Wedga Ennea vs. S.O.T.A.R. v2

From Shrewsbury in Shropshire...Wedga Ennea!

A flipping fiend in the form of an angled box wedge with the flipper extending from a top extrusion to past the front wedge...the said flipper will you of Iron Awe 5's, if you've ever fought IA5 before. 4WD driven off 2 A28-400 Ampflow motors, and thick Ti/V armour spell out of the rest of the package.

From Brooks in Canada...S.O.T.A.R. v2!

This vicious ring spinner has a 15mm Ti/V spinning ring (on which are two teeth, one on the bottom and one on top) putting out 1000rpm and 85.4kJ in well under a second. Its 4 wheel drivetrain has the exact same overvolted PERM PMG 080 motors powering the spinning ring so it can reach its 12mph top speed fairly quickly.

Roboteers, stand by...

Our house robots today are Matilda and Dead Metal.

3...
2...
1...
Activate!

Wedga Ennea already traverses the length of the arena in a heartbeat, but it isn't enough to stop SOTAR from achieving its full spinning speed and barely a second in, we get our first massive hit of the tournament as Wedga Ennea is spun away with a relatively small dent on the side of the flipper and SOTAR is flung several inches, but recovering well due to the 4WD. The Ti/V is holding up well on Wedga, so Andy decides to go back in. However SOTAR is back at full speed and actually seems to be outdoing Wedga in terms of drivetrain here, the PERMs aiding in that. Wedga seems to be wanting to go straight into the direction of SOTAR's spinning blades, when the massive spinner goes well around and Andy can't turn fast enough! Another massive collision and both Wedga and SOTAR are flung away, SOTAR getting more bite in its second attack. But again, Wedga is showing its exterior resilience to SOTAR's weaponry. Despite SOTAR spinning up again, Wedga simply charges it down again and this time he manages to strike SOTAR dead-on! The flipper takes a scuffing but it has the effect Andy wanted and SOTAR stops spinning, completely wedged! Rather than miss a failed OOTA attempt, Wedga pays a 'hello' visit to Matilda's CPZ, and without any mercy slams SOTAR into the house robot! Of course there would have been greater effect had Matilda had her rear into play, but it was the tusks that got the ring! And it's now that Wedga activates the flipper, for the first time, catapulting SOTAR on top of Matilda, and now the flywheel of Matilda hits SOTAR...on its baseplate! Tracy winces as the 5mm Ti/V is struck, but like Wedga the damage seems to be minimal, at best. Wedga backs away from the CPZ and leaves Matilda to deal with its opponent...instead going to the pit release button and smacking into it, opening the pit!

Matilda meanwhile is still trying to get a good hold on SOTAR, having turned around to use the tusks, but the spinner managed to spin up slightly and knock itself away from the wall...Matilda has SOTAR perched precariously on the tusks...with this fragile hold, Matilda attempts to take SOTAR to the saws nearby, but finally SOTAR falls off to the side of Matilda, Tracy not happy with all that wasted time...wasted! Suddenly in comes Wedga again, having opened the pit, and before SOTAR can do a single thing has tossed it onto the arena wall! But now Matilda is in the way, and underneath Wedga's flipper with the tusks, and so shoves Wedga backwards. Not to be outdone by a house robot, Wedga pushes back with its Ampflow motors. Matilda tries to lift, but only lifts Wedga's flipper. And this results in Wedga slowly shunting Matilda towards the wall, just on the edge of the CPZ. It's here that Dead Metal makes its presence known, as it crashes into Wedga and pushes it back into SOTAR, who is still stuck on the wall. With the flipper raised, Dead Metal has got a good hold on Wedga and slowly begins to saw through the Ti/V...slowly, I say, because the saw, while creating many sparks, is not doing a damn thing at all! Now Matilda goes in with the flywheel and...tries to avoid Dead Metal's claw since it was in the way. Instead, she has another go at SOTAR and smacks directly into the spinning ring! SOTAR is knocked into the corner of the CPZ and to Dead Metal's left side, the latter now fully blocking Matilda's path to. But not for long; Dead Metal takes Wedga off to the arena kill saws and...is being forcibly detoured by the Shrewsbury robot's drivetrain! Dead Metal tries to keep a good hold on Wedga, but it's slowly slipping, as Wedga fights furiously to free itself. And a deafening CRASH later we see that Matilda has once again nailed SOTAR and JUST BARELY NEARLY got it out, but it rolled off the arena railings and fell back in, now on its wheels!

A vicious jerk sees Wedga escape the jaws of Dead Metal and turn directly back to the CPZ. There is a problem in the Team Alt camp though, as SOTAR is not spinning. Wedga now plows into the spinner; he gets SOTAR on an angle, but turns to get her fully wedged, and then tries for the OOTA attempt...and fails, because the flip was too early! SOTAR crashes against the wall of the CPZ, but now Dead Metal comes thundering back and clamps onto Wedga again from the back. This time, because of Wedga's angled sides, Dead Metal isn't able to get much purchase. Wedga again tries to OOTA SOTAR, but merely tosses SOTAR to the side...while Matilda has been waiting and tusks SOTAR up, and delivers it to the arena saws! They slash the 4WD of SOTAR and there is another wincing from Tracy. Meanwhile Andy and Wedga have freed themselves again from Dead Metal and now get back on SOTAR's case with a brutal ram, but forget the saws are there and take a slashing themselves! Hmm...? Ah! SOTAR has begun to spin up again! It seems the problem was only temporary and now it truly is back at full speed! No problem for Wedga though as it careens straight into SOTAR and sends it flying into the air like tossing pizza dough on a Friday night! Wedga gets in another flip while SOTAR is winded and this time it's quite near the pit! SOTAR fights to get away but Wedga fights to get it in! The end result pleases neither of them, really; SOTAR is wedged on the other side of Wedga's flipper, away from the pit. Not to be put off, Wedga flies to the wall and tries its 3rd OOTA attempt, and SOTAR bounces off the railing...and back in! That pesky ring spinner just will not go down! And now it's begun to spin back up again! A teeth-gnashing Andy drives at SOTAR again, but Tracy gets out of the charge quick enough to give Wedga a massive smack on the side, sending both robots away!

Wedga comes back in, but it's now evident that the blows are damaging Wedga...internally! He's slowed down a bit. Most observant of this is Tracy, who now gleefully begins to spin her machine up! Wedga is still crafty enough to get SOTAR to directly hit the flipper again, and SOTAR goes straight up it! Another toss sends SOTAR straight into the claws of Dead Metal! Dead Metal easily fits his pincers around SOTAR's cylindrical frame and begins to saw away...and I fear he may break that saw, because sparks are flying but robots aren't dying yet! Wedga patiently waits for Dead Metal to finish whatever it's doing...and the damage from Dead Metal is laughable...there's barely any damage visible from that attack...or from any of Matilda's for that matter! Dead Metal releases SOTAR wistfully, but Wedga is right there with another flip, tossing SOTAR on top of Dead Metal, but it falls off to the side. Wedga moves to get around Dead Metal, but the house robot shoves him away, and SOTAR begins to spin up again! Hastily Wedga tries to chase after it, however Tracy moves straight at Wedga, and then moves off to the side, striking the flipper's side again and sending them both away for the umpteenth time. Wedga fights on, but it doesn't look like he's controlling SOTAR as good as before and SOTAR gets another shot in, directly on the side, sending them both away again! Wedga is still mobile, but another sudden hit from SOTAR smacks Wedga away - WHOA! Wedga nearly goes down the pit! But no, Wedga drives away from the pit and right back into the spinning SOTAR, who got too confident and drove straight back into the flipper! Finding itself wedged, SOTAR tries unsuccessfully to free itself, and Wedga tries to get it to the arena wall and out...what happens is Wedga fires the flipper too early again, but SOTAR gets stuck along the wall and rolls along it for a short distance.

Determined to end this fight once and for all, Wedga gets right behind SOTAR and lets loose another massive CO2 snort, merely sending SOTAR terminal though. iIt bounces of Wedga's flipper and onto the backside...still beached! Wedga sees where this is going and backs across the arena...towards the pit again! But SOTAR again manages to evade defeat by rolling off to the side. Wedga is right there with the flipper, but the subsequent toss given is noticeably weaker than before. Still, it fazes SOTAR long enough for Wedga to take control again, and he takes SOTAR to the wall, but again fails to deliver and SOTAR escapes to the side! Now truly out of danger and seething, Tracy spins SOTAR's ring up and delivers a monstrous blow to the side of Wedga, circling around to deliver it as Wedga was turning around himself, and again!!! It's SOTAR who nearly throws itself down the pit this time! But Tracy breathes a sigh of relief, and sets back to finish Wedga...off? What's this? It doesn't seem like Wedga is moving! Uh...up goes the flipper, so the weaponry is working...and the armour is barely damaged...but the drivetrain is unresponsive! All those hits from SOTAR must have knocked something loose...it looks like we have a winner! The Refbot comes in to count out a brave competitor.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

And as Refbot finishes the countdown, a horrifying CRASH!!! draws our attention - SOTAR has attacked Matilda! The fibreglass shell has been all but destroyed, the flywheel grinding to a halt! Dead Metal is furious at this rebellious behaviour, but is too late to do anything as another devastating slash tears deep into Matilda's side, surely immobilizing the house robot this time! Dead Metal tackles SOTAR and clamps in, using the saw with reckless abandon...but it's SOTAR who's winning the pushing battle, amazingly! Dead Metal lets go, which may be a major mistake as SOTAR spins up again, and now heads directly for Dead Metal himself! The silver scorpion meets SOTAR head-on, and then thoroughly wishes it hadn't as Dead Metal parts fly across the arena! SOTAR goes for another onslaught, but...

Cease!

Wedga Ennea, Matilda, AND Dead Metal felt the wrath of S.O.T.A.R. v2, who moves on to Round 2!