The Outsiders Cup

Since its conception, robotic combat has produced hundreds of inventive and destructive competitors - but alas, not all of them can be winners. Some are hindered by an unusual design. Some are simply outstripped by stronger, more experienced opponents. More often than not, though, it comes down to plain old bad luck. How many times have we witnessed a good, solid machine scrape a mere handful of victories, if any at all, in its entire career in the ring? Many. It seems for many robots that the gates to the Hall of Fame will always be closed to them.

Not today.

The Outsiders Cup is a chance for the robot worlds underachievers to come together and finally prove their worth to the elite. Forumers, leave the big names at home for a little R&R and start making your way to the substitute bench, on the double!

1. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
- I am looking for 8 people to enter 2 machines each (A grand total of 16 robots).
- Each person must enter one vapourbot and one real robot.
- Real robots must not be previous Series Semi-Finalists (RW UK) or Quarter-Finalists (Battlebots). For instance, Iron Awe and The Matador would be fine, but Razer and Biohazard would not. Winners of televised minor tournaments (eg Disc-O Inferno and Little Sister) are not recommended either. Similar restrictions apply for vapourbots.

- The weight limits for vapourbots are:
100kg for wheeled/tracked robots (eg Tornado/Mortis)
120kg for unclassable methods of motion (eg...I dont know...a hovercraft or something)
120kg for shufflers (eg Son of Whyachi)
150kg for €˜true€™ walkers (eg Anarchy)

- No flying robots are permitted.
- Clusterbots are permitted, with no limit to the number of parts (but lets keep things realistic here). When half or more of the parts have been eliminated, the whole clusterbot will be eliminated.
- Robots with interchangeable weapons are limited to five set-ups. All must be stated in your initial stats.
- Basic tech rules apply for everything else.

2. TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE
The tournament will be standard knockout elimination.

- ROUND 1 = 8 X head to-head fights, 8 go through
- ROUND 2 (QUARTER-FINALS) = 4 X head-to-head fights, 4 go through
- ROUND 3 (SEMI-FINALS) = 2 X head-to-head fights, 2 go through
- PLAY-OFF = 1 X head-to-head fight to determine 3rd place
- ROUND 4 (FINAL) = 1 X head-to-head fight with the two surviving robots, winner becomes champion

3. THE ARENA
As per, the Team Braveheart Wrexagon will be the setting for the contest, with a couple of new features. The arena is a 20m x 20m square with a slightly triangular top and bottom, making it resemble a big, squashed hexagon. A pair of horizontal Pussycat-style sawblades stick out of the east and west walls, while each of the six corners contain a horrible hazard. These hazards include:

- 2 x Corner Patrol Zones, each containing a House Robot (top right and bottom left)
- The arena pit, affectionately dubbed The Void (bottom right). This operates just like the RW pit, except that within the walls of the hole lie several concealed vaccuums. This means that anything trundling by the edge of the Void is getting sucked right in! Works best against bots with weak traction. Impossible, yes, but fun. :wink:
- The Void Activation Button (top left)
- A flame grill (top centre)
- A hefty psychadelic spinning drum littered with curved teeth, also known as Killeidascope Corner (bottom centre)

Follow the link for a proper peek at the battlefield: http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/4903/arena2007gr2.pnghttp://img409.imageshack.us/img409/4...ena2007gr2.png

Flipping robots out of the arena is perfectly possible in this arena; so flippers, go nuts. Any robots propped on or trapped by the walls will be deemed immobile. The walls and floor are all conveniently constructed from Hardox, so the imaginary builders wont have to keep fixing them between fights.

4. JUDGING
Should both robots still be mobile at the end of a clash, a winner will be declared using the following system:

DAMAGE = mark out of 5, multiplied by 3
AGGRESSION = mark out of 5, multiplied by 2.5
STRATEGY = mark out of 5, multiplied by 2
CONTROL = mark out of 5, multiplied by 1.5
STYLE = mark out of 5, multiplied by 1
TOTAL ( / 50) = Damage + Aggression + Strategy + Control + Style

In the unlikely event of a draw, I will ask an Outside Judge to make his or her own decision on the fight. Both results will then be averaged to give a final mark.

Of course, this is all asuming I can be bothered writing a fight which lasts that long. :lame:

5. HOUSE ROBOTS
Purest evil and always a larf, Team Coldheart has returned to put fear in the batteries of all challengers foolish enough to enter. Roll call!

- SURLYGIG - And you all thought Whirligig was horrible enough. A full-body spinner with a domed head, six shuffing feet and a dozen odd terrible teeth.

- MICHAEL PLIERS - Everyones favourite slasher flick lunatic. A steep wedge with sloping sides and a pneumatic hatchet.

- FAWKES - A fearsome phoenix with a crushing beak and hydraulic crushing wings. The newest addition to the flock.

- THE TAXMAN - Nothing says fear incarnate like the Inland Revenue. A demonic bowler hat with front lifting forks and a vertical spinning disc.

- SCARLEK - Our representative from the Planet Skaro. A typical Dalek with a front scoop and a blowtorch concealed in its Exterminator arm.

- DULCY - Fresh from the 15th Century, Dulcy is armed with flamethrower breath, ramming spikes and a rear axe tail. The neck articulates ala Warheads tail for maximum awesomeness.

- MR HYDE - The scourge of Victorian London. A low dome with pneumatic grappling arms and a powerful axe.

- SCREAM - A sleek wedge with a powerful rear-hinged flipper and a rear vertical flywheel. A piercing scream emits from the flipper whenever it fires.

- THE GRIM BEEPER - Who could make a better referee than the keeper of the robot underworld himself? The Beeper is equiped with a front plough to help trapped souls and and a fire extinguisher in his right hand to cool the flames of damnation. Just pray he doesnt touch you with his sythe - because that means youre already dead.

You can see the whole of the rogues gallery in glorious Technicolour right here: http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/9449/teamcoldheart2007py6.pnghttp://img517.imageshack.us/img517/9...art2007py6.png

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And...thats everything! Get to work and good luck to you!

ENTRIES SO FAR:
1) *unknown* (Aaron)
2) *unknown*

Yeah, Sir Knight reserved a place when I asked him to proofread these rules. Cheeky git. :lame:

1 place reserved, 7 places remaining.

COUNT ME IN!!!

Steves back in it! :proud:

Time for one of my Calibur bots to make a stand. :proud:

Vapourbot: Seung Mina II (http://strickenone.proboards99.com/index.cgi?board=heavies&action=display&thread=1145 111759http://strickenone.proboards99.com/i...display&thread =1145111759)
Realie: Hydra (S6)

Good luck with this, Steve, :)

Are totally new robots allowed, or does it have to be something that has previously been entered in other tournies?

Ill be nice to see you writing fights again, Steve, what I read of PTT5 wasd great!

Given Im new, thisll be a doddle :mrgreen:, because I can enter any of my vapours:

1. NITRO-GENE

€ WEIGHT: 100KG

€ ARMOUR: 4MM HARDOX

€ SHAPE: LOW INVERTIBLE BOX WITH SLANTED SIDES AND REAR LIKE TORNADO

€ MOTORS: 2 x ETEKS AT 46V = 30HP

€ LOCOMOTION: 6 VULKANISED WHEELS.

€ DIMENSIONS: (L) 80CM (H) 16CM (W) 60CM

€ COLOUR: RED

€ WEAPONRY: A FULL PRESSURE NITROGEN FLIPPER AT THE FRONT. AT THE FRONT IS AN EXTENSION MOUNTED UNDER THE FRONT TO GET UNDER AND BRING THEM ONTO A NITROGEN POWERED FLIPPER THAT RUNS UP THE FRONT OF NITRO-GENE, AND DOWN BY 30CM. THE FLIPPER HAS ENOUGH POWER TO LIFT 1500KG.

€ SPEED: 18MPH

€ GROUND CLEARANCE: 0MM-2CM. AT THE FRONT ITS 0. AT THE SIDES AND REAR ITS 2CM.

€ STRENGTH: PUSHING POWER AND WEAPONRY.

€ WEAKNESS: HIGH SIDE GROUND CLEARANCE.

2. DOWN-FORCE

€ WEIGHT: 100KG

€ ARMOUR: 5MM MONOCUQUE HARDOX ON FRONT REAR AND TOP. 6MM ALUMINIUM BORON CARBIDE FOR

€ SHAPE: BOX WITH SLANTED SIDES AND REAR

€ MOTORS: 2 x LEM 130 AT 46V = 18HP

€ LOCOMOTION: 4 x VULKALON TREADED WHEELS ON TOP AND BOTTOM ALA BIG NIPPER

€ DIMENSIONS: (L) 50CM (W) 50CM (H) 35CM

€ COLOUR: BLACK FOR THE BODY, SILVER FOR THE CRUSHING WEAPON AND SCOOP COMBO

€ WEAPONRY: THE WEAPON FOR THIS IS A BIG NIPPER STYLE CRUSHING/LIFTING ARM, BUT INSTEAD OF CLAWS TO LIFT WITH, IT HAS A SCOOP WITH AN EXTENSION AND A RAZER STYLE CRUSHER. THE WEAPONS LIFTS AND CRUSHES WITH A FORCE OF 5 TONNES! IF THE ROBOT IS FLIPPED THE CLAW IS USELESS, BUT LIKE BIG NIPPER, IT CAN SELF-RIGHT!

€ SPEED: 23MPH

€ GROUND CLEARANCE: 0MM - 5MM. 3.25MM HARDOX SPRUNG SKIRTS ON THE SIDES AND REAR MAKE IT A NIGHTMARE TO GET UNDER.

€ STRENGTH: POWER, SPEED AND WEAPONS MAKE IT A TOUGH MACHINE

€ WEAKNESS: IF FLIPPED, THE WEAPON CAN€™T BE USED, BUT IT CAN ALWAYS SELF-RIGHT!

I hope that Ill get a better reaction than those Ive been given the other competitions Ive entered.
My robots are the best of the newer machines Ive made for 1 reason:

Ive done my research :lame:.

Paul, you can enter only ONE vapourbot. The other needs to be a realie...in a lower class than say Razer or Storm II or Hypno-Disc.

EDIT: I have to say, though, I like the look of Nitro-Gene. A good improvement over your other bots. :)

(Message edited by kodster on November 30, 2007)

Oh God... whats never made it to the semis *thinks* I dunno, but reserve me one vapoour and then... 259

But Ive not researched the rules properly :proud:.

Ill keep Nitro-Gene, but replace it with Big Nipper.

save me a space please


??????
Fluffy (series 6 version)


Will get you some stats when I am back at Uni tomorow or sunday

Yeah, great to see you back Stevo, very good.

Im gonna go with the greatest outcast on my team, A Night at the Bar

http://strickenone.proboards99.com/index.cgi?board=thvapours&action=display&thread=11 66283051http://strickenone.proboards99.com/i...n=display&thre ad=1166283051

For my really... Id like Matador please

Frank, Id prefer machines already in competition, but I think new machines would be quite acceptable as well.

Ooh, one thing I forgot to mention. If youve got a town or city or whatever youd like to represent, could you mention that too, please?

ENTRIES SO FAR:
1) *unknown* (Aaron)
2) *unknown*
3) A Night at the Bar (Martijn)
4) The Matador (BB5)
5) Seung Mina II (Kody)
6) Hydra (RW6)
7) Nitro-Gene (Paul)
8) Big Nipper (RW7)
9) *unknown vapourbot* (Matty F)
10) 259 (RW6)
11) *unknown vapourbot* (Martyn)
12) Fluffy (RW6)

6 places taken, 2 places remaining.

Wow, you havent half gobbled up these places, have you? Keep em coming, lads!

Team Zlayerz (my team name) will represent Toronto, Canada.

If we can represent a town, Im going to represent the good English town of
Orpington
as I live the}re, and I chill there and Im writing from there.

Can I represent Orpington? As I live there.

Enschede, the Netherlands

please :proud:

Looks like fun.... lets see...

Scaramanga and Supernova (s6) for me. If I think of somewhere witty to represent then Ill be sure to mention it.

any room for CRAPBAG

Craig, you can enter CRAPBAG, but youll need to enter another robot as well, and it has to be a realie that has never got past a heat in Robot Wars.

ok reallie ill go with Pinser S7

sorry to be picky, but Anarchy was a sufflebot, a true walker is Mechadon.
Anarchy is not a true walker because it uses an offset rotary drive to move its legs (cam mechanisum) which is diffinative of shufflebots

Mechadon uses an actuator to pick up the leg and a second to move the leg along. best described as moving in a diamond
cams move in a circle or an oval

Looks like Im too late. Oh well.

Curse you and your logic, Craig!

ENTRIES SO FAR:
1) *unknown* (Aaron)
2) *unknown*
3) A Night at the Bar (Martijn)
4) The Matador (BB5)
5) Seung Mina II (Kody)
6) Hydra (RW6)
7) Nitro-Gene (Paul)
8) Big Nipper (RW7)
9) *unknown vapourbot* (Matty F)
10) 259 (RW6)
11) *unknown vapourbot* (Martyn)
12) Fluffy (RW6)
13) Scaramanga (Alex H)
14) Supernova (RW6)
15) CRAPBAG *stats needed* (Craig)
16) Pinser (RW7)

Thats all the positions filled, but were still got some unconfirmed competitors. Do try and get them sorted quickly please, lads. Id like to get started on this as soon as.

Sorry you just missed the mark, Rich. Hmm...Tell you what. If anyone else is still interested in entering, pick a vapourbot and a realie and well see if we cant get a couple of Reserve Rumble matches set up. :wink:

(Message edited by Steven_McG on December 01, 2007)

Ill enter wit Eternia since it was never used in the other fanfic tournement.

Name: Eternia
Weight: 98 kg
Speed: 18 Km/hour
Lenghth/with/height: 120 cm/65cm/35cm
GC: 5mm on the sides, 10 mm on the back and front so it wont run aground on a toothpick sticking out the floor. the flipperarm is pushed flush to the floor with bungee lifting the frontend.
Drive: 2x3 Graupner speed 900 BB torque @ 24V Geared down 20:1 on 15cm wheels.
Weapon: 100mm bore x100mm (4 tons) stroke ram Gravity style flipper with 2 1/2 bsp burkert inlets and a 3mm hole as outlet. A 2 compartment aluminium buffer of 4 Liters being fed by 2 2kg CO2 bottles. The arm levers it down 3:1 giving 1300kg of force at the tip of the arm.
Chassis: Main frame holding the ram and flipperarm is 40x40x4 mm welded box section, the baseplate is 4mm 7075 aluminum and the armour on the sides and top is 40mm HDPE. The flipperscoop is hardox 450 6 mm, the arm itself 40x40x4 box section.
Batteries: 60 GP3700 NiMh cells, 20S3P, giving 11.1Ah@24V. weight of the pack is 4 kg.
Special Notes: All black, with red markings at the sides.

As a really i will use Splinter.

(Message edited by leorcc on December 01, 2007)

Cape Town, south Africa for mine

Sorry, Leo. Splinters a former Semi-Finalist and therefore unable to compete. Could you pick another realie please?

Ill enter Spring-BOK!, which has yet to feature in anything major. I believe youll find stats in the Crash and Burn tournament.

For my realie, Ill enter Devestator (from S7).

Ill be representing Suffolk.


(Message edited by Dinowarrior on December 01, 2007)

Steve, Ive found CRAPBAGs stats for you. You m ay notice they are done in my style, as Craig was trying to prove anyone could bulid a vapourbot.

Craigs Robot And Proberbly Blaitently A Gash or CRAPBAG

€ WEIGHT: 96KG

€ ARMOUR: 6mm Hardox flipper 4mm hardox else where, fully welded body with boxsection frame

€ SHAPE: Multi-Angeluar wedge, pic on my flickr page ill post a link later

€ MOTORS: 2 S28-400, on 24v limited by roboteq

€ LOCOMOTION: 150mm dia 40mm wide vulk wheels ally hub

€ DIMENSIONS: (L) 750mm (H) 230mm (W) 550mm

€ WEAPONRY: a full pressure flipper 110mm bore ram, 100mm stroke 3 burket input from base, buffered from a half co2 bottle powered by 2x CO2 bottles (same set up as Beast 2 years ago), flipper is made from solide boxsection with 6mm hardox plate mounted on top (welded)

€ SPEED: 15mph

€ GROUND CLEARANCE:on the floor at the front around 10-15mm ath the back same as i had on tx-108 and that got under storm 2 with ease

€ STRENGTH: the flipper i guess

€ WEAKNESS: rookie vapour bot dont actually know what im doing

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanto818www.flickr.com/photos/tanto818
is where youll find the pictures.

I cant use my own robot because in a previous life it almost won something? Then Ill use Mantis.

Its your call Steve, but Id allow Splinter. I mean sure it made one semi-final, but it got torn a new one... several new ones, and never made it that far again.

Thanks, Steve! For a Reserve Rumble, will Gemini (S5) and Battle Raptor IV be OK? (Some of its predecessors have done well, but the best BR4 has done is a heat final in PTT5.)

BATTLE RAPTOR 4
Weight: 100kg
Shape: Invertable box with wedge at front, rounded sides and rear, painted orange with black stripes like the raptors in Jurassic Park - since theres no room for an aesthetic raptor head, the paint job on the flipper displays a raptor head
Dimensions: 70 x 55 x 30
Speed: 16mph
Ground Clearance: 0 at front due to low wedge, 0 at sides and rear due to skirts
Armour: 4mm Hardox, with holes drilled in it to reduce weight
Wheels: 4, inside robot, poke out the top so the robot can run inverted, uses skid steering
Power: 4 Perm 080s motors on 24V powered by 24V @ 12amp batteries
Weapons: The robot has an pneumatic Atomic-style flipper, with a flipping plate over the wedge at the front (with a plate sticking out of the front and running along the floor for 5cm for getting under skirts) and two bars attached to it that run down either side of the top of the robot to the flipper hinges 3/4 of the way along. At the centre of the top is a titanium electrically powered axe with a Terrorhurtz-style blade. Both weapons work at the front in this version - the flipper is fairly powerful since it is pneumatically powered (about 25 flips per fight), and while the axe isnt as powerful, it should still make a mark, particularly in vulnerable areas like wheels.
Srimech: Flipper and axe can both serve as a srimech (on their own, not together). If weapons fail in resting position, robot can run inverted. Flipper hinges and axe blade fit inside the robot and dont poke out the top, so they dont prop it up.
Tactics: Try to flip opponents, and if I cant, hammer them.
Strengths: Dual weaponry, invertable, manouverable due to skid steering
Weaknesses: Wheels vulnerable to axes, no weapons to attack from rear

Damn it, I missed it :sad:

no Dave, you did not, Steves holding spots open for Reserve Rumbles!!!:P

Sorry, guys, but the whole idea behind this tournament is to give the lesser-knowns a chance to play. While Splinters record wasnt the best, its still done well enough to win at least one Heat in its combat history and that makes it inelligable for this particular contest.

Im afraid I have a few quibbles with your entries too, Rich. I think Battle Raptor very much counts as one of your top-tier creations and Gemini not only has a very successful predecessor but that big Pinball Tournament victory.

I apologise for all the nitpicking. Im just trying to go for something a little bit different. If anyone else has an opinion on the qualifications, feel free to speak out and lets not forget those lovely stats still missing, eh? :)

While I agree with you banning Battle Raptor, I very much think Gemini is more than OK.

Gemini is very much different compared to Mace, and the fact that Geminis unique design is perfectly suited to act as a PINBALL doesnt mean its too good for this tournament IMO. Clusters never had much succes, so I think Richard should be encouraged to prove their qualities in this Outsiders Cup!:proud:

Sorry Steve, I forgot about the Pinball. And I didnt think Battle Raptor 4s predecessors would count.

In that case, Ill enter Velocirippa (S5) and Doc Ock QP.

DOC OCK QP (QUADRUPLED POWER)
A four part clusterbot that enters the arena in a square formation - Parts 1 and 2 come in forwards, joined by connectors at the sides. Parts 3 and 4 are also joined at the sides, and face backwards compared to 1 and 2. 1 and 2 are joined to 3 and 4 by connectors on the rears. The parts cannot join back together in a fight.

Weight: 100kg - each part weighs 25kg
Shape: Low skirted box
Dimensions: (for each part) 50 x 20 x 11
Speed: 20mph
Ground Clearance: 0 all around due to skirts, 3mm under skirts
Armour: 3mm titanium under 3mm polycarbonate
Wheels: 4, inside robot, stick out the top for invertability
Power: 36V battery and motors
Weapon: An electrically powered titanium lifting arm that lies inside the top of the robot, runs to the front from the centre, and at the front, slopes down to the arena floor, then runs along the floor horizontally for 5cm to help get under low robots and skirts. A part on its own can lift around 110kg, and the arm moves through 180 degrees. At the top of the sloping part is an electrically powered claw, used for gripping captured robots rather than damaging.
Srimech: Invertable. Skirts work upside down, but arm doesnt, so it will usually selfright the part if flipped.
Tactics: Get under opponents, lift and grip them, and flip them or carry them around - usually with more than one part, or all at once in a one-on-one match.
Strengths: Clusterbot, fast, decent pushing power
Weaknesses: Weight disadvantage

I think that Battle Raptor SHOULD be allowed in, as it was a previous version who made the semis.

Gemini deffinately should be allowed, as it was a previous version of the teams robots who made the semis.

What you might want to do Steve is relax the rule of previous semi-finalists arent allowed, becasue whilst its alright for realies, its a pain for vapourbots, as if all your machines have at some point made it beyond the heats, it can be a problem, and Matt and Martyn are still trying to find out what has/hasnt won a heat.

Same here. If I was to enter, I think i would have to enter something completely new, as all of my current team have gotten to at least a semi. With the possible exception of Starstorm 2, but Im not entirely sure about that either.

Yeah, I probably shouldve been clearer in the rules. The vapourbots can have a bit more leniancy than the realies. After all, vapour records are tricky things to keep track of. Just try to avoid picking one of your headliners.

CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRANTS:
1) *unknown* (Aaron)
2) *unknown*
3) A Night at the Bar (Martijn)
4) The Matador (BB5)
5) Seung Mina II (Kody)
6) Hydra (RW6)
7) Nitro-Gene (Paul)
8) Big Nipper (RW7)
9) *unknown vapourbot* (Matty F)
10) 259 (RW6)
11) *unknown vapourbot* (Martyn)
12) Fluffy (RW6)
13) Scaramanga (Alex H)
14) Supernova (RW6)
15) CRAPBAG (Craig)
16) Pinser (RW7)

RESERVE ENTRANTS:
1) Doc Ock XP (Rich)
2) Velocirippa (RW5)
3) Eternia (Leo)
4) Mantis (RW7)
5) Spring-BOK! (Chris M)
6) Devestator (RW7)

Again, apologies for the confusion and delay. Weve only got a few championship bots left to confirm though. Theres light at the end of the tunnel. :proud:

I can confirm The Deer will be representing me, i will post stats when i find them.

Am I right in thinking that Suicidal Tendersees (or however its spelt) never made it past the 3rd round and never won anything else?