History Main / HomeFieldAdvantage

* Sometimes a sport can have a time-zone ''disadvantage''. One factor in why the Los Angeles Kings fairly easily handled the New Jersey Devils in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs was theorized to be the fact that the NHL's Western Conference (which the Kings play in) has cities in four time zones (Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern), while the Devils Eastern Conference only has a single city (Winnipeg) outside the Eastern Time Zone. The Kings were therefore used to playing at very different times when on the road compared to the Devils.

Of course, this isn't just about sports. If the [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs bad guys attack the hero in his home]], he's bound to have a few tricks up his sleeve. Even if he doesn't have anything prepared, who knows his home better than he does? Perhaps you're a local hero and everyone supports you, actively or clandestinely, in your fight against the rampaging killbots. Perhaps you're a PhysicalGod, and you're home is literally part of you. The possibilities are endless.

* Historians generally agree that the American Revolution was Britain's Vietnam (though they may never use those words). They won every battle the French weren't involved in, but they had no real hope of winning the war. America was on the other side of the world, meaning they couldn't respond quickly or meaningful to events on the ground, and every victory cost them hearts and minds. Hell, the mere presence of "foreign" troops in the colonies was one of the first causes of the conflict!

-> "Theres no way to anticipate every danger; you need a backup plan for when things go wrong. Thats why home-court advantage is so important."
--> -- [[BurnNotice Michael Westen]]

-->Trainman: You don't get it. I built this place. Down here I make the rules. Down here I make the threats. Down here, I'm God.

* There are disadvantages. If one's own army is invading then the other side's peasants will be the victims of {{Plunder}} whereas your own will be safe to provide revenue. Furthermore one's own [[PuppetState Puppet States]] will have no support if they choose to defect whereas the enemy ruler while being invaded will have to deal with this. These were many times in the past a strong consideration before the days of nationalism made the general population identify enough with their government to have a high probability of taking sides with the home team instead of just getting out of the way.

** In the {{Ravenloft}} setting Darklords are extremely powerful and almost undefeatable inside their own domain.

* Many characters have special advantages in the water, such as Tiger Shark and [[{{Submariner}} Namor the Submariner]] in the MarvelUniverse and {{Aquaman}} in the DCUniverse.

* Many characters have special advantages in the water, such as Tiger Shark and [[Namor the Submariner {{Submariner}}]] in the MarvelUniverse and {{Aquaman}} in the DCUniverse.

* In ''SpaceJam'' the LooneyTunes have the game in their world, which means they have free reign to use all of their [[CrazyAwesome wacky and dangerous antics]] to help them out.

** In the {{Ravenloft}} setting Darklords are extremely powerful inside their own domain, and are usually prevented from leaving it by the Dark Powers.

Examples"

[[AC:AnimeAndManga]]
* The main thing about being challenged to a parts war in ''AirGear'' is the challenged team know their own territory and can also set traps and use the environment against the opposing team.
* The Unlimited Blade Works spell (and indeed any and all Reality Marbles) of ''FateStayNight'' basically invokes this trope, turning the battlefield into one that's perfect for Archer [[spoiler: or Shirou]] to battle in.
* ''FairyTail'' has Tenrou Island, the holy land of the eponymous Guild where any mage with the Fairy Tail crest is given a large boost in magic power as long as they're on the island. [[spoiler: Well, it WAS that way anyway...]]
* In ''YuYuHakusho'', the first of the 4 Sacred Beasts, Genbu, can use his powers over earth to meld with the stone that composes the castle and move freely through it.
* In ''KatekyoHitmanReborn'', the Melone Base is one for Shoichi and his forces because the base itself is his box weapon and he can rearrange it as he chooses.
* ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'' has the Saint Cradle, which gives an edge to the combat cyborgs because they aren't affected by the huge magic dampening field all around the ship.
* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', Babidi's base can simulate various environments and his henchmen use it to their adventage (although it fails spectacularly when a HeavyWorlder henchman tries increased gravity against Vegeta.)
* Crocodile from ''Manga/OnePiece'' puts his [[DishingOutDirt sand powers]] to best use in the desert of Alabasta. The desert is also where he is least likely to encounter his KryptoniteFactor, [[WeaksauceWeakness water]].
* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', spiritual entities (Soul Reaper, Hollow, Quincy, etc.) are at their most powerful in worlds where reishi (spirit particles) are densest. This means that the spirit worlds of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo are where these beings are at their most powerful.

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* For the ''GreenLantern'' comics, the living planet Mogo is a planet sized Home Field Advantage. At least, [[spoiler:while it was still alive.]]
* Played with by ''{{Superman}}'' and other Kryptonians, who have a Home Field Advantage anywhere near a yellow sun.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* The ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' series has at least 2 enchanted ships that give this. Davy Jones can move through the Flying Dutchman at will, while Blackbeard [[spoiler: or rather, whoever has his sword can manipulate the Queen Anne's Revenge and, if Barbossa's exposition is to be believed, ay other ships they encounter, at will]].
* In ''SpaceJam'' the LooneyTunes have the game in their world, which means they have free reign to use all of their [[CrazyAwesome wacky and dangerous antics]] to help them out.

* Deconstructed by ''AHistoryOfViolence'' (as it deconstructs most violent tropes). When murderous mobsters come knocking on your door, your house is just a house.
* When the bad guys come calling in ''ConspiracyTheory'', Jerry's prepared. Not only does he have numerous warning systems, he also spent a great deal of time turning his home into an instant firetrap, allowing him to escape, but which was set up in such a way that it didn't spread to [[HeroInsurance other apartments.]]
* ''TheMatrixReloaded''. The Trainman is much more powerful than normal in the underground subway area he controls. He's even more powerful than The One (Neo).
-->Trainman: You don't get it. I built this place. Down here I make the rules. Down here I make the threats. Down here, I'm God.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* Michael Westen takes advantage of this a number of times on ''BurnNotice'', and often mentions it in his narration.
** In the first season episode ''Wanted Man'', Michael takes advantage of knowing Fiona's home better than an intruder, and waits for him to trip over something Michael tripped over [[ChekhovsGun earlier]].
** In the first season episode ''Hard Bargain'', Michael takes advantage of the fact that a meeting is in his loft, and so when it goes bad, is able to get his hands on a weapon.
* The third season finale of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' was one huge HFA. The mayor is giving the commencement address at Buffy's graduation, which is also where [[spoiler:his Ascension is going to occur.]] In response, the Scoobies [[spoiler:organize the entire senior class to fight off the Mayor's vampires and hold the Mayor at bay until Buffy lures him into the library, which they've already filled with explosives. He dies.]]
** In a sixth season episode, a demon breaks into the Summers home and proceeds to trash it while attempting to kill Buffy. She slowly maneuvers it into the basement where there's less stuff to break, and also a convenient weapon (in the form of [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Full! Copper! Repipe!]]).

[[AC:Literature]]
* At the end of TomClancy's ''ClearAndPresentDanger'', the American Special Operations team initially slaughters the cartel soldiers sent to kill them. However, the cartel soldiers wise up and start using the familiar terrain to their advantage and turn the tide.
* In ''QuidditchThroughTheAges'' it's mentioned that this is the reason standardised iron hoops were brought in instead of baskets; teams kept setting their home pitches up to give them an advantage.
* In the ''IronDruidChronicles'' druids are very GenreSavvy about this. Atticus has some very powerful enemies looking for him so he spent at least a century setting up his defenses. He befriended all the local nature spirits, allied himself with the local vampire lord and the local werewolf pack and put multiple layers of magical and mundane protections on his home and workplace. His ultimate home field advantage comes from an arrangement he has with Morrigan, one of his pantheon's Death Gods. As long as any battle he is in takes place under the jurisdiction of that god, Atticus cannot die in it. Unfortunately his enemy is just as GenreSavvy and goes to extraordinary lengths to nullify all those advantages including making sure that the final battle happens where Morrigan has no jurisdiction and cannot interfere.

[[AC:Mythology]]
* Alcyoneus (a character from Greek mythology who also appears in [[TheHeroesOfOlympus The Son of Neptune]]) has the ultimate home field advantage - he's immortal while in his homeland.

[[AC:RealLife]]
* Militaries deliberately take advantage of terrain wherever they are. Nations' borders have historically been drawn by geography determining where it would be too difficult for one side or the other to cross into, take, and hold enemy territory. Usually at rivers and mountains. In campaigns, the home field advantage is based on the fact that the aggressor has to move into hostile territory and then either find supplies (often destroyed by the defender) or bring them in over the long distance from home through said hostile territory, where they could easily be destroyed by the defender.
* Historians generally agree that the American Revolution was Britain's Vietnam (though they may never use those words). They won every battle the French weren't involved in, but they had no real hope of winning the war. America was on the other side of the world, meaning they couldn't respond quickly or meaningful to events on the ground, and every victory cost them hearts and minds. Hell, the mere presence of "foreign" troops in the colonies was one of the first causes of the conflict!
** See also: virtually every conflict in which an underdog has held off a vastly superior invading army.

[[AC:{{Sports}}]]
* The advantage in sports isn't all psychological. Sometimes it's an advantage from familiarity with the field itself, or the training conditions it provides.
** I believe Green Bay has never lost at home below a certain temperature, and that the Dolphins have never lost at home ''above'' a certain temperature. That might just be apocryphal, though.
** Golf is proverbially not against the other players, but against the course. Ergo, if one player knows the course better, he has an advantage.

* American baseball. At higher levels of play, home teams try to gain an advantage over visitors by altering the field conditions. For example, if the opposing team has fast base runners the home team will heavily water the infield to slow them down.
* Football [soccer] team Hereford Town have a pitch which is actually on a slope. The slope is slight and almost un-noticeable - but it is still a slope. Visiting teams unaware of this are frequently disorientated by the behaviour of the ball as they kick it--it will travel faster and further downhill and slower and shorter uphill. This has allowed Hereford to collect the scalps of many fine teams, including Manchester United and Liverpool.
** Football Association rules also dictate the maximum possible length and with of a football field, but allow for variations of plus or minus twenty yards. the lower division side Shrewsbury Town have the longest football pitch in England--it was even larger than the old Wembley Stadium--and its sheer size both disorientates and tires visiting teams.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_advantage The other wiki]] tells us that this is considered so important that important games like playoffs or elimination matches are either held at a neutral site, or with multiple games played on both teams' home courts. It also provides numerous examples of the strength of the advantage.

* Some old news articles mention sports teams win because of a "home hemisphere advantage".

[[AC:TabletopRPG]]
* ''{{Champions}}'' supplement ''Enemies III'': The villain Red Rapier knows he isn't really powerful enough to take on superheroes by himself, so he tries to even the odds by luring them onto his own turf. He tries to trick a hero (or heroes) into entering a building he has filled with tricks and traps.
* ''GammaWorld'' adventure [=GW6=] ''Alpha Factor'': Jeremiah Coot has filled his base Mindkeep with all sorts of traps, including false vines that cause any opponent who tries to swing on them to fall.
* ''{{Paranoia}}'' adventure ''Send in the Clones'': In the AbsurdlySpaciousSewer where he lives, Zhon-B-VLJ has set up many traps to bedevil anyone who tries to find him. He uses them to herd and capture the {{PC}} Troubleshooters.
* ''{{Shadowrun}}''
** ''Shadowrun Companion'': The Home Ground edge gives a character a bonus on using skills on his home turf. This could include the building where the character lives or a computer system with which a decker is very familiar.
** ''Tir Na Nog'': Followers of the Ways and the Paths gain bonuses to magic use if they are within the part of Ireland associated with their Path. For example, followers of the Northern Path (Path of the Warrior) gain a bonus die for magic when in the province of Ulster.
** ''The Grimoire'': Druids gain a bonus to summoning and banishing spirits when within a certain distance of their sacred circle.
** Deckers gain advantages when within computer systems they're authorized to use. Their programs always execute properly, they can gain access anywhere they need to go and they don't have to worry about IC attacking them.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': Deities are always more powerful while on their home plane(s) than they are on other planes. For example, in older versions of the rules deities had control over who could cast Wishes on their plane(s).

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'', the [[NGOSuperpower Gas Mining Guild's]] main strategy in the [[GreatOffscreenWar 80 Years War]] was to lure the Rheinlanders into the [[SpaceClouds Crow Nebula]] (the GMG's home turf), and then use their detailed knowledge thereof to trick them into explosive gas pockets and radiation fields and so on.
* In ''VideoGame/TenMinuteSpaceStrategy'', any planet with "ancient defences" trait gives in-battle effectivity bonus to any of your fleets on said planet.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* In one episode of ''{{Cyberchase}}'', the gang visit Radopolis and compete in a skate-off with the villains, where they are losing at first because the competition rink is different from the practice rink, due to Hacker's villainous meddling.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'', the [[NGOSuperpower Gas Mining Guild's]] main strategy in the 80 Years War was to lure the Rheinlanders into the [[SpaceClouds Crow Nebula]] (the GMG's home turf), and then use their detailed knowledge thereof to trick them into explosive gas pockets and radiation fields and so on.

But, in fiction, something so mundane would be boring or [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome require some over the top effects to work like they want]]. So what do you do? It can be as simple as taking the above mentioned subtle differences and making them such large alterations that it throws the away team off completely. Perhaps the psychological advantage is huge, rather than small. Perhaps the game awards points based on popularity. Perhaps the game and field are complex enough that every field is unique (like golf) and deadly (not like golf)

* The Unlimited Blade Works spell of ''FateStayNight'' basically invokes this trope, turning the battlefield into one that's perfect for Archer [[spoiler: or Shirou]] to battle in.

* In DragonballZ, Babidi's base can simulate various environments and his henchmen use it to their adventage (although it fails spectacularly when a HeavyWorlder henchman tries increased gravity against Vegeta.)
* Crocodile from OnePiece puts his [[DishingOutDirt sand powers]] to best use in the dessert of Alabasta. The dessert is also where he is least likely to encounter his KryptoniteFactor, [[WeaksauceWeakness water]].
* In ''{{Bleach}}'', spiritual entities (Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy, etc.) are at their most powerful in worlds where reishi (spirit particles) are densest. This means that the spirit worlds of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo are where these beings are at their most powerful.
** Furthermore, captain-level Shinigami [[WillfullyWeak willingly limit themselves]] with {{Power Nullifier}}s which cut their power down 80% before taking on missions on Earth, because with their level of power, they're pretty much {{Walking Disaster Area}}s. In the spirit world, however, they can feel free to cut loose.

* O'ren certainly has the advantage in KillBill. Part of that advantage is her personal army and right hand {{Dragon}}.
* Deconstructed by AHistoryOfViolence (as it deconstructs most violent tropes). When murderous mobsters come knocking on your door, your house is just a house.
* When the bad guys come calling in ConspiracyTheory, Jerry's prepared. Not only does he have numerous warning systems, he also spent a great deal of time turning his home into an instant firetrap, allowing him to escape, but which was set up in such a way that it didn't spread to [[HeroInsurance other apartments.]]

* Michael Westen takes advantage of this a number of times on BurnNotice, and often mentions it in his narration.

* The third season finale of BuffyTheVampireSlayer was one huge HFA. The mayor is giving the commencement address at Buffy's graduation, which is also where [[spoiler:his Ascension is going to occur.]] In response, the Scoobies [[spoiler:organize the entire senior class to fight off the Mayor's vampires and hold the Mayor at bay until Buffy lures him into the library, which they've already filled with explosives. He dies.]]

* At the end of TomClancy's ClearAndPresentDanger, the American Special Operations team initially slaughters the cartel soldiers sent to kill them. However, the cartel soldiers wise up and start using the familiar terrain to their advantage and turn the tide.

Of course, this isn't just about sports. If the bad guys attack the hero in his home, he's bound to have a few tricks up his sleeve. Even if he doesn't have anything prepared, who knows his home better than he does? Perhaps you're a local hero and everyone supports you, actively or clandestinely, in your fight against the rampaging killbots. Perhaps you're a PhysicalGod, and you're home is literally part of you. The possibilities are endless.

* Football team Hereford Town have a pitch which is actually on a slope. The slope is slight and almost un-noticeable - but it is still a slope. Visiting teams unaware of this are frequently disorientated by the behaviour of the ball as they kick it - it will travel faster and further downhill and slower and shorter uphill. This has allowed Hereford to collect the scalps of many fine teams, including Manchester United and Liverpool.
** Football Association rules also dictate the maximum possible length and with of a football field, but allow for variations of plus or minus twenty yards. the lower division side Shrewsbury Town have the longest football pitch in England - it was even larger than the old Wembley Stadium - and its sheer size both disorientates and tires visiting teams.

* In international {{Cricket}}, the pitches are often prepared in such a way as to suit the home team's playstyle. For example, pitches in India and Sri Lanka are spinning pitches, while those in the West Indies are suited to fast bowling.

* ''{{Champions}}'' supplement ''Enemies III''. The villain Red Rapier knows he isn't really powerful enough to take on superheroes by himself, so he tries to even the odds by luring them onto his own turf. He tries to trick a hero (or heroes) into entering a building he has filled with tricks and traps.
* ''GammaWorld'' adventure [=GW6=] ''Alpha Factor''. Jeremiah Coot has filled his base Mindkeep with all sorts of traps, including false vines that cause any opponent who tries to swing on them to fall.
* ''{{Paranoia}}'' adventure ''Send in the Clones''. In the AbsurdlySpaciousSewer where he lives, Zhon-B-VLJ has set up many trap to bedevil anyone who tries to find him. He uses them to herd and capture the {{PC}} Troubleshooters.

** ''{{Shadowrun}} Companion''. The Home Ground edge gives a character a bonus on using skills on the character's home turf. This could include the building where the character lives or a computer system a decker is very familiar with.
** ''Tir Na Nog''. Followers of the Ways and the Paths gain bonuses to magic use if they are within the part of Ireland associated with their Path. For example, followers of the Northern Path (Path of the Warrior) gain a bonus die for magic when in the province of Ulster.
** ''The Grimoire''. Druids gain a bonus to summoning and banishing spirits when within a certain distance of their sacred circle.

* ''DungeonsAndDragons''. Deities are always more powerful while on their home plane(s) than they are on other planes. For example, in older versions of the rules deities had control over who could cast Wishes on their plane(s).

* In one episode of ''{{Cyberchase}}'', the gang visits Radopolis and compete in a skate-off with the villains, where they find themselves losing at first because the competition rink is different from the practice rink due to Hacker's villainous meddling.

->Trainman: You don't get it. I built this place. Down here I make the rules. Down here I make the threats. Down here, I'm God.