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{{trope}}
{{quote|'''Idun:''' Wh- what is this?
'''Soushi:''' That, Festum, is '''pain!''' Do you want to know the name of the tactic I showed you? It's the ''War of Attrition''! The tactic of ''enduring pain!''
|''[[Fafner in The Azure Dead Aggressor]]'' }}
A subtrope of [[Combat Pragmatist]].
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Sometimes, the one who wins a battle is simply the last man standing.
This trope is different from a [[Pyrrhic Victory]]. The gambit revolves around ensuring that stamina/
This trope takes several different forms:
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Some of these can overlap. For example, it's possible to poison an enemy as in Type 1, forcing them to overclock their [[Healing Factor]] as in Type 2, and then have a win condition at the ready [[Xanatos Gambit|just in case]], as in Type 3. Characters that do this are likely to be [[Crazy Prepared]].
None of these tactics are seen as the most heroic way to fight, as it's considered more virtuous to [[Let's Fight Like Gentlemen|fight like a gentleman]] and [[Brains Evil, Brawn Good|pit raw talent, skill, and power against an enemy than use cunning to avoid it]]. Thus you'll see this most often used by [[Villains]] or [[Anti-Hero
Often seen in a [[Mook Horror Show]] situation. Expect a [[Stone Wall]] type character to use this tactic
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Compare and contrast [[My Defense Need Not Protect Me Forever]], [[Super-Persistent Predator]], [[Death of a Thousand Cuts]], [[Gradual Grinder]], or [[Hit and Run Tactics]].
See: [[The Problem
{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* Nnoitra Jiruga in ''[[Bleach]]'' uses this against [[The Hero]], Ichigo Kurosaki. After a much-anticipated battle between Ichigo and his [[Evil Counterpart]] rival, Grimmjow, it looks like Ichigo has finally defeated his nemesis and rescued his [[
* ''[[Prince of Tennis]]'' bout between Karou vs Ryoma. Karou's tennis style is to force his opponent to run from one side of the court to the other, making them too tired to return his volleys. Ryoma turns this around on him by forcing him to keep his knees bent during the whole game, using up twice as much endurance, instead.
* ''[[Naruto]]'' uses this tactic sometimes, given that he has more physical and chakra endurance than almost anyone. A particularly notable example is when Naruto defeats {{spoiler|Pain}}, as Naruto takes full advantage of his ability to spam powerful techniques to exhaust his opponent. Ironically, said opponent was using the ''same tactic at the same time''. Turns out that {{spoiler|Pain}} underestimated Naruto's stamina. However, Naruto usually expends that extra energy to do ''more'' rather than win his own fight. For example, in the recent {{spoiler|Fourth Shinobi War}} Arc, Naruto's new [[Super Mode]] is quite powerful and can be used for extended periods of time. Instead of conserving his energy for his upcoming fight, he creates a dozen clones to {{spoiler|personally turn the tide at every front of the war.}} This has notable consequences later, but his decision definitely did have its merits. However, this trope is often [[Subverted Trope|subverted]] for Naruto, as he often needs that extreme stamina just to ''keep up'' with the numerous challenges presented to him.
* Yami Bakura from ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' easily defeated Pegasus by attacking him after he just faced Yugi.
{{quote|
* In ''[[Fairy Tail]]'', this is how {{spoiler|Elfman defeats Bacchus in the Magic Tournament. Bacchus' magic martial arts make him too fast for Elfman to dodge, so he simply transforms into a lizardman with spiky scales. The entire match consists of Bacchus landing countless powerful blows on Elfman, seriously damaging his own hands in the process. In the end, Bacchus falls down exhausted conceding defeat.}}
== [[
* This was how Bane defeated [[Batman]] in the ''[[Knightfall]]'' story arc: waiting until Batman had a normally inconvenient bout of the flu, Bane unleashed a mob of super-criminals from Arkham Asylum and waited for Batman to tire himself out trying to put them all back behind bars in the space of a few days with no sleep. Having already deduced Batman's [[Secret Identity]], Bane shows up at Wayne Manor after Bruce Wayne has practically collapsed in exhaustion and then breaks his spine.
* This is how Norman Osborn {{spoiler|kills Peter Parker in ''[[Ultimate Spider
* [[The Punisher]] had a story in which a mook barely escapes from Frank, and his mental condition gradually worsens as he seeks help everywhere. Frank barely appears at all except at the end, allowing the mook to tire himself out all by himself.
* In ''[[Superman]]: Ending Battle'', Manchester Black sends waves and waves of villains after the hero. After they are defeated, Bizarro, Mongul, Master Jailer, and Silver Banshee try to finish Superman off now that he's exhausted. In the ensuing fight, Superman also uses this against Mongul, dodging and blocking his attacks and refueling on sunlight until Mongul gets tired.
== [[Fan Works]] ==
* In the ''[[RWBY]]'' [[Peggy Sue]] fic ''[[Relic of the Future]]'' by "Coeur al'Aran", this is a large part of how Jaune Ashari finally defeats Hazel Rainart -- by simply ''outlasting'' the larger man's supplies of Dust and physical strength, essentially running down the clock on Hazel's ability to be an unstoppable combat monster by avoiding his blows when possible and tanking them with his Aura when necessary.
== [[Film]] ==
* Ivan Vanko/Whiplash in ''[[Iron Man (
* Jason Voorhees, [[Implacable Man|believe it or not]], uses this in ''[[Friday the 13th (
** Of course, Jason could have done this at the very start of the fight too.
* [[Played for Laughs]] in ''[[Monty
* In ''[[Real Steel]]'', Charlie details how he, back when humans did the actual boxing, fought an opponent he wasn't expected to be able to contend with to a near-victory simply because his opponent couldn't knock him down. {{spoiler|Atom's near-victory happens in much the same way, since he's built to take hits and the other robot doesn't have enough juice to last five rounds.}}
== [[Literature]] ==
* Valentinian in the [[Belisarius Series]], but [[Defied Trope|defied]] in the most spectacular example:
{{quote|
* Used several times in the ''[[
* Bronn does this against Ser Vardis in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' (and in ''[[
== [[
* "[http://www.wysotsky.com/1033.htm?512 The Sentimental Boxer]" song by [[Vladimir Vysotsky]] has the boxing version turned [[Up to Eleven]]. The protagonist is a boxer who couldn't hit anyone in the face. His opponent squeezed a knockdown early on and seems to have been under impression that the victory is close and he needs to press hard just a little more — right until collapse from overexertion.
* Famously used by boxer Muhammad Ali in his "[[wikipedia:Rope-a-dope|Rope-a-dope]]'' strategy against George Foreman during the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" match. He lay against the ring's ropes in a protective stance and let Foreman wear himself out hitting him, with the ropes absorbing most of the impact. Once Foreman grew tired Ali started counter attacking and beat him.▼
== [[Tabletop
* ''[[Shadowrun]]''. The barghest uses its fear-causing howl to drive its prey for long distances until they are exhausted and it can close in for the kill.
* For ''[[Ars Magica]]'', the ''Houses of Hermes'' supplement introduced a more visceral alternative to the Certámen ritual combat, preferred by the [[Playing
* In ''[[
== [[Video Games]] ==
* In some [[Role
* According to the [[Encyclopedia Exposita|Codex]] in ''[[Mass Effect]]'', this is humanity's main method of fighting. Humanity attacks the enemy's supplies and resources foremost, leaving their forces to "wither on the vine" until their fleets can [[Curb Stomp Battle|curb stomp]] them.
* In ''[[Super Mario RPG]]'', [[Bonus Boss|Culex]], unlike every other boss in the game, has a finite FP pool for spellcasting. If you can tank his attacks for long enough, he effectively takes himself out of the fight. This does not, however, solve the problem of his four elemental crystals which aid him in battle, and which do have limitless FP.
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== [[Web Original]] ==
* Hayate adopts this tactic in ''[[Dead Fantasy|Dead Fantasy V]]'', by having his ninja assault [[Final Fantasy VII|Tifa]] after she's been beaten and severely weakened by [[Worthy Opponent|Hitomi]]. Hayate doesn't attack until she's on the brink of exhaustion; having expended her remaining energy dispatching all but two of his squad.
* ''[[Things Mr. Welch Is No Longer Allowed to Do In An RPG]]'' need to specify that
{{quote|2390. The plan is not just let the villain beat on the dwarf until his arm gets tired. }}
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[The Simpsons (
** Against normal men anyway (though Dr. Hibbert claims being beaten by a two-by-four would have the same result). Against [[Mike Tyson]] expy Drederick Tatum however...
* In the ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' short "Gorilla My Dreams", [[Bugs Bunny]] is being chased by a gorilla. Just when things seem hopeless for Bugs, he finds that by the time the gorilla has caught him he was too tired to beat him up and falls over exhausted.
** [[Stalking Is Love|Pepe Le Pew.]] He has a flamboyant hop which allows him to keep pace with a fleeing mate without tiring himself. The faster she runs, the more helpless she'll be when he catches her. Ironically, there was at least one cartoon [[Laser-Guided Karma|where that very tactic was used against him]].
* In the ''[[
== [[Real Life]] ==
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* Another real life example is wolves. Which are as adapted to cold weather endurance as humans are to warm. When the two species started working together, everything made of meat was basically screwed.
* Komodo dragons. The Komodo has a very nasty septic bite that causes, amongst other things, inhibition of blood clotting, lowered blood pressure, hypothermia and paralysis. It will bite its prey and just wait until it collapses before chowing down.
* This could almost be called the "Russia Gambit", as this is basically how Russia won two major wars. Both the [[Napoleonic Wars]] and [[World War Two]] were won by Russia constantly retreating into colder and colder territory while [[We Have Reserves|using their near-limitless numbers]] to slowly wear the invaders down.
** The Vietnam War also counts, with North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh famously declaring "if the Americans want to make war for twenty years then we shall make war for twenty years. If they want to make peace, we shall make peace and invite them to afternoon tea." In the end, the Americans underestimated the North's will to fight for years against a technologically superior foe while also taking horrendous losses. In other words, the U.S. military could go home after the war wether they lost or won, while the North Vietnamese's only option was to win the fight because they had nowhere else to go.
* [[Second Sino
* In a [[Real Life]] knife fight between to skilled opponents, if you can't get a easy kill, the idea is to nick the other guy and let him "bleed out". Which doesn't mean he bleeds to death, it means the blood loss tires him out.
** Its also worth noting that this tactic not only ''can'' easily be applied to combat of just about any form, but often is the deciding factor. The more a fighter exerts themselves during an offensive, the quicker they will tire. Violence is one of the most physically draining activities that human beings can engage in, and if a victory isn't achieved within the first minute, its extremely likely that the fight will end in favour of whoever has greater endurance.
* In one Grand Prix race in the 1930s, William Grover Williams, racing for Italian automaker Bugatti, was up against a german team whose cars were more powerful. Williams realized that he couldn't catch the German leader in a flat-out race, but that the German's more powerful engine would drink fuel faster than the lighter Bugatti, so he eased off and waited for the German to put in for more fuel. During the time it took for the German to refuel, Williams overtook his pole position and secured his spot at the head of the pack, winning the race.
* Roman formations were used to capitalize on this.
▲* Famously used by boxer Muhammad Ali in his "[[wikipedia:Rope-a-dope|Rope-a-dope]]'' strategy against George Foreman during the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" match. He lay against the ring's ropes in a protective stance and let Foreman wear himself out hitting him, with the ropes absorbing most of the impact. Once Foreman grew tired Ali started counter attacking and beat him.
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Combat Tropes]]
[[Category:Victory
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