Tag Archives: Chomp

Battlebots Season 2 Finale Prediction

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Despite the long break between the two Sweet Sixteen episodes, I heartily enjoyed many of the battles that we saw although there were a few unfortunate duds. Amazingly, we get a season finale this week!!!  We don’t have to wait another week!  This is a nice surprise from ABC given we had to wait quite awhile sometimes between episodes.  Hopefully, this upcoming episode will give us many fantastic battles that we can scream and whoop at!

Battlebots Season 2 Elite Eight

 

Let’s take a look at the Elite Eight before I dive into my predictions. First off, my guesses in the last round were surprisingly not too bad as five out of the eight matches I envisioned correctly (Biteforce, Nightmare, and Hypershock betray me…). Biteforce’s loss eliminates another high seed from the tournament as only three of the top eight seeds remain while two remain of the top four. Poison Arrow stands out big time from the Elite Eight with its whoppingly low 27 seed. To be fair though, unlike some other bots, Poison Arrow deserves his Elite Eight spot thanks to taking down Whyachi and upsetting the drone-killing bot, Hypershock. The commentators noted how Yeti was the dark horse of this tournament but I honestly lean towards Poison Arrow as the “bot that could.”

Of the eight remaining, three are drum spinners, one is a horizontal spinner, one is a launcher, two are hammerbots, and one is multi-functional. This is definitely the year of the drum spinners as all three drum spinners (Poison Arrow, Minotaur, and Yeti) have survived the Sweet Sixteen with great wins from each of these robots. There’s also a decent chance that all three of these will again progress to the Final Four given their opponent matchup. Notably absent are the vertical spinners which we had six in the Sweet Sixteen and all of them lost. These robots lost due to weapon loss, dismantling, or inability to fight and it’s pretty unlucky that none of them survived.

Before we go to the predictions, I decided to approach things differently and instead did a simple table to see who would win if every robot fought another robot. After going over the scenarios in my head, I then made a list of robots going from most likely to win to least likely to win. Here’s the results.

  1. Bronco 7-0

image from battlebots.com

My confidence in Bronco has only increased as this season progresses. Out of all the veteran teams, Team Bronco has played it the most safe by modifying (and not outright revamping like Biteforce) their robot to cover their weaknesses without sacrificing their robot’s identity. Bronco’s behind can take hits like a champ and if any robot tries to ride Bronco he just bucks them off! Bronco’s durability will come into play big time against his match against Minotaur. I predict that Bronco’s ass will get a face full of steel but he can withstand it and toss him around the Battlebox. In all honesty, if Bronco wins against Minotaur then he wins the tournament. He will face down his rival Tombstone again in the championship but this time, he will win.

  1. Minotaur 6-1

I wasn’t kidding when I said Minotaur v Bronco is the match to watch out for in the Elite Eight. This match will decide who will be victorious in Battlebots. If Minotaur beats Bronco then any other robot doesn’t stand a chance, including Tombstone. If Minotaur were to face down Tombstone, he can out maneuver this deadly robot and chew up his vulnerable spots. Minotaur’s spinning drum is also likely the strongest drum in the tournament so if he were to collide with Yeti or Poison Arrow, both could explode due to the immense force behind that weapon.

  1. Tombstone 5-2

Tombstone will very likely go to the final round as so many of his strong competitors, mainly Stinger and Biteforce, have been knocked out. I honestly feel that some of his supposed opponents, like Chomp, got to the Elite Eight more out of luck than fighting skill but I could be severely underestimating them again. Regardless, he will chew through whoever he faces, including Yeti and face either Minotaur or Bronco in the championship; either of which he will lose to.

  1. BETA 4-3

Truth be told, I worry about BETA’s chances as his fight against Nightmare looked to do some serious damage to his hammering mechanism. He might be limping into his next fight, Tombstone, and that’s not good. Unlike Chomp (sorry) my respect for this newcomer with a seemingly faulty weapon has gone up. Can BETA deliver another upset against one of the most deadly robots of all time? It’s doubtful but I will say that if he can pull off an upset, he would likely win against either Chomp or Yeti. Rewatching some of BETA’s bouts has brightened my outlook on this robot and his gigantic hammer. I’m pretty sure this hammer’s so powerful that he can smash Chomp and Yeti (and Poison Arrow and Bombshell if he somehow faces them in the final round). Good luck, once again, BETA!

  1. Yeti 3-4

Now, just because I have Yeti so low on the list does not mean I don’t like him, far from it! I love this spunky, dexterous robot! And I’m also willing to bet Yeti’s sponsors (if that’s a thing in Battlebots, I’m not sure) will go up and make sure this battlebot will get the necessary spare parts needed for another run next season. But we have to focus on the here and now and so, Yeti is in a tough situation. How far can Yeti’s luck last? Well, it’s a good thing he’s fighting Chomp as that is a robot Yeti definitely can take on. If Yeti wins, Yeti might then out maneuver Tombstone and deliver some good hits. Unfortunately, I don’t see a rosy future for Yeti after that as I’m sure Bronco or Minotaur will knock him out. We’ll see. Good luck, dark horse!

  1. Poison Arrow 2-5

Poison Arrow is another robot I now respect but had to put him low on the rankings. Poison Arrow will more than likely defeat Bombshell thanks to their crazy spinning drum but after that they’ll have to fight Bronco or Minotaur and that’s reaaaaalllly bad.   I think Bronco could tank PA’s hits while Minotaur will just laugh at this spunky robot and tear him asunder. Sorry.

  1. Chomp 1-6

I’m sorry, Chomp’s win against Biteforce did not gain my appreciation. True, true, true, Chomp hit some good, well-aimed hits but besides that, Chomp’s worse enemy seems to be herself because of her instability. Though in all honesty, what do I know!?! I keep predicting Chomp to lose and she keeps winning! If she wins the tournament I’ll be flabbergasted. The only opponent I think Chomp has a chance against would be Bombshell who has so many open parts that I think Chomp could deliver a winning pierce against it. Besides that, Chomp is fighting Yeti and then, very likely, Tombstone, both of which have a history of dismantling their opponents. If Chomp wins (and an honest-to-good win mind you) perhaps my opinions on her will change.

  1. Bombshell 0-7

Bombshell is perhaps the only robot in the tournament that has lost my respect. His abysmal win against Red Devil was sad, I mean, what was that?? If Bombshell has any hopes to win they should switch to either their axe (against Poison Arrow/Minotaur) or their horizontal spinner. The horizontal spinner seems the most effective weapon they have but I’m not sure if it would be good against Poison Arrow. Bombshell could be this year’s Ghost Raptor so they may reach the Final Four yet, just don’t expect them to go much further than that…

 

That’s it for now!  IT’S ROBOT FIGHTING TIME!  SEASON 2 FINALE!!!

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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.

Reaction to Battlebots S2 E6

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I find it funny how Witch Doctor was treated as the “upset” for the season and yet these last two episodes just delivered so many losses that at this point my bracket is a shell of its former self.

But this was a good episode to end the qualifying round with! The only major fault I had with this episode was showing the Chomp v Capt Shrederator battle instead of the Icewave v Nightmare fight. But that aside, the other three fights were great. I’ll publish another article after this one for my predictions but for now, let’s take a look at the battles!

BETA vs Overhaul

This was definitely the episode for the hammer bots as both BETA and Chomp won despite their faults. I have to say, my friends and I doubted BETA’s credibility as I thought BETA’s hammer looked weak while they thought he was just plain unwieldy. Luckily, we were given a good, dare I say, smashing, battle that delivered strong blow after blow against Overhaul. I think the real highlight of the battle was after it as I was reminded how heart endearing BETA’s builder was. Makes it all the more powerful when the audience started chanting BETA’s name near the end.  Man, I got the feels now!

Hypershock vs Warrior Clan

Okay, so I know I’ve been throwing this a lot these past few articles but this was great battle and probably the best one yet, if not this round then definitely this episode. First off, that rake! I was so sure that rake would be unwieldy and would plain not work. But HOLY SHIT, it did!   Not only was it awesome that he batted it out of the sky but then he blew it up and flew it through the air! Fuck, yes. But I really like the back and forth between Warrior Clan and Hypershock. They were evenly matched which made this match even better. Great battle with great moments.

Mega Tento vs Stinger

Bug vs bug! But for real, I’m sad, like, super sad, that Stinger lost. I love Stinger, I love the team, and I had them going to the final four.   They’re a great robot and team but it just didn’t work out for them in this battle. If it was any other robot then Stinger could’ve won but MT was just too big and heavy. At least Mega Tento got a win under its belt. That’s gotta be one of the few times it won a fight.

Chomp vs Captain Shrederator

You would think ABC would end on a high note for the qualifying rounds but unfortunately that was not the case. I mean, the battle wasn’t bad but it certainly wasn’t thrilling. ABC certainly hyped the tough talk and grudge match between these two so I can’t fault them for riling me up. It’s funny how Chomp looked so ineffective against Capt, I’m not even fully confident Chomp’s blows did much to Captain Shrederator but hey I shouldn’t doubt too much. Chomp won so congrats on them!

Prediction to Battlebots Episode 4

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Episode 3 of Battlebots was a return to form and more as we enter into Part 1 of the Sixteen Round. Most of everything that episode 2 did wrong or was lacking in was improved on drastically for this episode and will, hopefully, continue to achieve this level of quality from here on out. I dare even say that this episode was almost the quintessential episode of Battlebots.

First off, the filler in this episode was better managed as not only are we treated to a basic recap of the robot’s battles but we get a look into the builders’ strategies for their upcoming battles. Plus, a special bonus is given by the amount of time spent on the builders repairing their robots, something that the Comedy Central-era Battlebots often neglected. Although their repairs are briefly summarized, there is a sense of urgency, especially for Icewave and its overheated battery, for the builders to make sure their robot is properly working by their next round. I like it.

But of course, the battles are a great part of what makes this episode great so let’s talk about them.

Icewave vs. Chomp

Fire is not melting Icewave any time soon! But seriously, even when taking a face full of flame, Icewave came out of that battle relatively unscathed. That was another fun Icewave demolition and kudos for Chomp for hanging in there despite its losing battle.

Stinger vs. Warhead

I speak from the heart when I say this battle is what Battlebots is all about. No deceit or treachery like Complete Control vs. Ghost Raptor, no hard feelings or complaining like Lock Jaw vs. Overhaul, and it lasted the full three minutes unlike Bronco vs. Plan X. Even though Stinger had the battle right from the start, the fact that Stinger willingly flipped Warhead right side up just so they could fight some more is something very special. Warhead could have easily chipped or damaged Stinger some more but the builders didn’t care, they just wanted a fight! And the builders were so happy at the end and they shook hands and everything! Gosh, this battle was great!

Ghost Raptor vs. Warrior Clan

Sometimes, the worst enemy in the battlebox is yourself.

What a sad, sad, battle. Warrior Clan not being able to flip and Ghost Raptor rigged into a lifting bot. Once again, Ghost Raptor limps through another victory. I’m not going to lie, I’m looking forward to Icewave demolishing Ghost Raptor in the next round.

http://gfycat.com/SatisfiedLoneGhostshrimp

Bronco vs. Plan X

Wow, my prediction of two minutes was way too high, it took ten seconds. My search terms for my last article were mainly about “Bronco” or “Bronco Flip.” God, that was probably the most beautiful flip in Battlebots history. So graceful, so elegant, so perfect. One Flip.

View post on imgur.com

EPISODE 4 PREDICTIONS

Episode 4 has some interesting battles coming out; we have a rematch, we’ll probably have a one-sided battle, and we have some battles that could really determine who gets the nut. Let’s check them out.

  Image from http://battlebots.com/robot/tombstone/

Tombstone vs. Radioactive-Tombstone wins by KO in less than a minute

Radioactive won because the other robot wasn’t working. Tombstone won because it utterly dismantled its opponent. Unless Tombstone faces some unforeseen mechanical error, it will win against Radioactive and its pitiful hammer, sorry Radioactive, at least you seem like a bot that will be fun to watch getting destroyed.

Image from http://battlebots.com/robot/22898/

Overhaul vs. Lockjaw-Overhaul wins by split judges’ decision

As unfortunate as it is to see these two robots battle each other again, at least Overhaul will have a chance at some clamping revenge. I think Overhaul is the stronger robot and will be able to fix its strategy from last time to take control of the fight. Still, it will be difficult for it considering how agile and durable Lockjaw is. Lockjaw will win if its aggressive, Overhaul will win if it can throw Lockjaw a bit. Either way, it should be a close battle.

Image from http://battlebots.com/robot/hypershock/

Hypershock vs. Biteforce-Hypershock wins by judges’ decision

We only saw a glimpse of Hypershock and its rotating drum. I feel like it will have a leg up over Biteforce and be able to really give it some damage unlike Warhead which seemed to have only nicked it. Still though, Biteforce looks like a competent robot so I wouldn’t be surprised if it won. In all honesty, since we have seen very little of Biteforce it’s hard to predict this battle so we’ll just have to wait and see what he brings to the battlebox.

Image from http://battlebots.com/robot/overdrive/

Overdrive vs. Witch Doctor-Overdrive wins by judges’ decision

My friends! THIS is the battle to watch! I guarantee it! Why?? Because whoever wins this battle will (very likely) face Tombstone in the next round. Now, in my heart, I think Witch Doctor can actually win against Overdrive but I really, really, want Overdrive to win simply because he is probably the most agile and speedy robot in the competition. If Overdrive can just keep out-maneuvering Witch Doctor and her minibot, and keep shoving them against the screws, he’ll win. However, Witch Doctor has that spinning drum that looks like it can do some serious damage.

HERE’S THE THING. If Witch Doctor wins, she will lose the next round against Tombstone. BUT, if Overdrive wins, then we can have an interesting battle. Overdrive would be the first, serious, contender against Tombstone. Overdrive has the agility and the capability to take him down. I seriously hope he faces Tombstone because that will be awesome. This will be a good battle either way even not factoring in Tombstone.

 

Can’t wait for tonight!

Fight Predictions For Battlebots Episode 3

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Tonight’s Battlebots episode is a special one for me as this will be the first time I can predict who might win each battle.  Battlebots in seasons past has never showed the brackets for the upcoming episodes so you are usually informed who’s fighting who a minute before the match starts.

And now that we have seen (mostly) all the robots in action we can predict who might beat who!  So, using my historical Battlebots knowledge and my impression for each of the fighters, here are my predictions.

Image from http://battlebots.com/robot/stinger/

Stinger vs. Warhead-Stinger Wins by Judges Decision

Warhead fought Bite Force in the previous round and lost to it by judges decision.  Stinger actually won its battle against a full body spinner and came out almost unscathed.  Stinger will push Warhead around, probably get knocked around a bit by the spinning drum but will ultimately be the stronger, more sturdy contender.

image from http://battlebots.com/robot/bronco/

Bronco vs. Plan X-Bronco wins by KO in about a minute and half

Bronco has a fast and strong flipping arm while Plan X is a one sided (aka can’t work on its back) robot.  The minibots might distract Bronco but it fought Witch Doctor in the last round and still won.  Plan X also got dismantled hard by Wrecks which makes me think it’s not a sturdy robot.  All Bronco has to do is come in behind and get the flip.  Might take a few tries but it will get it.

Image from http://battlebots.com/robot/warrior-clan/

Warrior Clan vs. Ghost Raptor-Warrior Clan wins by KO in a minute

Ghost Raptor did not impress in the previous round (even not counting the entanglement).  Warrior Clan was able to flip Nightmare and it will do it again for Ghost Raptor.  The minibots will distract Ghost Raptor and Warrior Clan will slide on in and give it a nice good flip.  Easy KO.  And I might be wrong but I don’t think the spinning blade is low enough to hit Warrior Clan but we’ll see.

Image from http://battlebots.com/robot/icewave/

Icewave vs. Chomp-Icewave wins by Judges Decision

Icewave is certainly a sturdy robot has shown in its battle against Razorback but I’m willing to bet that Chomp will be able to tank the hits and keep on coming.  Truth be told, this battle I’m most unsure about who will win as I can easily imagine Chomp tanking Icewaves hits, grab onto it and take it for a ride.  I can also imagine Icewave’s blade incapacitated after one too many bad hits.  Regardless, I still lean towards Icewave as I can imagine it to do enough damage to win the Judges over.

Can’t wait for tonight!

Reaction to ABC Battlebots Episode 2

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Hmm.

To be frank I was disappointed in this episode but probably not the reason you think.

In my last Battlebots article I gushed how in this new series, we get to spend more time looking at the builder’s personal lives and strategy thanks to the smaller amount of contestants.  The fights were for the full time and not given brief clips.  However, this episode I was disappointed as ABC decided to show four full battles and cram four more in by showing just clips, thereby keeping the Qualifying episodes to just two and not three episodes.

First off, I thought that was disrespectful to the builders and especially to the winning teams. I want to learn about who they are, their background, and their thought process behind building their robot.  Second, I want to see the full fight!  I want to see the full battles regardless if it was exciting or not.  Third, I feel like ABC is already revealing which robots are going to lose in the next round because of their minute coverage on these bots.  Why should I care about Chomp, Overdrive, or Stinger?  You have given me no reason why I should care about them.

Sorry, this bothers me a lot.

Okay, with that said, the fights!

Lockjaw vs. Overhaul

Oh boy!  What a fight to begin this episode!  I love, love, love, love Donald Hutson.  Creative, kind, and mellow, he’s probably the most humble out of all the veteran competitors.  Yeah, that last hit by him after the buzzer raised some eyebrows but I believe he was sincere in his apology.  And Lockjaw!  He’s like the son of Dissector but more agile and colorful!  I like it!  Though I am concerned how effective Lockjaw is, it doesn’t seem strong and it doesn’t have any weapons to bash his opponents with.  Maybe it will do better in the next round.  And Overhaul is not bad either, I respect those MIT kids.  They have that dorky, awkward look about them that a lot of builders have.  They did a good job as well.

Bronco vs. Witch Doctor

If the Screws keep KOing robots they might as well be rewarded with the Giant Nut am I right folks?  Screws aside, BRONCOOOOOO.  YES, I was a fan of Toro and T-minus in the original series so seeing their prodigy just flip some shit I was happy.  If Bronco is like his ancestors then he might upset some spinners!  Witch Doctor has a neat flamethrower and I guess a cool vertical spinner but it didn’t really do much to Bronco I thought.  Still a cool fight though.

Tombstone vs. Counter Revolution

If a vertical spinner fights a horizontal spinner, the horizontal spinner wins, that’s like a fact of life in Battlebots.  But this…jesus.  That was great!  Seeing those parts go flying was amazing and made me giddy.  And man, ABC was really laying it on thick how badass Ray Billings and his robot are.  Haha, gotta love the bowling ball destruction bit, though.

Complete Control vs. Ghost Raptor

Very controversial match, I daresay.  But let me just stop there and say, wow, the builders for Complete Control look like real douchbags with their shiny jackets, beards and smirks.  Damn, not saying they are mind you but they sure do dressed the part.  Entanglements aside this was a disappointing battle for both robots.  Neither of them should have advanced. Complete Control wasn’t doing what it did best and throw a robot around the match while Ghost Raptor’s blade broke, seriously?  You main weapon snapped off?  That’s sad.  I would have rather seen Overdrive and Chomp’s battle than this one.

Summarized battles.

Didn’t get a good look at all the battles or the robots but I like the looks of Stinger and Overdrive, I hope they do well in their next battle.  Radioactive was a joke though.  Seriously, its hammer looked like it was doing no damage and the only reason why it won was that the other robot was facing technical errors!  Unless, I’m missing something big, Radioactive is going to lose next round.

Wildcards

Overhaul made sense as it did a good job against Lockjaw.  Chomp I can’t honestly judge since we just got a clip of it but Warhead…really?  He barely did anything to Biteforce!  Same goes for Witch Doctor!  Granted, they weren’t bad or anything but they certainly didn’t deserve a wildcard.  I would have given it to either Nightmare or Wrecks.  Confused why Warhead got the wildcard, I did a little digging though and found a Reddit AMA for a builder on Team Mohawk who says “It’s a mix of whether a losing team is able to get their robot fixed in time, whether they want to be considered as a wild card, and what would make for the best match ups later on.”  Hm, seems a bit odd to me but I can totally understand the part about a robot functioning properly.  If an important part were to be severely damaged during the fight, you would probably throw in the towel because you couldn’t replace it.  You can read the original interview on reddit here.  http://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/3bgqcd/mohawk_robot_team_member_here_ama/

Who would win?

Everyone on reddit and elsewhere is crying Tombstone and I agree that he has a good chance.  I would actually love to see Icewave fight Tombstone, that would be awesome!  Icewave and Tombstone horizontal spinners would destroy the other before the match is over and I seriously think Icewave has the chance in beating him.

Who else could be Tombstone’s foil though?  If we look at the history of Battlebots we come across the many-time Middleweight champion Hazard, a horizontal spinning robot.  The amount of robots Hazard has KO’d is staggering but it finally fell in Season 5 against T-minus, a flipping robot.  Check it out below.

Spinners have that problem of stability.  If they’re flipped over even once, they’re done.  So if Tombstone faces a flipping robot that can get a quick flip in, it’s a KO.  Bronco is the first that comes to mind and in all honesty, if they put in a flipper extension, they can beat Tombstone (plus, the builders were the same guys that built T-Minus).  Warrior Clan is also a good candidate, perhaps the multibot can use its minibots as a distraction before coming in and flipping Tombstone.

Tombstone also doesn’t look like a very fast robot and when you factor in its one-sided spinning blade, you got a robot with some big weak spots.  A durable and agile robot would be able to bring Tombstone down.  In this case, I’m looking at Stinger and Overdrive who both have shown to be durable and surprisingly quick.  I honestly think they have a shot in beating Tombstone.

The other two potential winners I would bet on would be Icewave and Bronco.  Icewave’s blade doesn’t do a lot of damage but it can spin up fast and keep spinning despite delivering heavy blow after blow (something that a lot of robots have trouble with *coughGhostRaptorcough*).  Bronco’s crazy flipping arm could also incapacitate robots, especially if he flips them onto those crazy screws.

That’s all for now, looking forward to, hopefully, full battles in the next episode!