13:15 - Dracula vs. Polar Express

[UMPIRE]

SEASON 13, ROUND 15

Dracula

Slot: The Team's Horror Icon
Season Wins: 2
Season Losses: 0
Fantasy Team Page
Read more about Dracula at this Wiki
Official Site: Estate Of Bram Stoker

Polar Express

Slot: The Team's Christmas Themed Character
Season Wins: 2
Season Losses: 0
Fantasy Team Page
Read more about Polar Express at this Wiki
Official Site: Warner Bros. Pictures

Battle Terrain
Christmas Vs. Halloween: Role Reversal

[Twogunkid]

Dracula run a delivery to the North pole seems more likely than a train seducing people and drinking their blood.

[Peypeypeypey]

Strictly speaking, Dracula's job is being a count, right? Whatever that means.

Still don't think the train would be able to do it though. Dracula kind of wins by default here

[DSkillz]

Hmm ... could be a tough one. 

6 hours ago, Peypeypeypey said:

Strictly speaking, Dracula's job is being a count, right? Whatever that means.

Still don't think the train would be able to do it though. Dracula kind of wins by default here

Ah, but can Dracula take a countless number of kids to the North Pole on Christmas Eve? At the very least, he may be too tempted to quench his thirst along the way instead. 

Also, let's not forget the Polar Express isn't just the train, but also the conductor, waiters, and other crew members. A count is a title of nobility, and a big part of being a noble is being a good host to your guests.  The Polar Express's crew has proven that they can keep their guests entertained and refreshed: 

Not to mention the sights the guests would see along the way. 

[Twogunkid]

1 hour ago, DSkillz said:

Hmm ... could be a tough one. 

Ah, but can Dracula take a countless number of kids to the North Pole on Christmas Eve? At the very least, he may be too tempted to quench his thirst along the way instead. 

Also, let's not forget the Polar Express isn't just the train, but also the conductor, waiters, and other crew members. A count is a title of nobility, and a big part of being a noble is being a good host to your guests.  The Polar Express's crew has proven that they can keep their guests entertained and refreshed: 

Not to mention the sights the guests would see along the way. 

All the guests entering freely and of their own free will.

 

Let's not forget, Dracula has thralls to keep his household up, and everyone describes him as charming. A few minions can certainly serve the count and even the brides of Dracula fear his wrath to be able to show self-control for a Christmas Eve duration. Dracula may not be as good as the song and dance, but he can do the express's job in a way the express cannot do his.

[DSkillz]

1 hour ago, Twogunkid said:

All the guests entering freely and of their own free will.

 

Let's not forget, Dracula has thralls to keep his household up, and everyone describes him as charming. A few minions can certainly serve the count and even the brides of Dracula fear his wrath to be able to show self-control for a Christmas Eve duration. Dracula may not be as good as the song and dance, but he can do the express's job in a way the express cannot do his.

The issue with Drac and his minions is that they have no real motivation to take the kids all the way to the North Pole when they can lure them somewhere more convenient to dine on them. Not to mention that they'd likely be distracted by all the various people and entities that have vendettas and bounties out on them. 

Meanwhile, the Express and its crew can easily keep its audience enthralled and even bring them along on various adventures.  

[Twogunkid]

19 hours ago, DSkillz said:

The issue with Drac and his minions is that they have no real motivation to take the kids all the way to the North Pole when they can lure them somewhere more convenient to dine on them. Not to mention that they'd likely be distracted by all the various people and entities that have vendettas and bounties out on them. 

Meanwhile, the Express and its crew can easily keep its audience enthralled and even bring them along on various adventures.  

Dracula knows the Polar Express is a way to get an invite into Santa's workshop. Motivation. He's in it for the blood of Kris Kringle. Dracula is no stranger to planning much longer trips in duration than one night in the voyage of the Demeter. (Also what bounties? Dracula has none of that. Unless Van Helsing is on the polar express I think Dracula is fine.)

Further, the Express may do their job better than Dracula, but they cannot handle Dracula's work at all. I don't see Tom Hanks' conductor seducing women, drinking their blood, and having unholy minions to appease his dark hunger.

[DSkillz]

1 hour ago, Twogunkid said:

Dracula knows the Polar Express is a way to get an invite into Santa's workshop. Motivation. He's in it for the blood of Kris Kringle. Dracula is no stranger to planning much longer trips in duration than one night in the voyage of the Demeter.

Dracula has to know that he's not getting far going after Santa himself, especially on the man's home turf and when he's already departing for his annual run, lol. There's much easier prey to go after. 

The Demeter was limited to the seas. The Polar Express traverses land, ice, and somehow sea to pick up kids around the world for the trip to the North Pole.  

1 hour ago, Twogunkid said:

(Also what bounties? Dracula has none of that. Unless Van Helsing is on the polar express I think Dracula is fine.)

Considering all the people he's killed/turned over the centuries, there are literally generations of vengeful folks after his head. Also, it hasn't just been Van Helsing seeking him out. There's also been Blade, Batman, the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Belmonts (starting with your boy Trevor ). No matter the universe, he has no shortage of enemies standing in his way. 

Also, why would Dracula be on the Polar Express if the Express itself is out fulfilling his job? 

1 hour ago, Twogunkid said:

Further, the Express may do their job better than Dracula, but they cannot handle Dracula's work at all. I don't see Tom Hanks' conductor seducing women, drinking their blood, and having unholy minions to appease his dark hunger.

The Express and its crew would at least entertain their guests, and without a dreaded legacy to worry about and enemies breathing down their necks the whole time. Meanwhile, Dracula would be more likely to focus on sucking the kids dry than go through the effort to take them all the way to the North Pole. 

[Twogunkid]

2 hours ago, DSkillz said:

Dracula has to know that he's not getting far going after Santa himself, especially on the man's home turf and when he's already departing for his annual run, lol. There's much easier prey to go after. 

The Demeter was limited to the seas. The Polar Express traverses land, ice, and somehow sea to pick up kids around the world for the trip to the North Pole.  

Considering all the people he's killed/turned over the centuries, there are literally generations of vengeful folks after his head. Also, it hasn't just been Van Helsing seeking him out. There's also been Blade, Batman, the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Belmonts (starting with your boy Trevor ). No matter the universe, he has no shortage of enemies standing in his way. 

Also, why would Dracula be on the Polar Express if the Express itself is out fulfilling his job? 

The Express and its crew would at least entertain their guests, and without a dreaded legacy to worry about and enemies breathing down their necks the whole time. Meanwhile, Dracula would be more likely to focus on sucking the kids dry than go through the effort to take them all the way to the North Pole. 

Literally the first thing Dracula does is entertain company in the novel. Dracula is in the shadows most of the time and unknown. Indeed, per the novel he is generally regarded as just a wealthy nobleman.

Fair, but Dracula running a polar express is a thing. Further, it doesn't need to be just one train. Dracula has made use of trains, boats, and carriages all by the original novel and so there is no way to say he can't create a North Pole bound harvest of children keeping them in a happy stupor either through hypnotism or his natural charisma.

And once again, you have not made any case on how the Polar Express will try it's side of the challenge.

[DSkillz]

2 minutes ago, Twogunkid said:

Fair, but Dracula running a polar express is a thing. Further, it doesn't need to be just one train. Dracula has made use of trains, boats, and carriages all by the original novel and so there is no way to say he can't create a North Pole bound harvest of children keeping them in a happy stupor either through hypnotism or his natural charisma.

And again, between Dracula's thirst for blood and his enemies coming after him, he's gonna be too distracted to follow through with actually getting the kids there.  

4 minutes ago, Twogunkid said:

Literally the first thing Dracula does is entertain company in the novel. Dracula is in the shadows most of the time and unknown. Indeed, per the novel he is generally regarded as just a wealthy nobleman.

And once again, you have not made any case on how the Polar Express will try it's side of the challenge.

True, the Express crew wouldn't try to go after the kids' blood, but Dracula is much more likely to try to take the kids elsewhere private for his personal harvest than all the way to such a busy and public place as the North Pole on Christmas Eve. 

At the same time, though, the Express and its outgoing crew would entertain company at least as well as the more private Count, and between the treats and show, the sights, and the adventures along the way, would keep them entertained throughout the journey. 

[Twogunkid]

2 hours ago, DSkillz said:

And again, between Dracula's thirst for blood and his enemies coming after him, he's gonna be too distracted to follow through with actually getting the kids there.  

True, the Express crew wouldn't try to go after the kids' blood, but Dracula is much more likely to try to take the kids elsewhere private for his personal harvest than all the way to such a busy and public place as the North Pole on Christmas Eve. 

At the same time, though, the Express and its outgoing crew would entertain company at least as well as the more private Count, and between the treats and show, the sights, and the adventures along the way, would keep them entertained throughout the journey. 

You assert Dracula will not be able to control himself, but he held Harker for weeks without drinking his blood. Dracula has enough self-control. He is not some thirst crazed new vampire, and if Dracula has set his mind to something, he will achieve it. He manages to get himself to England and causing problems for Lucy and Mina simply from Harker's description and he decided to do it.

Further, Dracula set about some of his preying in London, a bustling metropolis.

Ok, the crew gets through 1/3 of the Count's job at best.

[DSkillz]

2 hours ago, Twogunkid said:

You assert Dracula will not be able to control himself, but he held Harker for weeks without drinking his blood. Dracula has enough self-control. He is not some thirst crazed new vampire, and if Dracula has set his mind to something, he will achieve it. He manages to get himself to England and causing problems for Lucy and Mina simply from Harker's description and he decided to do it. 

Further, Dracula set about some of his preying in London, a bustling metropolis.

Thing is, Dracula needed Harker alive to complete a business transaction, and obviously would've been feeding on other victims' blood in the meantime. There was also an ongoing mutual enmity between him and the Harkers/Van Helsing, so he had plenty of incentive to go after them and play it smart. He'd have no such incentive to take children all the way to the North Pole and go after Santa and co. when he can simply harvest on the kids to feed on.  

This also takes us back to Dracula's enemies being a hindrance. With so many potential foes coming after him (the Harkers and Van Helsing eventually track him down and kill him in the original novel, after all), it would just add to the complications of enacting something as elaborate as trying to pull a "Polar Express". 

2 hours ago, Twogunkid said:

Ok, the crew gets through 1/3 of the Count's job at best.

And at least they could do so with all the issues Dracula would have to deal with. 

[Twogunkid]

15 hours ago, DSkillz said:

Thing is, Dracula needed Harker alive to complete a business transaction, and obviously would've been feeding on other victims' blood in the meantime. There was also an ongoing mutual enmity between him and the Harkers/Van Helsing, so he had plenty of incentive to go after them and play it smart. He'd have no such incentive to take children all the way to the North Pole and go after Santa and co. when he can simply harvest on the kids to feed on.  

This also takes us back to Dracula's enemies being a hindrance. With so many potential foes coming after him (the Harkers and Van Helsing eventually track him down and kill him in the original novel, after all), it would just add to the complications of enacting something as elaborate as trying to pull a "Polar Express". 

And at least they could do so with all the issues Dracula would have to deal with. 

Dracula needs to win the match for whatever reason. Just as the express are trying to prey on the innocent, Dracula is trying to get children to the North Pole.

 

The Harkers and Van Helsing track Dracula down after months of him preying on the Harkers and Mina specifically and Van Helsing devising schemes against him for a lifetime. By the time anyone tracks Dracula's Christmas adventure down it will be long over.

The express crew lack the gumption to handle Dracula's job wheras Dracula can act like a nice guy long enough to pull this one out.

[DSkillz]

3 hours ago, Twogunkid said:

Dracula needs to win the match for whatever reason. Just as the express are trying to prey on the innocent, Dracula is trying to get children to the North Pole.

Like I mentioned, Dracula won't even be trying to take the kids all the way there when he can save them elsewhere for harvesting or turning. 

3 hours ago, Twogunkid said:

The Harkers and Van Helsing track Dracula down after months of him preying on the Harkers and Mina specifically and Van Helsing devising schemes against him for a lifetime. By the time anyone tracks Dracula's Christmas adventure down it will be long over.

Dracula will also be tracked, etc., by people with just as much motivation and skill and even more advanced tech and other means than the Harkers and Van Helsing to go after him. As much as he tries to cover his tracks, he also a long history of victims and enemies. If he even tries as bold of an endeavor as taking children who would likely have parents and other guardians missing them to one place on one night, it will just make even more of a target than usual for those enemies that have better means to hunt him. Given Dracula's history, there's even the strong possibility that he would be taking a child of an enemy that's studied him. 

3 hours ago, Twogunkid said:

The express crew lack the gumption to handle Dracula's job wheras Dracula can act like a nice guy long enough to pull this one out.

The Express crew can at least fulfill a Count's duty of entertaining its guests, while one way or another, Dracula's not getting kids all the way to Santa's home turf. 

[Twogunkid]

20 hours ago, DSkillz said:

Like I mentioned, Dracula won't even be trying to take the kids all the way there when he can save them elsewhere for harvesting or turning. 

Dracula will also be tracked, etc., by people with just as much motivation and skill and even more advanced tech and other means than the Harkers and Van Helsing to go after him. As much as he tries to cover his tracks, he also a long history of victims and enemies. If he even tries as bold of an endeavor as taking children who would likely have parents and other guardians missing them to one place on one night, it will just make even more of a target than usual for those enemies that have better means to hunt him. Given Dracula's history, there's even the strong possibility that he would be taking a child of an enemy that's studied him. 

The Express crew can at least fulfill a Count's duty of entertaining its guests, while one way or another, Dracula's not getting kids all the way to Santa's home turf. 

Your argument in the first is basically "Dracula wouldn't because he wouldn't." Dracula transports people over great distances in the original novel for his purposes from Transylvania to England and vice versa. Dracula could just as easily arrange a North Pole Trip. He has a history of fighting Frankenstein's monster who flees to the North Pole at the end of it's novel. Dracula could have many a reason for travelling to the North Pole.

Yeah he has enemies, but assuming he is in the setting of the Polar Express, that is a publication date of 1985 and set in the present day. He has long since outlasted them.

And even if the express crew abandons their morality to seduce and drink the blood of the innocent and lead an immortal life of the damned, they lack the physical capability.

[DSkillz]

3 hours ago, Twogunkid said:

Your argument in the first is basically "Dracula wouldn't because he wouldn't." Dracula transports people over great distances in the original novel for his purposes from Transylvania to England and vice versa. Dracula could just as easily arrange a North Pole Trip. He has a history of fighting Frankenstein's monster who flees to the North Pole at the end of it's novel. Dracula could have many a reason for travelling to the North Pole. 

I'm saying he wouldn't due to the fact that it would be simpler to try to take the kids to a more convenient location to feed on. He would have enemies with ever more sophisticated means to hunt him down. He'd likely also find Santa to be a virtually-impossible target, especially on Christmas Eve. 

EDIT: Not sure how I double-posted like this, heh.  

[DSkillz]

2 hours ago, Twogunkid said:

Yeah he has enemies, but assuming he is in the setting of the Polar Express, that is a publication date of 1985 and set in the present day. He has long since outlasted them.

Depending on the continuity, he does have encounters with plenty of foes in the modern era, including Batman, Blade, and the X-Men, who have gotten the better of him and many of which still hunt him to this day. Trying to pull a Polar Express would just put that much more of a spotlight on him. 

2 hours ago, Twogunkid said:

And even if the express crew abandons their morality to seduce and drink the blood of the innocent and lead an immortal life of the damned, they lack the physical capability.

Dracula himself would be just as unlikely to pull off a Polar Express, since he could go after easier targets and do so without the glare of his enemies. 

[UMPIRE]

Match Final Results

Dracula: 7
Polar Express: 2

[DSkillz]

Aw, I hoping to at least pull out a tie. Aw, well. 

[Culwych1]

1 minute ago, DSkillz said:

Aw, I hoping to at least pull out a tie. Aw, well. 

It was well argued all around

[Twogunkid]

44 minutes ago, DSkillz said:

Aw, I hoping to at least pull out a tie. Aw, well. 

Your ties are the source of your lead on me.