Baxcalibur
DragonIce
It's GodChilla… Coldzilla… sure, an actual Godzilla inspiration (Ttar is Bemular, of us)
The latest pseudo legendary Pokémon from the Paldea area (the place are you, Dragapult?) was met with a lukewarm response when it was revealed within the Scarlet and Violet video games.
The remarkably designed Dragapult (oh there you're!) from the Galar area made followers go wow and so they had been anticipating rather more when the leaks/rumours revealed a Dragon/Ice kind species.
However most followers thought that the design seemed meh. And sure, I kinda see the purpose. Pseudo legendaries like Garchomp, Hydreigon, Kommo-o, and Dragapult are blessed with astounding designs.
Nevertheless, that doesn't imply that Baxcalibur isn't stuffed with surprises! Its design and lore parts are fairly respectable, and the science behind its very look and existence is jaw-dropping, to say the least.
And that's why, we are going to dive into the lore, design, and science behind this icy dragon impressed by an analogous article I did for Garchomp.
Let's start!
Design
Right here's a glance into the official Pokedéx picture of the mighty Baxcalibur:
Godzilla
Proper off the bat, we'll contact down on the obvious ingredient in Baxcalibur's design: Godzilla.
Actually, Baxcalibur's design is really based mostly on Godzilla, particularly the OG 1954 Kaiju as pictured beneath:
The ‘1954' is a nod to the truth that Arctibax evolves into Baxcalibur at degree 54 in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Now, a enjoyable tidbit on why I wrote ‘really' as a substitute of really… Bax relies on Godzilla with no shadow of a doubt and no, Tyranitar just isn't Godzilla. It's based mostly on Bemular, from the Ultraman sequence. However to Tyranitar's credit score, Bemular is satirically based mostly on Godzilla, so there's that. However yeah, Baxcalibur is extra Godzilla than Tyranitar.
Excalibur
The legendary sword of King Arthur that granted him magical powers and supremacy may be doing the identical to the Gen 9 pseudo legendary!
The dorsal fin in Baxcalibur's again is within the type of a glaive, a brief sword.
And this glaive is caught in Baxcalibur.
Now why is that essential?
As a result of King Arthur needed to withdraw Excalibur from a rock and the sword was caught into it!
So, this Pokémon's again has a glaive caught into it much like Excalibur…
Again… Excalibur…
Baxcalibur
This additionally brings us to glaive.
Glaive & Glaive Rush
As talked about, glaive is a brief sword and it was used to each slash in addition to stab opponents, with some shapes being higher for the slashing trajectory and others being excellent for a nasty stab.
As it's fairly evident from the everyday designs of a glaive, this weapon could be deadlier if one had been to hurry into their opponents whereas holding it. A deadly blow, for positive!
Baxcalibur is sensible and it is aware of the above assertion for a truth.
So, it makes use of its glaive to hurry into its opponent ala Godzilla model!
Test it out!
Do you see the similarities between Baxcalibur's glaive and propulsive breath with Godzilla on the correct? Baxcalibur takes its Godzilla inspiration miles longer than Tyranitar… so lengthy, that it makes use of its signature transfer Glaive Rush to cowl the space.
However Baxcalibur is sensible so it doesn't stick with the Godzoilla motif alone and brings in an actual dinosaur besides!
Concavenator
For starters, Concavenator was a theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous interval and within the fashionable age, its fossils have been present in Spain.
Whoa, whoa… wait… Spain? Spain as in, the Paldea area?!
Genius.
Anyway, right here's what Cocavenator might have seemed like:
Do you see the likeness to Baxcalibur?
The sail on its again…
The quills on its arms…
The jawline…
These elements had been brilliantly highlighted by Reddit consumer ‘EnderCreeper121' of their publish:
Icicle
Baxcalibur's face has not been designed randomly, as a result of there's a whole lot of thought behind it… chilly ideas!
Baxcalibur's mugshot reveals sharp protrusions all alongside its face which are, in actuality, icicles.
Icicles are icy constructions that kind when water drips down from a floor and freezes because of the extraordinarily low temperatures round it.
So by no means say that Baxcalibur doesn't have a drip, y'all! It's obtained a lot drip that it appears like a beard, a cool one too!
Icicles appear like one thing straight out of the Ultimate Vacation spot sequence and rightfully so. You need to really feel unhealthy for no matter Pokémon Baxcalibur preys on.
Mountaineering gear
Discover how the claws on Baxcalibur's ft are formed in a peculiar means?
They're fairly much like mountain climbing gear, significantly within the sneakers. This looks as if a pure match as Baxcalibu would usually must climb steep, icy mountains in its habitat.
Science
With the design performed and dusted, let's dive into the science revolving round Baxcalibur!
Hexagonal Ice (Ih)
The three-dimensional construction of ice reveals a hexagonal construction at atmospheric stress, that's brought on by the bond angles between the water molecules because it kinds a strong construction (ice).
The explanation behind the hexagonal formation is the attraction between the water molecules that take up angles aligning in direction of a form that gives stability, decrease probabilities to soften underneath elevated stress, and excessive entropy (disorderliness or chao between the water molecules).
The excessive entropy lets the molecules interact in steady exercise and helps maintain the crystallized construction intact. It turns into extra handy for Baxcalibur because it lives atop icy mountains the place stress is low however is used with trainers in regular environment at atmospheric stress (greater than the stress in its house).
In different phrases, the hexagonal configuration lets it adapt to each environments.
However wait, the relevance of ice's hexagonal construction is greater than only a molecular degree. You see, Baxcalibur has THIS:
With well-formed macroscopic hexagonal plates of ice close to its coronary heart, frontal space of the physique, and on its knees, Baxcalibur takes benefit of the soundness, adaptability, and vitality supplied by the hexagonal form in its core areas:
- Coronary heart, for apparent causes.
- Frontal of the physique, for motion and fight.
- Knees, to leap into the air to ship its strongest assault, Glaive Rush.
However there's extra!
Ice additionally exists in a cubic construction (Ic), mainly, an ice dice, that may remodel (or evolve) into the hexagonal construction, a snowflake. This transition from dice to hexagonal occurs on account of some advanced vitality mechanisms however why it's related to Baxcalibur?
That's as a result of Baxcalibur's base kind, Frigibax, has one thing on its face.
THAT'S A CUBE!
And Baxcalibur is stuffed with hexagons.
Dice evolves into Hexagon. Frigibax evolves into Baxcalibur.
Cryogenic engine for breath propulsion
Let's try a picture of Baxcalibur's Glaive Rush:
The Dex entries state how Baxcalibu can spew cryogenic (extraordinarily low temperatures) air that may freeze even molten lava.
However that's not all as a result of Baxcalibur can use a blast of cryogenic air from its mouth to take a leap, flip over, and propel itself with sufficient pace and energy to ship a devastating Glaive Rush.
Effectively, that is precisely how a cryogenic engine features.
It makes use of gas materials at extraordinarily low temperatures to supply a thrust that's sturdy sufficient to propel spacecraft.
Actually, cryogenic engines are recognized for his or her distinctive thrust-to-weight ratio, which means that they will produce a excessive magnitude of thrust relative to their very own weight.
Fridge
Baxcalibur's upright place (which many followers complain about) is intentional and never simply restricted to a Kaiju costume.
To be exact, Baxcalibur can also be modeled round a fridge:
These condenser coils behind the fridge are technically referred to as fins, that assist in meting out warmth out of the system and maintain the interiors cool.
And that's precisely what Baxcalibur's Dex entries level to, giving a reference to its means, Thermal Change.
This means lets Baxcalibur get an Assault enhance from Hearth assaults and in addition makes it resistant to the Burn standing within the mainline video games.
However to get a greater perspective on this, we'll have to try fins.
Fins
Fins are extensions on the outside surfaces of objects that improve the speed of warmth switch to or from the article. On this case, the ‘fin' is the glaive on Baxcalibur's again, and the ‘object' is Baxcalibur per se.
Right here's the pictorial illustration of a fin:
These fins regulate the switch of warmth from the physique and as such, Baxcalibur as a Dragon is ready to stand up to Ice due to the warmth given to it by this fin. The method is so environment friendly in Baxcalibur's case that it's additionally a partial Ice kind.
Furthermore, the vitality switch in Baxcalibur's fin makes it excellent for the Glaive Rush assault the place Bax brings its draconic vitality into its fin and makes use of it as a weapon (a glaive). All of it simply falls into place so fantastically!
Now, fins are available all sizes and styles as you possibly can see within the picture beneath:
Oh, expensive Arceus! Did you discover the fin proper on the prime of the picture?
It actually appears like Baxcalibur's glaive! 
No, now, now… we are going to come to a preferred concept shared by many Pokémon followers about Baxcalibur's design. Quite a lot of Baxcalibur fan artwork on the web depicts it as having two vital ‘upgrades' in its design:
- A number of fins on its again, much like a Stegosaurus.
- A hunched stance, much like a Spinosaurus. Arctibax notably carries this off and it's significantly standard due to this.
However Baxcalibur is sensible (hehe).
It is aware of physics and prefers it over aesthetics (not that it doesn't look good already!)
Right here's an argument on why these design upgrades wouldn't be excellent for Baxcalibur, although it might have actually seemed cooler, as illustrated on this unbelievable art work by Reddit consumer' WhenBuffalosfly' in a publish.
Why not a Stegosaurus?
If Baxcalibur had taken a cue from the plates on the again of a Stegosaurus and had a number of fins as proven within the picture above, it wouldn't have been highly effective sufficient.
Sure, severely.
Why? Right here's why…
So the warmth current round Baxcalibur's physique is absorbed by convection, that's, warmth switch between a fluid (fuel or liquid) and a strong. This fluid (on this case, sizzling air/chilly air round Baxcalibur's fin), flows in layers referred to as the boundary layer.
If Baxcalibur had a number of fins organized on its again, the spacing between the fins would lead to an irregular movement of the boundary layer, and if the protrusions come too shut as Baxcalibur manoeuvres its physique (significantly in battle), the boundary layer movement would ‘suffocate' and lead to ineffective warmth switch.
This could result in Baxcalibur being unable to obtain a set quantity of warmth switch essential to energy up its highly effective Assaults. And with a staggering base Assault stat of 145 within the mainline video games, Bax at all times wants a easy and uninterrupted switch of warmth to and from its physique.
So having a number of fins would have made it thermally awkward for Baxcalibur. Additionally, enjoyable truth: there's a time period in warmth switch science referred to as fin effectiveness, that measures how successfully a floor would switch warmth after the addition of a sure association of fins.
After a great deal of trials and errors and quite a few experiments, it has been scientifically concluded that having a number of fins might not essentially improve the effectivity of warmth switch.
In a nutshell, Baxcalibur's giant single-fin association offers it the very best potential to realize sufficient warmth switch and flex its huge offensive prowess in battle.
Why not a Spinosaurus?
A hunched stance would have undoubtedly seemed nice on Baxcalibur. Little doubt about that.
However wouldn't it work as effectively? Probably not.
In Baxcalibur's ordinary place, its fin alignment is horizontal and if it bends over (like a Spinosaurus), the fin alignment could be vertical.
Warmth switch evaluation of each horizontal and vertical fins has established that vertical fins are higher at cooling down on account of extra ease in shedding warmth. Nevertheless, Baxcalibur must retailer its underlying warmth/draconic vitality for longer intervals of time in battle.
So with the present horizontal alignment of its fin, Baxcalibur doesn't lose the warmth vitality gained so shortly and is in a greater place to make use of its strongest assaults.
To not point out, in its ordinary pose, the horizontal fin alignment offers extra floor space to the encircling air, serving to it take up warmth extra effectively.
As evident from the picture above, Baxcalibur's pure pose lets the standard horizontal movement of air move over the ‘black' elements of the fin, letting it take up warmth with utmost effectivity.
Black can also be the very best colour to soak up warmth.
In a Spinosaurus pose, the sharp and comparatively skinny edges of the fin would immediately face the horizontal movement of air and funky down sooner.
Conclusion
Baxcalibur might have been thought to have essentially the most underwhelming design among the many pseudo legendaries however in actuality, it's undoubtedly among the many most attention-grabbing!
Moreover, it's a beast in fight, having the very best ATK and HP stat of all pseudos within the mainline video games.
I hope that this text offers you a contemporary perspective on simply how cool (pun supposed) Baxcalibur is, and impresses you with the jaw-dropping parts of design and science behind it! 
Dracarys.
The publish Baxcalibur's Science & Design: A Chilling Story of Swords, Hearth & Ice appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.
