When considering something like the power rankings for tiers, do the circumstances matter?

[LordNidhoggr]

What I mean is, do the characters who are considered the most powerful members of a tier have to be the most powerful in a general sense, as in the most powerful in all/the most circumstances, or just be able to beat anyone else in the tier even if very specific circumstances are required? For example, the Lich from Enter the Gungeon immortal in the Bullet Hell area of the Gungeon, if the battle took place anywhere else he wouldn't have a connection to Kaliber and thus loses his immortality. Or the Chaos Daemons for Warhammer: if they're in the Warp then they're immeasurably more powerful and hold advantages over characters in the same tier because they have connections to the warp that go beyond merely manipulating it as a reality warper would do to the physical universe (let alone the Warp). I'm not trying to upset the rankings or anything, I'm just curious.

 

[FinePoint]

I believe the rankings are decided tournament-style.

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

I'm kind of confused on what the question is about; but no one is inherently the strongest of their tiers given Vs threads can be heavily case by case.

 

[LordNidhoggr]

That makes sense. I guess what I'm asking is: does/should a battle thread that has circumstances that favor one participant (like immortality-granting Bullet Hell for The Lich) count for top character rankings? I don't know how I personally feel about the idea. On the one hand, I think that characters should be at their best and have as many of their abilities and tools available as possible (like giving Master Chief access to any gun he's able to wield), but I also don't like giving one side a big advantage the other cannot take by definition (two characters can't take different location advantages, for instance). So, I'm just curious what the line of thinking is on the subject, and I guess it's not limited to just tier rankings.

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

We usually try to avoid fixed fights; stuff like Character A is using their weakest key while character B are using their strongest key are fine if that's how to make it evenly matched tier wise. But both characters should use their standard equipment respectively and hax abilities normally shouldn't be restricted. And we only give characters "All their weapons" if they can actually carry it all. Though, having a bunch of weapons just lying on the ground, I'm not sure if we have it laid out in the like; but we usually have those set where either side may make use of them if they choose for fights like that.

 

[LordNidhoggr]

Ok, so how are abilities/stats that are dependant on factors like the fight taking place in a certain location like the Lich in Bullet Hell, or powers that work as an outside force intervening on behalf of the character like the Mysterious Stranger coming to help the Vault Dweller, or blessings/gifts from deities/higher powers that don't work in dimensions where those gods don't exist like the Infinity Gauntlet? Do we kind of handwave it as those abilities are not tied to such specifics in the name of an easier discussion, make note of it when starting the thread, or do those abilities work at all if the canonical conditions aren't met? Where's the line drawn for outside intervention, by the way? I know summoning is allowed, typically, but outside help generally isn't (right?). Does that include things like the Mysterious Stranger? Or blessings from gods like mythical Greek heroes received? What about intervention to resurrect a character like Kaliber does to the Lich to extend his suffering?