"It is difficult to appreciate now, more than two thousand years later, exactly what the world-famous man-tank gladiator superstar George Joseph Herriman Ruth, more popularly known as "Babe" Ruth meant to the people of what was then called the twenty-first century."
— Throckle No'Goor
Babe Ruth: Man-Tank Gladiator is a Web Serial Novel by Dave Lerner
In the year 4025, the priest Throckle No'Goor tells the 2000-year-old half-remembered story of Babe Ruth, the world's greatest man-tank gladiator.
The series is posted here
. It has not been updated since 2016.
This work features the following tropes:
- A Mech by Any Other Name: Man-tanks.
- Character Narrator: Throckle No'Goor
- Competitive Balance: No one of the three styles of man-tanks, Heavy, Agile, and Long-reach, is said to be better overall than the other two.
- Entertainingly Wrong: Most of the humor is based on this.
- Epistolary Novel: The story is told in the style of a twenty-first century Web Serial Novel, complete with poor editing,
missed updates and reader comments. - Expy: The three Man-tank types are stand ins for the 3 main styles of boxing, Slugging (Heavy), Swarming (Agile), and Out-fighting (Long-reach), with the same Tactical Rock–Paper–Scissors relationship.
- Falsely Advertised Accuracy: In-universe, Throckle No'Goor maintains that the story is completely accurate.
- Fictional Sport: Man-Tank Gladiatorial combat.
- Footnote Fever: The first episode alone has 18 footnotes.
- Fragile Speedster: Agile-style man-tanks. The fastest and most nimble style
- Future Imperfect: BR:MTG is built on this trope.
- Hollywood History: The 39th century version.
- Ignorant of Their Own Ignorance: Throckle No'Goor insists that he's an expert on the 21st century.
- Instant Awesome: Just Add Mecha!: Throckle No'Goor does this to the story of Babe Ruth.
- Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Throckle No'Goor.
- Long-Range Fighter: Long-reach-style man-tanks, with extending tentacles capable of reaching a good distance.
- Mighty Glacier: Heavy-style man-tanks. The largest, strongest, and slowest style
- Powered Armor: Man-tanks.
- Tactical Rock–Paper–Scissors: Man-tanks come in three styles: Heavy, Agile, and Long-reach. The Heavy can withstand the most of the Agile's attack and lay it out easily if it hits. The Agile can dodge the Long-Reach's attack and slip in close enough to hit it almost unchecked. And lastly, the Long-Reach can easily attack the Heavy from a distance, leaving it unable to hit back.
- The Wildcats: Amateur team are always named "Wildcats".
