Are you ready for more metal-munching carnage here on Mechanical Maelstrom: Annihilation? Well get ready, as round 4 is about to get underway!

From Pontefract in West Yorkshire, representing Team Picus, Nidhogg Cubed!

From Patricia in Canada, representing Team Alt, SOTAR!

From Etobicoke in Canada, representing Team Zlayerz, Wedginator 9.0!

Roboteers, standby!

Booth Red: Team Picus
Booth Blue: Team Zlayerz, Team Alt

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

The 4th match of this annihilator gets underway and the remaining three machines are all looking pretty worn out from the previous fights, having taken heaps of damage along the way to reach this stage. However, there are 2 battles before they can happily have reached the finals and receive full repairs, so there€™s no relaxing just yet. SOTAR appears to have the most destructive weaponry again as that proven deadly spinning ring gets up to full speed while Nidhogg also has a very damaging weapon in that overhead hydraulic crusher that can work in unison with the lifting forks in a clamping weapon synergy like that of Complete Control. Wedginator 9.0 has been the aggressor in previous rounds, but we still haven€™t seen that spike in action, but Kody has told us in the pits that it is working. No need to worry though, it is doing fine on lifting arms and pushing power so far! However in this match it is Nidhogg Cubed that makes the first move, heading towards Wedginator 9.0, eager to cause damage. These two were sparring partners in the last round and Nidhogg certainly came off worse, so perhaps Joey is looking for revenge now or maybe just trying to remove the machine that poses a bigger threat against him?

Wedginator certainly does pose a threat as it runs forward to meet Nidhogg and the two collide head on, Wedginator managing to get under Nidhogg at the front and Kody uses the lifting arms to lever Nidhogg up and over onto its back! SOTAR comes in with the ring spinning trying to take advantage of this and slams into Nidhogg as it rolls over, sending Team Picus€™ machine spinning away across the arena floor with a sizeable gash in the side armour! Nidhogg however is undaunted and drives on the attack of SOTAR while the ring isn€™t spinning and lifts up the side of Tracy€™s machine with its forks, pushing the cylindrical machine against the barrier and crushing down with the beak onto the top of SOTAR, sinking the claw-like weapon through the aluminium top armour of SOTAR like a knife through hot butter and Nidhogg keeps this vice-like grip as it reverses back across the arena towards the pit release button, but the backwards movement is intercepted by Wedginator 9.0, who drives under the side of Nidhogg Cubed, who still has SOTAR in tow and rams the pair of them into the arena side wall before pushing them into the corner and onto the killsaws!

The saws rise up out of the floor and with a smattering of sparks Nidhogg Cubed is bounced up on its front corner, but the extra weight of having SOTAR on board causes it to fall back onto its wheels straight away, if only those wheels were on the ground! They are now actually on Wedginator 9.0, who drove underneath Nidhogg on its descent to the floor and now has the pair of its opponents wedged against the side wall, lifting them now and for the first time in the competition firing the pneumatic spike, penetrating the aluminium base armour of Nidhogg Cubed and digging that spike into the workings of the hydraulically driven machine! With Nidhogg impaled in this manner, still clinging tightly to SOTAR Wedginator 9.0 is the only robot in the arena free to move and with Nidhogg not going anywhere fast Kody prepares to end this match! With skilful driving ability and excellent control Wedginator 9.0 begins to manoeuvre towards the pit, but with 200kg suspended on its spike it simply can€™t handle the pressure and the three robot embrace tumbles onto its side, leaving all three machines still conjoined on the arena floor, unable to move even if SOTAR and Nidhogg Cubed are still working!

CEASE!

With all 3 robots immobilised this match must go to the judges.

Judge€™s Decision:

Damage:
Nidhogg Cubed ~ 4.7 x 1 = 4.7pts
SOTAR ~ 4.3 x 1 = 4.3pts
Wedginator 9.0 ~ 4.1 x 1 = 4.1pts

Aggression:
Nidhogg Cubed ~ 4.5 x 0.75 ~ 3.375pts
SOTAR ~ 4 x 0.75 = 3pts
Wedginator 9.0 ~ 4.6 x 0.75 = 3.45pts

Control:
Nidhogg Cubed ~ 4 x 0.5 = 2pts
SOTAR ~ 2 x 0.5 = 1pt
Wedginator 9.0 ~ 3.9 x 0.5 = 1.95pts

Dominance:
Nidhogg Cubed ~ 3 x 0.25 = 0.75pts
SOTAR ~ 2 x 0.75 = 1.5pts
Wedginator 9.0 ~ 3.5 x 0.25 = 0.875pts

Overall:
Nidhogg Cubed ~ 4.7 + 3.375 + 2 + 0.75 = 10.825pts =
SOTAR ~ 4.3 + 3 + 1 + 1.5 = 9.8pts
Wedginator 9.0 ~ 4.1 + 3.45 + 1.95 + 0.875 = 10.375pts

All three robots managed very high scores in this match, but the control and dominance shown by Nidhogg Cubed and Wedginator 9.0 is enough to see them through to the Annihilator 1 Final! We say goodbye to SOTAR at this stage, but this isn€™t the last of Team Alt, they€™ll be back with Bloody Frigid in the next annihilator!

Battle Board:
Wedga Triton [#4] vs. Nidhogg Cubed vs. SOTAR vs. Orka RV vs. Wedginator 9.0 vs. Mornington Crescent