The Vapourbot Grand Prix 2010

Yay! :) Another great battle, nicely written.

Tactics:

I plan to stay in my starting section for as long as possible, as I do not really want to risk falling through the trap door. If I do end up in the valley, I will try to drive back up into either of the raised sections, if possible. The usual tactics apply - just try to keep busy and get involved in the action. Again, my wedge shape and clamp & push ability will be useful to drive my opponents into the hazards. I will try to push the others into one of the pits or into the spinning drums. I think Delirium Tremors could potentially find it difficult to climb back up from the valley, so at some point I could try to push it down there and let the house robots take care of it. Other than that, I don€™t really have any particular targets, just make sure I€™m the last one standing again! ;)

An important factor will be the ramps and especially the trap door between them, some robots just take a ramp better than others. On my half, Flick should do fairly fine, given the 6WD and the Tornadoesque rear that gives the rear wheels more freedom. Due to its design Slammer should do PARTICULARY fine, but OID and Axeon have no real way of tackling them well... I think I will concentrate on pushing OID and Axeon around, get under, lift, and get them into the valley, or on the spring, or near the drum, or in the pit. My prefered hazards will be the pit and the valley though. Both seem to have their weapon on their front, so both should be vulnerable if I attack their rear or side. Likewise I wouldnt avoid pushing Slammer if given a good oppurtunity.

When at any point I'm done at my own half or for whatever other reason Im forced to cross the valley, do so with my rear-wheels first, aka in reverse, to make use of Flick's well designed rear. Cross the trap door ASAP and when I arrive at the other end, apply the same tactics really, avoid weapons, and lift and push robots.

NOW, what Im also seeing, is how robots driving up the ramp are weak to robots already on the highlands. If ANY opponent from the other side of the arena wishes to ride up the ramp towards me, wait for them on the top of the hill. This I would also advice to my fellow robots Axeon, OID and Slammer... if anyone wishes to mess with OUR half of the arena, send them back, asap ;)

AND, per Steven's request, here is another picture of what the arena actually looks like:
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/9765/sgpa.png

Huh, the arena layout magically reappeared again. Thanks for posting it again anyways, Marti, but you'd better hurry off. We've another round to get through! :proud:

THE VAPOURBOT GRAND PRIX 2010
ROUND 4/10: THE SWISS GRAND PRIX
ARENA - Clockwork Valley
HOUSE ROBOTS- Clock King and the Swiss Army Knight

For this fight, Slammer VI will be using the claw.

Roboteers, stand by...
3...2...1...
ACTIVATE!

This round is quite literally a game of two halves, with our competitors separated by the arena's titular Valley. We turn our attention to the left platform, where Flick of the Wrist has already pinned O.I.D. against the arena wall! Jack attempts an escape, but Martijn is pounding the spinner into the barrier! Axeon joins in the fun, managing to land a blow on O.I.D, while Slammer nuzzles Flick, trying to grab hold of the angled rear. Flick simply reverses, pushing Slammer down into the Valley, but Alex bounces back onto the platform with a lovely flip! I can tell Mr Holt is going to have a lot of fun this round.
CRRRASH!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena, Delirium Tremors and Eye of Ran have come head-to-head! Joey's low, low machine escapes any real damage, while Matt's wheels have taken only a slight chewing. Killobite and Richter, meanwhile, have been playing a rousing game of Tag. Kody is intent on feeding Richter to the spinners, but Dan doesn't seem keen on the idea. In fact, he's running rings around the crusher just to get away...
BOING!
Whoops! Mind the Silly Spring, Danny Boy! Richter tumbles to earth a few feet away, unscathed but dazed. This gives Killobite ample time to catch up and drive underneath. The claw has barely begun lowering, however, when Richter wriggles free and darts away to rejoin Joey and Matt's scuffle. Keen to draw first blood, Dan aims for Delirium Tremors's side and charges!
CRRRASH!
The great drum-on-wheels is sent tumbling towards the ramp! Wasting no time, Richter shoots forwards again and pushes Delirium Tremors down into the Valley! Matt tries desperately to climb back up, but Tremors' unusual shape and low traction are making it very difficult...
CRRRASH!
Ooh, meanwhile, O.I.D. has wriggled free of its earlier onslaught and managed to land a glancing blow on Flick of the Wrist! Flick turns to retaliate, but is distracted as Slammer bounces by! This gives Axeon time to barge into the Dutch machine and attempt a pitting! Flick reverses and shoves Axeon back, sending it straight into the wall! O.I.D. swoops back over, landing another quick blow on Flick! Slammer tumbles in to try and grab Flick again, but Marti simply pushes it aside and shunts Axeon once more! Andy fires the axe, but doesn't to much to damage the Dutch rammer's shell.
CRRRASH!
Oooh, that's a nasty blow from Eye of Ran on Killobite on the other platform! The spinning blade has hit Killobite's side and left an unpleasant scar. Even worse, here comes Richter to add some scars of its own! Kody narrowly avoids the charge, however, and instead goes after Eye of Ran for a little payback!
Sandwiched between the chaos, of course, is Delirium Tremors, who's still struggling to escape the Valley. Can Matt do it?
DOOONG!
No, he can't! There goes the bell and there goes the trap door! Auf Wiedersehen, Delirium Tremors!
BOING!
Uh-oh, seems Flick of the Wrist has stumbled onto the Silly Spring as the trap doors close themselves again! The Dutch entry lands just shy of the spinning drum and is promptly assaulted by Axeon, who in turn gets a quick slash from O.I.D! Andy fires his axe and gets a hold of Flick, drawing the duo into a tug-of-war. Back and forth, they pull and push, while O.I.D. tries to gets its teeth into the bouncing, bounding Slammer.
CRRRASH!
Ooh, and there he goes! A well-timed blow from Jack there, as O.I.D's disc makes contact and sends Slammer flying into the Valley! No problem to Alex, though, as his interchangeable marvel easily drives across to the other side of the arena. This couldn't have come soon enough for Eye of Ran, who's been pinched by Killobite and is violently resisting the crusher's jerks and tugs. Too bad Richter got to Slammer first.
CRRRASH!
Slammer goes flying back into the valley, and retreats to its starting point!
CRRRASH!
O.I.D. has welcomed Slammer back with another violent blow, almost sending it back into the valley again! This grand prix is turning into a game of Robot Tennis, and Slammer is the ball! Well, what did you expect, really? This is Roger Federer's homeland after all.
No time for tennis metaphors, however, as Axeon and Flick are finally breaking up and first on Flick's hit-list seems to be O.I.D! The Dutch machine ploughs into O.I.D's side and smacks it into the wall! Jack tries to bring the disc into play, but Martijn has other plans. With one great shove, Flick pushes O.I.D. across the arena and down into the nearby pit! Two down, six remain!
CRRRASH!
Or do they? Richter has left some very bad marks on Killobite's rear and now the Canadian crusher is starting to look a little worn. Kody doesn't seem to feel it, however, as he easily drags Eye of Ran over to the spinning drum.
CRRRASH!
The sparks fly as Joey's low-slung spinner gets scuffed up a treat!
CRRRASH!
And now Killobite's gone in courtesy of a blow from Richter! Growing tired of Dan's antics, Kody regains control of Killobite and promptly dumps Eye of Ran into the Valley - specifically, into the Clock King's domain! Joey attempts an escape, but the King's claws have already grappled the T-shaped machine and down comes His Highness' axe onto Eye of Ran's bonce! Off with his head, indeed!
Killobite still has unfinished business, however. Quickly dodging an onslaught from Richter, Kody briefly dances with the Welsh wonder until a little skillful driving gives Killobite the chance of a broadside attack! Kody takes the gambit and winds up shoving Richter into the wall! Dan tries to wriggle free, but the claw is already clamping down tightly on Richter's lid!
Meanwhile, Flick, Axeon and Slammer are locked in what can only be described as a playground wrestling match. Flick and Axeon are pushing each other all over the shop, with Slammer almost literally bouncing off the wall! Alex regains control just long enough, however, to take a charge at Flick! The rammer is currently beating Axeon against the wall and has its back end exposed. Alex seizes the opportunity and successfully grabs hold of Flick's angled rear! Slammer fires its flippers and virtually body-slams Flick of the Wrist down into the Valley! Martijn seems too unconcerned however - he simply throws his machine into reverse and climbs back onto the platform with ease! Shame the same can't be said for Eye of Ran, whose eyes are still being gouged by the Clock King's axe!
DOOONG!
Oops, there go the trap doors! The Clock King thanks you for your visit, Joey, but His Majesty will show Eye of Ran the way out!
Three are down and it looks like it's about to be four! Richter is well and truly pinned down by Killobite and Kody is taking full advantage! Keeping a firm grip on the spinner, Killobite makes its way carefully over towards the pit. Dan is doing everything with his controls to try and escape, but it's no use - Kody raises the claw and sends Richter tumbling out of the fight with one good nudge.
Now Killobite is all alone on its side of the field, but not for long. A hop and a bounce and here comes Slammer again, flying across the arena to have some fun with Kody! As Killobite tries to pin down the mechanical jumping bean, Flick seems to finally have the upper hand on Axeon! Managing another broadside attack, Flick scrapes its forks underneath the axebot and pushes it down the ramp and onto its back - right into the Swiss Army Knight's territory! Andy has barely self-righted when the Clock King's protector sets to work!
BANG!
Down comes the hammer!
BANG!
There goes the pick-axe!
BANG!
That's the mace at work!
BANG!
And that's the battleaxe blade! How do you feel about your own hammer now, eh, Andy?
With no-one left on his side, Marti reverses Flick across the valley and up the ramp to join Killobite and Slammer. Slammer is starting to feel tired, it seems, as the veteran isn't as bouncy as it was before. Kody is quick to act on this and has been trying to get a hold of Alex's unusual entry for a while now. Good thing for Kody that Flick's here to pile on the pressure! The Dutch Grand Prix champion lands a glancing blow on Slammer as it flees Killobite, knocking it into the wall. Killobite pounces, pinning Slammer again the barrier and bringing down the claw! Alex attempts to jump away, but the claw has done its magic!
DOOONG!
And so too, now, will the trap doors! One sweep from the Swiss Army Knight and Axeon plummets out of the contest!
Three robots remain with time running out, but it'll soon be two if Kody has anything to say about it. Killobite now has complete control of Slammer and quickly aims for the pit. The Canadian entry retracts its claw, dumps Slammer into the darkness - and falls down immediately after it! A well-timed - and very cheeky - final attack from Flick there, if I may say so!

CEASE!

FLICK OF THE WRIST WINS THE SWISS GRAND PRIX 2010! :proud:

-------------------------------------------------

SWISS GRAND PRIX 2010 RESULTS:
1. FLICK OF THE WRIST = 10 points
2. KILLOBITE SIGMA = 8 points
3. SLAMMER VI = 6 points
4. AXEON 4.0 = 4 points
5. 9.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE = 3 points
6. EYE OF RAN II = 2 points
7. O.I.D. = 1 point
8. DELIRIUM TREMORS = 0 points

Congratulations to Martijn Benschop, Kody Kunz and Alex Holt! :D

-------------------------------------------------

Four grand prixs down and here's the points:

TOTAL RESULTS (4/10):
1. FLICK OF THE WRIST = 30 points
2. KILLOBITE SIGMA = 27 points
3. AXEON 4.0 = 22 points
4. 9.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE = 21 points
5. O.I.D. = 12 points
6. SLAMMER VI = 11 points
7. DELIRIUM TREMORS = 8 points
8. EYE OF RAN II = 5 points

The gaps have begun to widen slightly, but there's still everything to play for as we enter Round 5!

-------------------------------------------------

THE VAPOURBOT GRAND PRIX 2010
ROUND 5/10: THE MONACO GRAND PRIX
ARENA: Monty Carlo's Fighting Casino

IT'S...Monty Carlo's Fighting Casino, the most expensive (and most gaudy) robot fighting arena in the world! Mr Carlo has spared no cost in making this billionnaires battlefield the most entertaining arena money can buy! The floor is a giant roulette wheel, surrounded by neon lights and baying crowds. In the centre is a spinning totem with four long blades. Best avoid them if you don't want your assets cut.
At the north and south of the arena are a pair of giant Slot Machines. Best avoid these too, as their handles are actually hefty pneumatic maces. They won't give you money, but they will give you a headache! The golden buttons on the green squares are also worth avoiding, unless you're up for a spin. Depending which one you press, the entire arena floor will begin spinning either clockwise or anticlockwise for a few seconds. Wheee!
If that wasn't bad enough, Mr Carlo has spent so much money on the aforementioned hazards and decor that there wasn't enough left over to build any walls or barriers. The sides are completely unprotected, so do try and keep your balance - or you'll end up plunging into points bankrupcy!

Your Paint pic, monsiours:
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/6496/mgpa.png

That's all for now. See you next time and stay lucky. :D

Tactics:

erm...how on earth do I fight in an arena like this? :P My tactics will consist of the same as usual, use the corners to protect the weapon until I can spin up and then go after people, but I will try and stay on the side of the slot machines that don't have the handles on, away from the edge and the hazards, and really just desperately try to stay on the arena and avoid any three or more bot melees - unless it's a rammer or crusher I shall limit myself solely to robots that are away from the pack and not doing much, and make sure my own reaction force from the blade hit doesn't throw me over the edge or into the blades. Move around if necessary to avoid that happening.

Best of luck people...and somebody please lose badly so I don't get the wooden spoon? pretty please? :proud:

Curse that Dutch rammer in that battle format I love so much! Hmm...tactics...

As much as I want my revenge on Flick of the Wrist, this arena is tricky. I'd be a fool to not stay in the middle between the edges and the totem. Let's see...hit a spinny button, stay near the button so I can't exactly be pushed off the edge (easily, anyway), and watch for any incoming robots. Lift-and-clamp the fool that dare comes near and dump him out, rinse/repeat. Try to turn immediately after dumping a robot out so I'm aware of any threats; admiring my handiwork is a bad idea here. ;)

Fantastical tournament thus far!

Let's write some tictacs then...

YES I AM POSTING MY TACTICS, SHUSH!

OK this arena is horrific, but hopefully it will be even moree horrific for my opponents. The amazing thing about an eggbeater weapon is its ability to not only cause damage on impact, but to send opponents skywards. I plan to use this to my advantage during this fight.

I will stay near the centre of the arena, keeping the back of the machine facing those spinning blades at all time. If a machine decides to attack mee for some stupid reason, they have a choice. They can either miss me and go face first into the spinning blades, or they can try and hit me but risk getting whacked by the eggbeater. Allow the other machines to stupidly go for the buttons, and hope the spinning forces send their machines out of the arena.

Amazing tournament so far, Steve-o, but I do not like being in 4th place. :lame:

I dont think my tactics can be too specific in an arena THIS random, lol. Spinning around every so often, being on 1 end of the arena 1 moment, and another end of the arena the next moment, I will take what I can get my hands on. I will look for good shots to get at robots while avoiding their weapons, which will mostly mean getting my forks underneath either their sides or their rear. Mostly, go for whatever opponent is nearest, but if my nearest opponent is on the non-spinning part of the arena while I am spinning, OR the other way around, I will not push my luck and instead go for someone who is on the same area as I am (so while spinning around, go for someone who is spinning with me, when Im on the stationary part of the arena, dont try to attack opponents that are spun around on the roulette wheel). Alright, I get under, then what, Martijn M Benschop? I shall take my opponent to the spinning pole in the middle, if I am on the roulette well, and if I am not, I will take my opponent to the slot machines, or push them OOTA! Obviously, after lifting them first.

Yes sir!

DISCLAIMER: Steve rightfully pointed out to me that the WHOLE arena will be spinning when it is spinning! My bad! How does this affect my tactics? I will still state that with a moving arena I wont be too specific, and I will still push and lift the opponent that rather simply gives me the best oppurtunity to, and I will still push them in the hazard (or OOTA) most convenient at that moment, lol.

Right, this arena is far too unpredictable to have any sort of detailed plan. So I am going to gamble! :lame: Stay out of trouble and just keep hitting the targets every so often and see if I can catch anyone out with the spinning motion. If anyone is close to the edge and distracted, I will try to push them out. Just try and survive for as long as possible.

i think im going to go with the crowd on this one, try and stay out of trouble and survive for as long as possible! push targets when possible and if theres a opportunity to eliminate anybody, take it :-) also try and stay away from the edge...

on a different note, anybody for a team up? :P

Actually, Jack, I'd like that. :)

w00t :lol:

About a month and a half later than hoped, here it is! :D

THE VAPOURBOT GRAND PRIX 2010
ROUND 5/10: THE MONACO GRAND PRIX
ARENA - Monty Carlo's Fighting Casino
HOUSE ROBOTS- N/A

For this fight, Slammer VI will be using the grabbing claws again.

Roboteers, stand by...
3...2...1...
ACTIVATE!

...Well, that was the signal to start, but few of the robots seem eager to leap into action. Right now, the teams seem more focused on staying away from the edge of the arena. The revolving roulette-wheel floor remains static for now, but not for long, it seems. Killobite goes against the flow and charges for the Golden Button on the far left!
CHA-CHING!
Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets, because there goes the wheel! The floor starts spinning at an alarming rate as all the robots flee to the centre of the arena. Already the robots with the weaker grip are feeling the struggle as Axeon, Delirium Tremors, O.I.D and Slammer finds themselves slowly slipping across the wheel. Eye of Ran, meanwhile, is hovering near the top most Slot Machine, getting its blade up to speed. With a spin, Joey manages to strike Delirium Tremors, who nearly finds itself flying over the edge! Matt pulls back in time, however, just as the floor begins to slow once again.
With a CLUNK, the spinning stops and the bots get back into action. Killobite and O.I.D. stick close to each other, attempting to 'smash 'n' grab' the other bots together. Flick of the Wrist purposely stays slow to avoid flying off the edge of the ring and gets into a close-quarters scuffle with Axeon. Slammer attacks Eye of Ran, accidentally driving right over the bladed bot like a doormat of death. Richter stays close to the Totem in the middle of the arena, waiting to strike at whoever comes nearest. That someone turns out to be Delirium Tremors.
CRRRASH!
Both bots fly away from each other. Delirium Tremors takes a nasty knock, but not as nasty as Richter. The Welsh entry bounces into the Totem and has its 'eggbeater' stalled for good measure. As Dan tries to get it going again, here comes Delirium Tremors again for another blow.
CRRRASH!
Dan's in trouble now as he finds himself on the edge of the warzone. A burst of speed, however, and he's safe again.
CHA-CHING!
Uh-oh, but for how much longer? Killobite's gone and hit another Golden Button and round goes the arena again! Richter huddles together with Eye of Ran and Slammer as the other bots stay close to the centre. Eye of Ran breaks away just long enough to get its blade going and strike the duo, just as Dan gets his own blade into play. Slammer tries to position itself for an attack of its own when Richter strikes...
CRRRASH!
And out it goes! The 'eggbeater' has sent Slammer tumbling over the edge and out of the Monaco GP!
CRRRASH!
Oh, and O.I.D. nearly joins it after being fed to the Totem by Flick of the Wrist! O.I.D. swings around, putting a gash in Killobite, but gets a shunt by Flick for its troubles - straight out of the arena! The first two bots go out just seconds apart from each other as the floor begins to slow down once more!
The ground now stable, Killobite tries to get under Flick of the Wrist and succeeds. The claw comes down and Kody now has a firm grasp on the current VGP leader. Martijn struggles to break free, but Killobite is in command here as its wheels grip the arena floor tightly. Kody raises his forks and aims for the edge of the arena...
CHA-CHING!
Oh, great! Now Axeon's gone and hit one of the Buttons! Once again the arena is a blur as the floor starts spinning wildly. The bots once more head for the centre of the ring while Killobite stays stock still. Flick of the Wrist's extra weight is helping to keep it anchored down. Matt is wishing he had an anchor right about now - Delirium Tremors is starting to slide about the spinning flor and getting dangerously close to the edge. Matt swings the drum-on-wheels around, right into the path of a passing Axeon.
CRRRASH!
The axebot takes a hit, but Andy takes vengeance. Axeon swings round, right under Delirium Tremors and promptly dumps the spinner out of the arena!
A few seconds later the floor slows back down to normal, allowing Killobite to resume its proposed dumping of Flick of the Wrist. Unfortunately for Kody, here comes Richter to screw everything up. Killobite has just reached the edge and begun released Flick from its grasp when Richter leaps out from behind...
CRRRASH!
Down goes Flick - and down goes Killobite after it!
Three remains, as Axeon and Eye of Ran duke it out under the northern Slot Machine. This is Joey's best performance to date and all he wants to do is keep hanging on in there for as long as he can. He's done a pretty good job so far by sweeping into Axeon's side time and again, scarring the sides and even getting right underneath a couple times. Axeon's done well too, landing a few good blows on Eye of Ran's lid and holding up to the Slot Machine's own blows the few times it's wound up underneath the giant maces. Is it me, though, or does Axeon seem a tad slower than earlier?
CRRRASH!
Ooh, very good attack from Eye of Ran there. Axeon looks dazed, but here comes Richter to join the party!
CRRRASH!
Now it's Eye of Ran's turn to feel the pain, nearly spinning out of the arena! Joey swings round to start the blade up again, but Axeon sweeps under the unusual bot's side and ends Joey's survival record with one sharp ram. Joe's earned his first medal, though, so I doubt he'll be too upset.
We're down to the last two now, as Richter moves to strike Axeon. The axebot turns to dodge...and keeps right on turning round and round in a circle! Those last few blows from Eye of Ran must've wounded Axeon's drive, because it can't seem to move in a straight line! Dan senses victory and lines himself up for a charge...
CRRRASH!
The sparks fly as Axeon bounces into the Slot Machine! The German GP champion turns again and fires the axe, but misses as one last shunt from Richter sends it over the edge and into second place!

CEASE!

9.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE WINS THE MONACO GRAND PRIX 2010! :proud:

-------------------------------------------------

MONACO GRAND PRIX 2010 RESULTS:
1. 9.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE = 10 points
2. AXEON 4.0 = 8 points
3. EYE OF RAN II = 6 points
4. KILLOBITE SIGMA = 4 points
5. FLICK OF THE WRIST = 3 points
6. DELIRIUM TREMORS = 2 points
7. O.I.D. = 1 point
8. SLAMMER VI = 0 points

Congratulations to Daniel Stickler, Andrew Jackson and Joey McConnell! :D

-------------------------------------------------

We're halfway through the VGP now, and here's how the points stand thus far:

TOTAL RESULTS (5/10):
1. FLICK OF THE WRIST = 33 points
2. KILLOBITE SIGMA = 31 points
=. 9.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE = 31 points
4. AXEON 4.0 = 30 points
5. O.I.D. = 13 points
6. EYE OF RAN II = 11 points
=. SLAMMER VI = 11 points
8. DELIRIUM TREMORS = 10 points

The gap has widened, but certainly not at the top. Just four points separate our top four competitors, with a tie for second place! The others shouldn't be discouraged, however. They're in a very close race themselves and with five more GPs to go, there's still time to catch up on the leaders. :)

Case in point, Round 6! :D

-------------------------------------------------

THE VAPOURBOT GRAND PRIX 2010
ROUND 6/10: THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
ARENA: The Sumo Basho Arena

Konichiwa! Welcome to the Sumo Basho Arena, where peace of mind and pieces of scrap complement each other perfectly. The Sumo Basho Arena follows the Buddhist philosophy of 'less is more'. To whit, there are no hazards, House Robots or any other over-the-top gimmicks to be found on this battlefield. The Arena is nothing more than a raised circular platform with open sides. The only ways to guarantee victory here are to push your enemies over the edge or beat them senseless with your own bare servos. Fights here are never very long, but they're always a riot!

You don't really need a Paint pic for this one, but what the hell. It's tradition :proud: :
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/2259/jgpa.png

Sorry for the long wait again, guys. Hope it was worth it. Till next time! :D

w00t! Finally I manage to finish in the same postcode as the leading machines ;P well done to Dan for winning and Andy for running up.

TACTICS FOR ROUND SIX
Tactiques pour la sixi¨me rond

Don't spin up, as my own reaction force might throw myself out of the arena. If, though, by some act of God or Buddha or Allah or Roland Orzabal I manage to survive until there's four or less robots in total left, then I shall spin up and hit robots, trying to calculate the vectors such that I remain in the arena while they fly out.

As for actual tactics...stay near the middle, away from rammers if possible, and survive, keeping my wedges pointed at other robots where possible.

Best of luck everyone :)

Curse you Dan!

Tactics: again go after Flick, but this time make sure no one's trying to take advantage of my exposed rear, such as Richter. Speaking of which, go after him next once I'm done with Flick. Be aggressive, but try to stay near the center of the arena when I'm not attacking. And, of course, keep my front pointing at as many attackers as possible.

Brilliant thus far Steve-O! :D

Huzzah! :mrgreen:

Sumo Basho arena..... ick.

Tick-tocks

Get my spinner up to speed right away and use it defensively. If anyone hits it, then chances are they are going to go up into the air and not have any chance to push me out.

Move into the centre of the arena and target the tougher machines (Flick, Killobite and Axeon primarily, but also Slammer just cos I have a hunch it can do well). Don't attack them, but stay on the defensive.

Not much else I can do really.... :?

Woo! :proud:

I don't have any particular tactics for the next round. Just stay on the platform for as long as possible, and use my wedge shape to help push the others out. I'm fairly manoeuvrable too, so that should help out in an environment like this. Avoid using the axe much in case I manage to push anyone out and get dragged down with them...

w00t for having entered a rammer, now I see this arena.

Ram! More specifically, make the middle of the arena my starting point for every such ram I wish to perform, and from there look for whatever opponent looks juicy, preferably attacking sides or rears, get under, lift, take all control away for them, and ram them over the edge. Return to somewhere near the middle of the arena and pretty much repeat the process. Im feeling good about this arena, but at the same time, Im gonna make sure I wont get wedged myself. I have speed to not make that happen, and I will happily try and face whatever attacker attacks me with my own weapon. If anyone gets under me, Im relying on my Tornadoesque rear wheel set up, and will drive off asap.

Nice fights so far

Right, im going to once again avoid the edge and stick to the mddle, i suppose it must be a bit crowded there so if in doubt spin up and clear a path, im hoping i dont ricochet off in the process, hopefully my distance from the edge and other robots in the way should help me out there. im trailing the leaders badly now, so if the top 3 or 4 wouldnt mind just driving off that would be a real help :lol:

Jack

BAd news all...and I'm NOT lying. I can ask Steve to confrim this if nessacary.
VGP2010 is cancelled. Steve's dad is moving to France as a translator, and Steve has no choice but to come with him. However, in France, he has no free time, PERIOD. So that means he won't be able to write any fights.
However, he will still be able to make a hypothetical tourny on who he would think he win, without any details of the fight [At least, thats what I think he means by that]
THis is for those who haven't heard on MSN yet. Ask any of those [Joey or Andy] and they'll tell you.
So..this is a painful loss for all..fairwell, awesomeness of VGP which I never got to see done...sigh....

...merde! Merde, merde, merde! C'est une tragedie! J'aimes les choses et les autres choses! Je revais d'un autre monde! Egare dans la vallee infernale, l'hero s'appelle Bob Morane!

:(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kodster

However, in France, he has no free time, PERIOD.

---

does that come with the country? I've always wondered why we had so little French people here

Okay. MANY thanks to AJ, Martijn, and Joey for helping me figure this out.
The following announcement is NOT true. Apparantly, VGP2010 IS still going on.
Then who was that Steve, you say? Why, none other than our very own Self proclaimed Retired vapourboteer who continues to enter tourtaments despite retiring: ALEX MACWILLIAMS!
See, Alex knew doing @!## like this would make most leave FRA: Like he had threanted to take others down with him in C&B3. He succeded doing so with Tony P, which is a bad loss, but we aren't going to let that ruin our fun now, will we?
Alex is slowly liking ARC more and more, and hating FRA more and more...so by spreading the rumor the VGP2010 would be cancelled, most wouldn't see a reason to stay at FRA, and Alex would convince them to go to ARC if they wanted to use vapours again. Now, don't tell me this all dosen't add up and makes the only suspect.
So, Alex got a new email, copied Steve's font, and tried to act like him...and he did A VERY good job, except for some things [the number of e's on bye, no smiley at the end of bye, the fact Steve more than likley would have known his dad would be getting a job at france BEFORE VGP2010 started, when signups opened just yesterday] And so therefore we have the only person with a reason to do this: Alex himself.
Alex, if you are going to leave, stop causing trouble and do it now, you've done more harm than help. But if you are going to STAY, then drop your weapons and stop causing problems.

...am i the only one who has absolutely no idea what the hell just happened? XD
and i would stay at FRA even if this was cancelled TBH...not that it would make any difference but...

Jack...consider yourself an April Fool. :rofl:

...even though it was on april 2nd okay :mrgreen:

Did you check the last page? :crazy:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

mabey :uhoh:
i get it now tho :talker:

Huh. The things you miss on April Fools Day when you're on holiday. :P

Before we continue with the tournament, it's apology time again. I had intended to write the Japanese Grand Prix back in the beginning of March, but following the tragic events of the earthquake and tsunami, I thought it best to postpone the fight for a few weeks out of good taste. I did not, however, plan for the break to be this long. You can chalk that up to general moping over my boredom and lack of success over my job hunt, resulting in a complete lack of creative energy for any of my recent projects. I realise it's nearly three months since the last GP and almost a year since I started this thing and I'm sorry it's taken as long as it has. I still stand by my commitment to see this contest through to the end and, with the real life Grand Prix now well underway, I'm hoping I'll have enough inspiration and energy to start steaming through fights on a more regular basis. :)

OK, emo crap over. It's fight time! :biggrin:

THE VAPOURBOT GRAND PRIX 2010
ROUND 6/10: THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
ARENA - The Sumo Basho Arena
HOUSE ROBOTS- N/A

For this fight, Slammer VI will be using the vertical spinning disc.

Roboteers, stand by...
3...2...1...
ACTIVATE!

And immediately, most of the competitors collide in the centre of the ring! Clearly no-one wants to stray too close to those open edges, and I don't blame 'em. Flick of the Wrist, Killobite, O.I.D, Richter and Eye of Ran are all huddled together in the middle, while Axeon, Slammer and Delirium Tremors decide to scrap it out amongst themselves. Joey has chosen to keep Eye of Ran's spinning blade switched off until the crowd thins out and you can see why - the five robots in the scrum are giving him no chance to even start it up! Both O.I.D. and Richter seem to be suffering the same problem as Flick of the Wrist ploughs through them both. Killobite is staying largely out of trouble for the moment, sneaking around to try and clamp Eye of Ran, but the unusual axlebot is able to quickly avoid the crushing claw. Joey spins around to defend against an oncoming Richter, who drives up the front wedge and gets shunted back into O.I.D, knocking Dan off and allowing him to escape.
Meanwhile, Axeon, Slammer and Delirium Tremors have been joined by Flick of the Wrist, who attempts to charge them. Slammer and Axeon jump and spin out of harm's way respectively, leaving Delirium Tremors to take the brunt of the blow. The full-body drum goes flying to one side, prompting Matt to fire up the spinner and quickly get moving again. Not quickly enough, though, it seems. Flick bounds back over and promptly dumps Delirium Tremors over the side of the ring with only a few scrapes and scars from the drum for its troubles. One down!
Oh, and it soon may well be two, as Richter lands a blow on O.I.D. with its 'eggbeater' (finally up to speed) and knocks it out of the scrum. Jack quickly recovers, however, and dives back into the fray as Killobite and Eye of Ran engage in an awkward tango. Every time it seems Kody has gotten a grip on the low-slung spinner, Eye of Ran either manages to wriggle free or take advantage of the other robots barging over and interrupting them. Speaking of interruptions, here comes Slammer, bouncing over the top of everyone with its flipping arms. Let's hope Alex doesn't go to mad with his jumping - one ill-timed hop could send him plummeting out of the Grand Prix. Not yet, however, as Slammer lands a cheeky blow on O.I.D. before running away. This isn't Jack's fight so far and it's about to get worse, as Richter comes in for another ram, knocking O.I.D. out of the scrum! Before he can get away, Jack finds his sleek spinner being pushed out of the arena and out of the fight!
Two down, and is this number three? Axeon takes a big shunt from Flick of the Wrist, but Andy uses his great manouverability to escape mere feet from the edge. Undeterred, Flick rams Axeon again, knocking it aside, and charges towards the skirmish in the centre. Killobite finally has a hold of Eye of Ran and is attempting to drag the axlebot across the arena, but Joey is digging his wheels in as hard as he can, turning their little scrap into a tug-of-war. But never fear, here comes Flick of the Wrist to break the tie - by slamming into the sides of both bots and pushing them towards the edge! Now Kody is desparately trying to break his grip on Eye of Ran, but the claw isn't quick enough. Richter, feeling naughty, decides to help out, landing a blow on Killobite's side. With their powers combined, Flick and Richter knock Killobite over the edge, Kody taking Eye of Ran down with him.
Almost instantly, Dan and Martijn's truce is broken, as Flick of the Wrist tries to send Richter down as well. Dan, however, has other plans and drives the Monaco Grand Prix champion back towards the middle of the ring, where Axeon has its wedges full trying to catch Slammer. Alex has proven very slippery in this Grand Prix, much as he was back in Switzerland. By taking advantage of his high manoueverability, and limiting his jumps to well-timed emergencies, he's managed to stay mostly of trouble. Andy, meanwhile, now has to contend with Flick of the Wrist and Richter, who join him in the arena centre. The three bots battle in close quarters for a short while, Axeon and Richter managing to exchange a couple of good superficial attacks with their weapons. This skirmish breaks up when Slammer arrives on the scene, landing a glancing blow on Richter which knocks Alex's machine away. Said blow disorients Slammer just long enough for Richter to break away and start chasing it down. Alex attempts an escape but Dan remains dogged in his pursuit around the ring. Hoping to gain some space, Alex hits the FIRE! button and launches Slammer into the air. The golden axlebot flies over the ring, a good distance away from Richter. Unfortunately, he lands right next to Axeon and Flick, the former of whom scoops up Slammer and clamps it with its titular axe. Before Alex can hop, skip and jump out of its grasp, Axeon dumps it over the edge.
Three robots now remain and it's anybody's match as they collide in the middle once more. Richter lands a blow on Flick's side, allowing Axeon to slide underneath. As the hammer comes down, however, Flick's wheels regains its grip and Martijn speeds off the front wedges to safety. Richter now attacks Axeon, how is flung aside by the power of the 'eggbeater'. Axeon is stunned from the blow, allowing Dan to attack again and knock it even closer to the side of the arena. Martijn, noticing the commotion, sends Flick hurtling over to join in and possibly steal the kill for himself. Dan sees Flick charging his way and attacks Axeon once more, as Andy tries desperately to get away. The trio collide and...

CEASE!

Well, pok my mon! They've all fallen off! Axeon, Richter and Flick of the Wrist join the other five robots lying dazed and confused on the safety tyres surrounding the Sumo Basho Arena. Oh well, guess no-one gets any medals then...

Oh yeah, right, like you guys waited three friggin' months for a no-contest. The Judge has reviewed the footage of the end of the fight and ruled thusly: Axeon, pushed out by Richter, touched the ground first, closely followed by Richter itself. This means that, as the last robot to touch the ground...

FLICK OF THE WRIST WINS THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2010! :proud:

-------------------------------------------------

JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2010 RESULTS:
1. FLICK OF THE WRIST = 10 points
2. 9.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE = 8 points
3. AXEON 4.0 = 6 points
4. SLAMMER VI = 4 points
5. EYE OF RAN II = 3 points
6. KILLOBITE SIGMA = 2 points
7. O.I.D. = 1 point
8. DELIRIUM TREMORS = 0 points

Congratulations to Martijn Benschop, Daniel Stickler and Andrew Jackson! :D

-------------------------------------------------

Six GPs in, here's the leaderboard:

TOTAL RESULTS (6/10):
1. FLICK OF THE WRIST = 43 points
2. 9.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE = 39 points
3. AXEON 4.0 = 36 points
4. KILLOBITE SIGMA = 33 points
5. SLAMMER VI = 15 points
6. EYE OF RAN II = 14 points
=. O.I.D. = 14 points
8. DELIRIUM TREMORS = 10 points

The VGP remains a game of two halves, as the top four and bottom four battle for supremecy. Will the gap tighten on Flick of the Wrist's lead? With four GPs to go, anything's possible.

Speaking of, how's about Round 7?

-------------------------------------------------

THE VAPOURBOT GRAND PRIX 2010
ROUND 7/10: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
ARENA: Ayres Ring

G'day, sport! Here we are in Australia, homeland of Aaron Knight, Tom Roper and other animals. This next round takes place atop Ayres Ring, an oval-shaped slab balanced precariously atop a mini mechanical mountain. Like the Sumo Basho Arena, Ayres Ring is an open arena with no sides or hazards. Unlike the Sumo Basho Arena, Ayres Ring isn't very stable. In fact, the arena floor has a tendency to wobble about every few minnutes. When you hear the didgeridoo, watch out - like a particularly drunken Bruce, the ground will start gently tipping and swaying in all directions for several seconds before settling down again. Hang on tight - it's a long way down.
For those robots not quite as sure-wheeled as a mountain goat, no worries. Ayres Ring also features four 'safe zones', rocksteady platforms with caged walls completely unaffected by the arena's swaying spells. They're just big enough for maybe two robots each and even come with their own fun toys. The zones to the north and south each sport a pair of vertical flywheels, while the zones to the east and west each sport a pair of tall cylindrical spinning drums, as fierce and dangerous as any Tazmanian Devil. Yes, even the cartoon one.

Streuth! A Paint pic:
http://imageshack.us/m/836/7602/ausgpa.png

Once more, sorry for taking so damn long and (hopefully) see you next time. :D

:shock: :shock: :shock:

I go after them...and so I get killed by them? :shock: Still w00ty to the n-th degree or something of that calibre, go Steve! :proud:

...err...tactics, DON'T go after Flick or Richter, let them get killed first. :proud:

And stay in the middle of the arena, I guess. :P

Erm...I think having the same tactics as the Monaco one would probably be the best bet, with modifications for the hazards in this particular arena of course (namely, to stay away from them all XD)

Good luck to everyone, some great fights by Steve and a worthy winner in Marti!

Another good battle, well done Steve-o! :)

As with the Japan and Monaco arenas, I think it would be logical to remain in the middle of the arena whenever possible. Use my wedge shape and pushing power to my advantage as always to push the others out of the arena. If anyone decides to hide in the cages, rush them and slam them into the various spinning things to cause damage.

i will Hang around in the middle of the arena, take chunks out of anybody that comes near and run away if it looks like im going t get destroyed, also use the hazards to my advantage.
Jack

push things off that thing, really, really really really, into the hazards, thats the bottomline

so... that arena decides what hazard I wanna slide towards...? then so be it! stay in the middle as much as possible, and whenever I tilt to ANY side, push whatever I can get my forks on to that side, into the hazard at hand, (lifting it off the ground), and enjoy!

I think my best bet is to move and down from the spinning disc box to the spinning disc box just hitting what's in the way. Nothing specific. This'll mean if the didgeridoo goes I'll always be centralised and can try and make a swift charge to the box, or stay dead centre. Make sure the drum stays sped up though as it'll hold me steadier to the floor in theory.

At arrangement, I shall be teaming up with Dan using the flywheel, to take out all opponents, starting with the current highest ranked and working down from there. Get into those safety zones if necessary.

...

Yeah, I don't think it's 2010 anymore. :lame:

I'm sorry I keep forgetting about this thing, you guys. I know you're probably tired of hearing me say that by now, given I've been saying it for about two years now, but it's true and it's nobody's fault but mine. For all the grumbles about job woes and creative dry spells I share with you in the land of MSN, I've had a ton of time on my hands since leaving uni and there's not really any excuse for me leaving yet another big bad tournament to go unfinished, especially one as crazy-fun to write for as this one.

Thanks to the current reruns of Extreme II on Dave, I've been in a real nostalgic mood the last couple days and, after binging on some vintage RW clips on YouTube, I decided to take the plunge and dig into my VGP folder to start finishing what I started - if that makes sense. :P

I'm not going to tell you when the next round after this will be, as I'm not entirely sure myself, but I'll tell you this: I don't care if it takes me another two years, I'm getting this tournament finished the old-fashioned way. No hypos, no summaries. Full-on fights, all the way.

And speaking of full-on fights, come with me to a land Down Under. It's grand prix time. :smile:

THE VAPOURBOT GRAND PRIX 2010/11/12/WHATEVS
ROUND 7/10: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
ARENA - Ayres Ring
HOUSE ROBOTS- N/A

For this fight, Slammer VI will be using the vertical spinning disc.

Roboteers, stand by...
3...2...1...
ACTIVATE!

And just like our last two Grand Prixs, everyone runs straight for the middle of the ring - everyone, that is, except for Delirium Tremors and Eye of Ran. The two spinners have each ducked into a 'safety zone' to get their weapons up to speed in relative peace. They're certainly having a more peaceful time than Flick of the Wrist, who is currently being ganged up on by both Richter and Slammer! Martijn had been hoping for a repeat of his victory in Japan last time, but the current points leader is having a hard time pushing anyone out the way with everyone smushed together in one big scrum! Richter and Slammer ignore their spinners in favour of just knocking and nagging Flick of the Wrist from all sides, while O.I.D. ends up on Killobite's wedge after dodging an attack from Axeon. The Canadian's crusher gets a hold of O.I.D, but barely moves a few feet before Axeon starts whaling on it with its hammer. This particular scuffle is marked by the return of Delirium Tremors, who ploughs straight into the trio like a scuffle-seeking missile!
CRRRASH!
The three robots are all knocked aside, with poor old Axeon nearly taking a tumble straight over the edge of the ring! Killobite has fared no better - not only is it sporting some ugly scars from the spinning drum, but O.I.D. has wriggled free and nipped off to bother the others. Delirium Tremors doesn't look back, however, and takes shelter in another 'safety zone' to recharge.
Meanwhile, Eye of Ran rejoins Flick of the Wrist, who has had just about enough of Richter and Slammer's pestering and decides to do something about it - but not before taking a nasty hit from Eye of Ran's blade.
CRRRASH!
The current points leader gets knocked aside, as does Richter in the wrong place at the wrong time. Slammer takes advantage of the break-up and attacks Eye of Ran instead, having a nibble at the low-slung spinner's sides. Alex's fun is short-lived, however, when Flick of the Wrist charges back in and knocks Slammer across the arena, over the edge and out of the Aussie GP!
On the other side of the ring, Axeon and Killobite are sizing each other up, a tense face-up rudely interrupted by O.I.D. barging in and slicing up Killobite's bum! Killobite swings round to retaliate, giving Axeon a free shot with the hammer! Axeon grapples the crusher and tries to drag it over to the edge when back comes Delirium Tremors for another showdown!
CRRRASH!
The drum-on-wheels parts the duo like the Red Sea and once again nearly sends Axeon skydiving off the rock! Andy quickly recovers, however, and takes a glancing blow from O.I.D. as it chases after Delirium Tremors, now recovering in the northern 'safety zone'. Matty notices too late and tries to return to the freedom of the arena, but AJ has him cornered! Axeon ploughs into the revving Delirium Tremors and smashes it into the vertical spinning discs at the rear! Matt's machine tries to crawl over Axeon, but a few sharp blows of the hammer tell him he's not going anywhere for a while.
Speaking of while, it's anyone's game at this point! Flick of the Wrist and Richter continue to badger each other in the middle of the ring, while Killobite plays 'tag' with O.I.D. and tries to scoop the spinner up once more. As for Eye of Ran, Joey has ducked into a 'safety zone' to rev up and his timing couldn't be better...
Hark, is that a didgeridoo I hear floating on the wind?
Indeed I do, and you know what that means?
ROCKQUAKE!
Within seconds, the arena floor has begun to slowly tip and sway this way and that, like a ship adrift on stormy seas. Only O.I.D. seems remotely comfortable as even the sturdier rammers like Flick and Richter seem a little seasick out in the open. Killobite seems even worse and is finding it hard to drive to a 'safety zone' to regain its composure. O.I.D. obliges with another smack on the rear, while Flick stumbles over in their direction and decides to take the opportunity to dump Killobite out too. Kody tries to dodge the onslaught and succeeds, briefly, before Daniel barges in and decides to do it himself. Over goes Richter and down goes Killobite in one big push!
Finally, the swaying begins to subside for now, as Eye of Ran slips back into the middle of the arena, clipping O.I.D. along the way. O.I.D. narrowly avoids an attack from Flick of the Wrist by ducking into a 'safety zone', closely followed by Richter. The two clash briefly in the narrow space, before Richter gets the upper hand and slams it into the twin spinning drums at the back. It seems that Daniel's pulled an Axeon on him!
And speaking of Axeon, it seems that Delirium Tremors has finally escaped Axeon's assault and crawled over the German GP champ back into the main arena. Matt's machine is looking rather the worse for wear, though. Between Axeon's axe and the spinning discs, it's a wonder the drum's still working at all! But it is - just about - and even manages to clip Flick of the Wrist on its way into another 'safety zone'. Flick follows in hot pursuit, smelling another kill. Delirium Tremors tries to dodge, but Flick proves too quick and sweeps the drum-on-wheels away from the 'safety zone' and over the edge!
Meanwhile, Axeon and Eye of Ran are dancing in the arena centre, just as Flick decides to cut in with some moves of his own.
And speaking of music, what's that I hear overhead?
Oh, right. The didgeridoo.
Here we go again!
The robots take the shakes a bit better this time. Flick certainly seems more stable as it barges Eye of Ran, whose low-slung frame seems to make it steady as a rock. Axeon too seems steady as it ploughs Eye of Ran aside and catches the corner of Flick. Martijn attempts an escape, but Axeon's front wedges slip straight under the Dutch machine and down comes the axe on Flick's noggin! The two push and struggle on the wobbling floor, allowing Eye of Ran to deliver a quick smack with its blade before Axeon gets the upper hand! With careful steering and a quick burst of speed, Axeon shoves the struggling Flick to the arena's edge and dumps the VGP leader out of the fight before swinging back towards the middle...
Aaand getting knocked over the side by Eye of Ran's big blade. Whoops.
Three remain, though not for much longer, it seems. Richter has been dominating O.I.D. since we last saw them and Jack's juggernaut isn't looking good at all. That shell of O.I.D's may be good ol' Hardox, but between Richter's 'eggbeater' and the twin spinning drums, it's certainly been scuffed and scarred up a treat. Even worse, O.I.D's insides seem to have been shaken up good and proper, as the disc has slowed to a crawl, along with just about everything else! Richter dishes out a couple more nasty blows before realising that O.I.D. isn't actually moving anymore and nips back into the main arena, as the official timer counts down Jack to his first bronze of the season.
1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10!
Then there were two and...
WEEOOWEEOOWEEOOWEEOOWEEOO...
Streuth! Another flamin' didgeridoo!
Richter rejoins Eye of Ran in the middle of the ring as the arena floor once again begins to shimmy and shake. The two size each other up, Richter's high traction proving just as steady against the wild wobbling as Eye of Ran's low frame. Daniel attempts a side-on assault, but Eye of Ran's height and wedges are making it tricky to bludgeon effectively. More than once, Joey manages to steer the spinner underneath Richter's tapered shell and shunt it that bit closer to the edge. This doesn't stop Richter from inflicting a few horrible body scars in the process, of course, and Eye of Ran is starting to look pretty scuffed as the floor once again starts settling down. The blade isn't getting much chance to rev up and cause damage, either, but Joey doesn't seem deterred, namely because his wedges and skirts are doing so ruddy well without it at the moment!
Want proof? With time running out and the battle drawing ever closer to the edge of the ring, Richter clips a corner of Eye of Ran with one more big charge. The blow knocks Eye of Ran aside, but slows Richter's 'eggbeater' down in the process. As Daniel begins backing up to rev up some more, Eye of Ran twirls around and heads after the Monoco GP champion. Richter tries to escape, but Eye of Ran catches a corner and sweeps around to scoop right underneath Daniel's demolisher. Mr Stickler barely has time to let out a cry of Stone the dingoes! before Richter is sent rocking off the rock by the all-seeing Eye of Ran!

CEASE!

EYE OF RAN II WINS THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2010! :proud:

-------------------------------------------------

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2010 RESULTS:
1. EYE OF RAN II = 10 points
2. 9.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE = 8 points
3. O.I.D. = 6 points
4. AXEON 4.0 = 4 points
5. FLICK OF THE WRIST = 3 points
6. DELIRIUM TREMORS = 2 points
7. KILLOBITE SIGMA = 1 point
8. SLAMMER VI = 0 points

Congratulations to Joey McConnell, Daniel Stickler and Jack Orr! :D

-------------------------------------------------

Seven is the lucky number for some, but who's gotten luckiest seven rounds in? To the leaderboard!

TOTAL RESULTS (7/10):
1. 9.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE = 47 points
2. FLICK OF THE WRIST = 46 points
3. AXEON 4.0 = 40 points
4. KILLOBITE SIGMA = 34 points
5. EYE OF RAN II = 24 points
6. O.I.D. = 20 points
7. SLAMMER VI = 15 points
8. DELIRIUM TREMORS = 12 points

Well, tie me kangaroo down, sport! It looks like we've got a new leader! Dan had better not get too comfy, though - there's only one point separating Richter and Flick, with Axeon only a few points behind them. With the points starting to spread out a little more, there's no telling what might happen next as we enter the final few battles.

Oh, apart from Round 8. Obviously.

-------------------------------------------------

THE VAPOURBOT GRAND PRIX 2010
ROUND 8/10: THE MEXICAN GRAND PRIX
ARENA: AzTech Arena

Welcome to sunny Mexico, and the hottest arena in the VGP - literally! AzTech Industries is one of the most advanced robotic combat research facilities in all of the Americas, and the arena they've provided for grand prix number eight neatly showcases their specialist subject - FIRE. :twisted:
Modelled on the ancient Mayan temples from equally ancient adventure serials, the AzTech Arena is the pinacle of AzTech's patented deathtrap technology and research into fire-based demolition. This enclosed, two-story warzone is littered with dangers; from the clusters of pneumatic spikes designed to punch underbellies and puncture tyres, to the twin trap doors which open and close at random intervals, to the white-hot flame grills mounted on both floor and wall alike designed to boil paint and burn electronics to a crisp. And you guys thought the ending to Raiders... was grizzly. :lame:
On top of all that, the second floor is guarded by another of our special guest House Robots, The Servant's Apprentice! Consider this Lian's consolation prize for narrowly missing out on qualification. Hopefully he's not feeling too vengeful towards you all. :wink: Anywho, he and the Servant's Apprentice are guarding another one of those lovely golden buttons. That's the master trap switch, which is connected to every single trap in the arena. It may be worth your time to slip away from the battle and try your luck activating it. There's a reason AzTech's researchers call it Montezuma's Revenge...

El Painto picca:
http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg705...ng&res=landing

If there's anyone still here, sorry for the umpteen millionth time, thanks to Lian for giving me permission to use the Servant's Apprentice and I will see you all next time. :D

Hmm, near the bottom. Looking grim, but let's see what we can do here, shall we...

Tactics - lift the forks and go right for that golden button! Ground clearance is good enough to get over the ramp, I believe

Additional tactic - grab the house robot and shove him into the button. Sorry Lian. :P

More additional tactics - bite anybody that tries to stop me

Even more additional tactics - bite in general

Quite spiffing Mr McG! I pity thee, however, for all the dust ye had to swiff away from thy thread...

tactics: When the button hasnt been pressed yet, flip thing, in particular near the hazards. I cant see any designs that would be totally crippled by a flip, but non-invertible machines still prefer to not be flipped. Self-righting is time consuming and while on their back they cant do a thing, so flipping is the name of the game.

Additionally, when flipping stuff onto the hazards, I might create a situation where opponent A is on top of a hazard while opponent B is pressing the big button for me, imediately either spiking, burning, or pitting said opponent. This is why I myself must be weary of the hazards, or above tactics may just be turned against me.

With the hazards activated... pit, pit, PIT! Get under, lift, flip, whatever is needed, but ram those things down the pits!

My tactics for this round will be to clamp my opponents with the axe and pin them on top of the flame grills. Then, when the trap doors open, I will take the opportunity to push my frazzled foes out of the round.

I will also try to lure my opponents over the pneumatic spikes - if I can pin them down over the spikes when they fire it could cause damage to base plates and tyres.