Redtooth's Top Ten Mercs Fads

These are Redtooth's Top Ten Mercs Fads ranked for Ed Bellis's What Would You Do.

Top 10 Mercs Fads
When MWIS was inspired to begin MERCS, he undoubtely created a mini-society within Board 8 and left behind a legacy that continues to this day, over a year after. Although mercs has made radical changes since that era, it still created an additional "culture" (for lack of a better word) in B8. Mercs had it's own rules, it's own players and most importantly, it had it's own fads. These fads were nothing more than some minor quips or funny occurences that would happen occasionally within the game itself. Some of these are transferable to a larger audience, but more or less, if you haven't followed mercs, these would just seem unfunny or stupid to you. Thankfully, KING BED ELLIS OF LORKNOH, knows exactly what I'm talking about.

10) Dan/bub/WCC

The joke characters of mercs, if there ever was one. 3 Mercenaries who's introduction, purchase and continued use were included as no more than comic relief. Dan, the man, with a plan(an alucard fan), is the powerhouse of this small team. Able to taunt, sign autographs and fight within a miniature kitchen, all should worry when facing him. Bub, the cute, lovable dinosaur, is also a dual threat. Able to both bubble ennemies and play awesome music, all at once! And of course the WCC. With only a single weakness, incinerators, and the renewed ability to shapeshift colors, this block of sheer death has turned into a worry of epic proportions for all involved. Now, all three of these guys were renown for not only the hilarious situational comedy they brought, but the power of voters that they managed to draw. It was once proposed that if all three were put on a single team, they would instantly win mercs, and newbie, metool and oddity would get together and perform as a mariachi band.

9) Shang Tsung

WHAT IS SHANG TSUNG?! One never knows, the elusive fighter, always morphin before every battle, rarely making a difference. Whether he was turning into the energy sword or bub, his ability always has always led to a great amount of confusion for all invovled. So important was this Shang to our game that he went on to provide his shapeshifting abilities in more than just mercs ways! Albeit a secret, his is a role has trancended the core of mercs text, becoming an integral part of the entire game. All he has to do now is turn into WCC and everything will once again make sense.

8) *evil eyes repus*

A classic from the past. Repus had been among the first to join mercs, still under the regime of MWIS and Oddity. Yet, unwilling to invest the time into the project that MWIS required of all applicants, Repus quit his team very early, within the first week even. MWIS, angered as he normally gets on such points, instituted a policy of death to all who would waste his time. Damn Repus, *evil eyes*. Although almost no one does or remembers this due to it being over a year ago and MWIS' rules are pretty much obselete now, including this one.

7) Energy Sword

HOLY CRAP WHO HAS THE ENERGY SWORD?!?

(ed does)

6) Shell

Personal bias should put this much, much higher. This thing was a staple for me in the first half of the game. It was my only edge, my only chance, my only hope. And it really pulled me out of some unsavory moments. That and it was hilarious to watch as the event unfolded, especially with Metool. When 13 out of 16 fighters in a match die in a 10% chance, that tends to be well accepted. Just some images to show the psychological damage he's caused:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b109/drakeryn/art/redtooth.jpg http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4197/ganonposterduelqh5.jpg http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9584/theshellposter2vc9.jpg

5) Cake

What not to love about the cake? It's premise is a complete jokes. A bunch of fighters getting together in a kitchen to bake for some random entity? And getting stuck inside that very cake if the project is a failure? These topics, even near the end of mercs, would still get quite a decent following of people, always enjoying the absurd imagery of someone like nightmare making anything in a kitchen. The power even ended up being useful; how easy do you imagine it is to get out of a room sized cake?

4) Wheelchair

Harman in his Wheelchair, being pushed by james. Poor james is given so little respect in main battles, FFD has changed strategies and decided to argue in favor of James pushing around Harman in his matches. Now, pillow wielding james sunderland's only remembered skills is his uncanny ability to care for an old man(although one with very heavy guns).

3) Steal Lead Steal

Tombolo's master skill, the one that allowed him to survive many days and that one he's most well remembered for (and still tries it to this day!). Between the fact that Auron managed to hit 70-80% of the time and Rikku would steal Tombolo into postive RI, he really never needed to win. Poor tombolo's other skill, his innapropriate use of abilities, would come to haunt him after a series of painful losses, losses that would require some sort of steal lead steal lead steal to come back from. Either way, a memorable, hilarious fad attached to poor tombolo.

2) Vyse


 * spoilers* Kleenex gets banned. Or actually, Vyse dies and Kleenex and Oddname cry in each other's arms at night. this guy was hilarious but for some reason the mods decided to ban kleenex for joking about it, immediately making this whole thing funnier. Even though he never really dies, just suicides every time we attack him in mercs. Maybe one day they'll be back and vyse won't be listening to his emo tunes.

1) Admin Bias

Admin bias means that ED BELLIS, GIVE ME TEH WIN OR I EXPOSE YOUUUUUU. Ganon told me all your dirty secrets. So yea, I'm hoping to come out of this wwyd with the power of mercs' admin bias behind me. Although everyone has had their complaints, they all tend to come down to anger against our powerful overlords. May death be swift to your enemies, beddy.

CONC

So yea, my opinion (or a random ordering) of the best mercs fads. Most are still in use, most are still funny to me, most are still completely obscure to anyone else. Although my list was originally made in a drunken stupor, I feel it best characterizes my true feelings on what I found funny (minus the swearing). We've seen quite a few things over the years of mercs, but humor and having a good time is still the most important. As long as everyone's having fun, all should be good. ^_^