Another name for "tour-de-force" could be "over-kill". I remember reading stories about King Arthur's knights, when
one of them would hit adversary on the helmet with his sword,, and cleave him right down to his crotch.
The opposite of that was the Saracen who had a sword so
sharp that if you dropped a gossamer veil on it, it would
be cut into two pieces just by its weight.
I also remember reading almost two years ago, Osama bin Laden feeling our use of 2,000 lb. bombs on Taliban was
reprehensible. (Actually I suspect those words were put
in his mouth by some journalist.)