Your favourite Battlebots

Id be interested to know what all of yours are. This thread is here so you can create a list of your US faves, it can include any of your chioce from any weight calss and the list can be any length long.

Heres my top 10:

1. Toro (SHW) - weapon: flipper
2. The Judge (SHW) - weapon: hammer
3. Biohazard (HW) - weapon: lifter
4. Bad Attitude (MW) - weapon: brute force
5. Huggy Bear (MW) - weapon: clamp
6. Hazard (MW) - weapon: spinning tool bar
7. No Apologies (SHW) - weapon: spike/axe
8. Diesector (SHW) - weapon: clamping/lifting/ramming jaws, spiked tail, axes
9. MechaVore (HW) - weapon: flywheel
10. Codebreaker: (SHW) - weapon: spinning drum

Living in Belgium I have never seen a Batttlebots fight, except once when spending a night at the family Watts home and I was rather ill then so I dont really remember much. I heard its rather boring to watch, arena hazards doing most of the damage and such, so I am curious: is it really boring ? Or are there fierce battles worth seeing ?

Ive seen several very good matches, specially in the lightweight and middeweight division. The heavyweight fights are about the same as ours, and the superheavyweights to me are boring.

My RC versions of Minion and Diesector have seen better fights then the real ones. :)

IMHO Battlebots is tedious and the arena hazards (kill-saws especially) do the damage. The robots just dance around each other for a while, on the first coming together someones weapon breaks - lots of whoopin and a hollerin when the pulverizer comes into play but that gag is as subtle as it looks. 2 minutes 30 seconds worth of yawning later and we see Carmen Electra in another new outfit (a different one every link) then 2 guys behind a desk giving ever-so witty repartee (more yawns) then lo and behold its finished.
Be even more thankful if youve never watched Robotica............

Still its the only place Ive seen Warhead in action - its a lovely robot but it seems to think its a helecopter :)

Ive seen robotica, and that is much worse.

Whats even worse is that discovery channel aired a couple of shows of Robotica.

What i hated the most is the fact that robots were activated on the floor while everyone was standing around them, less than 4 feet away. No barriers, no bullpens, no arena, nothing to protect you.

And im not even talking about the presentation.

but back on topic:

1: Biohazard
2: License To Kill
3: Warhead
4: Mauler
5: Mechavore
6: Vlad the Impaler
7: Diablo
8: Greenspan
9: Atomic Wedgie
10: Nightmare

honerable mentioning though not in my top 10:

Mecha Tentoumushi

:)

Karoline, the reason why you find Battlebots tedious and theres lots of dancing around isnt because the fights are boring, but because there isnt someone in the cutting room dropping all the dull bits on the floor.

If you think its only the killsaws that do the damage then I think youve missed the point somewhere.

Battlebots is far more a pure sport than Robot Wars is, and when people are trying to move Robot Wars to a more pure sport, its a shame that people think watching a full fight (rather than the edited version) is tedious :sad:

Oh well

Ed
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

quote Still its the only place Ive seen Warhead in action - its a lovely robot but it seems to think its a helecopter :)

best description of warhead I ever heard....
love it1

Hi Ed,
having only seen the aired version of the show rather than actually sitting in the audience I do get rather a distorted view. I understand that theres a lot more than meets the eye but the sport of the thing is left well behind in editing, post production etc - its the same with RW. Perhaps its just my mind switching off after hearing the first WOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
from the commentary booth.

Im with you all the way on emphasising the sport instead of the artificial spectacle presented by TV. No one can really feel Storm II slam a robot into the side wall unless theyre actually there - thats what makes live events so much better IMHO.

As for Warhead - Apart from its desire to take off from time to time, Ive never seen a robot do a full pirouhette on tippy-toes after gouging the side out of its opponent - lovely :)

PS Ive now persuaded a colleague to take her son to the Brighton event - hopefully another convert to the sport
:)

Agree with Karoline, once the WWF stop donating all their old commentators to Battlebots, the whole thing should become much more watchable.

Karoline youve missed my point.

Battlebots ISNT edited, what you see is exactly what happenned, as it happenned without any editing of fights - hence I suspect you feel its tedious at times.

Robot Wars IS edited to ensure that you get as much action and excitement built into the fights as possible.

Thats my point - Battlebots ISNT artificial - Robot Wars is. Sadly youve proved a point which is that the average fan finds an edited together fight far more exciting than a pure sport :sad:

Ed
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

Um...
just had it pointed out to me by my partner in crime, battlebots IS edited....

they dub the sound on to make it sound better, thats why every hit has that metal twang, even when hitting polycarb.

the visuals are real though, when they show them, I had to laugh when they just gave the results of the semi finals as they were so dull they didnt show them, they were the SEMI-FINALS!!! you must show them...

ah well, guess they thought the fans would appreciate the viewing more than the sport.... oops

Clearly its edited James - they dont just run one cut from one camera - my point was if there is a lull in the action then they dont just skip 3 mins of a fight and use a voice over of cease.

Mentorn just play cease whenever they feel like it on TV, regardless of when it happenned during the fight !

Stop nit picking, you know what I mean !

Ed
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

A sad fool me but I know that a 3 mins fight on BB is 3 mins on screen and a 5 min fight on RW can be.....well.....whatever. Ive timed some in the past out of interest but its just a matter of presentation. The pseudo sports show set-up of BB in the studio like JB, Terry & Howie on the Fox half time game show - except they talk about their lunch or something.
The saying that time flies when youre enjoying yourself applies as much here as anywhere else.
Anyway - I havent said that I even like RW, I dont, but it does apply itself better to those with a longer attention span than your average US viewer.
As for bouts on the live circuit - a 2 hour show seems to be over in a flash for me :sad:

Anyway - were miles away from the subject of favorite BB robots.

Weird, for once I actually agree with Ed :) Battlebots is, without a doubt, the most pure and superior form of this sport.

My favorites - Mechadon and Mauler 51-50.

Hey Ed! If there is another season - is there any chace of Storm 2 being in it?

I think theres is a reasonable contingent of teams willing to hop across the pond for the next season. If I know Ed, and based on the general noises hes been making about the superior events and competitions held in the states, Id be willing to bet a fair bit on seeing Storm II in BB. Can you clarify Ed?

It will in all probability be a nightmare considering the current climate in the US over security and stopping anything even remotely out of the ordinary from ever leaving the ground. A airplane hold full of fighting robots wont exactly go unnoticed, or untouched. You may be faced with rebuilding them from the molecules up.

Im glad that my post has recieved so much attention...but few messages have anything to do with battlebots robots!

P.S. There have been some VERY entertaining battlebots fights, and in reply to an earlier comment, the superheavyweights are my favourite division!

Thought nitpicking was the fashion at the moment Ed?

I do actually agree with you, as a sport BB is by far the best, I think it is also better to watch, if you ignore the wallys talking about their lunch through the fight.

BB is more hardcore, and Ill certainly be at the next one (assuming Im invited of course)

My top 10

Warhead
Mechadon
Nightmare
Mechavore
Hazard
Ziggo
the rest are pretty much forgetable as far as Im concerned, not saying theyre bad, just dont really think they are favorites of mine.

My fave Battlebots

Lightweights:

Backlash
Ziggo

Middleweights:

Hazard
T Minus
Turtle

Heavyweights:

Nightmare
Tazbot
Warhead

Super Heavyweights:

Diesector
Minion
Toro

Karoline, youre right.

The first time we went to visit an English live event (Croydon 2001) we had Project Ones axe in the trunk of our car. Oh you should have seen the face of the English Customs Officer when we opened the trunk and took out that 1 meter long steel axe with a blade of 20 cm wide !!! I doubt American Customs Officers will be as broadminded as this English one -whose face brightened with sudden enthousiasm on the mention of Robot Wars- was.
I also wonder if American roboteers would be able to ship their robots to the UK and back to the USA without having to answer some very pertinent questions ? Besides, dont all roboteers have screwdrivers, spanners and cutters in their pockets ? I know I would get into trouble in no time... I always carry an almost complete set of tools in my purse.

Getting robots over to the US in hold luggage or shipped is no problem.

Ed
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

The same ways as a normal suitcase or do you have to have customs docs? On Egyptair youd probably have to fight the other passengers but Im sure you get Storm II in the overhead locker :proud:
I certainly wont travel to the US now especially with the stamps in my passport and the tattoo will make them think Im an Egyptian religious fanatic - then, like Babeth said, theres the toolkit.

Sorry George - were way off subject

Hey its cool :)

Fav Battlebots:
1. Warhead!
2. Razer(When it competed)
3. Son of Whyachi
4. Y-Pout
5. Phrizbee Ultimate

My favourites

Lightweight
Backlash and Ziggo

Middleweight
Hazard, Deadblow and Super Orbiting Force

Heavyweight
Biohazard, Vlad the Impaler, Tazbot, Killerhurtz

Super Heavyweight
Minion, Diesector, Mechadon, DoAll

Favourite overall

BIOHAZARD (shame that, when I saw it, it lost very early on)

Must have been an early series. Recently, Biohazard has reigned supreme over all other combat robots.

Probably. It was around the time of Series 4 of the regular Robot Wars, but it was basically the Biohazard that we all know and love.

Certainly, it didnt have the pinning rule, which was why it lost (to Voltarc, if you dont know).

Unfortunatly, after that, it stopped airing on BBC2 and there were no other channels I could watch it on.

I remember that. Voltarc just got under ONCE and wasted time for the rest of the fight just taking Bio around to meet the hazards. Well cheap.

Ive never seen that battle, but ive seen:

Biohazard V Incoming

Very much like typhoon V Storm, except one sided. Incoming couldnt do any damage to biohazard and that was that and then they got lifted over.

Biohazard V Greenspan

Ditto

Biohazard V Voltronic (Again)

Biohazard just needed one lift to balance up Voltronic against the wall and that was it, it was very short!!

Biohazard V Overkill

Both times it was the same Biohazard one close games by out pushing overkill and taking it the hazards.

Biohazard V Nightmare

Nightmare broke its weapon and then it was a pushing match.

Cease !!! Cease !!!!! Cease ? Can the roboteers please confirm the cease ? Hello ? Is anybody listening ? He, you, up in the control booth, yeah the one holding the transmitter, CEASE ! OMG Theyre out of control ! Run for your life !! No ? Oh, it was ment to do that ? oh... anyway, CEAASE !!! Can someone please run up there and stop those looneys before the wreck our beautiful arena even more ?

CCCEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEE !!!!

Hey WJ hook me up to what your smoking :proud:

poor old Spitfire doesnt even get a mention.

It did knock out Vlad the Impaler II you know.

Hey Mike Spitfire is a great machine, and in my robot wars v battlebots tournament on the fan fic section, you might get a chance to meet them again as dantomkia...

Clang!!!

What was that sound??

Was that the sound of a plug dropping into this thread??

And Spitfire beating Vlad 2 is something I will always thank it for....
For some reason I never took to the Vlads and their silly poking/flipping prongs, (especially Vladiator with its stick!), so Spitfire removing it from the competittion was a highlight for me!!

Hey, now WJ is in this thread, Imagine if Gravity went to Battlebots.....has a robot ever hit the top screen of the Box before? :proud:

Perhaps another arena for it to break then! :proud:

Lol. Yes, it was an unabashed plug. I apologise. By the way give it a visit :)
Yeah, i agree with you Paul, i didnt much like Vlad 1 and certainly dont like Vlad 2 a lot. It seems to me to be worse than Vlad 1 in many repsects. I really think the weaponry is quite pants. A pair of fixed static spikes would be better. The season when vladiator won the SHW class (3.0) was what done it for me. There were so many great robots, diesector and toro being good examples, they just had to go and win. But toro got some good revenge when they took on vladiator in season 4.0. see that fight? very good.

Oh yes, one of my favourites that....Ive never seen a robot pike and twist as much in the air! (Gravity may send robots higher than Ive seen before, but Toro/T-Minus etc seem to expend all their energy in making the robot barrel roll in mid-air instead!)

And it ended with a classic stacking against the Battlebox wall.....and no refbot to nudge them back down! :proud:

Oh, the timelyness of that joke!! :proud: