Shulk VS Zael

[Monarch_Laciel]

Operation: Rainfall protagonists decide to fight

Wielder of the Monado

Bearer of the Outsider's Mark

5-C versions for both.

Speed equalised

 

[Theglassman12]

Zael should take this easily with more versatile hax to utilize.

 

[Golden_Void]

What he said^

 

[Monarch_Laciel]

Hax such as? I'd prefer more detail

 

[Theglassman12]

Attack reflection, mind manipulation, homing attack, power nullification, death manipulation, and status effect inducement.

 

[Monarch_Laciel]

Attack reflection only refers to magical attacks, death manip is only via using certain weapons and has a 1% chance of working, mind manipulation makes Shulk attack him

Gathering Burst (homing and status effects) requires Zael to be hit by, or at least block, 5 hits in succession (though they don't necessarily need to cause damage).

And power null disperses magical effects, I don't see which of his abilities it can work against.

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

About time I've seen this match come to life. Anyway, gathering burst is really Zael's only hax ability that will work on Shulk; it can give gravity/stop on Shulk. Additionally, Shulk has pre-recognition, which could help him against Zael's stronger sword techniques and dodge his various arrows. Also, Shulk has a much better sword; Monado II or Replica Monado > Zan Lance. It's got better range thanks to Monado Buster, and I don't think Zael has much defence against Monado Cyclone. I'm actually leaning towards Shulk for the win.

 

[Monarch_Laciel]

"Better sword"

How so?

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

I already explained longer range, but I suppose I'll need other details. The Monado's blade is a beam of Ether, which is basically Life Energy/Spirit Energy. Zan Lance, might be able to break through Monado Shield, but it's still a metal sword as far as we know. It's kind of like comparing a lightsaber to a normal longsword. Also, while Shulk himself has never used the Monado to this extent, but the Monado II is the same monado Zanza used to cut the Mechonis; a Moon sized giant, in half. That says a lot about his potential range, although, his in game range is only dozens of meters, which is still much more than Zael's.

Shulk also has more varied sword techniques in general, Back Slash, Slit Edge, Air Slash, Stream Edge, Shaker Edge, Monado Buster, and Monado Cyclone. Zael, aside from his basic sword slashes, only has gale and vertical slice. Shulk's Monado Purge could also have a similar effect to Zael's Gathering Burst, and Shulk's visions could easily be used to counter Zael's best sword techniques. So yeah, it is a pretty close call, but I still gotta vote for Shulk for those reasons.

 

[Theglassman12]

The mind manipulation can help him screw over shulk's plan by just attacking him instead of avoiding him.

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

Zael's mind manipulation is pretty limited, and mostly only helpful when he has allies. His main strategy is to flank the enemy while Yurick or Calista attack with magic. Also, it doesn't quite effect smarter opponents the same way as monsters. In various one on one against the likes of Ashtar or Therius, it doesn't really effect their aggro nor does it stop them from using clever tactics over going berserk. And in Jirall's case, it doesn't effect him either because he was already berserk technically. So drawing aggro doesn't stop Shulk from dodging the attack.

 

[Monarch_Laciel]

Well, not entirely. I'll quote the book:

As I stood on the battlefield, I found myself able to call forth a shining light from my right hand. Upon doing so, all hostile beings, both human and monster alike, began to direct their hatred towards me alone, losing all self control and attacking me in a violent frenzy.

Sure it's most useful when Zael has allies. But it's still going to screw over Shulk's ability to strategize in anyway. I'm pretty sure it not working on Ashtar or Therius because game mechanics

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

Well, it screws over common bandits and Lazulis Knights, who are both much less intelligent than Therius or Ashtar, so there's no 100% proof that it will screw Shulk over. Also, Shulk's profile isn't entirely finished; he fought Egil who appears mind manipulation. He had complete mind control over Gadolt, and was unable to do the same thing to Shulk. So yeah, I might need to make a Content Revision to add that to their profiles.

 

[Monarch_Laciel]

Sadly I haven't played Xenoblade Chronicles despite being on the lookout for it for many years, so I'll leave that to you.

 

[Monarch_Laciel]

bump

 

[Zackaryzac]

Zanza(The Monado) was able to mind control, his other "hosts" in the past. But was unable to completely do so to shulk, more so he had to kind of 'lead' Shulk to the end goal, when Shulk is about to kill egil, Zanza's voice goes on inside his head to kill him, yet shulk ends up refusing to do so.

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

Yeah, I'll look for proper back ups the content revision pretty soon. Shulk should have resistance to both mind manipulation and possession.

 

[GimmyJibbsJr]

Yeah, I recall Shulk being referred to as a "vessel" in which Zanza slept so he could regain power. He was unable to actually make Shulk do anything that Shulk didn't want to do, and that's why he had Dickson try to influence and persuade Shulk's actions to lead him to Zanza's desired goal.

In terms of possession, hard to say if it is an actual resistance. I would say that he has a resistance to mind manipulation, though.

 

[Monarch_Laciel]

Uhh, so I just realised there is such thing as a Low 5-B

Which means Zael should actually be possibly Low 5-B by virtue of defeating someone with half the power of a baseline 5-B.

So... Zael one-shots.

Does anyone want to argue Shulk's reality warping can help him here, or shall I just close this?

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

Shulk doesn't get reality warping till his Low 2-C Key, so I suppose we should close this.

RIP Operation Rainfall.