History Main / StrategySchmategy

Compare LeeroyJenkins, which is what happens when this kind of mindset bites you in the butt, and AchievementsInIgnorance, which is what happens when believing in this [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve actually has an effect]].

* This pretty much defines Judai Yuki of ''Franchise/YuGiOhGX''.

** Kids new to the hobby might have picked up whatever units they thought looked coolest (such as half-naked chicks wielding six-foot chainsaws) without having an inkling of what they're actually capable of.

* In ''Webcomic/OrderOfTheStick'', [[SpoonyBard Elan's]] tendency to act like this sometimes helps, and sometimes [[NiceJobBreakingItHero causes even more problems]].

** In addition to using strategies that an expert would find unpredictable, there's also the safety issue. Martial arts vary in how much contact is acceptable, but competitors don't generally try to ''hurt'' each other. Whether a beginner will pull a punch and make light contact, miss entirely, or knock his or her opponent on the ground is hard to predict, even for the beginner himself.

* A martial artist often hates sparring against rank beginners, since their wild flailing is more likely to result in injury to someone than a somewhat skilled opponent's controlled movements. Likewise, a completely untrained fighter relying on instinct and athleticism is often better than a beginning martial artist or boxer. When the training takes effect, the reverse is true.

[[caption-width-right:312:[[SarcasmMode What could possibly go wrong?]]]]

[[AliceAndBob Bob]] is unpredictable. No matter what he does, his enemies never see it coming. Now, sometimes a character might appear unpredictable, either because he's [[IndyPloy making it up as he goes along]], or because [[ConfusionFu he's TRYING to be unpredictable]].

Bob [[HanlonsRazor has other reasons.]]

StrategySchmategy describes situations where a character's behavior is unpredictable because ''he himself simply has no idea what he's doing''. He's impossible to anticipate, because not even ''he'' knows what he's going to do next.

Likely to result in a SpannerInTheWorks if somebody is running [[GambitIndex any kind of gambit]], because [[FinaglesLaw chaos has that kind of effect on carefully-laid plans]]...but it might have [[UnintentionalBackupPlan the opposite effect]].

Compare LeeroyJenkins, which is what happens when this kind of mindset bites you in the butt, and AchievementsInIgnorance, which is what happens when believing in this [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve actually has an effect]].

----
!!Examples:

[[AC: {{Literature}}]]

--->Professional soldiers are predictable, but the world is full of amateurs.

* In the ''AgeOfUnreason'' series, a guy is killed by someone who cannot fence at all; he automatically assumed his attack was a mere feint, because no fencer would make such a clumsy attack. Too bad his opponent is not a fencer...

[[AC: TabletopGames]]

** This type of behavior can actually speed along [[GambitPileup deadlocked multiplayer games]], where you're [[SpannerInTheWorks sure to upset]] ''somebody's'' [[BatmanGambit carefully]] [[XanatosGambit laid]] [[XanatosRoulette plot]]...[[KingmakerScenario most likely to the benefit of somebody other than yourself]].

[[AC: VideoGames]]

[[AC: WebComics]]

* ''KungFuPanda'': The main reason Tai Lung finds Po a frustrating opponent for most of the FinalBattle is because his moves are composed of a mixture of this and {{Indy Ploy}}s. The overall effect is similar to ConfusionFu.

[[AC: RealLife]]

* This doesn't work in TabletopGame/{{chess}}, where it's almost impossible to beat a player who's above your level. This is because if the neophyte makes a bizarre move during the opening it is most likely a bad move, and that alone tells the good player that he's not against a strong opponent. Also, it's said that playing against someone who's way worst than you will dull your skills, and it's highly advised to avoid doing so.

* This pretty much defines Judai Yuki of YuGiOhGX.
* Invoked in YuGiOh as a means of countering Pegasus's mind reading abilities.

StrategySchmategy describes situations where a character's behavior is unpredictable because [[LogicBomb he himself simply has]] ''[[BeyondTheImpossible no idea what he's doing]]''. He's impossible to anticipate, because not even ''he'' knows what he's going to do next.

* This type of behavior is sure to [[SpannerInTheWorks completely derail]] an entire game of ''{{Diplomacy}}''.

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_von_neumann.html#ixzz1dtsOZZQo

* This troper had a computer science teacher that exploited a variant of this intentionally. Back when computers were just beginning to surpass the ability of human players at chess there was a challenge allowing anyone to play against the supercomputer in chess. No one was expected to beat it, as it already outplayed the reigning grand master, but anyone that lasted past a set number of turns received a T-shirt commemorating the ability to at least rival the computer. The teacher knew that the computer worked by calculating every possible move it's opponent could make, which, with the slower computers of the time, could take quite a few seconds. The computer had to move as soon as the player does, but used every second the player spent considering his moves to process possible moves and thus generate better strategies. Thus the best solution for the player was to ignore strategy and move as quickly as possible, forcing the computer to make it's own move without allowing it the time required to calculate the optimal potential moves. Thus the teacher lasted longer then skilled players by ignoring all strategy in favor of random, but quick, moves. Remembering the teachers example this trooper was able to accidentally win a game of blindfold chess against a (less advanced) system some grad schoolers were designing a year later.

* This doesn't work in {{chess}}, where it's almost impossible to beat a player who's above your level. This is because if the neophyte makes a bizarre move during the opening it is most likely a bad move, and that alone tells the good player that he's not against a strong opponent. Also, it's said that playing against someone who's way worst than you will dull your skills, and it's highly advised to avoid doing so.

* Invoked in YuGiOh! as a means of countering Pegasus's mind reading abilities.

* There is some truth in the comments about fencing in the Literature section. Epeeists in particular are notorious for finding first-timers more challenging than neophytes since epee has no rules of Right of Way. Right of Way defines a dynamic where you can not score on an attack if you have not defended yourself from an opponent's attack, and the wildly flailing new fencer often runs afoul of those rules. Epee lacks those rules, and new fencers often do unpredictable, senseless things than can almost accidentally result in touches. After some practice, they end up doing worse [[CentipedesDilemma because they begin learning what they're doing]], though that's a necessary step to mastering the weapon. This is why epee is not traditionally the first weapon a fencer learns.

StrategySchmategy describes situations where a character's behavior is unpredictable because he himself simply has ''no idea what he's doing''. He's impossible to anticipate, because not even ''he'' knows what he's going to do next.

* Many orkish units in various editions of Warhammer and Warhammer40000 have this as a special rule. The most prominent example being the Giant.

* Apparently there is some truth in all the comments about fencing from the Literature section. An inexperienced swordsman is more likely to do something that gets both combatants killed than an experienced one trying to avoid dying.
** Ask anyone who has fenced; it's not apparently true. Epeeists in particular are notorious for finding first-timers more challenging than neophytes since epee has no rules of Right of Way. Right of Way defines a dynamic where you can not score on an attack if you have not defended yourself from an opponent's attack, and the wildly flailing new fencer often runs afoul of those rules. Epee lacks those rules, and new fencers often do unpredictable, senseless things than almost accidentally result in touches. After some practice, they end up doing worse because they begin learning what they're doing, though that's a necessary step to mastering the weapon. This is why epee is not traditionally the first weapon a fencer learns.

* Kaori from ''Main/{{Saki}}'' manages to defeat several high-level mahjong players because of the fact that she's a complete amateur. She can't formulate the long term strategies her more experienced competitors are known to do, and as a result they are completely thrown off by her playstyle because they can't think up of an effective counter to it.

* Kaori from ''{{Saki}}'' manages to defeat several high-level mahjong players because of the fact that she's a complete amateur. She can't formulate the long term strategies her more experienced competitors are known to do, and as a result they are completely thrown off by her playstyle because they can't think up of an effective counter to it.

* ''KungFuPanda'': The main reason Tai Lung finds Po a frustrating opponent in the first half or so of the FinalBattle is because his moves are composed of a mixture of this and {{Indy Ploy}}s. The overall effect is similar to ConfusionFu.

* In the ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Warriors of Kyoshi," Zuko is freaking out about his inability to track the Avatar, due to him being "a master of evasive maneuvering." Cut to the Gaang flying on Appa and Sokka saying to Aang: "You have no idea where you're going, do you?"

* In the AvatarTheLastAirbender episode "The Warriors of Kyoshi," Zuko is freaking out about his inability to track the Avatar, due to him being "a master of evasive maneuvering." Cut to the Gaang flying on Appa and Sokka saying to Aang: "You have no idea where you're going, do you?"