Heat 8 - Heat Final - Archangel of the Abyss (31) v NSBFR-X

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Activate!

And the last heat final in this half of the draw is under way. Immediately its NSBFR-X using his solid hardox scoop that makes the quicker start who flies across into Archangel of the Abyss who has barely had time to move away and get his flywheel up to speed. Just like the last fight, Archangels top ring is absolutely no use whatsoever against a wedge shape, whilst the bottom ring has no time to get up to speed, meaning that Frank is able to get his machine to box rush the number 31 seeds straight into the wall, the impact managing to get him underneath the Tengu-style foam skirt on the Archangel. Frank tries to turn away to keep Alexs machine on the wedge, but soon realises hes not got room to turn himself and the walker around and so has to back off. Archangel uses the opportunity to rush out of the genereal side area of the arena and manages to get the shell slightly more up to speed before Frank comes at him again, this time contact with the hardox scoop making light sparks, but other than being spun away Frank emerges from the attack unscathed.

Alex uses the opportunity to start twirling aroundand getting the bottom shell up to speed, and this time when Frank tries to box rush him again, he has time to dodge the attack and go straight down the side, very reminiscent of his last fight, however this time the damage is far more evident as he immediately leaves a huge gash down almost the entire length of NSBFR-Xs side panel. Frank seems to immediately have been made a little sheepish by this attack and goes more defensive in his approach, running across the arena, first turning on the arena spinner, before running to the other side of the arena and slamming into the pit release button as well, seemingly believing hazards are his best chance of defeating the number 31 seeds. This has given Alex all the time he needs to get his 2 shells, with a combined mass of over 50kg up to full speed though, and he charges towards NSBFR-X as NSBFR-X charges back directly at him with the scoop facing. The 2 robots collide and after a loud smack, NSBFR-X is sent spinning off with a slight dent to the hardox scoops side.

However the impact seems to have done very little to slow the weapon down and before NSBFR-X has even regained its sense of direction Alex is back on his tail again, this time slamming into the the back corner, sending the vertex of the robot inwards. A gash has appeared but the damage is more indicative of a sledgehammer rather than a spinning ring. And immediately it seems in this single attack on the 5mm titanium, Archangel of the Abyss has wrecked any chances that Frank had of winning the fight as when Archangel backs off for a second, Frank tries to steer and it immediately appears that the slam has thrown off wheel alignment altogether as he can only go in circles. It turns out later that that sigle attack has bent the axle slighty upwards and so only one wheel is touching the floor.

Frank continues to try and drive on with only one wheel on his wagon, but Archangel of the Abyss just bides him time. Alex has an almost sadistic grin appearing on his face, as he edges ever closer to the uni-directional NSBFR-X, seemingly waiting for an opporunity to come in on the kill altogether. Realising that one attack on the back corner was enough to take out a wheel, hes aiming for the other, again trying to negate the skirts as its the angle that he can get to them from when theyre mounted to the rounded sides. One attack is all it takes though as timing his charge (cmon walkers dont charge :P) he makes contact with the rear edge and goes straight through the 5mm titanium once again, pushing part of the back and part of the rounded side in on itself. This time the damage is noticeable as the wheel jolts forward and digs into the metal around the edge of the slot in the top that makes it invertible. 2 good shots are all its taken for Archangel to dispose of Franks machine, however the house robots are yet to have their fun.

Dead Metal comes out and immediately starts digging the saw in, whilst Shunt hammers away with little effect on top of the wheels. Eventually they have enough of disembowlling the carcass and so instead decide to nudge him onto the arena flipper. The flipper fires and NSBFR-X goes sawing through the air. Dead Metal catches up with him and decides that eough is enough, that NSBFR-X is well and truly dead, and due for his burial, so as he closes him in the jaws, he gives him a nudge forwards and pushes once, twice, and into the pit of oblivion and out of the competition.

CEASE

NSBFR-X makes it obvious why theres ex in his name. Archangel of the Abyss rises into the series semi-finals.

And so were half way there! Lets remember our 8 semi-finalists to date as these are the 8 machines that will be fighting it out in the first semi-final

Shovearound 2 (1)
Whirligig (5)
GeForce (19)
SoR (25)
Back To Rock (27)
The Epidemic (29)
Archangel of the Abyss (31)
Kan Opener (Unseeded)

So will the precedent of the lower seeded robot going through from the ehat continue in the second half of the draw? Well next up we have round 2 of heat 9, so lets reminds ourselves of the draw.

Translator v Shadow Zone
Y4 v Nitro-gene

Thoughts, Tactics, Predictions, Kleenex?