History Main / BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame

* A variation in ''Anime/AldnoahZero'': while trying to take back New Orleans, Inaho and his team face off against the occupying Martian Knight's [[HumongousMecha Solis Kataphrakt]]. The Solis uses ''terrifyingly'' powerful [[EnergyWeapon Energy Weapons]], allowing it to blast opponents and even missiles to slag before they even get close. Inaho's solution to this long-ranged opponent is even ''longer''-ranged combat: [[spoiler:he relays the exact position of the Solis to the [[CoolShip Deucalion]], allowing them to lob shells at it from behind the safety of the horizon.]]

* A variation in ''Anime/AldnoahZero'': while trying to take back New Orleans, Inaho and his team face off against the occupying Martian Knight's [[HumongousMecha Solis Kataphrakt]]. The Solis uses ''terrifyingly'' powerful FrickinLaserBeams, allowing it to blast opponents and even missiles to slag before they even get close. Inaho's solution to this long-ranged opponent is even ''longer''-ranged combat: [[spoiler:he relays the exact position of the Solis to the [[CoolShip Deucalion]], allowing them to lob shells at it from behind the safety of the horizon.]]

* The final battle of ''VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage'' involves competing with Ripto to gather orbs which give [[EleventhHourSuperpower special powers]] to whomever collects them.

** WesternAnimation/BugsBunny has done this a few times, such as turning Count Bloodcount's [[ByThePowerOfGreyskull magic words]] against him, transforming him into different things.

* [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII The Battle of Midway]] was a second attempt by the [[UsefulNotes/KatanasOfTheRisingSun Japanese Navy]] to trap and neutralize the US Pacific Fleet. The plan called for drawing the US Carrier Forces North by sending the Fifth Fleet towards the Aleutian Islands. Meanwhile, a separate strike force(Kido Butai, lit. "''Striking Force''") would seize the airfield on Midway Island to neutralize that threat. In response, the Carrier group was expected to turn back south to retake Midway, where Kido Butai would be waiting. On paper, it seemed to be an elegant and well-thought out plan, if [[ComplexityAddiction a bit too complex]]. What the Japanese didn't know is that the Americans had broken their codes, forewarning them about the attack and allowing them to set up their own trap. When Kido Butai approached Midway, they got ambushed by dozens of US Fighters and Bombers from the same carrier group they were trying to take out. [[DecisiveBattle And the rest is history.]]

* [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII The Battle of Midway]] was a second attempt by the [[UsefulNotes/KatanasOfTheRisingSun Japanese Navy]] to trap and neutralize the US Pacific Fleet. The plan called for drawing the US Carrier Forces North by sending the Fifth Fleet towards the Aleutian Islands. Meanwhile, a separate strike force(Kido Butai, lit. "''Striking Force''") would seize the airfield on Midway Island to neutralize that threat. In response, the Carrier group was expected to turn back south to retake Midway, where Kido Butai would be waiting. On paper, it seemed to be an elegant and well-thought out plan, if [[ComplexityAddiction a bit too complex]]. What the Japanese didn't know is that the Americans had broken their codes, forewarning them about the attack and allowing them to set up their own trap. When Kido Butai approached Midway, they got ambushed by dozens of US Fighters and Bombers from the same carrier group they were trying to take out. [[DecisiveBattle And the rest is History]].

* In an episode of ''[[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'', the SOS Brigade are challenged by the Computer Society at a video game of the latter's own design to keep their computer (and their EmotionlessGirl, thanks to Haruhi's tendency to treat brigade members like property.) The SOS Brigade ends up winning in spite of only having a week of practice, having a strategic moron for a leader, and [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard rampant cheating on the part of the Computer Society]].
** Straight example since it took rampant cheating on the part of the EmotionlessGirl for them to win.
*** Technically, she didn't cheat. The only thing she did that wasn't within the rules of the game was to turn off the computer club's cheat.

** Same thing happened, though on smaller scale, on ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', along with a BreakingSpeech. Superman was having problems taking down his evil clone, prompting Wonder Woman to fly in and suggesting to switch dance partners. Green Lantern and Hawkgirl end up doing the same thing. We see The Flash and Batman easily beating their own doubles, however, the Flash with a particularly effective ShutUpHannibal, and Batman by virtue of the fact that he didn't give his double a chance to start messing with his head.

* More generally in the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasy'' series, there's Blue Magic, which allows a character to learn enemy-exclusive skills, usually via getting ''hit with it''. This includes the instant-death skills.

* ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'': Though not villainous, Nick antagonizes Officer Judy Hopps by exploiting her naïveté to draw her into his pawpsicle hustle and uses proper paperwork and LoopholeAbuse to prevent her from arresting him. So when he turns out to be her only lead on a case, she tricks him into boasting about his income as a hustler while she secretly records it and then reveals he is guilty of felony tax evasion which she uses to blackmail him into helping her.

** Joey pulls of a double dose of this to Valon in their duel during the "Waking The Dragons" arc. Valon uses an "Armor" deck where the monsters he summons are equipped to his own body as a futuristic suit of PoweredArmor. Joey decided to "fight armor with armor" first with his Aura Armor trap card which he then sacrifices along with his Red-Eyes Black Dragon to create his "Lord of the Red" armor. The cherry on top is when Joey finally wins the duel by fusing his Claws of Hermos with a monster that was in Valon's graveyard referencing a move Valon had used earlier in which he made a copy of an equip monster Joey had.

** Joey does a double dose of this to Valon in their duel during the "Waking The Dragons" arc. Valon uses an "Armor" deck where the monsters he summons are equipped to his own body as a futuristic suit of PoweredArmor. Joey decided to "fight armor with armor" first with his Aura Armor trap card which he then sacrifices along with his Red-Eyes Black Dragon to create his "Lord of the Red" armor. The cherry on top is when Joey finally wins the duel by fusing his Claws of Hermos with a monster that was in Valon's graveyard referencing a move Valon had used earlier in which he made a copy of an equip monster Joey had.

** Also don in an issue of ''ComicBook/SpiderHam'' complete with lampshade hanging, Mooster Fantastic consult the hero's manual and find the proper tactic for dealing with evil counterparts, switching opponents!

* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', many of Sora's Reaction Commands involve him copying the enemy's signature moves. For example, he can copy the aerial dive attack of Xaldin, and against Demyx he can challenge him to a musical duel.
** For an earlier example, look no further than [[BonusBoss Kurt Zisa]] in [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI the first game]]. In its first phase it only uses physical attacks. And it locks your magic forcing ''you'' to only use physical attacks. Then its second phase uses only magic based attacks. Guess what you have to use to break his shield.

* In one story during [[UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}} the Silver Age]], the Joker tried this, figuring that if a UtilityBelt works so well for Batman, it could work well for him too, and built his own. (Unfortunately, Batman was a little ''too'' good at his own game, and managed to [[HoistByHisOwnPetard use Joker's belt to his own advantage.]])

* In ''Joe's New Look'' Big John tries to roast Joe by throwing flames at him. But, Joe leaps in the air and Big John's own men get burned instead.

* BoardGame/{{Chess}} Grandmaster Jan Timman is known for using his opponents' favorite opening lines against them. Sometimes this backfires, but often it works and he wins, partially due to the psychological difficulties of essentially "playing against yourself".

* In ''{{WebVideo/RWBY}}'', during the Yellow Trailer, this is how Yang Xiao Long defeats Melanie and Miltia; Miltia, who fights with WolverineClaws, is taken out of the fight with a massive punch, while Yang downs KickChick Melanie with a nasty kick to the forehead.

* [[VideoGame/GodOfWarSeries Kratos]] pulls this on [[spoiler:Hades]] in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarIII''. [[spoiler:The God of the Underworld tries to steal his soul. Kratos takes his soul-stealing weapons, then uses them on Hades.]]

* ''Video/SonicTheHedgehog'':

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':

** This also happens in one of the early Archie SonicTheHedgehog comics, wherein the main cast has an all-out brawl with their MirrorUniverse {{Evil Twin}}s. The heroes start out fighting their own counterparts and neither side can gain an advantage, but after they switch partners the goodies handily tromp the baddies.