Jinyong Team of Trios VS Du Monks Formation

[WuxiaMaster]

After the Ming Cult leader infamous triple failure at Shaolin against the Du Monks formation, word spread throughout the jinyong universe about how overrated ZWJ is and how he isn’t worthy of being call a “Great”.

Determined to prove themselves, elite trios of ‘non-greats’, and teams led by other “Great” characters (who think they are a ‘better great’), formed all across the wulin.

Today, these 7 teams have gathered atop Shaolin in an attempt to challenge the mighty 3 Du Monks Formation - 金刚伏魔圈.

Which of these trios will succeed, and which will fail? Does the Ming Cult lack talent, is ZWJ too weak, or is the formation really so strong?

Challengers

1. Team Demi Villains: Murong Fu + You Tanzhi + Ding Chunqiu
2. Team “Can’t Beat DFBB” : Ren Woxing + Linghu Chong + Xiang Wentian (At the point of fighting DFBB)
3. Team “Dali Royals” : Duan Zhengming + Duan Yanqing + Duan Zhengchun
4. Team “Golden Wheel” : Golden Wheel Monk + Daerba + Huo Du (All Post 16 Years)
5. Team “Guo Family” : Guo Jing + Huang Rong + Guo Fu (All Pre 16 Years*)
6. Team “Dis-Respected” : Fang Zheng + Chong Xu + Zuo Leng Chan
7. Team Wudang: Zhang Sanfeng + Song Yuan Qiao + Yu Lian Zhou

Individually rate the above teams on whether they will win, lose, or draw against the Du Monks Formation.

If you like to, feel free to rate the 7 teams from the strongest to the weakest (and from which team onwards can beat the Du Monks)

I will reserve my opinions for now to get more input.

*I picked Pre 16 years because GJ didn't fight at all post 16, and I don't want this to turn into a speculation on how strong he is post-16.

Author note: I have tried to make the teams as varied as possible (from all major novels) while sharing a common theme, and to be as close in power to the Ming Cult team as possible (in my opinion). If the poll shows majority of the teams can break the formation, then ZWJ really sucks. If the poll show otherwise, maybe the formation is just that strong.

[Western Eccentric]

I think YTZ's and The Duan's have the big chance against Du Monk due to they "long-range combat/skill type"..
From 3 duel with Du Monk we know that
- if Yu have "great internal" Yu can "force" them in close-range combat like Wuji did
- if Yu "lack" in internal but have "better" skill Yu can use Yur "long-range skill" like YX did

[CC]

I think YTZ's and The Duan's have the big chance against Du Monk due to they "long-range combat/skill type"..
From 3 duel with Du Monk we know that
- if Yu have "great internal" Yu can "force" them in close-range combat like Wuji did
- if Yu "lack" in internal but have "better" skill Yu can use Yur "long-range skill" like YX did

YTZ and DCQ could chuck corpse bombs and even if they dodge away, the formation might be broken.

Team 2 is a sure to win. LHC would figure out if he pointed his sword right at this point there, the formation is broken.

[WuxiaMaster]

YTZ and DCQ could chuck corpse bombs and even if they dodge away, the formation might be broken.


Team 2 is a sure to win. LHC would figure out if he pointed his sword right at this point there, the formation is broken.

Just to clarify, this is LHC before learning YJJ (updated main post)

I actually think LHC might be the worst performer in team 2 (no palm breaking or qi breaking stance).

[Western Eccentric]

Yeeeep LHC is "death card" IMHO since we never see him at "full strength" also we never see him fight again after he kill ZLC in Huashan till the end of story..

[CancerLuna]

> 1. Team Demi Villains: Murong Fu + You Tanzhi + Ding Chunqiu

I feel like they take this. YTZ should have more than enough internal to do the same thing ZWJ did.

> 2. Team “Can’t Beat DFBB” : Ren Woxing + Linghu Chong + Xiang Wentian (At the point of fighting DFBB)

This one is tricky depending on where you place DFBB. The inverse question is more interesting. Can DFBB win against the Du Monks?

I'd like to say this team can win against the Du Monks.

> 3. Team “Dali Royals” : Duan Zhengming + Duan Yanqing + Duan Zhengchun

Not sure.

> 4. Team “Golden Wheel” : Golden Wheel Monk + Daerba + Huo Du (All Post 16 Years)

Definitely.

> 5. Team “Guo Family” : Guo Jing + Huang Rong + Guo Fu (All Pre 16 Years*)

Pre 16 ... I think it's a win anyways.

> 6. Team “Dis-Respected” : Fang Zheng + Chong Xu + Zuo Leng Chan

Really hard to place the SPW crowd.

> 7. Team Wudang: Zhang Sanfeng + Song Yuan Qiao + Yu Lian Zhou

Assuming old age not a factor (ZSF doesn't literally die in the middle of the fight due to old age), I think they got this too.


Not on your poll are people like XF/XYS/MRB individually. I think they'd be able to take the circle on too.

[WuxiaMaster]

Here's what I think, in order of the the teams powers:

FAIL
3. Team “Dali Royals” : Duan Zhengming + Duan Yanqing + Duan Zhengchun
This is the weakest team of them all. DZM and DYQ are each slightly more powerful than Du monk, but the diff is not big to win fast enough before DZC (4 Guardian standard?) get demolish.

FAIL
1. Team Demi Villains: Murong Fu + You Tanzhi + Ding Chunqiu
The 6 of them, individually, are extremely close in power. If they fight it as three separate 1v1, it's a draw. Add in the power of the formation, the Vilians team lose.

DRAW
7. Team Wudang: Zhang Sanfeng + Song Yuan Qiao + Yu Lian Zhou
IMO, this will go pretty much like ZWJ attempt (same team format).

5. Team “Guo Family” : Guo Jing + Huang Rong + Guo Fu (All Pre 16 Years*)
This is essentially GJ + HR only. I'm confident in Mongol Camp GJ, but I'm not sure Pre 16 GJ can do better than Z3F.

WIN?
4. Team “Golden Wheel” : Golden Wheel Monk + Daerba + Huo Du (All Post 16 Years)
GWM internal & skills are extremely offense-driven and overwhelming (as compared to the more defensive ZWJ), however his 2 disciples aren't on the 4 Guardians LV... so it's really close. It depends on whether GWM can just overwhelm the Du Monks with shear force.

WIN
6. Team “Dis-Respected” : Fang Zheng + Chong Xu + Zuo Leng Chan
2. Team “Can’t Beat DFBB” : Ren Woxing + Linghu Chong + Xiang Wentian (At the point of fighting DFBB)

Basically, we have a LOCH Great LV character that should win against 1 Du Monk given a reasonable amount of time.
Even if the other 2 can't win, they can keep 2 monks busy all day long.

[EdenResident]

I'm gonna give it a try, too.

LOSE
1. Team Demi Villains: MRF + YTZ + DCQ. The Du Monks' externals are just too strong for YTZ. They'll take him out in seconds like XF did. MRF's internals are too weak to do anything but he can shift their whips around for some time. DCQ is also too weak internally and the monks' long whips are the perfect weapon to keep DCQ's poisons away.

LOSE
2. RWX + LHC + XWT
LHC's internals at this point are too weak to get near the monks. Basically to beat the monks' formation, you need to have very strong externals to cause them to shorten the whips. RWX's strong enough to beat the weaker monks and draw the best one but that's about it. XWT should be a non-factor.

LOSE
3. Team Dali. Um no.

LOSE
4. Team GW. GW's internals will be able to force the monks to shorten their whips. Too bad his two disciples are useless so it's 1vs3. He can beat 2 monks but he doesn't have the defensive skills of ZWJ to force the 3 monks into an internal battle. Besides, I think his internals are a bit weaker than ZWJ, too. He will hold out for a respectable amount of time but in the end, he will lose. He might be able to take 1 monk down with him, though

DRAW
5. Team Guo family. GF will be dead in 5 seconds. Now, if we assume that GJ+HR will keep on fighting, then it should be a good battle. HR won't make much of a difference but GJ will use his Dragon palms to blast all the tree stumps away, forcing the monks out of their comfort zone. Unlike the situation if team Golden Wheel, GJ has enough experience dealing with formations that he should be able to force the monks into an internal clash. It should be a draw.

LOSE
6. Team Disrespected. Fang Zheng at best is equal to one of the monks. I would rate Fang Zheng and Kong Jian as equal and Kong Jian should be a bit below the monk. Chong Xu and ZLC are worse, but not by much. However, the synergy of the formation is the difference maker.

WIN
7. Team WuDang. The 2 WuDang heroes, though skillswise are worse than YX + YTZ but they have better defensive skills and can hold out a bit better. So it'll all depend on ZSF. I think with his experience, ZSF can take out 2 monks quickly enough.

[Western Eccentric]

I'm gonna give it a try, too.

LOSE
1. Team Demi Villains: MRF + YTZ + DCQ. The Du Monks' externals are just too strong for YTZ. They'll take him out in seconds like XF did. MRF's internals are too weak to do anything but he can shift their whips around for some time. DCQ is also too weak internally and the monks' long whips are the perfect weapon to keep DCQ's poisons away.

LOSE
2. RWX + LHC + XWT
LHC's internals at this point are too weak to get near the monks. Basically to beat the monks' formation, you need to have very strong externals to cause them to shorten the whips. RWX's strong enough to beat the weaker monks and draw the best one but that's about it. XWT should be a non-factor.

LOSE
3. Team Dali. Um no.

LOSE
4. Team GW. GW's internals will be able to force the monks to shorten their whips. Too bad his two disciples are useless so it's 1vs3. He can beat 2 monks but he doesn't have the defensive skills of ZWJ to force the 3 monks into an internal battle. Besides, I think his internals are a bit weaker than ZWJ, too. He will hold out for a respectable amount of time but in the end, he will lose. He might be able to take 1 monk down with him, though

DRAW
5. Team Guo family. GF will be dead in 5 seconds. Now, if we assume that GJ+HR will keep on fighting, then it should be a good battle. HR won't make much of a difference but GJ will use his Dragon palms to blast all the tree stumps away, forcing the monks out of their comfort zone. Unlike the situation if team Golden Wheel, GJ has enough experience dealing with formations that he should be able to force the monks into an internal clash. It should be a draw.

LOSE
6. Team Disrespected. Fang Zheng at best is equal to one of the monks. I would rate Fang Zheng and Kong Jian as equal and Kong Jian should be a bit below the monk. Chong Xu and ZLC are worse, but not by much. However, the synergy of the formation is the difference maker.

WIN
7. Team WuDang. The 2 WuDang heroes, though skillswise are worse than YX + YTZ but they have better defensive skills and can hold out a bit better. So it'll all depend on ZSF. I think with his experience, ZSF can take out 2 monks quickly enough.

Weit a minute YTZ internal "weaker" than Du Monk..
Wuji internal "stronger" than Jinlum
Well I must go to hospital🤥🤥🤥🤥