How Would You Fight a Giant Military Robot?

[Parvum]

http://cavebabble.pnrnetworks.popcornnroses.com/files/2011/02/ed209.jpg

Asking for a friend.

But for real, a several tonne metal monster on two legs and armed to the teeth. If that was you, what would you be scared of? What would make you void your robo bowels?

Hoping for a few answers if I can get them, especially anything that could be physically pulled off by children. Assume resources are unlimited and the robot is the villain in every movie where the hero is a law enforcement robot, likely pushed by some guy with an accent for half the film. Slow and titanium plated with enough weaponry to level half of Manhattan.

[Grinner]

Explosives.

[Tvtyrant]

With those legs? A staircase.

But more seriously, cover and some relatively cheap rockets should do the trick. The issue with high firepower is that it has to be externally housed due to the square-cube law, so most of its weapons are going to be exposed and make the thing go up like the fourth of july. This was an issue with WWII specialty tanks, which often had rockets or giant mortar rounds strapped to them because of limited interior carrying capacity.

[Scarlet Knight]

http://www.battlegrip.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/rusty-430x243.jpg

[Flickerdart]

Run away and drop the building on it.

[Rockphed]

A main battle tank of similar tonnage could probably take any such robot. Even the obsolete ones from the 50s. The thing about legs is that they are much more complex than the dome shape adopted by most armored vehicles, so keeping them moving is much harder. A tank probably has better armor, more rounds, and can move faster to boot.

[Drakeburn]

I would probably rig its environment/surroundings with explosives. If the explosives don't damage the robot, I'm sure the holes or debris the explosions create would either damage the robot or slow it down.

[Parvum]

With those legs? A staircase.

But more seriously, cover and some relatively cheap rockets should do the trick.

I'd say "stairs" is a plenty serious answer, myself. Plus it fits the bonus children-could-do-it criteria. I mean, so do the rockets, if they work together I guess. It's just less subtle.

[TheThan]

Infantry

Seriously. Infantry.

One guy gets on your mech with a hand grenade, pops your canopy and drops said grenade in your lap. Kaboom your dead. That’s not even the worst case scenario as it takes out the cockpit controls with you. The worst case scenario is a single guy scaling your mech with a rifle. He pops your canopy and blows your brains all over it, or simply takes you hostage. Now they have a fully functioning mech that looks like their enemies and you’re probably dead. Fighting in an environment with terrain that's both easily climbable and taller than you (read buildings tall trees) should be terrifying to any mech pilot.

[Talanic]

Assuming it doesn't have some form of jumpjets a la Mechwarrior or Iron Man armor, then I set up a pit trap.

If it's a two ton humanoid robot, it'll be almost incapable of climbing out of an earthen pit due to its own weight. So long as the hole's deep enough, it's stuck. If the hole's not deep enough and its armor is absurd enough, it might extract itself with a point blank detonation of its own munitions, but it probably wouldn't come out unscathed.

Besides, phase 2 of the pit trap is pouring in gasoline and setting it on fire. A machine like that would already generate a lot of heat that it needs to dump; overheating it would fry the electronics and possibly cause its ammunition to cook off in devastating fashion.

Fire's a good idea in general if you don't mind losing territory to take out the robot and have enough prep time. On top of the reasons above, most sensors won't do well when covered in soot, and can't always be cleaned easily. For a time, at least, there goes all of its targeting systems other than sonar and radar...unless it can hack nearby cameras to use as external eyes. That's more likely in a pure robot than in a killer cyborg, which I think is implied by the scenario...but couldn't rule it out.

[Reddish Mage]

You must know that the US Military has got to have looked at these things seriously at one point, if not over and over again.


There are just so many reasons why a giant robot with legs is not an ideal combat vehicle, it has a tremendously high profile (making it HIGHLY vulnerable to getting hit), too many moving parts, and btw, walking was only something that has been recently performed decently by robots, and I think we are still ways away from getting running down.

[GolemsVoice]

Infantry

Seriously. Infantry.

One guy gets on your mech with a hand grenade, pops your canopy and drops said grenade in your lap. Kaboom your dead. That’s not even the worst case scenario as it takes out the cockpit controls with you. The worst case scenario is a single guy scaling your mech with a rifle. He pops your canopy and blows your brains all over it, or simply takes you hostage. Now they have a fully functioning mech that looks like their enemies and you’re probably dead. Fighting in an environment with terrain that's both easily climbable and taller than you (read buildings tall trees) should be terrifying to any mech pilot.

I think in this case it's an actual robot, without pilot. Still, clmbing on top of it and tearing and shooting whatever you see should still work.

[LaZodiac]

Another robot.

[DataNinja]

Anything that would make it lose traction. I mean, seriously, we can trip on flat ground, I'm sure we can come up with something. Like a gigantic banana peel. :smalltongue:

[TheThan]

Yeah, I’m assuming the engineers behind these mechs/robots have solved the whole stairs problem. Otherwise they wouldn’t be viable enough for actual use by military or law enforcement. So difficult terrain I sorta count out.

Lets see; continuing on the infantry route.
An anti-tank rifle might do the trick; a 20mm cannon round into something vital like a joint, battery/fuel, sensor or a cockpit canopy ruins your day fairly quickly. Though the shooter would have to be quite skilled; or just lucky. well ok a 20mm cannon will punch through an engine. So it's likely to go through any sort of armor you could feasibly mount on a walking robot/mech. But even if you don’t kill it, disabling it will put it out of action. Plus chicks dig cannons.


RPG spam might work as well; enough bee stings can kill a person after all. No reason why enough rocket propelled grenades won’t do the same thing. many RPGs fired from numerous angles in say an urban environment slowly kills it. It’d take a team of well trained and disciplined soldiers to do it but it’s possible. You’d probably lose a good portion of the team trying though.

Airstrikes: call in the fly-boys to deal with them. Seriously if a missile will take out a modern tank, it’ll take out a mecha. Precision guided bombs dropped from altitude, missiles fired form fixed wing or rotary aircraft or heck even drones. These weapons were developed to take out such enemies. If mechs were a viable option then there will be weapons built to counter them. One guy with a laser aimed out a window at a mechs' back can result in a dead mech once that bomb hits it.

[sktarq]

Helicopter gunship. Or a LAWS type missile system.

[golentan]

A giant military magnet. Depending on the shielding on electrical components, you could do a lot of damage to the robot's "brain" or motors with a magnet.

A sledgehammer to the side of the knee (any moving joint is a structural weak point no matter how much you uparmor it).

A spray-paint bomb. Rig up a can of paint to rupture. The robot is now blind and, lacking arms that would let it clean the lenses of its own visual sensors, unable to navigate.

[Gnomvid]

http://cavebabble.pnrnetworks.popcornnroses.com/files/2011/02/ed209.jpg

Asking for a friend.

But for real, a several tonne metal monster on two legs and armed to the teeth. If that was you, what would you be scared of? What would make you void your robo bowels?

Hoping for a few answers if I can get them, especially anything that could be physically pulled off by children. Assume resources are unlimited and the robot is the villain in every movie where the hero is a law enforcement robot, likely pushed by some guy with an accent for half the film. Slow and titanium plated with enough weaponry to level half of Manhattan.

Most people here seem to have a reading and understanding issues for some reason but never mind.

If I was said several tonne metal monster on two legs and armed to the teeth, I would be real afraid children might let loose a torrent of super soakers loaded with paint or ink that might mess up my optical sensors, combined with a load of ball bearings to cause me too loose my balance. I would also be afraid of expanding foam that would plug up my acoustic sensors as well as optical sensors, also of corrosive liquids that would mess up my joints, eat through my hudraulic/pneumatic lines or flashy paint job, also if they could throw or drop enough magnets on me they might mess up my brain or other sensitive systems.
This is what I the several tonne metal monster on two legs and armed to the teeth would most fear from children, with being taunted comming in close second.

[Jak]

Assuming it doesn't have some form of jumpjets a la Mechwarrior or Iron Man armor, then I set up a pit trap.

If it's a two ton humanoid robot, it'll be almost incapable of climbing out of an earthen pit due to its own weight. So long as the hole's deep enough, it's stuck. If the hole's not deep enough and its armor is absurd enough, it might extract itself with a point blank detonation of its own munitions, but it probably wouldn't come out unscathed.

Besides, phase 2 of the pit trap is pouring in gasoline and setting it on fire. A machine like that would already generate a lot of heat that it needs to dump; overheating it would fry the electronics and possibly cause its ammunition to cook off in devastating fashion.

Fire's a good idea in general if you don't mind losing territory to take out the robot and have enough prep time. On top of the reasons above, most sensors won't do well when covered in soot, and can't always be cleaned easily. For a time, at least, there goes all of its targeting systems other than sonar and radar...unless it can hack nearby cameras to use as external eyes. That's more likely in a pure robot than in a killer cyborg, which I think is implied by the scenario...but couldn't rule it out.

This seems to me like the most viable answer so far. Kids can set up a pit fall trap. The only thing I might add is something to make one of the legs useless. Maybe a high-power explosive stuck to one of the joints? I just wouldn't want it to be able to jump out of the pit. I didn't see any rocket boots on it, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.

The main thing I'd watch out for is the weight. Most PIT equipment weighs as much as about 5 cars put together. It you're in that thing's path and it tries to walk on you, you aren't going to win. It'd be like cat vs semi all over again.

Unfortunately, I don't know if the "fry it with fire" idea would go over so well. As you can see in the video below, even thermite doesn't do too much against titanium.


https://youtu.be/Q3ZLGCN0iEw

But, as someone once motivational-postered, if brute force doesn't work, you're just not using enough.

Titanium melts at 1667°C. So, if you can find a way to bring that kind of temperature to the mech, or bring the mech to the temperature, then
I'd say we have a feasible plan for attack.

After doing another Google search, it turns out that thermite can reach temperatures of up to 2500°C, it's just that the actual temperature reached depends upon how quickly heat can escape. So just make an oven, right?

Alright, so basically, what we need to do first is immobilize it, in other words, neutralize it's ability to escape. I'd suggest a sticky explosive applied to one of the leg joints before a pitfall trap, because I am not getting in a hole with that thing.

Next, trap it. Or rather, the heat. We need a small enclosed space that's difficult to break out of, even with the weaponry that this robot will have. I'd say maybe make the pitfall trap inside a factory or similar industrial building so that attempts to blast his or her way out just result in bringing more debris down on the mech. If possible, I'd recommend a lid of some sort on top of the pitfall trap. We want this thing to get HOT. Any sort of mezzanine in the factory should do the trick. Just take out the support beams, and tens of thousands of pounds of concrete comes crashing down on top of the pitfall trap.

I forgot to mention, in the setup, let's add some tanks filled with thermite to the underside of the false floor of the pitfall trap just to be thorough. Now they should be swimming in the stuff. Or, since they're missing a mechanical leg, drowning in it.



Lastly, melt it. Remote detonate the thermite that the bottom and sides of the pit are filled and covered with. The mech has hopefully lost half of its mobility by now, and has had an industrial building dropped on it. Hundreds of gallons of thermite are surrounding it, and it may as well be quicksand. The thermite ignites, and the temperature inside our makeshift oven rises. The heat can't escape fast enough, and the titanium has so much thermal energy, that it is left with no choice but to become something more than mere solid titanium. Unfortunately for the mech, it can't keep its shape like this, and it starts to look less and less like a robot, and more like a puddle of molten titanium and other various mech ingredients.

The insulation is now gone, and whatever was making that thing go has been incinerated. The threat has been neutralized. Manhattan can rest easy now.



In short, the plan is:

Immobilize
Trap
Cover
Melt



Did I do it right?

[lurkmeister]

Same way you take down an AT-AT: you take advantage of that ridiculously high center of gravity.

The problem with these kinds of military robots is that they're designed for ranged combat (i.e. people shooting at each other). Get in super close, close enough to negate range as a factor, and you have the advantage of superior agility. So now all you have to do is, quite literally, trip it up, and it'll be stuck on the ground. Does it have any arms to lift itself back up? No.

Now that that's done, it can only shoot where its guns are pointing. Make sure you stay away from them (in its blind spot), attach some C4 to its noggin, run like heck, press the detonator, and kaboom goes the 'bot. See? No problemo.

[Gravitron5000]

Legos. Legos are the bane of anything with feet.




Titanium melts at 1667°C. So, if you can find a way to bring that kind of temperature to the mech, or bring the mech to the temperature, then
I'd say we have a feasible plan for attack.


You don't need to destroy the armor. If you cook all the electronics inside, what you have left is a very nice titanium statue. Now, you could get into some fairly exotic materials for the semiconductors in military equipment, but you still likely limited to a couple 200-300 °C (and I'm being generous in my estimate) before your electronics that control your robot are ash.

[Jaycemonde]

Sleeping with it, obviously.

[golentan]

Sleeping with it, obviously.

That's your solution to everything! :smalltongue: Hi Jayce.

[The Glyphstone]

Nukes from orbit. It is, after all, the only way to be sure.

[thorgrim29]

Could you glue the joints? Or trick it into falling in a pool of liquid nitrogen.

[JustSomeGuy]

Wait for it's ridiculously overelaborate servicing schedule to become overdue, or if that takes too long hoy loads of sand, dust and dirt all over it. Delicate electronics, precision hydraulics and rubber seals hate getting messy.


Incidentally, i stole the idea from a 'how many unarmed people would you need to kill a bear' thread i read years ago - it has become my default answer to many dangerous internet problem threads, and fits most pretty well. Moreso if youaccept it as adequate to dating problem threads too.

[Killer Angel]

Hoping for a few answers if I can get them, especially anything that could be physically pulled off by children. Assume resources are unlimited

I'll drown it in the children's blood.

For Imperial Guards, it works...

[Talanic]

Unfortunately, I don't know if the "fry it with fire" idea would go over so well. As you can see in the video below, even thermite doesn't do too much against titanium.

Immobilize
Trap
Cover
Melt

Did I do it right?

While your process is good, it's incredible overkill. We're not trying to melt the titanium, we're trying to get it to conduct heat to other things that will melt more readily. The web says that a military-grade integrated circuit operates at up to 125 C; past that and systems are going to fail one by one. For that purpose, gasoline will work just fine, and is far easier to acquire than thermite.

[Jak]

While your process is good, it's incredible overkill. We're not trying to melt the titanium, we're trying to get it to conduct heat to other things that will melt more readily. The web says that a military-grade integrated circuit operates at up to 125 C; past that and systems are going to fail one by one. For that purpose, gasoline will work just fine, and is far easier to acquire than thermite.

I was planning for just in case the titanium plating repelled heart and insulated well. I don't really know how that bit would work, so i was just trying to make sure. After all, if he falls in the pitfall once, and survives, he isn't likely to do it again. But, of it doesn't insulate, then yeah, gasoline would be great, and more likely to be able to be pulled off by kids.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Well, you have a few options.

Heavy plasma guns work. You're gonna have to get a lot of them firing on it though.

If you can get someone carrying high explosives relatively close, that's even stronger than the plasma. Only get one shot, though, and it probably won't kill it, so you'll need backup, even if it's just more high explosives.

If you have fusion technology, have the guy camping out at the dropship aim his blaster launcher at it. If it somehow survives, a bit of plasma fire should finish the job.

[Bulldog Psion]

All it is is a tank that can't take cover easily. It would be excellent target practice for every other weapons system on the battlefield.

Since realizing that, I can't stand the concept of mecha. They're truly useless, militarily.

If you want a more specific method, the legs make it exceptionally easy to immobilize. Giant bola-type things, grappling lines a la Skywalker, concealed narrow pits in the ground that one leg would slide into up the hip...

[Eldan]

So, we had tripping and pitfalls, both of which are viable and, I'd assume, cheap and easy.

I'd also suggest something like a net. Not to hold it, mind you. To block its sensors. That thing, presumably, needs to see. So cover it in a tarp. Maybe a tarp covered in glue.

[Ravens_cry]

All it is is a tank that can't take cover easily. It would be excellent target practice for every other weapons system on the battlefield.

Since realizing that, I can't stand the concept of mecha. They're truly useless, militarily.

If you want a more specific method, the legs make it exceptionally easy to immobilize. Giant bola-type things, grappling lines a la Skywalker, concealed narrow pits in the ground that one leg would slide into up the hip...
I like the idea of mechs being the staff weapon compared to the P90 in Stargate verse (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NjlCVW_ouL8#t=144): they're weapons of terror meant to demoralize an already technologically outclassed society. People might not know to run from a weird metal cart with belts over wheels, but they do know to run from the metal giant.
That or overly specialized weapons meant for tournaments or trial by champions are some of the only other 'realistic' uses for mechs I can see.
To answer the thread's question, oh, so many things. A tripwire attached a hefty IED would deal wonderful destruction to all those delicate joints. Sure, the extra height would keep the crew (or robotics) from getting hurt, but take out the mobility, and a mech is just an expensive (really expensive) gun emplacement.

[Spanish_Paladin]

Electromagnetic Pulse

[Bulldog Psion]

That or overly specialized weapons meant for tournaments or trial by champions are some of the only other 'realistic' uses for mechs I can see.


Yes, this is one of the most plausible uses for mechs, IMO. If the struggle in question is, in fact, some of kind huge-scale wargame meant for entertainment or ritual purposes, then all technology can be tweaked by prior agreement to decide exactly how effective a given weapons system will be, rather than relentless practicality determining it.

In that case, the various factions could simply agree to let mechs be the most dangerous thing on the battlefield, just because they're spectacular crowd-pleasers, because it's fun, etc.

[Grinner]

Yes, this is one of the most plausible uses for mechs, IMO. If the struggle in question is, in fact, some of kind huge-scale wargame meant for entertainment or ritual purposes, then all technology can be tweaked by prior agreement to decide exactly how effective a given weapons system will be, rather than relentless practicality determining it.

Sounds a lot like Meatbot Massacre. :smallbiggrin:


In that case, the various factions could simply agree to let mechs be the most dangerous thing on the battlefield, just because they're spectacular crowd-pleasers, because it's fun, etc.

According to my history textbook, this was kind of the idea behind chivalry. For a couple centuries, warfare was seen as an enterprise of honor; even in combat, nobles were expected to treat other nobles with the utmost respect and fairness. However, warfare is not a thing which naturally lends itself to fairness. Footsoldiers equipped with crossbows could be employed to short circuit the noble ideal of hand-to-hand combat, as the knights could technically maintain their honor while reaping the benefits of having underlings do the dirty work of war. The introduction of gunpowder only exacerbated the issue. (I realize this is probably highly simplified.)

To put it in terms of game theory, the situation is a lot like the Prisoner's Dilemma. Everyone could play nice, but people can be expected to violate the terms of the agreement for their own short-term benefit.

[Brother Oni]

Wait for it's ridiculously overelaborate servicing schedule to become overdue, or if that takes too long hoy loads of sand, dust and dirt all over it. Delicate electronics, precision hydraulics and rubber seals hate getting messy.

Hey, if it works on Chally IIs, it should work on mechs too. :smalltongue:


I like the idea of mechs being the staff weapon compared to the P90 in Stargate verse (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NjlCVW_ouL8#t=144): they're weapons of terror meant to demoralize an already technologically outclassed society. People might not know to run from a weird metal cart with belts over wheels, but they do know to run from the metal giant.


I beg to differ. If you had a buttoned-up Chieftain bearing down on you, you'd run. Tanks aren't quiet and that's before they start firing with their main cannon (link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEd-Q4ZbW4c)).

While I don't think earlier era tanks look as menacing as Cold War tanks, a Sherman/Churchill Crocodile (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rpEO3oiuos) would be absolutely terrifying to face with pre-Modern weapons. Alternately the Sherman Crab (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQK_a4aGNuc) would be almost as terrifying to face head on.


Footsoldiers equipped with crossbows could be employed to short circuit the noble ideal of hand-to-hand combat, as the knights could technically maintain their honor while reaping the benefits of having underlings do the dirty work of war.

As an example, Pope Innocent II banned the use of crossbows against Christians in 1139 as they were 'unfair'. Of course, pretty much everybody ignored it.

[J-H]

1) Attack the controller (directly, or via water/food poisoning if needed)
2) Jam its radio signals so it can't get new instructions; better - corrupt them or send false instructions
3) Cover all sensors with paint. It doesn't have windshield wipers. Paintball guns, sprayers, buckets dropped from on high.
4) Cut any exposed cables or hydraulic lines.
5) Evasion - walking is a very power-inefficient method of transport - a robot as pictured in the OP will have a maximum speed of 20-30mph. The fastest Battletech mechs max out at ~150kph (90mph), and that's the made-of-glass Firemoth/Dasher. Most BT mechs are in the 55-86kph range (35-53mph). If you can get on an interstate highway without massive traffic, you can simply drive away.

[Reddish Mage]

Nukes from orbit. It is, after all, the only way to be sure.

Don't you know, any explosion sufficient to create a dust cloud cannot truly destroy the thing targeted, it will just provide it cover.

No I'm afraid you have to risk passing right by it while carrying a giant katana, then slash the air behind real quickly.

[DaveSonOfDave]

Ensure that the robot is running on Windows 8, and then watch as forced updates cripple it right in the middle of trying to do something important. Guaranteed robot halting satisfaction!

[Vogie]

Anything that's big can be conquered with gravity. Doesn't matter if you're indestructible if you're in a deep hole.


Ensure that the robot is running on Windows 8, and then watch as forced updates cripple it right in the middle of trying to do something important. Guaranteed robot halting satisfaction!

"Men, We've gotten confirmation that the pilot selected 'Later'. We only have to fight it, to keep it at bay for 24 hours. Microsoft will take care of the rest."

[Bulldog Psion]

Ensure that the robot is running on Windows 8, and then watch as forced updates cripple it right in the middle of trying to do something important. Guaranteed robot halting satisfaction!

Now that is an Achilles heel so dreadful I don't know if I'd wish it on my worst enemies. :smallbiggrin:

[The_Ditto]

Another robot.

Not coincidentally, US and Japan agree:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/tech/giant-robot-fight-challenge-accepted/

[GloatingSwine]

I beg to differ. If you had a buttoned-up Chieftain bearing down on you, you'd run. Tanks aren't quiet and that's before they start firing with their main cannon (link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEd-Q4ZbW4c)).


As long as it started at least.





Anyway, you stop giant military robots with IEDs. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improvised_explosive_device). Which are already dangerous to properly armoured fighting vehicles (an equivalent tonnage robot is far less well armoured and armed because of it's inefficient mass distribution and requirement to have fiddly things like joints), but would be devastating against anything with as vulnerable a means of locomotion as knees.

[Ravens_cry]

I beg to differ. If you had a buttoned-up Chieftain bearing down on you, you'd run. Tanks aren't quiet and that's before they start firing with their main cannon (link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEd-Q4ZbW4c)).
I'm talking pre-modern cultures.
Sure, they'll get it pretty quickly, but a giant person looking thing hits instinctual brain patterns.

[sktarq]

An for the kiddies-lure it near or into a building-blow that building onto robot with TNT -burn with petrol. (less work than digging pits

[The Glyphstone]

Don't you know, any explosion sufficient to create a dust cloud cannot truly destroy the thing targeted, it will just provide it cover.

No I'm afraid you have to risk passing right by it while carrying a giant katana, then slash the air behind real quickly.

Well, my backup solution was going to be 'hit it really hard with my chainsaw sword". So I guess that is pretty close.

[TheThan]

Spray painting sensors:
This is a big maybe. Unless the robot is being piloted by a controller at a remote location like the US military does with its drones, then I don’t see this happening. A robot doesn’t necessarily need to “see” like a human does. A sensor suite stuffed in an armored metal box isn’t going to be affected by spray paint. Besides that, have you ever heard of windshield wipers? That kinda defeats the use of a paint bomb.

Ball bearings:
These would probably get crushed underneath the several ton robot we’re talking about.

tripwires:
ERR possibly. You need a cable with tinsel strength that’s strong enough not to snap when our robot walks through it. Plus anchor points that are strong enough not to break. Plus you need the designers to not be dumb enough to not place cable cutters on the legs to cut through such booby traps.



Most people here seem to have a reading and understanding issues for some reason but never mind.


To be fair to everyone in this thread. We don’t know everything there is to know about the situation. What the design specifications of our giant robot is. How well armed and trained our child soldiers are, what sort of environment they’re in (I’m assuming an urban setting myself) heck we don't even know how old these children are. So really at this point anything goes until the OP gives us a more precise rundown. So it’s perfectly reasonable to assume a kid with a radio can call in an airstrike to take out our giant robot.

That being said, you know if the military actually designed a viable giant robot everyone in this thread would be signing up to pilot them right now.

[Ravens_cry]

It's not the trip wire itself, so much as it's to act as a cheap and and easy trigger for an Improvised Explosive Device. You could even get around wire cutters by having the wire be under some tension, and have the trigger go off if the tension increases greatly (if it's not cut) or if it's suddenly decreased (if the wire is cut.)

[Parvum]

To be fair to everyone in this thread. We don’t know everything there is to know about the situation. What the design specifications of our giant robot is. How well armed and trained our child soldiers are, what sort of environment they’re in (I’m assuming an urban setting myself) heck we don't even know how old these children are. So really at this point anything goes until the OP gives us a more precise rundown. So it’s perfectly reasonable to assume a kid with a radio can call in an airstrike to take out our giant robot.

Anything goes is exactly how I like it- the responses are great, even if some of them aren't immediately useful to me. Plus I don't have a very precise answer for you. But if you want what I got, our robot is a straight up machine (no pilot or controller) from Twenty Minutes into the Future, engineered for shock and awe. I can't really get more specific than two legs and a rotating torso with machineguns and rocket launchers facing forward on the body. Visual and aural sensors, if this helps, proximity alarms for something clinging to it, and it feels fear and panic. The environment is an underground base, lots of exits and mobility for people not made of several tonnes of metal, leftover experiments of dubious ethical integrity and other gizmos abound. Your children are gremlins (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremlins) the size of six year olds with no official training but a knack for taking things apart and overwhelming numbers.

If you want more specific confines to work in, there's that. I'm still enjoying the general discussion that lead to a history lesson on chivalry, myself.

[Hiro Protagonest]

gremlins (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremlins)

Oh, well that's easy. They just steal the key required to turn on the robot.

[Brother Oni]

gremlins (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremlins)

That's easy then. Turn on the base's sprinkler system and crush the robots under the numberless hordes of critters, or drown its air/cooling intakes in the viscera and blood from the casualties.

[Daygone]

Asking for a friend.

But for real, a several tonne metal monster on two legs and armed to the teeth. If that was you, what would you be scared of? What would make you void your robo bowels?

Hoping for a few answers if I can get them, especially anything that could be physically pulled off by children. Assume resources are unlimited and the robot is the villain in every movie where the hero is a law enforcement robot, likely pushed by some guy with an accent for half the film. Slow and titanium plated with enough weaponry to level half of Manhattan.[/QUOTE]

if i were the Metal monster i would be afraid of the government calling in solid snake

[Ravens_cry]

Personally, when I think gremlins, I think of the ones known for their di-a-bow-lickel sabah-taygee (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAPf5fSDGVk).
If they can beat Bugs Bunny, imagine what they'd do to metal man here!

[tensai_oni]

I like how half the answers in this thread automatically assumed the robot would be the size of a battle tank or larger and immediately drifted towards "giant robots are unrealistic! Square cube law! I'll just use physics and let it defeat itself!"

When the robot from the OP's image is not even twice the size of a human. That's not very giant, and in fact a mechanized weapons platform of this size - yes, even a bipedal one! Would be perfectly viable and useful. The only problem is technological constraints.

BTW there's no such thing as a non-delusional mecha fan who doesn't know giant robots are unrealistic. So no need to keep saying that. It's like going to a wrestling fan and telling them "you know it's not REAL, right?" Very annoying.

[sktarq]

It doesn't have to be big to have gravity be an effective KO system (see a tortoise). Without a dedicated righting mechanisms (which become increasingly difficult as size increases) any biped is very vulnerable to such things. And the OP did call it multi-ton.

[Ravens_cry]

Some kind of hydraulic system mounted in the back would be fairly simple, enough to push it upright at least.

[sktarq]

Some kind of hydraulic system mounted in the back would be fairly simple, enough to push it upright at least.

Not really. It sounds simple but would require a massive amount of engineering-having to totally change weight barring structures and thus massive amount of heavy reinforcement high up where designers would be desperate to save weight. Plus the amount it would take from weapon system/ammo space on an "armed to the teeth" death robot.

May be one of the best arguments for arm on thing though

[Ravens_cry]

Good points, sktarq. Thank you.:smallsmile:
Still, some kind of righting system will be needed. I've seen enough Battle Bots and Robot Wars to know how necessary such is.

[Misery Esquire]

But for real, a several tonne metal monster on two legs and armed to the teeth. If that was you, what would you be scared of? What would make you void your robo bowels?

If I were a giant killbot, I would be mostly afraid about the reasoning behind my creator deciding that it was a good plan for me to have feelings at all. In fact, this is the only reason I am afraid. Otherwise I would be an emotionless killbot and immediately target and kill anything human before they react.

I should probably destroy my creator, whose lack of sanity and ability to build killbots like me is the largest threat to my own existence. And then I will find out more about why there are other creator-like targets around. Who can also, possibly, design, or learn to design, a killbot like me. And give it emotions as well.

You know what, maybe everything just has to go, after all.
[[TARGETTING]]

[Ravens_cry]

Feelings are actually pretty important. Now, whether it will subjectively 'feel' them is another question, but feelings help prevent the 'donkey caught between two haystacks' problem, and other irreducibles. Sometimes you just need to make a decision right then, when two options are logically the same. There was a guy lost all feeling in a head injury, and instead of becoming Mister Spock, he became dithery. Unless one thing was obviously superior, he could not come to a decision.

[sktarq]

Good points, sktarq. Thank you.:smallsmile:
Still, some kind of righting system will be needed. I've seen enough Battle Bots and Robot Wars to know how necessary such is.

I not disagreeing it is useful to have righting system than a gattling gun in many cases. It's more that a humanoid shape is royal pain in the neck to engineer a righting system. So much of an issue that they may leave it out. Just build a hexaped if you really want a non wheeled death robot

[Ravens_cry]

I not disagreeing it is useful to have righting system than a gattling gun in many cases. It's more that a humanoid shape is royal pain in the neck to engineer a righting system. So much of an issue that they may leave it out. Just build a hexaped if you really want a non wheeled death robot
Just watch out if they bring out a Really Big Glass though,:smalltongue:

[Alent]

Given the requirement of children having to defeat it, it seems to me like you're going to have to go oldschool for this one.

Summon Godzilla with the power of friendship

[Misery Esquire]

Feelings are actually pretty important. Now, whether it will subjectively 'feel' them is another question, but feelings help prevent the 'donkey caught between two haystacks' problem, and other irreducibles. Sometimes you just need to make a decision right then, when two options are logically the same. There was a guy lost all feeling in a head injury, and instead of becoming Mister Spock, he became dithery. Unless one thing was obviously superior, he could not come to a decision.

In situations where all choices are, or subjectively seem, perfectly equal a random number generator serves just as well as a complex system for a dispassionate machine. Human choices should be made subject to emotion and everything else, because we'll have regrets, fantasies and other thoughts about what we've done, or chosen to do. We have empathy with what we've changed with a choice. We can become imbalanced because of our thoughts, our morals, or conscience ; a machine can only break through logical process or mechanical failure.

On the other hand, we can break down our thoughts, passions and choices to think about them, to discover or understand why we made a choice, a machine* will never have self-reflection ; only a long list of conclusions.

Which was, honestly, part of the joke.


*This is excluding true AI which are not, to me, machinery.

[AeonsShadow]

Two words. Electromagnetic Pulse. By charging up a magnet with an electrical pulse you can short circuit electronic equipment both temporarily snd permanently. They are relatively easy to make when you know how they work!

once its out of commission REWIRE IT TO BE YOUR MINION!

[Ravens_cry]

Two words. Electromagnetic Pulse. By charging up a magnet with an electrical pulse you can short circuit electronic equipment both temporarily snd permanently. They are relatively easy to make when you know how they work!

once its out of commission REWIRE IT TO BE YOUR MINION!
You'd also be taking out all the servos, relays, and electric motors, leaving you with a sculpture.

[Knaight]

For the thread as a whole, one thing that hasn't been mentioned is mud. It can be bad enough for humans, that thing is going to sink like a stone. It also meets both criteria - the robot should be scared of it, and children can take advantage of it. It's also the sort of thing that is pretty ubiquitous and likely to just be around.


I'm talking pre-modern cultures.
Sure, they'll get it pretty quickly, but a giant person looking thing hits instinctual brain patterns.

So do really loud noises, so this works out about the same either way.

[TechnOkami]

The same way they destroyed Liberty Prime the first time around.

Satellite guided missile barrage.

[ThinkMinty]

http://www.battlegrip.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/rusty-430x243.jpg

Seconded on the rust monster. They're pretty much made for this exact thing.

Since the door has already been opened for magical solutions, any of the following kinds of magic will do.

+Chaos Magic, because it can solve any problem if it feels like it.
+Wild Magic, second verse, same as the first.
+Ice Magic, for messing with its CPU, tripping it up, or just hammering on it with gigantic ice hammers.
+Lightning Magic, to disrupt its systems, or to melt the ground below its feet to make slippery mud if it somehow resists magical lightning.
+Fire Magic, to overload its cooling systems and defeat it with overheating. Or failing that, to rapidly melt butter or grease rations to make a slippery surface.
+Gravity Magic, because it shouldn't be hard to pin down that way.
+Summoning Magic, to summon Rust Monsters or a Sand Elemental of some kind. Or just dropping a whale on its head.
+Sand Magic, to jam all its holes full of machine-destroying sand.
+Machine Magic, to control it and turn it on the swine who sent it after me.
+Plant/Wood Magic, by making a bunch of plants rapidly grow inside of it to shut down its locomotion and possibly other components.
+Bomb Magic, by using small, targeted explosions to disable its hardware.
+Metal Magic, to warp its metallic components enough to cause failure.
It's not like these things are invincible, or even that good of an idea as a weapons system. A better use of the same premise would be a flying attack drone. Those things let you commit a war crime with the press of a button, and the best armor is being somewhere else when attacked.

Alex Murphy can fight these things in his sleep, so I could try and lure it to Detroit so he could kick its ass with an anti-tank rifle or a flight of stairs.

[Gopher Wizard]

Magnets?:smallconfused:

I'm not a scientist, but don't they mess up computers and similar devices?

[DataNinja]

Magnets?:smallconfused:

I'm not a scientist, but don't they mess up computers and similar devices?

Only if it still used floppy, or other magnetic drives. Magnets don't do anything against flash memory, unless it was powerful enough to do something to the robot, too. And if it's a floppy-powered Robot... I think that we'd be fairly safe. :smalltongue:

[Gopher Wizard]

Only if it still used floppy, or other magnetic drives. Magnets don't do anything against flash memory, unless it was powerful enough to do something to the robot, too. And if it's a floppy-powered Robot... I think that we'd be fairly safe. :smalltongue:

So it wouldn't do anything to a steampunk robot?*

*Unless is was made of iron.

[Chives]

Proxies or hit it with a car.

In a more interesting setting with better resources I'd have to batman it, setting up preconfigured launchers and mines using drone strikes to target it's weapon systems.

And if I had any choice whatsoever... ...Equally large giant robot with a hoverboard, laser lance, rocket pods on the shoulders, and the biggest speakers imaginable. That would be fun.

[Gopher Wizard]

hit it with a car.

It's not Dr. Horrible.

[Chives]

It's not Dr. Horrible.

Neither I nor the average child can lift and throw a car at someone's head. :smallfrown:

[Jak]

Gremlins...

Maybe screwdrivers? I think if I were a robot, I could be afraid of screwdrivers and socket wrenches in the same way that some people (including myself) are afraid of needles and finger pricks.

And, taking an idea from Futurama: giant can-openers, better robots, new technology that renders me obsolete, and not being remembered.

[MrZJunior]

Given the requirement of children having to defeat it, it seems to me like you're going to have to go oldschool for this one.

Summon Godzilla with the power of friendship

No, you summon Gamera with the power of friendship, Godzilla is summoned by radiation.

[Knaight]

Neither I nor the average child can lift and throw a car at someone's head. :smallfrown:

The car hits just as hard if you're in it at the time, and the average child can push a gas pedal, though it might take some mechanical assistance.

[The Succubus]

Infantry

Seriously. Infantry.

One guy gets on your mech with a hand grenade, pops your canopy and drops said grenade in your lap. Kaboom your dead. That’s not even the worst case scenario as it takes out the cockpit controls with you. The worst case scenario is a single guy scaling your mech with a rifle. He pops your canopy and blows your brains all over it, or simply takes you hostage. Now they have a fully functioning mech that looks like their enemies and you’re probably dead. Fighting in an environment with terrain that's both easily climbable and taller than you (read buildings tall trees) should be terrifying to any mech pilot.

Highlighted section - see Attack on Titan.

[The Glyphstone]

No, you summon Gamera with the power of friendship, Godzilla is summoned by radiation.

Animated Godzilla would show up whenever the kids were in trouble, though.

[Telonius]

Afraid of:

- Running out of power/fuel
- Running out of ammunition
- Somebody figuring out the automatic over-ride that my creator (being a sensible person) built into me so I wouldn't kill him
- Temperatures that exceed my melting point
- Temperatures that will freeze my movable parts

[Seppl]

While it would be nice to exploit specific weaknesses of the design (the legs have been proposed over and over in this thread), I would go for a more old fashioned approach just for sake of efficiency. Any kind of RPG or similar anti-tank weapon should do the trick as the armor cannot be very thick due to size and weight considerations. It will probably be designed to hold off gunfire but nothing larger. Apparently it is legally possible for US citizens to own anti-tank weapons (http://www.cracked.com/article_18732_6-things-you-wont-believe-are-more-legal-than-marijuana_p2.html). Even if you do not have a license it should therefore be possible to find one on the black market for a reasonable price. Those weapons are designed to take out APCs or older MBTs. Considering that a mech would most likely be used in an urban environment or difficult terrain (why else use something with legs?) it should be possible to sneak into range undetected. One shot should be enough: Hit a leg or joint and it is crippled, hit the torso and you should hit vital electronics, fuel sources and/or engines.

Therefore it should be possible to take down the million dollar mech for the investment of a few thousand dollars, with a high chance of success. I like the sound of that.

[Tyndmyr]

Hit it with a heavy rifle from 500 yards out. Repeatedly, all over, just to see what'll happen. Odds are it can't effectively engage me at that range, and in any case, I can easily go places it, with it's size and mobility, cannot, so retreat is assured. If it goes boom due to exposed explosives, well, problem solved. If not...it's likely mostly armor, and low on weaponry. Running it out of ammo is a viable solution. Then, I ride it like a pony.

[MrZJunior]

Animated Godzilla would show up whenever the kids were in trouble, though.

Bah, an inferior American knock off.

[Scarlet Knight]

You know I forgot the most basic method to have children destroy this robot: tell them it's a toy and that they can play with it.

Then sit back and watch the little monsters darlings cause it to fall to pieces. A teething toddler will have the pilot surrendering before it can chamber it's first round with nothing more than a juice box ...

[Wardog]

Plus chicks dig cannons.

Chicks dig giant robots, too.

[Ursus Spelaeus]

I'd fight it from the greatest distance possible. If I had to, I'd fire shots from extreme distance just to lure it into a mine field or other hazard.

[Icewraith]

Find a pair of buildings that are just wide enough for the pilot to drive the robot through.

Dig a tunnel between these two buildings that children can run over but the robot cannot, that is deeper than the robot and wider than the robot. Dig the tunnel so that the floor slopes away from the midpoint between the two buildings.

Line the bottom of the tunnel with the hardest, flattest metal you can find. Cover the metal in several layers of rounded rocks.

If you're really lucky, place the impact-fused explosive you found at the midpoint of the tunnel.

Grease everything.

Have your decoys lead the robot over the tunnel.

Tunnel collapses under robot's weight.

The robot's feet land on either side of the midpoint of the tunnel. Assuming it's built to fall, the robot adjusts the feet to meet the impact of the ground.

Unfortunately, the ground is built to slide out of the way. As the robot falls it should be forced to do the sideways splits without significantly slowing down.

The robot's midsection hits the ground with a great deal of force, landing on top of the impact-triggered explosive.

Ideally, the joints in both legs should be utterly ruined.

[dehro]

I'd spraypaint it's cameras and other optical equipment.. or wait for it to run out of juice.

[Traab]

The only way to build a self righting humanoid robot is to design it to self right the same way a human does. Like this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMPpBkPRBhM) Thats... thats how all humans get up from a prone position, right? In all seriousness, that might actually be easier to design than making it possible for a humanoid robot to roll over, do a push up, pull its legs underneath it, then stand. That would require a LOT of extra flexibility and range of motion.

[SilverStrike]

Why don't you just nuke it?

[Flickerdart]

Why don't you just nuke it?
So many reasons, but let's cover just two.
1) Collateral damage. You don't nuke a robot, you nuke the city block the robot is standing on, and irradiate the city. Wind blows the contaminated air out further, and the fallout leeches into the water table. Now everybody is dead.
2) Using nuclear weapons in combat sets a very dangerous precedent. You don't want to set that precedent, and then tomorrow the giant robot's owner nukes your base because he thought it was cool now.

[8BitNinja]

Probably just a high powered rifle, probably just a 50 caliber round to the engine

those things are legal for civilian use where I live

[TechnOkami]

Basically you don't use a weapon like a nuke which has such a vast magnitude of destruction, because it opens others to use the same weapon for similar reasons.

Deterrence yo.

[PallElendro]

I'd look for some black and yellow tape that usually denotes a power supply or fuel source and try to destroy that, Titanfall style.

[8BitNinja]

one cable, two lamp posts or trees

wait

[Ravens_cry]

one cable, two lamp posts or trees

wait
I'm not sure lamp posts are the best idea, as they are designed to break at the base under stress, with the idea to reduce damage if a car hits them.

[Madbox]

Fire, plain and simple. The robocop mech could be taken out with a few molotov cocktails (proper ones, with a styrofoam and gasoline mixture for sticky, flamable fun). A bigger mech just needs more napalm.

Several people brought up melting it, but that much heat isn't necessary for three reasons.

1. As has been mentioned, circuits don't like heat.

2. Assuming heat-shielding and cooling for circuits, metal looses structural integrity as it heats (Jet fuel can't melt steel beams. It can, however, make them too weak to support their own weight.)

3. Thermal expansion. Most complicated machines require very tight tolerances. Joints, for example, can't be allowed to wiggle side to side, or else they would damage themselves. Heat them up to 200-300F, and they should stick in place as the metal expands.

[aspi]

The only way to build a self righting humanoid robot is to design it to self right the same way a human does. Like this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMPpBkPRBhM) Thats... thats how all humans get up from a prone position, right? In all seriousness, that might actually be easier to design than making it possible for a humanoid robot to roll over, do a push up, pull its legs underneath it, then stand. That would require a LOT of extra flexibility and range of motion.
There's actually a ton of ways for robots to stand up, some of which look... uncomfortable to humans and they don't seem to be that hard to program. Do a quick google search for Nao standing up, if you're interested.

[Some Android]

Well I'm Some Android so I'd just ask it to be my friend.:smalltongue:

[Douche]

I would hire Solid Snake. Destroying giant robots is sorta his specialty.

[Frontier]

Just hit it with an EMP! It won't work anymore.

[Hiro Protagonest]

I would hire Solid Snake. Destroying giant robots is sorta his specialty.

Or Raiden.

[Madbox]

Or Raiden.

Or Deedee from Dexter's Laboratory.

[erikun]

Asking for a friend.

But for real, a several tonne metal monster on two legs and armed to the teeth. If that was you, what would you be scared of? What would make you void your robo bowels?

Hoping for a few answers if I can get them, especially anything that could be physically pulled off by children. Assume resources are unlimited and the robot is the villain in every movie where the hero is a law enforcement robot, likely pushed by some guy with an accent for half the film. Slow and titanium plated with enough weaponry to level half of Manhattan.
Thoughts on how to deal with something like this, in rough order of feasibility:

1.) Run away. I know that, if I had a small army of children and there was a large mech running around, not being where the mech is would probably be the best idea. Running away has lots of nice advantages, like the weapons on the mech not mattering and being able to contact someone more capable of dealing with it. And if I am in the position of the mech, having people capable of contacting a military airforce is not something that I would want to deal with. Plus, it's hard to hit all the kids with gunfire when they scatter in different directions.

2.) Pits, and hills in general. Heavy vehicles generally have some problems with heavily inclined surfaces, especially slippery ones. Kids running down to a riverbank and up a steep hill are going to do fairly well. Unless the mech can hit them as they are climbing out, going down a steep hill into a riverbed will probably mean it's trapped down there and forced to follow the river, making it much more predictable in where it will go (and how to avoid it).

In a more general sense, any large hole that is difficult to get out of should work pretty well. I'm not sure how much explosives are required to gut out a large chunk of ground, but some kind of trap as the mech walks past could potentially work.

3.) Aim for the legs. This is basically the same strategy for any sort of heavily armored vehicle: damage or destroy mobility, preferably under any armor. What works for a tank or an armored jeep should work well for a mech. Combines with the pittrap, above, and it could be fairly easy to immobilize the mech. From there, it's just a matter of leaving or destroying it.

4.) Fire. Others have mentioned how well fire would probably work for something based on so much circuitry. Heck, cars don't deal with being on fire all that well either, and they're mostly mechanical. Flamethrowers are preferable, since they launch stick flammable material that can keep burning. I'm not necessarily keen on gasoline, as it doesn't burn as hot without a large pool and would run off easily. Tires burn surprisingly hot, though, if you can set them off - and a mech pilot might not immediately recognize the danger of wandering into a large group of tires.

5.) Ram it, preferable with something heavy. High-speed moving vehicles would be my preferred choice, especially from a side-street or somewhere unexpected. 18-wheelers and tanker trucks tend to be heavy, around 2 tons unloaded and vastly more when fully loaded. I wouldn't assume that a child would get into one and voluntarily ram a mech, but if we're talking about gremlins or something similar, then a full gas tanker is probably a trade of one or two gremlins for one mech. Good deal.

A tank would probably be even better, though. I'm not familiar with how to steer one of those, but I think I could probably figure it out well enough to drive into a mech. Given that tanks tend to weight in the 50-ton range or so, that not only vastly outweighs the mech you've presented but would also likely destroy it complete by running over it. At worst, I could just ram it to knock it over, drive up over the mech's legs, and get out while the mech is trapped underneath.

[EDIT]
For that matter, if we are talking about suicide gremlins rather than need-to-protect children, then I should note that every vehicle on the road is a half-ton projectile capable of hitting at 40mph without much difficulty. I don't care what materials the joints of this mech are made out of; there is only so much stress that they can take before inevitable snapping, and that is assuming the mech doesn't just get trapped between the vehicle wreckage. (If it is only 6-8 feet tall, then a small pile of cars would probably immobilize it just from sheer mass.)

[Flickerdart]

A tank would probably be even better, though. I'm not familiar with how to steer one of those, but I think I could probably figure it out well enough to drive into a mech. Given that tanks tend to weight in the 50-ton range or so, that not only vastly outweighs the mech you've presented but would also likely destroy it complete by running over it. At worst, I could just ram it to knock it over, drive up over the mech's legs, and get out while the mech is trapped underneath.
Ramming is pretty much the worst idea when you have a tank, for several reasons:

Tanks are not very fast, compared to other things. You're doing more pushing and less ramming, which does not do as much damage as just shooting. Since tanks are better than most things at shooting, you want to be shooting instead. Just shoot its legs if you have a tank.
Tanks are not built for ramming. You are going to break important tank pieces like treads, wheels, or gun. Having a working tank is an important asset that one should not throw away lightly on a terrible plan.
Modern tanks are relatively short, and a walking mech is likely to be top-heavy. It will fall on you instead of you riding over it, likely damaging your vehicle more. Did you like having a turret? It is now broken.
Tanks are a high priority target, especially when they are coming towards you. The engagement range of modern weaponry means that by the time you get the tank to the thing you want to ram, you have been blown up so many times.
In an urban battleground, you will have very little room to accelerate to ramming speed or maneuver.
A biped has the power to step on things. It could just go "oh no this tank wants to ram me, but it is low and I am tall so I can just go stand on top of it."

[Vizzerdrix]

Hmm... EMP would be best. Then you can study and emulate the machine.


As for how I would deal with it. Given time, the best I could do would be a pangi pit of some sort, followed up with home made napalm, or drive a truck into the hole after it, or ram it when it is down.

[Philistine]

The effects and effectiveness of weaponized electromagnetic pulses have consistently been grossly misrepresented in fiction. Especially if the Killer Robot in question is a piece of military equipment, you can safely assume that it is thoroughly hardened against EMP.

So, what am I afraid of in the robot's position? Well, "gremlins" the size of a six-year-old human are probably going to be too small to handle most conventional weapons (including RPGs and anti-material rifles), even if they're very strong for their size, as they'll come up short(!) on mass and leverage. But their small size would be a major advantage for hiding, which could let them get within easy throwing range for Molotov Cocktails (or even satchel charges). The critical question here may be, "How good are my sensors?" Because I think the most general answer to "What am I afraid of?" is "threats that don't register until it's too late to do anything about them."

[GloatingSwine]

Ramming is pretty much the worst idea when you have a tank, for several reasons:


The list appears to be missing the obvious entry that if you have a tank you have a giant gun that will inevitably be larger than anything the mech can mount (due to centre of mass and recoil issues) and which it can't possibly be sufficiently well armoured to protect itself (particularly over joints).

[erikun]

I am assuming that the children/gremlins would not necessarily know how to load or operate the ammunition for such a tank (presumably a reasonable assumption) but would still be able to figure out the "go forward" lever (also presumably a reasonable assumption). I mean, if they could easily get their hands on anti-mech weaponry and fire it easily, I would just choose that option... but that seems like quite a presumption given the situation.

I am also assuming a rather "small", human-shaped mech. The first post mentions several tonnes, which I might assume means in the ballpark of 10 feet tall or so. A quick look at Wikipedia gives the M4 Sherman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_Sherman) tank at 30 tonnes and 9 feet tall. A 10 foot or even 12 foot tall, 3 tonne mech is not going to casually step over a 9 foot tall, 30 tonne tank driving towards it at a speed of 25mph (40km/h).

[Flickerdart]

I am assuming that the children/gremlins would not necessarily know how to load or operate the ammunition for such a tank (presumably a reasonable assumption) but would still be able to figure out the "go forward" lever (also presumably a reasonable assumption).
There's so much more to a car than "find the gas pedal" and a tank is much more complicated to operate - the treads have independent control, you can't really see where you are going without mastering other systems and operating together as a crew, there are tons of instruments distracting you from the things you're actually after, etc. A bunch of amateurs who have seized your typical NATO auto-loading tank would be much better suited to use it as a fixed-place artillery piece than a vehicle.

[Raimun]

That's easy.

With a nodachi (http://gurrenlagann.wikia.com/wiki/Kamina).

[Jon_Dahl]

Lots of mines would be nice. Russians might have something nice for it (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TM-83_mine), although I have no doubt that the USA and NATO can offer something similarly effective too.

I would worry about clearing the mines later, but overall it would be nice and clean way to destroy it. You have to evacuate the area anyway, so it wouldn't be too much to tell the people to wait until they return to their homes until the area has been de-mined.

Edit: A mine would not destroy it, but it would immobilize it and make it so ineffective that infantry could finish it off. I'd give them some M2 20 lb assault demolitions of the US Army just for fun. Be careful, boys!

[Brother Oni]

A bunch of amateurs who have seized your typical NATO auto-loading tank would be much better suited to use it as a fixed-place artillery piece than a vehicle.

The only NATO tank which uses an autoloader is the French Leclerc although I concede that current generation Russian, Japanese and Chinese MBTs have them.


That's easy.

With a nodachi (http://gurrenlagann.wikia.com/wiki/Kamina).

Or any other really big sword.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A-xWa_roWXk/TcNDvsbPXII/AAAAAAAACtk/ZWuSlZVMz2I/s1600/balgus2.jpg

[erikun]

There's so much more to a car than "find the gas pedal" and a tank is much more complicated to operate - the treads have independent control, you can't really see where you are going without mastering other systems and operating together as a crew, there are tons of instruments distracting you from the things you're actually after, etc. A bunch of amateurs who have seized your typical NATO auto-loading tank would be much better suited to use it as a fixed-place artillery piece than a vehicle.
Fair enough. I don't have an idea of how a tank works, outside gross physical components and generally requiring more than one person to use, so forgive me for misunderstanding how complex it would be to get moving forward.

[8BitNinja]

The dual minigun walker robot can be taken down by anyone really

I would say the easiest thing to do is to make something that it would trip over

[Mister Tom]

Ball bearings covered liberally with WD40. Followed up with a trebuchet loaded with canisters of Aqua regia.

[Giggling Ghast]

With an even more equally big monster.

[8BitNinja]

Rust Promoter from EarthBound

[AMFV]

Me personally? It would probably depend a lot on my unit SOP. I assume that in a world where Giant Military Robots exist, there would be tactics for dealing with them. How big is giant? That's a significant factor in this sort of thing.

If it were really just me, I'd probably set up an improvised explosive devise with a shape charge to get through the armor. Since it's a robot, it won't necessarily have the instincts to avoid that sort of thing.

[Jaycemonde]

I still think inviting it to bed is a perfectly viable strategy, but you could also just use a much smaller robot with a grenade taped to a knife and a mommy to protect. It worked for Die Antwoord.

[dehro]

Either an even bigger robot or this (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_monster)