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

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default New Battlebots season

    So, Battlebots has a new season starting this Thursday. Based on their website it looks like there are 57 robots competing. Some thoughts on each of them. Lifetime record will be in a wins/losses/knockout format. Early speculation as to whether they will make the bracket or not. MY predictions are based on actual performance that I've seen, but i freely acknowledge that there are things the committee considers that I can't. Spoilered for space savings.

    Spoiler: Bots that should make the bracket (22)
    Show
    Black Dragon: 14/7/8. Egg beater type spinner. This is an extremely tough bot that often outlasts opponents through sheer toughness. Spent large parts of last season on fire but still had solid record. Should make the bracket.

    Blip: 6/1/5. A rookie flipper last year Blip is the little flipper that could. While substantially smaller in size than other flippers, it is extremely gifted. Unlimited flipping ability also helps. Only weakness is that it tends to lose low ground battles with other flippers. Should make the bracket.

    Bloodsport: 14/7/9. A horizontal spinner that has a variety of blades, including some that also act as top armor. Hits extremely hard. Should make the bracket.

    Cobalt: 8/6/7. A brutal vertical spinner, Cobalt has their blade on the top of their bot. When they get under someone and land a solid hit the results are catastrophic. Should make the bracket.

    Copperhead: 10/6/5. They use a drum spinner to deliver hard hits. Occasionally uses minibots that don’t normally do much, but the power of Copperhead’s hits usually make up for it. Should make the bracket.

    End Game: 18/9/16. With their brutal vertical spinner End Game has one of the most impressive records in the league. They were champions in 2020 and won the Battlebots: Champions tournament in 2022. Not only will they make the bracket but going into this season they are the bot to beat.

    Gigabyte: 13/10/12. A full body spinner capable of delivering a solid hit, but sometimes has clothing issues (the top dome has been knocked completely off on three separate occasions). Tends to make the bracket but usually doesn’t go far. I’ll predict the same here.

    Glitch: 7/1/3. Glitch and their eggbeater spinner are even more impressive than their record might indicate. They are extremely fast and maneuverable but did have some drive train issues. They won a bracket spot in 2021 but couldn’t repair damage fast enough to compete and had to withdraw. They should make the bracket.

    Hydra: 14/5/9. Hydra is probably the best flipper in the game at present. It can maintain low ground and can flip an unlimited number of times since it is hydraulic and not pneumatic. They should make the bracket.

    Hypershock: 17/13/15. For many seasons Hypershock and their vertical spinner were an “almost” bot. They almost made the bracket. They almost had a great season. But reliability invariably reared its head in time to end the season. However, in the recent Champions season they made the semifinals with an incredible showing. Assuming reliability doesn’t start glitching on them they should make the bracket.

    Jackpot: 6/4/5. Jackpot has a hard hitting vertical spinner and can deliver devastating hits. They lack a self-righter though which can cause serious problems. They’ll make the bracket but not go far.

    MadCatter (I’m NOT going to do the letter thing!): 11/7/10. Let me get this out in the spirit of honesty. I can’t stand martin Mason. The wrestler persona has always annoyed me, and I’ll be rooting for him to be eliminated quickly. But despite that their vertical spinner hits incredibly hard and they are a fairly fast bot. It’s an effective combination and I’ll be surprised if they don’t make the bracket.

    Minotaur: 19/9/13. A hard-hitting drum spinner, Minotaur has gone toe to toe with some of the best. Their driver Daniel Freitas is one of the best in the league. They should make the bracket.

    Ribbot: 14/6/13. Ribbot is hard hitting whether using a vertical or horizontal spinner (it can swap). While they often get stripped naked (losing the decorative cover) they can deal solid damage. They are also tough and had arguably the best comeback from near destruction to win of any bot (zombie Ribbot is a saying in our home. Should make the bracket. (My wife is a huge frog fan so I’m contractually obligated to root for them).

    Riptide: 6/2/5. Riptide’s egg-beater spinner delivers hard blows, and they drive well. I expect them to make the bracket.

    Rotator: 15/11/8. Rotator started as a dual horizontal **** spinner (top and bottom) but switched to single blade a few seasons ago. They deliver hard hits and won some upset (at the time) victories. They do seem to have problems closing the deal but should make the bracket.

    SawBlaze: 17/9/6. Sawblaze started with a rotating saw blade but switched to a hammer saw which is much more effective. They are aided by the fact that Jameson Go is one of the best drivers in the sport. However, they do seem to have trouble making it to the end. They’ll make the bracket.

    Shatter: 9/6/3. A hammer bot (more like a pick really), Shatter is an extremely mobile bot that can hit hard. One of the few hammer bots that actually do damage. They’ll make the bracket.

    Skorpios: 16/9/5. Skorpios uses a hammer saw to great advantage and is very maneuverable. They should make the bracket.

    Tantrum: 16/7/8. Tantrum started with a punching “fist” on an arm. It had difficulty making contact with opponets. But in 2021 after a switch to a small drum spinner on the punching arm Tantrum came on strong. They won the 2021 season and did extremely well in the Champions series. They should make the bracket.

    Whiplash: 21/8/9. Whiplash uses a lifter arm with a small vertical spinner on it. They are helped by the fact that Mattie Vasquez is one of the best drivers in the sport. They should make the bracket.

    Witch Doctor: 24/12/17. Witch Doctor is another “almost” bot, although in their case it’s literal. They’ve made the finals 3 times in the last 4 seasons (counting Champions as a season), but can’t close the deal. They will make the bracket.



    Spoiler: Bots on the cusp (10)
    Show
    Beta: 6/3/3. A hammer bot with a decent record but seems to have trouble closing the deal when it counts. Tossup whether or not they make the bracket.

    Deathroll: 6/2/5. Deathroll and their vertical spinner had a solid season in 2019, winning nearly every fight with a knockout. However, they haven’t competed since then so I’m putting them in the maybe category.

    Fusion: 4/5/4. Fusion is a dual spinner combo, with a horizontal blade in front and a vertical drum spinner in back. When it wins it tends to win solidly, but it sometimes seems to lack the power to be a true contender (doing two things OK instead of one thing well). I’ll put it on the cusp.

    Gruff: 6/10/4. A lifter/grappler with a flamethrower, Gruff is an almost bot. They ALMOST seem to have a victory, but then something happens. Despite looking impressive they have yet to have a winning season. I’ll put them on the cusp.

    Huge: 12/11/5. Uses a vertical bar spinner. Huge was an interesting design when it first came out and is in the top 3 in terms of size. However, the large wheels have not aged well and people have started getting more solid hits on the body. I’ll put them on the cusp.

    Lock-Jaw: 18/14/11. Lock-jaw and their vertical spinner are another almost bot, made worse by the fact that Donald Hudson is considered a legend in the sport. They start their seasons strong but almost invariably have reliability issues and begin losing. I’ll place them on the cusp.

    Mammoth: 8/11/6. Mammoth is a bit unique in that it’s a vertical arm flipper. It’s also probably the biggest bot in the competition in terms of size. But it is incredibly vulnerable to a fast moving spinner. I put them on the cusp.

    Monsoon: 6/5/3. A vertical bar spinner Monsoon is hard-hitting but has had reliability issues in the past. We last saw them in 2019 so I’m putting them in the cusp category.

    Quantum: 3/3/1. A crusher with piercing fangs Quantum had a decent rookie season in 2019… and we haven’t seen them since. Will put them on the cusp.

    Valkyrie: 15/10/10. Valkyrie is a horizontal spinner that suffers from durability issues. It will start strong but gradually starts losing fights as it breaks down. I’ll place it on the cusp.



    Spoiler: Bots that probably won't make it (12)
    Show
    Big Dill: 2/6/1. Classified as a lifter but also has a vertical spinner. Has had durability issues. Based on past performance not likely to make bracket.

    Captain Shrederator: 6/16/6. A full body spinner with serious reliability issues. When they win, it is a solid win, but they break down way too often. Opponents have actually planned their attacks under the assumption it will break down. Doubtful they will make the bracket.

    Claw Viper: 3/6/2. A lifter that has durability issues, Claw Viper seems to have problems working as a lifter. Has a hard time grappling and holding bots. Probably will not make the bracket.

    Free Shipping: 4/9/2. A lifter with a flame thrower Free Shipping is a bot that generates talk more for its builder/driver Gary Gin than its actual performance. Free Shipping spins a majority of its fights knocked over (or exploding in a ball of flame). Doubtful it will make the bracket.

    HiJinx: 5/6/4. A horizontal spinner that is positioned in such a way that they tend to have problems hitting anything. They have a long back “tail” that they use to get under opponents, but it also protects opponents from the blade. I’m doubtful they will make the bracket.

    Kraken: 5/15/0. Kraken is a grappler/crusher (fangs are intended to penetrate), but isn’t as effective as hoped. They tend to get shredded a lot, and have yet to actually have a knockout. I suspect they won’t make the bracket.

    Lucky: 6/11/4. Lucky is the annoying little brother of flipper bots. It lacks power so the flips aren’t dramatic, and it regularly seems to break after 2-3 hits. It won’t make the bracket.

    Malice: 6/7/3. Malice has an incredibly large horizontal drum spinner. It can deliver solid blows when everything works. However, it seems to get unbalanced way too easily, resulting in the blade completely stopping and having difficulty in getting up to speed. I suspect they won’t make the bracket.

    Overhaul: 3/11/1. A grappling bot that seems to have problems grappling. In the past it appears to have had difficulty grabbing other bots, and the arm seems to get damaged easily. Will not make the bracket.

    Rusty: 2/5/1. Arguably a hammer bot, Rusty is the bot on a budget. The total cost of the bot is less than most people spend on batteries. It’s cute, but almost completely ineffective. Will not make the bracket.

    Slammo: 2/6/2. A grappler robot that has never seemed particularly effective. Will not make the bracket.

    Switchback: 2/3/2. Switchback uses an egg-beater spinner on an articulated arm. The arm seems slow moving and doesn’t do a lot of damage as a result. Won’t make the bracket.



    Spoiler: Rookie bots (13)
    Show
    Banshee: New bot to this version of the competition. Classified as a flipper. Team has competed previously. No thoughts at present.

    Doom: New Bot. Has a vertical bar spinner (translation: hammer saw).

    Doomba: New bot. Uses a horizontal spinner. I assume the chainsaw on top is decoration.

    Double Tap: New bot. Uses a horizontal spinner.

    Dragon King: New bot. It has two vertical saw blades, a grappler, and is tracked instead of wheeled. My initial thought in looking at it? Looks like it might be trying to do too much, which may mean that it does none of it well.

    Emulsifier: New bot. Uses a vertical spinner.

    Horizon: New bot with two horizontal spinners. (For some reason the site calls them hammer saws but I don’t see any way for them to “hammer”. The two weapon focus tends to have a problem in that neither by itself is anywhere near as effective as one weapon getting all the power.

    Ominous: New bot with a drum spinner (looks more disk to me but OK).

    Riperoni: New bot. Appears to use a vertical disk spinner with a pepperoni pizza theme. The bot loks lopsided to me, with a wedge on the front left half, and the right half angled up about 30 degrees. Not sure what I’m actually seeing.

    Shreddit Bro: New bot with an egg-beater drum spinner.

    Starchild: New bot. They call it a “thwackbot”. Looks similar to Huge in basic shape but appears to have a vertical spinner on an arm rather than Huge’s bar.

    Terrortops: A new bot. Both a lifter and a grappler. I’ll make my obligatory comment that bots trying to do two different things seldom end up doing them well.

    Triton: New bot with a horizontal bar spinner. Honestly, if you just showed me a picture of the bot I’d wonder if it was a new form of Tombstone. Basic shape is very similar. Let’s see how it does.



    Spoiler: Noticable Absences
    Show
    Bite Force: Paul had posted that he was not competing until contracts improved for builders. Since we don’t see him this year I assume that hasn’t changed.

    Blacksmith: Blacksmith came back last event with a hammersaw and was actually looking pretty good. Not sure why they aren’t competing.

    DUCK: DUCK’s reimaging seemed to make it less effective than it was originally. Not surprised that they aren’t here.

    Ghost Raptor: With the exception of season 1 Ghost Raptor’s performance has been subpar at best. Not surprised they aren’t here.

    SMEEE: The biggest issue with SMEE was that it was basically two bots connected by a piece of metal. It therefore suffered all the weight problems caused by multi-bots AND lacked the maneuverability that a multi-bot setup might have. No surprise here.

    Tombstone (and Perfect Phoenix): Apparently Ray badly injured his hand last year. He has had at least 3 surgeries and may have to have others. And reading between the lines I expect Tyler isn’t allowed to go to Vegas without Ray along.


    You can find the listing of the bots here.

    The build rules and match rules are here.

    Of notable interest given some of the controversies the last few seasons was this:

    7.62: A Robot is considered Responsive if it can display some kind of noticeable translational or rotational
    movement on the Arena Floor. The Robot can use any combination of mobility and/or weapon systems for
    the movement, and the direction of movement does not have to be controllable.

    A whole-body spinner-type Robot that can only spin its shell and not noticeably change its position on the
    Arena Floor will be considered to be non-Responsive.
    If the Referees determine that a Robot is not Responsive, they will perform a 20-count. If, at the end of the
    count, the Robot is not able to move as described above, the Robot will be declared Incapacitated, and the
    competing Robot will be deemed the winner by KnockOut.
    Referees have the option of terminating a count early if a Robot or Multi-Bot is non-Responsive and in their
    opinion will not recover.

    Note that as written the marked part appears to indicate that ANY horizontal movement by a bot means it can't be counted out. This fixes one of the big complaints with matches.
    Last edited by tomandtish; 2023-01-04 at 10:28 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".

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Mar 2022
    Location
    GitP, obviously
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Quote Originally Posted by tomandtish View Post
    So, Battlebots has a new season starting this Thursday.
    Thanks for the breakdown of bots!

    I haven't been able to keep up with this in a long time, just periodic updates. I'll be attempting to maintain better in the future.
    Something Borrowed - Submission Thread (5e subclass contest)

    TeamWork Makes the Dream Work 5e Base Class Submission Thread




  3. - Top - End - #3
    Halfling in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jan 2023

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Same here. Thanks Animorte!

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

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Raleigh NC
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    This looks good. I can't follow as closely as I have in previous seasons because I have other commitments, but I'll be delighted to read about it here!

    Shame about Ray and his surgeries. I hope he recovers!

    Respectfully,

    Brian P.
    "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
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Well, sorry for the delay. Was down with pneumonia beginning the 6th and just got functional enough to do things. So, without further adieu…

    Week 1: We do get some interesting info at the beginning. Apparently it is 50 bots competing, not 57 (not sure why the site shows 57..maybe 57 applied?). Each bot will fight 4 matches, and the entire schedule is listed here, so you can see who your favorites are fighting. They also clarify that ANY movement means a bot can’t be counted out.

    50 bots times 4 matches equals 200 fights. They are showing 7 a night. Be curious to see how many we get to see. The website says this season runs 19 weeks. Take out 4 weeks for the bracket and assume 7 fights per normal season episode, and we should get to see about 105 of those fights (so about half).

    Spoiler: Ribbot vs. Witch Doctor
    Show
    Interesting to see who wins this one. Witch Doctor is always in the mix for the nut, but Ribbot has come on strong in the last few seasons. I’m rooting for Ribbot, but this could go either way, and will probably go to whomever lands the big hit first. Ribbot is using their vertical spinner for this fight. Witch Doctor has upgraded their weapon to max allowable speed.

    Both come out slowly but smoothly. There are a few light bumps in the center, and one knocks a piece of Ribbot’s front armor off. However, another hit also costs Ribbot a front tire. Witch Doctor takes quick advantage, pushing Ribbot around the arena and grinding away at their armor (I think Ribbot may have also lost a cable). Some more circling, and Ribbot finally zigs when it should have zagged. Witch Doctor sends them flying end over end, then closes and does it twice more. Ribbot’s cover is stripped away and they are struggling. Witch Doctor gets the other front tire and Ribbot collapses. They are showing no life t all and are counted out (and my wife has burst my eardrums).

    Well, it wasn’t the first big hit that decided it, but the first surgical hit. Once Ribbot lost the first tire it became a matter of time. Witch Doctor hits harder to begin with and the loss of mobility meant they could pick their shots.


    Spoiler: Quantum vs. Captain Shrederator
    Show
    Quantum is technically a grappler but has sharp fangs. CS is a full body spinner that never seems to be able to sustain a winning streak. They break down constantly and teams have started relying on them losing the ability to spin. They have added a wedge to their front to help get under bots.

    Quantum box rushes CS and misses. They quickly pivot however, and force CS into the side of the box. A quick grab and you can see Quantum’s fangs pierce the top of CS. They also push it under the pulverizer and land a few blows that way. A release occurs after 10 seconds, but Quantum quickly grabs CS again and inflicts more punctures while dragging them around the box. Rinse and repeat as Quantum grabs then twice more. CS finally gets free but appears unable to spin up. Quantum continues to drag CS around the box., and the latest bot causes some flame to briefly shoot from CS. Quantum backs off as CS stops moving and is counted out.

    Two things to take from this fight. First, Quantum shows what a control bot can do when it can stop a spinner from spinner. This was Quantum’s fight all the way with CS never spinning up to full speed (or any speed after the first two hits). Second, it is really time for Team CS to either scrap the bot or do a major redesign. This bot just doesn’t seem to work well enough to be a serious contender.


    Spoiler: Ripperoni vs. Gruff
    Show
    Gruff is a tough bot but one that seems to have problems closing the deal (6-10 lifetime). Ripperoni (Rip from now on) has a large vertical disk spinner counterbalanced by a flywheel. The bot also looks lopsided, as the right-side tire is at least twice the diameter of the left. And (needless to say) it is themed as a giant pepperoni pizza. Kenny comments that this bot could be a stroke of genius or a total disaster.

    Gruff starts wit ha box rush that knocks Rip end over end. They push Rip around for a few seconds, then Rip lands a big hit that knocks Gruff down, but something comes off Rip in the process. Rip lands a second hit that knocks Gruff for a circle….and as Rip scoots back it suddenly goes end over end again. It’s a lot like Uppercut in that it seems to unbalance easily, and then knocks itself around the floor. Gruff takes advantage by grabbing them and shoving them into a corner. A bit more pushing, and we realize that Rip has a bent front wedge. This appears to catch the floor and knock off their balance. Gruff adds to this as any hit by them seems to unbalance Rip and then their own weapon sends them flying. There’s about 40 seconds of this and then…

    Hey, wait a minute. When did this become the movie Breakin’??? Because that’s what happens. Rip is on their side (small tire down) and goes spinning on that tire across the box for a good 6-7 seconds. As they come down they begin smoking. For a small mercy, time runs out as we have our first judges’ decision of the night.

    This should be Gruff all the way… and it is. Rip landed a few hits but didn’t really inflict any damage. Meanwhile Gruff controlled most of the match. But Rip must do some recalculating on the forces affecting their bot, as their biggest opponent in the box was themselves. Still. A few props for making it the distance.


    Spoiler: Huge vs. Shatter
    Show
    Huge started as an interesting design and one of the biggest bots in the game but has had a hard time lately. Shatter was probably the first effective hammerbot in the current battlebots format but has some durability issues.

    Both bots come out quickly, but it is Huge that lands the first blow that knocks Shatter back. A second hit knocks Shatter end over end. Huge lands 3-4 more hits that each knock Shatter back and take of the ablative armor. Huge’s large wheels seem to be an advantage in this fight as they turn them into Shatter’s blows, so Shatter isn’t doing any damage. Huge continues landing hits and REAL armor is now coming off Shatter such that you can see their insides from a few angles. A final hit from Huge pushes Shatter onto the rails. They can’t move (and hammer doesn’t seem to be working either) and are counted out.

    This was Huge’s fight from start to finish. They never let up on the pressure and just flat wore Shatter down. While Shatter landed a few blows, most were against the wheels and did no appreciable damage. Huge was also able to keep their weapon spinning which meant that Shatter could never close without getting hit.


    Spoiler: Riptide vs. Glitch
    Show
    During the talk before Riptide/Glitch fight Kenny mentions that they have started polling the pit crews on who they think will win a given fight. Glitch is the favorite with 56.25% of the vote. It’s also noted that both bots shared Rookie of the year last time, and Ethan (Riptide) was apparently a bit upset about that.

    Both bots had excellent freshman records last season, although Glitch had tech issues and had to drop out of the round of 32. Apparently there may still be issues as Glitch only managed to pass the safety tests right before their fight. Not a good sign for the season. Still, both bots can land big hits, and this is another fight that will probably goes to who lands the first one. I’ll still say that Glitch is one of the prettiest bots out there. Incidentally, Glitch’s captain says they want to go weapon to weapon with Riptide… and Riptide’s captain says he expects a lot of jockeying for position since he thinks Glitch won’t want to go weapon to weapon, and they don’t either. Right before the fight starts Kyle (Glitch) calls “Weapon to Weapon?” to Ethan.

    Well, that didn’t take long. In fact, it’s going to take me longer to write this. Both bots come out and circle. But Glitch moves wrong and Riptide lands a massive shot that knocks them upside down. Glitch can’t self-right, but Riptide adds insult to injury by hitting them again and knocking them onto the upper deck (still upside down). Glitch is counted out.47 seconds, and you probably could have knocked off another 10 if Riptide hadn’t gone for the extra hit. They ay have shared Rookie of the Year, but Riptide made a statement.


    Spoiler: Free Shipping vs. Gigabyte
    Show
    Free Shipping (FS) has made some substantial changes. The large lifting system is gone and they’ve added a vertical spinner. They have kept the flame thrower. Gigabyte has added some teeth to their shell. Let’s see whose improvements make a bigger difference.

    FS comes out quickly, but Gigabyte already seems to have maneuvering issues as it bangs itself into the rails. FS begins slamming into Gigabyte who then bounces into the rails. There are then two big hits that send both bots flying, but still upright. However, FS recovers first and slams into Gigabyte. Gigabyte bounces upside down, breaks its self-righter arm and ….

    OK, apparently it’s a double feature tonight with Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo. For better than 20 seconds Gigabyte is spinning on the top of their broken spinner. It’s like watching an upside-down dreidel. FS eventually goes in for a few more hits, pushes Gigabyte under a pulverizer, and Gigabyte is counted out.

    Seriously, there appears to be an unannounced breakdancing competition here. That’s the second bot we’ve seen that spent a huge amount of time dancing for our entertainment. OTOH, Free Shipping’s new design makes it the most effective version of the bot we’ve seen in this itineration of the show. And snow that he can pair a weapon with his control driving we might see a bracket contender.


    Prior to the next fight they honor Tantrum (current nut champion) with their banner in the hall. All champions will have a banner hanging above the entrance. It’s one banner per bot so Biteforce has one banner with their 3 wins on it. Unveiling the banner will now become a regular part of the first episode of each season.

    Spoiler: Tantrum vs. Minotaur
    Show
    Tantrum is the reigning nut champion so let’s see how their first match as defending champions goes. Minotaur is in the same category as Witch Doctor as a bot that always loses right on the cusp of greatness. Minotaur is also bearing a huge grudge after the controversial call last season that gave Witch Doctor a victory.

    Tantrum tries a box rush but misses. They circle a bit as weapons come up to speed, then Tantrum hits minotaur a small shot. A second meeting results in minotaur going sideways for a second, but when they come down they are able to counter and knock Tantrum back. Both bots circle some more. Tantrum seems faster while Minotaur seems more maneuverable. And then Minotaur lands the first big hit, knocking Tantrum inverted. A second hit uprights Tantrum but also appears to knock off part of their up-righting arms. A third hit knocks off the rest of the arm, and after a brief pushing match Minotaur knocks Tantrum upside down again. Tantrum can’t self-right and is knocked out.

    A solid victory for Minotaur. Kenny was right in the middle of saying “we’re still waiting for that first big hit” when Minotaur delivered. It’s also Minotaur’s first first-fight win in 4 seasons. They should be solid contenders. And Tantrum fought well, and I suspect they’ll bounce back from this.



    Week 2

    Spoiler: Sawblaze vs. Hypershock
    Show
    SawBlaze is one of the dominant control bots in the sport, although their hammer-saw can do some decent damage. Hypershock is rapid unpredictable movement and a hard hitting vertical spinner. Kenny comments that this is order vs. chaos. In other news Will Bales (Hypershock) is now married and his wife is with him. SawBlaze notes that Hypershock doesn’t do well upside down so that is their goal. Hypershock states that they just need to be chaotic until they get an opening.

    Both bots rush each other and collide in the middle of the box. There’s some circling and pushing, then Hypershock lands the first big hit, knocking SawBlaze on their side for a second. However, as they close in again one of SawBlaze’s forks gets under Hypershock… and Hypershock’s own gyroscopic action inverts them. Advantage: SawBlaze.

    SawBlaze takes Hypershock for a tour of the arena, eventually slamming them into a wall. They launch their first hammer attack and shred one of Hypershock’s tires. Hypershock tries to limp away but SawBlaze corners them and demolishes another tire. At this point I’m not sure Hypershock is mobile anymore, but SawBlaze goes in for a third attack… and gets their hammer-saw stuck in Hypershocks underside (which has the great message of “SelfRight? More like SelfWrong” on it’s bottom. After a few attempts to separate the judges call a timeout. There’s a brief attempt by staff to break them free but they are unable to do so and the match goes to the judges. Our first timeout/stoppage of the season.

    Chris and Kenny wonder if SawBlaze should have gone for that last hit. I think they didn’t need it. But done is done. The judges have a unanimous decision for SawBlaze, which is not surprising at all. Later on we’ll hear that it took an incredibly long time and multiple prybars to separate the bots. Jameson and Will also have decided that if a babybot results from this loving embrace it will be called HyperBlaze.


    Spoiler: Emulsifier vs. Fusion
    Show
    Emulsifier is a rookie bot using a large vertical disk. It also runs on treads (2 parallel on each side). Fusion runs dual spinners (vertical and horizontal). Fusion’s biggest problem is that it consistently bursts into flames (60% of their fights so far). It’s apparently due to overheating weapon motors, and they claim to have fixed the problem by putting them above the horizontal spinner so it can double as a fan. Interestingly, the poll of the builders in the pits give it to Emulsifier at about 80% (so I suspect they are betting on flames as well).

    As both bots come out you can hear Fusion’s drum spinner getting up to speed. Emulsifier’s spinner (OTOH doesn’t seem to be getting much movement. Fusion lands the first hit that knocks Emulsifier upside down. As it rights Fusion lands another big hit. Emulsifies has finally gotten their weapon up to speed but can’t seem to close with Fusion to land a hit. This sets a pattern: Fusion will land a hit with their drum spinner, then while Emulsifier tries to recover Fusion will come in for a blow with the horizontal spinner. And it seems to be working like a charm. Emulsifier has lost wheels, and while it can drive upside it can’t launch an effective attack. And then…

    Kenny: “Fusion is looking durable and dangerous”. Just as he finishes that we see a spark (that I’m not sure Kenny or Chris could see), and then smoke starts coming out of Fusion. Queue the marshmallows. Fusion seems to be having difficulty moving as Emulsifiers lands their first hits of the match (small ones). And there’s the flames. An enterprising fan could have made money by bringing marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars. At this point neither bot has controlled movement and both drivers are asking for a count out of the other (which shouldn’t happen since they are technically moving). As time runs out and it goes to the judges Fusion bursts into more flames.

    I’m fairly certain how this should go. Fusion clearly dominated the first have of the fight, and even when Emulsifier started landing hits they didn’t do much. Unless they count Fusion’s fire as damage by Emulsifier this should be Fusion. While waiting for the announcement they show clips from their new thermal camera, and you can clearly see Fusion hitting up after they landed one of their big hits. Judges decision is unanimous for Fusion. Props to Emulsifier since their weapon kept spinning once they got it going.


    Spoiler: Valkyrie vs. Mammoth
    Show
    Mammoth is the biggest bot in the tournament and is more of a lifter than a flipper with the way their bar works. Valkyrie won most destructive in a previous season but can’t seem to turn that into wins that matter. Valkyrie also has a new captain (Lucy).

    Mammoth box rushes Valkyrie and successfully ties them up. Too successfully maybe as it appears one of Mammoth’s front forks has gotten stuck in a gap between the top of Valkyrie’s blade and the armor. For a bit we’re wondering if this was a second stoppage. But Mammoth chooses the moment wisely, breaks free, and lands a solid shot to Valkyrie. They then land a softer shot, but this seems to knock something loose. Mammoth is suddenly crab walking and the weapon doesn’t seem to want to move. Valkyrie fents in and when Mammoth tries to counter it digs the weapon into the floor, flips itself upside down, and literally falls apart. The weapon is in multiple pieces, they aren’t able to move, and as Valkyrie comes in for a hit Team Mammoth starts shouting “We’re dead! We’re dead”. Mammoth is counted out.

    This is one of those fights where someone lost rather than someone won. Valkyrie never got anything going and it appears Mammoth destroyed itself. It’s a win for Valkyrie but not going to impress judges.


    Spoiler: Whiplash vs MadCatter
    Show
    Assume my usual disclaimer about MC is in effect. Whiplash is a solid control bot with a small vertical spinner, while MC is capable of delivering solid blows. We also have Jameson Go (SawBlaze) as a guest announcer.

    Both bot come out quick and slam together in the middle of the box. You can hear MC’s spinner getting up to power, but Whiplash’s doesn’t seem to be working. They have several head to head collisions but neither is able to make solid contact. This lasts for 10-15 seconds. Then MC gets behind Whiplash and knocks them inverted. Whiplash self-rights but MC lands another large hit a few seconds later. MC grabs Whiplash, charges across the floor, and slams them into the rail of the upper deck. The resulting blow knocks Whiplash 12+ feet into the air and most of their guts fall out on the way down. Easily the best hit of the night so far. Whiplash isn’t moving and is counted out.

    Once MC landed the first hit it was a matter of time. Whiplash’s driving skills were never really on display, and I’m not sure their weapon ever started spinning. Solid victory by MC.


    Spoiler: Switchback vs. Banshee
    Show
    Switchback is a drum spinner on a rotating arm (front to back). They’ve made changes to make it more durable, as the bot never really did much last season. Banshee is a new flipper bot that looks a lot like Subzero (from previous seasons). It’s pneumatic so will only have about 15 flips.

    Banshee starts with a box rush but doesn’t make solid contact. Switchback seems to have maneuvering issues and appears to have a hard time going straight at first. They collide several times and at first it appears Banshee is winning the shoving war. But they can’t seem to get under Switchback. Switchback finally gets up to speed and lands several decent hits, including one that appears to bend the front of Banshee’s flipper. As it continues Switchback seems to have their arm stuck in forward position, but Banshee is still not able to get under them.. and it becomes moot when the entire front of Banshee’s flipper is knocked off. We continue in this manner, with Switchback landing minor blows (and smoking) while Banshee can’t get anything going. Time expires and it goes to the judges (first time Switchback has made it to a judges’ decision).

    This was a disappointing fight. Switchback never landed any great hits, but Banshee never got in a flip. It should be Switchback…and it is. It’s a win, but not an impressive one.


    Spoiler: Hijinx vs. Big Dill
    Show
    Hijinx is an interesting design for a horizontal spinner, using a long tail to get under people. However, it also seems to limit their functional striking ability. Big Dill has made modifications for the season so they can use a vertical spinner… but aren’t using it this fight so they’ll just be a lifter with a big front wedge. Neither bot has a particularly impressive history.

    Big Dill tries the box rush but Hijink is fast enough to get out of the way. Unclear what happened, but suddenly Big Dill’s lifter appears tuck open. They ram Hijink into the rail and invert them, which actually isn’t the best idea with this bot. Hijinx now has a lot more cutting area, and their blade is now at the height to inflict serious damage on Big Dill’s lifter. Big Dill tries to creep up on Hijinx and loses some small pieces of the lifter as a result. They come together again, and both bots appear to suffer. Big Dill has mobility issues while Hijinx’s weapon isn’t spinning. Big Dill tried to push Hijinx around but the stops. Hijinx uses the rails to get right side up.. as Big Dill burst into flames. They only last a few seconds, but Big Dill is obviously incapacitated and counted out.

    Second match that wasn’t all that entertaining. No big hits, no major damage (until the flames at the end) and as usual Hijinx did its best work upside down. Like last match, it’s a win but not an impressive one.



    Spoiler: End Game vs Blip
    Show
    End Game is the current Golden Bolt winner and a previous Giant Nut champion. Their bot hits hard and they are good at wining the low game. They are still the bot to beat. Blip is a flywheel spinner that has a ton of power. They had an impressive season last year but do run into problems when they lose the low ground war. Both bots are using piano key wedges on their front end, so that damage to one doesn’t impact the entire front of the bot.

    Both bots come out very slowly, and it is apparent that they are both having issues with the floor. But when they do close together End Game wins the low ground battle and knocks Blip back several feet. Blip tries and counters. He has an excellent opportunity when End Game’s gyroscopic action creates a gap on the right side but Blip misses the shot. They do pin End game against the wall for a 10 second breather. When they pull back End Game counters quickly and a shot knocks Blip inverted. End game lands two more soft hits then Team Blip use their pulverizor to good advantage to gain time to self-right.

    We have a third hit (and a big one) as Blip charges in and runs up on End Game’s wedglets. Blip gets knock 8-9 feet in the air. Blip manages to self-right. End Game comes in for another hit… and their weapon stops. I don’t mean slows down. I mean goes from full force to dead still in a second. This is a big opportunity for Blip… who can’t capitalize. It’s become a pushing war and End Game dominates the control. This match suddenly becomes boring as we spend the last minute with End Game pushing Blip around the box, never really getting a good crash but controlling the pace of the match. We go to judges.

    This was another disappointment. While there were one or two good hits by End Game, it spent the last minute as just a pushing match. End Game wins damage and control, but more importantly Blip never launched a flip on End Game. All their flips were self-righting. Should be an easy decision for End Game.. and it is.


    And that catches us up. See you next week.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

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

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

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Week 3

    Spoiler: Cobalt vs. Deathroll
    Show
    Cobalt is a brutal vertical spinner that has one of the most devastating kills ever against Ghost Raptor last year. Deathroll has been on the shelf since 2019. They were decent, but not great back then. Smart money is on Cobalt. Deathroll is using no forks, so I’ll be curious to see how that works.

    Deathroll comes out with a box rush… that backfires spectacularly. Cobalt spins up really fast and the resulting collision sends Deathroll head over heels. Deathroll is staggering and Cobalt quickly lands another hit that while not as impressive still sends Deathblow into the air. Deathroll bounces, hits the screws, and is now on the upper deck.. and immediately bounces off. They are still uncontrolled as Cobalt corners them, lands 2 more hits (plus two hits from the pulverizer). Amazingly Deathroll is trying to self-right but can’t pull it off and is counted out.

    An impressive victory for Cobalt. They controlled the match from start to finish and Deathroll never landed a shot. Cobalt should easily make the bracket if they keep this up.


    Spoiler: Claw Viper (Claw) vs. Ominous
    Show
    Claw has redone their grappling arm so that they can’t do the suplex anymore. Apparently that was an unintentional consequence of not having a limit on the arm, and bots would end up behind them and get a free shot. Claw can also accelerate from 0-20 in .5 seconds, so they claim to be the fastest bot out there. Ominous uses the omnidirectional wheels (think Glitch) and has a vertical spinner. It’s a pretty bot. Claw Viper may be faster, but I suspect Ominous is more maneuverable. Incidentally, the vote in the pit goes to Ominous at 68%.

    Holy Crap, Claw is fast! It’s across the ring in almost literally “don’t blink” speed. They miss contact but quickly chase Ominous down and begin backing them into a corner. Ominous gets squared up and makes contact, but the blow sends Ominous back and on its head instead of Claw. Claw grabs Ominous and takes them for a ride, then puts them in the screws. Claw stays on top of Ominous, who can’t seem to get anything going offensively. Claw is just too fast. Claw grabs them and shoves them into the rails (knocking down a Battlebots sign), then takes them across the box and back onto the upper deck. Ominous gets off but is immediately shoved into one wall and then a second. This second move is the end as Ominous is standing on end. Their wheels aren’t touching anything, and their lifter is in the wrong position to assist. They are counted out.

    Well, I was certainly wrong. Apparently enough speed counters maneuverability. Claw Viper ran circles around Ominous, while Ominous spent most of the fight like a deer in headlights. Later, they show a clip of the fight and you’d swear the footage is sped up. Claw is certainly a contender for the bracket, while we’ll have to wait to see how Ominous does against someone they can touch.


    Spoiler: Bloodsport vs. Copperhead
    Show
    Two vicious spinners here. Bloodsport is a horizontal spinner that has had a major redesign, including putting their weapon motor on top (looks a bit like Icewave). Copperhead is a brutal drum spinner that does well initially but seems to die in the bracket. I have no clue who is going to win this, but I suspect it will be brutal.

    Both bots come out slowly, taking time to get up to speed. You can hear the buzz of Copperhead’s spinner. They come together… and WOW! Bloodsport goes flying back in pieces. They are upside down, on fire, and their self-righting arm is nowhere near the bot. Bloodsport is counted out.

    On replay, you can see that Copperhead’s hit was so powerful that Bloodsport’s self-righting arm came off in mid air although it WASN’T TOUCHED by Copperhead’s weapon. The amount of force transferred through the bot was enough to break it off. This isn’t the most destructive hit we’ve seen, but it is certainly one of the fastest kills (although the ref waits an unusually long time to start counting). Copperhead is bracket bound.


    Spoiler: Lockjaw vs. Malice
    Show
    Lockjaw has had a bit of redesign. They have a large plow on the back end, and their tires are more angled than they were previously. Malice has the huge horizontal drum spinner that has consistent problems staying up to speed. Incidentally Bunny and teammate David got married during the off season. Smart money is on Lockjaw.

    Lockjaw pulls off a successful box rush with the plow and jams Malice up against the wall. He continues to ram his plow into malice’s weapon and is keeping it from spinning up while he also wins the pushing war. Interestingly, Lockjaw seems to not be moving as smoothly as they did in the past. The tires seem to be making less solid contact with the floor and one looks damaged (although I don’t know why). After some more shoving he then goes weapon to weapon. There are three decent hits that rock malice back. They continue to push and shove, with Lockjaw alternating between weapon and plow. Malice has launched a few small hits but can’t seem to land a solid blow. Malice’s weapon has stopped spinning (typical), but so has Lockjaw’s. And Lockjaw is now smoking a bit (also typical). Lockjaw also seems to be having more tire issues as three seemed damaged despite no hits. They push each other around until time runs out.

    It should be a victory for Lockjaw, and it is (unanimous). But looking long-term I think both bots need work. Malice still can’t keep their weapon up to speed. But Lockjaw began smoking again and their tires seemed to be getting damaged solely by contact with the floor. I suspect Malice won’t make the bracket, and if Lockjaw does make it I suspect they’ll be out early.


    Spoiler: Triton vs. Lucky
    Show
    Lucky is a flipper bot that has been a poor man’s cousin to Bronco for most of their career, although they have had a few win streaks. Triton looks like Tombstone on steroids. The frame is bigger, and they are running an 80 pound horizontal spinner that is about as long as the body of the bot. Triton is by the same team that ran Deep Six, and they seem to be using the same strategy, except horizontally instead of vertically.

    Lucky looks like it is going to box rush, but then pulls up. Triton has started spinning, but I’m not sure how well as I can still see the blade. Lucky rams their big wedge into Triton and Triton is knocked back a bit. Lucky then gets under Triton, pushes them into the screws, then flips them. Triton escapes and lands a hit.. that doesn’t do much. Lucky pushes them around some more, Triton lands another hit that doesn’t do much… and then Lucky lands a hit that puts Triton on its side against the rails. Triton can’t move (and is smoking) and is counted out.

    It’s a victory for Lucky, but I still want to see more from them before getting behind them. Triton’s weapon seems to lack the speed to deal solid hits as none of their blows did significant damage or airtime. It’s a win, but not an impressive one (IMHO).


    Spoiler: Jackpot vs. Skorpios
    Show
    Jackpot is a vertical spinner that has never lost a regular season match (2 previous seasons) but always dies in the bracket. They’ve apparently added on a new lifter/self-righter and are running a minibot as well. Skorpios is a hammersaw with a tough wedge with new armor. Interestingly, they’ve never lost a judges’ decision.

    The bots circle (and Skorpios lands a shot on the minibot) then come together. Skorpios wins the shoving war and pushes Jackpot against the upper deck rails. Weapon contact is made, and Jackpot is knocked upside down. Skorpios launches their hammersaw into Jackpot’s underbelly, but then Skorpios starts smoking. They back off as it becomes apparent that jackpot’s new self-righter isn’t working. Jackpot is counted out and Skorpios kills the minibot (the best hit of the fight) as the count finishes.

    Honestly this is one of those fights that’s quick enough it is hard to judge how good the bots are. Skorpios may have knocked Jackpot over but it wasn’t a huge hit. And Jackpot obviously needs to take their self-righter back to the drawing board.


    Spoiler: Rotator vs. Hydra
    Show
    Rotator is a horizontal spinner that has mastered the art of leading with their rear wedge then pivoting to hit with the spinner. They were apparently having remote control issues earlier but managed to get them worked out just in time to fight. Hydra is the current king of flippers and is run by jake Ewart, the current
    “bad boy” of battlebots. He’s had some reliability issues in the past but is a devastating flipper when everything works. The ceiling in the battlebox is 16 feet high, and there’s a consensus that it’s a question of “when” rather than “if” Hydra launches someone into it. The builder poll has Hydra as a 3 to 1 favorite (I’m not sure why they don’t show this every fight).

    Hydra comes out quickly but hangs up for a second on the floor. This allows Rotator to get up to speed. They circle for position and then Hydra gets under Rotator and flips them up against the rail. Rotator works loose and is able to get under Hydra but can’t capitalize. Hydra then gets under Rotator and launches them 7-8 feet in the air and into the corner. They quickly get under Rotator again and launch them 12 feet into the air against the side of the box. They then launch two more smaller flips, then a huge one that misses the lights by inches (call it 14 feet, and that’s verified after the match). Incredibly Rotator is still running and spinning, but they can’t catch their breath long enough to get anything started. Hydra corners Rotator in the short corner and launches two more flips (both relatively small). But the second ends with Rotator’s forks hung up on the side rails with their wheels not touching the floor. Jake smirks as Rotator is counted out.

    Like Jake or hate him, Hydra is one of the serious threats of this tournament. Rotator never got anything going, largely because Hydra controlled the tempo and never let up. I suspect Rotator will bounce back, but the only question for Hydra is where in the bracket they will be located.


    Kenny presented his top 16 power rankings so far at the end of the episode. First number is the current ranking, while second is where he had them at the beginning of the season.

    Spoiler: Rankings
    Show
    End Game 1 (1)
    Witch Doctor 2 (3)
    Sawblaze 3 (4)
    Hydra 4 (5)
    Minotaur 5 (6)
    Cobalt 6 (12)
    Tantrum 7 (2)
    Riptide 8 (13)
    Hypershock 9 (8)
    Madcatter 10 (20)
    Copperhead 11 (18)
    Skorpios 12 (15)
    Blip 13 (10)
    Whiplash 14 (7)
    Ribbot 15 (11) (my wife is furious)
    Glitch 16 (9)



    See you next week.
    "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
     
    Lizardfolk

    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    So it seems like redoing the floor has had an odd effect. The floor has been catching tines so much that hydra reduced the length of theirs and other bots are noticeably less tiney then in the last season, which is the opposite of what I believe they were hoping for.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
    Vibranium: If it was on the periodic table, its chemical symbol would be "Bs".

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Raleigh NC
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    FYI, Judge Lisa Made a video explaining how judging works. It's well done and only ten minutes.

    Respectfully,

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

    -Valery Legasov in Chernobyl

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

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Part of that may be floor changes, but Hydra has consistently had problems catching on the floor. The low ground battle is a constant balance between low enough to get under your opponent, and not so low that you snag on the floor. Hydra, End Game, and several other bots consistently push to the edge 9and sometimes over).

    Week 4: Every match contains two bots with the exact same record so far this season.

    Incidentally, if anyone is reading this please comment. Otherwise I’ll probably stop. (Thanks TvTyrant)

    Before the first match we have an “ad” to rescue minibots from harms way. 555-BOT-Save. Think of every animal rescue or hungry child ad you’ve seen. It’s along those lines.

    Listed record does NOT include the fight I’m discussing.

    Spoiler: Black Dragon (BD) 0-0 vs. Monsoon 0-0
    Show
    BD is one of the toughest bots in the league. On three separate occasions it has been on fire for more than half the match but managed to make it to the end. In fact, they’ve had 21 previous fights and have NEVER been knocked out. All their losses have been judges’ decisions. Monsoon is making its first appearance since season 4. We’ll see if they are able to keep up.

    Both bots come out fast, circle once to let spinners get up to speed, and then collide. Monsoon comes off worse and is knocked back several feet…. Except maybe I spoke too soon. As they circle BD seems to be having mobility issues, which allows Monsoon to get behind them and knock them inverted. BD’s weapon has topped working as well. Monsoon closes and lands two more solid hits which send pieces flying off BD. A third hit and then a fourth send BD flying. It lands right-side up… and their weapon seems to be working again. They quickly hit Monsoon to knock them back and gain some breathing room. Kenny speculates that BD may have ben modulating their weapon as it spins up, slows down, and repeats. Monsoon’s weapon apparently stopped after their last hit. BD is chasing Monsoon, but Monsoon avoids until they zig instead of zagging. The hit sends Monsoon several feet into the air and across the box, although they are still upright and maneuverable. A second hit by BD knocks them inverted. Monsoon has no self-right and is counted out.

    A lot of action for about 2 minutes. Monsoon clearly dominated the first half of the fight, but the winner is the one standing at the end. BD racks up their first win of the season and Monsoon is now in the hole at 0-1. During a segment near the end of the show we find out it was a closer match than we realize. BD shows a piece of armor with a gouge through it that missed their weapon motor by less than an inch.



    Spoiler: Emulsifier 0-1 vs. Malice 0-1
    Show
    Both bots are coming off opening losses, although Emulsifier went the distance with Fusion (not bad for a rookie). Malice needs a win here to have any shot of making the bracket, and according to Kenny their overall performance is bad enough that they might not qualify for next season’s tournament.

    Both bots come out very slowly to let their weapons spin up. After a few seconds they meet face to face. There’s a lot of sparks but not much damage as they separate. That changes with the second meeting where Emulsifier sends Malice up and away. Malice lands but part of their front bracket is now perpendicular to the ground. Some major (and highly visible) damage. Emulsifier launches a third hit.. and Malice is hung up on a pulverizer that was apparently on its way down. Meanwhile recoil has knocked Emulsifier inverted (they can still move). While trying to self-right Emulsifier bumps Malice and knocks them off the pulverizer. Malice is now free and mobile, and Emulsifier is upright… and isn’t moving. Malice is technically moving (circles only) but Emulsifier can’t get moving again and is counted out.

    Definitely a case of Emulsifier lost instead of Malice winning. Something happened during the recoil of one of their shots and it apparently stopped them from moving. Chris comments that in previous seasons this would have been a double knockout. It’s a win for Malice (now 1-1), but not an impressive one. Meanwhile Emulsifier is probably the most impressive 0-2 bot out there.



    Spoiler: Overhaul 0-0 vs. Starchild 0-0
    Show
    Overhaul is a grappler that tends to run middle of the pack. Starchild looks like a cross between Huge and Sawblaze. The team calls it a “thwackbot” It moves like Huge, but when attacking the whole bot pivots to bring down what looks like a hammersaw. The weapon hits harder than Huge’s but requires better aim. To me it appears that Starchild is big enough that Overhaul might have grappling issues. Let’s see how it works out…

    So apparently I was wrong. Both bots come out slow. Starchild misses a shot and Overhaul gets completely underneath them and is able to pick them up a bit. With Huge the spinning bar would have prevented this, but Overhaul has found a blind spot. There’s some more circling, Starchild lands a hit that doesn’t do much damage, then Overhaul grabs them and pulls them around the arena for a bit. This is how it goes foe a while. Starchild will fire a shot that either misses or does no apparent damage. Overhaul will grab Starchild and carry them around a bit. Finally Overhaul grabs Starchild and drags them into the screws. Starchild breaks free but after some more circling Overhaul grabs Starchild. This one backfires as Starchild is somehow able to suplex overhaul. Overhaul does seem to have driving issues and most of its movement is circular. But time runs out.

    I suspect this will go to Overhaul. Other than the driving issue Overhaul took no real damage (replay shows it may have been the kill saws that did the damage). Meanwhile Overhaul dominated control and aggression. And Overhaul wins with a unanimous decision. Starchild is an interesting design, but they either must start landing shots faster or do something about the large blind spot directly beneath them.


    For this next fight Adam Wriggly (Team Shatter) is a guest analyst. I suspect this may be a new thing.

    Spoiler: Gruff 1-0 vs. Quantum 1-0
    Show
    Gruff is an extremely tough bot that can never seem to catch a break when it counts. To deal with Quantum they have added a “bit” to the front of their lifter arms. The plan is to shove it into Quantum’s moth to keep them from biting. They’ve also put on some raised side armor to keep from being grabbed on the side. Quantum is a crusher bot with sharp steel fangs. To maximize penetration power, they are going with one tooth instead of two.

    Quantum comes out quickly but Gruff seems sluggish. Quantum circles then grabs Gruff by the side armor. This may have been a miscalculation on Gruff’s part. The side armor protects the rest of the bot but gave Quantum an easy grab location. Quantum takes Gruff for a ride and slams them into the upper deck rail. Gruff breaks free but Quantum is right back on them. A second ride ensues, ending when Quantum rams them into the upper deck screws. This time they can push Gruff onto the deck. Gruff seems to be having maneuverability issues and backs off the deck. Quantum is quick to strike again and after a few minor exchanges grabs Gruff and heads to the side of the box…and stops dead. Somehow Quantum snagged something on the floor that brought them to a dead stop. Gruff is flung free. Quantum is moving but seems a little more cautious. Meanwhile Gruff is definitely having drive issues, and something on the bottom of the bot is leaving clear scuff marks on the floor. As they close again Gruff tries to use their lifter on Quantum but miss. Quantum capitalizes and fir the first time sinks their fang into Gruff’s central body. They then take Gruff on another tour of the floor. As they release Gruff is visibly smoking (and not from their flamethrower). Quantum slams them into the side of the box then grabs. This time the side armor bends enough that Quantum passes it and sinks into the side of the body. Gruff isn’t moving except for its lifter and is counted out with 7 seconds remaining.

    Sometimes you make changes for a specific opponent and they work. This was not one of those times. The bit on the lifter arms did no good at all, and the side armor simply gave Quantum something to grab. Quantum dominated in all categories. They go to 2-0 and Gruff is 1-1.


    Spoiler: Kraken 0-0 vs. Beta 0-0
    Show
    Kraken has had a major overhaul. Instead of the crushing jaw with two fangs, the jaw has 10 smaller teeth (5 to a side) and a hammersaw in the tip of the nose. We’ll see how well this new combo works. But looking at some test box footage the jaw seems to lack speed. We also learn that Kraken has never KO’d an opponent. Beta is a hammer bot that gets a bit more praise than it deserves. They are using a very thin hammerblade. Only about an inch thick from the look? So, a massively redesigned bot vs. a mediocre bot. No clue who to bet on.

    Both bots come out and meet in the center. Kraken’s blade raises some sparks off Beta’s armor while a blow from Beta misses. Right away I can tell that Kraken is going to use this as a sawblade, not a hammer saw. There’s no arm speed for hammer strikes. And just as I say that there’s a massive quick strike from Kraken that knocks off all the armor on one side of Beta. Wow that was a hit! Beta isn’t moving and might be hung up on the floor. Kraken comes in and lands another blow which frees up Beta. But Beta does not seem to be moving well. We wonder if the hammer works and it does with a miss. Kraken comes in for a hit.. and Beta’s hammer comes right down on Kraken’s blade which stops rotating! Kenny and Chris are excited… until they notice that Beta’s hammer is bent 45 degrees off center. But it still works as Beta and kraken close and each start smashing the other. They then circle and each lands one more hit as time expires.

    Not sure how to call this. I’d say Kraken won, but Beta had some shining moments later on. Let’s see how they go… and it is a unanimous decision for Kra… WHAT? BETA?!? I’m not sure I agree with that one, but I guess they saw something I didn’t. Beta goes to 1-0 while Kraken is 0-1.


    Spoiler: SHREDDIT BRO (SB) 0-0 vs. Horizon 0-0
    Show
    Two more rookie bots. SB is run by the guy who ran Pain Train a few seasons ago. It’s a big vertical drum spinner. We’ll see if this bot is any better, as Pain Train was 1-5 lifetime (and the 1 was against SMEEE). A three-pound version of SB has won a beetle weight tournament. Horizon is a bit interesting. Looks like a more solid version of SMEEE. It has a wide and narrow body (5 feet) with horizontal spinners at each end. The middle is shorter than SMEE and more solid, but I still expect we’ll see the same problem. With a bot that long it’s almost the same as running two separate bots. And while SMEEE was intended to wrap around their opponents (in theory anyway) I’m not seeing a way for this bot to do that.

    Both bots come out slowly while waiting to spin up to speed. SB gets there first, while it appears to be taking an incredibly long time for Horizon to get going. They finally close and SB lands two… love taps is the best word for them. They do nothing. The bots then bump into each other. Both have problems as any contact stops their spinners. SB also now seems to have maneuvering issues and is stuttering. We see a clearer sign of this when their weapon starts generating sparks off the floor. Clearly too low to the ground. Meanwhile Horizon has only one spinner working but manages to spin in on SB’s backside and shred a tire. But both bots continue circling… until Horizon swings the end with the working spinner into Horizon’s spinner. The resulting recoil knocks across the box and it hangs up on a rail for a few seconds before getting loose. Both bots circle (not sure if SB can do anything else) and then Horizon goes in and gets the weapon on one end stuck on a front corner of SB. Neither can move but we run out of time anyway.

    Honestly this felt like watching two 5 year-olds fighting… blindfolded. Both bots had movement issues from the beginning, neither could keep weapons at speed (and Horizon lost one) and the two decent hits both seemed to be more an issue of bad timing rather than skill. SB gets the unanimous win but I suspect both bots are in for a rough time.


    Spoiler: Whiplash 0-1 vs. Hypershock 0-1
    Show
    Both bots have good drivers and wildly differing strategies. Whiplash is much more about control while Hypershock is chaotic carnage. Looking at the numbers Hypershock wins weapon energy 2-1 and armor 2-1 while they have roughly equivalent drive train power. Both bots were simply outdriven in their opening matches.

    Whiplash comes out with a box rush but Hypershock dodges. They then circle for a few seconds while each tries to get the right attack angle on the others. Hypershock rushes in.. and is inverted by Whiplash’s lifter arm. While they can run inverted it’s not a smooth run and their weapon becomes much less effective. Hypershock tries to self-right against the upper deck and instead gets pushed by the screws onto the deck. They drive off (still inverted) still inverted and slam into Whiplash a couple of times. Whiplash pushes back and accidentally pushes Hypershock right side up. Hypershock capitalizes quickly, getting under Whiplash twice and knocking them back both times. More hits and Whiplash is in a corner. Hypershock goes in and gets a fork stuck under the side rail. Fortunately for them Whiplash hits them and knocks them loose. Hypershock knocks Whiplash to the center of the box, goes in again, and suddenly Whiplash’s guts are hanging out and it is smoking. I suspect it is repeated damage as the last hit didn’t look that tough. (Replay after the fight shows that while Whiplash was flipping over Hypershock’s weapon made contact with the top of Whiplash and cut it open). Whiplash is immobile and counted out.

    First half of the match was all Whiplash, and there were two significant errors: pushing Hypershock back right side up and knocking them loose from the rail. Kenny and Chris think it was intentional, but I’m not so sure. Either way it cost them the match and they are now 0-2.

    See you next week.
    Last edited by tomandtish; 2023-01-29 at 03:03 PM.
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  10. - Top - End - #10
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Quote Originally Posted by pendell View Post
    FYI, Judge Lisa Made a video explaining how judging works. It's well done and only ten minutes.

    Respectfully,

    Brian P.
    Thank you. I do like this, yes.

    Quote Originally Posted by tomandtish View Post
    The low ground battle is a constant balance between low enough to get under your opponent, and not so low that you snag on the floor.
    Been getting worse over the years. The floor is also your enemy. Speaking of which, what are the rules on flying bots?

    Week 4: Every match contains two bots with the exact same record so far this season.
    I do prefer this setup.

    Before the first match we have an “ad” to rescue minibots from harms way. 555-BOT-Save. Think of every animal rescue or hungry child ad you’ve seen. It’s along those lines.
    That's actually quite adorable.

    Incidentally, if anyone is reading this please comment. Otherwise I’ll probably stop. (Thanks TvTyrant)
    To this, I absolutely am reading. I genuinely appreciate your effort and detail. It especially helps when I can't catch any of the matches myself. And even when I can, I still like to compare notes, whether or not I have the time to write them in.
    Something Borrowed - Submission Thread (5e subclass contest)

    TeamWork Makes the Dream Work 5e Base Class Submission Thread




  11. - Top - End - #11
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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    So the rules won't count someone out for crab-walking any more? I guess this is fallout from the Witch Doctor-Minotaur controversy last year where Freitas insisted he'd been robbed because they didn't count WD out?

    Respectfully,

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

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    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Quote Originally Posted by animorte View Post
    Been getting worse over the years. The floor is also your enemy. Speaking of which, what are the rules on flying bots?
    Thanks for the response. Technically nothing bans flying bots, and occasionally someone will use a flying minibot. it's very rare that a minibot makes any real difference. I can only remember one match where a minibot played a significant role. It (a floor bot)managed to get completely under the other bot and high center it so the other bot couldn't move and took some shots. But part of the problem is that I doubt you could put together a 250 pound flying bot that actually had an effective weapon. Most flying bots use flame throwers and are just there to look cool.

    Quote Originally Posted by pendell View Post
    So the rules won't count someone out for crab-walking any more? I guess this is fallout from the Witch Doctor-Minotaur controversy last year where Freitas insisted he'd been robbed because they didn't count WD out?

    Respectfully,

    Brian P.
    They never say it is specifically because of that fight, but is almost certainly because of it and a few others. And yeah, any horizontal movement counts as movement. So you could be doing nothing but spinning in a circle and you won't be counted out. Which makes sense to me. it removes the subjectivity of what is and isn't controlled movement.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Quote Originally Posted by tomandtish View Post
    Part of that may be floor changes, but Hydra has consistently had problems catching on the floor. The low ground battle is a constant balance between low enough to get under your opponent, and not so low that you snag on the floor. Hydra, End Game, and several other bots consistently push to the edge 9and sometimes over).

    Week 4: Every match contains two bots with the exact same record so far this season.

    Incidentally, if anyone is reading this please comment. Otherwise I’ll probably stop. (Thanks TvTyrant)

    Before the first match we have an “ad” to rescue minibots from harms way. 555-BOT-Save. Think of every animal rescue or hungry child ad you’ve seen. It’s along those lines.

    Listed record does NOT include the fight I’m discussing.

    Spoiler: Black Dragon (BD) 0-0 vs. Monsoon 0-0
    Show
    BD is one of the toughest bots in the league. On three separate occasions it has been on fire for more than half the match but managed to make it to the end. In fact, they’ve had 21 previous fights and have NEVER been knocked out. All their losses have been judges’ decisions. Monsoon is making its first appearance since season 4. We’ll see if they are able to keep up.

    Both bots come out fast, circle once to let spinners get up to speed, and then collide. Monsoon comes off worse and is knocked back several feet…. Except maybe I spoke too soon. As they circle BD seems to be having mobility issues, which allows Monsoon to get behind them and knock them inverted. BD’s weapon has topped working as well. Monsoon closes and lands two more solid hits which send pieces flying off BD. A third hit and then a fourth send BD flying. It lands right-side up… and their weapon seems to be working again. They quickly hit Monsoon to knock them back and gain some breathing room. Kenny speculates that BD may have ben modulating their weapon as it spins up, slows down, and repeats. Monsoon’s weapon apparently stopped after their last hit. BD is chasing Monsoon, but Monsoon avoids until they zig instead of zagging. The hit sends Monsoon several feet into the air and across the box, although they are still upright and maneuverable. A second hit by BD knocks them inverted. Monsoon has no self-right and is counted out.

    A lot of action for about 2 minutes. Monsoon clearly dominated the first half of the fight, but the winner is the one standing at the end. BD racks up their first win of the season and Monsoon is now in the hole at 0-1. During a segment near the end of the show we find out it was a closer match than we realize. BD shows a piece of armor with a gouge through it that missed their weapon motor by less than an inch.



    Spoiler: Emulsifier 0-1 vs. Malice 0-1
    Show
    Both bots are coming off opening losses, although Emulsifier went the distance with Fusion (not bad for a rookie). Malice needs a win here to have any shot of making the bracket, and according to Kenny their overall performance is bad enough that they might not qualify for next season’s tournament.

    Both bots come out very slowly to let their weapons spin up. After a few seconds they meet face to face. There’s a lot of sparks but not much damage as they separate. That changes with the second meeting where Emulsifier sends Malice up and away. Malice lands but part of their front bracket is now perpendicular to the ground. Some major (and highly visible) damage. Emulsifier launches a third hit.. and Malice is hung up on a pulverizer that was apparently on its way down. Meanwhile recoil has knocked Emulsifier inverted (they can still move). While trying to self-right Emulsifier bumps Malice and knocks them off the pulverizer. Malice is now free and mobile, and Emulsifier is upright… and isn’t moving. Malice is technically moving (circles only) but Emulsifier can’t get moving again and is counted out.

    Definitely a case of Emulsifier lost instead of Malice winning. Something happened during the recoil of one of their shots and it apparently stopped them from moving. Chris comments that in previous seasons this would have been a double knockout. It’s a win for Malice (now 1-1), but not an impressive one. Meanwhile Emulsifier is probably the most impressive 0-2 bot out there.



    Spoiler: Overhaul 0-0 vs. Starchild 0-0
    Show
    Overhaul is a grappler that tends to run middle of the pack. Starchild looks like a cross between Huge and Sawblaze. The team calls it a “thwackbot” It moves like Huge, but when attacking the whole bot pivots to bring down what looks like a hammersaw. The weapon hits harder than Huge’s but requires better aim. To me it appears that Starchild is big enough that Overhaul might have grappling issues. Let’s see how it works out…

    So apparently I was wrong. Both bots come out slow. Starchild misses a shot and Overhaul gets completely underneath them and is able to pick them up a bit. With Huge the spinning bar would have prevented this, but Overhaul has found a blind spot. There’s some more circling, Starchild lands a hit that doesn’t do much damage, then Overhaul grabs them and pulls them around the arena for a bit. This is how it goes foe a while. Starchild will fire a shot that either misses or does no apparent damage. Overhaul will grab Starchild and carry them around a bit. Finally Overhaul grabs Starchild and drags them into the screws. Starchild breaks free but after some more circling Overhaul grabs Starchild. This one backfires as Starchild is somehow able to suplex overhaul. Overhaul does seem to have driving issues and most of its movement is circular. But time runs out.

    I suspect this will go to Overhaul. Other than the driving issue Overhaul took no real damage (replay shows it may have been the kill saws that did the damage). Meanwhile Overhaul dominated control and aggression. And Overhaul wins with a unanimous decision. Starchild is an interesting design, but they either must start landing shots faster or do something about the large blind spot directly beneath them.


    For this next fight Adam Wriggly (Team Shatter) is a guest analyst. I suspect this may be a new thing.

    Spoiler: Gruff 1-0 vs. Quantum 1-0
    Show
    Gruff is an extremely tough bot that can never seem to catch a break when it counts. To deal with Quantum they have added a “bit” to the front of their lifter arms. The plan is to shove it into Quantum’s moth to keep them from biting. They’ve also put on some raised side armor to keep from being grabbed on the side. Quantum is a crusher bot with sharp steel fangs. To maximize penetration power, they are going with one tooth instead of two.

    Quantum comes out quickly but Gruff seems sluggish. Quantum circles then grabs Gruff by the side armor. This may have been a miscalculation on Gruff’s part. The side armor protects the rest of the bot but gave Quantum an easy grab location. Quantum takes Gruff for a ride and slams them into the upper deck rail. Gruff breaks free but Quantum is right back on them. A second ride ensues, ending when Quantum rams them into the upper deck screws. This time they can push Gruff onto the deck. Gruff seems to be having maneuverability issues and backs off the deck. Quantum is quick to strike again and after a few minor exchanges grabs Gruff and heads to the side of the box…and stops dead. Somehow Quantum snagged something on the floor that brought them to a dead stop. Gruff is flung free. Quantum is moving but seems a little more cautious. Meanwhile Gruff is definitely having drive issues, and something on the bottom of the bot is leaving clear scuff marks on the floor. As they close again Gruff tries to use their lifter on Quantum but miss. Quantum capitalizes and fir the first time sinks their fang into Gruff’s central body. They then take Gruff on another tour of the floor. As they release Gruff is visibly smoking (and not from their flamethrower). Quantum slams them into the side of the box then grabs. This time the side armor bends enough that Quantum passes it and sinks into the side of the body. Gruff isn’t moving except for its lifter and is counted out with 7 seconds remaining.

    Sometimes you make changes for a specific opponent and they work. This was not one of those times. The bit on the lifter arms did no good at all, and the side armor simply gave Quantum something to grab. Quantum dominated in all categories. They go to 2-0 and Gruff is 1-1.


    Spoiler: Kraken 0-0 vs. Beta 0-0
    Show
    Kraken has had a major overhaul. Instead of the crushing jaw with two fangs, the jaw has 10 smaller teeth (5 to a side) and a hammersaw in the tip of the nose. We’ll see how well this new combo works. But looking at some test box footage the jaw seems to lack speed. We also learn that Kraken has never KO’d an opponent. Beta is a hammer bot that gets a bit more praise than it deserves. They are using a very thin hammerblade. Only about an inch thick from the look? So, a massively redesigned bot vs. a mediocre bot. No clue who to bet on.

    Both bots come out and meet in the center. Kraken’s blade raises some sparks off Beta’s armor while a blow from Beta misses. Right away I can tell that Kraken is going to use this as a sawblade, not a hammer saw. There’s no arm speed for hammer strikes. And just as I say that there’s a massive quick strike from Kraken that knocks off all the armor on one side of Beta. Wow that was a hit! Beta isn’t moving and might be hung up on the floor. Kraken comes in and lands another blow which frees up Beta. But Beta does not seem to be moving well. We wonder if the hammer works and it does with a miss. Kraken comes in for a hit.. and Beta’s hammer comes right down on Kraken’s blade which stops rotating! Kenny and Chris are excited… until they notice that Beta’s hammer is bent 45 degrees off center. But it still works as Beta and kraken close and each start smashing the other. They then circle and each lands one more hit as time expires.

    Not sure how to call this. I’d say Kraken won, but Beta had some shining moments later on. Let’s see how they go… and it is a unanimous decision for Kra… WHAT? BETA?!? I’m not sure I agree with that one, but I guess they saw something I didn’t. Beta goes to 1-0 while Kraken is 0-1.


    Spoiler: SHREDDIT BRO (SB) 0-0 vs. Horizon 0-0
    Show
    Two more rookie bots. SB is run by the guy who ran Pain Train a few seasons ago. It’s a big vertical drum spinner. We’ll see if this bot is any better, as Pain Train was 1-5 lifetime (and the 1 was against SMEEE). A three-pound version of SB has won a beetle weight tournament. Horizon is a bit interesting. Looks like a more solid version of SMEEE. It has a wide and narrow body (5 feet) with horizontal spinners at each end. The middle is shorter than SMEE and more solid, but I still expect we’ll see the same problem. With a bot that long it’s almost the same as running two separate bots. And while SMEEE was intended to wrap around their opponents (in theory anyway) I’m not seeing a way for this bot to do that.

    Both bots come out slowly while waiting to spin up to speed. SB gets there first, while it appears to be taking an incredibly long time for Horizon to get going. They finally close and SB lands two… love taps is the best word for them. They do nothing. The bots then bump into each other. Both have problems as any contact stops their spinners. SB also now seems to have maneuvering issues and is stuttering. We see a clearer sign of this when their weapon starts generating sparks off the floor. Clearly too low to the ground. Meanwhile Horizon has only one spinner working but manages to spin in on SB’s backside and shred a tire. But both bots continue circling… until Horizon swings the end with the working spinner into Horizon’s spinner. The resulting recoil knocks across the box and it hangs up on a rail for a few seconds before getting loose. Both bots circle (not sure if SB can do anything else) and then Horizon goes in and gets the weapon on one end stuck on a front corner of SB. Neither can move but we run out of time anyway.

    Honestly this felt like watching two 5 year-olds fighting… blindfolded. Both bots had movement issues from the beginning, neither could keep weapons at speed (and Horizon lost one) and the two decent hits both seemed to be more an issue of bad timing rather than skill. SB gets the unanimous win but I suspect both bots are in for a rough time.


    Spoiler: Whiplash 0-1 vs. Hypershock 0-1
    Show
    Both bots have good drivers and wildly differing strategies. Whiplash is much more about control while Hypershock is chaotic carnage. Looking at the numbers Hypershock wins weapon energy 2-1 and armor 2-1 while they have roughly equivalent drive train power. Both bots were simply outdriven in their opening matches.

    Whiplash comes out with a box rush but Hypershock dodges. They then circle for a few seconds while each tries to get the right attack angle on the others. Hypershock rushes in.. and is inverted by Whiplash’s lifter arm. While they can run inverted it’s not a smooth run and their weapon becomes much less effective. Hypershock tries to self-right against the upper deck and instead gets pushed by the screws onto the deck. They drive off (still inverted) still inverted and slam into Whiplash a couple of times. Whiplash pushes back and accidentally pushes Hypershock right side up. Hypershock capitalizes quickly, getting under Whiplash twice and knocking them back both times. More hits and Whiplash is in a corner. Hypershock goes in and gets a fork stuck under the side rail. Fortunately for them Whiplash hits them and knocks them loose. Hypershock knocks Whiplash to the center of the box, goes in again, and suddenly Whiplash’s guts are hanging out and it is smoking. I suspect it is repeated damage as the last hit didn’t look that tough. (Replay after the fight shows that while Whiplash was flipping over Hypershock’s weapon made contact with the top of Whiplash and cut it open). Whiplash is immobile and counted out.

    First half of the match was all Whiplash, and there were two significant errors: pushing Hypershock back right side up and knocking them loose from the rail. Kenny and Chris think it was intentional, but I’m not so sure. Either way it cost them the match and they are now 0-2.

    See you next week.
    I'm still reading them!

    We've shrunk a bit this year, probably because lockdown ended. However I still love talking about battlebots, just got my roommate to watch for the first time and he loved it.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
    Vibranium: If it was on the periodic table, its chemical symbol would be "Bs".

  14. - Top - End - #14
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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Quote Originally Posted by tomandtish View Post
    Incidentally, if anyone is reading this please comment. Otherwise I’ll probably stop. (Thanks TvTyrant)
    Always. I prefer my robot fightin' action sans announcers and unedited, which usually requires me to wait until 2-3 weeks after the episodes air for them to show up in raw form online, but I actually appreciate getting your summaries for a few reasons. On the rare occasions the announcers give good or relevant insights, it lets me catch them. Plus, hearing about it ahead of time gets me pumped to see the fun fights for myself down the line and avoid the really boring ones. I usually don't have a lot to say, being way behind the broadcast schedule, but I avidly follow these threads from the shadows.



    Regarding flying bots, IIRC there are rules requiring you to have at least half your allotted weight budget on the ground, so an actual flying combatant would not be allowed. You can use drones in a 'minibot' role, but historically any form of minibot at all aside from wedgebots designed to try to get under the other team's wheels is really only useful for keeping junior members of the team entertained while the main bot gets thrashed for wasting mass. I'll always have a soft spot for flyers ever since that one time Hypershock stuck a rake to their self-righting mechanism to use as a flyswatter, but if your goal is to win a drone minibot is really not the way to go.

    As an aside, I was able to catch the Claw Viper vs Ominous match a bit early, and wow. I normally root for Black Dragon these days (they're the one bot team you can always count on to bring exciting matches, because they'll either blow the other team to tiny pieces or have a nailbiter fight to the bitter end), but I might need to switch that to CV this season. Grapplers are normally pretty boring to watch, being mostly glorified pushbots, but this combination of a powerful lifting arm and ungodly speed is just exhilarating. This match was an incredibly display of driving skill, and if Claw Viper can keep that up for the rest of the tourney they might just be my new favorite bot.
    Avatar by the wonderful SubLimePie. Former avatar by Andraste.

  15. - Top - End - #15
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    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Yeah, I went into that fight wondering whether maneuverability was more important than speed. Claw Viper answered that question pretty quickly.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    I finally got to see the Starchild Overhaul fight and... Starchild is a bad design. I had previously seen it fight Smeeee at a lower weight class but watching them try to swing that thing around fruitlessly hurts a bit.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
    Vibranium: If it was on the periodic table, its chemical symbol would be "Bs".

  17. - Top - End - #17
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    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Quote Originally Posted by Tvtyrant View Post
    I finally got to see the Starchild Overhaul fight and... Starchild is a bad design. I had previously seen it fight Smeeee at a lower weight class but watching them try to swing that thing around fruitlessly hurts a bit.
    Yeah, and having a huge "blind spot" directly beneath them is a big issue. Huge's bar made that spot dangerous, but for Starchild it provides a nice place to hide.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

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  18. - Top - End - #18
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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Quote Originally Posted by tomandtish View Post
    Yeah, and having a huge "blind spot" directly beneath them is a big issue. Huge's bar made that spot dangerous, but for Starchild it provides a nice place to hide.
    Honestly if I was trying to remake Huge I would go for something like Overhaul's grabber over a hammer. If it can grab something it can simply lift them over the screws.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
    Vibranium: If it was on the periodic table, its chemical symbol would be "Bs".

  19. - Top - End - #19
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    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Sounds like an interesting concept. Now, where do we get 50K….

    Week 5…. Incidentally, since someone asked in PM, the order I list the bots for each match is the order they come out in.

    Spoiler: Free Shipping 1-0 vs. Minotaur 1-0
    Show
    Free Shipping’s design change allowed them to score a solid first victory. But it was against Gigabyte, which is definitely a middle of the pack bot. Minotaur is a significant upgrade in terms of challenge. My money is on Minotaur. It’s more maneuverable and hits harder. The only obvious advantage I see for Free Shipping is their wedges will help with low ground.

    Free Shipping comes out fast and actually knocks Minotaur inverted right off the bat. But Minotaur quickly flips back over, rushes into Free Shipping, and knocks them back into the rail. A second blow removes Free Shipping’s left from fork. Free Shipping runs for space, but Minotaur stays close behind and land another decent hit when Free Shipping tries to pivot, damaging a tire. Free Shipping manages to turn and push minotaur into the corner, but it doesn’t last long as Minotaur pushes back and lands another hit. It then lands two more hits. These aren’t huge, but they do send Free Shipping about a foot into the air each time. Minotaur then gets Free Shipping up against the wall under a pulverizer. After a few blows Free Shipping pulls out but Minotaur comes in from the side and removes the right front time (which was NOT the one damaged earlier). Free Shipping backs into the side rail… and is stuck? We can see Gary looking at his controller and we can see the one tireless wheel spinning, but Free Shipping doesn’t move and is counted out.

    With the exception of that opening hit this was all Minotaur. They were faster, more maneuverable, and hit harder (as predicted). Free shipping’s upgrades have moved them from bottom to middle of the pack, but there’s still work to do if they want to move into top tier. Barring disaster Minotaur is bracket bound and Free Shipping is undecided.


    Spoiler: Claw Viper (CV) 1-0 vs. Ribbot 0 1
    Show
    CV had been a middle of the road bot in the past. That may have changed given how well they dominated Hypershock in their first match. Speed kills, and CV seems to be playing to that strength. Ribbot lost their first match against Witch Doctor, which is certainly an elite bot (runner up for the nut twice). I’ll be curious to see if CV can push Ribbot around, or if there’s a glass jaw after a solid hit or two. Ribbot is using their vertical spinner configuration.

    Holy crap! Now that’s a box rush! CV charges across the box and while Ribbot pulls to the side it doesn’t matter. CV pushes Ribbot into the side of the box and starts trying to grab. A few seconds later it has a grip and runs Ribbot into the side of the box further down…. Which may have been a mistake. The impact appears to have knocked one of CV’s wheels off. Ribbot quickly seizes the advantage and hammers into CV twice, knocking them into the air and against the side of the box. CV regroups, grabs Ribbot, and pushes them into the side… and one of Ribbot’s wheels appears stuck on the rail. There’s a few seconds when we all wonder if there’s going to be a count out, but Ribbot manages to get off. However, they are badly hurt and are crab walking… or are they?* CV’s team shouts at a ref that Ribbot isn’t doing anything, which is irrelevant since ANY horizontal movement counts as movement. And then Ribbot charges straight ahead and knocks into them. There’s a few more hits as they slam into each other, then CV grabs Ribbot. REVERSE SUPLEX! Ribbot is now inverted. They grab Ribbot and bang them around the arena. Ribbot can move slowly while inverted but is at an even bigger disadvantage now. And then Ribbot’s weapon appears to stop. CV grabs them and attempt to put them on the screws but can’t quite finish it. But they slam Ribbot into the wall one more time as time runs out.

    * I’m not sure if Ribbot’s drive was hurt and recovered a bit, or if they faked it.

    This should be all CV, and it was. They are proving that enough speed is hard for any bot to counter. With one exception Ribbot was behind the 8 ball this entire match. CV seems likely to make the bracket, and Ribbot is going to have to win their next fight to have a realistic shot at the bracket.


    Spoiler: Lockjaw 1-0 vs. Sawblaze 1-0
    Show
    While Lockjaw won their opening fight it wasn’t all that impressive and was against Malice (a definite lower tier bot). Sawblaze is coming off a dominant win over Hypershock. I suspect this will go to SawBlaze. Interestingly, Lockjaw has ditched their forks and is running a minibot (Screw Job) that appears to perform the same function (it’s basically just forks).

    They both come out at an angle and meet near one of the sides. SawBlaze quickly pushes Lockjaw back into the wall and inverts them. They then push them into a different wall rail and start landing shots with the hammersaw. A push into a third rail and then Lockjaw breaks free. While backing up SawBlaze takes a second to knock Screw Job across the arena, but it is still working. They push Lockjaw into a rail once again and this time Lockjaw is knocked right side up. That doesn’t seem to matter as SawBlaze grabs them, slams them into another rail… and Lockjaw is hung up on the rail. Lockjaw can’t move and is counted out.

    No real surprise here. SawBlaze was tougher, faster, and more maneuverable. And Lockjaw has consistent issues closing the deal against top tier bots. SawBlaze is certainly bracket bound, and Lockjaw is probably going to need to step it up to be a contender. Since their last two fights are against Glitch and MadCatter, I suspect they are in trouble.


    Spoiler: Blip 0-1 vs. Huge 1-0
    Show
    This might be interesting. Blip is low enough to the ground that Huge might have trouble landing shots. OTOH, there’s no easy way Blip can launch a flip against any part of Huge other than the wheels. Huge is using their longest bar (36 inches).

    Blip comes out faster than Huge and tries to get under a wheel. After a few seconds Blip gets under the main body and takes a hit from Huge. It doesn’t do much. This happens twice more, then Blip actually gets under a wheel and flips them over… and that’s about it. Huge is still moving fine. This happens a few more times (hit, hit, flip) and then Blip goes in and … Wait, when did Huge become a grappler?!? Blip is now on it’s back end and Huge is pushing it to the deck. It looks like Huge’s weapon is actually stuck in the top of Blip! Huge seems to want to get Blip on the deck but can’t move fast enough. After a few more seconds the judges’ call a timeout (second of the series).

    If it goes to the judges his will be a close call. Huge should get it on damage while Blip should get aggression. I suspect it will go to Huge simply because the last thing the judges saw was Blip stuck on Huge’s weapon. When commercial is over… they were able to separate and reset. Both bots are basically in the same position they were when the stuck shot occurred. Interestingly this gives advantage to Blip since Huge’s weapon isn’t spinning. When we start Blip quickly charges forward. This gets them some space but allows Huge to spin up. Blip then charges back in trying to get under Huge’s wheels, resulting in a small hit. This continues and we notice that Blip hasn’t fired their flipper since the reset. It’s unclear if it was damaged during the encounter. Blip continues to go for the wheels and is actually doing a good job of pushing Huge around the ring, although one shot by Huge bends one of Blip’s forks. Blip charges in again and Huge sends a few pieces of armor flying, but Blip gets them up into the screws.. almost. Can’t quite get that back wheel to drop. Huge breaks free and races for space with Blip right behind them. Blip takes a 1-2 shot from Huge and the screws but continues to push Huge around as time expires.

    This was a good match. Blip probably gets the control and aggression categories (Huge never really went on the offensive), but Huge certainly wins damage. I suspect it’s going to go to Huge but should be close.. and I’m right. Huge gets it 6-5 x 3. Huge is now 2-0 and a solid bracket contender. Blip is 0-2 and is really going to need to pull out the stops to make it. Their small size may be a disadvantage. Interestingly, Huge faces Starchild in their fourth fight.


    Spoiler: Witch Doctor 1-0 vs. Fusion 1-0
    Show
    I suspect this will go to Witch Doctor. They are faster, hit harder, and have a better driver. To me, any serious betting is on whether Fusion catches fire. Of their prior 10 matches they have caught on fire 6 times and were smoking an additional 2. What do I think? I’m grabbing marshmallows. Witch Doctor’s stated goal is to help them catch on fire.

    Both bots come out slowly, circle once, then Witch Doctor charges Fusion’s vertical spinner. This backfires as Witch Doctor goes 3-4 feet in the air, landing upright. It looks like part of their front wedge is bent. They go in again and after a brief push Witch Doctor again goes into the air, landing on their side (but their righter gets the corrected). The push a bit more and Fusion lands two more smaller hits. They then close and a massive hit sends both Witch Doctor and Fusion flying. Both start moving again but it looks like Fusion’s vertical spinner has stopped working. Witch Doctor presses the attack, now charging Fusions horizontal spinner. This has mixed results. The hits send Fusion flying further but Witch Doctor loses their front wedge, loses a tire, and lose some armor. Oh, and their spinner has stopped. Nevertheless, they continue charging Fusion, clearly going for aggression points. They ram into Fusion one more time. The impact sends Fusion head over heels. They land inverted … and a big puff of smoke comes out the back in. READY THE S’MORES! Their last spinner isn’t working and there appears to be a belt on the ground. Witch Doctor continues to push them and after one push Fusion spins up again. They still seem to be coming out worse on the hits though, as they go flying after each one. They also appear to be crab walking. A further hit stops the blade again and Fusion is barely moving as time runs out. This goes to the judges.

    This is going to be close. Witch Doctor took the most obvious damage and probably more damage overall. But they dominated in control and aggression. This might be our first split decision… and I’m right. It’s 5-6, 6-5, 6-5 in favor of… Witch Doctor. And we learn that there’s another new rule. Competitors have the option to appeal a decision. Judges will review the entire fight using cameras. If your appeal fails, you can’t challenge again the entire season. They ask Reece if this is appeal worthy and he says he’ll trust the judges on this one. Reece is just happy (not from looking at him) that they didn’t catch fire. Chris and Kenny both agree that this was a very close call. I have to agree, and I would not have been upset if it had gone the other way. Consensus seems to be that Fusion not really able to move in the last 20 seconds was probably the deciding factor.


    Prior to the next match there’s a spot talking about the new bots out there. Some look interesting and maybe effective. Others look very interesting and are almost certainly doomed to failure. Chris notes that for most of these teams it’s not about winning now but testing their designs. There’s also a note that the box is now open year-round with the Destruction tournament.

    Spoiler: Doomba 0-0 vs. Double Tap 0-0
    Show
    Double Tap is a horizontal spinner, with a 2 bladed spinner. Doomba… is a round circle with a DeWalt chainsaw on top. No, really. Apparently there is a 20-pound disc spinner at the bottom, but I have no idea how effective a chainsaw will be. Also, can’t tell yet if it moves or is fixed. Double Tap is using a lighter weight spinner for this one. And as the bots activate Chris tells us that the chainsaw…. Is just a prop. Well damn. Now I’m disappointed.

    Double Tap comes out slowly to get time to get up to speed. Doomba… just comes out slowly. That’s the slowest bot I remember seeing since Royale with Cheese. They can apparently move the chainsaw up and down (starting position is down so basically from horizontal to vertical). Double Tap moves in and lands a shot on Doomba that sends some small pieces flying. I note that their blade stops spinning when they do that, although it does get back up to speed. Doomba staggers and then there’s a puff of smoke and the chainsaw goes vertical and then past vertical. It is now pointing off the back of the bot at about a 50-degree angle. And then the top falls off Doomba…And then it does nothing but circle. Double Tap comes in for another hit and Doomba loses more pieces. They are immobile, guts hanging out, and the weapon isn’t moving. They are counted out.

    Not too surprised here. After I saw how slow Doomba was, I figured it was just a matter of time. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it stopped on their own. While this is a win for Double Tap it definitely isn’t going to impress anyone. I noticed that their blade completely stopped after each hit. My take on these two bots? Double Tap won’t make the bracket while I’d give odds that Doomba won’t make it to their fourth match.



    MadCatter (MC) 1-0 vs. Riptide 1-0
    Spoiler: MadCatter (MC) 1-0 vs. Riptide 1-0
    Show
    Earlier in the episode there was commentary that Team MadCatter believes Riptide copied a lower weight design that MadCatter had been working on. It’s an unwritten rule that you test your own bot at lower weights before upsizing. There’s more comment before this match starts that Riptide is a rip-off, while Riptide notes that MadCatter isn’t durable. So, it sounds like there’s a few chips on shoulders going into this one. MC had a solid win over Whiplash while Riptide demolished Glitch in about 10 seconds. MY money is on Riptide (and not just because of how I feel about MC).

    Both bots come out. C wins the first exchange by knocking Riptide back. Riptide wins the second knocking MC back a decent distance. MC counters in the third and Riptide goes back. Riptide comes in for the fourth exchange and MC goes flying across the box, small pieces scattering everywhere. Riptide capitalizes by slamming into them again and knocking them under a pulverizer. It then knocks them into a rail, knocks off a wheel, and then knocks them onto their side on TOP of the rail. MC is wedged in tightly and is counted out as Riptide destroys gassy Cat (MC’s mini).

    At the beginning of the season I said End Game was the bot to beat. I’m not sure of that anymore. This was a devastating victory in less than 30 seconds. Riptide is arguably the most brutal bot out there this season, filling the role that Tombstone lost a few seasons ago. There’s definitely some smack during the end speeches.



    See you next week.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

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

  20. - Top - End - #20
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Raleigh NC
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Episode 5: WHOA!

    Not a full review, just a quick comment cause I can't let this pass.

    Spoiler
    Show

    Endgame LOST! To a rookie bot, Ripperoni! I can't believe it!

    Looks like they beat themselves. They got their forks caught in an arena hazard and couldn't move. Ripperoni could have taken the easy win but hit them anyway, and that weapon on Ripperoni is for real. Endgame, released, fought back hard but 2 minutes in Endgame is immobile and counted out!

    I couldn't believe it! When I saw the fight card I thought "Ah, an easy tomato for endgame to demolish on their way to the post season." I was expecting the rookie to be thrashed in under a minute but THAT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED AT ALL! This may be the greatest upset in the history of battlebots!

    ETA: And I see team Tantrum has shut Jake Ewert up for good; With a clear-cut, undisputed victory be KO, no one can argue Tantrum isn't for real.


    Respectfully,

    Brian P.
    Last edited by pendell; 2023-02-11 at 04:45 PM.
    "Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid."

    -Valery Legasov in Chernobyl

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    I figured someone would beat me to it!

    Week 6

    There’s a lot of hype about the main event fight, Hydra vs. Tantrum. I will comment more in the fight box. Incidentally, Ethan Kurtz (Riptide) is the guest commentator for the first match.

    Spoiler: Ripperoni (Ripp) 0-1 vs. End Game 1-0
    Show
    Ripp didn’t impress much during their opening fight. They spent most of the fight spinning on their side due to out of control gyroscopic action. Despite not being the current champion End Game is still the bot to beat. I suspect the big question is how long it takes for End Game to knock Ripp out. They’ve put on very long forks to keep Ripp at a distance. Incidentally, Team Ripp comes out shouting “Pizza” over and over. Not much fan engagement. End Game comes out eating Pizza.

    End Game comes charging out for a box rush… and immediately gets a fork stuck in a kill saw slot! We’re not talking a little hang up either. Almost half the fork is in the slot. Could this be an incredibly easy win for Ripp? Ripp comes in and lands one hit that pushes End Game back but the fork is still stuck. Ripp then circles and both Kenny and Chris expect a countdown. However, Ripp then comes in and launches a solid shot that sends End Game about 5 feet into the air (and freeing them). Looks like the fight is on!

    A side comment here. Pendell and other know that I usually say take the easy win when it’s offered. But I do agree with Ripp’s action in this case. They lost their first fight and it wasn’t even close. And I doubt that a win here that was almost effectively a forfeit would carry much weight with the judges, and therefore not improve their bracket chances much. Anyway, back to the fight!

    End Game bounces off their head and then lands upright. Ripp is in hot pursuit. They engage in a brief pushing match then Ripp sends End Game back several feet and rips off one of their forks. End Game charges back in but loses when they make contact, again flying back several feet. End Game continues to charge and this time land two blows. The first knocks Ripp back and the second lands them on their side where they start bouncing back and forth. The tables may have turned. End Game follows by pushing Ripp near the deck, then one hit knocks over Ripp but also knocks End Game for a somersault and a flip when their weapon hits the floor. As End Game closes again Ripp seems to not be moving well. They stare at each other… and we suddenly realize End Game isn’t moving! Ripp has obvious tire damage and is limping, but it is still more movement than End game. End Game is counted out!

    Wait, let me rewind that… yep. End Game is counted out! Holy crap! What did I just see?!? I think this is the biggest upset I’ve seen.. ever! Even Tombstone losing to Captain Shred didn’t surprise me this much! Team Ripp is shouting “Pizza! Pizza!” over and over, and this time the crowd is chanting along with them. Anna, captain of Team Ripp, said that everything worked just as expected. And they apparently had no thoughts of taking the easy win. When they talk to Team End Game, End game says it was the first time they ever tried a box rush… and it was definitely the last. When asked about panic Nick: “They got a free shot on us”. Jack (with a rueful smile): “They got a couple of free shots on us!”. Later in the show they cut to back in the build area when Ripp comes in from the fight. Everyone in the build area is shouting “Pizza!”. Jack and Nick thank Team Ripp for their sportsmanship in knocking them free, and the driver of Ripp gives Jack his fake mustache. End Game notes that half their chassis is split. Both teams are 1-1 now.

    I suspect End Game is still a lock for the bracket. I think I’ll put Ripp in the middle of the pack. It was an impressive win, but there’s a small part that does wonder how much those free shots up front played a part. Still, it definitely goes to show that it ain’t over until it is over! Ethan and Riptide now want to fight Ripp.


    Spoiler: Switchback 1-0 vs. Deathroll 0-1
    Show
    Switchback is still a design I’m not sure about. Deathroll can hit hard but a few years on the shelf may have put them behind the curve.

    Both bots come out quickly and circle. Switchback lands the first hit that knocks Deathroll back, but Deathroll counters with a shot that knock Switchback inverted. As they self-right we see their weapon isn’t spinning, and as Deathroll hits them again and knocks them against the wall we see a belt come flying out. Looks like Switchback is weaponless. Deathroll continues to push them around and a big hit puts Switchback under a pulverizer and knocks off some metal. Switchback isn’t moving and is counted out.

    With the exception of that first shot this was all Deathroll. They stayed aggressive and were able to land enough big shots to neutralize Switchback. Both teams are now 1-1 but still have a long road ahead.


    Spoiler: Captain Shrederator (CS) 0-1 vs. Hijinx 1-0
    Show
    Both these bots suffer from consistent reliability issues. Hijinx can’t keep their weapon at speed and CS stops rotating so often that opponents assume it is going to happen. This could be a very boring pushing match by the end.

    Both bots come out slowly to give time to spin up. CS seems to be having mobility issues from the beginning as they bounce off the screws. They meet and CS is knocked back towards the deck. It’s not a huge hit but CS isn’t spinning anymore… sigh. Hijinx closes but their blade isn’t moving either… double sigh. As we get a closer look we notice that CS’s shell seems uneven (listing to one side). That may explain the problems, but if all it took was a mediocre hit like that? CS needs to be scrapped. Hijinx chases CS into a corner and pushes them around a bit. But after being pushed into the wall CS moves to the middle of the box and starts spinning. Maybe that mild bump freed something up. CS moves on Hijinx. The first contact is minimal. The second bounces CS itself off a wall, and the third knocks Hijinx back a few feet. Hijinx.. isn’t moving? You can see one wheel spinning but the other isn’t. Hijinx is counted out.

    Still a boring fight. There were no really big hits, both bots spent more than half the fight w/o working weapons, and the fact that both bots stopped spinning from such minor hits confirms that neither is really a competitive bot. Time for both of them to rethink things. Chris does ask how Brian (CS captain) keeps going when this happens again. Brian is smiling in his answer, but you can still see that there is frustration. Chris and Kenny both agree that while each bot is now 1-1 they really seem more like 0-2 bots.


    Spoiler: Rotator 0-1 vs. Jackpot 0-1
    Show
    While both bots are 0-1 they both lost to tough opponents: Rotator to Hydra and Jackpot to Skorpios. I’d say Rotator is tougher while Jackpot hits a big harder. This will go to whomever lands that first big shot. My money was on Rotator until we learn they have been having radio control issues and the weapon is going to have to be at half speed. Team Jackpot uses the same radio control setup and apparently knows what the problem is, but I notice they haven’t shared. Jackpot has added two wedges to counter Rotator.

    They both come out and circle for a few seconds. Their first collision sends Rotator back several feet. But they counter quickly and land several shots. None are spectacular but they are pushing Jackpot into a corner. Rotator leads with rear forks then pivots to bring in the blade and it seem to be working well. After some pushing in the corner Jackpot breaks for the center of the box. Rotator pursues, and the next collision sends Jackpot reeling while pieces go flying across the box (there’s a nice shot of one bouncing right in front of a camera). Jackpot is staggering, crab walking, and missing one of their wedges. Rotator presses the attack, landing several shots that push Jackpot into the wall. Jackpot’s weapon is still working but their movement is so slow that Rotator can take shots at will. Rotator lands a few more shots and then plants Jackpot against the wall. Jackpot staggers out but now their blade is no longer moving. Rotator presses the attack and takes a big shot from the kill saws, but Jackpot is immobile and counted out.

    This was all Rotator from the beginning. They are a master at leading with one end and then swinging the weapon into their opponent. They are 1-1 and should make the bracket while Jackpot is behind the 8 ball at 0-2. Jackpot’s next fight is against 0-2 Ribbot, so that should be interesting.



    Spoiler: Big Dill 0-1 vs. Skorpios 1-0
    Show
    Big Dill lost their first fight with Hijinx. While they have a new vertical spinner, they didn’t use it in the match. Skorpios had a solid win against Jackpot but really needs this win since their next fights are against Sawblaze and Ribbot. They polled the builders for this one and Skorpios is the favorite at over 85%.

    Skorpios coms out quick but it is Big Dill and their forks that get under Skorpios. However, Skorpios pushes Big Dill around and lands a mild shot with their hammer saw. Both bots seem to be over steering a bit. There’s some more circling then Big Dill knocks Skorpios end over end. Skorpios uprights but there’s a brief plume of smoke as they do. Some more pushing and then Big Dill knocks Skorpios over from side to side. Skorpios self-rights only to get knocked back over for a third time. They right and manage to land a soft blow against Big Dill’s side. Big Dill goes next to the rails…and stops moving. Skorpios is smoking but lands a few shots against Big Dill’s left side, removing armor. Big Dill is counted out.

    I’m still not sure what happened. Big Dill was clearly ahead in my book and that shot didn’t seem like it caused any appreciable damage. It also doesn’t appear that they are caught on the screws. I guess something got knocked loose. Disappointing for Big Dill since they had the win up until that point. And this isn’t a great win for Skorpios. They were behind most of the match and this wasn’t an impressive victory. They may be the weakest 2-0 team out there. I suspect something came loose on Big Dill, and it’s ironic that this loss looked better than either of their two career wins


    Spoiler: Banshee 0-1 vs. Valkyrie 1-0
    Show
    The mythological battle. Banshee (flipper) had a loss against Switchback while Valkyrie (horizontal spinner) had a disappointing win over Mammoth (which basically destroyed itself). Both bots need wins. Valkyrie especially since they have a history of “almost”. They won most destructive a few seasons ago but have a hard time keeping a winning record. Banshee is going with a solid wedge while Valkyrie is using forks (actually only 1) for the first time (and actually the first time we’ve seen a horizontal blade spinner with forks on the same side as the spinner). I have questions.

    Banshee comes out with a perfect box rush that knocks Valkyries a few feet into the air. There’s some pushing then Banshee flips Valkyrie over and up against the screws. For a second Valkyrie seems stuck, but then is able to pull away (but is now inverted). Banshee capitalizes, running under Valkyrie and knocking their fork off. Valkyrie seems a bit off balance and they keep having their blade dig into the floor. Banshee continues to do a good job with the ground game, and occasionally landing a small flip. Both bots seem to be having maneuverability issues with a lot of extra side to side when they move. Banshee goes for a flip and whiffs, then suddenly isn’t moving. Looks like part of their wedge is caught in a kill saw. The timing is perfect. Just as Chris says, “We’re about at the 1 minute to go mark”, the kill saw activates. The first doesn’t do much but the second knocks banshee loose. And apparently the ref had literally hauled his arm back to start a count when this happened. Both bots are not moving well. They basically circle each other. Banshee goes in for one final shot, but whiffs as time expires.

    Our first JD of the evening. Honestly, the last half of the match was pretty boring. I’d give it to Banshee for aggression, control is split, and honestly damage may be split as well. . And.. we have a split decision for.. Banshee! I’m ok with that. Their first career win. But at 1-1 both bots have a long way to go to make the bracket.



    Spoiler: Hydra 1-0 vs. Tantrum 0-1
    Show
    I’ll disagree a bit with Pendell here. I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t take Tantrum for real. They had a 7 win streak last season and made a good showing in the Golden Bolt tournament. But there was a LOT of controversy over the split decision last season between Hydra and Tantrum in the semifinals (and I’ll note that Pendell initially thought Hydra won as well). This is more in the grudge match range like Witch Doctor and Minotaur. There are plenty of people who still feel the judges got it wrong, and the scoring was almost identical except for a disagreement about aggression. There’s some discussion about who has the most pressure and consensus seems to be Jake (Hydra). Hydra may have landed a lot of flips, but damage is king, and Tantrum won that crown. Jake has been talking a big game and it is time for him to back it up. Builders poll gives the match to Hydra 63%-37%.\

    Hydra comes out quickly while Tantrum goes slowly. This works to Tantrum’s advantage as they get under Hydra and land a shot on the underside. They then push Hydra into the wall and start firing away at Hydra’s flipper. One solid shot knocks Hydra up and Tantrum gets another shot at Hydra’s belly. But as Hydra comes down Tantrum moves forward a bit and onto Hydra’s flipper… with predictable results. Tantrum flies across half the box and lands inverted (but quickly self-rights). However, Tantrum quickly counters, pushing Hydra around the box, partially getting under them, and landing some quick shots (including yet another one to Hyrda’s belly). Some more pushing and Tantrum lands a fourth shot to Hydra’s belly… and Hydra isn’t moving. Hydra is counted out.

    I do agree with Pendell that this should settle the matter of whether Tantrum’s win last season was a wrong decision. Except for one flip (which was helped by a driving error by Tantrum) this was all Tantrum’s fight. They controlled the fight pretty much start to finish and show that winning the tournament last season was no fluke. Jake: “Flippers don’t work if you can’t get under the opponent”. And “They taught me a lesson that they’re the true champions”. And while it wasn’t noticed during the fight there’s apparently hydraulic fluid from Hydra on the box floor. Both bots are now 1-1 and I still expect both to make the bracket.


    See you next week!
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

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

  22. - Top - End - #22
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Mar 2022
    Location
    GitP, obviously
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Kind of looking forward to the 0-2 Jackpot/Ribbot tie-breaker honestly. I wager your wife will like that one.

    WHEN will people learn, of all the utensils, the fork is not the way to go? Honestly, it seems to get bots into more trouble than actually help.
    Something Borrowed - Submission Thread (5e subclass contest)

    TeamWork Makes the Dream Work 5e Base Class Submission Thread




  23. - Top - End - #23
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Welcome to Week 7. We’re close to the halfway point for the qualifiers.

    Spoiler: Bloodsport 0-1 vs. Gigabyte 0-1
    Show
    Bloodsport is coming off a huge loss in their first fight, which they finished in pieces and on fire. We’ll have to see if they repaired everything successfully. Gigabyte Also lost their first fight. Incidentally, teammate Brent Riker is apparently battling cancer and therefore isn’t there. The team has a cutout of him with them, and best wishes come from all over the arena. Bloodsport is trying a new wedge. Both teams agree it comes to the first big hit (always the case with spinners).

    Bloodsport comes out fast and although Gigabyte avoids the box rush by veering left, Bloodsport is close behind, bumping into Gigabyte. As Gigabyte gets distance and begins spinning up we see that Bloodsport has yet to fire up their spinner. Interesting. Gigabyte is now spinning at speed and rams into Bloodsport, knocking them on their side and then for a bit of spin on that side. Bloodsport self-rights and we now see their spinner come to life. They circle and then collide in the middle of the box… WOW! Both bots fly (and I do mean fly) into opposite corners, with Gigabyte at the disadvantage of being in a short corner by the deck. Neither bot seems to be spinning for a bit, then Bloodsport begins spinning again. Gigabyte seems to be staggering and is unable to get out of the corner. Bloodsport closes and lands a few soft hits, and Gigabyte starts to smoke. But there’s now a belt on the ground and I THINK it came from Bloodsport. Bloodsport is no longer spinning, but Gigabyte has stopped. They can’t get moving and are counted out.

    I’m not sure what Bloodsport was thinking at the beginning not spinning up. Kenny and Chris both believe that they could have cost themselves the match if Gigabyte’s first hit had been harder. Team Bloodsport says their initial strategy was to go for full control, but they abandoned it after that first hit. Bloodsport is 1-1 while Gigabyte is now struggling at 0-2. Since their final fight is against End Game I suspect they will finish at 1-3.



    Spoiler: Claw Viper (Claw) 2-0 vs. Overhaul 1-0
    Show
    When it comes to Claw Viper both Kenny and Chris admit they weren’t expecting much from them this season. And they both admit they were idiots. Claw shows that enough speed can counter a lack of an offensive punch. Overhaul is a decent grappler, but I expect they are outclassed here. Barring someone getting stuck behind a rail or screws I also think this will go the distance. Faruq takes a shot at the Atlanta Falcons (a bot that won’t blow a 28-3 lead*) while introducing Overhaul. Overhaul hopes to keep the fight tight to prevent Claw from speeding by them.

    *28-3? Hah! I remember the Houston Oilers blowing a 35-3 half-time lead a few decades ago, losing 41-38 in OT.

    Both bots come out slowly, then Claw shows their tremendous speed. From about 10 feet away they suddenly accelerate and knock Overhaul back. They quickly circle Overhaul and knock it on its side. Overhaul self-rights but Claw is immediately back on them, getting under them and carrying them around the arena. There’s a few second scare when Claw gets a fork stuck in a kill saw, but they are able to get free. Claw continues chasing Overhaul then misjudges an approach, allowing Overhaul to get their first grab. It doesn’t do much. Claw counters quickly, grabbing Overhaul and taking them into the screws and inverting them. Overhaul rights again but Claw continues to grab them and push them around the box, inverting them a few more times. Claw then makes a mistake and gets caught in the short corner, allowing Overhaul to grab them and slam them down. They then take Claw across the box and slam them into the rail, flipping Claw on their side. Overhaul has a chance to turn the tide here… and for some reason decides to pull back. WTF?!? They had a clear shot and didn’t take it. Claw self-rights but seems a bit dazed as Overhaul grabs them again. But Claw breaks free and continues to chase Overhaul, lifting them up and carrying them as the clock expires.

    The two fastest runners (based on limited research) in the world are Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay. This fight wasn’t Gay vs. Bolt. It was Gay vs. an F-15 with the maneuverability of a helicopter. Claw was able to attack at will, and the only times Overhaul had a chance to do anything was when Claw made a mistake. Claw gets the win in a unanimous decision (no surprise). Claw is now 3-0 and should have a bracket spot barring fatal damage in fight 4. Overhaul is 1-1 and will definitely need to pick it up to make the bracket. Team Claw says that they were able to increase downforce on the bot and thus have more control at speed.



    Spoiler: Horizon 0-1 vs. Monsoon 0-1
    Show
    Monsoon is coming off a close loss to Black Dragon. They hit hard and are very tough. Horizon is a rookie bot that I suspect won’t be effective in the long run. It’s hard to have two separate weapons, especially if they don’t share a power source. And Monsoon lacks the flexibility of Smeee, so they can’t even try and wrap around bots (which was Smee’s goal even if they never really pulled it off). I suspect Monsoon will hammer Horizon into pieces. Team Horizon calls their bot a glass cannon: hard on offense but no defense to speak of. I suspect they are being optimistic since their weapons don’t look that impressive.

    Monsoon leads with a box rush that knocks Horizon back. Man, Monsoon spins up fast. They then begin pounding Horizon into the corner. After getting under Horizon for a few seconds they then back off. Horizon is staggering and can’t seem to get away from the wall. Monsoon goes in for another hit and sends Horizon flying into the air and upside down. They then hit Horizon AGAIN, knocking them 5 feet into the air and still upside down when they land. Monsoon doesn’t self-right but since they are hanging on a rail I don’t think it matters. Monsoon is counted out. As they lay there we FINALLY see one of their spinners speed up, not that it matters.

    Not much to say here. This was all Monsoon. I’ve already mentioned the weapon issues I see with Horizon, but their design means you can take shots at the center of the bot w/o having to worry about being hit by a weapon. Calling it now: Horizon goes 0-4 this season.



    Spoiler: Starchild 0-1 vs. Mammoth 0-1
    Show
    These are two of the three largest bots this season (Huge being the third). Since Mammoth is bigger I suspect Starchild might be able to land a few shots. Mammoth will be trying to leverage Starchild out of the box. This match has Anna Zolnikov of Team Ripperoni as the guest commentator. She’s putting her money on Starchild.

    Mammoth comes out quickly (well, for Mammoth) and tries to get behind Starchild, who pivots away. But Mammoth closes, gets their lifter arm under Starchild… and Mammoth goes flipping forward*. Kind of the same issue we saw when they fought Huge. Mammoth lands on their side and Starchild closes to land some hits while Mammoth tries to self-right. They get upright and manage to box in Starchild. Starchild breaks free and runs to the center of the box. Mammoth follows and launches an attack and is suddenly carrying Starchild around the box. Starchild and mammoth might be stuck? Interestingly, we hear a ref saying that he thinks they can free themselves. And he’s right as the two finally break free from each other. After some chasing Mammoth corners Starchild in a corner but is unable to get a wheel over the edge. This sets the tone for the rest of the match. Mammoth chases Starchild, lifts them up a bit, but can’t capitalize as time expires.

    Based on control and aggression I suspect this will go to Mammoth, and it does in a unanimous decision. Starchild had a hard time getting anything going. I suspect they will be 0-4 as well.



    Spoiler: Triton 0-1 vs. Copperhead 1-0
    Show
    Everyone likes talking about the fact Triton has the largest weapon in the field. But I notice they never got it up to an effective speed in their first match. SIZE ISN’T EVERYTHING, IT’S HOW YOU USE IT!!! (Kenny says something similar). Meanwhile Copperhead absolutely destroyed Bloodsport in their first match. I suspect this will be an easy second victory for them. We do learn that Copperhead actually took a fair amount of damage against Bloodsport, but they think they have it fixed.

    Copperhead comes out fast and bumps into Triton. Not a big hit. Triton is spinning up, but slowly. Copperhead gets to their side and lands a bigger hit that sends a few small pieces flying off of Triton’s rear. They then go in for another hit, but Triton pivots and actually knocks Copperhead across the floor. Copperhead regroups, charges in… and lands a hit that absolutely destroys the back of Triton. Pieces are everywhere and Triton isn’t moving. But wait! Copperhead isn’t moving either? Did they knock something loose? Both bots are counted out!

    Kenny points out that Copperhead seems to be high centered on a piece of Triton. Replay shows that as Triton’s blade finally slowed to a stop, it knocked a battery pack under Copperhead just as Copperhead was coming down from a bounce. Totally fluke timing; you could spend years and not consciously duplicate this. So it goes to the judges who unanimously give it to Copperhead (no surprise). Copperhead is 2-0 and bracket bound. Meanwhile Triton has maneuverability issues to address, and they need to find a balance between weapon speed and size.


    Spoiler: Lucky 1-0 vs. Kraken 0-1
    Show
    Lucky is the poor cousin of flippers. They can’t land the powerful flips like Hydra or Blip, and they can’t take much damage. But they do have an excellent driver. Meanwhile the retooled Kraken seems to have slowed down a bit. I’m not sure the new grabbing arm with spinner is effective in the long-term. Incidentally, Matt’s 12yo son is operating Kraken’s weapons.

    Lucky comes out fast while Kraken … doesn’t really come out at all. They’re just circling in their square. Lucky pins kraken against the rail and then backs off. Kraken’s spinner is at speed, but they still seem to be having movement issues. We’re 20 seconds in and they just left their square for the first time. They stagger into the center of the ring, then Lucky gets under them, pushes them into the deck, then flips them onto the upper deck. Kraken uses the screws to get off the deck and Lucky promptly flips them back onto it. There’s also a belt on the flop, possibly from Kraken since after their last flip the right-side wheels aren’t moving. They finally work their way to the side of the deck, slide partly off… and Lucky promptly puts them back on the deck. They get off quicker this time, but Lucky positions, pushes them into the corner, and launches 2 flips that each knock Kraken upside down in the air. It also looks like Kraken’s left rear tire is losing tread (or else another belt). Lucky keeps kraken cornered, launching small flips and not letting kraken catch their breath. They flip kraken across the ring, then follow with 4 flips in about 10 seconds. In terms of number of flips this is one of the highest in a fight we’ve seen in a long time. As we hit the 20 second mark we wonder how many more flips there will be, but Lucky is smoking. They back off and let time expire.

    Whatever else they did to Kraken before this season they seem to have really screwed up the drive. This is the second fight where Kraken had maneuvering issues, and they seemed much worse this time. Needless to say, Lucky gets the unanimous decision. At 2-0 they have a decent shot at the bracket. Meanwhile Kraken is another bot that might very well finish 0-4.


    Spoiler: Minotaur 2-0 vs. Cobalt 1-0
    Show
    These two bots met in season 4 and it was a madhouse. The fight went the distance and did damage to the box including taking out some lights. Minotaur won that fight on decision, but it was anyone’s fight up until the end. On paper Minotaur wins weapon speed and weight, but Cobalt wins more of their fights by knockout. This is too close to call. Cobalt has added forks to get under Minotaur’s drum.

    Minotaur comes out fast, but when they first collide it is Minotaur that goes flying backwards and lands upside down. Minotaur begins creating the gyroscopic action they use to self-right while Cobalt chases them down. Cobalt lands a second hit that knocks Minotaur back, then a third one that sends them flying again. Cobalt is winning the ground war and goes in for another hit… and loses a fork. It will be interesting to see how this affects things. Both bots begin a shoving war that seems evenly matched. Kenny: “I’m not sure how effective Cobalt will be with just one fork”, just as Cobalt lands a huge hit that sends Minotaur flying. Chris: “You were saying?”. Cobalt stays on the offensive and is definitely dominating this fight so far, and I don’t think Minotaur has landed a single hit (certainly not one that was a result of weapon on weapon). Cobalt pins Minotaur for 10 seconds (the limit) then breaks free. As Minotaur pushes away Cobalt lands another shot that knocks Minotaur over. Minotaur closes and begins attacking Cobalt’s remaining fork (probably a good idea) as we reach the 90 second mark.

    They begin pushing each other and for the first time BOTH bots go flying backwards as the weapons meet. A second exchange knocks Minotaur back and as it comes down we see it is smoking. Minotaur charges in, gets knocked back, charges in again… and has their first significant hit as Cobalt goes flying back, bouncing off their weapon and is on their side. A second hit knocks Cobalt against the rails. They self-right thanks to the screws and race for the center of the box with Minotaur in hot pursuit. Minotaur hits them again and Cobalt goes into the air. It lands on its head. Cobalt is unable to self-right and is counted out as the smoke from Minotaur increases.

    WTF just happened?!? I guess it goes to show that anything can happen. For better than two minutes Cobalt dominated this fight. It was completely them. And then in 15 seconds Minotaur turns the table and gets the win. When asked how they did it Marco says, “Never give up, never surrender”. And he was certainly right. Minotaur goes to 3-0 and is a bracket certainty. And while Cobalt may now be 1-1 I suspect this loss is as good as a win when the judges are making their decision on the bracket.


    See you next week.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

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

  24. - Top - End - #24
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Planetar

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    A lot of the fights in this match were boring. There were exceptions: Minotaur versus Cobalt was great, as was the phenomenal Triton versus Copperhead. Copperhead has to at least be in the running for most destructive 'bot after that fight :).

    But the others ? Bah. Especially starchild versus Mammoth. For at least part of it Mammoth was flopping around like a landed fish. I couldn't wait for the bout to be over.

    Ah well, I guess that's part of what the qualifiers are about; selecting those bots which are both winning and entertaining.

    Respectfully,

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

    -Valery Legasov in Chernobyl

  25. - Top - End - #25
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Triton seems like a bad copy of an ant weight named Thagomizer I follow. Thagomizer is longer and thinner, and heavily armors it's butt which it leads with. When the opponent strikes against the plate it then spins and cuts their wheel, it's very effective at the lighter divisions.

    Triton not having the butt armor seems like a colossal mistake, and the wheels need to be set out wider to turn faster. He's like half Thagomizer half tombstone.

    This episode seemed great to me. We got 90s style bots fighting in moonchild and mammoth, destruction, the best match in BattleBots history perhaps with minotaur vs cobalt, and claw viper continuing his climb from joke bot to top seed.
    Last edited by Tvtyrant; 2023-02-20 at 09:00 AM.

  26. - Top - End - #26
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Quote Originally Posted by Tvtyrant View Post
    Triton seems like a bad copy of an ant weight named Thagomizer I follow. Thagomizer is longer and thinner, and heavily armors it's butt which it leads with. When the opponent strikes against the plate it then spins and cuts their wheel, it's very effective at the lighter divisions.

    Triton not having the butt armor seems like a colossal mistake, and the wheels need to be set out wider to turn faster. He's like half Thagomizer half tombstone.

    This episode seemed great to me. We got 90s style bots fighting in moonchild and mammoth, destruction, the best match in BattleBots history perhaps with minotaur vs cobalt, and claw viper continuing his climb from joke bot to top seed.
    Tombstone wasn't heavily armored either. However, they was maneuverable enough that it was hard to get a shot at their back end. Triton lacks that maneuverability, and their weapon isn't rotating fast enough to do significant damage.

    Yeah, Cobalt and Minotaur is definitely a top 10 fight, if not a top 5. "You were winning right up until you weren't".
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

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

  27. - Top - End - #27
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Welcome to week 8!

    Quote Originally Posted by tomandtish View Post
    So, Battlebots has a new season starting this Thursday. Based on their website it looks like there are 57 robots competing.

    Quote Originally Posted by tomandtish View Post
    Week 1: We do get some interesting info at the beginning. Apparently it is 50 bots competing, not 57 (not sure why the site shows 57..maybe 57 applied?).

    Well, they clarified something tonight. You have several (7 I presume?) bots that are basically engaging in exhibition matches. They aren't part of the 50. It's a chance to show off new/unusual designs.

    They also clarify that it is less about record and more about performance, so a 1-3 bot that lost spectacular fights against tough bots still has a decent chance of making the bracket.

    Spoiler: Free Shipping (FS) 1-1 vs. Hydra 1-1
    Show
    Free Shipping’s spinner allows them to inflict significant damage for the first time in the series. Hydra is still the best flipper out there. As Jake ruefully noted last time AND mentions before the match this time, this will all come down to the ground game, since Hydra is functionally useless if it can’t get under their opponent. Hydra’s first career win was against Free Shipping in 2019, but that was a radically different Free Shipping. Kenny sets the over/under at 11.5 flips.

    Both bots come out slow. FS then charges Hydra and promptly gets flipped into the air. Kind of a flying cartwheel. FS ends up in the corner. Hydra closes, and as FS moves out they promptly get flipped again. Some circling and then Hydra gets flips 3 and 4. Free Shipping recovers and circles for a few seconds, then charges in again… and is flipped twice more, then a third time.

    And honestly there isn’t a need for much more commentary. Hydra is able to flip FS at will. Some are low, and quite a few are high (10 feet plus). Gary seems to have no answer to Hydra other than charging in hoping to cause damage. They end up on the screws, up by the lights (just missed them), and may have spent more time in the air than on the ground. Incredibly it goes the distance and to the judges.

    Needless to say, it is a unanimous verdict for Hydra. Something positive about FS? They were moving the entire fight (admittedly in the air for a lot of it). Unfortunately, that’s all that can be said. Hydra flipped them 20 times. The highest was 15.3 feet, and FS spent 54 seconds in the air (effectively 1/3 of the fight. Honestly, I think there were a few opportunities where Hydra could have taken a shot at flipping them out of the box and chose to pass on them. It was a master class in what a flipper can do. Hydra is 2-1 with their next match against Sawblaze, so this was an important win for them. FS is 1-2, and unfortunately this wasn’t an impressive loss for them since they were so clearly overpowered. Their next fight is against Big Dill, and I think they not only need a win, but an impressive win to make the bracket.


    Spoiler: Fusion 1-1 vs. Huge 2-0
    Show
    Huge is having their best season ever and will probably make the bracket barring disaster. Fusion is also having a good season. Despite being 1-1 their loss was to Witch Doctor in one of the best fights of the season. Fusion has added top armor to protect against Huge and is using a smaller vertical spinner since they suspect their horizontal will do most of the damage.

    Both bots come out and Fusion gets the first hit with a soft shot to one of Huge’s wheels. Huge counters with a shot that knocks Fusion back about 5 feet. Fusion seems dazed as Huge comes in and lands a second hit that slams Fusion against the upper deck screws and appears to have partially knocked their top armor off. A third hit and yep, that top armor is completely off now. Fusion isn’t moving and is counted out.

    I said earlier that Huge is having their best season ever. That was certainly confirmed here as they took out Fusion in about 30 seconds. They are 3-0, and since their last fight is against Starchild I suspect they will have a 4-0 season. Fusion is 1-2, and like Free Shipping they need an impressive win in fight 4 to make sure they have a decent bracket shot. That fight is against Rotator so we’ll have to see what happens.


    Spoiler: Lockjaw 1-1 vs. Glitch 0-1
    Show
    Lockjaw beat Malice and lost a hard fight to Sawblaze. They need this victory since fight 4 is MadCatter. Glitch had an impressive rookie season and did well in the Golden Bolt tournament. But their first fight was a disaster and they seem to have developed drive issues again, as they have struggled to even get the bot into the box (both fight one and tonight). Lockjaw is also using their drone Spitfire tonight.

    Both bots come out slowly to have time to spin up. Lockjaw gets there first and begins circling, looking for an attack angle. Glitch is doing a good job staying squared up. After approximately 20 seconds Lockjaw moves in… and promptly knocks Glitch upside down. Glitch has no self-righter. There’s a few seconds where you wonder if Lockjaw is going to continue the fight. But suddenly Lockjaw begins smoking and you see flame, so they back off. Glitch tries using a pulverizer to right themselves but it doesn’t work, and they are counted out.

    It’s a solid win for Lockjaw (now 2-1), but you have to wonder about the smoke and fire. One hit and they are having issues. This has been an ongoing problem for Lockjaw. Meanwhile Glitch is 0-2, and although their next 2 fights are easier (Triton and Valkyrie), they need impressive wins to counter the fact that they’ve been on the wrong side of two 1-hit knockouts.



    Spoiler: Beta 1-0 vs. Shatter 0-1
    Show
    A match Thor would enjoy, as it is hammerbot vs. hammerbot. Beta has the more powerful weapon but is limited in their number of shots. Meanwhile Shatter’s hammer is electric. Doesn’t hit as hard but can fire an unlimited number of times. Shatter is more maneuverable, but their omni-drive setup means they don’t have great traction.

    Both bots come out and circle. They close and Beta wins the pushing war, getting Shatter into a corner. But they miss their first shot, as well as a second as they leave the corner. Shatter fires one short that misses and a second that bounces off Beta’s front wedge as beta gets under them and pushes them into the rails. As they come free Shatter lands more shots on the wedge. Beta’s weapon motor is exposed at the top of the wedge so a successful shot into the thermal exhaust port (it’s small) would take out beta’s hammer. Unfortunately, aiming for it means they end up on Beta’s wedge which allows Beta to push them around. Beta pushes them into the wall again and lands their first shot, knocking off some of Shatter’s ablative armor.

    Some more pushing and Shatter launches another shot that flips THEM over backwards. They end up in a corner where Beta lands a few more shots. No obvious damage but Beta is definitely ahead so far. Some more pushing, then Beta lands several blows to the back of Shatter. This may have damaged Shatter’s weapon motor. Another cornering and Beta lands several more shots on the side of Shatter. Beta continues pushing Shatter around as time expires.

    This was clearly Beta all the way. They were able to push Shatter around at will, and Shatter didn’t do anything other than leave a few scuffmarks on Beta’s wedge. Should be unanimous for Beta…and it is. Definitely an important victory for them, as fights 3 and 4 are against Black Dragon and Bloodsport respectively. Shatter is behind the eight ball at 0-2, but their next two fights are against rookies, so they aren’t out. Adam is very emotional that he got to fight his personal hero, and more so that John (Beta) called his bot one of the best two hammerbots in the sport.


    Spoiler: Quantum 2-0 vs. Black Dragon (BD) 1-0
    Show
    Quantum is riding high on two knockouts, but they are against a bot that has never been knocked out. BD is at a 22 fight streak w/o being K’O’d, and need 3 more to tie Bite Force. BD has added top armor to keep Quantum from penetrating, but Quantum is going with their two-tooth setup which makes it easier to grapple. First poll from the pit we’ve seen and it’s 53/47 in favor of BD.

    Both bots come out slowly. BD spins up and then dives into Quantum’s mouth. It raises sparks but not much else. A few seconds later Quantum bites down on BD and pushes them into the side of the box. BD then responds and pushes Quantum into the other side of the box. They push back and forth then break. Quantum responds quicker, getting around BD and grabbing them from behind on one of their oversized back wheels. They push BD under a pulverizer which lands a few hits. However, BD breaks free, pivots, and lands two shots that knock Quantum back. They break free, but both bots seem a bit punch drunk. They circle, then BD goes in for a hit. But Quantum wins the exchange, biting down next to BD’s drum spinner and taking them for a ride. As they separate you can see that BD’s spinner is still working. BD lands a few soft shots, then Quantum grabs them again ON the weapon this time and smashes them into the upper deck. BD responds by pushing them across the ring. 10 seconds go by and Quantum is being asked to release… but can’t. It looks like the teeth are wedged behind BD’s spinner. We get a timeout while they see if they can be separated… and apparently not. The crew was only in there about 10 seconds and said it ain’t happening. This goes to the judges who go into the box to assess damage.

    I’m honestly not sure how to score this. BD may have a slight edge in damage, but I’d give aggression to Quantum. Control seemed to depend on how much traction BD had. Their traction is dependent on the contact between their back wheels and the floor. This was a great example of a high-power pushing war. I expect a split decision. And I’m wrong. The winner by unanimous decision is Quantum. This could have gone either way, so I’m more shocked that the decision was unanimous rather then that Quantum got the victory. With their last fight against Emulsifier, I expect they will be 4-0. Kenny comments that thanks to Quantum and Claw Viper we’re seeing a resurgence of the control bot. BD is 1-1, but their next two fights are against Beta and Riptide so they have their work cut out for them.



    Spoiler: Terrortops vs. Slammo
    Show
    Earlier I mentioned that there are exhibition matches. This is one of them. Slammo is a grappling bot that has been here before but didn’t qualify for the tournament this year. Terrortops is a new lifter bot with a small vertical spinner. Both bots come out slowly. Terrortops comes in, then raises their arms allowing their spinner to connect and knock Slammo on its backside. They bump into Slammo (which rights them) and then grabs them with the lifter arm, pushes them a bit, then raises the arms and hits Slammo with the spinner again. This seems to be a surprisingly effective move and knocks one of Slammo’s wedges loose. Slammo then moves to the center of the box and begins a “death blossom” routine (fast spinning). Terrortops goes in and is knocked back a few feet. But they quickly recover, grabbing Slammo and running them into the wall. Slammo is on its backside again. It appears they can’t self-right and are counted out.

    For an exhibition bot Terrortops put on a solid performance. Good strategy, they hit reasonably hard, and had good box awareness. They look better than Blip and some other bots in this current tournament. Will be curious to see if they are back next season.


    Spoiler: Tantrum 1-1 vs. Blip 0-2
    Show
    Aren Hill is the designer of both bots, but currently runs Blip. Since the bots are a team affair one is going to go home disappointed. Both teams say that they aren’t going to hold back. Builders give it to Tantrum 55/45. Blip really needs a win here since they’ve lost twice, and neither was impressive. Each “team” is wearing a pin of the other’s bot.

    Tantrum comes out quick, but it is Blip who wins the first exchange, getting under Tantrum and driving them into a wall. There’s a surprisingly long pause, then Blip flips Tantrum up into the air. They land upside down but quickly self-right and pull away from Blip. As they turn and try and close we see some smoke. Then flame begins coming out of the top of Tantrum’s right side. As they separate we see that Tantrum’s weapon has slowed considerably. Blip gets under Tantrum again, moves to the side of the box, and flips. He fails to get them out of the box. Tantrum has stopped smoking and flaming, and it is believed they shut down their weapon. Blip gets under them again and pushes them around the box… but there’s no flip. Kenny thinks they are showing the judges they can control Tantrum. The get Tantrum into a corner and then… well, I’d argue it’s more a lift than a flip. Tantrum is up on the corner. As they come down Blip flips them again. This time they go higher than the pulverizer and bounce off the top of it on the way down. Blip continues pushing Tantrum around the ring, banging them into rails and screws. As the clock counts down from 10 Blip rams Tantrum into the upper deck and then flips them on top of it as time expires.

    This was Blip from start to finish. It was so dominating that I think there will be a few who wonder if the fix was in, but Tantrum clearly suffered weapon damage on that first flip, and I suspect fire wasn’t in the cards either. It’s a unanimous decision for Blip who is now 1-2. I suspect they still need a solid win over Banshee to make it (since their losses weren’t impressive). Tantrum is also 1-2 but had two very tough opening fights (Minotaur and Whiplash) so have a decent shot of making the bracket (and much better if they beat Whiplash in their last fight).


    See you next week.
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

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

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

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    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Quote Originally Posted by tomandtish View Post
    Tombstone wasn't heavily armored either. However, they was maneuverable enough that it was hard to get a shot at their back end. Triton lacks that maneuverability, and their weapon isn't rotating fast enough to do significant damage.

    Yeah, Cobalt and Minotaur is definitely a top 10 fight, if not a top 5. "You were winning right up until you weren't".
    Tombstone relying on his weapon as a shield has been the literal death of him at this point. The wedges keep getting better over time and the weapons have pretty much capped out IMO.

    Triton's weapon being slow should give it more bite, high RPMs make weapons skitter. The exception is weapon to weapon impacts where the higher RPMs win, hence why Minotaur is best against oversized weapons and weakest against control bots. With Triton it doesn't seem built to a game plan, where Tombstone and Thagomizer have specific goals. Tombstone wants to either clip their wheel when they go for his or go weapon to weapon as a shield, Thagomizer bounces them on its wedge then hits them in the wheel in the second where they bounce (I don't know if that translates to higher weights.) Triton has no plan at all as far as I can see.

    Quote Originally Posted by tomandtish View Post
    Welcome to week 8!


    Well, they clarified something tonight. You have several (7 I presume?) bots that are basically engaging in exhibition matches. They aren't part of the 50. It's a chance to show off new/unusual designs.

    They also clarify that it is less about record and more about performance, so a 1-3 bot that lost spectacular fights against tough bots still has a decent chance of making the bracket.

    Spoiler: Free Shipping (FS) 1-1 vs. Hydra 1-1
    Show
    Free Shipping’s spinner allows them to inflict significant damage for the first time in the series. Hydra is still the best flipper out there. As Jake ruefully noted last time AND mentions before the match this time, this will all come down to the ground game, since Hydra is functionally useless if it can’t get under their opponent. Hydra’s first career win was against Free Shipping in 2019, but that was a radically different Free Shipping. Kenny sets the over/under at 11.5 flips.

    Both bots come out slow. FS then charges Hydra and promptly gets flipped into the air. Kind of a flying cartwheel. FS ends up in the corner. Hydra closes, and as FS moves out they promptly get flipped again. Some circling and then Hydra gets flips 3 and 4. Free Shipping recovers and circles for a few seconds, then charges in again… and is flipped twice more, then a third time.

    And honestly there isn’t a need for much more commentary. Hydra is able to flip FS at will. Some are low, and quite a few are high (10 feet plus). Gary seems to have no answer to Hydra other than charging in hoping to cause damage. They end up on the screws, up by the lights (just missed them), and may have spent more time in the air than on the ground. Incredibly it goes the distance and to the judges.

    Needless to say, it is a unanimous verdict for Hydra. Something positive about FS? They were moving the entire fight (admittedly in the air for a lot of it). Unfortunately, that’s all that can be said. Hydra flipped them 20 times. The highest was 15.3 feet, and FS spent 54 seconds in the air (effectively 1/3 of the fight. Honestly, I think there were a few opportunities where Hydra could have taken a shot at flipping them out of the box and chose to pass on them. It was a master class in what a flipper can do. Hydra is 2-1 with their next match against Sawblaze, so this was an important win for them. FS is 1-2, and unfortunately this wasn’t an impressive loss for them since they were so clearly overpowered. Their next fight is against Big Dill, and I think they not only need a win, but an impressive win to make the bracket.


    Spoiler: Fusion 1-1 vs. Huge 2-0
    Show
    Huge is having their best season ever and will probably make the bracket barring disaster. Fusion is also having a good season. Despite being 1-1 their loss was to Witch Doctor in one of the best fights of the season. Fusion has added top armor to protect against Huge and is using a smaller vertical spinner since they suspect their horizontal will do most of the damage.

    Both bots come out and Fusion gets the first hit with a soft shot to one of Huge’s wheels. Huge counters with a shot that knocks Fusion back about 5 feet. Fusion seems dazed as Huge comes in and lands a second hit that slams Fusion against the upper deck screws and appears to have partially knocked their top armor off. A third hit and yep, that top armor is completely off now. Fusion isn’t moving and is counted out.

    I said earlier that Huge is having their best season ever. That was certainly confirmed here as they took out Fusion in about 30 seconds. They are 3-0, and since their last fight is against Starchild I suspect they will have a 4-0 season. Fusion is 1-2, and like Free Shipping they need an impressive win in fight 4 to make sure they have a decent bracket shot. That fight is against Rotator so we’ll have to see what happens.


    Spoiler: Lockjaw 1-1 vs. Glitch 0-1
    Show
    Lockjaw beat Malice and lost a hard fight to Sawblaze. They need this victory since fight 4 is MadCatter. Glitch had an impressive rookie season and did well in the Golden Bolt tournament. But their first fight was a disaster and they seem to have developed drive issues again, as they have struggled to even get the bot into the box (both fight one and tonight). Lockjaw is also using their drone Spitfire tonight.

    Both bots come out slowly to have time to spin up. Lockjaw gets there first and begins circling, looking for an attack angle. Glitch is doing a good job staying squared up. After approximately 20 seconds Lockjaw moves in… and promptly knocks Glitch upside down. Glitch has no self-righter. There’s a few seconds where you wonder if Lockjaw is going to continue the fight. But suddenly Lockjaw begins smoking and you see flame, so they back off. Glitch tries using a pulverizer to right themselves but it doesn’t work, and they are counted out.

    It’s a solid win for Lockjaw (now 2-1), but you have to wonder about the smoke and fire. One hit and they are having issues. This has been an ongoing problem for Lockjaw. Meanwhile Glitch is 0-2, and although their next 2 fights are easier (Triton and Valkyrie), they need impressive wins to counter the fact that they’ve been on the wrong side of two 1-hit knockouts.



    Spoiler: Beta 1-0 vs. Shatter 0-1
    Show
    A match Thor would enjoy, as it is hammerbot vs. hammerbot. Beta has the more powerful weapon but is limited in their number of shots. Meanwhile Shatter’s hammer is electric. Doesn’t hit as hard but can fire an unlimited number of times. Shatter is more maneuverable, but their omni-drive setup means they don’t have great traction.

    Both bots come out and circle. They close and Beta wins the pushing war, getting Shatter into a corner. But they miss their first shot, as well as a second as they leave the corner. Shatter fires one short that misses and a second that bounces off Beta’s front wedge as beta gets under them and pushes them into the rails. As they come free Shatter lands more shots on the wedge. Beta’s weapon motor is exposed at the top of the wedge so a successful shot into the thermal exhaust port (it’s small) would take out beta’s hammer. Unfortunately, aiming for it means they end up on Beta’s wedge which allows Beta to push them around. Beta pushes them into the wall again and lands their first shot, knocking off some of Shatter’s ablative armor.

    Some more pushing and Shatter launches another shot that flips THEM over backwards. They end up in a corner where Beta lands a few more shots. No obvious damage but Beta is definitely ahead so far. Some more pushing, then Beta lands several blows to the back of Shatter. This may have damaged Shatter’s weapon motor. Another cornering and Beta lands several more shots on the side of Shatter. Beta continues pushing Shatter around as time expires.

    This was clearly Beta all the way. They were able to push Shatter around at will, and Shatter didn’t do anything other than leave a few scuffmarks on Beta’s wedge. Should be unanimous for Beta…and it is. Definitely an important victory for them, as fights 3 and 4 are against Black Dragon and Bloodsport respectively. Shatter is behind the eight ball at 0-2, but their next two fights are against rookies, so they aren’t out. Adam is very emotional that he got to fight his personal hero, and more so that John (Beta) called his bot one of the best two hammerbots in the sport.


    Spoiler: Quantum 2-0 vs. Black Dragon (BD) 1-0
    Show
    Quantum is riding high on two knockouts, but they are against a bot that has never been knocked out. BD is at a 22 fight streak w/o being K’O’d, and need 3 more to tie Bite Force. BD has added top armor to keep Quantum from penetrating, but Quantum is going with their two-tooth setup which makes it easier to grapple. First poll from the pit we’ve seen and it’s 53/47 in favor of BD.

    Both bots come out slowly. BD spins up and then dives into Quantum’s mouth. It raises sparks but not much else. A few seconds later Quantum bites down on BD and pushes them into the side of the box. BD then responds and pushes Quantum into the other side of the box. They push back and forth then break. Quantum responds quicker, getting around BD and grabbing them from behind on one of their oversized back wheels. They push BD under a pulverizer which lands a few hits. However, BD breaks free, pivots, and lands two shots that knock Quantum back. They break free, but both bots seem a bit punch drunk. They circle, then BD goes in for a hit. But Quantum wins the exchange, biting down next to BD’s drum spinner and taking them for a ride. As they separate you can see that BD’s spinner is still working. BD lands a few soft shots, then Quantum grabs them again ON the weapon this time and smashes them into the upper deck. BD responds by pushing them across the ring. 10 seconds go by and Quantum is being asked to release… but can’t. It looks like the teeth are wedged behind BD’s spinner. We get a timeout while they see if they can be separated… and apparently not. The crew was only in there about 10 seconds and said it ain’t happening. This goes to the judges who go into the box to assess damage.

    I’m honestly not sure how to score this. BD may have a slight edge in damage, but I’d give aggression to Quantum. Control seemed to depend on how much traction BD had. Their traction is dependent on the contact between their back wheels and the floor. This was a great example of a high-power pushing war. I expect a split decision. And I’m wrong. The winner by unanimous decision is Quantum. This could have gone either way, so I’m more shocked that the decision was unanimous rather then that Quantum got the victory. With their last fight against Emulsifier, I expect they will be 4-0. Kenny comments that thanks to Quantum and Claw Viper we’re seeing a resurgence of the control bot. BD is 1-1, but their next two fights are against Beta and Riptide so they have their work cut out for them.



    Spoiler: Terrortops vs. Slammo
    Show
    Earlier I mentioned that there are exhibition matches. This is one of them. Slammo is a grappling bot that has been here before but didn’t qualify for the tournament this year. Terrortops is a new lifter bot with a small vertical spinner. Both bots come out slowly. Terrortops comes in, then raises their arms allowing their spinner to connect and knock Slammo on its backside. They bump into Slammo (which rights them) and then grabs them with the lifter arm, pushes them a bit, then raises the arms and hits Slammo with the spinner again. This seems to be a surprisingly effective move and knocks one of Slammo’s wedges loose. Slammo then moves to the center of the box and begins a “death blossom” routine (fast spinning). Terrortops goes in and is knocked back a few feet. But they quickly recover, grabbing Slammo and running them into the wall. Slammo is on its backside again. It appears they can’t self-right and are counted out.

    For an exhibition bot Terrortops put on a solid performance. Good strategy, they hit reasonably hard, and had good box awareness. They look better than Blip and some other bots in this current tournament. Will be curious to see if they are back next season.


    Spoiler: Tantrum 1-1 vs. Blip 0-2
    Show
    Aren Hill is the designer of both bots, but currently runs Blip. Since the bots are a team affair one is going to go home disappointed. Both teams say that they aren’t going to hold back. Builders give it to Tantrum 55/45. Blip really needs a win here since they’ve lost twice, and neither was impressive. Each “team” is wearing a pin of the other’s bot.

    Tantrum comes out quick, but it is Blip who wins the first exchange, getting under Tantrum and driving them into a wall. There’s a surprisingly long pause, then Blip flips Tantrum up into the air. They land upside down but quickly self-right and pull away from Blip. As they turn and try and close we see some smoke. Then flame begins coming out of the top of Tantrum’s right side. As they separate we see that Tantrum’s weapon has slowed considerably. Blip gets under Tantrum again, moves to the side of the box, and flips. He fails to get them out of the box. Tantrum has stopped smoking and flaming, and it is believed they shut down their weapon. Blip gets under them again and pushes them around the box… but there’s no flip. Kenny thinks they are showing the judges they can control Tantrum. The get Tantrum into a corner and then… well, I’d argue it’s more a lift than a flip. Tantrum is up on the corner. As they come down Blip flips them again. This time they go higher than the pulverizer and bounce off the top of it on the way down. Blip continues pushing Tantrum around the ring, banging them into rails and screws. As the clock counts down from 10 Blip rams Tantrum into the upper deck and then flips them on top of it as time expires.

    This was Blip from start to finish. It was so dominating that I think there will be a few who wonder if the fix was in, but Tantrum clearly suffered weapon damage on that first flip, and I suspect fire wasn’t in the cards either. It’s a unanimous decision for Blip who is now 1-2. I suspect they still need a solid win over Banshee to make it (since their losses weren’t impressive). Tantrum is also 1-2 but had two very tough opening fights (Minotaur and Whiplash) so have a decent shot of making the bracket (and much better if they beat Whiplash in their last fight).


    See you next week.
    I love Terrortops. I won't say heavier weaponed whiplash is a unique design but the whole design seems improved to me.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
    Vibranium: If it was on the periodic table, its chemical symbol would be "Bs".

  29. - Top - End - #29
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Raleigh NC
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Watching Episode 9. there's a hilarious parody pizza commercial at the start. Although when they say they're the #1 robot pizza shop in America, I think they're absolutely correct -- how many robot pizza shops are there in the world anyway?

    Now I want pizza.

    Respectfully,

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

    -Valery Legasov in Chernobyl

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New Battlebots season

    Pizzaroni's weird angled design seems really good in practice.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
    Vibranium: If it was on the periodic table, its chemical symbol would be "Bs".

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