#all in all i love this sport and i hope minotaur finally wins this season

[supercasey]

Finally caught up with my Dad on BattleBots, so I get to make a bracket this year! Here's my finals prediction (under a readmore because as usual I got carried away):

May 4th Episode

Riptide vs Shatter!: As much as I'm irritated by the unsportsmanlike behavior from Riptide's captain, they have an incredible bot with the means to go undefeated this season. That said, Shatter! won't be much of an obstacle for them. Riptide wins by KO.

Lucky vs Hypershock: Both of these bots have made major improvements over the years, but with Will Bales as an opponent, I don't see Lucky making it to the bell. Hypershock wins by KO.

End Game vs Tantrum: This is sure to be an exciting match, what with two former champs facing off, but my money's definitely on End Game. End Game wins by a unanimous judge's decision.

Copperhead vs Rotator: Both of these bots are well-built and well-driven, so I imagine this will be a hell of a fight that ends with both bots punch-drunk. Unfortunately, Rotator isn't performing as well as anyone would've hoped this season, so they're at a disadvantage. Copperhead wins by a split judge's decision.

Witch Doctor vs Jackpot: As much as I like Jackpot, they just aren't the same bot that took the sport by storm during their debut. Besides, Witch Doctor is killing it this season. Witch Doctor wins by a unanimous judge's decision.

Lock-Jaw vs Bloodsport: I really hope this will be a killer match, seeing as these two are both well-made bots that have powerful weapons. Bloodsport wins by a surprising KO.

Huge vs Skorpios: I'm gonna say something that'll probably get me some heat; I don't like Skorpios's captains or even the bot itself, as both are just annoying to watch. That said, Huge is amazing this season, and I don't see them being stopped this early into the bracket. Huge wins by a split judge's decision that will probably piss a few fans off.

Claw Viper vs Mad Catter: Claw Viper has been extremely impressive this year, but even with that success in mind, I think Mad Catter's experience and durability will earn them the win. Mad Catter wins by a unanimous judge's decision.

May 11th Episode

Minotaur vs Fusion: Fusion is at the bottom of the bracket for a reason; they have terrible reliability and I just don't think they have what it takes to make an upset. Minotaur wins by KO.

Switchback vs Malice: Malice has been off their game all season, and I don't see that changing, especially against such an improvement from Switchback. Switchback wins by a unanimous judge's decision.

Sawblaze vs Blip: Yet another case of a classic bot doing poorly, I don't have any faith in Blip this season. Besides, Sawblaze is way too good to lose their first bracket match. Sawblaze wins by a unanimous judge's decision.

Cobalt vs Monsoon: As much as I love Monsoon and their design, I don't believe they have a chance against a monster like Cobalt. Cobalt wins by KO.

Hydra vs Death Roll: This is definitely a controversial theory, but I think Death Roll can take Hydra down; their bot is built in such a way that I think they have the means to pull off the upset of the season (save of course for Endgame vs RIPperoni). Death Roll wins by a surprising KO that yet again sends the Hydra fanboys into a frenzy, but at least this time they can't blame a woman.

Beta vs Whiplash: Am I the only one sick of hammerbots? I think Beta did well enough to make the top 32, but I don't see them winning against Danny's driving. Whiplash wins by split judge's decision.

Quantum vs Ribbot: Quantum has been overwhelmingly good this season (I'm still salty they didn't get the number 4 seat) and I can see them overtaking Ribbot, especially considering Ribbot's lackluster performance this year. Quantum wins by split judge's decision.

RIPperoni vs Black Dragon: Even taking RIPperoni's impressive wins this year into account, I don't think they can quite top Black Dragon, but I'd be happy to see them pull it off. Black Dragon wins by a controversial split judge's decision.

May 18th Episode

Minotaur vs Switchback: It's pretty clear cut in my mind that Minotaur will slaughter Switchback in a weapon on weapon collision. Minotaur wins by KO.

Sawblaze vs Cobalt: This is gonna be a close match, considering the skills and power of these two bots, but I think Sawblaze outclasses Cobalt with their driving. Sawblaze wins by a split judge's decision.

Death Roll vs Whiplash: As much as I adore Whiplash and their driver, I think Death Roll has a good chance at beating them into a corner, but I'd love to be surprised. Death Roll wins by a split judge's decision.

Quantum vs Black Dragon: Again, this is a hard match-up for me, but even with Quantum's impressive performance this season, I don't see them going the distance. Black Dragon wins by KO.

Riptide vs Hypershock: Why do I get the feeling this episode is going to snipe me? Hypershock is my favorite bot (next to Minotaur), but Riptide might be too much, even for Will Bales. Riptide wins by KO.

End Game vs Copperhead: In yet another powerful brawl, I can see both teams taking a serious beating, with End Game outmaneuvering Copperhead enough to earn extra control points. End Game wins by a split judge's decision.

Witch Doctor vs Bloodsport: With how amazing Witch Doctor has become over the last few years, I don't see Bloodsport having the means to KO them, and in a fight that goes the distance, Witch Doctor is hard to outdo. Witch Doctor wins by a unanimous judge's decision.

Huge vs Claw Viper: As incredible as Claw Viper has become, I don't see them standing a chance against a bot like Huge, unless of course they go the cowardly way like Hydra did in 2021 (yes I'm still mad about that). Huge wins by KO.

May 25th Episode

Minotaur vs Sawblaze: In what will certainly be an exciting start to the season finale, I can see Minotaur destroying Sawblaze's weapon early in the fight and pushing them around until the bell. Minotaur wins by a unanimous judge's decision.

Death Roll vs Black Dragon: In what's sure to be a slugging match, I think Black Dragon has the advantage thanks to their sheer durability and knack for destruction. Black Dragon wins by KO.

Riptide vs End Game: For reasons other than pettiness, I truly believe End Game can put an end (pun intended) to Riptide's tournament sweep. End Game wins by KO.

Witch Doctor vs Huge: If anyone can take Huge down to their level, it's Witch Doctor, and I'm sure they'll do it in style. Witch Doctor wins by KO (most likely by getting Huge stuck on/out of the arena).

Minotaur vs Black Dragon: This fight will probably be the most destructive of the night, with both teams chewing each other up the full three minutes. Minotaur wins by a split judge's decision.

End Game vs Witch Doctor: I would absolutely love to see Witch Doctor go for a third round with Minotaur, but End Game is a hard bot to beat. Again, I'd love to be surprised here. End Game wins by KO.

Minotaur vs End Game: Good lord, this will be a legendary fight. While End Game has adopted the skills that made Bite Force so unkillable, Daniel Freitas is damn near unstoppable when he's under pressure. Minotaur wins by KO.

tldr; MINOTAUR SWEEP PLS PLS PLS

[ridleykemp]

Battlebots Season 5 Episode 6: Now THAT'S what I'm talking about

It has been called to my attention that I do not adequately inform the reader that there will be spoilers in the following text, so please, let there be no mistake: I will absolutely spoil this episode starting with the next paragraph.

As if to make up for last week’s debacle, this turned out to be one of the most entertaining fight cards in the history of the show. Yeah, it was that good. There were a couple of duds, but even those had their moments. Let’s get down to it, boppers!

Fight 1: Rotator v. Valkyrie

This one promised to be wild, as both bots opted for similar configurations. Rotator went with a low bar spinner on the front and a big armored wedge on the back. It was slightly different than the one they used to beat Tombstone, as they needed to save a little weight to use the 30 lb. bar instead of the 20 lb. version. Valkyrie, as always, went with a low-mounted spinner, although they unveiled a new weapon, a three-pronged almost star-shaped affair.

Victor Soto kept Rotator’s armored backside aimed at Valkyrie as much as possible, working on the theory that Valkyrie would eventually run out of steam or injure itself. That was a pretty reasonable bet, but it didn’t happen this time. Both bots’ weapons kept going for almost the entire three minutes, meaning that there was an unprecedented number of hits and there was a constant stream of sparks in the battlebox.

Rotator had the early edge, getting under Valkyrie and causing it’s weapon to strike the box, but as the fight wore on, Valkyrie got cagier and managed to keep its wheels on the floor and started landing even bigger hits than it was taking. Eventually, the entire back wedge and right side of Rotator were torn off, while Valkyrie’s left armor plate was badly beaten.

It was three full minutes of hit after hit after hit and it was exactly the kind of fight everyone hoped for but no one expected. The judges unanimously called it for Valkyrie, leaving Leanne Cushing’s bot at 2-0 while Rotator fell to 1-2 with its only win coming against Tombstone.

Winner: Valkyrie (Unanimous decision)

Fight 2: Extinguisher v. Gigabyte

This fight featured two bots that just didn’t work at all in their first bout. The big question here was: Would Extinguisher be able to absorb a few blows to send Gigabyte’s full-body spinner flying into the wall and let it knock itself out?

The answer was a resounding “no.”

Extinguisher’s drive didn’t seem quite right, and the lack of mobility allowed Gigabyte to get to the center of the arena and pick its spots. The first couple of hits didn’t seem to do much, but the third bent Extinguisher’s hammer into an unrecognizable shape, ending any hope the fire engine-themed bot had of using its weapon.

It didn’t matter, though, as it something had been knocked loose inside it and it just sort of stopped moving while Gigabyte was hovering menacingly on the off chance Extinguisher got it back together.

Winner: Gigabyte (Knockout)

Fight 3: Slap Box v. Sharko

Another battle of 0-1 bots, this turned out to be a hell of a fight. Slap Box came in 0-1, but losing to Tombstone in your debut fight is nothing to be ashamed of and it held up better than anyone expected. Sharko lost a decision to Smee(etc.) in a really lousy fight between two bots that didn’t really have any way to hurt each other.

I’m not 100% sure what Sharko’s weapon can do. It’s a “biter,” a control bot, with the nose raised, but I think it’s also meant to flip the other bot by raising its nose. It can also spin tremendously fast and whip its tail, which isn’t terribly effective, but it looks cool. Anyway, we got see Sharko get an early “bite” on Slap Box and drive it around the arena a little without doing any real damage.

Sharko clamped down for a second time, this time grabbing Slap Box’s flipping arm, and Slap Box just lifted the arm and carried Sharko around before delivering a suplex. Again, it wasn’t tremendously damaging, but it was really cool to watch.

Sharko’s motor gave out and Slap Box got the well-deserved win by KO. Sharko captain and driver Ed Robinson immediately came over to congratulate team Slap Box on their first win and the suplex, demonstrating the kind of “love of the sport over just winning and losing” that you love to see.

Winner: Slap Box (Knockout)

Fight 4: Madcatter v. Malice

This was the fight I was looking forward to the most, as both bots came in at 2-0 and both, particularly Madcatter, had moments of looking like real contenders against all my expectations. Malice was still more about potential as its terrifying weapon hadn’t really been brought to bear.

Madcatter went with their flipper configuration instead of the vertical spinner, which was probably a good idea as I don’t think it would have survived contact with Malice’s horizontal drum. They set up as a flipper for this one, and it turned out to a better call than they could have anticipated.

The opening exchanges were all Madcatter as its superior mobility allowed it to get to the side of Malice and send Malice flying. Then, just like with Red Devil a few years back, Malice got knocked up into the air and it landed on it’s backside with no wheels touching the ground.

Madcatter was content to let its opponent struggle to right itself and the judge counted Malice out. It was a little disappointing to see the fight end this way, but you couldn’t really argue with Madcatter taking advantage of the fact that their foe couldn’t right itself.

Winner: Maddcatter (Knockout)

Fight 5: Atom #94 v. Tantrum

Yet another matchup of 0-1 bots, both of whom were the architects of their own demise in the first fight. Atom #94 couldn’t drive at all against Big Dill, and Tantrum’s batteries ran out too early in their first fight. The Atom #94 team felt they’d solved their drive problem, and Tantrum showed up without its signature fists but with more batteries, which was a good tradeoff.

Atom #94 still looked sluggish, but it got the first hit of the fight, knocking tantrum across the box. But, sluggish is not a good thing to be against a bot as quick as Tantrum and the little angry orange bot’s weapon was working for a change (and sounding eerily like Minotaur’s drum), and pretty soon it was Atom #94 that was being sent flying.

Tantrum finally got it’s first win as Atom #94’s drive gave out. Honestly, it was probably for the best that they stopped working as Tantrum was sitting right next to them with their weapon fully spun up. It was nice to see this fan favorite get a win and in such convincing fashion as well.

Winner: Tantrum (Knockout)

Fight 6: Pain Train v. Smeeee(etc.)

Pain Train came into this one at 0-1 after failing to move at all in their fight (dammit, I should have said “after the train failed to leave the station…gotta work on that). Smee(etc.) won a very unconvincing fight against Sharko so it was 1-0 but there was no real sense of whether or not the gimmick would work. The gimmick, for those of you just joining us, is that Smee(etc.) is a 14’ wide bot with small spinning bars on each. The idea is that other bots will get enveloped by the articulated center wedge, leaving the bars to attack their wheels.

This was not a classic fight. Pain Train struggled to move, and Smee(etc.) just always looks like it’s struggling whether it is or not. Pain Train did manage to tear off some of the plastic letters on the armored wedge before finally showing just enough control to get to Smee(etc.)’s right side and tear off one of the spinning bars.

Smee(etc.) then managed to go weapon to weapon against Pain Train and Pain Train’s weapon just fell off. It was now a somewhat-mobile push bot against whatever the hell Smee(etc.) is. There was some contact over the last minute, but no damage whatsoever. The judges gave the win to Pain Train which might have been mildly controversial if either of these bots were contenders.

Winner: Pain Train (Split decision)

Fight 7: Uppercut v. Sawblaze

Ah, the main event! And what a narrative, too. Uppercut’s Alex Hattori spent time as a member of Jamisonn Go’s Sawblaze team. Both bots came in at 1-0, although the wins were of vastly different quality opponents. Sawblaze absolutely took Whiplash apart in their first match which is no mean feat. Uppercut beat Gemini in their first fight, which can be pretty much taken for granted, but the speed and ease with which they did so was terrifying.

This always looked like it was going to come down to driving. If the bots’ weapons went head to head, Uppercut had a huge advantage. But, if Sawblaze could outflank the unwieldy Uppercut, Sawblaze would probably take the W. What happened, then, was not what anyone expected. Sawblaze had a momentary lapse of concentration and exposed its side to Uppercut. Moments later, Sawblaze was bouncing off the lexan walls of the arena.

The blow seemed to rob Sawblaze of its mobility, and without the ability to outmaneuver its opponent, Sawblaze was a sitting duck. In an incredible moment, Uppercut managed to hit Sawblaze’s fuel tank for their flamethrowing and…boom! Explosion! Uppercut landed blow after blow and it was over very quickly. Uppercut did to Sawblaze what Sawblaze did to Whiplash and I’m not sure anyone expected such a decisive KO in this one.

Winner: Uppercut (Knockout)

And that’s that for episode 6. A lot of good fights and one absolutely legendary one. If you watch only episode this season, I strongly recommend you make it this one.