OK, since the prologue for my previous battle is up and voting on that is closed, I reckon now might be a good time to start my Strogg Invasion Lead-In Battle.

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing 4 great iconic heros from the early days of 3D FPS gaming (i.e. the 1990s).

Bitterman, the lone space marine that single-handedly fought through Strogg lines and kill their leader...

vs

Duke Nukem, the gun-toting badass gunslinger who stopped an alien invasion from overrunning Earth...

vs

Doomguy, another lone space marine, this time saving the Earth from the demons of Hell...

vs

The Ranger, yet another lone space marine who travelled to another dimension, and came back having destroyed the demons within...

WHO... IS... DEADLIEST?

Contents show]

Let's Meet the Combatants

Bitterman is the protagonist of Quake 2. As a space marine from the Terran Coalition of Man (TCM), Bitterman is responsible for the success of Operation Alien Overlord, completing the entire operation almost single-handedly, although he did have help from the air forces at various points. Bitterman is one of the most famous protagonists in the Quake series. In his story, he is known by many, including Rhino Squad for his heroism on Stroggos. Bitterman's first objective is to establish communication with the Command Ship using the nearby Communication Center. Bitterman then moves onto his next main objective which is destroying the Big Gun. The Big Gun is a distance away and Bitterman has many smaller objectives to complete, such as powering up a Warehouse to pass through it to reach the Jail Complex. The Big Gun is surrounded by a laser grid, powered from within the Jail Hub so Bitterman has to manipulate the Jail defenses and reach the Security Station where the Laser Grid power system lies. With the grid down, Bitterman passes through the mines towards the City. But before doing so, Bitterman takes a step backwards to a nearby Processing Factory which he has been given the task of shutting down. With the systems shut down, Bitterman finally makes the long walk up north towards the Cerberon and the Big Gun. The Big Gun is locked down by the Power Plant Reactor Core so Bitterman reverses the Core coolant pump making it pump coolant out of the reactor core and pump toxic waste into it, causing it to explode and grant access to the Big Gun. Bitterman causes the Strogg's Primary Planetary Defence System to overload whilst he escapes in a tram leading to the Hangar. After closing the Hangar Door and completing his third main objective, destroying the Black Hole Generator, Bitterman helps the air force destroy a fuel tank before finally reaching the Inner City Palace with last out of the four main objectives, disable the Strogg leaders Communication and assassinate the Makron. Bitterman travels through the entire Palace, manipulating its tight security to destroy the Communication laser before chasing the Makron to the Palace Roof. Bitterman follows the Makron to the Asteroid Arena where the two battle it out in the final showdown, ending in the Makron's death. Bitterman escapes the asteroid via an escape pod just before it explodes and lands back on Stroggos. Apparently, he survives the crash landing, yet his fate from this point on remains unknown. With regards to Bitterman's X-Factors regarding his time with the TCM, the TCM possesses high technology enough to go toe-to-toe with the Strogg military on the aliens' own soil. This is coupled with elite training to make the marines exceptionally effective against the Strogg. (from Quake wiki) Close Range Shotgun Long Range Chaingun Explosives Rocket Launcher Super Weapon BFG10k Special Grenades Armour Combat Armour Flyyn Taggart, better known by the title of "Doomguy", is the protagonist of the Doom series of science fiction horror video games created by id Software, and its sequels and spin-off media. In all the games, he is a soldier in the United Nations Space Marine Corps. It's implied he has a heavy sense of honor, as his posting at Mars was due to his refusal to fire on civilians and subsequent attack of an officer. Mission-wise, he is best known for fighting back against the demonic forces of Hell and saving Earth from the threat. During his time on Mars, Taggart worked alongside the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC), a multi-planetary conglomerate and military contractor performing secret experiments on interdimensional travel. When the UAC's experiments backfired on them, the demons of Hell were able to invade and swarm Deimos and Phobos, Mars' moons, where they slaughtered nearly all UAC and Space Marine personnel, transforming them into zombies to fight their former allies. Realizing that he was the last Marine left standing and that the enemy was poised to strike at other humans on Earth, the Doomguy chose to battle his way through the armies of demons to escape Mars and save the human race. Victorious on Phobos and Deimos, Doomguy returned to Earth only to discover that the Hellish invaders had struck there too. The Demons had flattened most major population centers, and the desperate remaining leaders of the planet devised a plan to transport the Earth's population to safety through the starport. Converging all of their forces on an attack to reclaim the Starport, the Earth's military forces charge, but once again they are slaughtered and are nearly all wiped out, leaving no one but Doomguy left standing to face them. Fighting his way through the area, Doomguy is able to shut down the force fields and create an opening for the people of Earth to escape. Knowing that he had saved his species, Doomguy was ready to accept death, but the few humans remaining on the burning planet discovered the source of the Demon's invasion on Earth: Taggart's own hometown. Descending into the pits of Hell itself, Doomguy faced off with the Icon of Sin, who's death resulted in the decimation of Hell and the sealing of the Hell Portal. Now, not only was humanity saved, but the Earth was as well. (from here on DF) Close Range Shotgun Long Range Chaingun Explosives Rocket Launcher Super Weapon BFG9000 Special Chainsaw Armour Security Armour Duke Nukem (briefly known as Duke Nukum) was your average womanizing, alcoholic, weapon toting United States citizen during the 90s. He spent most of his days throwing money at strippers and the bottle, but then the aliens attacked. At first Duke was indifferent, but then...they stole our chicks. Vowing to abort the entire alien species, Duke began to fight the invaders and the mutants they created- including the LARD (Pig versions of the LAPD), Alien footsoldiers and giant monsters. During this time he would show borderline super-human feats, such as ripping a giant monster's head off so he could defecate down it's neck, and killing aliens just as big as he was with nothing more than his "mighty boot". When he finally confronted and killed the Alien Queen, he had his ego inflated to obscene levels, and humanity didn't exactly try to squash this- building monuments to his greatness and declaring him a hero. But then the aliens returned. Fortunatly for the world, whenever invaders come knocking, the Duke is there to show them the door...and his foot. (from here on DF) Close Range Winchester 1300 Defender Long Range Ripper Chaingun Explosives RPG Super Weapon Devastator Special Mighty Boot Armour Armor Ranger is a marine in the special forces. Around the time of the Operation Counterstrike, he is one of the many marines sent to defeat the enemy leader, codenamed "Quake". All marines sent through were killed, except for Ranger. Ranger then travels through 4 different dimensions, each more hellish than the last, to collect 4 magic Runes that when combined, will open the gate to the lair of Quake. In the second dimension, Ranger learns that Quake, is actually Shub-Niggurath, the evil mother of all creatures from Lovecraftian myth. After collecting all 4 runes, a large hole in the main dimension select room leads to Shub-Niggurath. Ranger can not kill it with normal weapons, and must fight through many of its minions before finding a Teleporter that will teleport him to Shub-Niggurath's platform. He spawns inside the beast, and the sudden take up of space causes her to explode, leaving Ranger to be victorious. Following this, he also undertook a series of missions that saw him repel an invasion of Earth from Quake forces led by Armagon followed by assassinating Armagon himself, and defeating more Quake forces in an attempt to realign Earth's timeline so as to stop them from subjugating Earth. (paraphrased from Quake wiki) Close Range Shotgun Long Range Super Nailgun Explosives Rocket Launcher Super Weapon Thunderbolt Special Axe Armour Green Armor

Now Let's Examine the Weapons

Close Range

Bitterman's shotgun uses shells for ammunition. The spread of the shotgun blast makes close combat more damaging, but long range attacks slightly less so (like most video game shotguns). Perfect for the less than proficient marksman, even more devastating in the hands of a professional like Bitterman. Bitterman's shotgun deals 4 damage points per pellet (and there are 12 of them; therefore maximum damage of 48), has a maximum mag capacity of 100 shells and is pump-action. Doomguy's shotgun is an old-fashioned, pump-action, single-barreled shotgun a wooden stock attached to it. It fire shotgun shells that inflict 5-15 damage points per pellet (of which the shotgun will fire 7 at a time; therefore maximum damage of 35-105). It also has a maximum mag capacity of 50 shells and despite being deadly at close range, the shotgun's rate of fire is low and its pellet spread over a long range is not good. Duke's shotgun is a sleek 12 gauge single barreled pump-action shotgun with a pistol grip and a mag capacity of 50 shells. It resembles a Winchester 1300 Defender shotgun with forend pistol grip, heat shield and an extended magazine tube. It is a good, close range weapon, very damaging, but inaccurate at large distances. It has an average rate of fire. Duke pumps it after each shot. When the Shotgun is fired, seven hitscan trails/pellets are projected from the player, with each trail/pellet inflicting 10 damage (therefore maximum damage is 70). The trails are spread out a little, meaning distant enemies will likely only be hit by a couple of the trails, and so take less damage than they would at close range. The ranger's shotgun is his standard weapon throughout most of his travels in Quake. While worse than the other guns in his arsenal, the Shotgun can deal some damage at close and at medium range. It has a maximum mag capacity of 100 shells and fires 6 pellets at a time dealing 4 damage each (therefore maximum damage is 24) in a tight spread. The shotgun is also semi-automatic in action. Oh boy this is tough. The Ranger's shotgun seems better than the other three given its better action and range, but it lacks damage per shot. Out of the three remaining shotguns, Doomguy's shotgun seems to deal a lot more damage than the others and to me I think that makes up for its bad rate of fire. Duke's shotgun isn't that bad however since it has attachments on it that make it more versatile (especially the heat shield) but it lacks in mag capacity. I reckon I'm gonna have to call this a three-way Tie between Doomguy's, Duke's and the Ranger's shotguns

Long Range

is a multibarrelled automatic gun that can shred any target into giblets in a matter of moments. Like any earthly minigun, it has a warmup and a cooldown period. At its max, it'll fire around 28 bullets per second. While the CG has mediocre accuracy, the sheer amount of lead it puts into the air easily compensates for that. The weapon can carry 200 bullets at a time, and when fired, the bullets inflict 8 damage points per shot. Doomguy's chaingun a rapid-firing, multi-barrelled automatic weapon that uses up a great deal of bullets. The chain guns fires at about 525 rounds per minute, can carry 200 bullets at a time and each bullet inflicts 5-15 damage points per shot. The chaingun's rapid rate of fire means that a single enemy caught in its hail of bullets will have little or no chance to retaliate. Surprisingly, the gun can be fired in two-shot bursts allowing for greater accuracy and thus it can be used at even further distances. Duke's chaingun is a Nordenfelt-type machine gun, hence the multiple barrels. It can tear up most enemies at close quarters (hence the name Ripper), however it is very inaccurate at long distances. It can carry a maximum of 200 bullets as its ammunition and each bullet inflicts 9 damage points per shot. The Super Nailgun, also known as the "SNG" or the "Perforator", is a chaingun/Gatling gun version of the original nailgun. It has a magazine capacity of 200 nails, consumes two nails with each shot with the maximum rpm being 600, and deals 18 damage points per shot. It also has a very long range attached to it - 'official figure' being 223m. If one does the calculations right, then you will find that Bitterman's chaingun fires at a rate of 1680rpm - that is very impressive - and if you take the Nordenfelt machine gun's rate of fire and apply it to the Ripper Chaingun, you'll find that that chaingun fires at approximate 1000rpm. However, the Super Nailgun and Doomguy's chaingun prove to be more accurate and have range with their shots and the Super Nailgun itself deals the highest damage of all the guns - also given the rpms of the guns, Doomguy's chaingun and the Super Nailgun chew up the least ammunition. Therefore this is a two-way Tie between Doomguy's chaingun and the Super Nailgun.

Explosives

Bitterman's rocket launcher fires powerful rockets that generate a large radius of splash damage when they strike something - in specific terms, the rockets deals about 100 damage points per shot and about 0-20 damage points in splash damage. A launched rocket can be somewhat slow, so you might have to predict where the target will go, depending on how fast it is. Doomguy's rocket launcher is used to fire rockets (50 in the magazine), missiles that fly in a straight line and explode when they hit anything solid. Each rocket does 20-160 points of damage, in round multiples of 20, plus a blast radius of 128 points of damage. The rocket launcher is approximately twice as powerful as the shotgun, but equally effective at long range and with a more rapid rate of fire, even more rapid than that of the BFG 9000. Duke's RPG is a chrome, cylindrical belt-fed weapon that is held like a Sten gun and is capable of firing massively-damaging rockets. It deals 140 points of damage per shot - points for splash damage are unknown but presumably the same as Bitterman's rocket (IDK, but I'll use that figure to make things even). The RPG also does not need to reload as it uses up its magazine of 50 rockets. Presumably it also has a very long range. The Ranger's rocket launcher is one of his most potent weapons. Having ny opponent getting hit by one of these rockets is a one-hit kill if they don't have any armor, and its splash damage can do the same if they're close to the point of impact. Damage-wise, the rocket deals about 60-120 points of damage per shot and has 60-120 points of splash damage. The magazine can carry about 100 rounds and it has a long range (191m someone has found out). So the Ranger's rocket launcher has more rockets in the mag but Doomguy's and Duke's rockets deal more damage than it... Bitterman's rocket launcher has the faster rate of fire given its ergonomic design and Duke's doesn't need reloading (don't know why there but I presume the internal mechanics allow for it). This one is gonna have to be a 4-way Tie.

Super Weapons

Out of all the weapons in the Quake 2 game, the BFG10k is considered the most powerful. When fired, it releases a large green sphere of compact energy that travels forward until it hits a wall or other obstacle. As it's traveling, it will exert its excess energy in the form of green beams that lash out at any enemies near it, usually killing them quickly. When it hits something, the sphere will explode, taking out any enemy that is within range. Despite having a mag capacity of 200 rounds, the BFG uses up 50 cells each time. In terms of firepower, the BFG10k deals 200 points of damage on direct impact, 200 points of splash damage and 10 points of damage for the laser emitting from the energy ball. In-game the level of damage created depends upon Bitterman's field of vision but for this battle, I'm removing that limitation (unless you don't want me to). Doomguy's BFG9000 appears as a large, solid metal gun which fires large balls of green plasma. There is a warmup period of about 0.857 seconds before a green and white plasma ball is ejected. If the large plasma ball hits a solid object, it explodes and causes 100-800 points of damage to the target After a further pause of about 0.457 seconds, additional damage is calculated: 40 invisible tracer rays are emitted by the player in a cone-shaped area. Because the BFG projectile does not cause standard blast damage, it is safe for the player to use at point-blank range. Despite its tremendous power, the weapon can be used correctly only with practice, due to its staggered firing sequence and nonstandard blast damage. It also has a mag size of about 300 cells of which firing it cost 40 of them. The Devastator is a rapid fire rocket launcher weapon fed from overhead pan magazines which spits out small incendiary rockets at an impressive rate of fire like a machine gun. Note it has recoiling blast shields around its muzzle to deflect the flash from the user. The accuracy becomes less effective at longer ranges. It can fire two rockets simultaneously, has a mag size of 99 rockets and has 38 points of damage per rocket coupled with 76 points of damage per 'click'. According to the manual, the Devastator packs mini Stinger missiles - presumably this refers to homing missiles. The Ranger's Thunderbolt, is a special gun that fires a stream of electricity and has cells as its source of ammunition (with the magazine being able to carry 100 rounds of them). The weapon will instantly hit the target it's pointed at and deals about 30 points of damage per bolt. It has a relatively short range and for every bolt fired, that is one or two cells used up. The BFGs have great power within it - especially when you consider that the BFG10k packs more energy in the plasma than the BFG900. However there are couple of drawbacks with them - they relatively use up more ammo than the Thunderbolt and Devastator, the plasma from them can be dodged (to some extent) and for the BFG10k, it is suicidal to fire it at point-blank range unlike the BFG9000. The Thunderbolt is a great and effective killing too but there is one problem - small yet significant it seems, electricity and water don't mix i.e. if you fire the Thundergun underwater, whoever wields it gets a nasty shock (firing it at the water from the ground is OK though). Therefore my personal edge here goes to Duke's Devastator for its versatility (can be used both on land and underwater - although the rockets travel a little bit slower in the latter terrain), its portability (since its almost the design of a glove) and its efficient ammunition (homing rockets).

Special Weapons

The grenades that Bitterman uses are futuristic grenades that function like a contemporary pin grenade - the grenade is primed and then thrown. It has a fuse time of 4 seconds in your hand and 4 seconds when you throw it and it hits anything other than an object. Other than that, when it is pegged at a target, it explodes upon contact dealing about 120 points of damage with the splash damage as aforementioned when the grenade hits anything other than an object (say the floor or the wall) being 60-120 points of damage. A distinct thump sound will be played every second the grenade is cooked, along with a ticking sound that indicates an active grenade; however, no sound is made when the grenade is thrown. Doomguy's chainsaw mutilates enemies close enough to contact. It hits at a rate of 525'rpm'. Because it conserves ammo, its "rapid fire" works well on enemies with high pain chance which minimizes damage in melee situations, and because of its gory implications. The chainsaw's disadvantage is its slow killing speed despite its 'firepower'. The Mighty Boot is Duke's signature "weapon". Duke always has access to this means of attack, and can even deliver a kick while holding another weapon. It consists of a swift foot planted squarely into the enemy's face. Duke's Mighty Boot is a black combat boot and it is said by Duke himself to be size 13. The axe is the Ranger's melee weapon that is usually left as a last resort weapon. It deals 20 points of damage per swing and since it is double-edged, it can be swung twice. As far as I can make out, the Mighty Boot can be used well if Duke is fast enough to dodge the Chainsaw and Axe. The grenades are great and have range and firepower attached to it but since the other weapons are generally melee weapons, it will kinda feel out of place since it will have that tendency to not be user-friendly (although at point-blank range it doesn't harbour much damage). For now, though, I guess the edge in this category goes to Bitterman's Grenades.





X-Factors

Table

X-Factor Bitterman Duke Doomguy Ranger Training 90 60 90 90 Experience 85 79 93 97 Physicality 90 90 90 90 Armour 95 89 90 89 Mentality 95 93 95 90

Explanations

Training: Deciding this category, among the 4 of them, is a no-brainer - Duke is not a space marine unlike the other three.

Experience: Each of the warriors had gone through a hell of a lot - Bitterman being on Stroggos, Duke fighting off an alien invasion and then taking the fight to the mothership, Doomguy being on Martian and Terran and Hellish ground; and the Ranger doing interdimensional and time travel.

Physicality: All of them look like equally tough guys in peak physical condition - all muscle and grunt.

Armour: Duke's armour offers chest protection and absorbs 20-50% of the damage inflicted, Doomguy's armour covers his shoulders in addition to the chest and absorbs 1/3 of the damage inflicted, the Green Armour of the Ranger absorbs 30% of the damage and is shaped like Duke's armour; and Bitterman's armour is like Doomguy's armour except it absorbs 60% of the damage; all of them offer their wearers 100 armour points.

Mentality: Bitterman and Doomguy have a sense of honor and duty being loyal and courageous space marines. Duke does have a healthy mind but is not that much intelligent compared to the other three and fights back against the aliens just for women, money, sex and booze; and I gave the Ranger the score I gave him because despite being a space marine who did what he felt was right and necessary, being too exposed to interdimensional horrors might have affected him slightly.

Now onto the Battle

Short Prologue

(Deadliest Warrior logo appears on screen)

(Bitterman fires his chaingun against oncoming Guards, Ranger uses his Thunderbolt against a Shambler, Duke fires his shotgun at some Octabrains, Doomguy rips a Gargoyle apart with the Chainsaw)

The experts have completed all the tests necessary to find out who is the deadliest science fiction legend. Bitterman, the lone marine who fought through Strogg lines and assassinated their leader; Doomguy, the space marine who went to hell and back; Ranger, fighting against the Quake dimension to get to Shub-Niggurath; or Duke Nukem, the gun-toting US badass who foiled an an alien invasion of Earth.

(All 4 contenders test out their shotguns)

For short range weapons, Duke, Bitterman, Ranger and Doomguy all belted out their most useful weapon in their arsenal - the shotgun.

Armand Dorian: Each shotgun was very powerful in the hands of these professional gunmen. But from what I saw out there was that Duke's shotgun is obsolete compared to the other three. The Ranger's shotgun definitely had the range and Doomguy's packed a lot of punch, but it was Bitterman's shotgun that combined those two into a superb weapon.

Edge: Bitterman

(Bitterman and Doomguy test their chainguns on an open field, Duke tests his Ripper Chaingun and Ranger tests out his Super Nailgun for in an enclosed area in the studio)

For long range weapons, Bitterman and Doomguy pit their deadly gatling-action Chainguns against Duke's Nordenfelt-action Ripper Chaingun and the Ranger's super nailgun.

Geoff DesMoulin: Each of these guns ripped our dummies to shreds with lots of blood and guts flying everywhere. To me the edge has to the Super Nailgun. Sure it may not have much in the way of RoF but what it lacks in that department, it makes up in damage per shot and accuracy.

Edge: The Ranger

(Bitterman throws his grenades at oncoming targets, Duke shows off his martial arts skills, and Doomguy and Range hack the pig carcasses to pieces)

For special weaponry, Duke's big combat boots went up against Doomguy's chainsaw, the Ranger's axe and Bitterman's grenades.

Max Geiger: I must say that the grenades kinda feel out of place against these melee weapons and when we tested it out against a dummy, we found that a point-blank attack with it will cause incapacitation to both user and opponent. So for a ranged attack I will give it to the grenades. As for the other weapons, I have to give this to the chainsaw, even if there is a risk of kickback.

Edge: Even between Bitterman and Doomguy

(In a specialised heat chamber, the DW hosts watch as each of the contenders fire their rocket launchers)

For explosives, the 4 heroes tested out their specialised rocket launchers with high-octane results.

AD: The RPG delivered a more devastating kill on impact, but Doomguy's rocket launcher delivered a much heavier radius of splash damage which we considered to be deadly WHEN COUPLED with impact damage. Edge here to Doomguy's rocket launcher.

Edge: Doomguy

(In an open field with everyone watching from atop a hill, Bitterman and Doomguy launch their BFGs, while at a safer and closer distance, Duke fires his Devastator and Ranger fires the Thunderbolt)

Finally, the sci-fi warriors showcased their ultimate and iconic weapons in their arsenal, each one more devastating than the last.

GD: Getting hit by homing rockets is bad enough to cause major injury but the Thunderbolt and BFGs are literally out-of-this-world weaponry that makes the Devastator look like a musket. For me though the edge goes to the BFG9000. Sure the BFG10k packs more energy but it takes a little bit more time to kill its target than the 9000.

Edge: Doomguy

(Max is seen in front of the computer)

MG: All I have to do now is upload the numbers onto the simulation program and run over 5000 battles to see the end result.

(All the guys are gathered around the computer screen with Max)

GD: OK so you guys ready to see the results?

DN: As ready as I'll ever be.

(The others nod their heads in silence)

AD: Max, fire the sim up.

(Max presses the enter button on his computer. The simulation begins...)

Main Battle

Duke ( ) - 100 health

Ranger ( ) - 100 health, 100 armour

Bitterman ( ) - 100 health, 100 armour

Doomguy ( ) - 100 health, 100 armour

As Doomguy exited the portal, he immediately knew something was up. He was expecting to receive a hero's welcome with people cheering and chanting his name. The destruction of the Hellish dimension has saved the Earth from Sin's wrath, according to him. The view that lay before him however told him otherwise. The streets of Los Angeles lay in a wreck. Cars were scattered around the cracked asphalt road in wrecked heaps. The burning smell of natural gas was intense as was that of rotting flesh. Apparently the demons from Hell were at it again. Cuddling the shotgun close to his chest, Flynn slowly and quietly ambled the path before him... or at least what path he can cross anyway.

...

"Aw heck no!" Duke whined as he pulled his Chevrolet to a stop. Seeing one of his favourite places in the whole of his country torn down and left in ruin must have ruined his sense of being. Now there were no women left for him to tip. No bars left to waste his newfound money on. Wait... that thought of no beer left in the city was too horrid to be true. "Those damn aliens!" Duke cursed to himself "They've left me a parting gift I would never forget..." Suddenly his hopes had become suddenly overturned. Composing himself and cocking his shotgun, Duke arrogantly proclaimed "Well, how about I return the favour and find these alien scumbags". Duke ran across the road, hoping to find whatever he can inside.

...

The sky above a billboard began to hum lowly as a portal was opened. Falling only a few feet, the Ranger stood firm and inspected his surroundings. How could this be possible? he thought. He went back all the way through time and space to stop some horrific creature from making humanity bow to it's will, and now he has come back to... pretty much something that caused him to go back in the first place. The Ranger slowly paced around the rooftop before he came to a familiar sign Welcome to... Los Angeles. Whatever the place was, it was not back at Command HQ. Another sight befell him, a huge gaping hole in front of him baring the interiors of the complex. Not much was left to be seen except for some tattered furniture and clothing. With no other choice, the Ranger holstered the shotgun and gripped firmly onto the edges of the crumbling ceiling. Hanging on firmly, he tried angling his body so that the momentum of his swing can allow him to jump into the room. Soon, he jumped. However, the rumbling of something shook the room to the point the Ranger could not stand. Getting back up with a grunt, the Ranger looked out from the hole to witness a space vessel float past.

...

The roar of the shuttle died down as Bitterman, back from his long and arduous mission, landed the VTOL craft in an open area. He too could not believe that one of Earth's cities just took a major beating. Didn't look like the work of the Strogg but whoever caused all the carnage will certainly pay. Bitterman made his way out of the soft and comfortable pilot chair and onto the hard crusty ground. Clutching the shotgun in his hand - once Strogg made, now the property of humankind - Bitterman walked down the road. Everywhere he could see, places once filled with joy and vitality were now extinguished for unknown malicious purposes. Small fires everywhere seared him with small doses of heat and the smell of sulfur choked his lungs. Whatever he was going to find here, it was sure to be what caused the destruction of the land from the beginning.

...

GAME START IN 5...

4...

3...

2...

(Everyone has cocked their shotguns; the Ranger has just jumped onto the apartment room he landed under.)

1...

FIGHT!

The game began as soon as the 4 men started bolting around, jumping over debris and climbing up and down ladders and stairwells. Grunting as they make their way across hallways and alleyways, the 4 come across something glowing and hovering in mid-air. Bitterman stared in awe as he stooped to collect the Chaingun, replete with 100 full rounds of bullets. Doomguy collects his chainsaw and revs it up - time for him to party, he thinks. The Ranger picks up his Thunderbolt packed fully with 100 cells, something he has not since his adventures in the Quake dimension. And lastly, Duke picks up the Ripper Chaingun holding a full load of 200 bullets, muttering "Come get some, baby!". Holstering those weapons behind them, the journey into the heart of the city continues. Electricity cracks as sparks fly into puddles of acid dripping from above. Death. Nothing but death and danger lingered in the air, as if something was out to get the men.

...

The Ranger made it out onto the street. Looking up at the sky, he noticed it becoming more scarlet in tinge. With the wind getting slightly stronger, he seeked shelter in a nearby wrecked shop. Underneath the counter lay some blackish-grey armour. Even though the Ranger found it just recently, he immediately could tell that the vest was not for him. Someone else was about to arrive. Hearing footsteps approaching the window, the Ranger took out his shotgun and lay in wait.

...

Panting after his jog, Duke came to rest at one of his grocery stores. His mama always took him there to get the goods, whether they be hers or his. Stepping over the broken glass shards, he took out his Winchester shotgun. His instinct led him here too, though for what purpose he went inside it was a mystery. "Better get some food while I can." Duke lowered his shotgun and proceeded to walk down the aisle of the boxed cereals and bread. Eyeing what was left, Duke suddenly heard a little scuffling in the counter. "Who's there?" he asked. Silence. Aiming his Winchester at the board, Duke exclaimed "Don't make me go behind there and kick yer ass!"

Suddenly the Ranger popped out of hiding. "Freeze, stranger!" he yelled as he fired his gun. Reacting well, Duke leapt down to the floor with only a minor pellet grazing his leg ( - 96 health). Looking up at the Ranger's head, Duke fired his shotgun in retaliation, but the Ranger was too quick and he ducked back under the counter. Scrambling for something distracting, Duke stood up and tried to bolt behind a shelf. Unfortunately, his slow limp cost him another opportunity for him to fire at the Ranger who just popped back up and fired another round, this time hitting full force (' ' - 72 health). Struggling to get back onto his feet, Duke witnessed the Ranger leaving his cover and approaching him, as if he was a policeman doing an interrogation.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" the Ranger grunted as he grabbed Duke by the chest. Nothing escaped Duke's breath - except a disgruntled grunt. "Oh, not a talker, eh?" Ranger pulled his shotgun out and pressed it against his cheek. Unmoved, Duke engaged his mighty boot and kicked Ranger down to the floor ( - 93 health, 97 armour) with a hard thud. Tactically, Duke shot at The Rangers body with his Winchester, but The Ranger rolled away just in time, only for a pellet to scrape him in the back ( - 86 health, 94 armour). Struggling to get up, The Ranger just managed to stop an oncoming punch from Duke. Returning the favour, The Ranger set Duke flying back a couple of feet onto a the top of a freezer before bolting for the broken window. Rolling onto his stomach, Duke fired his Winchester at the fleeing Ranger - just missing him. In return, Ranger forced Duke to duck behind the cover of the counter with a Thunderbolt flash that barely missed him. "What in the name of Jesus was that?" Duke said to himself before noticing the kevlar vest. Without hesitation, Duke stood up and put it on now feeling that he will be protected ( - 72 health, 100 armour). He stared in disgust at the mess that thunderstrike created - every can was spilling its contents and the shelf in front of him was giving way. However, one thing got his attention - a shining case of white. Coming up to it, he noted the red cross on it. Curious, Duke nudged the case. With a flash, the case disappeared... and so too did the scars on his body, arms and legs ( - 97 health, 100 armour). Smiling in satisfaction, Duke looked out across the street. It was growing dark, and that unknown man he encountered was still lurking around - who knows what is happening next?

Shrugging his shoulders at the thought, Duke made his way out. From the sidewalk, Duke could still not see the Ranger but he didn't care. He jogged down the path in front of him, hoping to see if any supplies of his were still left intact.

...

Well, this certainly does not look like the work of demons Flynn thought as he peered out a window. The cityscape was just torn to pieces with buildings looking like they've been ripped in half. Even though it was beginning to get dark, he could also make out some fumes of smoke and CO2 from burning vehicles. Turning back, he became astounded when he found the door wide open - but then again it may have been the strong wind coming in. Being careful, Flynn hugged the shotgun close to his security armour as he approached the stairwell. A shadow ran past downstairs. Someone else might be here... better investigate to be sure he thought before slowly walking down the steps onto the ground floor. Nothing. Not a sound except the wind howling through the empty street. There was something suspicious going on. Carefully he peeked out into the streets.

From behind a small reception desk back in the room, Bitterman carefully squat and held his chaingun up from the floor. His eyes peeked above the desk. Doomguy was just about to head back up the stairs. Now's my chance to have some fun... Bitterman grinned before he jumped out and yelled "Eat lead!"

The chaingun began to rev up. Luckily however, Flynn ducked behind a pile of rubble as Bitterman began to spray bullets. The shards began raining down upon him like hail. Even so, some bullets were able to penetrate deep into the rubble and graze his armour ( - 90 health, 94 armour) in a few places. Another bullet then sped past his arm and grazed it heavily ( - 85 health, 91 armour). Flynn cried out in pain as he clutched the armpiece. Noticing this cry, Bitterman let the gun in his hands cool down before switching to his shotgun. His feet crunched along the metal and wood debris at his feet as he walked up to the pile Flynn was cowering behind. To an equally surprising effect, a mechanical whirr was heard before Flynn jumped out with the chainsaw in his hand. A sinister look in his eyes, Flynn teased the chainsaw at the startled Bitterman before slashing it down into the chestplate whereupon Bitterman was sent to the floor ( - 96 health, 94 armour).

"I bet you're one of those demons in human form, huh?" Flynn huffed through his helmet. Bitterman was confused by this question but one he does now was the man in front of him was trouble. Rolling out of the way of another chainsaw swing, Bitterman got up and fired his shotgun. Surprisingly, Flynn managed to deflect the shot with the chainsaw. Going full force, Flynn charged at Bitterman, only for Bitterman to vault over the windowsill and bolt down the walkway in front of it. Leaping outside, Flynn rolled onto the road and unsheathed his shotgun. KA-BLAM! a shot rang out. Bitterman was lucky enough to have a pellet only go through his leg but it was very painful ( - 90 health, 85 armour). Not wanting to collapse like his body would have, Bitterman just kept on running and forcing Flynn to run in pursuit. After a while though, Bitterman disappeared at an intersection. Looking all around him, Flynn was only met by the whispers of the wind and the rustling of paper. Forced to continue his search for answers, Flynn was about to move on when something caught his eye.

It was a white case with a red cross on it. Instantly making the connection, Flynn dived for the case. Immediately it dissolved in his hand, and with that, the graze wounds on his arm and sides ( - 100 health, 91 armour) disappeared too. Looking at his shotgun with a grin, Flynn decided it was best for him to follow his gut on where that blasted space marine went. With that, Flynn jogged northward.

...

"Now where did that stinkin' coward run off to?" Duke exclaimed as he walked down an dark alleyway. The sky began to turn dark violet, and no sign of life anywhere. Laying his back against a wall, Duke sighed. All he wanted was more rest - especially having stolen a car and driven it back from Sacramento airport once the planes from Havana were grounded. Despite closing his eyes, Duke began to feel more tense as a certain kind of fear approached him. The sound of feet tapping and someone huffing came closer. Suddenly, a dark shadown ran past him. The outline was hard to make out but it looked like a Space Marine... maybe it's that same one from earlier! Thinking quickly, Duke stepped out and looked at the figure. It was hard to make out but it looked like him. Pressing one more foot on the sidewalk, something clicked. Before Duke's eyes, a piece of the road in front of him slid away and up rose a platform containing something that made Duke both shocked and amused. "It can't be..." Duke gazed as he grasped the handle of the RPG. Its heavy weight told him there was a full set of rockets in it. It was time for him to party. Still grasping it with all his might, Duke made a strained sprint down the sidewalk where the mysterious figure was jogging.

...

Bitterman caught his breath as he stopped to notice that he lost his opponent. Sighing with relief, Bitterman continued down the road at walking pace. Looking around, he noticed he was in a notorious area of town where the black market once reigned supreme. Even the criminals at this joint have deserted their goods. Peering in the windows, Bitterman began looking for items of use. Eventually stumbling on a munitions shop, Bitterman peered through the glass. To his delight, he found a set of brown cartridges labelled 'bullets' - just what he needed as his chaingun was almost out. Even more surprising was what was on the bottom shelf - grenades; but not just any old grenade... it was the green and red ones that he used back on Stroggos. Before Bitterman could fire his shotgun, he was cut off by a raspy threat and a big lumbering macho shadow coming from behind.

"Say hello to my little friend!" Duke yelled as he fired his RPG.

Ducking out of the way just in time, the RPG rocket hit the sidewalk. There was a massive explosion and shockwave but nothing too serious that damaged any part of Bitterman's body. Trying again, Duke aimed moreover at the munitions factory. Firing the rocket again, he didn't take into account Bitterman grabbing all the grenades and bullets on the shelf and rolling onto the curb with the ammo intact and dissolving into his hand. Priming one of the grenades, Bitterman chucked it a far distance but landing just close to Duke's feet. With a quick glance, Duke jumped out of the way to only be touched by a licking flame ( - 92 health, 95 armour). Bitterman tried to prime another grenade but an explosion behind him coming from the armoury threw him in the air, making him drop all the unprimed grenades almost near a sewer drain.

...

The explosion from the armoury generated so much noise that it told Flynn he was heading in the wrong direction. After viewing the small fireball erupt, he started to run towards the scene, hoping to catch his target there. Suddenly, 2 things stopped his path - one was a white chaingun hovering a few feet in front of him; the other was an unknown figure who stopped immediately as he came into view. The Ranger looked ahead of him. The flash of light that blinded him a second ago made him look at his oncoming target as a Shambler waiting to approach him. Trying to rub the image off his eyes, Ranger rushed forward with his Thunderbolt out. Thinking quickly, Flynn grabbed the gun in front of him and started spraying. Running as fast as he could, Ranger tried to avoid getting shot at but it was no used and a couple of bullets landed in his arm ( - 72 health, 86 armour). Panting heavy Ranger aimed his Thundergun at Flynn and fired a bolt - hitting Flynn square in the chest and sending him back a few feet ( - 80 health, 81 armour). Like the exploding rockets, the Thundergun generated so much noise and heat that it was very noticeable to Bitterman and Duke. Coming up to Flynn, Ranger aimed his shotgun at Flynn's helmet. "Any creature that attacks me is gonna get it!" Ranger proclaimed. Before he could fire the shotgun, a flying kick was delivered to his chest ( - 65 health, 83 armour). Duke then pounced on the Ranger ready to land a solid hit to the jaw but the Ranger grabs his hand before the hit.

Flynn, slowly getting back up, witnessed the fight but left the scene since to him it would seemingly been the right thing to do.

...

Getting up after that explosive incident, Bitterman ran as fast as he could towards the nearest hospital, hoping to find a medikit. Looking behind him down the dark alleyway, he can see a fire in the distance but nothing else. Coming out on the other side, Bitterman sighed with relief and the thought he was safe. Unfortunately, Flynn was not too far behind him, having picked up his own rocket launcher from that earlier alleyway. Intuitively, Bitterman turned around to fire his shotgun but a rocket explodes square in his chest ( - 80 health, 75 health) sending him flying headfirst into the hospital hallway tiles. Amazingly, as Flynn later found out in approaching Bitterman, the latter was able to scramble away on his own two feet. Impressive... Flynn thought as he slowly walked as if to tease Bitterman into a chase. Upon seeing the fire emergency escape door open, Flynn picked up the pace. Looking up and finding Bitterman nearly reaching the top floor, Flynn fires off another shot but misses. With no other choice, Flynn rushed up the flight of stairs, hoping to avoid any oncoming debris.

...

Back on the ground, the light of the intense was all that illuminated the chase between Duke and the Ranger. An exchange of pellets and bullets and rockets have been flying around all over place and now the two are running dry ( - 25 health, 5 armour; - 25 health, 5 armour). During their run past fallen churches and inside shops, Duke gained an edge with the Devastator in his hands and the Ranger managed to pick up his own rocket launcher. A series of melees and feats of agility were accomplished by the two of them - especially at moments when it looked like Duke was getting the upper hand. Firing the last of his rockets in the Devastator, Duke found himself defenseless. All this carnage and debris in the city and he hasn't killed his foe. That same anger was also felt by the Ranger. Sweat was dripping all over their bodies like they have been pushed to the limit but they did not want to collapse. Duke charged headlong into the Ranger again just as soon as he loaded another rocket into the launcher, and tackled him down senselessly ( - 18 health, 2 armour). Blood poured from Duke's nose as he throttled the Ranger's head against the concrete. Out of the corner of his eye however, the Ranger found his saving grace - an axe. It might have been a sign from the heavens, it might not; either way, the Ranger needed it and fast.

"I hope you like it in hell, punk!" Duke exclaimed, oblivious to his peripheral vision.

Grunting with all his might, the Ranger slammed the axe into Duke's back ( - 15 health, 0 armour). Stumbling back in pain, Duke fell into a puddle mix of water and acid making him scream in agony. Feeling for Duke, the Ranger took out his Thunderbolt and zapped the puddle. Emotionless, the Ranger left, leaving the mangled body of Duke Nukem to rest in a hole in the ground ( - 0 health, 0 armour). His troubles though weren't over, as he faintly heard some shouting over at the hospital. Using the burning cityscape and the light of the moon, the Ranger resiliently ran despite the searing pain surging in his veins.

...

"You brought this upon my land, didn't you!" Flynn shouted as he cornered Bitterman on the rooftop.

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about, man. For all I know, maybe you did this!" Bitterman retorted.

"Well surely as a space marine, you're meant to be truthful and honest..." Flynn argued back as he walked closer.

"Maybe you're right... I'm not telling you all the truth..." Bitterman slyly stated as he reached for something behind him. "Simple fact of the matter right here, right now... is that you're dead meat!" with that, Bitterman unleashed the fury of his BFG10k. The ball of green energy moved slowly across the roof, giving Doomguy a chance to duck behind the cover of a vent shaft. Shattering into a spectacular bright light, the plasma ejected all its energy to a side of the building that crumbled away like sand in an hourglass. The entire northeastern section of the roof was therefore falling from the sky... and unfortunately, landing smack bang on the Ranger below ( - 0 health, 0 armour), leaving him buried and twisted in a horrendous state.

Flynn felt like a sitting duck where he was. His chaingun was too bulky to take out and his shotgun and chainsaw wouldn't do him any well either. Looking straight at the inoperative fan in front of him, Flynn noted something odd - there was something behind the blades, something... big.

"I thought as a marine you would die for your country. Not hide like a coward would." Bitterman exclaimed as he slowly approached the tall vent Flynn was hiding behind.

"I might just do that..." Flynn snarked "Right after you!" and with that, Flynn unleashed his own BFG.

"That thing is just pus-" Bitterman laughed before being struck by a ball of plasma, completely and utterly disintegrating him fully ( - 0 health, 0 armour). Aware of what danger was about to come next, Flynn leapt over his side of the building and quickly clung onto the railing of the adjacent apartment. Swinging with great momentum moments before a piece of roof debris flied past him, Flynn crash-landed into the abandoned living room and hid under cover.

When all shaking and rumbling is over and done with, Flynn walked out onto the steel-lined balcony. The moon was fully out and to Flynn, that signified that it was a hard night's work done.

Winner: Doomguy

Expert's Opinion

MG: I am surprised that Doomguy made it on top here, winning 2000 battles of 5000 against Bitterman's 1800, the Ranger's 900 and Duke's 300. It's no surprise that Duke lost out so easily first and that can be explained by his obsolete weaponry in comparison with the others, his gung-ho attitude causing him to make tactical mis-steps and his ineffective armour.

AD: What made the Ranger come out on top of Duke was just his greater experience and training. I was surprised that his weapons did not fare as well as Doomguy's and Bitterman's despite having a gun that fired bolts of electricity which I personally considered potentially fatal. Other than that, it was also the Ranger's broken mind that like Duke caused him to make some calculable mistakes costing him ammo and his life.

GD: And how did Doomguy get up on top despite Bitterman having the more powerful super weapon and the grenades? Well again, it comes down to experience and training and Doomguy certainly had the edge there. Combine that with his combat-efficient weapons and substantially strong armour and you have yourself a clear victor.

(PS Pardon the rushness of the story but I wanted to get it done before 1st August whereupon I can start the Strogg Tourney)

Battle Notes

There are two settings for this - the prologue will be at the DW studios and the sim will be in a post-apocalyptic city. As a kind of homage to the FPS systems used in Quake, Duke Nukem 3D and Doom, these guys will have 100% health (aka 100 points of health) and their armour on them plus all the weapons in their 'inventory'. Scattered across the city are the ammunition needed for the weapons although they are limited - 5 of each: bullets, shells, cells, nails and grenades. Since this is a special kind of deathmatch, there will also be a minimal number of health packs lying around the place (about say 3 of them - all 25 points) and no special perks (i.e. no quad damage, et al). For time purposes, I will not include ALL the actions the guys are doing per se and I am genuinely sorry about that but I don't think I can write something too long.

Voting will end as soon as my previous battle (DI vs HotD) is written up and as I mentioned before, once the short prologue for this battle is up, I will begin my Stroggos tourney along with the first battle - and like SPW's Heroes will Unite, that battle (and perhaps some subsequent ones) will be huge (on a micro scale of course).

Voting can be done 2 ways - one way is just listing who dies in what order and that I will count as 1; 2 will be awarded if your votes contain the list AND weapons + x-factors edges (using what limited knowledge you have).