History Main / AttackPatternAlpha

* Similarly, enemies in ''Creator/TomClancy's VideoGame/RainbowSix: Vegas'', have a variety of battle tactics and messages that they shout to each other. Occasionally, if the player is killed, the soldier that kills him or her will radio to his friends "LIMA OSCAR LIMA, over." [[HilarityEnsues Fun]] if you know the phonetic alphabet.

* The earliest recorded use of this would be in the Sun Bin's Art of War (a descendant of SunZi); Sun Bin described several specific formations to be drilled into the army, with flag, drums and horns being the way to communicate this. It is also expected that these formations were in use for a time before, as both SunZi & Sun Bin used tried and tested methods in their works.

* ''VideoGame/StarFox''

-->'''Captain America:''' Hulk? [[CatchPhrase Smash]].

* In ''Film/{{Transformers|2007}}'', there's "Roll out Strike Package Bravo." All the scenes in the AWACS were not scripted, Michael Bay just asked the real-life Air Force controllers to talk as if they were really in battle. One controller later said that Michael Bay really liked the phrase "Killbox 1-Alpha".

* In ''Film/{{Transformers}}'', "Roll out Strike Package Bravo." All the scenes in the AWACS were not scripted, Michael Bay just asked the real-life Air Force controllers to talk as if they were really in battle. One controller later said that Michael Bay really liked the phrase "Killbox 1-Alpha".

'''Wanda:''' Oh no! Alpha Niner Delta? Cosmo lost his wand to a fictional character from Missouri?

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Timmy has various codes for oft-needed wishes.

* "Fanfic/TheUniverseDoesntCheat" has Eleya first order a Crazy Ivan, then a Sulu Flip later on. "Crazy Ivan" is a real maneuver used by submarines, it's a powered course reversal performed by an underway sub to try to force following enemy boats to break off (revealing their presence and position). Pioneered by the [[UsefulNotes/RedsWithRockets Soviet Navy]], thus the "Ivan" nickname. As for "crazy," flipping a 3,000 ton submarine over like a 30,000 pound jet fighter could be considered quite mad. "Sulu Flip" is a reference to an event in ''Literature/MyEnemyMyAlly'' where Hikaru Sulu put the ''Enterprise'' through a 180 degree backflip while traveling at high warp.

* "Fanfic/SolaereSsiunHnaifvdaenn" has attack pattern D'Trel Five, in a ShoutOut to Tropers/StarSword's fellow author and sometime collaborator worffan101. In this case it's pretty fully explained what the order refers to: A [[FlashStep singularity jump]], followed by launch of torpedoes from the rear launcher, followed by cloaking and [[DoABarrelRoll pulling a Crazy Ivan]], and finally decloaking and knocking the enemy's aft shields down just as the torpedoes arrive.

* The new Maximum Break mechanic of ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Second Original Generation]]'' is this. Most of the [[CombinationAttack Combination Attacks]] in the game are also examples, like the SRX Team's ''Formation R'' or Kyosuke and Excellen's ''Rampage Ghost''. Kyosuke will sometimes even mention changing up the pattern to confuse the enemy.

* During the random crimes in ''Videogame/SpiderMan2'', criminals will occasionally shout "Execute Escape Pattern Epsilon!" before [[MundaneMadeAwesome jumping into a getaway car and driving off.]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': "Maneuver Seven" is used repeatedly, which involves [[FastballSpecial one of the Team helping launch another member at the enemy]].

* ''WebVideo/OutsideXbox'', in their ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' adventures, have devised an attack plan known as "Bear Down Protocol". This consists of Merilwen the elven druid [[{{Animorphism}} turning into a cat]], being scooped up by Dob the half-orc, and thrown at the target's face, at which point Merilwen [[BearsAreBadNews turns into a bear]] in midair.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS1E02Envoys Envoys]]", during command training, Ransom suggests that Rutherford try the Janeway Protocol in the next simulation, but doesn't explain what this is. When Rutherford tries doing this, it somehow gets every single child on the ship vented into space.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''. The H.I.V.E. make great use of this: "Gamma formation!" The trope name is even part of their self-introduction to the Titans in [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E3FinalExam one episode]], [[MonsterOfTheAesop to contrast with the disorganized heroes]]:

* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS1E01SecondContact Second Contact]]", during command training, Ransom suggests that Rutherford try the Janeway Protocol in the next simulation, but doesn't explain what this is. When Rutherford tries doing this, it somehow gets every single child on the ship vented into space.

* In ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'', Huey, Dewey and Louie have a "plan B" when they don't get their way (which only appears in the episode "Scrooge's Last Adventure"). "Plan B" means "lie down on the floor, cry, scream and kick". The clockmaker who was subjected to this gave in. (Interestingly, Fenton has the same "plan B".)
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', Timmy has various codes for oft-needed wishes.

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/HerculesTheAnimatedSeries'' features Hercules trying out a row of plans named after the letters of the Greek alphabet. (Plan Alpha, Plan Beta, Plan Gamma, ect.) After reaching Plan Omega, Phil declares that they have run out of plans.
* Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' episode "Rufus vs. Commodore Puddles": "Full Frontal Assault by Giant Canine: that's a four-one-slash-five-S scenario." Later: "That looks like a four-nine-slash-E-Z scenario: Rescue by Giant Subterranean Rodent."

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', "Maneuver Seven" is used repeatedly, which involves [[FastballSpecial one of the Team helping launch another member at the enemy]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', Protocol 62 is mentioned as the standard way to stop an epidemic. It's never specified what it is, but it apparantly involves a large number of piranhas.

* Different armies used different signaling devices, but the concept remained the same, whether that signal was given with a flag, a drum, a horn, or in some other manner. In modern times, radios have mostly taken over. Regardless of which method is used, its important to make sure that only friendly forces can interpert it, which is why such messages are often given code names or other forms of encryption (that, and making them easier to order on the fly)

* Often used in ''WesternAnimation/AvengersEarthsMightestHeroes'', usually declared by Captain America or Black Widow, and often with Hawkeye snarking that he can never remember which one it is, or Hulk grumbling that he doesn't care, he just wants to smash things.

** The Jetstream Attack also shows up in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' (used by [[{{Expy}} Expies]] of the Tri-Stars), ''[[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam G Gundam]]'' (used by random thugs against [[TheHero Domon]]; fails spectacularly) and ''Manga/YakitateJapan'' (by the actual Tri-Stars. Kinda.).

Related to TimeForPlanB. If done excessively, this can become CallingYourAttacks. Not to be confused with AlphaStrike.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' make fun of this. Blossom called out "Attack pattern Alpha Omega Atari!", and the girls flew toward the monster, while their beam trails looked like the Creator/{{Atari}} logo. Well, Atari ''was'' once part of Warner Communications.[[note]]Which has since become Time Warner, the parent company of Turner Entertainment, whose Creator/CartoonNetwork originally aired the show. Additionally, Time Warner now owns the post-1984 Atari (i.e., the "Atari Games") catalog (again).[[/note]]

** Riker orders Defense Pattern Kirk Epsilon during the Battle of the Bassen Rift. This makes for a bit of FridgeBrilliance: Kirk was the first Starfleet captain to engage a warship that could [[Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry fire while cloaked]]. The battle in Bassen Rift involved the ''Enterprise''-E and two Romulan warbirds fighting a [[MoreDakka warship]] with this ability turned UpToEleven, so it makes sense that defensive tactics for this situation would be named after Kirk.
** Meanwhile [[BigBad Shinzon]] initiates the realspace battle with "Attack Pattern Shinzon Theta".

* [[http://samandfuzzy.com/924 Mocked shamelessly]] in ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy''.
* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'' [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2004/10/21/episode-473-this-is-the-most-uncomfortable-ice-prison-ive-ever-been-in/ has]] [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2007/05/17/episode-847-throw-away-gag/ some]].

* Likewise the game ''Diplomacy'', which also has a lively literature on the subject of opening theory for each of the seven powers featured. Common ones include "Sealion" (France and Germany team up to invade England, derived from Nazi Germany planning to do that in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII) and "Lepanto" (Italian moving aggressively against Turkey with Austrian help, named after the 1571 naval battle that stopped Ottoman expansion in the Mediterranean)

* ''TabletopGame/{{Diplomacy}}'' has a large number of named opening approaches for every side, many named by the late Richard Sharp in his book ''The Game of Diplomacy'', such as the "Balkan Gambit" (Austria moving a fleet from Trieste to Albania and an army from Budapest to Serbia, the movement of the second army naming the specific variation).

** In ''Anime/DigimonSavers'' Tohma combines it with Gaomon's CallingYourAttacks.

* In Stephen Brian Ratliff's ''Fanfic/MarissaPicard'' storys [sic], the title MarySue has a playbook consisting of a wide variety of Attack Patterns, all starting with her own name. Many use the names of classical composers to distinguish them from all the other Marissa Attack Patterns.\\