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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Battlebots: Champions

    So Battlebots Champions started this past Thursday. This is basically a revamp of the Bounty series they ran previously with a different name. 8 bots engage in single elimination fights until one is left. That one faces the champion for that week. The winners from each week will fight for the Golden Bolt in a Winner take all bout at the end of the series.

    So basically quarterfinals, semifinals, final, and championship bout. This week’s champion is Gigabyte.

    I’ll be curious to see what (if any) rule changes have been implemented. We had some serious controversy in the last season on what constituted movement and when you stop a fight.

    I’m not going to describe the bots themselves unless it is a bot we haven’t seen much of.

    Spoiler: Quarterfinal fight 1
    Show
    DUCK vs. Hypershock: This should be Hypershock all the way. DUCK (driven by Hannah this time) did not impress in this last season, as the changes they made seemed to hurt durability w/o improving offense. Of course, Hypershock is one of the kings of bad luck. Let’s see what happens.

    Hypershock comes out aggressive, slamming a few times into DUCK and knocking off one of DUCK’s forks. Some circling, and while Hypershock has a close call when it gets up on two wheels it successfully removes DUCK’s other fork and pieces of their beak. After forcing DUCK onto the screws Hypershock lands a massive hit that sends DUCK 10+ feet into the air. A wheel has come loose and after another hit DUCK loses the wheel….. But Hypershock is smoking. They are still working though and dominating DUCK completely in the pushing game, but their spinner isn’t working. DUCK hangs on as time runs out.

    This should be Hypershock all the way. DUCK never got anything going at all. I admit I like the previous version of DUCK better. But Hypershock wins in a unanimous decision. I think it’s time for DUCK to return to the drawing board.


    Spoiler: Quarterfinal Fight 2
    Show
    Smeee vs. Valkyrie: Smee is one of those designs that just doesn’t seem to work well. They have 3 wins in their 7 previous matches, and all three are against bots of arguably worse design than them.

    I think part of Smee’s problem is that while it’s technically one bot on paper in practice it is two. And neither has the power to push someone around. This should be all Valkyrie.

    As the fight starts Valkyrie charges right into the middle of Smee. This seems questionable given how much the middle bar is bending, but something happens because neither of Smee’s blades are spinning properly. There’s some circling and then Valkyrie starts chewing on one side of Smee, damaging tires ands a piece of plate comes off. Some more hits and one of Smee’s spinners comes off.

    Valkyries spends a little more time on the center bar, then manages to get to the other end of Smee. A few seconds of chewing and Smee is completely disabled and counted out.

    No real surprise here except for how long it took. Honestly I’m a bit disappointed in how long it took.



    Spoiler: Quarterfinal Fight 3
    Show
    MadCatter vs. Triple Crown: Well, they didn’t even bother showing this one. Apparently Triple Crown never started up. MadCatter apparently hit then twice then backed off, allowing TC to be counted out. It’s basically a bye for MadCatter. Sigh… that means I’ll have to see Mason at least once. And Team MadCatter must be happy that they didn’t have to risk any damage in their first match. That could make a huge difference.


    Spoiler: Quarterfinal Fight 4
    Show
    Claw Viper (CV) vs. Defender: It will be interesting to see how these two grapplers fair against each other. Jason Vasquez is almost certainly the better driver, but CV is a faster bot.

    Both bots charge out and there’s a satisfying crash in the center. Defender then gets under CV and inverts them for a second, but CV uses the upper deck to right. While you can see CV is faster, Jason’s driving skill is the deciding edge. CV does manage to partially lift Defender once, but Defender breaks away… but Defender seems to have slowed down. CV manages to get them up against the wall and successfully knocks a wheel off Defender. CV then takes Defender for a ride into the screws. At this point CV is dominating. There’s a little more pushing and this goes to the judges.

    Given that damage is king I’m giving it to CV, esp. since these are two bots that normally don’t do damage themselves. Neither bot seemed to be doing a great job of grappling (something Kenny and Chris comment on). We have a unanimous decision for Claw Viper.


    Spoiler: Semifinal Fight 1
    Show
    Hypershock vs. Valkyrie: I’m leaning towards Hypershock. Valkyrie can inflict more damage, but Will is a better driver. Still, it’s not a sure thing, esp. if Will’s inconsistent luck rears its head. Just before it starts Leanne blows Will a kiss, and he blows one in return.

    The fight begins and Hypershock box rushes Valkyrie. First hit knocks Valkyrie back. Second hit sends them up against the wall. The third hit… holy crap, Valkyrie’s blade just went flying across the box! Hypershock continues slamming into Valkyrie and more pieces keep coming off. (Side note: 15 seconds after the blade came off it is still spinning at a high speed on the floor). Hypershock takes a second to send the blade flying, then pushes Valkyrie into the screws. Valkyrie comes off the screws and takes another devastating hit. They aren’t moving, and as they are counted out Will blows Leanne another kiss.

    Wow! This was a brutal fight. Hypershock showed no mercy. Not sure how exactly they broke off the entire blade, but there was 65 pounds of steel flying through the ring. And the look on Leanne’s face when it comes off is priceless.



    Spoiler: Semifinal Fight 2
    Show
    Claw Viper vs. MadCatter: As you all know I can’t stand Mason. But I’ll be surprised if MadCatter doesn’t dominate this fight.

    Fight starts and MadCatter begins pushing Claw Viper around. At first Catter’s weapon isn’t spinning, but it soon speeds up, and next thing you know Claw Viper is flying across the box and is on the edge of the upper deck. They are able to get off but Catter stays on them. Catter has clearly won the low ground battle, and it looks like damage is keeping the grappler from working. A few more hits and Claw Viper isn’t moving at all. Countdown starts and Claw Viper is out.

    No real surprise here. Catter is a dominant bot. Not sure who will win between him and Hypershock.



    Spoiler: Final Fight
    Show
    Hypershock vs. MadCatter: Both weapons can inflict a lot of damage. I’d say Will is the better driver and Hypershock is the faster bot, so I’m giving a slight nod to them. But MadCatter has the more powerful weapon. I suspect a lot comes down to whomever lands the first big hit.

    The fight begins and both charge into the center but miss. Hypershock then shows off their speed by getting around MadCatter and landing several blows. Two more hits and MadCatter is on fire. But Hypershock gets too aggressive and is suddenly inverted. This cost them a match last season since they only kind of move when inverted. But MadCatter lands a blow that rights Hypershock. More significant blows and MadCatter ends up on the upper deck. As a sidenote Hypershock takes out MadCatter’s minibot.

    The two bots continue slamming together. But after a hit that sends armor flying MadCatter’s weapon seems to stop working and their front is exposed. Props to MadCatter. It looks like a total wreck but is still moving…. For the moment. One final hit and MadCatter is inverted on the upper deck and counted out.

    Again, this was another brutal performance by Hypershock. All aggression all the time seems to be their strategy and it is working. And I must note that MadCatter continued working despite extensive damage. They are a tough bot.


    Spoiler: Championship Fight
    Show
    Hypershock vs. Gigabyte: Well, here’s the championship match. It’s hard to make a call since this will be Gigabyte’s only fight. Much easier to predict when you have data on both. I’m leaning towards Gigabyte, although I’d like to see Hypershock win it.

    Hypershock begins with a box rush. He misses initially, but quickly pivots and slams into Gigabyte… who goes flying high into the air and across the ring! Gigabyte is still spinning but Hypershock has them trapped in a corner and keeps slamming into them. Gigabyte gets out of the corner but Hypershock again sends them flying. Hypershock is landing all the big hits.. and it’s beginning to take a toll on them. They are crab walking in the corner. Will is saying his transmitter got jammed. Gigabyte comes in and lands a small hit. Will crabs into the side, then comes out… and full speed slams into Gigabyte. Gigabyte basically comes apart! The shell is off, and pieces are all over the arena! This hit rivals the one against Ghost Raptor last season.

    OK, I must wonder… did he fake the movement issues? It SEEMS like he suckered Gigabyte into a trap. On the replay you can see that after the shell came off in mid-air it slammed into the bot again, and carnage resulted. And according to Will his throttle and steering controls reversed themselves suddenly. But Hypershock advances to the Golden Bolt round.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

    T-Shirt given to me by a good friend.. "in fairness, I was unsupervised at the time".

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Raleigh NC
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Battlebots: Champions

    Thank you for sharing! I didn't really want to watch myself, but I find your commentary interesting.

    Respectfully,

    Brian P.
    "Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid."

    -Valery Legasov in Chernobyl

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2011

    Default Re: Battlebots: Champions

    Just watched this.

    Spoiler: Widely Spattered 'Bot Bits
    Show
    I’m not overly familiar with most of these ‘bots, but Hypershock tore through every one of its opponents with savagery to spare. It absolutely blew apart Valkyrie (especially hurtful, as I’d just been watching Thor: Ragnarok) and after all the hype and buildup, Gigabyte just about detonated across the arena. “Thank you for driving at us” was a great line.

    As for the transmitter issues, I don’t think Will was faking anything—he was way too open for way too long, and I’d think there would be more risk in spinning himself into a vulnerable position than simply continuing to attack all-out. From what I could see, Gigabyte played it a bit too cautious and essentially gave Hypershock enough time to sort itself out.


    And I should say, OP, that it’s thanks to your previous threads that I started watching these a few months ago. For the most part I prefer to skip all the setup and tunnel walks and just get to the fights, since I'm not especially interested in the various personalities.

    Speaking of which, I can understand why you’re not fond of Mason. He doesn’t bother me, because he’s so goofy and over-the-top he's easy to discount; but I can see how he could grate on some people. My only question is whether he really does have a charity involving animal adoptions, or if that’s just part of his act as well.

    .
    Last edited by Palanan; 2022-08-10 at 11:45 PM.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
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    Raleigh NC
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    Default Re: Battlebots: Champions

    Quote Originally Posted by Palanan View Post

    Speaking of which, I can understand why you’re not fond of Mason. He doesn’t bother me, because he’s so goofy and over-the-top he's easy to discount; but I can see how he could grate on some people. My only question is whether he really does have a charity involving animal adoptions, or if that’s just part of his act as well.

    The only confirmation I can find is on their own page. as seen

    Quote Originally Posted by Madcatter
    Team Bad Kitty works with local animal shelters to foster kittens that have special needs to get them ready for forever homes. Adopt don’t shop!
    So there's no specific charity that they either donate to or specifically request donations for. That's not implausible; I myself donate to local charities and it would be extremely hard to prove this externally without a search warrant to review my financial records.

    It could be a part of his act and a fiction, certainly it would be hard to prove otherwise from publicly available records. I'm willing to extend the benefit of the doubt; he's not asking for money for his charity and claiming this gives him no benefit in any competition. So I'll believe him until I have reason not to.


    Respectfully,

    Brian P.
    Last edited by pendell; 2022-08-11 at 02:50 PM.
    "Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid."

    -Valery Legasov in Chernobyl

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Pixie in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jan 2022

    Default Re: Battlebots: Champions

    These were some quality matches. I wasn't too surprised at any of the outcomes, with the final two matches as tossups.

    Spoiler
    Show
    Actually, I credit to Hypershock, Will was on fire and ready to win. 3 KOs against two quality opponents and one not-so good one (Duck) is a good night's work.

    Mason may be kind of over the top, but at least he delivers. Madcatter grew into a top 16 team from a just-okay beginning, IIRC. He seems to be respected by the other drivers and is a good sport even in defeat.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: Battlebots: Champions

    Yeah, Mason is a good builder/driver. it's just a personality type that annoys me.

    Round two. The champion this time is Lockjaw, driven by legend Donald Hudson.

    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 1
    Show
    Double Jeopardy vs. Ribbot: DJ is the only current design that shoots projectiles. It has a 5KG slug and two 2.5KG slugs. Allegedly they shoot at 250mph. Ribbot can alternate between horizontal and vertical spinners and is going horizontal for this match.

    As fight starts both come out slowly. Ribbot for some reason lines up right in front of DJ, who fires their cannon…. And Ribbit is naked. The entire cover (admittedly all cosmetic) is shredded and blown away. Ribbot counters by cornering DJ and tearing into their sides. Pieces of DJ’s armor are coming off. While DJ has 2 more slugs their cannon may be disabled. DJ is now up against the side and circling. Ribbot gets one more hit that sends armor flying and then DJ is counted out.

    When they showed a slow-mo replay it was the blast of air (or whatever gas they use) that destroyed Ribbot’s cover and not the slug. It is blowing away before the slug hits. The slug apparently did no noticeable damage. This was all Ribbot, and they are probably the favorite in tonight’s match to face Lockjaw.


    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 2
    Show
    Malice vs. Slammo: I’ll be curious to see if Malice can overcome their chronic reliability issues, esp. with their weapon.

    The bots come out circling then Slammo hits Malice and inverts them. Slammo continues to push Malice around, and Malice’s weapon seems slow to speed up. However, after one push Slammo overbalances and is up on its back end. While they try and right themselves Malice (weapon working) comes in and removes a tire. Slammo has difficulty moving. Malice runs up on Slammo’s wedge and ends up on their backend. Something similar cost them a loss in the past so there’s now a small wedge that keeps them from staying on their butt. Malice goes to work trying to remove the wedge of Slammo. Again, I’m noticing that Malice’s weapon takes a long time to spend up and gets slowed down quickly. Malice again runs up on Slammo’s wedge and is taken for a ride, but when it ends Malice cuts back into Slammo. Slammo stops moving and is counted out.

    While Malice won this, I don’t see them making a deep run. Their weapon takes forever to speed up and slows to almost a stop at any hit. The design makes it look a bit unbalanced which may play a factor, but barring luck I suspect they will lose to Ribbot.


    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 3
    Show

    Pain Train vs. Shatter: Shatter is one of the few effective hammer bots. Let’s see if it can survive Pain Train’s heave drum spinner.

    Pain Train tries a box rush but misses. But they spin up and get a few solid hits on Shatter (removing the ablative armor). But suddenly Pain Train seems to have difficulty moving, and Shatter goes to work slamming their hammer into the top of Pain Train. Pain Train’s weapon is not working. Shatter continues to fire a flurry of blows with about a 50/50 hit /miss ratio. Pain Train seems to be moving OK now but without the weapon they can’t get anything going. Shatter continues to bash them about the ring as time expires.

    This should be Shatter’s win. After about the first 20 seconds Pain Train didn’t accomplish anything. And Shatter does get the unanimous win.



    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 4
    Show
    Huge vs. Deep Six: This is a battle of giants, as these are two of the biggest bots in Battlebots. Deep Six has lowered their weapon weight AND speed so they can have some better control. Huge says their strategy is to attack from the side.

    Both bots come out and speed up. When they hit the first time Huge goes flying. Two more hits and Huge loses both, with Deep Six’s weapon in their spokes after the second hit. The bots break free after Deep Six spins huge off. Deep Six lands another huge hit sending Huge 10 feet into the air. Huge now seems to have movement problems as one wheel doesn’t seem to be getting power. However, Deep Six’s weapon no longer seems at top speed. They continue pushing Huge around and try to pulverize them after getting them in the corner. Deep Six is occasionally smoking but it’s believed to be tire smoke. Deep Six lands a few more hits but with the weapon power reduced they don’t do much as time runs out

    This was all Deep Six, but boring after the first 90 seconds. Neither bot was working at full capacity and as a result there weren’t many solid hits. Deep Six gets the unanimous decision.



    Spoiler: Semifinal 1
    Show
    Ribbot vs. Malice: Ribbot is going with the drum spinner this time. Give Malice’s reliability issues I suspect this will be all Ribbot.

    Both bots come out and circle to spin up to speed. Ribbot then hits Malice twice in succession, sending them into the air both times. And Malice’s weapon is not spinning at speed. Ribbot continues landing solid hits. After a few more hits Ribbot’s weapon stops moving. Both bots have broken weapons?

    We’re in a pushing match now which Ribbot seems to be winning. Ribbot corners Malice and they get hit by the pulveriser. Malice’s weapon begins trying to spin up but each hit resets it to zero. And as we hit the 10 second mark Ribbot’s weapon very easily spins back up. This seems like it was a strategic move to avoid weapon damage.

    This was all Ribbot. Malice never got going and Ribbot dominates in all three categories. They win the unanimous decision. Interesting fact: it’s their first ever victory by decision. All their past victories have been knockouts.


    Spoiler: Semifinal 2
    Show
    Deep Six vs. Shatter: I’m not sure how to call this one. Deep Six is the more powerful weapon, but Shatter is MUCH more maneuverable.

    Both bots come out slowly, which surprises me since I thought Shatter would rush. Shatter then closes in and gets a minor hit. Their next hit impacts Deep Six’s blade, and Shatter goes flying. It rights itself and circles, then again hammers into the blade and goes flying. They then show they aren’t learning by doing it a third and fourth time. On the fifth try both bots go flying from the center of the box to opposite corners. And Shatter now seems to have movement issues. Deep Six moves in and gets another big hit. Shatter is not really showing control to me at this point and ref agrees as he counts them out.

    This was all Deep Six, but Team Shatter is extremely upset that they were counted out. They feel they had enough movement. I disagree, but we know how this argument goes. It’s an extremely subjective measurement. Shatter also didn’t seem to learn the lesson that they lose the exchange when their weapon hits Deep Six’s



    Spoiler: Final
    Show
    Ribbot vs. Deep Six: I suspect this will be Ribbot’s. They are low enough that Deep Six will have trouble hitting them, and by using their horizontal spinner they should be able to get to tires.

    They both come out and circle for a bit. One problem Deep Six has is that a rapid turn can cause them to rise up on one side. Ribbot is circling trying to get to the side of Deep Six but that gyroscopic action keeps Deep Six squared up. We’re a fair amount into the fight with no contact. Ribbot finally bites the bullet, charges in, and lands a nice hit that knocks Deep Six over. Deep Six’s blade hitting the box floor sends them flying. Deep Six is wobbling and results in Ribbot’s next pass going under Deep Six. Ribbot wedges them into the corner and pins them in the corner. Ribbot lost a wheel at some point but then takes one of Deep Six’s wheels when they try and leave the corner. Deep Six is hobbling and I don’t think they have control, but they are covering distance. Ribbot seems to be waiting for a countout, and as Deep Six stops moving completely one starts and Deep Six is counted out.

    Pretty much all Ribbot once contact was made. There was definitely a concern that Ribbot was being too passive, but they dominated once they got started.


    Spoiler: Championship
    Show
    Ribbot vs. Lockjaw: it’s all down to this. Can Ribbot take out a legend or will Donald get hischance at the Golden Bolt. Robbot’s strategy is to try and get Lockjaw’s tires.

    Hypershock vs. Gigabyte was a lesson in brutality. This is a lesson in control. Ribbot is able to circle Lockjaw and continuously attack the tires. There’s no real spectacular hits, no bots flying (although Lockjaw ends up inverted). Ribbot just attacks the tires. And almost exactly one minute in Lockjaw can’t move and is counted out. Ribbot played it perfectly and is now a contender for the Golden Bolt. Donald is extremely gracious in defeat. He may be the old guard, but he’s certainly a great sportsman.

    Incidentally, Challengers: 2 Champions: 0
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

    T-Shirt given to me by a good friend.. "in fairness, I was unsupervised at the time".

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Raleigh NC
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    Default Re: Battlebots: Champions

    Quote Originally Posted by tomandtish View Post
    Yeah, Mason is a good builder/driver. it's just a personality type that annoys me.
    It's not his personality, though, it's his act. It's an act because one of the unwritten rules of the selection committee is to choose those bots and builders which make for great TV. If you're Paul Ventimiglia and you can build a 3-0 bot, you don't need to worry about this. But if your bot is 1-2 or 2-1 and there's one more spot in the round of 32, you need some way to stand out from the legions of builders. That gives Mason an edge because he's memorable. You either love him or you hate him but you've heard of him and you've got an opinion. The fact that you hate his game face is a sign it's doing its job; the entire point of the act is to be noticed above all the other teams of roughly comparable performance, and he has absolutely succeeded in doing that.

    Respectfully,

    Brian P.
    "Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid."

    -Valery Legasov in Chernobyl

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: Battlebots: Champions

    Episode 3.

    Tonight’s champion is Rotator.

    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 1
    Show
    Dragon Slayer vs. Uppercut: Both vertical spinner bots are using new weapons. Dragon Slayer went with a lighter weapon while Uppercut is going with a larger weapon. The Bot Whisperer mentions that the reason Uppercut hasn’t used this larger weapon before is that it creates stability issues.

    Dragon Slayer charges Uppercut twice, and both times is knocked backwards. On a third attempt they knock one of uppercut’s balance bars off. But Uppercut begins pushing them back and knocks them inverted. Uppercut does seem to be having stability issues, rising on one wheel at almost every movement. But Uppercut hits Dragon Slayer again and they stop moving. Countdown starts and Dragon Slayer is counted out.

    For the most part this fight was all Uppercut. Dragon Slayer did get one decent hit that did some damage, but Uppercut pushed them around. There’s discussion that Uppercut’s new weapon didn’t seem to do as much damage AND caused stability issues.


    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 2
    Show
    Icewave vs. Free Shipping: Icewave hasn’t had a good showing since 2018, and there’s commentary that it may have passed its prime. Free Shipping is run by a legend, but it doesn’t have a great record either.

    Free Shipping starts with a box rush and runs Icewave into the side. Icewave manages a small hit, but Free Shipping is pushing them around the box. Ice wave lands another hit but Shipping is all over them and is keeping the weapon from getting up to speed. They continue to push Icewave around. Icewave doesn’t seem to be able to keep their blade up to speed as every single hit completely stops the rotating. Free Shipping pushes Icewave up onto the screws and onto the upper deck. Icewave gets off but again gets pushed around. Free Shipping finishes with an across the box push as time runs out.

    In theory this should all be Free Shipping. Icewave landed a few hits but did no appreciable damage. But it is noted that Free Shipping NEVER used their primary weapon (a lifter), so it is unclear how that will factor. And it’s a split decision! So apparently not using the lifter mattered a lot. The decision goes to Free Shipping. I can agree with that although I can see the concern of not using their weapon. Meanwhile Icewave has some soul searching to do.


    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 3
    Show
    Retrograde vs. Mammoth: This fight was not aired. Apparently Mammoth lost their weapon chain early, but after a shoving match it went to decision. Retrograde won by unanimous decision.



    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 4
    Show
    Gruff vs. Glitch: Glitch had an incredible rookie season at first, going 3-0 and landing one of the best hits of the season against Hydra. But they were unable to repair damage in time and had to forfeit their bracket placing. We will have to see if they have improved durability. Meanwhile Gruff is an “almost’ bot. The almost have great wins but have a hard time closing the deal and have only one win as a result.

    As the fight begins both bots seem to be moving slower than before, and they appear to be catching on the floor. Neither seems to be able to get up to speed and therefore neither seems to want to close with the other. We finally get a hit when Gruff charges Glitch and takes lifter damage as a result. Glitch still seems to be having maneuvering issues and they are all over the place. But they finally land a second hit and flip Gruff over. Gruff self-rights but again we go back to both bots moving (not very well). Glitch finally lands another hit and send Gruff flying. Gruff pushes Glitch into a wall, and as clock hits zero Gruff goes flying back in the best hit of the match

    There’s some debate as to whether this last hit was late, but given they were pushed up against each other and it was right at zero I’ll allow it. But this was a boring match due to the maneuvering issues of both bots. Glitch wins the unanimous decision, but they MUST figure out their mobility issues.


    Spoiler: Semifinal 1
    Show
    Uppercut vs. Free Shipping: The last time these two met Uppercut sent Free Shipping home in a fireball. Undoubtedly Free Shipping is looking for revenge.

    As they come out Uppercut seems to have some mobility issues itself. This doesn’t stop them from hitting Free Shipping and knocking them back. They then hit Free Shipping again. There’s a white cloud of vaper and when they hit a third time (really more of a nudge) there’s a huge explosion. Apparently that was the fuel tank for Shipping’s flamethrower. Free Shipping is on fire (not in a good way), not moving, and is counted out.

    Well, this was all Uppercut and a very short fight. Apparently Free Shipping’s fuel tank is right on the side and is an easy target. Uppercut advances and Free Shipping considers a career as a S’more.


    Spoiler: Semifinal 2
    Show
    Retrograde vs. Glitch: Apparently Retrograde’s driver is the former driver of Bloodsport, so he has some experience. But a lot depends on how well Glitch has fixed mobility.

    Hard to tell if Glitch is moving better since it comes out so slow. They size each other up, then Glitch lands a soft hit that still manages to bend part of Retrograde’s lifter. But Retrograde comes back with their undercutter and lands a few blows on Glitch. Glitch is obviously moving slowly, and Retrograde lands another hit, which since it is weapon to weapon knocks Retrograde back. Glitch now has a bent fork. After a few more soft hits Retrograde sends Glitch into the wall. Glitch seems to not be moving at first but limps out. Glitch then manages a solid hit on Retrograde that knocks off a tire. A second hit and Retrograde is missing both big front tires. But they apparently have smaller ones underneath and are still moving. A third hit sends some more pieces of Retrograde flying. They bang into each other as time expires.

    Again, Glitch as showing significant movement problems at first. Although they picked up a littler they still aren’t showing the grace they did last season. Retrograde probably won control and aggression while Glitch clearly won damage. And we have our second split decision of the night. The winner? Glitch. This is a close decision, and I wouldn’t have been upset if it went the other way. Even Team Glitch admits that they are struggling through. Incidentally a forfeit doesn’t count towards your win/loss record, so Glitch is 5-0.


    Spoiler: Final
    Show
    Uppercut vs. Glitch: This should be interesting. Both have had maneuvering issues: Uppercut with stability and Glitch with movement across the floor. If I had to bet right now I’d give it to Uppercut.

    Uppercut rushes out and lands a hit on Glitch. But they then seem to hang up for a second. Glitch capitalizes and knocks Uppercut on their side, removing one of the stabilizing bars. A second hit sends Uppercut airborne. Two more hits send Uppercut into the air, but Glitch is still showing movement issues. However, Uppercut’s stability issues have increased. This allows Glitch to score a solid hit that sends armor flying. But after this hit Glitch seems to not be moving at all, while Uppercut is circling. We get a simultaneous countout!

    So, we go to the judges again. Neither bot did well in control or aggression (IMOH) so damage should give it to Glitch. And we have our third split decision of the night (a record for one night I believe). You actually hear a “WHAT??” from Team Glitch when the split is announced. The split surprises me as well. But Glitch gets the win which I totally agree with. Incidentally, they show the scoring for this one (Glitch listed first): 5-6, 6-5, 6-5. Definitely close. Glitch now is 6-0 lifetime.



    Spoiler: Championship match
    Show
    Glitch vs. Rotator: Glitch was moving a small amount better in their last match but will need a lot of improvement to beat Rotator, which is where I place my money.

    Fight starts and Rotator.. saunters over to Glitch 9for lack of a better term). Glitch is still moving slowly, and their weapon isn’t spinning? That could be bad. Rotator lands a solid hit on Glitch that sends both bots flying back.. and Glitch’s weapon starts spinning. Rotator is circling trying to avoid weapon to weapon contact while Glitch stays squared up. Rotator goes for a second hit and is the one knocked back a bit. And as Rotator goes in for a third hit Glitch spins… and holy crap! Rotator goes airborne. Pieces are all over the arena and on replay you can see what looks like an electrical explosion (green) inside Rotator. Rotator is OUT!

    Well, after three fights that weren’t all that impressive Glitch dominated quickly in this one. That hit compares to the Hypershock/Gigabyte hit in the first episode. Rotator has never taken a hit like this before. Glitch is now 7-0 lifetime and has a shot at the Golden Bolt. Incidentally, after 3 episodes the challengers are 3-0 against the “champions”.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

    T-Shirt given to me by a good friend.. "in fairness, I was unsupervised at the time".

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: Battlebots: Champions

    Episode 4. Skorpios is the champion bot.

    I will say that looking at the initial match list there seems to be only one obvious choice. Anyone else would be a surprise to me.

    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 1
    Show
    Big Dill vs. Bloodsport: Needless to say, Bloodsport is the bot I expect to go all the way. They have a variety of blades that they can swap out. Big Dill is apparently questionable enough that they weren’t invited to the tournament last season. They have added some parts from Free Shipping to weld “doorstops” at height of Bloodsport’s weapon. Will it work?

    BD tries a rush but misses entirely. The first big hit sends BD flying back AND breaks their weapon chain. AA second hit and BD seems to be immobilized. Bloodsport hits them again and wedges them in the screws. They are stuck and Bloodsport hits them again for good measure. Big Dill is counted out, and their minibot is shredded just before countdown ends.

    Not much to say. This was all Bloodsport from start to finish.


    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 2
    Show
    Blacksmith vs. Deadlift: Blacksmith has switched to the power hammer, but still hasn’t impressed me in the past. Deadlift has been very inconsistent with reliability.

    Blacksmith rushes in, hitting Deadlift with the hammer and pushing them into the wall. The flamethrower gets involved as well. After they break Deadlift seems to not be moving as well. They circle as both use their flamethrowers, but Blacksmith lands another hit and seems to be controlling the match, pushing Deadlift wherever they choose. There’s a second of concern when Blacksmith gets a wedge stuck in a kill saw slot, but they continue pushing and landing blows. Blacksmith isn’t doing much damage but is cleaning up on control. There’s some last second pushing and an arguably late hit as the clock expires.

    I will say this: this version of Blacksmith may still not do a lot of damage, but they had control and aggressiveness the entire match. This should be a unanimous decision for Blacksmith… and it is.


    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 3
    Show
    Switchback vs. Lucky. Switchback is an unusual design with a drum spinner on an arm that can reach the front OR the back of the bot. But neither bot has a particularly good record, and both have had reliability issues. Lucky is being driven by a remote-control car champion racer.

    The bots circle looking for an opening, then Switchback lands a hard shot. As they reset Lucky’s weapon appears locked and the bot is smoking. Lucky has no control and is counted out.

    A one-shot victory for Switchback. If it was against another bot besides Lucky I’d be more impressed, but they are still gonna have to show me they can compete with the big boys. A breakaway to the pits showed Switchback took a fair amount of rebound damage from that hit.


    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 4
    Show
    Blade vs. Kraken: Blade is the “South Korean version of Tombstone”. That’s how they are billed but they’ve never shown it, losing every fight fairly quickly. Kraken is an extremely tough bot, going the distance in “all but one fight this decade”. Incidentally, this is the first time in this series they’ve shown all four of the quarter-final fights.

    Kraken comes out aggressively but is unable to grab Blade. Blade pulls off a twist move that runs their blade into Kraken and sends it flying. They do so a second time, and on a third hit Kraken is knocked over. They self-right as Blade runs into them again. Some sparks and suddenly Kraken gets their teeth into Blade’s side. They run Blade into the wall, and then into the screws… but this backfires. The angle is such that Blade proceeds to destroy Kraken’s left rear tire. Kraken is not moving well, and Blade lands a few more hits, one of which removes Kraken’s tongue. At this point Kraken is not showing control to me, but the fight continues. Blade knocks Kraken around as time expires.

    This wasn’t a bad performance by Blade. The pivot move (swinging around to hit in the side) seems to be working for them. Kraken never really had much control, and the one time they did it cost them even more damage. This should be Blade all the way… and it is. There’s some discussion with Kraken’s team about whether the bot is still competitive.


    Spoiler: Semifinal 1
    Show
    Bloodsport vs. Blade: Blade is coming off a victory over a high-rated bot. Let’s see how that translates. In the “Robot’s activate” phase Blade seems to not be moving all that freely. Could be an issue.

    Bloodsport comes charging out as Blade comes out slowly. Bloodsport gets a minor hit onto Blade’s backend with no real damage, although Blade seems to be having movement issues. Bloodsport then lands another hit..and that’s it. Blade’s back end is hanging loose, and while their weapon is spinning they aren’t moving. They get counted out.

    No real surprise here. Blade has never been able to stand up to a solid hit. Bloodsport moves to the finals.


    Spoiler: Semifinal 2
    Show
    Switchback vs. Blacksmith: This could be interesting. Because Switchback can adjust their drum spinner they have the chance to hit Blacksmith’s hammer arm directly. But it remains to be seen if they can actually do it.

    Both bots box rush and miss. Switchback lands a small hit, but Blacksmith pushes them into the corner and the pulverizer. As Switchback tries to get out Blacksmith hits them and knocks them on their side.** Blacksmith then bumps them upside down and lands a solid hit to the underbelly as Switchback self-rights. Switchback is not moving well. Blacksmith pushes them around and lands several hits, although none as good as that first one. But they then corner Switchback in the pulverizer and successfully put a hole in Switchback’s top armor. Blacksmith then pins Switchback against the upper deck and lands some more hits. Switchback can’t move and is counted out.

    Blacksmith continues to show that it is an excellent control bot. The hammer did some damage, but control is the name of their game. I’ll be curious to see the next match.

    ** Given that Switchback uses the drum arm to self-right, I THINK that if Blacksmith had left them alone at this point Switchback wouldn’t have been able to self-right. The arm is front to back and not side to side, and isn’t touching the ground when they are on their side.


    Spoiler: Final
    Show
    Bloodsport vs. Blacksmith: I must admit I’m curious to see how this plays out. Bloodsport clearly has the damage advantage but Blacksmith is showing surprising control. However, Bloodsport has changed out their weapon to a disk with three “teeth”. The disk basically doubles as top armor so any hit by Blacksmith’s weapon is going to be a weapon to weapon hit. Blacksmith has added a strong front wedge.

    The bots circle and Bloodsport lands a soft hit on the wedge. It then spins around Blacksmith and lands a hard hit that knocks Blacksmith upside down (and knocks off one of its own front wedges). Blacksmith self-rights and goes weapon to wedge with Bloodsport. Blacksmith pushes Bloodsport around but is holding off on using their weapon. Bloodsport then lands a huge hit that opens a major gash in Blacksmith’s side. But Bloodsport gets cornered and Blacksmith lands several blows with the saw. The match continues as Blacksmith pushes Bloodsport around. Bloodsport is starting to do some damage to the wedge but is at Blacksmith’s mercy when it comes to a pushing match.

    As we hit the 60 second left mark Blacksmith manages to get Bloodsport into the screws. They land several blows, but their hammer gets bent on Bloodsport’s weapon. Blacksmith keeps releasing then pinning Bloodsport on the screws and takes them for one final ride.. and a last second hammer blow by Blacksmith costs them their hammer as it goes flying across the box.

    This is an interesting one to call. I’d certainly give control and probably aggression to Blacksmith. But damage goes to Bloodsport and that last second damage is the final impression the judges are left with. It goes to the judges… for a split decision. I really have no idea how to call this, but Bloodsport gets the win. Honestly, I’d have been fine either way. Tonight is the first time Blacksmith has ever impressed me. I’ll be curious to see how they do in the future.


    Spoiler: Championship
    Show
    Bloodsport vs. Skorpios: Bloodsport has beaten Skorpios in the past and will be using the same weapon they did against Blacksmith. Again, this puts Skorpios’ weapon at risk when they use it AND counts as damage inflicted by Bloodsport’s weapon. Skorpios has added a significant wedge.

    Skorpios comes out fast and it is obvious that they are going to use the same strategy as Blacksmith. Push Bloodsport around, try and keep them from spinning, and land shots when you can safely. Bloodsport lands one hit, then Skorpios pushes them into the wall and lands several blows (and get a nice pulverizer hit on the release). Bloodsport circles trying to land a blow, but while they land some soft ones they don’t get many solid ones. Skorpios pushes them around but we notice that their hammer blade isn’t spinning and appears a bit bent. Looks like they took damage when hitting Bloodsport. Bloodsport lands a few more soft blows but can’t get around the wedge to land a solid hit. Skorpios pushes Bloodsport into the screws and onto the upper deck. Bloodsport gets off quickly but lacks time to do anything as we reach the end of the match.

    This one is remarkably like the last one. Bloodsport wins damage, but control and aggression go to Skorpios. The difference (IMHO) is that Skorpios didn’t take as much damage as Blacksmith did. And we have a split decision again. It’s 6-5, 6-5, 5-6 in favor of..Skorpios!

    I’m Ok with that. It was a hard-fought match but while Bloodsport led in damage that’s ALL they led in. Skorpios is in the playoffs and is the first “Champion Team” to do so
    .
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

    T-Shirt given to me by a good friend.. "in fairness, I was unsupervised at the time".

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: Battlebots: Champions

    Last episode before the championship. Witch Doctor is the gatekeeper.

    Spoiler: Quarter Final 1
    Show
    Perfect Phoenix (PP) vs. SubZero: Subzero is the more experienced bot but continuously has reliability issues. PP is making their second appearance (first was 2020).

    Subzero starts with a box rush but misses. They circle, then Subzero opens with a pair of flips. PP lands upright (important since there’s no self-righter and they can’t drive upside down). Subzero closes in a third time and PP removes a chunk of armor from the right side of Subzero. PP lands a second hit and nearly the entire right side of Subzero is exposed.

    But PP seems to have some maneuverability issues, and after two more hits they are smoking.. and their blade is no longer spinning. However, Subzero’s flipper appears stuck partway up. It will flip but only goes about halfway down on the reset. Both bots are having movement issues and Subzero is now smoking as well. Both bots manage to limp to the buzzer.

    Subzero started strong, but once PP started landing hits the tide turned quickly. Both bots seemed to have issues by the end, but PP seems to have won the damage war. My money is on Phoenix… and they win it with a unanimous decision. Tyler is jumping for joy and Ray Billings has a big smile. (Ray is apparently dating Tyler’s mom and coaches Tyler).



    Spoiler: Quarter Final 2
    Show
    Overhaul vs. Black Dragon (BD): BD is one of the most durable bots out there, regularly finishing their fights engulfed in flames. They are my bet to face Witch Doctor. Overhaul is an effective grappler, but I don’t see them beating BD.

    Both bots come out slowly (surprising since I was expecting a box rush by Overhaul). They circle, then Overhaul grabs BD and inverts them. They then push BD into the corner, grab them, and are slamming them up and down. They try and push BD onto a rail, and when that fails they perform a suplex. Overhaul is all over BD, who can’t seem to get enough time to line up a shot with their drum spinner. This is arguably the best a grappler has performed against a spinner since the rebooted Battlebots began.

    BD is desperately trying to get space, and you can see that one of their front forks is bent. But tides turn quickly. BD lands a blow on the front of Overhaul and knocks them back. They then land two more quick blows. Neither is significant, but it is putting Overhaul on the defensive. However, there’s another hit that initially doesn’t appear to have done much.. until you see the tread unraveling from Overhaul’s left front tire. A few seconds later and tread is coming off the right front tire. Overhaul is significantly slowed now, and BD goes to work. They knock Overhaul on their side and then push them into the corner as soon as Overhaul self-rights. Two of Overhaul’s tires are completely tread-bare, and the other two don’t look great. However, BD can’t close the deal and time expires.

    For about the first 70-80 seconds of the fight I honestly thought Overhaul was going to pull it off. They were manhandling BD across the floor. But once BD landed their first hit Overhaul never got going again. I suspect this will come down to damage and Black Dragon will win.. and they do by unanimous decision.


    Spoiler: Quarter Final 3
    Show
    Whiplash vs. Hijinx: Whiplash is driven by one of the best drivers in the league. They would be my second choice to go all the way. Hijinx never seems able to maintain any significant momentum in a match. They have lowered their tail to make it easier for them to get under Whiplash.

    Whiplash starts with a box rush.. and ends up on top of Whiplash. Looks like the lowered tail is working. Mattie gets off but a few more rushes simply lands him up on Hijinx again. He’s needs to get around the tail.. and no sooner said than done. He manages to ram his plow into Hijinx’s blade, which immediately stops moving. Hijinx pulls away and Whiplash takes a pulverizer hit. But Whiplash quickly closes with Hijinx and pushes them around the room and into the rail. Hijinx breaks free and lands a soft hit but their weapon doesn’t appear up to speed as Whiplash pushes them upside down onto the screws. Hijinx comes off but is immediately pushed by Whiplash. This goes to the judges (3 in a row).

    If you’re gong to run a spinner (esp. a horizontal one) you must be able to keep your spinner moving even after big hits. Bots like Rotator and Tombstone are usually able to do so. Hijinx is one of the bots who can’t. This should be an easy win for Whiplash.. and it is.


    Spoiler: Quarter Final 4
    Show
    Ghost Raptor (GR) vs. Captain Shrederator (CS): I suspect this may be a match in futility. Both bots are badly overrated in my opinion, as both break way too easily. I suspect this comes down to which bot breaks down first.

    GR comes out and lands a few soft hits on CS. Neither bot looks like they are moving particularly well, and CS has yet to spin up to speed. There’s some more circling and then GR lands a hit on a non-rotating CS… and GR’s blade goes flying off. GR just became a push-bot. CS starts trying to spin up, but GR stays on top of them… until something goes wrong with their flamethrower and GR goes up in flames. It’s still moving but seems to have slowed down. CS continues to try and spin up to speed but GR stays on top of them until the pulverizer slows them down. CS gets up to speed and lands their first hit on GR, but only knocks them back a bit. GR gets back on top of CS and continues to control them until time runs out.

    OK, here’s my concern. CS is going to get credit for damage to GR’s weapon DESPITE the fact that they weren’t spinning at all when the hit occurred. This was simply GR’s weapon not being up to the task. Likewise, GR’s flamethrower appeared to have malfunctioned as CS was nowhere near them when the flamethrower malfunctioned. I fear it’s going to be CS… AND I’m WRONG! GR gets it in a unanimous decision. They must have cleaned up on control and aggression. Unfortunately, they face Whiplash next and I suspect that will end their run.


    Spoiler: Semifinal 1
    Show
    Perfect Phoenix (PP) vs. Black Dragon (BD): I suspect this will be all BD. They are the better driver, their bot can take damage well, and PP is having to use a smaller blade due to a major rebuild after the subzero fight. The bot weighs 169 pounds instead of the normal 250. They are faster but MUCH more vulnerable.

    Both bots come out and we quickly determine that size does matter. BD pushes PP easily across the ring and into the rail. A few more hits and PP’s crab walking,. It gets moving just in time for a hit from BD… and then another that sends them flying 15+ feet into the air. PP’s blade is severely bent, and they aren’t moving. They are counted out in our first knockout of the evening.



    Spoiler: Semifinal 2
    Show
    Ghost Raptor (GR) vs. Whiplash: I suspect this will be all Whiplash. They are a faster bot, have a better driver, and are MUCH more reliable. GR winning would be a huge upset.

    Both bots come out quickly and it is Whiplash who wins the pushing war, pushing GR back into the screws. A few more seconds and GR is upside down (and can’t self-right). They are counted out. The only surprise here is that it was even quicker than I thought it would be. The biggest thing coming out of this fight is that Whiplash ended it quickly enough that they took no damage at all.



    Spoiler: Final
    Show
    Whiplash vs. Black Dragon (BD): Whiplash has the better driver, but BD is extremely tough and hits hard. I suspect it will come down to damage which should give BD the edge.

    Whiplash starts with a box rush and gets BD into the rails. BD breaks free and heads to the other side o the box. Whiplash almost gets them again, but gets a fork stuck in a kill saw slot for a second. They circle, then BD goes in for a hit. But Whiplash lifts its arm at just the right time so the recoil sends BD flying, and they land inverted. It also appears they lost a belt. Whiplash pushes BD around, then gets them onto the upper deck. Still connected Whiplash tries for a suplex but I think the angle is wrong. BD makes off but is still inverted. Whiplash chases them around the box and almost gets them onto the upper deck again. BD’s weapon is spinning but doesn’t seem to be at full speed. Whiplash continues to dominate BD, turning them upside down again. We continue with pushing as time runs out.

    Unlike Overhaul above, this is what it looks like when a control bot dominates the battle. BD was never able to get anything going, and while control bots often don’t get knockouts they can clean up on control and aggression. The judge’s unanimous decision for Whiplash supports that.


    Spoiler: Championship
    Show
    Witch Doctor (WD) vs. Whiplash: WD is an incredibly aggressive and hard-hitting bot with a driver who is close (if not equal) to Mattie Vasquez. I suspect WD will win this… IF their reliability stays solid. They’ve had plenty of issues in the past and you never know which WD is gonna show up.

    Both bots come out slowly. WD seems to be moving slowly and Whiplash briefly gets caught in a kill saw slot. Whiplash scores first blood, ramming WD into they wall. WD counters with a soft hit that still manages to remove one of Whiplash’s forks. This cycle repeats a few times, with Whiplash pushing WD but WD landing soft hits. Then Whiplash forces WD into the screws and up on the upper deck. WD gets off and again lands a soft shot. Whiplash responds by driving WD into the wall again.

    WD needs to start landing some hard hits. Other than the fork they’ve done no real damage, while Whiplash is dominating control and aggression. As we hit the 90 second mark WD lands a bigger hit on Whiplash and actually knocks them back. They circle and then Whiplash is a bit slow turning, which lets WD slam into their side. WD then pushes Whiplash back into the corner and knocks them inverted. Whiplash should be able to self-right easily… but they aren’t moving. Ref looks at Mattie who indicates he has no control. Whiplash is counted out.

    A good victory for WD but I wonder what got knocked loose by that last hit. It didn’t seem THAT hard. This gives WD the final tournament slot and they are the second defending bot to win.


    Well, the final brackets are set. Let’s see how good my prediction skills are….

    Spoiler: Championship bracket and predictions
    Show
    Quarter Final

    Tombstone vs. Tantrum

    Witch Doctor vs. Glitch

    Ribbot vs. End Game

    Skorpios vs. Hypershock

    Semi Finals (speculative)

    Tantrum vs. End Game

    Witch Doctor vs. Hypershock

    Final

    End Game vs. Hypershock

    End Game wins.

    Let’s see how I did in the next post.
    Last edited by tomandtish; 2022-09-08 at 01:37 PM.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

    T-Shirt given to me by a good friend.. "in fairness, I was unsupervised at the time".

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: Battlebots: Champions

    And here we are. The final episode of this event. 7 matches with the winner getting the Golden Bolt. Let’s see how I did on my predictions.

    Spoiler: Quick general note
    Show
    Of the 8 bots competing only 1 is not a spinner (Skorpios). Of the remaining 7, 6 have vertical spinners and 1 (Ribbot) can swap out between a horizontal and a vertical spinner.


    Spoiler: Quarter-Final 1
    Show
    Ribbot vs. End Game: Contractually (translated – I’m married) I’m obligated to root for Ribbot. I’d love to see them win, but my money is on End Game. Ribbot comes out with large sunglasses on the front of the frog face. It’s also pointed out that Ribbot’s first ever Battlebots victory was against End Game a few seasons ago. So Ribbot holds the winning record while End Game is looking for revenge.

    Ribbot comes out with their horizontal spinner. Interesting choice. End Game has 2 front forks. When the “Robots activate” message comes out End Game does something I’ve never seen before. They spin around and knock their own front forks off on the side of the box. We’ll hear later that they had the forks for Ribbot’s vertical spinner and removed them once they realized Ribbot was going horizontal. Anyway, let’s see who wins this.

    Both bots come out a bit slowly, but End Game then smashes into Ribbot. Ribbit goes flying, landing upside down and losing the frog cover. Their weapon also does not appear to be working. End Game lands several more hits and forces Ribbot into a corner. Two final hits damage two tires. Ribbot isn’t moving and counted out. This fight was short, under a minute, and End Game controlled the match start to finish. As they shake hands Team Ribbot says “We’re 1 and 1 now” with a big smile. And I’m 1-0 in predictions.


    Spoiler: Quarter Final 2
    Show
    Skorpios vs. Hypershock: Skorpios is tough and tends to win low ground. Hypershock has been plagued with reliability issues in the past but dominated during their qualifying round. During the commentary Skorpios notes that they are 2-0 lifetime against Hypershock, but after watching Hyper’s qualifier they realize they are facing an extremely dangerous bot. Dangerous enough? Let’s find out.

    Well, that was quick and brutal. Hypershock manages to get under Skorpios and launches them into the air. There’s a second hit that gets Skorpios up against the side of the box (cracking the glass in front of Team Skorpios), and the third hit sends Skorpios out of the box and trapped. Hypershock wins in 20 seconds (10 of which was countdown). This fight was brutally short and effective. In post commentary Will points out that they have taken NO damage in the tournament so far. I’m 2-0 so far.


    Spoiler: Quarter Final 3
    Show
    Glitch vs. Witch Doctor (WD): The first two matches had a bit of grudge feel, with the bot that lost all previous meeting with their competition winning this match. Here’s something a bit different. Had Glitch not forfeited last season their first opponent would have been WD. They now have the chance to show how they might have done. Glitch has been plagued with drive issues (not the low profile that I thought was causing the problems). WD plans on being patient and circling until they get their opportunity. When they roll out Glitch has removed their forks which were catching on the floor. OTOH WD has ADDED two small forks.

    There’s a lot of circling when the fight starts. WD is trying to get to Glitch’s side, but Glitch is maneuverable enough that they stay squared up to WD. At one point WD gets one of their forks stuck in a kill saw slot but Glitch fails to capitalize.

    It takes a while, but Glitch finally zigs when it should have zagged. WD lands a hit that takes off a small bit of armor and forces Glitch against the wall. Glitch seems to be having movement issues when they pull away from the wall. Some more circling and WD again forces Glitch into the side. They land several quick hits that keep Glitch reeling. The last hit gets Glitch up on the screws. They aren’t moving and are counted out.

    This match took a bit (it’s longer than the first two matches combined) but it was all WD. Glitch seemed to be moving better at first but seemed the be hesitant after that first hit. WD moves on and I’m 3-0.


    Spoiler: Quarter Final 4
    Show
    Tombstone vs. Tantrum: Tombstone used to be the most feared bot in the game. However, they don’t seem to have kept up with changes. They are 5-5 in their last 10 matches and seem to have a bad habit of destroying themselves. I’d actually asked Team Tombstone (on Twitter) if the new body was maybe transferring more energy into Tombstone from big hits rather than less (as intended), but they say no. Whatever the reason Tombstone has been much less durable than in the first few seasons. Meanwhile Tantrum is bearing a bit of a grudge. They lost to Tombstone in their only meeting back in 2019 when Tombstone hit them hard enough to lodge one of their “fists” in the side wall. But Tantrum is a MUCH different bot than 3 years ago. Season 2 champ vs. Season 6 champ. Let’s see who wins.

    Tantrum box rushes and hits Tombstone, but Tombstone is still spinning up. However, a second hit sends Tombstone dancing across the box floor from recoil from their own weapon. Tombstone lands and moves out of the corner, but Tantrum gets behind them and pushes them into the far corner. Tombstone lands a few soft hits against Tantrum that appear to have little effect, but then a bigger hit sends Tombstone dancing on its side back into the corner. We then see sparks coming from Tombstone and it appears that something bent enough that their own blade is hitting the inside of the bot. Tombstone is also crab walking and then begins smoking. Tantrum forces them back into the corner with another hit. Tombstone has no control and is counted out.

    I wish I could say I was surprised but I’m not. For whatever reason they can’t stand up to the impact of their own weapon anymore. I’ll call it right here: Unless Ray makes significant changes I don’t see Tombstone making the bracket next season. That’s four matches ending in knockout and I am 4-0.


    Spoiler: Semifinal 1
    Show
    Witch Doctor (WD) vs. Hypershock (Hyper): Two very similar bots here. Both use vertical spinners. Both have excellent drivers. Both have been plagued with reliability issues in the past. My money is on Hyper, but this should be a good match regardless of who wins. We learn that both bots share the same building in Florida.

    Both bots come out and begin circling. They are clearly trying to get a shot at each other’s back or side. Hyper is a little faster and gradually closes on WD. Hyper lands the first 2 hits and small pieces of WD go into the air. Looks like it might have been part of their self-righter. WD then lands a hit and pushes Hyper into the side. A second hit bounces Hyper up and removes a tire and… Holy Crap! Hyper’s tire lands IN the gap between the back of WD’s weapon and their self-righter. That’s some long odds. Hyper is now slower than WD but WD’s primary weapon is jammed. After some more circling Hyper closes for a hit. It lands but they end up inverting themselves as a result. Hyper can still move inverted but not very well. They manage to get right side up and land two quick hits that invert WD…and knock the tire free! WD self-rights and has a functional weapon again. Meanwhile Hyper is smoking.

    There is more circling and Hyper lands a big hit that sends WD up in the air. Even more circling and Hyper inverts themselves going for a hit. WD lands a soft hit and Hyper isn’t moving. They are counted out.

    This was certainly the closest match so far, as it felt like it could go either way right to the end. That tire shot was crazy! After interviewing WD they start interviewing Will. Will comments that he’s happy someone finally did some damage and there are some boos. Will says..

    “Hold on! Hold on! You boo. We went all the way here without anyone touching the side armor, the top, the bottom, the back, anything. They did! They deserve it! They won!”

    I must admit I like Will a lot more these days. And I think they’ll be a serious contender next season. That’s 5 matches ending in knockout and I’m 4-1. WD is now in a position they are familiar with: making the finals. Can they break their losing streak IN the finals?



    Spoiler: Semifinal 2
    Show
    End Game vs. Tantrum: End Game won their first and only meeting. They certainly have the edge on damage, but Tantrum is probably tougher. Interesting trivia: Faruq introduces End Game using about 8 Tarantino movies. I suspect this fight will come down to whomever lands the first big hit. I also think Tantrum’s odds go up the longer the fight lasts.

    They come out fast and Tantrum begins circling End Game trying to get to the side. They finally meet and for a second there’s a pushing war with neither’s weapon connecting. They split, circle some more, then End Game lands a big hit that inverts Tantrum. Tantrum self-rights but End Game pushes them into the corner. And begins landing hits. One after the other. They push Tantrum for a few seconds then land hits of varying strength. Tantrum can’t get away and is being manhandled across the box. Their weapon is slowing down as well. End Game continues their dominance, pushing Tantrum then landing hits. Some big some not, but Tantrum can’t seem to get anything going. However, they are tough enough to last to the buzzer (our first match to the judges).

    This was ALL End Game. Tantrum might have landed one small hit that did no damage, but End Game dominated in aggression, control, and damage. This is should be a unanimous decision for End Game.. and it is. End game moves on to the finals and I'm 5-1.



    There’s a short segment announcing awards from the 2021 season (the most recent). They are:

    Rookie of the year: Split between Glitch and Riptide.

    Most Destructive (as voted by the judges): Hypershock.

    The Grant Imahara best Design award: Blip.

    Founders Award (to the team that most embodies the spirit of Battlebots in AND out of the box): Sawblaze.


    Spoiler: Final
    Show
    Witch Doctor (WD) vs. End Game: Both bots apparently took significant damage in their last fights and are scraping the bottom of the barrel in parts. The bigger issue they mention is not really having the time to make sure all their repairs will hold. They just do the best they can, and hope things work out. There’s the comparison shot of the two bots that we don’t see much of anymore. Both motors are about equal in horsepower. End Game’s kinetic energy is about 25% more powerful than WD’s, but WD has more armor (27 pounds to 14 pounds). WD has the bulk of their armor up front while End game’s armor is more evenly spread. This should be an interesting match.

    Both bots come out cautiously. WD begins circling End Game to try and attack the side. End Game stays squared up. Let’s see who makes the first mistake. And it is End game as Witch Doctor lands a hit that pushes End Game back to the wall. A second hit and one of End Games small wedges is dangling along with the armor it is attached to. There’s some more pushing and then End Game forces WD into the corner and lands a huge hit that sends WD up in the air. WD self-rights but End Game is right there to hit them again. WD pivots and manages to hit End Game, but only succeeds in knocking free the dangling wedge. This might help End Game, who turns and lands two more hits on WD. WD loses part of their self-righter when they land. One more hit and WD is not moving. They are counted out.

    End Game once again shows that they are the current bot to beat in Battlebots. The only question for them next season is how far into the bracket they make it, and other bots need to assume they’ll have to go through End Game at some point. Meanwhile poor Witch Doctor is back in their familiar position of losing in the finals. They are becoming the champion of “Almost”. I'm 6-1 in fight prediction which makes me happy. Incidentally, that's the same as the ratio of knockouts to judges' decisions. I'm happy to see few decisions since it's hard to predict how they'll go in most cases.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

    T-Shirt given to me by a good friend.. "in fairness, I was unsupervised at the time".

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