New Battlebots season

[tomandtish]

The Riptide controversy continues.

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I wouldn't have gone Shatter's way in the post fight. When they pressed me about not shaking hand I'd have said "we have questions that we will be discussing with Tantrum and sports officials, not in public. " I wouldn't have mentioned anything about back-pit rumors.

It sounds like Riptide is getting a lot of hate from other teams in the pits. I hope it gets straightened out.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Ethan is honestly coming across as a jerk. Ray Billings did a good job of being the designated villain. He was the bad guy, but a likable one. Ethan seems to want to take that title from Hydra, and doesn't care if he's likable or not (and he isn't). Barring an attitude change I'd rather my chance of calling the championship be busted and he get knocked out.

[tomandtish]

Hello, and welcome to the second half of the round of 32. Only 2 more episodes after this one! I was 7-1 at the end of last week. Let’s see if I did that well this week.

Spoiler: Black Dragon (Dragon 21) vs. Ripperoni (Rip 12)

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Dragon is one of the toughest bots out there, only being knocked out once in their last 25 fights. The do spend a lot of time on fire though. Rip is certainly the rookie of the year, with impressive wins over End Game and Copperhead. Although Dragon is the more experienced bot I’ve put my money on Rip. Let’s see if I need a refund…

Dragon tries a box rush and misses as Rip heads for the side. Dragon chases, but when contact is made Dragon is the one that goes flying back and is now inverted (they can run this way). Rip quickly capitalizes, slamming into Dragon twice with solid hits. The third hit is softer and knocks Dragon right-side up. Dragon responds by knocking Rip back. They exchange minor shots then Rip hits Dragon and knocks them inverted again. Both bots break for the center of the box, and when they close Rip is able to land 2 more shots. Rip lands a soft third shot that rights Dragon, then starts having gyroscopic issues, spinning on the small wheel for a second. Dragon launches an aggressive attack, which would be more impressive if their weapon was working. However, they do make a good job of letting Rip bounce off their weapon, and actually knock Rip onto the upper deck. Rip comes off and lands a counter shot that knocks Dragon across the box. Dragon comes in for another hit and … FIRE! Yep, Dragon is on fire again with a minute to go. Dragon continues charging into Rip, and Rip bounces off their weapon and land on the deck again… and aren’t moving! There appear to be some sparks coming from their front end. Rip is counted out with 4 seconds to go!

Dang. I thought Rip had it for the first half of the match, but gremlins are always a risk. Props to Dragon who kept up the pressure even without a working weapon for half the match. And Rip can hold their head high. Even with this loss they’ve had one of the best (and unexpected) rookie seasons ever. I’m 0-1.

Spoiler: Monsoon (24) vs. Cobalt (9)

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It’s the Battle of Britain! Both bots are from the UK, and both are vicious vertical spinners. Either is capable of a one hit kill, so let’s see who lands that first massive shot. Winner gets to claim the title of “Best UK Spinner”. I put my money on Cobalt.

Both bots come out slowly. They meet in the center of the box, push for a second, then Cobalt lands a shot knocking Monsoon back. They then land a second shot and gyroscopic action sends Monsoon for a quick spin. But Monsoon recovers, landing a soft shot that buys them space and then a huge one that send Cobalt flying through the air. They then time a third hit perfectly as Cobalt bounces down and knock Cobalt into the corner. Cobalt tries to recover but takes another hit to the face. Cobalt breaks for the center of the box, and as Monsoon follows Cobalt lands a shot that rocks Monsoon back. But Monsoon counters with a shot that removes one of Cobalt’s forks. This may be it. Monsoon quickly capitalizes on the missing fork, landing a blow that sends Cobalt 10 feet or more into the air! Cobalt bounces to the ground… and isn’t moving. Cobalt is counted out.

I based my Cobalt prediction on Cobalt having a low ground advantage. Unfortunately, that battle seemed fairly evenly split, with each bot getting under the other… until Cobalt lost that fork. It’s a solid victory for Monsoon (now Best UK Spinner). And I’m 0-2. Incidentally, at the end of the fight they show how the pits called it. It was 95/5 in favor of Cobalt. So, I called it wrong but I’m in good company.

Spoiler: Fusion (32) vs. Minotaur (1)

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Look, Fusion is an interesting design, but let’s face it. It barely made the bracket, it’s usually on fire, and to me the only question is whether Minotaur finishes this before or after Fusion ignites again. Kenny and Chris are going on about Fusion’s potential, but we’ve been saying that for 3 seasons.

Both bots come out slowly, giving their weapons time to spin up. Fusion comes out back first (so leading with their vertical spinner). They meet…and MINOTAUR gets knocked back and is inverted. They bang again, and Minotaur loses again, getting knocked back but also right side up. They meet a third time… and a belt goes flying off of Fusion and we see fire. The sad thing is that this is not a surprise. Fusion isn’t moving and is counted out.

I’m sure Reese is a nice guy. But I’d point out that the only question was whether Minotaur could knock them out before the fire, and they did land the kill shot right before the fire. It’s time to reconsider. Minotaur advances and I have my first correct call of the night. 1-2. Reese points out he was winning the first 5 seconds.

Spoiler: Deathroll (29) vs. Hydra (4)

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Deathroll did go 2-2 after three years off, but their victories weren’t against top tier bots. Hydra is definitely a top tier bot. More importantly, Deathroll doesn’t play the ground game. I suspect that’s going to cause them to roll to death after numerous flips. Still, while my money is on Hydra it does have a history of catching gremlins at inopportune times.

Hydra comes out quickly. Deathroll comes out slowly but doesn’t seem to take any evasive action. Queue flip one as Deathroll goes 15+ feet into the air. I suspect this will ne a long match for Deathroll (at least subjectively). Deathroll lands upright and tries to get distance, but Hydra lands a soft flip (only 23 feet), and then another killer shot that bounces off the side of the box at the 15 foot mark. They then land another 5 foot flip. Deathroll lands on their weapon and flip themselves back and forth a few times. Deathroll races for distance, resets, and charges Hydra… with predictable results. Another flip in the 7 foot range. Deathroll circles, charges, and this flip JUST misses the lights. I mean by inches! Hydra charges in a little too quickly and Deathroll gets their first hit of the fight…and by hit I mean they bounce down on tip of Hydra. Deathroll circles, and this time Hydra is slow to respond. Deathroll lands a shot to the front left corner of Hydra…and may be stuck. Deathroll tries to pull away but can’t! Timeout is called!

If they can’t unstick them the fight is over, and it goes to the judges. Deathroll better hope they can get unstuck since Hydra is the clear winner so far. But they prod and pry….and get them unstuck. They place the bots 4 feet apart and the fight starts again! Both bots seem to have some maneuvering issues, but Hydra is able to catch deathroll and flip them. The damage to the left front of Hydra seems to be affecting that wheel. Jake shouts out that Deathroll better come at him or they go to the judges. But Deathroll isn’t much better as Hydra lands another massive flip. Deathroll lands and circles, and Hydra actually doesn’t seem able to do much other than pivot in place. Still, they flip Deathroll again when Deathroll charges. Deathroll is limping and their weapon is down. Hydra lands two more lesser flips as time expires.

This should be all Hydra. While Deathroll landed one impressive shot, Hydra had 10+ flips, including several that came close to the lights. Both bots finished hurt, but I suspect Hydra gets the unanimous decision… and they do. The big question will be how serious the damage they took is. I’m 2-2.

Spoiler: Ribbot (28) vs. Quantum (5)

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OK, let’s be honest. I don’t REALLY expect Ribbot to win. Like Fusion they slipped in more because of reputation/pedigree than performance. But my wife is convinced Ribbot will turn it around, and she looks over my shoulder when I do this. So…RIBBOT ALL THE WAY!!! Team Ribbot comes out with savethefrogs.com banners. They are going with their vertical spinner and really low forks to try and get under Quantum.

Both bots come out slowly. They close near Ribbot’s side of the box. They bump, back off… and Ribbot gets a fork stuck in the kill saws. Really stuck, like End Game did. Quantum takes advantage, coming around behind and biting into Ribbot’s back end. Like Ripperoni and End Game Quantum has free reign for the moment. They reposition… and you hear team Quantum say “Let’s just leave them there”. They back off… and Ribbot works free!* Ribbot begins trying to catch Quantum, but their very low forks are getting hung up on the floor, severely limiting movement. Quantum finally comes in to try and get a bite…and is knocked head over heals by Ribbot. Ribbot tries to hit their exposed belly but can’t make good contact. Quantum Rights and both bots go head to head by the side of the box. Then…Quantum slips. They move just a hair to the side and Ribbot lands a devastating blow that DESTROYS Quantum’s crushing jaw and rips apart the bottom of the bot. Quantum is DEAD! (And in case there’s any doubt Team Quantum is making obvious “We Give!” gestures at Team Ribbot.

Well, I stand corrected. And my wife was right. (There, I said it.). Ribbot had a rough start but managed to take advantage of a slip by Quantum. I’m 3-2 (and very surprised to be there).

*Kenny and Chris were giving Quantum grief for not hitting Ribbot again while they were stuck. But I can see Quantum’s reasoning. If Ribbot was as stuck as they appeared then it could have been a very quick victory with no risk of damage. It was a judgement call, and I’m not sure I disagree even though it turned out to be the wrong one.

Spoiler: Malice (17) vs. Switchback (16)

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Neither of these bots are all that impressive. They had decent records but never went against top tier bots. I suspect the winner will get crushed by Minotaur next week. I’m going with Switchback just because it has been a bit more durable…except Malice has an ace up their sleeve… or rather a scythe in their corner. Ray Billings (Tombstone) is apparently working with them for these matches. (he’s apparently good friends with Bunny). We’ll see if he’s been able to give them viable tips.

Switchback box rushes Malice, but Malice pivots and pushes Switchback against the wall. Switchback counters by inverting their arm and landing a shot on the side of Malice. Both bots separate and move to the center where Malice goes to work on Switchback, landing several shots that rock Switchback. They then ram Switchback from behind and run them into the side of the box. I’m also noticing something very unusual from Malice….their weapon is still spinning. Usually after any hit they have to spin up again, But they have been spinning constantly up until the ram into the wall. And they spin up immediately after they break. I think I see Ray’s influence here. Switchback appears to be limping and their drum is no longer spinning. Malice chases Switchback around the center of the box landing hits, and we see a chain come loose from Switchback. Looks like weapon chain. Malice chases Switchback some more. Switchback moves into a corner. Malice rushes… and takes solid hit from the kill sawa! Malice literally came to a dead stop for a second as they got hit by 4 blades at once! They recover and continue pushing Switchback around until Switchback manages to turn the table and run them into the wall. But it’s too little too late as time expires.

This should be all Malice. Switchback only landed one solid weapon blow and one solid push. Everything else was Malice. I have to assume Ray gave them some pointers because they kept the weapon spinning the whole time. Malice gets the unanimous decision and will be dying from Minotaur next week. Props to them, it is their first time going pass the round of 32. I’m 3-3.

During the break we hear from Ethan of Team Riptide. He’s clearly bearing a grudge from the accusations, and just as clearly doesn’t want to let it go. I dislike him more every time he opens his mouth.

Spoiler: Whiplash (20) vs. Beta (13)

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Beta had a good season but not a truly impressive one. Whiplash started slow, but pulled together strongly in their last matches. My money is on them.

Beta tries a box rush but Whiplash is way too fast. They circle, then Whiplash goes in. They get under Beta and lift them up a bit. As Beta comes down they land a hammer blow to Whiplash’s weapon with no visible effect. Whiplash gets under Beta again, drives them to the upper deck, and levers them on to it…. And huh? Beta isn’t moving! The hammer works but the bot isn’t moving. And the countdown begins…and Beta is out!

OK, that was a bit disappointing. I assume something came loose when Whiplash flipped them up onto the upper deck, because there was no real hit. Kenny’s professional analysis: “Beta just died”. This is certainly one of those cases where a bot lost rather than a bot won. Hopefully we can hear what happened later on. But I called this one right so I’m 4-3.

Spoiler: Blip (25) vs. Sawblaze (8)

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Blip had an impressive rookie season last year but struggled this year. Sawblaze went 3-1 with their only loss to Hydra. They also lost in the quarterfinals last year to Blip’s teammate Tantrum AND lost to Tantrum in season 5 when Aren was driving Tantrum, so there’s a bit of grudge here. We also learn that Sawblaze has never beaten a flipper. But while Blip flips high (and has unlimited flips) they struggle with the low ground battle. Sawblaze has specifically made sure their forks are hugging the ground. Blip actually comes out with two forks as well as their piano keys. This will go to whomever wins low ground.

Both bots come out slowly. They circle, then Blip starts to get under the side of Sawblaze. Sawblaze breaks free, but as he circles Blip gets under him again…but not far enough for the flip to take. Sawblaze then counters, grabbing Blip and running them into the side of the box. They land two hammer hits, and the second has clearly torn up armor on the side of Blip. And it may have done more damage because when they break free Blip is…wobbling for lack of a better term. Sawblaze easily gets under them again, ramming them back into the side and landing another blow. As they separate Blip is clearly having movement issues and there are a few pieces of the bot lying on the floor of the box. Sawblaze closes again..and Blip gets under them!!!... but no flip. He then gets under Sawblaze again…but no flip. Is the flipper damaged? Blip goes in again, but this time he rides up on Sawblaze’s forks and is treated to a tour of the box while Sawblaze lands multiple hammer blows. We continue in this fashion. Sawblaze pushes Blip around, lands some hammer blows, then Blip rallies, gets under Sawblaze, but can’t do anything. This is how we stand as time runs out.

The problem with being a flipper is that you can’t win if you aren’t flipping your opponent. I only saw the flipper fire once, and it was a miss. It appears they may have lost the flipper after that first hit as it never fired again. And while Blip was able to get under Sawblaze a few times they couldn’t do anything. Sawblaze gets the unanimous decision and I’m 5-3. More importantly, my bracket is still reasonably intact, and it’s possible for me to still go 7 of 8 in the round of 16.

Spoiler: Road to the Giant Nut

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They point out that of the 8 fights tonight, 5 were won by the lower seed. They bring in Anna Zolnikiv from team Ripperoni. She brings Ripperoni out to look it over. The bot actually doesn’t look that bad after that fight. But they did lose the flywheel motor. The consensus is that the flywheel is an innovative concept, with the limitation being you have to lose 25 pounds somewhere else. Chris tries to take a shot at Kenny and Anna turns it around “he’s funnier than you”. Ripperoni is especially proud of the fact that they went 3 minutes in every fight but this one. They also cool their motor with dry ice before the fight to help with overheating. Ripperoni plans on being back for season 8.

There’s a brief “In Memoriam” for the bots that fell tonight. They then come back with Martin Mason (MadCatter) and Jonathan Schultz (Huge) to talk about their upcoming fight. Martin brings out a normal size wheel and makes an overcompensating joke. Jonathan brought out a Huge wheel (40 inches and 26 pounds). They put the headphones on Martin first “We’ve done something never done before… quiet Martin Mason”. Jonathan believes that Mad Catter can land impressive hits… against something solid. But none of Huge that touches the ground is really solid. Jonathan meditates before fights and wears earplugs during them, and he thinks it has helped his driving. Martin makes a white whale comment says they’ll come up with an attachment to deal with them the “Hugepoon”. He then proceeds to describe how they are going to do this. It borders on the salacious and we get a “Battlebots: After Dark” comment.

[pendell]

Hello, and welcome to the second half of the round of 32. Only 2 more episodes after this one! I was 7-1 at the end of last week. Let’s see if I did that well this week.

Spoiler: Black Dragon (Dragon 21) vs. Ripperoni (Rip 12)

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Dragon is one of the toughest bots out there, only being knocked out once in their last 25 fights. The do spend a lot of time on fire though. Rip is certainly the rookie of the year, with impressive wins over End Game and Copperhead. Although Dragon is the more experienced bot I’ve put my money on Rip. Let’s see if I need a refund…

Dragon tries a box rush and misses as Rip heads for the side. Dragon chases, but when contact is made Dragon is the one that goes flying back and is now inverted (they can run this way). Rip quickly capitalizes, slamming into Dragon twice with solid hits. The third hit is softer and knocks Dragon right-side up. Dragon responds by knocking Rip back. They exchange minor shots then Rip hits Dragon and knocks them inverted again. Both bots break for the center of the box, and when they close Rip is able to land 2 more shots. Rip lands a soft third shot that rights Dragon, then starts having gyroscopic issues, spinning on the small wheel for a second. Dragon launches an aggressive attack, which would be more impressive if their weapon was working. However, they do make a good job of letting Rip bounce off their weapon, and actually knock Rip onto the upper deck. Rip comes off and lands a counter shot that knocks Dragon across the box. Dragon comes in for another hit and … FIRE! Yep, Dragon is on fire again with a minute to go. Dragon continues charging into Rip, and Rip bounces off their weapon and land on the deck again… and aren’t moving! There appear to be some sparks coming from their front end. Rip is counted out with 4 seconds to go!

Dang. I thought Rip had it for the first half of the match, but gremlins are always a risk. Props to Dragon who kept up the pressure even without a working weapon for half the match. And Rip can hold their head high. Even with this loss they’ve had one of the best (and unexpected) rookie seasons ever. I’m 0-1.

Spoiler

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[ Daenerys ] Fire cannot kill a dragon [ / Daenerys ]

I also am disappointed Ripparoni didn't go further; I hope they come back next season and do better!

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[tomandtish]

Hello, and welcome to the round of 16. Next week we’ll crown a new champion!

Spoiler: Ribbot (28) vs. Black Dragon (Dragon – 21)

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Ribbot had a tough season, only winning one match. But they won that one handily and also put on a solid performance in the round of 32. Dragon is the toughest bot out there (only KO’d once in 26 matches). These two fought previously. Dragon won despite being on fire for more than 2 minutes. This is as much a grudge match as a playoff match. I had this match as Ribbot vs. Ripperoni, and Ripperoni winning, so I can’t get a win here regardless.

Both bots come out slowly to build up weapon speed. They meet in the middle. There’s some sparks but no real collision. They separate, and Ribbot loses the first low ground battle as Dragon gets under them and pushes them back into the corner. However, Ribbot quickly counters, pushing Dragon into the side of the box and knocking them inverted. They then land a solid hit that knocks Dragon 6-7 feet into the air. Dragon bounces to the ground and Ribbot lands another hit that knocks Dragon back 5-6 feet… and rights them. Dragon quickly launches a counterattack that knocks Ribbot back a bit, but Ribbot pivots and hits Dragon from the side, pushing them back and grinding away at side armor. They push Dragon into the screws of the upper deck. Can they get them up? Not quite. They bang into Dragon several times (the last time knocking Dragon into the air) but can’t quite get them onto the deck. Ribbot lands another soft hit and this time Dragon counters, knocking Ribbot back a few feet. But Dragon is clearly hurt as it appears to be crab walking. They both push each other around the box, landing soft taps…until Ribbot lands a harder one that knocks Dragon back and inverted again. It’s not the hardest hit Dragon has taken this fight…but their tires aren’t moving. Ribbot backs off and after a LONG pause (17 seconds!) Dragon is counted out!

Props to Dragon. Their weapon worked the entire fight. But Ribbot was just too aggressive, landing the bigger hits and never letting up the pressure. They’ve really turned this season around. Dragon has now been KO’d for the second time in 27 fights, and Ribbot advances to the round of 8. I’m 0-1 (and was going to be regardless of the winner).

Spoiler: Lockjaw (14) vs. Witch Doctor (Witch – 3)

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Both bots KO’d their opponents in the previous round. Lockjaw took a lot of cosmetic damage but was mostly OK. Witch LOOKED OK coming out of the match, but their weapon motors took a lot of damage. We’ll have to see if that matters. My money is on Witch, as Lockjaw gets damaged too easily. Lockjaw will be running their drone Spitfire. Kenny has the over/under for a knockout at 90 seconds and is going with the under.

Both bots come out slowly (Lockjaw forks first). As they near the center Witch pivots to the right, goes backward, and is now on the other side of Lockjaw. It’s a nice move and sets up a weapon to weapon hit that doesn’t do much. However, Witch’s second hit takes advantage of those nice exposed tires on Lockjaw as it shreds one. Witch begins pushing Lockjaw around, then lands a hit that knocks Lockjaw 3-4 feet into the air… and takes out Spitfire! Yep, Lockjaw goes flying into their own drone which is now down and out! Witch continues slamming into Lockjaw, and after one hit you see Lockjaw’s weapon belt dangling from the side. There goes the spinner! Lockjaw has landed inverted beneath a pulverizer. It isn’t moving, but Witch launches one more hit and we get a great corner camera view of Lockjaw rising into the air. They land upright but appear immobile. Witch backs off and lets Lockjaw be counted out.

Can’t say I’m surprised about this one. Lockjaw has had way too many issues with their tires. They are too exposed and looking back they’ve lost at least one EVERY fight this season. Witch is showing why they’ve been a contender every year as they advance to the round of 8. And yes, the fight was well under 90 seconds. I’m 1-1.

Spoiler: Malice (17) vs. Minotaur (1)

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Admittedly I thought this fight would be Switchback vs. Minotaur. But Team Malice got some help from Ray Billings (Tombstone), the King of Kinetic Energy). It may have made the difference last fight. And to make things more interesting they’ve also gotten the assistance of Paul Ventimiglia (Bite Force) arguably the all-time champion of Battlebots (the modern version anyway). My money is still on Minotaur, but this could make things interesting. Malice has decided they are going weapon to weapon to break Minotaur’s drum.

Both bots come out slowly, then meet in the middle. It’s a solid hit as both bots go flying across the box. But Minotaur goes flying further and lands inverted. Malice then lands two more hits and Minotaur…looks like the ball in a pinball machine. It’s bouncing off rails and the side of the box! A fourth softer hit and Minotaur is up against the screws of the deck. Malice trie to close the deal but they connect weapon to weapon and this time Malice goes flying back. Minotaur is inverted but begins their gyroscopic action to right. Malice closes…and just as they get near Minotaur rights and lands a massive shot that sends malice flying across the box. Minotaur quickly begins pushing Malice around the box and gets Malice up against the deck screws. They’re helped by the fact that Malice has lost their weapon. As we reach the one minute mark Minotaur continues pushing Malice around, but Minotaur is too strong. They push Malice around as time expires.

First, hats off to Malice. They went the distance against Minotaur, which is hard for anyone to do, and for the first 20-30 seconds they dominated the fight. However, weapon reliability became a factor (and there’s a huge chunk missing from it). This should be unanimous for Minotaur…and it is. They advance, but Malice can leave with head held high. I’m 2-1.

Spoiler: Copperhead (10) vs. End Game (7)

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End Game is clearly the favorite here. Past champions and they do a lot of damage. But I have a good feeling about Copperhead this season and went with them. 3-1, and all 3 victories were knockouts (I consider Triton a knockout given what happened).

Both bots initially come out slowly, but Copperhead then rushes…and is inverted by End Game’s forks. Not a great start. They close again and End Game lands a solid hit that knocks Copperhead 3-4 feet into the air…but they land right side up. Copperhead goes weapon to weapon AGAIN and is knocked back across the box and are inverted again. This may be a long night as we watch Copperhead charge in yet again, and yet again go flying across the box (although they do land correctly). It looks like this is all End Game… except End Game’s weapon isn’t moving! Did it break on that hit or did they just shut it down for a bit? Copperhead charges in again and this time knocks some of End Game’s wedges and one fork away. Copperhead stays aggressive, grinding at the front of End Game and knocking away the small wedges. The front of End Game is completely exposed now. Copperhead gets under End Game and drives them into the corner, then pushing them to the other side of the box. They land another big hit that sends armor flying and takes out one of the lights! You can see End Game’s weapon trying to spin up, but they can’t get it going. Copperhead hits End Game again and knocks them inverted, then pushes them into the side of the deck. Somehow End Game’s righter is still working as they correct, and they charge Copperhead, trying to break the drum. They seem a bit stronger than End Game, but Copperhead pulls away and lands another hit that sends End Game flying. They land one final hit … and End Game is standing on their front end! Self-righter can’t help here, they are totally immobile…and time expires before the countdown.

10 more seconds and this would officially be a KO. As it is this fight reminds me of the Malice Minotaur fight. For the first 20-30 seconds it was all End Game. But then the tide turned, and Copperhead showed it was more durable. This should be unanimous for Copperhead…and it is. Interesting fact about Copperhead: Their weapon never stopped working this season. They asked End Game what went wrong? “We fought a drum”. Copperhead advances to the round of 8 (I called this one RIGHT!). I’m 3-1.

Spoiler: Monsoon (24) vs. Sawblaze (8)

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I had this fight as Sawblaze vs. Cobalt, but I’m OK as long as Sawblaze wins. This is a grudge match since Monsoon defeated Sawblaze in the playoffs back in Season 3. Sawblaze is definitely more maneuverable and has a better driver, while Monsoon is capable of the one hit kill. Should be fun. Sawblaze has out on some plastic top wedges that should help keep Monsoon from getting on top of them.

Both bots come out quickly. It’s easy to forget that Monsoon has one of the fastest spin-up times of any spinner out there. They dodge each other, then Sawblaze gets on the side of Monsoon and begins pushing them around. They land a blow with the hammersaw, but Monsoon pivots and lands a shot that sends Sawblaze flying! Sawblaze regroups and begins pushing Monsoon around. Their fork configuration is keeping Monsoon from riding up and landing a shot. They push Monsoon against the deck and land a shot, but Monsoon twists and lands a counter shot. We then go back to pushing. Monsoon breaks free…and gets stuck in a kill saw slot! Sawblaze lands 3 hammersaw shots, the third of which knocks Monsoon loose! Sawblaze chases and gets Monsoon hung up in a corner for a few seconds. Then takes them across the box and under a pulverizer, which lands a huge shot. Monsoon’s weapon isn’t working? Apparently not. Monsoon charges Sawblaze… and is knocked on their top. After a 10 second pause* the countdown begins. Monsoon is out!

Turns out that pulverizer hit was friendly fire. Team Monsoon controlled that one, but mistimed the hit and took out their own weapon. Sawblaze was dominating before, but this was icing on the cake. Sawblaze advances and I’m 4-1.

*I’ve been paying closer attention this episode and there are some substantially different pauses before the countdown starts (and the 17 sec and 10 sec pauses were both by the same ref). Not sure why the difference, but it could be relevant.

Spoiler: Whiplash (20) vs. Hydra (4)

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Whiplash is a better driver, especially since Hydra usually has to wait for opponents to come at them. As with all flippers this comes down to low ground. If Whiplash wins then Hydra is toast. If Hydra wins Whiplash is earning frequent flyer miles. My money’s on Hydra. But the last time these two fought Hydra lost, so it certainly isn’t a done deal.

Both bots come out slowly, and you can see Hydra hangs up on the floor just a bit. They close and Hydra misses a flip. Commentators say Whiplash should have rushed immediately after that flip, but they didn’t. Whiplash closes and Hydra misses another flip. This time Whiplash closes…and gets flipped 5-6 feet into the air. So yes, you want to attack when the flipper is up, but you have to be fast enough to get in before the flipper comes back down. Whiplash closes and this time manages to lift Hydra a bit but can’t capitalize. Hydra misses a flip, then catches Whiplash charging in and flips them back a few feet. They didn’t land hard, but they do seem to have some mobility issues. Their weapon also appears jammed…. Wow! Apparently a piece of back armor came loose and was jamming weapon mobility. Whiplash managed to rotate the arm enough to use their own weapon to knock the armor loose. Nice! Whiplash then lands a shot to the top of Hydra by reversing their arm, but Hydra counters with another flip (4). Whiplash lands upside down…and isn’t moving! Hydra backs off as they are counted out.

Honestly, this fight makes me reconsider just how good a driver Mattie is. He’s supposed to be one of the best, but he consistently mistimed his attacks. This also brings up durability questions as none of the flips seemed like they should be killers. Hydra advances (no surprise) and I’m 5-1.

Spoiler: Madcatter (Cat 22) vs. Huge (6)

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As noted in the after-show last week, Cat probably hits harder than Huge, but only if it can latch on to something solid. To help with this Cat has added the “HugePoon”. It’s basically 2 metal forks coming off the top of Cat in order to try and jam Huge’s wheels. Of course, since Huge basically attacks from the top anyway, it’s something else for them to hit.

Both bots come out and meet in the middle. Huge sends up some sparks from Cat, but Cat scores first blood by landing a shot that knocks Huge several feet back and opening a gash in one of their wheels. Huge counters with a shot that appears to knock the spout for Cat’s flamethrower off. They then land a second hit that inverts Cat. Cat self-rights but has taken damage. Cat charges back in and knocks a small piece off of one of Huge’s wheels that takes out a light! But Cat’s weapon isn’t working? It certainly seems off. Cat charges in (trying to break Huge’s weapon?) and takes another shot that sends armor flying. Cat charges in again and this time the “HugePoon” is toast as it goes flying off. Cat has no working weapons but Huge’s weapon may be damaged as well? As we hit the 60 second mark It keeps starting and stopping. Cat and Huge continue circling. They are each trying to push the other, but neither can get a solid grab. This is where we stand as time expires… and as we reach zero Huge’s weapon spins back up, showing that they shut it off to keep it from being broken.

Especially since the weapon was still working I think this should be Huge. They took some wheel damage but Cat lost all their weapons as well as some armor. It goes to the judges…and a unanimous for Huge! This is as far as they’ve ever gone before. Say what you want about Martin but he’s an extremely gracious loser. Catter had a solid season and I suspect will be in the mix next season. Team Huge is in tears with happiness. This was a bot that they were considering scrapping after last year. Now they are 6-0 and going to the round of 8. I’m 6-1!

Spoiler: Hypershock 918) vs. Riptide (2)

Show

This is certainly the most anticipated fight of the night. Riptide has been an agent of destruction, having a perfect season. OTOH, Hypershock is the Clown Prince of Chaos. They note that Riptide has yet to take a really solid hit, so they want to try and land one to see what happens. Personally, I’d like to see Hypershock win, but that’s not where my money is. OTOH, the builders have it 62%/38% Hypershock. During the activate stage Riptide tries mind games, charging Hypershock and stopping inches away.

The bots both come out and then… huh? Hypershock makes a mistake. Don’t know what they were trying to do, but they end up sideways. Riptide capitalizes, knocking Hypershock back and inverted, and apparently damaging a tire. Hypershock is in the corner when Riptide charges in and….

Well, remember how Jake Ewart wanted his bot Hydra to be the first bot to knock a bot to the ceiling? He won’t be! Hypershock goes flying up, missing the lights and hitting the actual ceiling! That’s 20 feet! I’d say Riptide has the record for the BIGGEST hit in the current incarnation of Battlebots. Hypershock lands inverted. They have two damaged wheels but are still mobile! Riptide chases them around the box, landing one hit that rights Hypershock, then a second that removes a wheel. Hypershock tries to counter and push Riptide, but the loss of a wheel limits traction. Riptide is able to pivot and slam into Hypershock’s side…and now both front wheels are gone. Riptide rams Hypershock into a wall and knocks them on their side, then knocks them on their back end in the corner, hanging off the rails. Can Hypershock get off?!? Well, considering we see a chain coming out the back end and Hypershock’s weapon is still working, I’m gonna say no…. And I’m wrong! Hypershock still lives! They pull off the corner and you can see that the whole left side is ripped open. Riptide quickly attacks that side, grinding away, then backs off. We can see that the loose chain from earlier is now wrapped around an axle. Hypershock is immobile and counted out.

I don’t know how this fight would have turned out without the mistake at the beginning. But it WAS made, and Riptide made the most of it. Hypershock never had a chance to get going, and their only consolation is that they were able to drive away after the biggest hit we’ve ever seen. Riptide advances to the round of 8 and I’m 7-1. Will is also gracious in his loss. “You can’t make any mistakes. I made a mistake and he took advantage of it. He won he deserves it”. There’s a surprising number of boos from the crowd for Riptide. Not the majority but definitely noticeable. It’s noted that Hypershock’s weapon was spinning down while Riptide’s was spinning up, so that was maximum possible force for that hit.

Spoiler: Road to the Giant Nut

Show

It’s noted that the four top seeds all advanced (Witch Doctor, Riptide, Hydra, and Minotaur). There’s talk about Copperhead being a crazy upset. I’ll disagree a bit. The underdog run, but to me it wasn’t a huge upset. I’d have put it at 60/40 myself. They bring Team End Game out for a bottopsy. End Game has a 5 gallon bucket filled with pieces from their bot. The spinner is missing a chunk. They note that the stuff on the inside was just fine and still working, but the outside was trashed. They’ve now lost two brackets to a drum spinner, so they are going to reevaluate to see how to deal with them. We get to see the internals and all the motors still function. They then bring out Will and Hypershock. He’s able to carry his missing pieces in his hands. There’s a piece of side armor that is now bent in the opposite direction from how it was on the robot. There’s discussion that the lower weight classes are where a lot of the innovation is coming from.

Kenny updated his odds. They are:
Minotaur +250
Riptide +300
Witch Doctor +550
Hydra +650
Huge +700
Sawblaze +900
Copperhead +1500
Ribbot +1600

They bring out Ethan and Jake (Riptide and Hydra). Note that these two can only meet in the finals. There’s a weapon size comparison. Riptide shows their 55 pound egg beater. Hydra brings out their 5 pound flipping tongue. Jake is happy to be on the other side of the bracket. Riptide points out that their weapon diameter is smaller than most drum spinners, but it is incredibly wide which means it is much easier to land a hit. Jake isn’t worried about fighting Ribbot, but Ethan does express minute concern about Copperhead’s toughness. Backstage Bob gets a standing ovation as he helps haul Riptide’s weapon away.

Well, next week is it. Seven matches and we’ll know who the newest giant nut winner is. I’ll list the bots in the first four matches but will spoiler the names for the last 3. See you then!

[The Glyphstone]

When is the last time a minidrone actually had a decisive impact on scoring a victory, instead of being superfluous or actively detrimental?

[tomandtish]

When is the last time a minidrone actually had a decisive impact on scoring a victory, instead of being superfluous or actively detrimental?

Drones? Never that I have seen. Not only are they ineffective, but destroying the drone (or a minibot) DOES count as damage, so it can actively hurt your score.

There's been once or twice a minibot made a difference. In both cases they were wedge minis that were able to high center an opponent's bot, allowing for a free shot.

But yeah, overall minis and drones are not worth the effort.

[DaedalusMkV]

I think every time a drone or mini gets smashed in a fight someone pops up and goes 'are these things ever actually useful?'

... And upon review, it's always the same person. What's your vendetta against minibots, Glyphstone? Do you have recurring nightmares about being chased around by flamethrower drones while tiny wedgebots try to trip you up?

[The Glyphstone]

I just keep hoping someone can explain why the competitors keep doing it.

[animorte]

I just keep hoping someone can explain why the competitors keep doing it.

Honestly, I would wager they're just using the opportunity to stretch some technological/creative muscles when they have the additional weight to account for.

[tomandtish]

I just keep hoping someone can explain why the competitors keep doing it.

It's a valid question since looking back it appears to be a suboptimal decision from a combat perspective. And almost any bot that has run minis also has at least one configuration where they run without them, so it's not a question of the weight going to waste. Lockjaw ran their drone (Spitfire) in 3 of their six matches this season and lost two of the 3 (the one win was against Glitch which wasn't a major accomplishment this season). In both losses the drone was taken completely out.

To be classified as a drone or mini you have to be 20 pounds or less. Damage to one is considered cosmetic but removing a drone/mini can be considered cosmetic damage to that percent of the overall bot weight.

IMHO, the only thing worse than minibots is multibots. The maneuverability advantage of two bots doesn't come close to outweighing the disadvantage in power and armor.

Gemini, The Four Horsemen (only 3 bots for some reason) and SMEEE* show that it doesn't work.

*Because of the way SMEEE was designed, it was effectively a multibot since each part had separate motors, batteries, etc. It then made matters worse by linking the two together so they lacked the maneuverability.

[pendell]

In the years I've watched battlebots I've seen maybe ONE instance where the drone was useful -- last year a drone was able to high-center the opposing bot, set it up for a solid shot with KOd it.

But .. I've seen on reddit that one reason for the minibots is, if you're a family team and you have a younger member, giving them a minibot to control allows them to feel useful while keeping them out of the way, occupied, and not bored. Because everyone knows that a bored child in the pits can turn out no possible way but well .

You'll notice that very few of the giant nut contenders -- witch doctor, minotaur, Riptide, Hydra -- come with minibots. They're stripped down to have no weight on their frames they don't absolutely need. I think of the main contenders only copperhead has a mini.

I suppose in their case it's a matter of having a little additional weight and just threw it in. In the best case, it might distract of high-center a bot and be of tactical help. In the worst case, it's entertainment for the audience.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[DaedalusMkV]

IIRC, the vast majority of minibots historically have been used because the bot moonlights in the lighter brackets and they couldn't quite bring them all the way up to full Battlebots weight without unacceptably compromising some area of their performance. Or are family teams who want to give the kids a toy to play with. A few teams seem too keep them around as a legacy thing, like MadCatter's mini.

Realistically, I think it's pretty clear that minis, and especially drones, are much more likely to harm a team's performance than hurt it. A wedge mini does bring some minor utility in the war for the low game, and I don't think bringing one hurts too bad. But yes, I certainly agree that if your goal is to build the best-performing bot you can at any price then minis are never the way to go. Under those circumstances you build a good 'bot around a spinner or a flipper (Claw Viper has demonstrated that a fast grappler can be a serious contender able to take on the best combatants around, but will probably never be reliable enough to actually win the championship, and while Sawblaze is great the average hammerbot is not), play for the low ground and, well, you've got the vast majority of the current top 8.

Remember that a decent chunk of the community are hobbyists, though. Creativity is an important part of the sport for them, and they may have considerations beyond pure effectiveness. Including monetary concerns, or time constraints, which lead to compromises in their designs. I suspect that most minibots arise from this more than any idea that they might be a good strategy for winning.

[tomandtish]

Well, here we are. The final night. When this is over we will know who takes home the Giant Nut!

Spoiler: Quarterfinal 1

Show

Sawblaze (8) vs. Minotaur (1) Kenny thinks Sawblaze has the advantage in this match. Their plow is currently configured to handle drum spinners. OTOH, Minotaur has one hit KO ability, and a weapon to weapon hit would be bad for Sawblaze. This is going to be a driving match. Can Sawblaze corral Minotaur, or will Minotaur move fast enough to get to the flanks of Sawblaze?

Sawblaze comes out quick, and charges Minotaur. They are able to hit Minotaur’s drum with a fork, which sends Minotaur back a few feet. Sawblaze takes quick advantage, pushing Minotaur across the box and into the screws. They then land a shot that does obvious damage (a gash) to the top of Minotaur. Minotaur counters briefly, landing two blows that rattle Sawblaze. But Sawblaze counters, pushing Minotaur across the box and into the deck screws. Minotaur gets off but is inverted. Sawblaze lands another shot into Minotaur’s underside and that’s gash number 2. They then push Minotaur across the box into the opposite side. There’s impact, but Minotaur rights and … that looks like smoke. Is it smoke? Well, given that I also see fire I’m going with yes. Minotaur is burning. It’s a literal “ass of fire” as flames shoot out the back end of Minotaur. I suspect that second chop hit a battery.

Minotaur is not out though, charging Sawblaze and landing a blow to their front end. But the problem with this is that Minotaur loses yet another pushing war, being driven back into the deck screws and ending up inverted again. They right themselves but are clearly behind the eight ball here…and then there’s a rally. Minotaur lands a shot that lifts Sawblaze up a bit, then lands a second one that knocks them head over heels. Sawblaze rights, but Minotaur lands two more hits, inverting them again and knocking a piece of something off. It might be important since Sawblaze’s hammersaw isn’t spinning anymore. Minotaur pushes Sawblaze some more, landing a few more hits that rock Sawblaze back. Sawblaze rallies and pushes Minotaur into the rails. It’s hard to tell because of Minotaur’s fire and smoke (yes, it is STILL burning), but Sawblaze may be smoking as well. Sawblaze manages to hang Minotaur on the screws and it takes them a good 10 seconds to get off. They land upright…but don’t seem to be moving. Sawblaze backs off as Minotaur is counted out!

Well, that was unexpected. You can tell Daniel is pissed as he hits the box glass. Props to Minotaur, they weren’t counted out until 15 seconds were left, and they were on fire for probably a minute. They did an excellent job of launching a counterattack in the last half of the fight, but they just took too much damage. In the end Sawblaze managed to outdrive them. Sawblaze advances to the semi finals and has probably busted a fair number of brackets. I had Minotaur winning this one, so I’m 0-1 for the quarterfinals.

Riptide news: Just before AND after the first commercial break we got some news. Ethan Kurtz (Captain/driver of Riptide) is not available for the quarterfinal fight. Apparently he tested positive for COVID and was at an urgent care clinic. They rest of the team is testing negative and is going to try and carry on without him. Ethan is the normal driver, so this is definitely going to impact the team. 17yo Felix Jing will be driving Riptide. He is a championship Vex Robotics driver, but this is a big step up, especially since it will be his first time driving in the box AND his first time driving Riptide.

Spoiler: Quarterfinal 2

Show

Huge (6) vs. Witch Doctor (Witch, 3) Huge has had their best season ever, with 6 victories and no losses. But Witch is probably the toughest bot they have faced. Witch does have a disadvantage in that their self-righter covers a large part of the top of the bot. So Huge may be able to disable that and then knock them over. Witch notes that their only real possibility is to knock out Huge’s tires.

Both bots come out slowly to spin up. Witch then takes the first shot, charging directly into Huge’s weapon and stopping it for a second. He ci5rcles and does it again…and loses. We see a chain go flying. Given that Witch’s weapon has stopped spinning I’m assuming it came from them. If that’s the case Witch is now in the position of having to break Huge’s weapon to make this a pushing match.

And for about 20 seconds that is what Witch does. They are doing a good job of hitting Huge’s wheels and pushing them back and forth. But all good things must end, and Witch zigs when it should have zagged. Huge lands a blow to the top that loosens the ribs (righter) and then lands a second blow that send half of it flying across the box. Witch continues to charge in and Huge continues to chop into them. Then… did Witch pull it off? After one hit Huge’s weapon has stopped. So 90 seconds in and neither weapon is moving. But we’ve seen Huge do this before, shutting off their weapon to preserve it. We’ll have to wait and see….but not very long. As Witch continues to try pushing Huge around, Huge’s blade spins back up. It lands two hits, then shuts down again. At present I’m going to assume this is intentional. The fight continues, with Witch trying to push and Huge spinning up, landing a soft shot or two, and then powering down. That’s where we stand as time ends.

For the most part Huge dominated this fight. Witch learned that you can’t go weapon to weapon with Huge. While Witch stayed aggressive, control is probably split and damage is clearly in Huge’s favor. It should be unanimous for Huge…and it is! (And I called this one right!). Huge goes to the semi-finals for the first time and now has 7 straight victories. Not bad for a bot that almost decided not to compete this season. I’m 1-1.

Spoiler: Quarterfinal 3

Show

Ribbot (28) vs. Hydra (4) Ribbot is holding the spot of comeback kid this season. They went 0-3 to start things out, then have solidly won their last 3 matches. But Hydra took them apart last time they met. Ribbot has toughened their wheels and rims to withstand repeated impacts with the floor. The wife is all for Ribbot but I suspect Hydra takes it. Ribbot goes with the vertical spinner for this fight.

Both bots come out slowly, and it looks like both are having issues with the floor. They spend 10-15 seconds gradually nosing closer to each other, and Ribbot scores first blood with a shot that doesn’t do more than send up sparks. Hydra tries for a flip that misses, but at the moment this is the classic schoolyard “Come on!”. “No, YOU come on!”. Hydra misses a second flip. Ribbot really needs to capitalize on those. Hydra finally lands a flip.. well, not really. The front end of Ribbot gets maybe 6 inches off the floor. Honestly, this fight is incredibly boring so far. However, it often comes down to who makes the first mistake. And Hydra makes that mistake, not squaring off with Ribbot correctly. Ribbot lands a shot to the left front corner, a second shot to the back left corner, and a third to the left front corner again. None of these are hard hits, but they are rocking Hydra back and open a gash in Hydra’s side. Hydra has apparently taken drive damage as Ribbot is now able to land shots at will, even if most of them are soft shots. Ribbot then manages to land one bigger shot to Hydra’s right side, circles, and lands one to Hydra’s left side. Ribbot lands two more shots and then backs off. Hydra is immobile and counted out.

OK, we’ll start with congratulations to Ribbot. They were one of the underdogs of this bracket and have now made it to the semifinals. Having said that, this fight was definitely on the boring side. There were no high flips, no shots that knock a bot across the box. Heck, we spent half the fight basically standing there. Ribbot advances, but I’ll be amazed if they don’t get creamed by Sawblaze. I’m 1-2, and my bracket has definitely seen better days.

Spoiler: Quarterfinal 4

Show

Copperhead (10) vs. Riptide (2) Well, as noted above Riptide is without their normal driver. As with any competition, it can sometimes be things outside the box that have significant impact. Copperhead is a devastating bot this season, and Felix is going to have a very steep and quick learning curve. Ethan is present virtually, as they have him on an iPad on a stick using Facetime. Kenny notes that we’ll see how much of Riptide’s reputation is Ethan and how much is the bot. Copperhead wants to go weapon to weapon.

Both bots come out quick, with Riptide trying a box rush. Copperhead lands a soft shot, then Riptide lands a huge one that sends Copperhead flying across the box and onto the upper deck inverted! First blood to the newbie driver! Copperhead gets off the deck (righting itself in the process) but Riptide slams into them again, knocking them off the side of the box (and inverting them again). The hit Copperhead once more, then Copperhead pulls a gyroscopic move (think Minotaur) to self-right. As they come down Riptide lands a huge shot that sends Copperhead flying… and splits Riptides eggbeater in half! Riptide is weaponless! Riptide has also taken visible damage to the lower front of the bot. Copperhead closes and begins grinding away at Riptide. Riptide begins pushing Copperhead. They are clearly more powerful, and eventually push Copperhead into the side of the box….bad move, Neal! When Copperhead stops moving because of the side, Riptide is knocked back several feet and is inverted. They can move this way but not well. After some pushing Copperhead gets under Riptide and drives them into a corner. They then push Riptide into the other corner, land a soft hit, and Riptide is knocked right side up. They clash again and half of Riptide’s eggbeater is now on the floor. But Copperhead lost a wheel! Riptide takes quick advantage, pushing Copperhead into the side of the box and getting a pin. There’s a little more pushing as time expires.

Wow! This was the best fight of the evening so far! For the first 20-30 seconds it looked like Riptide was going to walk away with it. But Copperhead was able to break their weapon and then did a fair amount of damage. But Riptide was still able to stay aggressive and push Copperhead around. I’m honestly not sure how to call this and I expect a split decision. I’ll tip my hat to Felix. For a bot he’s never driven and a box he’s never fought in, he did an excellent job! The decision is in…and it is a split decision! Lisa gives it to Copperhead. Derrick gives it to Riptide. Fon give it to….Copperhead! Wow! I guess damage told! I’m fine with that decision, and honestly I’d be fine if Riptide had one. I hope they show the cards. And Riptide can go home with head held high. Their second season and not only do they make it to the quarterfinals, but they get a split decision with a new driver. This is probably going to be the “what if” moment of the finals. Would they have won with Ethan driving? Incidentally, my bracket is now fully busted. Not only is the bot I picked to win it out, but all 4 bots I picked for the semifinals are out. All four top seeds fell in the quarter finals. I have no idea how this is going to end up.

We learn later on that Riptide filed an appeal. It caused a change in the scoring…Judge Derrick changed one point of aggression from Riptide to Copperhead. So, Copperhead now has a unanimous victory.

Spoiler: Semifinal 1

Show

Ribbot (28) vs. Sawblaze (8) This will be a tough fight for Ribbot. Sawblaze is better driven and does a good job of keeping spinner from making contact. Sawblaze does note that they can have trouble if they guess wrong on which spinner Ribbot is using….and they came out vertical. Given the fork configuration Sawblaze is using, it looks like Sawblaze guessed right.

Sawblaze rushes Ribbot. Ribbot tries to pivot away but Sawblaze gets to the side and…spins? Huh. Apparently Sawblaze’s fork is stuck between Ribbot’s wheel and frame. Both bots are just spinning in a circle. They might be able to free by hitting the brakes, but the bot that does that is at a disadvantage. After what feels like 30 seconds they hit a kill saw slot and break free. Ribbot circles, trying to use their speed advantage to get to Sawblaze’s side, but Sawblaze is more maneuverable. Sawblaze lunges, corrals Ribbot, and runs them into the side of the box. They then land a hit that destroys Ribbot’s cover (cosmetic damage) but there’s also a slight spark. And Ribbot’s weapon is not moving, and they have started smoking.

Sawblaze wins another pushing war, pushing Ribbot into the side of the upper deck..and Ribbot is really smoking now. Sawblaze lands a shot that sends some metal flying off Ribbot. Sawblaze continues pushing Ribbot, and it is actually getting hard to see as smoke fills the box. But as we drop below 60 seconds the smoke is not alone. Flame is now coming out of Ribbot. Sawblaze pushes them onto the deck. Ribbot is able to get off but is still on fire. Sawblaze grabs Ribbot again and puts them back on the upperdeck. Ribbot moves to get off as time expires.

Props to Ribbot for being able to move the entire fight, but Sawblaze dominated this match. Ribbot never landed a blow and was overpowered in the pushing wars. And while Ribbot is technically faster Sawblaze was able to use greater mobility to control Ribbot. This should be an easy unanimous win for Sawblaze…and it is. Sawblaze goes to the finals for the first time!

Spoiler: Semifinal 2

Show

Copperhead (10) vs. Huge (6) I’m honestly not sure how this fight will go. Copperhead is certainly tougher, and it might be low enough that Huge has trouble landing blows. OTOH, if they can’t take out Huge’s wheels then they’ll have trouble scoring damage points. Huge will be relying on damaging the top of Copperhead. Both Captains are still amazed that they made the semifinals. Copperhead is going to spin in an opposite direction (downward) to see if he can get a “Huge” hit on Huge’s weapon.

Huge rushes Copperhead who dodges out of the way. Copperhead then charges into the center of Huge, causing our first weapon to weapon hit, which rocks Huge back. But a second hit knocks Copperhead back… and may have done more damage than apparent. Copperhead is crab walking. It looks like they’ve lost drive on the right side! Huge begans running back and forth over Copperhead, landing small shots but not getting solid connection. Then… the return of breakdancing? Copperhead gyros up onto their side. This seems like a horrible position. Huge rushes them and pushes them back into the wall despite one violent weapon to weapon hit. Copperhead comes back to horizontal… and is smoking. And for only the second time in Copperhead’s career their weapon appears to not be working. This is huge (pun intended)! Huge lands one more hit that slams Copperhead into the wall. Copperhead is not moving, so Huge backs off as they are counted out!

At the beginning of the season I had Huge on the cusp. They might or might not make the bracket, and I didn’t expect them to go far if they did. Well, let me be clear. I was WRONG! Huge has dominated opponents this season, now having 8 consecutive victories. Copperhead put on a good show, but the early loss of their drive spelled the death knell.

Spoiler: Final

Show

Sawblaze (8) vs. Huge (6) Look, I didn’t have either of these bots winning their quarterfinal matches. And now they ARE the finals. What will happen? Well, if Sawblaze can establish control then I think they’ll win. They are in a good position to push Huge around and their weapon is more likely to do damage than many others. OTOH< if Huge can keep facing them front on they can land shots to the top of Sawblaze. I THINK this will go to Sawblaze based on driving skills, but this bracket has shown I don’t necessarily know what I’m talking about. Interestingly, of the last 6 championships all were won by spinners. 5 of them were vertical spinners (Bite Force x3, End Game, Tantrum) and one was a horizontal spinner (Tombstone). Huge can keep that streak alive if they win. If Sawblaze wins it breaks a long streak of victorious spinners. Huge is going with their tougher wheels while Sawblaze has reversed one of their plows to create a “cradle” that they think will catch Huge’s blade. But Kenny notes that if they are wrong they will go flying. It’s an untested design.

Sawblaze does a box rush and slams into one of Huge’s wheels. But Huge pivots and launches an attack…and Kenny was right. Sawblaze is knocked back several feet and does a 360 in the air (so landing upright). Sawblaze tries to close to push Huge, but Huge is able to pivot and Sawblaze takes 1, 2, 3 more shots. The third knocking them several feet into the air. They bounce off their weapon on landing and end up upright. Sawblaze charges in again and Huge lands a blow that knocks Sawblaze up…and they come down on Huge! For a second they are hanging off the top of one of Huge’s wheels! Sawblaze pulls back but is obviously staggered, and their weapon has slowed down…or has it? They grab Huge and this time manage to push them into the rails. Their weapon spins up as they land a shot against Huge, and Huge is struggling to make sure a wheel doesn’t get stuck behind the rail. As they break free Sawblaze pushes Huge across the box, but Huge pivots and knocks Sawblaze back. Huge’s weapon may be damaged as it appears to be stopping easier and taking longer to spin back up.

Sawblaze has figured out their strategy. They are staying right in Huge’s face, keeping the weapon from spinning up. They push Huge into the rails then land a blow that knocks Huge up against the glass. They then take them across the box and up against the other side, landing two shots while they do it. Huge is unable to get space to spin up to full speed. Sawblaze continues pushing Huge around (landing the occasional shot) as time expires.

For the first minute of the fight Huge dominated. They were landing solid hits and Sawblaze seemed confused. But they quickly figured out how to stay close and jam up Huge’s weapon, and the last 60% of the fight was pretty much all Sawblaze. I think Huge can hold their head high, but I suspect the decision goes to Sawblaze based on control and aggression…but we have to wait. The judges go into the box to assess damage. So, this is going to be close! One thing they note is that someone lost a belt but they aren’t sure who. Turns out it was Huge’s belt. I think that will clench it for Sawblaze…and the unanimous decision goes to Sawblaze. For the first time in this iteration of the show a non-spinner has won the nut! Jameson is visibly crying and laughing at the same time. Huge is very gracious and when asked if they will appeal state that they think it was the correct decision. Hats off to them. They note later that Sawblaze cutting that belt cost them half their weapon power, which is why Sawblaze stopped being rocked by massive shots.

And thus ends another season. I hope you enjoyed reading the commentary as much as I did writing it. We’ll see you next time (Battlebot: Champions Season 2 to be precise).

[pendell]

Thanks for all your hard work on this , Tomandtish!

I haven't watched it yet; I'm disappointed to hear Ethan is down. While Riptide has earned a lot of negative points with me this year, I don't want to see them at anything less than their best in the competition. It doesn't feel right for the season villain to clock out of the tournament early because of illness.

UPDATE:

Minotaur vs. Sawblaze

Spoiler

Show

What a terrific fight this was! Both contenders went at it Hammer and Tongs.
Sawblaze set Minotaur on fire, but Minotaur retaliated by breaking Sawblaze's weapon
chain! Some truly spectacular driving by Daniel Freitas. The judges would have their work cut
for this one, but they are spared the trouble when after some 2:40 on fire, Minotaur's mobility finally surrenders and it is counted out.

THIS! Is what battlebots is all about.

Watching the replay, I can see how brilliantly Team Sawblaze drove this one. Minotaur had deliberately added additional top armour to protect against Sawblaze's weapon but they didn't have enough weight to armour the bottom half as well. Jameson took his time, lined up his shot, flipped Minotaur over, and expertly landed his shot with the blade just where the batteries were on Hydra. That one shot decided the match, although if Minotaur had just had a few more seconds of durability it would have gone to the judges and at that point it could go either way.

Well played, both teams! Really, this was worthy of a finals match. Two world-class drivers, two world-class bots, well worth the wait!

WINNER: Sawblaze (KO)

Huge vs. Witch doctor

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Johnathon Schutlz of Huge intends to break WD's weapon.
Mike Galletly, driver of WD, reminds us Huge is specifically designed to destroy robots like Witch Doctor, so this is a tough matchup for them. Their best bet is to go after Huge's wheels and use the arena's hazards. Let's see how it works.

It goes as Huge predicted pre-fight. Mike Galletly, who always argues that he doesn't want to go weapon-to-weapon, proceeds to do exactly that and gets his weapon disabled for his pains. After that it's all Huge's fight, who proceeds to rip off half of WD's top armor before the fight ends. It goes to the judges but , given how much damage WD has suffered, there's not much doubt.

Can anyone find a way to stop Huge this season?

WINNER: Huge (decision, 3-0)

Hydra vs. Ribbot

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My first thought is: How is this even a contest? Hydra's deadly against a bot like this and
Jake Ewert is a phenomenal driver. Let's see.

Ribbot proves me wrong; they have forks on the front to foil the ground game. Two minutes of samurai showdown standoff as each stares at the other, looking for an opening, until
Jake makes a driving error and Ribbot capitalizes, hitting Hydra repeatedly from the side until
it's disabled. Definitely earned that win, Ribbot! Congratulations!

WINNER: Ribbot (KO)

Riptide vs. Copperhead

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An inexperienced driver, Felix Jing vs. Copperhead? Doesn't look good for Riptide. Granted
he's a skills champion in lower brackets, it's still not the same with the heavyweight
'bots. Let's see how he does.

The entire stadium shakes with shouts of "COPPERHEAD!" before the match starts. It's pretty
obvious who the fan favorite is. Ethan needs to work more on PR and not just on his 'bot.

Copperhead's plan is to go weapon-to-weapon. Their weapon is extremely durable so they're betting they can break Riptide's weapon, then capitalize.

The fight starts and at first it looks like this is a mistaken strategy; Copperhead is bounced all over the arena but they do, indeed, eventually break Riptide's weapon, splittin their drum completely in half. It looks like it's all Copperhead's fight until one of their wheels falls off from the earlier collisions.

In earlier battlebots this would have been a KO for crab-walking. But with the changes to the rules the fight makes it to the judges as Copperhead, with crippled mobility, is judged against Riptide with the damaged weapon.

I have to give it to Copperhead, myself, but it was definitely a close fight.

And, win or lose, Felix has shown his skillz this year. I honestly don't see how the fight would have gone differently if Ethan was driving.

It's a split decision, which goes to Copperhead. Can Riptide appeal? Because now is definitely the time for it.

They do file an appeal which is what I would expect; it was close and they havve nothing to lose.

The review results in judge Derek, who voted for Riptide, changing his vote to Copperhead instead on the basis of aggression to make it a unanimous decision. Copperhead is on the way to the semis. Well fought, both teams!

WINNER: Copperhead (3-0)

SEMIFINAL A

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Sawblaze vs. Ribbot

Gotta be Sawblaze all the way. But Ribbot's surprised me once tonight.

They fight. They latch on and for 38 seconds the two bots spin in a tight circle, a dance, each afraid to stop lest the other one get a shot in. But eventually the spin breaks, Jameson out-drives the Ribbot team, lines it up and lands one of those precision shots which takes out the armour, disable's Ribbots primary weapon, and causes damage which eventually results in a fire! Ribbot burns for the match but remains mobile up to the point time expires, though Jameson demonstrates control by bullying it the entire time.

It goes to the judges, but not even the announcers can bring themselves to express any doubt as to the outcome.

WINNER: Sawblaze (3-0)

SEMIFINAL B

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Huge vs. Copperhead.

If Copperhead can't stop Huge no one can. The strategy is obvious. Go weapon-to-weapon, break Huge's weapon, then bully it for control for two minutes until the judges decision. Huge really doesn't have any way to stop this; it doesn't have enough maneuverability to stop copperhead doing what it wants to do, and while Copperhead probably can't stop Huge Copperhead will probably also dictate the pace of the match.

As it happens, Huge manages to hit one of Copperhead's drive chains, exposed and vulnerable, early. From this position Huge is able to exert control and the unthinkable happens: Copperhead's unbreakable weapon is broken! A few more hits and Huge manages to disable the
mobility as well. Copperhead is counted out. I don't think anything can stop Huge now.

WINNER: Huge (KO)

FINAL

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Sawblaze vs. Huge

I don't see how Sawblaze can do this. Huge will hit from the top; how will Sawblaze even hit
Huge from its angle?

Huge brings tougher wheels while Sawblaze has brought a "cradle" to trap Huge's weapon. Let's
see if it works.

Fight starts. Sawblaze gets bounced end over end three or four times but it tanks the hits, then closes to land hits. Its strategy pays off, trapping the blade of huge and landing critical strikes on Huge's bar. There is a little smoke, and it looks like Huge's weapon is inoperative at match's end. So it goes to the judges. But ... no, both weapons are still spinning and active at the end of the match.

I think I have to give control to Sawblaze and a minor edge in the damage category as well, with aggression split. So I call it for Sawblaze.

Betcha it's a split decision.

The judges step into the box to give a close examination and assess the damage.

And, one way or the other, both have decisively beat the vertical-spinner-plus-forks meta that has dominated the sport for the last few seasons.

Replay afterwards shows Sawblaze snapping the weapon belts of Huge with a precision shot. So I give the damage category to Sawblaze and remain on my call. But... let's see what the actual judges think. This is where they earn their money.

The judge's call it unanimously for Sawblaze! But surely it's not over yet? Huge has to appeal, right? Who wouldn't in their shoes?

They won't. Johnathon thinks it's the right call. He says "We would only be appealing if we'd
won. I think it was the right call."

Really decent moment for sportsmanship, but I'd have definitely appealed in their shoes. But
Jameson go is happy, and that makes it official!

WINNER: SAWBLAZE (3-0)
RUNNER-UP AND WINNER OF THE BRIAN P. SPORTSPERSONSHIP AWARD: Huge!

Terrific set of fights ! What a show! What a season! I already look forward to next year!

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[tomandtish]

Regarding the final...

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Not only do they think it is the right call, but since the verdict was unanimous they'd have to change two judges' minds. Since Kenny, Chris, three judges, you and I all think Sawblaze won it, it's probably better to go out with good sportsmanship rather than risk coming across like a complainer when there's no real valid reason to do so.