Team Turnt Up (Dr. Proof), I liked how you broke up the paths into two specialized teams, but I feel that its a stretch to assume you will get the 2 matchups you are looking for. You did not specify ways of actually separating Team Gai into these groups you suggested, you simply stated it would happen; making assumptions like that can lead to trouble. This scenario is a stretch for me considering the lack of foundation that was established to achieve it.
As for your introduction strategy/ counter, I feel that you went about it a little strange. Before ever initiating an attack, you began talking about Neji using his rotation, but why is he using rotation? What did you do to force him to use it? Not only that, but you assume that the instant it is used, you can counter with Preta path. What is Preta Path's distance from Neji? Is he using it at a distance or was he in close and is he essentially grabbing Neji? If he was really close, is it safe to assume that Gai would not attempt to prevent him from countering such a situation? These are all questions that you did not specify in this opening argument that I feel threw off the effectiveness of the strategy.
I'm also not sure if Preta Path can completely prevent the use of the Eight gates. Yes the technique is about bypassing chakra limitations, but who's to say Gai can't use it while detained or while low on chakra? The problem with this argument is that we know for a fact that Afternoon Tiger is not chakra based, yet we know the eight gates is about accessing more of the body's overall potential, ie chakra, so its impossible to say whether or not sucking his chakra will completely prevent the use of the technique. Not only this, but if you are taking priority of killing Neji first, why would Gai not go all out and use the gates immediately? Why would he allow himself to be captured before using the technique especially after seeing Neji die? You say Asura could stand toe to toe with Gai, but why would Gai hold back? He would likely unlock gates immediately to combat his strong opponent before Neji gets killed.
As for your second matchup, I feel you could have explained a lot more in regards to defeating Lee and Ten Ten. You may not have felt a need, but you established 3 teams of 2 to fight Lee and Ten Ten (if you account for the summons) and only explained your strategy for one of them. Again, I think it would have been beneficial to explain more.
Team Senko (Draegod), I liked your use of the wireless communication and I think you did well to take advantage of the second post in this situation. Seeing as how you knew how your opponent was breaking up, I feel like your breakdown of the two 3v2 match-ups is more believable, considering you would be forcing your opponents to follow your teams as you split up. I really liked your strategy of using Vacuum Palm to clear the bubbles and speed blitzing Animal path, you made it sound very effective.
I think you did good to establish a way for Gai to breakout and begin taking down his enemies. I am not a big fan of linking clips from games, but they weren't completely essential to establishing your ideas anyway. I feel that you showed that your side might have a better chance given certain circumstances, and I think you did well to point out each pain's weakness when facing a 1v1 situation. I also liked your ideas of taking out both Animal path and Hell realm fast so that you can take care of Tendo easier later. I felt you did good to show these individual matchups could be effective.
Team Turnt Up (SasoriOfTheRedSaand), I disagree with the point about breaking up the matchup-ups. Your team did nothing to establish HOW they would separate Team Gai the way you did, so you left it very open for your opponent to choose a more advantageous grouping for themselves, considering they knew which formation you were taking. Assuming they would actually accept your breakdown is very naïve. You seemed to focus on further countering neji's rotation despite the fact that your opponent never actually used it in their intro, they only used vacuum palm and 64 palms. I liked the idea of countering it with the giant bird, but why is Neji using rotation in the first place? Did you charge in with the bird hoping he'd defend with it? What did you do to instigate him to use rotation?
When it came to your argument about Lee, it simply did not convince me that speed blitzing Animal Realm off her summon was not possible. I don't think the weights were even intended to be a limitation here. Your strategy of defeating Neji and Lee revolves strongly around Animal Path, so not being able to prove his/her safety 100% makes your position weaker.
Team Senko (Anub), I like your idea of launching Ten Ten's weapons with rotation, yet I think it could easily backfire. Considering the rotation is very fast, and something that I don't recall them ever practicing together, (note that Ten Ten and Neji had excessive practice time together based on the manga) I'm not certain of its effectiveness. I do, however, think the strategy of Ten Ten gouging out the eyes of the summons is a very good idea. I don't think we can bulk Ten Ten into the same shuriken skill level as Itachi (meaning curved shuriken pathways) but I still think Ten Ten could get the job done, giving her an actual use in this battle. I do however disagree with bypassing your partner's strategy of splitting into two teams and rather keep your team together. I've never participated in a team debate like this before, but I'd think you'd want to follow your predecessor's strategy and not create your own. You can easily add in your own ideas, or say, "At this point I am bringing Team Gai back together", but changing the debate by creating your own 'alternate reality' of the fight seemed a little strange to me.
As for your original attack on the enemy, I think you proved that you could disrupt/ dispose of some of the Path's quickly, especially the part of stopping Animal realm from summoning. As for the second part of this initial attack, I feel that you almost introduced too many possible jutsu options. I honestly can't say anything bad about the argument, but perhaps breaking them up a little more with slightly more clarification would have resonated with me a little more. I do agree that summons will likely not play as big of a factor as Team Turnt Up might hope, considering the starting distance and the opponents at hand.
I did like your later team combinations, but I don't think the Banana Fan should be considered fair game in this case. Considering it is a special weapon only brought about in a special circumstance, such a tool should not be considered fair game unless specified before the match, just my thoughts on the matter. Lastly, I feel that saying for certain that Gai WILL sacrifice himself using the 8th gate for the sake of his team is a mistake. You already proved that Afternoon Tiger alone could do a lot of good for your team, why sacrifice your best shinobi for a chance at something greater? I think its only right to consider it a possibility, but to say for certain you will use it, without understanding its ability 100%, is a mistake in my opinion.
Team Senko (MilwaukeegHost), we shared some of the same thoughts, I agree that a lack of method for separating their team was a mistake, leaving it open to your team to counter. I also mostly agree with you regarding the ineffectiveness of the absorption tech when used on Gai, I don't think it would actually prevent him from opening gates afterward, even if he was somehow capable of getting bound. I liked your points about the higher possibility of 1v1 when the Paths split up, in addition to less shared vision thus negating some of the Rinnegan's power.
I liked all your efforts in regard to obstructing vision with smoke bombs and other means. I also liked how you introduced strategies to counter an air-borne enemy if in fact they made it into the air. Again, about the Banana fan and leg weights, I don't think the Banana fan should be considered fair game in this debate and don't think Lee has to actually go about removing the leg weights at all. In a debate like this, I'd think Lee is without the weights unless otherwise specified.
Team Turnt Up (Prince Charles), I don't think the defensive panda would be enough to stop a weapon barrage as Anub explained. In my imagination, such an attack would be very widespread, even widespread enough to possible backfire on them. So simply the panda would not be enough to defend your team, unless maybe you all lined up behind it. Again, someone else shares thoughts with me, I found it a mistake on Anub's part to take an entirely different route than his teammate. I did, however, find it very risky on your part to assume that Deva can use his powers now. I think it was worth noting, but I feel that also assuming he would be back in commission by the time you posted was a mistake.
I did like your point about Asura hitting Neji in mid air, you did well to take advantage of the situation. However, I didn't see much point in mentioning animal path being able to summon them back down to the ground. If all the Pain's are being hit and sent flying, it would be hard for Animal path to effectively summon them back where he/she wants with ease. I also think you had a serious misstep when talking about the camouflaging reptile without accounting for the Byakugan.
In the end, I think reasonable amount of this debate came down to whether or not Animal realm could get off the ground soon enough to avoid a speed blitz from either Lee or Gai. Considering the fact that the starting distance is 15 meters, I highly doubt he/she could actually make it into the sky in time if in fact he/she had become the main target of Team Gai. The fact that Team Senko had so many strategies that benefited a scenario like this, and even one for dealing with a scenario that includes the Paths getting into the air, I feel that they proved they were the better debate team this time around. My vote goes to Team Senko, I think they just had too many overwhelming strategies that were not countered effectively enough.
When it comes to the debate overall, I feel that the underdog team (in terms of strength of a debater's combatants) can often have a serious advantage in debates like this. The fact that it feels so one sided allows the underdog team to come up with even small strategies that can end up making a big difference in people's minds in regards to their overall chances. In addition, it makes it hard for the superior team's debaters to establish effective strategies that would actually convince the judges that they actually have a better overall chance then they were already being given credit for. Not only that, but a debater will often leave out potential strategies when debating for a stronger team because they feel it is not necessary, a mistake too often made. A debate is about maximizing strategies and proving potential of a team, something easily lost when dealing with a one-sided match-up. Just a small rant on my part, but I definitely feel that Team Senko had a distinct advantage here.
