Challenge runs, Gender Expression, and what it means to be a 'Brawler'

[Zapp Branniglenn]

So I'm two thirds of the way through my own challenge run: Three Houses Maddening using Only Hand to Hand weapons. Plus some other wacky rules and restrictions to keep the playthrough interesting that you can read here. One of the rules is that damage dealing gambits are banned, unless the battalion in question is comprised entirely of Brawlers. Units that are visibly holding gauntlets instead of any other weapon. Those are our people, and I wanted to allow them the unique privilege of dealing damage. There are two E rank batallions that fit this criteria, so my eyes lit up when I acquired the Bergliez War Group whose description reads: Brawlers who serve House Bergliez, notorious for their relentless attacks. I then looked at my new brawler buddies and what I discovered shocked me. Viewer Discretion might be advised.

They're holding swords. I'll be honest, I was offended at the game's cruel joke. I can't use their gambit, it's against the rules. I had guessed that it was a simple aesthetic oversight by the developers. No different than Rebecca not possessing a bow string in her Heroes artwork, or Nephenee going commando in the same game. Three Houses has a great deal more visual bugs, including one where an unarmed adjutant will spontaneously start holding a sword in battle animations. I still have nightmares about Cyril's Ghost Sword potentially invalidating my run.

But wait, what if this wasn't a mistake? We live in a very cosmopolitan time in human history. Breakthroughs are made every day in gender and racial expression. If these men and women say they are Brawlers, can I really tell them that they're wrong? I am NOT a bigot. I definitely WENT to college. And I had IDENTIFIED what The Matrix was always about on the day that I learned the Wachowski Brothers are now the Wachowski Sisters. 

So I pass this moral conundrum onto you, the enlightened yet God-Fearing members of SerenesForest. Would you, doing this same challenge run with the same rules, use the Onslaught gambit attached to this battalion? I understand this is an inflammatory question, but I want to stress that there are no wrong answers. Perhaps in 2032 this question's answer would seem obvious, but right now, in 2022, the sanctity of my run needs to be considered in equal measure. I know where I stand on this question, but I would like your input as well

Edited October 6, 2022 by Zapp Branniglenn

[Eltosian Kadath]

Look at em, they are all obviously dual wielding, swords in one hand, fist in the other. Let their Brawler side shine through and Onslaught with their open fist (with a sword to switch).

[AnonymousSpeed]

You already provided a definition for the challenge in the opening post:

3 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

Units that are visibly holding gauntlets instead of any other weapon.

If you're going to just ignore the definition because you feel like, you might as well not bother with having the term at all.

[Jotari]

13 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

So I pass this moral conundrum onto you, the enlightened yet God-Fearing members of SerenesForest.

Bold of you to assume I fear any manner of god.

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

Well, words can have multiple definitions. I could assert that Marth and Ike are Brawlers - they show up in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, do they not? Likewise, this could be a bunch of people who are always happy to involve themselves in a "brawl", but who don't do so via the accepted method of "brawling". Just like the "Alliance Duelists" don't whip out a Duel Disk and slam down three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. To my unending disappointment.

In short, what matters to your run, is your definition of the term "Brawler". If it necessitates the use of Gauntlets over any other weapon type, then while this battalion may satisfy some definition of "Brawler", it doesn't satisfy the one that you've decided is relevant. On the flip side, if the more important factor is simply being referred to by the b-word, then these would fulfill your guidelines, even if they don't satisfy what you thought your guidelines were.

On 10/6/2022 at 3:35 PM, Zapp Branniglenn said:

But wait, what if this wasn't a mistake? We live in a very cosmopolitan time in human history. Breakthroughs are made every day in gender and racial expression. If these men and women say they are Brawlers, can I really tell them that they're wrong? I am NOT a bigot. I definitely WENT to college. And I had IDENTIFIED what The Matrix was always about on the day that I learned the Wachowski Brothers are now the Wachowski Sisters. 

 

For at least a little while, they were widely known as "the Wachowski Siblings", or just "the Wachowskis". Since Lana transitioned several years before Lilly.

obligatory "watch Sense8"