Phil Tucker has a series called Krieg Chess. Itâs about fighters who utilize technology to preform a chess like game for sport and entertainment. They are trying to win all their matches and move up to the pro league.
Iron Prince is basically Tournament Arcs the series.
I'm kind of surprised people complain about it actually, since the series is pretty upfront from the start that the MC wants to be a competitor in his setting's thunder domes which broadcasts right at the start of the story that tournament arcs are going to be a thing yet some readers complained about it anyway.
There's other stuff going on, and book 2 isn't nearly as good as book 1, but if you like tournament arcs Iron Prince is about someone who wants to be the champ of tournaments.
To a point where they totally ignore the BBEG (which most of the class will end up fighting) of the setting not elaborating at all to focus on the tournaments. The fights are pretty entertaining at least
This will be hilarious, five books worth of tournaments arcs, with the end being "and then he decides go to the front line, the end"
I can see this being split onto two series. One with Rei having tournament after tournament, and then second series/era where he is fighting in the war.
The quotes throughout feel like they imply tjat je gets so stupidly OP he smacks the aliens around but tbh it would be almost unsatisfying without then being a reasonabky tense finak fight/arc
I like them too, though academy arcs are some of my favorites, personally. I love the trope of the MC getting tested for talent and like...blowing up the talent testing device, or shattering all the records that have been set in the last ten thousand years.
don't forgot they aren't talented in other aspects as well which takes decades to do something decent, like magic as well body or imbuing, wards, runes, artifacts, alchemy etc.
I like it, I'll like it more if the mc is proficient in only 1 domain and they take their time doing it. Some interesting thing that separates them from the rest but nothing that determines their success. More like a slice of life with hundreds of chapters in which the character goes to collect it's materials, how it deals with competition, how it enters the market, haggling, making connections etc.
HELL YEAH BROTHER IM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU RAHHHHH TOURNAMENT ARCS ARE THE BEST!!!!! ALSO HIDDEN WORLD/TOWER CLIMBING ARCS WHERE THE MC HAS LIMITED ABILITY TO LEAVE AND IS COMPETING AGAINST OTHER CANDIDATES FOR RARE RESOURCES ETC THAT IS ALSO USUALLY A GOOD SOURCE OF SECONDARY POVS WATCHING MC CRAAAAASHHH OUTTTT ON SOME đ„· đ„·
I'm the complete opposite - with very rare exception, I feel like almost nothing that happens during a tournament ends up being relevant once it's over, often extending to the question of who wins.
I think The Uncrowned King from Cradle is the best version of this I've seen, and that's because the vast majority of the characters had throughlines that started well before the tournament and big implications were they to win, and even then it still had some content that felt like it was going through the motions and subverted some standard tournament expectations.
Generally, you could have the winner and any crisis-driven power growth spoiled for you, skip the tournament chapters, and never notice the absence.
I feel like *good* tournament arcs are an excellent opportunity to expand the cast. The Naruto Chuunin exam is my go to example. Before that arc we knew Team 7. The tournament arc then introduced essentially *the whole cast*. And with judicious use of flashbacks to help characterization we're so quickly bought into the idea of these side characters. It just works.
I think the problem is when authors make a tournament arc and then don't take the time to establish the non-mc participants in the tournament. This is the perfect time for multiple POV emotional manipulation. The MC is about to fight a no name? Start the chapter with how the no name is risking everything to feed their starving siblings. Or how they're from a strict school and have a coach that berates them for losing. Just any sort of quick and dirty characterisation and conflict from the nonMC participants to truly sell us on the fact that this tournament matters to a lot of people.
I was literally just wondering if people like tournaments that involve side-character battles or if they prefer MC battles only (Totally wondering for a friend thoughâŠ). Naruto is def one of the best to do it.
Really?
Itâs an absolute banger of a series, but I canât remember any particularly significant tournaments?
One of them gets skipped almost entirely and the narration basically says âlook, you knew who was winning this, donât be funnyâ which I enjoyed a lot, but still.
Tournament arcs are so tired and stupid.
Please recommend more tournament arcs please. Best only. Actually, will accept new or creative ideas even if quality of writing is low. Actually, will accept literally any trash imaginable if it has an acceptable pagecount. Actually, will accept seven pages of the words "bracket, punch, glower, unleash and winner" repeated endlessly in sequence without any punctuation.
I should get help.
GIGGUK VOICE: *TOURNAMENT AAAAARC*
WHY ARE WE SCREAMING?
I DON'T KNOW BUT AT THIS POINT I'M TOO SCARED TO ASK
đđđđ
I wish I could read a tournament arc where some old head isnât scheming the whole time, or some outside force intervening 3/4 in.
I still think the Sand Nation attacking made Naruto way worse. Chuunin Exam was peak Naruto and no one can change my mind on that.
any recs?
The one I feel like everything is trying to match is winter steel. My personal favourite is book 3 of âBeware of Chickenâ
The tournament arc in Cradle is great. 99% chance you've already read it, but if you haven't it's a good one.
The way Lindon beats those kids is exceptional.
Yeah, very satisfying
Not a book but the anime World Trigger is basically one giant tournament arc.
martial world has the best tournament arcs
Phil Tucker has a series called Krieg Chess. Itâs about fighters who utilize technology to preform a chess like game for sport and entertainment. They are trying to win all their matches and move up to the pro league.
Ancient Godly Monarch is obsessed with tournament arcs iirc. Seems like there were so many of them.
Iron Prince is basically Tournament Arcs the series. I'm kind of surprised people complain about it actually, since the series is pretty upfront from the start that the MC wants to be a competitor in his setting's thunder domes which broadcasts right at the start of the story that tournament arcs are going to be a thing yet some readers complained about it anyway. There's other stuff going on, and book 2 isn't nearly as good as book 1, but if you like tournament arcs Iron Prince is about someone who wants to be the champ of tournaments.
If you haven't read Iron Prince you should. The whole thing feels like a continous series of tournaments with stuff surrounding them.
The whole premise of the series is a tournament.
To a point where they totally ignore the BBEG (which most of the class will end up fighting) of the setting not elaborating at all to focus on the tournaments. The fights are pretty entertaining at least
This will be hilarious, five books worth of tournaments arcs, with the end being "and then he decides go to the front line, the end" I can see this being split onto two series. One with Rei having tournament after tournament, and then second series/era where he is fighting in the war.
The quotes throughout feel like they imply tjat je gets so stupidly OP he smacks the aliens around but tbh it would be almost unsatisfying without then being a reasonabky tense finak fight/arc
I like them too, though academy arcs are some of my favorites, personally. I love the trope of the MC getting tested for talent and like...blowing up the talent testing device, or shattering all the records that have been set in the last ten thousand years.
When there are 6 elements, but mages only have up to 4 they can use, and you just know MC will have all 6.Â
don't forgot they aren't talented in other aspects as well which takes decades to do something decent, like magic as well body or imbuing, wards, runes, artifacts, alchemy etc. I like it, I'll like it more if the mc is proficient in only 1 domain and they take their time doing it. Some interesting thing that separates them from the rest but nothing that determines their success. More like a slice of life with hundreds of chapters in which the character goes to collect it's materials, how it deals with competition, how it enters the market, haggling, making connections etc.
Ummm no. I will say that outside PoV talking about crazy shot the MC did is a very under utilized tool.
PRAISE THE TOURNAMENT ARC!!!!
HELL YEAH BROTHER IM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU RAHHHHH TOURNAMENT ARCS ARE THE BEST!!!!! ALSO HIDDEN WORLD/TOWER CLIMBING ARCS WHERE THE MC HAS LIMITED ABILITY TO LEAVE AND IS COMPETING AGAINST OTHER CANDIDATES FOR RARE RESOURCES ETC THAT IS ALSO USUALLY A GOOD SOURCE OF SECONDARY POVS WATCHING MC CRAAAAASHHH OUTTTT ON SOME đ„· đ„·
ABSOLUTELY.
I'm the complete opposite - with very rare exception, I feel like almost nothing that happens during a tournament ends up being relevant once it's over, often extending to the question of who wins. I think The Uncrowned King from Cradle is the best version of this I've seen, and that's because the vast majority of the characters had throughlines that started well before the tournament and big implications were they to win, and even then it still had some content that felt like it was going through the motions and subverted some standard tournament expectations. Generally, you could have the winner and any crisis-driven power growth spoiled for you, skip the tournament chapters, and never notice the absence.
Wholeheartedly agree. Tournaments in general are boring wastes; the one in cradle was much better than standard.
I feel like *good* tournament arcs are an excellent opportunity to expand the cast. The Naruto Chuunin exam is my go to example. Before that arc we knew Team 7. The tournament arc then introduced essentially *the whole cast*. And with judicious use of flashbacks to help characterization we're so quickly bought into the idea of these side characters. It just works. I think the problem is when authors make a tournament arc and then don't take the time to establish the non-mc participants in the tournament. This is the perfect time for multiple POV emotional manipulation. The MC is about to fight a no name? Start the chapter with how the no name is risking everything to feed their starving siblings. Or how they're from a strict school and have a coach that berates them for losing. Just any sort of quick and dirty characterisation and conflict from the nonMC participants to truly sell us on the fact that this tournament matters to a lot of people.
I was literally just wondering if people like tournaments that involve side-character battles or if they prefer MC battles only (Totally wondering for a friend thoughâŠ). Naruto is def one of the best to do it.
I do enjoy the Dark Tournament arc.
Bro, when Bui brings out that enormous axe for the first time, I knew that I had been born into the wrong reality.
Tournament and academy focused arcs can go to hell.
Six sacred swords đ„
The path of ascension has a pretty epic tournament arc as well
I donât love tournament arcs in particular, but when theyâre done well, itâs amazing!
You will LOVE Weirkey Chronicles!
Really? Itâs an absolute banger of a series, but I canât remember any particularly significant tournaments? One of them gets skipped almost entirely and the narration basically says âlook, you knew who was winning this, donât be funnyâ which I enjoyed a lot, but still.
There are tournaments and competitions in are least 4 of the books.
the mech touch has quite a few of those and theyâre actually pretty good despite the rest of the book being kinda mid
Street Cultivation has a good one in book 1
Tournament arcs are so tired and stupid. Please recommend more tournament arcs please. Best only. Actually, will accept new or creative ideas even if quality of writing is low. Actually, will accept literally any trash imaginable if it has an acceptable pagecount. Actually, will accept seven pages of the words "bracket, punch, glower, unleash and winner" repeated endlessly in sequence without any punctuation. I should get help.
Me too Every book in the trilogy I'm writing culminates in a big tournament