Tag Archives: Bite Force

Predications for Battlebots 2019 Finale

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Finally!  After many episodes we are headed to the season finale of Battlebots!  It’s been a great season with many awesome fights and exciting upsets.  The previous episode was no exception and only half of my guesses were correct!  That Minotaur vs Hydra fight was so satisfying to watch but the best battle of the episode had to be that Deathroll vs Yeti which MAN…Deathroll is such a beast!  Woo!

Overall, this is such a classic, solid eight to have here.  All of these robots I nod approvingly.  They are veterans of the field and they have gone far before in the bracket.   Except…Death Roll!  Death Roll is such the odd duck here!  If Death Roll had lost to Yeti then we would’ve seen a very familiar robot-lineup like from the ABC years.  But I’m glad they are here because otherwise it would be too boring!

Alright, let’s reevaluate this bracket and take one last stab who would win.  I’m going to stick to my guns and say Witch Doctor will win the tournament but let’s take a look!

 

Bite Force vs. Lock Jaw- Bite Force by KO in 2 minutes
Bite Force has tangled with Lock Jaw and won before so it’s easy to pick Bite Force as the winner.  It’s a boring but safe choice especially since Lock Jaw has been. Smoking. So. Much. These past few fights.  I honestly feel Lock Jaw will lose not through excessive damage by Bite Force but through just finally giving out after one too many fights.

 

Tombstone vs. Whiplash- Whiplash by KO about a minute
Another rematch and I think another battle that will go to the previous victor.  Whiplash has been really good this season and Tombstone is certainly great but I think Whiplash’s great driver that will be able to out maneuver Tombstone and defeat them.  Although at this rate I wouldn’t be surprised if Tombstone pulled a surprise victory and smash Whiplash and its exposed tires to bits.

 

Witch Doctor vs. Saw Blaze- Witch Doctor by Unanimous Decision
Saw Blaze threw me into a loop when it’s huge ram was able to absorb and reflect SOW’s devastating hammers.  I really need to stop underestimating these guys.  I still think Witch Doctor will win mainly because the Winds of Fate seem to be with them and also they’re just great!  I think they will be able to push Saw Blaze around and shrug off attacks from its hammer saw.  I don’t know if it will be able to KO Saw Blaze but I think it will do enough to get a nod from the Judges.

 

Minotaur vs. Death Roll- Death Roll by KO in 2 min and 30 sec
Look, I’m done underestimating Minotaur.  They are back!  But God damn is this such a wild card match!  I can see this fight go either way but someone is definitely getting KO’d.  After rewatching that match between Death Roll and Yeti I have to give it to Death Roll because I am very impressed how it can keep churning its blade even after going head to head against Yeti and launching them in the air.  I think the main reason why I’m giving it to Death Roll is they have stability on their side and Minotaur not as much with its gyroscopic-tilting drum spinner.  I think if Death Roll can knock into Minotaur from the side a few times it will win but we’ll see.  This will probably be the best fight of the night!!!!

 

Bite Force vs. Whiplash-Whiplash by Unanimous Decision
Whiplash was defeated by Bite Force in the 2018 Semi Finals.  Fate will bring them again together only this time it will be Whiplash who will defeat Bite Force.  I think Whiplash has gathered enough experience and built a great enough robot that they can push Bite Force around and control the match.  It will be very hard to defeat Bite Force especially since they are so powerful but I think they can do it.  Whiplash has the reach, the driver, and the power to win.  Go Whiplash!

 

Witch Doctor vs. Death Roll-Witch Doctor by KO in 2 minutes
Two undefeated robots will fight each other but only one will win.  That robot will be Witch Doctor.  Witch Doctor is stable, durable, and hits incredibly hard.  Witch Doctor is also quick and agile.  I think it can outdrive Death Roll and push it onto the screws.  If I were to guess, Witch Doctor could take out that weird hand that belongs to Death Roll and prevent it from flipping over causing WD to get the KO.

 

Witch Doctor vs. Whiplash-Witch Doctor by KO in 1 min 30 sec
The final battle will also be the final rematch of the season.  Whiplash and Witch Doctor fought each other earlier this season with WD getting a win by Judges’ Decision.  I think this battle will go quicker with WD cranking up the aggression factor by 11 and pummeling the Whiplash into submission.  I think Whiplash will sneak in a few hits but it will be Witch Doctor who will take home the giant nut.

 

Looking forward to tomorrow!

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Witch Doctor is my pick for the 2019 Battlebots Champion (Sweet Sixteen Bracket)

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BattleBots-2019-Bracket.jpg

Man, this was a rough bracket to fill.

With so many good robots participating this year I struggled picking which bot would advance and which would go home.  Nonetheless, I am (mostly) confident that Witch Doctor, if not Tombstone, would be the winner of this year’s Battlebots.  Let’s take a quick look at my reasonings.

Sweet Sixteen
Biteforce vs. Uppercut- Biteforce by KO in less than 2 minutes
Biteforce has been a near unstoppable force this season while the rookie Uppercut has struggled to deliver satisfying KOs.  I think Biteforce will end Uppercut in less than two minutes and move on unscathed.

Black Dragon vs. Lockjaw- Black Dragon by UD
This was a tough call for me as these two bots have shown sturdiness and ability to deliver strong hits.  But who to choose?  Rookie team from Brazil or the veteran driver?  Based on Black Dragon’s last four matches, I’m giving it to Black Dragon for a mild upset.  I think both bots will be aggressive and have nice control but BD will win by Unanimous Decision by the Judges.

Tombstone vs. Quantum- Tombstone by KO, 1:20
Now, I can see Quantum winning like it did against Valkyrie by tanking hits and pushing its foe around the arena until the bell rings.  But Tombstone…is no Valkyrie!  That weapon is crazy dangerous and I think no amount of bite force will save Quantum.  I bet Quantum’s jaw will even go crooked like a sad croc when its done from this match.

Huge vs Whiplash- Huge by UD
Huge has improved so much since last season to the point that if you’re not a horizontal spinner than you’re in for a bad time.  If it wasn’t for the Hypershock vs Huge match I would’ve given it to Whiplash but now…I have to give it to my man, HUGE!  Whiplash will have difficultly controlling the match while Huge will just wail at it until its bruised, bruised, bruised.

Witch Doctor vs. Blacksmith- Witch Doctor by UD
Blacksmith’s luck may have turned in the nick of time by the end of the season but I’m afraid his luck will run out against the 4-0 Witch Doctor.  The hammer hasn’t been shown to be too effective and it would be hard to accurately pound the very agile Witch Doctor.  I think Witch Doctor won’t be able to KO Blacksmith but it will still win the match easily.

Son of Whyachi vs. Sawblaze- SoW by KO, less than a minute
Yes, I know, I know, SoW can be flipped and KO easily but I honestly think it can damage Sawblaze to the point of destruction before it could have a chance to flip it.  That saw is just begging to be torn and bludgeoned off.

Hydra vs. Minotaur- Hydra by SD
This will probably be the closest match for the Sweet Sixteen.  Minotaur is basically unflippable and Hydra would have to win by flipping Minotaur out of the arena, which is entirely possible, or by simply dominating the match by flips after flips.  Minotaur can easily win though by aggressive and chipping away from all sides.  However, I honestly can’t see Minotaur do too much damage due to Hydra’s low design and smooth armor.  I think Hydra will win if by Split Decision if it can’t flip Minotaur out.

Death Roll vs. Yeti- Death Roll by SD
This was also a very hard match to decide and if it was any other year and even six episodes ago I would have easily picked Yeti…but now…?  I don’t know…I feel like Death Roll has been such a chaotic force this year that I think it will be this bracket’s Dark Horse.  Yeti on the other hand has been…alright…not great but good.  I think Death Roll will do some crazy upset that will throw everyone for a loop by damaging Yeti until it starts smoking by the end of this match.  Weirder things have happened this season.

 

Elite Eight
Bite Force vs. Black Dragon- Black Dragon by KO in 2:35
That’s right!  I’m calling it here!  Bite Force will lose to Black Dragon in a surprise upset!  The desperado team will continue their wins by a long but strong match against the champion.  There will be many clashes and collisions and both bots will be heavily damaged but I think Black Dragon will throw us for a loop and flip Bite Force onto its back and win with a KO.

Huge vs. Tombstone- Tombstone by KO, less than a minute
There are two bots in this bracket that can defeat Huge, Tombstone and SoW.  If Huge doesn’t fight them he will win.  But unfortunately, Huge will have to fight Tombstone and he will lose to that ferocious horizontal spinner.  Perhaps Huge will have a different set of wheels than what we’re used to but I think it will be fruitless against the former champ.

Witch Doctor vs SoW- Witch Doctor by KO in about one minute
Witch Doctor and Death Roll are this season’s most improved bots.  I think Witch Doctor will continue her reign by defeating another improved bot, Son of Whyachi.  Witch Doctor’s record can be spotty, yes, but I think this will be one of those matches that will be done in less that five hits.  One solid hit by Witch Doctor’s vertical spinner will send SoW up…and onto its back.

Hydra vs Death Roll- Hydra by KO in 1:40
However, Death Roll’s luck will end here.  With two 4-0 bots fighting each other someone has to bow down and it will be Death Roll.  I think Hydra is just too experienced and intense for Death Roll to handle.  Death Roll will have a hard time damaging Hydra and a few good flips from Hydra I think will wreck Death Roll.

Final Four and Championship
Black Dragon vs. Tombstone- Tombstone by KO in about a minute
Black Dragon will be the talk of the town as the rookie who made it to the semi-finals.  However, it will fight Tombstone and, unfortunately, the Duck’s good luck powers will run dry.  Tombstone will wallop and destroy Black Dragon with a quick KO.

Hydra vs. Witch Doctor-Witch Doctor by JD
I think some of you might say I’m inconsistent here with Hydra beating Death Roll and Minotaur but lose to Witch Doctor.  You are…correct!  But!  Witch Doctor has been really good this season!  Reddit likes to shit on Witch Doctor (which was very much undeserved even before this season) but it’s a good bot on a good team!  I think Witch Doctor is sturdy and strong.  I think it has a good shot of taking down Hydra by chipping away, avoiding the flipper, and controlling the match.

Witch Doctor vs Tombstone- Witch Doctor by KO, in about a minute

I rest my case.

 

And as a bonus, here is Mary’s bracket!

BattleBots-2019-Bracket Mary

Predictions for Battlebots S2 Sweet Sixteen

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Despite my sorrow and despite my wrong predictions, this has been a great season so far! Upsets galore, vengeful veterans, and wild moments crowd the Round of 32 and it’s so wonderful. Let’s take a look at some general things before we dive into my (very likely wrong) predictions.

BattleBots-Season2-Sweet-Sixteen

First off, only 10 out of the top 16 seeds and 4 out of the top 8 seeds made it to the Sweet Sixteen. I’d figured there’d be upsets but certainly not on this level. Most notable of these upsets were fan favorites, and proven veterans, Witch Doctor, Stinger, Icewave, and Son of Whyachi. The latter three certainly hurt me as I like these robots and their team. Better luck next year guys!

Of the sixteen robots left, two are a horizontal spinner, six are a vertical spinner, two are hammerbots, three are drummers, one is a launcher, one is a clampbot, and one is Warhead. Mind you, some of these robots, like Bombshell, can be different classes so these numbers are based on the preceding fights. Notably absent from this lineup are full-body spinners, lifters, and rambots which got knocked out in the previous rounds like Captain Shrederator, The Ringmaster, Lucky, and Stinger. Also, only Poison Arrow remains with a drone (which have yet to prove their effectiveness). We’ll have to pay attention to this line up and see what remains near the end of the tournament.

Now, one last thing. I honestly think that from here on out, the robots that win will win the hearts of us fans. This is the make or break point for these guys. Some of them, like Red Devil, have to prove that they are not here because of some fluke. They’re here because they deserve it. And if they fail, they’ll sadly be forgotten.

Predictions

Quadrant 1

Image from battlebots.com

Tombstone will beat Brutus by KO, blah blah blah, the real match is the Nightmare vs BETA battle! Okay, on the one side you got Nightmare who cleanly fits the definition of an awesome but impractical robot. Then on the other side you got the Battlebots-fan-gone-pro BETA. BETA is also an awesome but impractical robot as his hammer is so strong it can destabilize him. So, who to choose??

In all honesty, I would have to give it to Nightmare. Nightmare may be a glass cannon but this is a fight I honestly think he could win at. Nightmare’s thin design is possibly one of the best counters to BETA’s inaccurate swing. Also, I think Nightmare will just rip chunks out of him similar to his glorious victory over Slamjob many years ago. And then Nightmare will probably lose to Tombstone in the following round as Tombstone could topple Nightmare with a good hit to the wheels.

Quadrant 2

Image from battlebots.com

Bronco faces a challenging opponent that can easily right himself and is as nimble as a crazed wrestler. Bronco will have to be aggressive and hope that one of his launches will incapacitate Razorback through fall damage or by knocking him out of the ring. Razorback has it worse probably as I honestly think Bronco’s too big for Razorback. Perhaps Razorback can get underneath Bronco and try to drive him to the screws but it would be hard. I’m giving it to Bronco.

Even more fascinating is the Warhead v Minotaur fight. After Warhead’s stellar performance against Complete Control, this battle is looking a little tough to decide! I really, really, want Warhead to win but I think Minotaur’s spinning drum is just too strong. I think Minotaur will toss him this way and that until Warhead just can’t move anymore. Which means that Minotaur will face Bronco. I’m still confident in Bronco so I think he can deliver a launching knockout though I wouldn’t be surprised if Minotaur pulled an upset here.

Quadrant 3

Image from battlebots.com

This quadrant got hit haaaaaard. Witch Doctor’s gone. Cobalt’s gone. Son of Whyachi’s gone. The only high seed left is Hypershock! This is the quadrant we should all look at as it will really bring in some new stars that will take the mantle of fame. These robots are still fresh or untested so I’m super giddy about it! Red Devil v Bombshell is super tricky as we still know little about them. But, I’m giving it to Bombshell as they have the versatility to win and they won’t be underestimating RD. It’s tough to choose the horizontal blade or axe but I lean towards the blade as it seems effective. Meanwhile, Hypershock and Poison Arrow will be fuuuuun. Will Hypershock bat another drone from the sky? Will Poison Arrow’s furious spinning drum incapacitate Hypershock? For this match, I’m giving it to Hypershock as they seem to have the durability and the strength to take down Poison Arrow.

Hypershock or Bombshell? Again, Hypershock seems reliable so I’m giving it to them on that basis alone. They seem strong, they seem dependable, and I think they can out maneuver Bombshell and win it.

Quadrant 4

Image from battlebots.com

Bite Force has fought, and won, against all manner of opponents and thus I find it unlikely that their first loss would be to a battlebot that has horrible aim and is highly unstable. Bite Force is dependable but the only thing it has going against it is its vertical spinner which has so far proven to be not very effective. By far, the more interesting match is between Yeti and Mega Tento. Who to choose?? Mega Tento seems big enough to engulf Yeti but Yeti is as agile and aggressive as a monkey so Tento could have a hard time trying to pin Yeti down. On the flip side, Yeti’s spinning drum doesn’t seem as powerful as Minotaur’s so he might have a hard time trying to damage Tento’s awkward frame.

Before the Mega Tento v Stinger fight I would’ve given it to Yeti easily but now I have a hard time deciding. After some consideration, I’m giving it to Yeti who I believe can wedge himself under Tento and do some serious underbelly damage. As for Yeti v Bite Force…Bite Force is strong and reliable but I’m throwing in an upset and giving it to Yeti. I believe Yeti has what it takes to finally defeat Bite Force. I like Bite Force but he’s no Biohazard or Hazard, Bite Force will fall this tournament, mark my words.

If not Yeti then to someone else.