Charlie StrossMay 19

FIGHT!

Who wins, one-on-one:

(EDIT: it's in a space opera, the unicorns are GM horses, the raptors are modified birds. Boring, I know: no magic, no rainbows! But also starships and robots …)

Unicorns
40.5%
Utahraptor (like a big velociraptor)
59.5%
Poll ended at .
Show threadIrenes (many)May 19
@cstross we voted unicorns because it feels like the body design of utahraptors makes more sense for group hunting
Show threadPhilippa CowderoyMay 19
@ireneista @cstross gotta admit I'm thinking "what if the unicorn misses?" there, though - neither's looking great, but the utahraptor actually benefits from staying side-to-side
Show threadPhilippa CowderoyMay 19
@ireneista @cstross ...the unicorn's going to be plain bigger, mind
Show threadPhilippa CowderoyMay 19

@ireneista @cstross I reckon it comes down to whether the raptor can place its forearms/wings in a way that stops the unicorn picking up speed to get away and come back for another pass: if it can in principle, you've got a messy opening stage but things get determined pretty quickly once the unicorn's caught.

If not, how fast can the utahraptor step to the side and turn inwards?...

Show threadIrenes (many)May 19
@flippac @cstross you also have to remember, utahraptors are built for speed, for sure, but the unicorn's eyes and visual cortex reflect over a hundred million years of evolutionary improvement that the utahraptor doesn't benefit from. seriously, dino eyes have a ton of problems. if it turns into an extended battle, that could prove critical.
Show threadPhilippa CowderoyMay 19
@ireneista @cstross If it turns into an extended jousting contest, absolutely - I'm not sure grappling necessarily got better rather than more specialised though, and if the contest is "spike the raptor enough" vs "grab hind leg" then it doesn't help the unicorn that the offensive and defensive motions are mostly the same thing: scratching up the raptor's flank isn't so easy if the raptor's already hauling it for a grab
Show threadIrenes (many)May 19
@flippac @cstross also if the raptor can take out the unicorn's knees, that's at the very least a moral victory, even if it doesn't result in death during the fight.
Show threadPhilippa Cowderoy

@ireneista @cstross While the unicorn's going at speed that's a pretty serious risk - you grab by the biggest area possible to spread the impact. Not sure I buy a rear roundhouse kick from a raptor even after catching[1] the unicorn - not least because it'll probably require letting go - so I'd want to know if biting'll work there.

[1] as in "hold of"

May 19 at 7:48pmWeb
Show threadPhilippa CowderoyMay 19
@ireneista @cstross (one rear knee is probably plenty in practice, odds of the unicorn being able to outpace the raptor don't seem great to me after that)
Show threadIrenes (many)May 19

@flippac @cstross sure, so that definitely tells us a way that the fight could end

most real fights are over in seconds, so yes, if we're being realistic it's going to be decided by the first blow or the first few blows

Show threadPhilippa CowderoyMay 19

@ireneista @cstross Yeah, "unicorn spikes raptor in head on first charge" is absolutely a thing here regardless assuming the skeleton's up to using the horn in the first place

"unicorn tries to trample, oops" is also a possibility that gets mostly boring very quickly unless you want a mutual kill though