Armor Piercing/Playing With

Basic Trope: An attack or weapon that goes through the target's armor to deal damage, allowing the attack to damage heavily-armored enemies.

Straight: The attack Armor Pierce ignores defense boosts from the target's armor when doing damage.
Exaggerated: Armor Pierce is actually more powerful than normal if the opponent is wearing heavy armor.
Downplayed: Armor Pierce does not completely ignore the opponent's armor; it just reduces the damage reduction from the armor.
Justified: There are enemies in the game that are so heavily armored that Armor-Piercing Attack is needed (or very helpful) to damage them.
Inverted: An attack does high damage, but is blocked if the opponent has any armor.
Subverted: Armor Pierce is actually just a normal, if somewhat more powerful attack, and is still affected by the target's armor's defense boosts.
Double Subverted: It turns out that the first attack was only meant to "pierce" the armor of the target. Future attacks do damage as though the opponent was not wearing armor.
Parodied: The Armor-Piercing Attack weapon/attack is something "weak", like a paper fan, Nerf Arm, or a slap.
Deconstructed: Because Armor-Piercing Attack is so common, wearing armor becomes a disadvantage; i.e. Armor Is Useless.
Reconstructed:
- Armor has other uses that it's worth wearing despite the risk of Armor Piercing.
- Armor-Piercing Attack does less base damage than standard attacks, making armor useful if only to force enemies to use the weaker attacks.
Zig Zagged: Armor-Piercing Attack works against some armored enemies and does not against others, with no apparent way to tell which.
Averted: There are no Armor-Piercing Attack|s. If the opponent has heavy armor, just hit harder.
Enforced: It's a game that makes use of equipment-based defense boosts, and Armor-Piercing Attack is included as a counter to armor.
Lampshaded: "Ow! I didn't expect you to have an attack that ignores the defense boost from my armor!"
Invoked: "I'm buying that Armor Piercing Spear, in case we run into heavy-armor enemies!"
Exploited: After obtaining Armor Pierce, Bob only fights armored enemies.
Defied: "I have a spell that nullifies Armor-Piercing Attack!"
Discussed: "His armor is too strong for us to damage him normally! We need something that can pierce his armor!"
Conversed: "You're having trouble beating the Heavy Armor? Have you tried finding an Armor Piercing Spear?"
Played For Drama: An ally uses his heavy armor to his advantage in battle... only to be slain by someone with Armor Piercing.

Go back to Armor-Piercing Attack, ignoring effects of Internet's armor in the process.