[Martial Arts] Stop Hit when someone else is the target

[kenclary]

Per the webcomic, plus basic tactics...you encircle your opponent, and wait (lowercase w, so evaluate/feint/whatever) for them to stop doing All Out Defense, then whoever they aren't facing/attacking starts attacking, probably All Out Attack.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by kenclary

Per the webcomic, plus basic tactics...you encircle your opponent, and wait (lowercase w, so evaluate/feint/whatever) for them to stop doing All Out Defense, then whoever they aren't facing/attacking starts attacking, probably All Out Attack.

The illustration has them attacking literally as the foe is. Realistically, it would be possible to move around, taunt, throw minor feints, etc, while prepared to do something else. In GURPS, doing so would be fluff and would lack any mechanical effect (actually taunting an enemy to goad them to attack you calls for a Concentrate Maneuver; technically, I think that only forces them to focus on you - or optionally penalizes them if they try to attack anyone else - rather than forcing an attack). But even if we presume the Spear Circle doesn't actually involve Waits leading to something akin to a Stop Hit (treating the illustration as artistic license), I still think such a strategy should be doable.

And I just thought of a potential drawback - losing the quick contest means your timing is off and you suffer a -2 to hit, but it's otherwise just a normal attack (so no further defense penalties for the target). A tie means your timing is suboptimal but still effective - you suffer a -2 to hit (just as if you'd lost) while the target suffers the relevant defense penalties (just as if you'd won).

[Pursuivant]

Isn't there a Pack Tactics or Team Tactics perk which covers these sorts of situations?

Based on the illustration, you could go either way. Standard AoA from side or rear hexes as the opponent tries to deal with a Yinglet attacking in a different direction or a Pack Tactics perk and/or Stop Hit technique.