Posted by SAPHIRA on December 9, 2008, 11:13 am, in reply to "Scylla go RAWR."
142.167.205.230
I am going to break down the battle post into the following stages:
1) So the first step in any battle is formulating your entrance. Try to keep it to one paragraph. In that paragraph you set the mood for the fight, as well as the general weather conditions. Everything someone needs to know about your horse goes here.
Ex: Saphira enters Blitzkrieg on an overcast morning. The breeze is chilled with autumns arrival, and in its suit, hail has followed. It pelts towards the ground, melting on contact but it will begin to stick soon. The ice pellets bounce off Saphira’s body, her muscles twitching with each strike. They are an annoyance, but at the same time have begun to make her muscles more aware of her surroundings. She is alert, her body coiling.
2) Now we move into the first attack: In this stage you need to set up your position, how you come into the attack, where you’re attacking, how you hit it, and what happens as a result of the intended damage. This can be a few paragraphs. Clarity is key. Each attack is judged on a scale of a possible 15. 5 for Realism, 5 for Power, and 5 for Timing.
Ex: Viperus in a manner of short collected canter strides. She does not waste time, for every second is valuable; every second the ground gets damper, and therefore more unstable as their fight progresses. She comes towards Viperus’s left shoulder on an angle a little more/less than 45 degrees. She does not assume he is stationary, so even if he begins to move, change’s direction, Saphira will adjust to accommodate. She does not rush forward, but each stride is precise, closing the distance within a matter of seconds. Her stride lengthens subtly, her forelegs rising a little higher the closer she comes. Until her weight has shifted back entirely by the second stride. Instead of continuing her canter stride, and moving past Viperus, in a short and powerful surge of motion, her forelegs lift about 15 or so inches from the ground and strike downwards, but too far forward to be part of a normal stride. Instead they are aiming at the Lateral digital extensor of Viperus’s left front leg. It is the tendon and muscle that originates from the inside and middle section of the forearm, and from the back of the shoulder joint, which in turn becomes the lateral digital extensor again at the approximate position of the metacarpus, also known as the soft spot in the knee. This muscle/tendon is vital for movement. It is in control of extending the knee joint, pastern, and coffin joints, the small bones in the hoof itself. Without use of these vital areas, Viperus’s would still be able to bear weight (although painfully) but any hope of forward movement, would be unlikely. Especially since a horse carries about 60% of its weight on the forehand. Making her attack all the more devastating. Because you see, although she is aiming lower on his leg, her target effects the entire leg in regards to muscle and tendon usage.
3) Next we need to state what will happen if you do not hit your intended target. You need to allow for other options because you likely never hit where you want to.
Ex: Now since nothing ever goes as planned, we must account for what should occur if Viperus magically avoids her attack altogether. Should he alter his course to come into her, her hooves would instead come into contact with the inside/front of his right foreleg, likely n the same intended area. Should Viperus veer in the other direction, Saphira hooves will strike the outside of his left foreleg, around the cannon bone. A devastating attacks none the less. Should he rear, Saphira hooves would still strike their intended target, or she would extend her attack directly to his upward moving fetlock. With gravity on her side, such an attack would make Viperus’s leg useless. Should he attempt some sort of counter attack, like ramming, or kicking out at her, he would only be increasing her chances by delaying the inevitable, and adding more weight to the wanted leg by using any sort of forward movement.
4) Next you need to state what happens directly after you finish your first attack, and move into the second and final attack. Also a restate of the weather conditions doesn’t hurt.
Ex: Saphira doesn’t really care what her hooves scraped off before they landed on the worsening terrain. Her sapphire eyes blaze as hail continues to pelt her body. Small welts appear on her ebony and ivory skin. It has already begun to stick to the ground, making the footing more unstable. By the end of their fight, it will likely be too precarious to continue.
Saphira does not know exactly how Viperus is positioned (since he hasn’t defended yet), but it makes little difference. She is facing him, still on that 40-50 degree angle when she pivots. Now they are facing the same direction, Saphira still on his left side. Bare inches separate the two bodies, their lightning sparking off one another. Even if Viperus had moved forward during her first attack, he would not have time enough to put distance between them to buck backwards at her, and a cow kick would be ineffective at such a close range.
5) Now we move into the second attack, so a repeat of stage 2.
Ex: Allow me to pain the picture for you, Saphira and viperus are now almost parallel to one another. Her forelegs are a few inches behind Viperus’s forelegs, but well enough ahead of his haunches to avoid being stricken. Even if Viperus were to bolt at this instant (only a few seconds have passed) Saphira would only push off her muscles Spanish sized hindquarters and follow him, adjusting all the while. Now Saphira is assuming that Viperus is in some type of motion, for even he is not foolish enough to stand there like a lump, while she beats the crap out of him. And likely trying to evade her, while positioning the best way from him to attack. And in a subtle yet powerful motion, that the corner of Viperus’s vision might not see, Saphira has angled herself towards his haunches, and in a surge of power and precision aims her forelegs at the groove where the barrel meets the haunches. There is a web of nerves there that lie close to the skin, (most horses get a spasm of muscle when you touch it, because its ticklish, so its very sensitive). Nerves are the brainwaves of the muscle. Should Saphira’s hooves hit this target, it would hinder his motion, capability to step beneath himself, and also the nerves that are targeted, serve other muscles in the hind leg, and the haunch itself. Therefore in essence, she could render the entire leg useless. And when a nerve is damaged, it continuously fires the signal for pain into the brain. Therefore, not only causing injury to his left hind leg, but also distracting him in his ability to think, and therefore attack. Saphira has now maimed his entire left side, and her hooves land on the hardening terrain.
6) Now you move into stage 3 again.
Ex: Should Viperus attempt to kick out at her, her hooves would strike anywhere along his leg, stifle, hock, gaskin, cannon, fetlock. All debilitating attacks on their own. Should he attempt to put on a burst of speed in the worsening terrain Saphira’s hooves would seek his hock as the extended leg is open for her destructive tendencies. Should he rear, he would only be adding weight, increasing her chances, and making the attack worse given the added weight. Should he spin towards her, she would aim again for any portion of his leg within reach. Spin away from her, she would only follow through the full extent of her lunge, and likely end up maiming his hock and knocking him off balance.
7) The final stage is the ending sentence/paragraph where you land from your final attack, and what you do directly after that will influence your opponents first set of defences.
Ex: Saphira does not leave his side, but after her hooves have touched solid ground, her presses herself against him. Following him, feeling every twitch of muscle.
OOC: Now I know that this battle post is reused, and intended for Viperus. However, that does not take away from the stages of the post. I would like you to go over what I have written, and then write your own battle post, with your own two attacks. I will reply in a battle formant first, then go over it OOC and show you where you could have improved etc.
Also here are a few links on horse anatomy you might find helpful in making your attacks.
http://nicholnl.wcp.muohio.edu/DingosBreakfastClub/BioMech/Diagramsgeneral/MuscleHorsePecs.gif
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscular_system_of_the_horse
http://www.irishhorsesociety.com/horsedata/horsedataphotos/bonesphotoa.gif
Good luck. Any questions you can address them here, or email/msn/aim me. All my contacts are on the Contacts page.
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