of The Beatles, I remember growing alongside him.

Both of us have mandibles built for the same purpose: To flip, to spin and imbalance our foes, to expose their belly to the sky, and feast upon them. Neither one of us possesses much cutting force, but our ability to spin anything we grasp is not to be underestimated.

If I am t face my brother now, then this will in all likelihood come down to mandible rotation. At any given time that I lock fangs with my brother, I can choose to try to heave his bulk in a given direction right or left. So, I can attempt to predict the directions that he shall try to spin me in, in an effort to counteract them. I can predict anywhere from one to five turns in a single bout. The more turns (left or right) that I correctly predict, the more I can benefit from my perception, and manipulate my foe with my knowledge. However, mistakenly predicting a turn is highly disadvantageous, so I endeavor to be as accurate as possible.

My brother, Blind Guardian, stands before me. The one watching our match as arbiter signals the start of our contest.


What should I do? And if I try to predict Blind Guardian's turns in the next clash of fangs, what directions do I think he shall turn, and how many (between 1 and 5 turns) should I try to predict?

>>101917
hrr grr grr grrk. need more data.
You have obviously fought him before. Does he tend to favor any strategies or have any habits? do YOU?

>>101974
My brother Blind Guardian is fairly capable, when it comes to choosing directions to apply torque. As far as I can recall, not once has he established a definitive pattern for his assault.

Contrary to this, I do have an as of yet established pattern for mandible use:

Normally, I follow a pattern of LEFT LEFT RIGHT, usually following it with LEFT RIGHT LEFT thereafter. As far as my brother is concerned, I am not aware of any established directional preferences.

Blind Guardian still stands immobile, waiting for my choice of action. As of yet, he has not adopted any stance for this fight, content to wait for me to act first.


What should I do?

>>101989
Well, if he knows your rotation strategy, he'll try to counteract it. Go with RIGHT RIGHT LEFT.
He'll realizes you're reversing your rotation, so rotate LEFT RIGHT LEFT. Switching between your normal and it's reverse should confuse him.

Oooor, you could throw in a random bit once in a while. Maybe change your pattern to a 4-turn, and then switch between the 4-turn sets, some 5-turn sets, and your usual 3-turn sets.

Improvisation is always a good thing too.

alternately, you could try to catch him off guard with a different opening attack entirely. It may devolve into a turning match anyway, but if you can catch him off balance at the start, you will have won a potent mental edge.

My brother has taken advantage of my patterns before, and I wonder if this match shall end the same as so many others. Other times I have tried to outsmart him, to alter my patterns, but he has been able to keep up each time, every time.

>>102309
...But perhaps if I were to expand my repertoire? Even though our mandibles are made for turning and flipping our foes, that does not mean it is all we can do: I shall abandon my normal methods, for the moment at least, and attempt to upset Blind Guardian's focus.

As he starts to trundle towards me, his mandibles held wide, I charge forward, slamming into one of the widely held mouth-parts of Blind Guardian, spinning his body about, surprise faintly emitting from his form.

>>102026
I cannot relent now, not when I have unsettled him, even if only just: I must continue, attempt to press this momentary advantage as much as I can. I start off with an inverted form of my normal attack pattern. grabbing his head and sharply wrenching RIGHT RIGHT LEFT, the final turn sending my brother skittering across the tree trunk. I race after him, unwilling to let this moment of strength pass so quickly. As I reach him, he manages to latch his mandibles about me as I do the same to him.

I return to my normal rotation pattern, hoping to catch him off guard. The first turn catches him unprepared, his head wrenching to the left.... but his uncertainty seems to lesson. My followup turn to the right is met with some resistance, and I smell his uncertainty vanish. When I attempt to turn him to the left again, I find my efforts turned upon me, as Blind Guardian pulls and twists at my head, using my own force to enhance his efforts.

>>102280
But when I turn for a fourth time, attempting to wrest control back from Blind Guardian, he seems ill-prepared... or at least, he seems so. As he loses his footing, he violently flings his head bout, and we both fall to the ground, our bellies to the sky as we roll about on our shells.

Currently, we are both upside down, on our back shells, some scant five centimeters apart.


What should I do?

If you are truly faster than your brother, now is the time to press your advantage. Get to your feet and close with him before he has a chance to recover himself. Flip yourself up with a flick of your wing shell if you are the sort of beetle capable of such motions. In any event, you must close the gap and grasp your opponent quickly, by his mandibles, or anything else which presents itself, and turn for all you are worth.

Left Left Left Left RIGHT

With any luck, he will be too shaken to catch your first few turns, but he will expect that in your haste you have fallen back on your old turn pattern. He will expect the third to be to the right, and then you will have him.

Press our advantage, we're faster. We may not be able to get to him before he rights himself but we should be able to reach him before he regains his bearings. When we reach him attempt to flip him with a solid RIGHT LEFT RIGHT.