Gabriel V vs. S.O.T.A.R. v2

Gabriel V will be punting the ears and skirts today.

Roboteers, stand by...

The house robots today will be Shunt and Mr. Psycho!

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Activate!

We're off to a quick start, the deadly ring of SOTAR has reached full speed already! Gabriel V approaches quickly, but if you thought Tracy was going to sit there and let Joey crash into her, you'd be dead wrong! The durable ring spinner manoeuvres around the side of Gabriel V. Joey spins Gabriel V in an attempt to bring the nose cone to bear, but SOTAR gets in a glancing blow on the side. Due to the angle of the shot, and Gabriel's 4mm Hardox armour, it doesn't do too much, though a slight dent can be seen in the armour, but SOTAR bounces away a little bit. Of course, getting a glancing blow means that the ring has hardly stopped, and Tracy has instantly gotten her robot back up to speed! Joey is again there with the nose, but SOTAR goes the other way this time and gets in a better shot with the lower blade, this time making a bigger dent in the shell, though it is still at this point little more than superficial damage. SOTAR bounces back a bit further. Gabriel rushes in now with the nose cone, and takes a glancing blow on the cone. Around 85kJ isn't enough to really make a mark on 10mm steel let alone it being another angled shot, but SOTAR has again hardly spun down. Gabriel simply runs the cone into SOTAR's spinning ring again. Again the lower blade scarves up the cone but does little other than creating some nice sparks. The problem is that SOTAR is bouncing a bit back out of trouble every time it takes a shot on Gabriel and instantly spins back up in the miniscule time frame Gabriel rams it again, so Joey just goes in again, and SOTAR gets a major shot on the cone! Major sparks, but there's again little done to that well-armoured snout! SOTAR however has bounced quite a bit, and is not spinning now! Gabriel moves in to take advantage, but SOTAR shows that it has quite the drivetrain too and slips away before Gabriel can stick its nose into other robots' business! Gabriel isn't beaten in manoeuvrability though, and proves this by neatly sliding around using its 2 wheel drive to get right pointed at SOTAR again. However, SOTAR simply dodges Gabriel's attack! And to make matters worse, the stalled ring is stalled no longer - it's whirling about again in a freakish blur!

Joey McConnell and Gabriel V go back to trying to catch Tracy Farber and SOTAR v2, but the Canadian spinner is proving as wily as ever, managing to JUST slip by the cone and give a glancing blow to the Hardox shell, denting that particular spot slightly. Tracy seems very worried that her attacks are not doing much to the Pontefractian flipper, but keeps with the assault. Likewise, Joey is showing concern with Gabriel V unable to properly get a good hold on the match at all. So far it has been nothing but SOTAR giving Gabriel blow after blow. And again, as Tracy gets another one over Joey and places another deflected blow on the shell. This time, however, Joey turns Gabriel V enough so that SOTAR manages to catch the nose cone at the same time. SOTAR hits one of the tool steel spikes directly, and this hit is absolutely monumental! A huge shower of sparks is given off and Gabriel is spun around, while SOTAR goes flying across the arena, and right into the arena wall! There is quite a bit of applause at this, but Tracy knows she can't sit back to admire her handywork as Gabriel is one tough nut; this is shown to be quite true as Gabriel turns right back towards the ring spinner with little damage done to the spike, possibly a slight bend maybe, and charges SOTAR! SOTAR isn't spinning again, and Tracy tries to get SOTAR away from the wall! Unfortunately, Joey takes control for the first time in this match as the nose cone wedges SOTAR and halts the offense of the Canadian spinner! He's not able to get full control though; if he tried to turn towards the pit, SOTAR would fall completely off and get away. Joey curses under his breath and resigns himself to simply taking SOTAR along the wall and right into a CPZ. Shunt is there waiting and gives SOTAR a healthy smack from the diamond-edged axe. There's naught that the axe can do, though, as 5mm of titanium/vanadium alloy would verily stand up to that just fine. Shunt decides to opt for another tactic and lifts the bucket scoop slightly, throwing SOTAR directly onto the front edge of Gabriel, almost directly on top of the flipper! SOTAR balances for the tiniest space of time, then falls off to the side of Gabriel before the flipper can be activated. She's just slightly wedged though and cannot go anywhere! Gabriel tries to turn and keep SOTAR on the sloped side, but in turning forces SOTAR off the side and completely onto her wheels! Instantly, the ring is spinning back up and Tracy repays Joey for that attack by giving Gabriel another blow to the side!

Gabriel shrugs it off as yet again it was a glancing blow, but it's obvious that Gabriel is showing signs of external damage. There are quite a few marks on that side now, and that will definitely count against him in a judges decision. Joey is confident that Gabriel works fine internally, though, and ploughs on. He manages to get the nose cone in on SOTAR again, but SOTAR is deflected off of it by another glancing shot. I must say, the cone works great as a damage sponge, but it's not slowing SOTAR down any. Tracy tries to move around to the side again, but Joey is now stonewalling any attempt to get by the nose cone using his superior mobility - the cone takes another glancing shot (like a champ, I might add) and SOTAR pings away! SOTAR comes dangerously close to the arena saws, but happily manages to avoid them. The hazard has distracted Tracy somewhat though because Gabriel comes in without warning and nudges the spinner, taking another frontal deflection for his trouble. SOTAR shoots away, this time more like a hockey puck than anything, and sadly is unable to avoid the arena SPIKE. SOTAR gets a shot below the belt, as it were, and is flipped! Gabriel moves in quickly, taking advantage of a bad situation and gets SOTAR completely wedged on the nose cone. Tracy tries spinning up the ring, but the lower tooth is dragging on the arena floor, so no spinning up for you! Joey gets what he wanted - the pit release button. He shoves SOTAR into it, and that all-too-familiar siren we all know and dread sounds in the arena, signalling the lowering of that damned pit! Joey's action has more consequences than that, though, as SOTAR once again slides off the side of Gabriel! But with a nifty bit of driving, Gabriel j-hooks backwards and has his rear end nearly pressing into SOTAR, forcing Tracy to try and escape along the wall! SOTAR tries to squeeze by Gabriel and the pit release, but out of nowhere, seemingly, comes a nice thwack by one of the spikes, trapping SOTAR! What a brilliant strategy by Joey! SOTAR simply cannot escape and Gabriel presses further into SOTAR, wedging it onto the nose cone again! The bad news is that he's got SOTAR facing the wall again and has to settle for pushing SOTAR again into a CPZ!

Joey thus gets SOTAR into an empty CPZ, and Shunt scoots across the arena while Mr. Psycho does his long trundle. Shunt enters the CPZ, and Gabriel backs off, just enough for Shunt to come in and scoop up SOTAR. Shunt's axe is perfectly lined up with SOTAR's tyres and Shunt takes the bait, dropping the axe into one of the tyres! And there is a great puncture! Well, that's not good! Tracy winces heavily as Shunt lifts the axe, and SOTAR is lifted with it before the axe head separates from the tyre, dropping SOTAR back down. Shunt now backs off, having had its fun, and SOTAR leaves the CPZ. However, its mobility must clearly have been weakened from that, I daresay! Gabriel is right after SOTAR, but it seems SOTAR is moving around fine because she gets in another shot at Gabriel's side! Due to all the denting up beforehand, SOTAR now gets a major shot in and makes a major dent in the Hardox. The audience holler at this, for they can clearly see the damage! Gabriel is spun away again, and nearly into the pit he opened, while SOTAR ricochets away, but not too far due to its 4 wheel drive. SOTAR spins right back up as if nothing happened, but Gabriel is right back on the warpath! SOTAR is unable to react quick enough, but deflects up the cone into one of the tool steel spikes and we have another major hit! SOTAR pings across the arena while Gabriel is violently spun around. After that we can see the said spike is completely gone! The sheer force was enough to rip it right out from its supports! The spike itself is completely unharmed, but laying some 35 feet away! Joey is none too pleased about this and moves Gabriel back towards SOTAR...to find the spinner coming right at him! Tracy veers off to the side though and lays another smack into the side, but again it's only a glancing blow. Still, Gabriel's 4mm Hardox shell is taking a beating from these repeated smacks! The Team Picus flipper moves back towards SOTAR, but SOTAR just does not want to co-operate with Gabriel's plans and keeps making for the sides! Thanks to its drivetrain SOTAR is relatively agile for a ring spinner, but Gabriel is no slouch and is doing all it can.

And Gabriel sees SOTAR miss its side chance and settle for a frontal attack, nicking the nose cone. Only this time the resultant deflection has SOTAR bounce nearly terminal, hit the arena floor while still spinning and dig into the floor with its bottom tooth! With a rather nasty CRASH, SOTAR goes pinballing away and Gabriel chases after it! SOTAR stops just short of the flame pit and luckily misses out on being fried sunny-side-up! She's definitely not spinning though, and Gabriel makes the matter worse, and screams into it with the nose cone! It shoves SOTAR about and tries to turn to get it in line with the pit, but SOTAR teeters onto the spikeless side of the nose cone. Seeing an opportunity nonetheless, Joey spins Gabriel on one wheel about into nearly a 360, keeping SOTAR just that bit wedged, and manages to get in line with the pit!! Tracy is now panicked and tries to get SOTAR's ring spinning but it's a no-go! However, as Gabriel moves forward, SOTAR slides back up the side of the wedge a bit! Joey isn't liking this and tries slowly moving over towards the pit, hoping that SOTAR won't get dislodged. Inch by inch they get closer to the pit. Then suddenly SOTAR's currently-static bottom blade catches the arena floor, moving SOTAR further back along the side of Gabriel! Joey groans, but tries again. He spins Gabriel again on one wheel into almost a 360, making sure that SOTAR is still wedged, and now kind of has SOTAR in line with the pit. It is now clear to Tracy what Joey's plan is; once they get close enough to the side of the pit, Gabriel will shake SOTAR off his sloped side and SOTAR will fall into the pit! The problem is, SOTAR is rapidly slipping off the side of Gabriel! Abandoning all pretence, Joey guns it towards the side of the pit, but fortune does not ride shotgun with Team Picus today - SOTAR falls off the side JUST as Gabriel is inches from the edge of the pit and gets her wheels back on solid ground! Elated with relief, Tracy moves SOTAR away to spin her spinning ring to maximum deadly speeds!

The captain of Team Picus is enraged thus, and turns to charge down the Canadian spinner! We have returned yet again to square one as Tracy dodges past a Gabriel charge and smacks the same side of the yellow 'bot for yet another minisucle dent in the side, not doing internal damage but scoring many points for that alone! SOTAR is deflected away again though and Gabriel rampages towards it, only to get a nose cone blow for its efforts as SOTAR simply spun up too fast. Of course, this sends SOTAR away again but SOTAR keeps spinning. Gabriel keeps the assault up, but can't stave SOTAR away completely and takes another side shot; SOTAR catching the major dent it made before and now finally a small tear can be espied in the shell of Gabriel! SOTAR is launched away like a frisbee by its own recoil and Gabriel is twirled about like a bedraggled rat! SOTAR is moving in for yet another attack - Gabriel simply cannot permanently halt SOTAR's spinning ring! He does manage to get in the way of SOTAR's plans though and shoves his nose into that lower blade, sending SOTAR bounding into the air somewhat. SOTAR bounces over the arena saws and unfortunately they are not so kind and send SOTAR back towards Gabriel. SOTAR however by-passes Gabriel as Joey tries to wedge her, and moves to spin up! Gabriel is after her like white on rice and manages to catch up, taking another deflected nose shot and bounding SOTAR into the arena wall, and right into Mr. Psycho's CPZ! Not a good place to be Miss Farber! Mr. Psycho brings that massive, massive hammer down on SOTAR before the uber-spinner can escape - or attempt to, but Gabriel is too quick and is able to wedge SOTAR again, but only into the house robot! Gabriel doesn't have the best of choices to go to, now - he can't turn towards the pit with Mr. Psycho in the way. So he contents himself with letting Mr. Psycho hammer away onto the armourment of SOTAR... that's not too good, that could cause some real external damage!

10...9...8...7...

Oh my! Is it near the end already?! Another knock from Psycho knocks SOTAR off of Gabriel. SOTAR tries to spin up and move away but Gabriel is on her case too quickly!

6...5...4...

Gabriel gets the nose cone directly underneath SOTAR and high-centers the Team Alt spinner. SOTAR starts to once again fall off to the side though.

3...2...1...

Gabriel once again makes a run for the pit! This time SOTAR is pinioned by the remaining spike!!!

Cease!

OH WOW!!! That was a rather haphazard move! Gabriel actually threw itself down the pit first!!! That would have ended badly if that had been on time! But Gabriel survives to the judges decision!

And speaking of which...

Gabriel V - S.O.T.A.R. v2

Strategy = 5/5 - 0/5 (Gabriel's strategies may have only worked somewhat, but it worked. SOTAR had hardly any plan and only had one mundane strategy, which sometimes failed. Gabriel gets full marks)
Style = 2/10 - 8/10 (SOTAR's creation of all those sparks was sure impressive. Gabriel gets some points for its constant method of attack though, which was somewhat stylish)
Control = 8/15 - 7/15 (Fairly even. Gabriel edges it though because it was both in control for slightly more of the fight, and seemed slightly better controlled in drive)
Aggression = 14/20 - 6/20 (easily Gabriel. Gabriel constantly dogged SOTAR around the arena. SOTAR however keeps the points respectable for aggressively and successfully attacking Gabriel's sides throughout the match)
Damage = 3/25 - 22/25 (SOTAR trumps this category. It caused quite a bit of external damage to Gabriel and even completely ripped off a spike. Some points go to Gabriel however when he got SOTAR into the CPZ and Shunt punctured SOTAR's tyre)

TOTAL = 32/75 - 43/75

Gabriel V gets ousted by the tempest that is S.O.T.A.R. v2! She advances to the Final!