VGC Design Challenge 001: Japanese Weapons

[alex_holt]

Shuriken Throw vs. Scorpio

San, Ni, Ichi….. Akutibinisuru!

The insectile robot charges off straight away, but is far slower than the 8 Shuriken of its opponent. Three of the shuriken spin straight into the bamboo armour, and prove effective at cutting straight through it, but less effective at getting out again – although one of them succeeds in spraying shards of bamboo across the arena floor, the other two become lodged in the armour, and against the greater mass of their foe are unable wriggle free.

Unfortunately for Scorpio, the Kyoketsu-shoe weapon is far too slow and unsuitably angled to hit any of the tiny spinners, even as two more of the spinners impact into the side, shredding more bamboo and freeing one of the lodged robots, a shot from the blade deflects off the top of one of the little robots, but manages to snag a second of the little clusterbots by accident as it gets tangled into the chord as it’s spinning motion entines it entirely. A quick retracting of it’s within range of the huge hammer, a single two strokes leaves the tiny robot flat as a pancake.

By this point the arena is littered with shards of bamboo, and two of the clusters have actually got enough clogged in their drive train to immobilize one side of them and so they spin helplessly on the spot.

However, by now the repeated attacks against Scorpio is taking its tole- the robot is slowing under the sustained attacks, and the armour is really not suited for blocking spinners. It manages to grab onto one of the semi immobilised machines and again crush the thing flat, but this proves its undoing – it leaves itself exposed at the back where one of the little shuriken manages to shred out one of the go-cart wheels, leaving it barely moving and entirely vulnerable to the death my a thousand cuts that the spinners are free to dole out.

CEASE IS CALLED

Shuriken Throw advances to the final!

Up next….

The Grand Final!

Shuriken Throw vs. OniBox 359


Remember to also be considering your entries for the VGC Design Challenge 2: Vapours on Ice!

[alex_holt]

So, we come to our first grand final, with Shuriken Throw vs. OniBox 359!

San, Ni, Ichi….. Akutibinisuru!

Immediately, the eight small clusterbots are spinning up to speed, but even as the first of them impacts their foe, it becomes clear that the armour, while not a perfect protection from the little spinners, is in fact a hazard to them! As the first little robot attacks it tears off a long strip of diotor fur and this wraps around the little robot, getting snagged around its drive train and causing the left side of the machine to go incredibly slowly.

OniBox on the other hand, is mashing its huge Kanabō around wildly – a single swipe splits the top oak panel of one of the robots in half and straight off the top of the machine and seemingly knocking it out the match. Having got through the initial layers on one side, three more of the small robots slash further into even as OniBox slams one of the smaller robots into the arena wall, propping it up against the side and out of the fight for now.

Even as it retreats and one of the smaller robots narrowly dodges another huge mace blow, one of it’s compatriots tries to unprop the stuck one. Another Shuriken impact sprays chain links across the arena while a second merely deflects off one of the metal plates. OniBox manages to catch up with the tangled machine and a heavy impact snaps the wheels straight off their shafts finishing it.

OniBox begins to take charge of the fight however, the bludgeoning finishes off another two of the robots, whenever it gets a direct hit it seems to be an almost guaranteed knockout. However, by this point the armour on the left side is almost entirely gone, while they are big holes on the right. One of the little robots manages to get through the left side enough to slash a hole in the rear left go-kart wheel, sending OniBox into a trudge.

However, by this point the fight is well and truly in the final straight, the robot caught against the side is finally freed even as the one who frees it is squashed like a pancake. Two of the little robots are left – one manages to spin its way inside, even as the penultimate robot is flattened, but even as CO2 is vented from a severed hosepipe inside, it’s foe is tangled in it’s innards. Continued movement from OniBox however signals a winner!

ONIBOX 359 wins the first ever VGC DESIGN CHALLENGE!

Remember to enter the second round: vapours of ice!

[majinb]

Great fun Alex, fun little tournament idea, even though the specific topic of Japanese folklore is not really my thing, but that's just me.

Keep it up!