The Crash & Burn Tournament 4

[kodster]

No need for the language or hints, Mark. :P

Eliminator 2
Ringwraith vs. Die-Reverta-Tops

----
From England, Ringwraith!
One ring to rule them all...but will the competition bind it?

Melissa: 2 very bad puns. I am shocked, sir.
Richard: Well that€™s not what important. What is important is the 30kg Duralumin spinning body on Ringwraith. Nice and pointy to rip into armour.
Melissa: Could you not have gotten wheel guards?
Richard: You€™ll only get my wheels if you do your job. You won€™t if I do mine.
Melissa: *cough*SewerSnake*cough*
Richard: Cough drop?
Melissa: Erm, no thank you. Good luck!

Old is new again...or rather, the veteran is new to the tournament! A Barberous-inspired design, extremely powerful with the 30mm Duralumin drum...shaped like Pussycat€™s blade. Very unusual, but effective! It€™s not going to push worth a damn here, but it does spin-up very fast and has a decent drive speed though, so hide under the covers, children!

C&B1: Didn€™t compete.
C&B2: Didn€™t compete.
C&B3: Didn€™t compete.

From Onehouse in Suffolk, Die-Reverta-Tops!
Gnashing back for a fourth shot, but will it be reverted?

Melissa: Before you ask, don€™t.
Chris: ...all right.
Melissa: Now, why have you gone for a different design? Re-Invertus looked quite above par.
Chris: Yes, well, the old Die-Ceratops was finding it hard to bring the flipper into play, so it had to get a makeover.
Melissa: And that thing is...
Chris: A roller, yes. You see, if we get flipped over, we€™ll roll out of danger, so it€™ll come in handy in tight spots.
Melissa: Innovative, indeed. Well, keep going strong.
Chris: Thanks.

The revertosaur returns after its previous tries! Good speed, 8mm titanium armour and 4 wheel drive, all good points. A sort of wide, low wedge here, and ah yes, the roller itself is powered by a Bosch motor, so it won€™t be too difficult to get away in time. Don€™t like the look of that ground clearance besides the front, though, and like all flippers, it won€™t flip forever.

C&B1: Defeated by Clawdius Decimus Murderous in Round 4.
C&B2: Smashed up at the...weaponry of Son of Ripper 5.0 in Round 3.
C&B3: Outmanoeuvred and pitted by Envy in Round 2.

Roboteers, stand by...

House robots are Hexadecimal and Damocles; we shall all enjoy the CHAOS Hex will bring to the table...

3...
2...
1...
ACTIVATE!

And it€™s a blindingly fast start by the former Finalist as Chris guns the motors and goes for the gold, slamming straight into Ringwraith right at the get-go! Unfortunately, Ringwraith had already gotten up to speed in that short of a time-frame, so this can€™t be good!

CRASH!!!

Just as predicted! Richard€™s bot flies into the air, out of the reach of Die-Reverta-Tops€™ flipper, which has a nasty scar in it already, and the revertosaur itself is knocked for a loop, amid the countless sparks littering the floor! Ringwraith€™s back on its wheels, though, and spins up that nasty drummish blade again...you can hear it whirring! Almost as if the life-force of the robot is positively brimming with energy! And it is, as Ringwraith trundles towards an incoming Die-Reverta-Tops again! Will we be amazed a second time?

CRASH!!!

The answer is a resounding YES, as the sparks erupt again and both bots are knocked away twice, Ringwraith into the air, Die-Reverta-Tops backwards, and Die-Reverta-Tops€™ flipper€™s front is not looking too good at the moment! A little more confidently, Ringwraith charges a split-second after it lands, but Die-Reverta-Tops€™ plans don€™t quite coincide with that! Like a blaring freight train it charges back-first into the pit release button and releases the pit floor...which descends into the pit! Ringwraith tries to catch up with Die-Reverta-Tops, but Chris has made his bot a bit too fast for Richard to catch, as Die-Reverta-Tops zooms away, past one of Ringwraith€™s wheels, and does an about face as Ringwraith keeps up the advance, but it€™s Chris who does the advancing now as now thrice the revertosaur barrels into the spinning blades!

CRASH!!!

Ouch, you can almost feel the waves of energy in each hit! This time, however, Die-Reverta-Tops is knocked into the air, while Ringwraith doesn€™t move at all...which is good news for Richard, who doesn€™t bother to try and hit the former Finalist, and instead drives under the falling flipper and catches the bottom of it on the now stationary drum. With all of Die-Reverta-Tops€™ wheels off the ground, it€™s party-time for Richard as he slowly moves the Die-Ceratops incarnation into Hexadecimal€™s CPZ...which ain€™t good, as Hex has lifted her upper blades, exposing the spinning lower one! With another heave, Ringwraith completes its journey towards the CPZ and Die-Reverta-Tops feels the pain!

CRASH!!!

And if Die-Reverta-Tops had a mouth, he€™d be screaming by now as the entire rear panel is taken out!!! The panel itself is barely dented, but the sheer force of that huge hit knocked the whole thing straight off! Thankfully, Die-Reverta-Tops is off the drum now and can move away...can he? ...after a pause, Die-Reverta-Tops sputters, then slowly moves out. That hit must have done more damage than we thought, and should this go to a judges decision, it€™ll earn Ringwraith some serious points -

CRASH!!!

Oh no it won€™t go to a decision! Not with hits like that! Ringwraith has smacked Die-Reverta-Tops€™ front end again, and the front of that flipper is just brutalized, brutalized, from just four hits! Ah...Die-Reverta-Tops has stopped...Chris is frantic with the controls...Ringwraith moves in again...no, wait, it goes for the rear! Is there anything Chris can do to stop it?

CRASH!!!

Not at all! The rear of the right side panel is bent up a bit, now and it€™s sent the big flipper onto its back now! Ahh...yes, the flipper is working, as Die-Reverta-Tops self-rights...but that€™s as far as you€™ll go, mate, if only your flipper is working! Now The Watcher moves in...but no, Ringwraith has cut him off!

CRASH!!!

And Die-Reverta-Tops finds himself on his back again, but again the flipper sends it back onto its wheels, but it€™s oh-so-near the pit now...Ringwraith throws itself into Die-Reverta-Tops, as The Watcher finally gets near enough to start the countdown.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

And that€™s that, as Ringwraith...can€™t really push Die-Reverta-Tops like that...or can he? The roller is...helping it...slowly...and down it goes! AHA! Ringwraith followed it, and the house robots are robbed of delight! Better luck next time, fellows!

CEASE!

Make no bones about it: Die-Reverta-Tops falls a rung lower, as the former 6th seed prays for extinction!
Ringwraith advances to Round 2!

Next up
Featherweight Melee 1
Rolling Pin FTW vs. Little Hitter vs. OverDrive vs. Bulldozer

And later
Heat B Final
Nitro-Gene 5.0 (3) vs. Ringwraith

[corsair_lightning]

I think this'll be where it ends for Ringwraith. That Duralumin shell won't survive the hazards or the house bots that Nitro-Gene can push it into. Nitro-Gene to be in the semis again, methinks.

[samuel3764]

Nitro-Gene vs Ringwraith

Wow, so hard to decide... two very good machines here, and I think it will go either way. However, just because Ringwraith is more experienced, Nitro-Gene is not seeded for nothing, so I will go for the seed to zoom through to the semi's.

Good luck to Richard and Paul.

[steven_mcg]

Oops, I still have tactics to give here!

FEATHERWEIGHTS
ELIMINATORS
Bulldozer VS Little Hitter 2 VS OverDrive VS ROLLING PIN F.T.W.

Ouch, painful draw. Target Bulldozer first and rip off that sacrificial armour. With any luck I'll put a few tears in the proper armour as well. Batter till dead, then attack whoever happens to be nearest. Stick to the sides to avoid being pushed about by OverDrive or beaten flat by Little Hitter.

As for the Heat Final, I'll go with Nitro-Gene to soar to the Semis.

[kodster]

Sheesh, am I bad at keeping tournaments running or what? :P Regardless, here be ze featherweights. :P

----

Featherweight Melee 1
Rolling Pin FTW vs. Little Hitter vs. OverDrive vs. Bulldozer

From Glasgow, Scotland, Rolling Pin FTW!
FTW? Yes! Barberous-style machine with its own spinning drum, to boot! 2WD, nippy at 15mph, and titanium armoured, but it won't push worth a damn, or be too easy to control. Still beats your Mum's dough flattener by a long shot.

From Colne in Lancashire, Little Hitter 2!
One of the scariest FWs ever! A axe that can easily dent 3mm steel, a opposite corner 2WD, titanium and polypropylene armour, powerful drive and new front forks ensure this little hitter ain't your common garden variety axebot.

From Shrewsbury in Shropshire, OverDrive!
This rambot will put you under its wheels, with its MW-pushing 4W-drivetrain, thick 7075 aluminium alloy armour, and high speed. It can't really be stranded and is quite compact; it'll be aggressive as hell, making it a force to be reckoned with.

From Onehouse in Suffolk, Bulldozer!
Looking to clear the competition away with its overvolted drill motors and 4WD. The static scoop can push bots easily and it has a decorative moving 'tail'. Strange. It mostly has sacrficial armour; possibly the shrapnel from other matches.

Featherweights? We use the Battlegrounds arena here!

Roboteers, stand by...

Guest house robots, keeping the featherweights in line, will be two of Team Zlayerz' middleweights: Xianghua III and Solstice 2.0! But of course, The Watcher is still the ref.

3...
2...
1...
ACTIVATE!

Featherweights, AWAY!
And the quickest start? All of them? Well, not Little Hitter anyway, the slowest in the heat. Rolling Pin FTW has made a beeling for Bulldozer, who's come right at it! OverDrive is in overdrive as it makes contact with the bot nearest...Bulldozer! And it's shoved out of the way as Rolling Pin FTW blows by, hitting nothing but air! Little Hitter makes its way from its spot suddenly, proving its aceleration is not to be underestimated. It heads in the direction of Bulldozer as well, but OverDrive is pushing it so fast Mark Lumb has no time to catch up with Andy, who plows Bulldozer into the wall! His tactic of trying to damage Bulldozer delayed, Steve turns to attack one of the other two...but before he can, Little Hitter attacks him, directly at the side! Not will to sacrifice the axe yet, he tries to push Rolling Pin FTW, but the axlebot turns swiftly and Little Hitter plows right into the drum!

CRASH!!

The titanium holds up well, however, and soon the drum is ground to a complete halt! Steve struggles to move away, but he can't turn back before Little Hitter drives Rolling Pin FTW straight into the arena wall! And that, unfortunately, sends Steven's FW over top of Little Hitter! Lumb looks worried as he turns his machine around to try and face Rolling Pin FTW, but by the time he has, Steve has his own machine spinning up to speed and in the middle of the arena! As Steven tries to attack, however, he is plowed aside, literally, by The Watcher, who takes a blow to the plow aside as he goes to separate OverDrive and Bulldozer. That he does with a brutal ram, well, brutal to featherweights at least, seeing as he weighs ten times more than they do. The result is that OverDrive and Bulldozer are both flung into the arena wall; luckily neither become inverted, but it leaves OverDrive in a bad position to be rammed as BullDozer is facing him! In a roar the scoop is upon OverDrive and under the 7.5mm ground clearance as BullDozer exacts some revenge and smashes OverDrive into a CPZ, where Xianghua III, acting as a guest house robot, inhabits. With a huge spurt, the Peking-born flipper explodes with force as OverDrive is, literally, launched into the air, 11kg of robot sent flying across the arena...that must have been at least 10 feet...not a good distance to land from, as OverDrive crashes down to earth with a thunderous clatter, but Bulldozer is right there with the scoop, shoving OverDrive across the arena again before it can even move...I don't think OverDrive can move after that massive collision, with the floor...and OverDrive is left on top of the arena saws, Bulldozer backs off...and BZZT! The only movement seen from OverDrive is the distance he's thrown off of the killsaws! And it's quite a distance, too! And other than that...nothing. Chris is absurdly delighted with this and goes to attack the other two robots as The Watcher barges in and begins to count out OverDrive!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

CRASH!!!

And obviously that means we've missed out! What's happened? Why, Rolling Pin FTW has schmacked Little Hitter, of course! It's flipped Little Hitter, of course, but not done too much damage! However, Bulldozer, coming off his...er, Xianghua's victory over OverDrive, crashes the party and rams into...Rolling Pin FTW! Steve can't get away again and Bulldozer pushes him towards the pit release button...but misses it by a mile! He does however keep Rolling Pin FTW against the wall and keeps him there...while Little Hitter recovers, rights itself, and comes back on the attack...on Bulldozer?! What?! It's crashed into the rear of Bulldozer and giving it huge, HUGE shots! There goes the 'paper bag'! And much more! That 4mm aluminium is completely toast! Look at that, great punches in that top armour! And now, Little Hitter's got his axe stuck inside of Bulldozer! Oh dear. He tries to pull Bulldozer away...and does so! Apparently Bulldozer's two rear wheels aren't in contact with anything with air, which is just fine by Mark Lumb! It drags Bulldozer away from Rolling Pin FTW, lest The Watcher slam into them again with a warning, and Steven's eyes flash angrily; he won't put up with that pin from Chris! Before Chris can try to pull away from Little Hitter, the drum of Rolling Pin FTW has spun-up, and with a brutal smash, smacks into the front scoop of Bulldozer!

CRASH!!!

The scoop takes the hit, but Bulldozer AND Little Hitter are both flipped by the attack! This has also freed Little Hitter's axe from Bulldozer! Little Hittler self-rights, and Bulldozer's tail wags...feebly. There's no self-righting from it, so Chris' hope is misplaced, and he watches sadly as Little Hitter rams it and puts it on top of the pit! Rolling Pin FTW gets the plan and drives towards the pit release button and connects with it, sending the inverted Bulldozer into black hell!

CEASE!

OverDrive's overblown, while Bulldozer has become deconstructed!
Rolling Pin FTW and Little Hitter advance to Round 2!

----

Next battle: Nitro-Gene 5.0 (3) vs. Ringwraith

[kodster]

A second Heat Final? Who would've thought I'd get this far? Certainly not you folks, though that's partially my fault. :P The 3rd seed's come through with flying colours, only to face the terror that is Ringwraith. The winner? It's coming to you now!

*in the pits*

Melissa: I must say, that's quite the hat you're wearing there.
Paul: Why thank you.
Melissa: Do you fear that drum?
Paul: A little bit, since I can't flip him properly, but I'll do the best I can. I came 3rd for a reason, yes?
Melissa: 4th, actually, but Shane Swan isn't taking part this time.
Paul: Well...yes...er...4th is still high, isn't it?
Melissa: Um, quite. Good luck to you. And...let's go over to...the Velociraptor table! Ah Richard, how's the repairing going?
Richard: We dislodged the killswitch a bit during last battle, so it's getting secured back on.
Melissa: All right, and are you scared about facing the 3rd seed?
Richard: Not especially. He's just another robot, which still is tough, but we'll give it a go and see what happens.
Melissa: Good! To the arena!

----

Heat B Final
Nitro-Gene 5.0 (3) vs. Ringwraith

Roboteers, stand by...

House robots: Rorschach and Asterix Anarchius

3...
2...
1...
ACTIVATE!

Activate indeed; both competitors have done just that as Nitro-Gene blasts out of his spot towards Ringwraith, who's getting its spinning body up to maximum killing potential. Unfortunately for him, it's not fast enough for Nitro-Gene, who comes straight in on the attack, and manages to avoid the drum by nailing one of the wheels with the flipper! Unfortunately for HIM, that turns the Duralumin drum right into the front of Paul's flipperbot, resulting in...

CRASH!!!

...a massive collision! And it's thrown Nitro-Gene right over onto his back amid them pretty sparks! The 3rd seed tries to move away to self-right quicker, but he's having a hard time doing that! Obviously the inverted ground clearance isn't agreeing with his wheels! Revelling in this newfound discovery, Ringwraith sits nearby, waiting for Nitro-Gene to right itself, Richard having spun up the drum again and seemingly concocting up a plan. Paul tries to get Nitro-Gene away, but try as he might, he's not going anywhere! So, with no other alternative, Paul has to activate the flipper, which sends Nitro-Gene into the air in a 540...but directly on top of Ringwraith! ...HA! Would you look at that! Nitro-Gene is stuck on Ringwraith's tire! And it can't get off! Ringwraith tries to move, but it can only turn in an arc; the pressure Nitro-Gene is exerting on that tire is a bit too much and Ringwraith can't move it! Ringwraith now tries to move in an arc to swing the drum in and attack the underbelly...but no such luck! The two robots are stuck and any moment now...bump. The Watcher moves in and nudges Nitro-Gene...sadly, that's hardly done anything as he went into the rear of Nitro-Gene, which was still on the ground. It has, however, given Ringwraith the opportunity he needs to bring the drum in closer, and...it's smacking the left side skirt repeatedly! And there it goes! A few successive hits on the skirt and it's 25 feet removed from its owner, near an angle grinder at the other end of the arena...Asterix jumps upon it! Now, now, even then you shouldn't leave your CPZ. Meanwhile, The Watcher is still trying to separate the two, as Ringwraith can't bring the drum further into play and the referee decides, finally, to move to the right side of Nitro-Gene and begin pushing...and thanks to the absence of the left skirt, Nitro-Gene's now stuck on BOTH wheels...seems the 'Gene's maximum length is larger than Ringwraith's wheelbase. The Watcher continues pushing...and unwittingly sticks his arm underneath Nitro-Gene and lifts him up overtop of Ringwraith. That's not a wise move, seeing as the drum on Ringwraith hasn't stopped!

CRASH!!!

A second later and the Watcher finds himself with a bent lifting arm! It's your fault, you bloody fool, you stuck it where the sun don't shine! But now the competitors are separated at last. Nitro-Gene, not turning to get the flipper in play, uses the rear end to push Ringwraith, who's trying to spin up his drum, across the arena. The rear skirt is hit, and is quite bent, but it stops the drum and Nitro-Gene continues pushing the axlebot into an empty CPZ. He then turns to try and flip Ringwraith OOTA but Ringwraith drives straight into him and tries to go all-terrain on his arse! Note to Ringwraith; you can't ride onto a bot using a flat side. ...well, bugger what I just said, he's just done it. Ringwraith drives right overtop of Nitro-Gene and spins around, spinning the drum towards its lethal RPM value. Nitro-Gene again rams, using its rear end, but Ringwraith backs off this time; a pursuit ensues, abruptly ended when Ringwraith stops and Nitro-Gene smashes into him!

CRASH!

And there goes the rear skirt! More sacrificial than anything, however, as Nitro-Gene takes the hit easily and pushes Ringwraith back towards...Rorschach's CPZ! The Watchman actually backs away in an arc to let Nitro-Gene smack Ringwraith into the wall and drive to the edge of the CPZ, then Rorschach forces Ringwraith against the corner and brings the beak down...well, it's not doing much to the Duralumin, really, but Nitro-Gene's gone off and hit the pit release button; the house robot, however, ignores the opened pit and tries hard to crush the drum but he's not making much headway into the task and soon after is forced to let go and let Ringwraith get away...but Nitro-Gene is right there! And with an almighty SLAM he smacks into Ringwraith, the force itself vaulting Ringwraith into the air...but thankfully the drumbot is still in the arena. Nitro-Gene has him pinned though, and...there's the flip! WHAT?! NO! Ringwraith is rocketed into the air, but OVER Nitro-Gene and landing right behind him, and getting the drum spinning again! Oh dear! What a stroke of black magic that was! And now the wraith backs off, allowing the thunderstuck Nitro-Gene to turn around and simply face him, unaware that Rorschach is trying to eject him from the CPZ. Then he charges. The flipping arm is the first thing to come into contact with Ringwraith's drum.

CRASH!!!

And thankfully it isn't too damaged, but Nitro-Gene's sent up a bit and that's allowed Ringwraith to spin up a bit more! The 3rd seed is in trouble here, but isn't out of the fight by a long shot and rams Ringwraith again...or tries to, but Ringwraith moves to the right and spins, effectively bypassing the charge and giving the flipperbot a hefty whack on the explosed left side!

CRASH!!!

Amazingly, it flips Nitro-Gene right onto his back! The side in question also has a nasty scar down the center, but Nitro-Gene activates the arm, unable to move on its back, and lands...upside-down again! The full 360 isn't quite what Paul wanted here and that leaves his poor robot exposed to another shot from Ringwraith, which Richard takes with obvious glee.

CRASH!!!

The rear takes a shot this time, Richard taking careful aim so as not to re-right Nitro-Gene, and the angled rear, deprives of its skirted protection, finds itself mangled directly on the edge! Paul doesn't want to self-right directly next to Ringwraith but he has no choice, and so flips himself off the ground again...once again landing himself into a 360, more graceful than before but still in a rotten position, and Ringwraith keeps bringing the punishment! He moves around Nitro-Gene and attacks the flipper, just as Nitro-Gene decides to flip itself again!

CRASH!

Oh...my. The self-right + hit sends Nitro-Gene, again, into a 360, from which it lands again onto its back. Ringwraith's drum hasn't stopped much during the hit and he brings it in again before the 3rd seed can even think of self-righting again!

CRASH!!!

That was a very powerful blow...so powerful, unfortunately, that it righted Nitro-Gene! And the said Nitro-Gene uses its mangled rear to back into Ringwraith and shove towards one of the Discs of Death! Oh my! Oh...no. Ringwraith's huge tires are proving very helpful here, as it is able to break the push and send Nitro-Gene flying almost into the Disc of Death itself. Paul, realizing his mistake, tries to make up for it by aggressively shooting across the arena to where Ringwraith is spinning, and just manages to catch Ringwraith before it can turn in another direction. The problem? It hit Ringwraith's tire again, which turns Ringwraith into Nitro-Gene's right side!

CRASH!!

The right side skirt, the remaining one, gets bent up, and doesn't fold back down like it should, but once again it's stalled Ringwraith's greatly feared spinning drum and Nitro-Gene is able to face and push into him before the axlebot can react. And this time, Ringwraith can't break the charge! They're heading for the wall! It's a...flop. A very disappointing performance here as Nitro-Gene flicks Ringwraith not over the fence, but straight into the wall; the latter bounces off and starts spinning again. Nitro-Gene desperately turns and moves in to ram Ringwraith, but Ringwraith's able to turn a bit to smack Nitro-Gene's right corner on an angle.

CRASH!!!

The resulting hit, once again, upends Nitro-Gene, who self-rights immediately, the 360 long forgotten as the flipper has lost enough power to right its host properly. Not that Nitro-Gene is complaning, as he rams into Ringwraith once more, and this time he stops the drum without taking any damage; quickly, he tries to turn to push Ringwraith towards the pit, but Richard isn't having any of it and as Nitro-Gene turns, Ringwraith whirls the opposite direction, leaving him at the side of Nitro-Gene. Of course, that doesn't help much since the drum isn't spinning, but it's saved him from the pit...and Paul's frustration is mounting as he tries to get some kind of attack going here. He again manages to stop the drum before it gets up to a high speed and pushes Ringwraith, but the slippery axlebot again pulls out of the charge and begins spinning again. Richard is smirking now, playing a very clever game, while Paul seems to be on the verge of erupting, as the box attempts to assault the drumbot, but can't as the drumbot pulls away. It seems monotonous, as Nitro-Gene charges, but Ringwraith, despite having his weaponry stopped, parries the thrust (en garde! ) and moves away to try and spin up again. However, this is earning Nitro-Gene big aggression points, but will it be enough? The clock is ticking down and Ringwraith sees the time for a bit more action...

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

The drum fully spun, now, Ringwraith moves in, but Nitro-Gene is right there and throws himself into it...

CRASH!!!

Both robots are thrown skyward as Nitro-Gene activates the flipper on contact; Ringwraith soars into an empty CPZ but exits it quickly' Nitro-Gene lands on its back.

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

Ringwraith drives straight towards Nitro-Gene, who tries to self-right, and just manages to do so, revealing a very bent-up flipping arm!

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

Nitro-Gene throws caution to the wind and slams into the oncoming Ringwraith, who's unable to get out of the way this time, and takes it to the wall for one hefty slam and flip...

CEASE!

AND OH NO! Ringwraith's out of the arena, too little too late though! Or maybe not! Let's see the decision, judges!

Nitro-Gene 5.0 - Ringwraith

Strategy = 1/5 - 4/5
Style = 6/10 - 4/10
Control = 4/15 - 11/15
Aggression = 12/20 - 8/20
Damage = 1/25 - 24/25

TOTAL = 24/75 - 51/75

The bronze medal is taken back right quick, as Nitro-Gene is just full of hot air!
Ringwraith advances to the Series Semi-Finals!

----

Next time on C&B4
Killotine: EVO defends his 5th seeding against STAT!
Mobile Failure locks its axe with Y5's spinning blades!
And the first Lightweight Melee greets us: Sergeant Slaughter vs. Backlash vs. Ziggo vs. Gamma Raptor!

[shadowflare]

I'm going to post a tactic before I totally forget to post any again.
I give thee -- A TACTIC!
Mobile Failure vs Y5
Attack as much as possible, dent/bust/generally damage that armour as much as I posibly can. When able, proceed to be a total jerk and cause more damage with hazards.
When able and tired of being a jerk, try to pit.
Repeat as needed.

I said it was a tactic, I never said I thought about it very hard.

[steven_mcg]

Ooh, tactics time again!

HEAT C
ELIMINATORS
1) KILLOTINE: EVO (5) VS S.T.A.T.
STAT's a powerful fellow, but I think I can exploit that large ground clearance. Plow underneath, preferably from the sides, and whack away with the axe. Either try to screw up those wheels or grapple 'n' pit the bugger ASAP.

2) Mobile Failure VS Y5
Tricky, tricky. If Mobile Failure can get a grip on Y5, I sense a win for Tracy.

Funky Heat Final as ever, Kody. Can't wait for the next round of madness.

[kodster]

And moooore fiiiights, in that same voice I just did that's overly EXCITED

Okay I'll stop. Time to find out who's bones will be ravaged in this next heat!

Heat C
Eliminator 1
Killotine: EVO (5) vs. STAT

----
From Glasgow, Scotland, seeded number 5, Killotine: EVO!
The executioner's blade hangs in the balance...but whom will it chop?

Melissa: Well done for the seeding! Can you go higher, Mr. McGregor?
Steven: Damned right I will! I've gone three tournaments in a row, ever so close but just at final hurdles! My robot's axe is longing to make some holes in armour and dreams, m'dear!
Melissa: My! A raging Scotsman! Wouldn't want to be the target of your anger, not a chance.
Steven: Ho ho, yes, be lucky it's not you.
Melissa: Any improvements on Killotine?
Steven: He's gotten pretty far up the rankings the way he is, so nope.
Melissa: Kudos to keeping faith in your old designs! Good luck.
Steven: Aye.

Largely unchanged since the first series, the axebot returns again with its Hardox armouring, skirts and front spatula, rounded rear, side semi-spheres, powerful Lynch drive, and successful CO2 axe design. A seemingly thin ram size may hinder its power, but that allows it to strike many, many times without failing. It does have only average manoeuvrability though...is the 5th seed headed for the gallows?

C&B1: Made the Heat H Final only to lose a tight judges' decision to the soon-to-be champ Salamander III
C&B2: Entered the 2nd round of the Series Semi-Finals, scrapped by Grand Finalist S.U.N.C.U.S.T. by a 45-30 JD
C&B3: Again made the Semi-Final 2nd round, this time spending the whole match being flipped all over the place by eventual silver-medallist Achilles until going over the fence.

From Pontefract, STAT!
We do wonder if that's an acronym...Melissa, give us the 'stat' breakdown, please.

Melissa: Very funny.
Joey: To whom are you speaking?
Melissa: The host.
Joey: I don't seem him around here...
Melissa: That's not the point...though your robot certainly does seem to have one.
Joey: Cheesy joke ahoy...and yes, this little ol' spike's got plenty of force behind it, provided my chainsaw engines are running at full capacity.
Melissa: Scared of facing seeds?
Joey: Nah, this seed will be planted. Yeah, witty comeback. :P
Melissa: Touche. Good luck to you!

A large box on wheels with very powerful petrol drive, able to produce massive amounts of torque at the proper geardown, and 6WD gives it ample traction to do so. The weapon is a tool steel spike which is supposed to spear opponents, driving all the force it has behind it. The armouring is mostly titanium, with polycarbonate on 'ears' at the sides and rear, and on top. It has horrendous ground clearance, though...

C&B1: Didn't compete.
C&B2: Didn't compete.
C&B3: Didn't compete.

Roboteers, stand by...

House robots: King Leer and Exa-Gore-Ic Evo...the biggest of the bunch: beware!

3...
2...
1...
ACTIVATE!

Now that's the start we like to see; both robots have WHOA! What a collision that was! Both robots came at each other, and STAT flew up over Killotine's wedge, right over top of it, as Killotine brought the axe down seconds too late, and STAT nearly hit the wall as he landed! Zoinks! STAT wheels about, to face Killotine, to find that Killotine's recovered and straight back in his face already! The axe strikes down and hits the top layered armouring of STAT, but does absolutely nothing! Whether it's the small ram size of the axe, or STAT's heavy top armouring, or both, that smack didn't affect STAT at all! STAT pushes back, and forces the axe backward as he drives up onto Killotine, but the angle is not straight and he drives straight onto the side of Killotine. Steve backs off and drags STAT with him, until STAT falls off the axebot, and then attacks again. This time, Joey is too quick. STAT backs off and Killotine flies right by him, providing STAT ample opportunity to stick its tool steel spike straight into the right side of Killotine! Ouch! Not much momentum gathered, however, and the spike simply poinks the Hardox armouring. It does, however, allow STAT to push the 5th seed around, and straight into...one of the Discs of Death! Brace yourselves, folks!

CRASH!!!

The spike made STAT push Killotine at an angle, but that was straight into the Disc, without much distance in the resultant impact! And that's left a nasty dent in the side armour there! However, again to the angle of the hit, it hasn't changed STAT's positioning much, and so without further ado, Joey shoves Steve right back into the Disc! Rather useless as the Disc of Death is temporarily stopped, but STAT's wheels keep going, as though Joey is determined to pass the spike through the armour! 'Fraid that's not going to happen, Mr. McConnell. You so do a nice job of making the arena smell like burning rubber, however. Eventually this ridiculous debacle is ended by the arrival of The Watcher, who barges in and rear-ends STAT, the spike driven down into the side skirt of Killotine. It hasn't stopped STAT pushing, his front wheels are still on the ground, so The Watcher goes the whole hog and removes STAT from the ground completely, pushing into straight on top of Killotine, the spike helping in this. Or STAT would have landed on Killotine, had the Scottish robot not fled the scene as soon as STAT's front tires were removed from the ground. STAT wards The Watcher away as he backs off towards the pit release button, but Killotine gets to him first! And absolutely plows him into the button! STAT goes flying off the wall and lands with a clatter to Killotine's side. Killotine moves away before the beleaguered rammer can take advantage, and faces him again. STAT tries to move to the side again, but Killotine again displays the manoeuvrability advantage it has, finding STAT's own side and bringing the axe down. Again, a null effect, so null in fact that Killotine cannot even get a grip on STAT with it! STAT starts pushing back again, but Killotine advances again, its axe forced back into the ready position as it dumps STAT into the empty CPZ nearby. The spike is forced against the wall and Killotine is able to hold him there until King Leer enters the CPZ...Killobite backs the hell off, and King Leer immediately cuts STAT off...or does he? Ha! STAT rode up upon the front of the house robot and away! Joey doesn't intend on being outdone in this match yet.

Realizing he's actually got a tough competitor on his hands, Steve guns the motors and charges towards STAT again, who's going too fast to try and stop and move aside, and OUCH! A lucky shot, or was Joey planning it? Either way, the spike's stuck at the axle of the, well, axe! It's also removed STAT's front and middle wheels from the ground, leaving 2 wheels for STAT to try and overcome Killotine's 4. Amazingly, Killotine is being forced back, and Steve tries to turn, but with the spike stuck in the axe shaft there, STAT is dragged in the direction Killotine turns! STAT keeps pushing, each turn from Killotine helping him push the axebot further, and eventually they reach an arena spike! Pop goes the axebot, as Killotine is punched in the belly, but the Hardox withstands, and with a 100kg rammer stuck to him, there'll be no flipping here! It pops him again, and again, until finally, the spike comes loose and Killotine backs the hell off, too relieved to be separated that he accidentally backs into King Leer's CPZ! The blades come down, but do little than annoy Steve as he shoots away from Leer and towards STAT, who drives in again, and...and...collects him onto the wedge, slamming STAT into the wall behind! A mighty slam it is too, but it does little than put greater ambition into Joey, whose bot screams towards Killotine again. Killotine guns at him, but STAT turns aside, turning straight into Killotine's side and spiking it. Again, no real damage is caused from the spike, but it allows STAT to push Killotine at an angle, and that he does. Killotine turns as well, and the two are locked in a deadly tango of sorts.

Breaking the tango is STAT, Killotine mistakingly turning about and exposing the rear end! Joey guns with all his might the engines on STAT, and Killotine is unable to turn in time as 100kg of nearly 100% metal slam into the 5th seed, sending it across the arena and OHO! Well, that's a surprise! Killotine got flipped as it was pushed over the arena spike again! ...and you know what?! This looks like it's the end of the match! Killotine appears unable to right himself! Oh, that's just terrible! It seems that we were right in assuming that the axe got damaged when STAT stuck the spike into the shaft...and now Killotine's at the mercy of...everything! STAT begins pushing Killotine, however, and it's become clear that Joey doesn't want a worthy combatant to suffer at the hands of the house robots. Killotine teeters on the edge of the pit as they come dangerously close to it, and a final shove sends the axebot down into the abyss. What an upsetting turn of events, at least for Steve!

CEASE!

Killotine: EVO gets the chopping block, and has to settle for a Round 1 clipping!
STAT advances to the Heat Final!

Next battle: Mobile Failure vs. Y5

[joey_picus]

w00t! Great fight and for once STAT functioned as planned, good work Kody and bad luck Steve