Gotta say, the second round was a no brainer given that Kuratas was outmassed by a factor of 2.5.
Really should have been one of those things that they agreed on in advance.
Nah, mass means a lot in motion, but Kuratas was able to stop Megabot, and once it's stopped mass just means it's much harder to get moving again. Which is why they were stuck. And that first match ended in a draw.
All of Kuratas offensive ability relied on it being able to out muscle a comparable weighted bot, against one that was more then twice it's mass it effectivly had nothing.
Kuratas was not based around out muscling the opponent. The big arm is big because mass adds to impact and it needed mass on it's punching arm to do any damage. Mass doesn't equal muscle, but it adds to impact.
Megabot had way more exposed hydraulics and Kuratas had two articulated hands. The only reason Kuratas wasn't tearing out cables is because Megabot shot off it's fingers with a point blank paint cannonball.
The only thing that bugged me about RCL was that the winning team got their entirely on the inherent defense of their bot, while teams which were able to consistently wreak havoc didn't get that far.
The only thing that bugged me about RCL was that the winning team got their entirely on the inherent defense of their bot, while teams which were able to consistently wreak havoc didn't get that far.
That was the problem with battlebots for a while. Sure, you can vaporize 90% of your opponents, but the other 10% are blocks of titanium with wheels that will just bump into you for a while and win on points.
The two seasons on ABC they seemed to have gotten to a sweet spot where aggression without real damage wouldn't be so badly discounted against a passive defense.
The Science channel might pick it up, they've been running re-runs of the first two seasons and I think they were going to see how it did ratings-wise.
I tried watching this but even skipping around the video it seems to be 99% talking heads and 1% motionless robots. Is there a version edited down to the 2 seconds of action?
This marks a new era in combat robotics, as the Eastern competitors join the old hands in the West. Until now, China, India, and Russia have operated in isolation from the UK, US, and South America in combat robotics; I'm eager to see what they can bring to the table.
This marks a new era in combat robotics, as the Eastern competitors join the old hands in the West. Until now, China, India, and Russia have operated in isolation from the UK, US, and South America in combat robotics; I'm eager to see what they can bring to the table.
Those came out last year, I first saw them shortly after Season 2 ended. Nobdy except Target seems to carry them, even though theyre made by Hexbug and those are everywhere.
Yeah, those apparently sell well enough but I think Hexbug was holding off on a bigger roll-out until the future of the show was better set in stone. Apparently Whalerock is actively working on a new season behind the scenes but there's no sign right now when it would take place. As I mentioned before, it's probably going to be on the Science Channel if it happens.
it's not clear if it's gonna be another tournament or a bunch of exposition matches?
who cares watch the bots smash!
e:
From /r/battlebots:
The format of this season is different - everyone first fights up to 4 battles prior to the tournament entering the knock-out stages. Depending on how a robot has done in those 4 preliminaries, it may or may not be selected to be part of the final 16.
Now, each episode up until the final 16 is filled with these preliminaries and built up out of different fights (either head-to-head or rumbles) with a main event at the end. Minotaur v Tombstone is the main event for episode 1, but it will not mean we won't see the loser of that fight any further down the line.
The way I see it, it's a clever work around to have a climactic fight at the end of each episode without having the Heat format of classic Robot Wars.
and 5 (!) fights in this episode
Aioua on
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
Sweet, I thought I had lost access to Discovery when I downgraded my cable, but seeing this was a pleasant surprise this morning.
That Minotaur v Tombstone fight though...
I saw a social media post from Battlebots or maybe
team Tombstone
about how they had a team of pro welders there on site to help with repairs. I imagine they had to take some extra steps to get bots back up and running fast enough for so many matches in just 2 days? That's fun. Though it kind of takes away the attrition element of the old show perhaps. But I'll take it for more fights!
I do wonder how Duck made it in this time. I thought there was a rule about requiring an active weapon that would have excluded that lifting arm.
Maybe that was changed for this season.
Some kind of high molecular weight polymer. Flexible but durable.
Nothing for a flipper to flip, so subzero wasn't going be winning that fight I think, but a horizontal spinner is going to destroy them, especially one with a sharpened blade.
Tombstone continues to deliver. I wonder how many spare floor panels they keep around.
The only thing that tombstone has to fear is basically itself. It has so much power in what it is doing the few times I have seen it loose is when it hit something solid enough it basically broke itself usually its drive chain. They have to be careful driving around the edges if they hit the solid walls hard enough it can cause real issues. But otherwise there is not a whole lot you can do against it it is a near perfect offensive weapon.
Icewave is nasty as hell its only downside is it is somewhat tall and I have seen it flipped before and it has troubles with tombstone which can go under its blade with its own blade.
Icewave is nasty as hell its only downside is it is somewhat tall and I have seen it flipped before and it has troubles with tombstone which can go under its blade with its own blade.
Also, if you compare to a lot of horizontal spinners like Rotator, Minotaur, Tombstone, etc, they're reversible(ish) and can keep going when flipped. Icewave is KO'd if it's tipped, which is a real weakness when your weapon can send both your opponent and you flying chaotically across the box - arguably the De-Icer didn't actually win the fight for Ghost Raptor, but a glancing blow on the armor sending Icewave out of control. Before this last fight, the driver even said that was their main concern - glancing off the wedge and flipping over.
Still, just like Tombstone's main weakness is its own kinetic energy ripping it apart, not a lot of bots can stay in one piece to capitalize, and unless it's for the nut, you've got to remember there's probably going to be somebody worse in the next fight that you have to be ready for, so maybe you can take hits from Icewave until it spins out of control, but will you have enough left to try to break Tombstone's blade right after?
recapping last weeks fights because they were some good'ns
Overhaul v Sawblaze
impressions:
Overhaul, you are not a good bot. Your weapon is bad and let's not get into your team aesthetic.
Now who's this Sawblaze character... eh, a saw bot, those are never good... hey wait a minute is that an actual metal cutting saw holy crap! And GREEN FLAME!
result: Sawblaze
This is the first saw bot I've ever seen that actually worked, and boy did it. Anyone out there with aluminum parts is probably done for, and watching Overhaul get embarrassed is always a treat.
Whiplash vs. Hypothermia
impressions:
Whiplash looks like a competent little vertical spinner. Hypothermia... I don't even know what your weapon is supposed to be, I'm not sure how you got in. Let's see how they preform.
result: Whiplash
Ok that drum on a long arm is pretty slick. For all the bots out their with complicated rigging on the top it's going to pose a real challenge, Whiplash with just drop a spinner down onto you with no issues. Hypothermia I'm happy to watch get beat up a few more times and then not make it into the finals.
The Four Horsemen vs. Double Jeopardy vs. Gamma 9
impressions:
Four Horsemen... eh minibots are whatever. Double Jeopardy... I thought projectiles were disallowed? I want to see it but with only a single shot this bot isn't going anywhere. Gamma 9, another pincher/crusher... maybe this will be the one that can succeed in the 250lb class?
result: Four Horsemen
This was the worst fight of the night. Double Jeopardy's weapon is a wet fart. Gamma 9 didn't do much of anything. Four Horsemen performed ok but they were shaking themselves apart. Having a mini wedgebot is pretty useful though, I think a lot of teams would be well served to have one if they have a good driver to spare. That little guy can't weigh too much.
WAR Hawk vs. Axe Backwards
impressions:
WAR Hawk, it is 2018. I mean I see that you're from the PNW and all but maybe the native art is not a good look. Otherwise, yup, it's a vertical spinner. Axe Backwards that sure is an... ambitious design.
result: WAR Hawk
when creating a unique robot design, it's important to make sure you don't fall apart immediately. Loving that carnage, tho.
HyperShock vs. Bite Force
impressions:
we know both these bots, HyperShock is still trying way too hard on the team look. I'll admit I kind of like the aesthetic but I find the main dude just annoying. Bite Force is just here to smash shit.
result: Bite Force
Apparently HyperShock is all flash and no engineering, I've never see the guts knocked out of a bot so badly. Even before it broke apart, there were sparks flying from inside of its chassis just from spinning it's weapon up.
Solid builds are the real champs in battlebots, never forget it.
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
I liked how they were talking up the single projectile moving at 100 something mph weighing 5 pounds, but not comparing it to the kinetic potential of the spinning disks/bars/drums that routinely weigh 30+ pounds and spin at substantially higher tip speeds.
I'm no physicist, but I know enough to guess who's the inner in that punch harder contest.
Hypershock
It looked to me like it was striking sparks off the floor. I could be wrong on that one though. If it was though, hitting the floor by accident during the pre-fight check certainly speaks to an off balance design, and the way it was gutted makes me wonder if they ran out of pit time and had to just toss the batteries in as best they could last minute without time to properly secure them.
Might explain something on the durability front, eh?
Double Jeopardy
No matter how destructive the slug is, it's one shot. Spinners and even hammers are shot after shot after shot after shot and any robot with half a chance is built to take them. That slug just splashed off of Gamma 9, where even mediocre spinners like the Horsemen were chewing it apart, slowly but surely. I think the one thing that slug could do is break a vertical blade spinner like Nightmare, but the only bots that will be taken out by a hit from it are ones that weren't going to go anywhere with a field just chock full of spinners.
Hypershock:
I think that was something inside coming apart, not the spinner hitting the floor. The sparks weren't coming off with the kind of speed you see from spinner hits.
Have to admit it was awesome watching Hypershock get disemboweled. So where are the Bite Force haters these days?
the bite force haters are from the 2015 incarnation of the bot that didn't have an effective weapon and was basically a brick bot
they put a nasty spinner on it, all is forgiven
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
Have to admit it was awesome watching Hypershock get disemboweled. So where are the Bite Force haters these days?
the bite force haters are from the 2015 incarnation of the bot that didn't have an effective weapon and was basically a brick bot
they put a nasty spinner on it, all is forgiven
This is what always puzzled me why more of the old brick bots did not use those small compact vertical spinners. It goes well with their armor and those spinners pack a crap ton of force so are highly effective offensive weapons.
Have to admit it was awesome watching Hypershock get disemboweled. So where are the Bite Force haters these days?
the bite force haters are from the 2015 incarnation of the bot that didn't have an effective weapon and was basically a brick bot
they put a nasty spinner on it, all is forgiven
This is what always puzzled me why more of the old brick bots did not use those small compact vertical spinners. It goes well with their armor and those spinners pack a crap ton of force so are highly effective offensive weapons.
I would guess that it's easier and can be more effective to dedicate all that weight to thicker armor, a stronger frame, bigger motors and better batteries then to engineer a weapon that might deal as much damage to your bot as it does the other. Especially against the old school spinners where they were good for one or two hits before just being done in by their own force (or spinner dancing across the box). The current generation spinners like ICEwave or Tombstone you'd need a really good brick bot to make them dance.
Have to admit it was awesome watching Hypershock get disemboweled. So where are the Bite Force haters these days?
the bite force haters are from the 2015 incarnation of the bot that didn't have an effective weapon and was basically a brick bot
they put a nasty spinner on it, all is forgiven
This is what always puzzled me why more of the old brick bots did not use those small compact vertical spinners. It goes well with their armor and those spinners pack a crap ton of force so are highly effective offensive weapons.
waste of weight
if your league allows bricks, then you spend all your weight on armor and the batteries/motors to go fast another motor and a weapon just means you go slower, and can't beat out a brick with 30lbs more armor
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
Have to admit it was awesome watching Hypershock get disemboweled. So where are the Bite Force haters these days?
the bite force haters are from the 2015 incarnation of the bot that didn't have an effective weapon and was basically a brick bot
they put a nasty spinner on it, all is forgiven
This is what always puzzled me why more of the old brick bots did not use those small compact vertical spinners. It goes well with their armor and those spinners pack a crap ton of force so are highly effective offensive weapons.
I would guess that it's easier and can be more effective to dedicate all that weight to thicker armor, a stronger frame, bigger motors and better batteries then to engineer a weapon that might deal as much damage to your bot as it does the other. Especially against the old school spinners where they were good for one or two hits before just being done in by their own force (or spinner dancing across the box). The current generation spinners like ICEwave or Tombstone you'd need a really good brick bot to make them dance.
all hail Minotaur
eats tombstone hits for breakfast and has somehow still affords a horrifying drum
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
Posts
Robot Combat League
https://youtu.be/Y7bSN30RRCI
Megabot had way more exposed hydraulics and Kuratas had two articulated hands. The only reason Kuratas wasn't tearing out cables is because Megabot shot off it's fingers with a point blank paint cannonball.
The only thing that bugged me about RCL was that the winning team got their entirely on the inherent defense of their bot, while teams which were able to consistently wreak havoc didn't get that far.
That one had George Lucus's daughter in it, right?
That was the problem with battlebots for a while. Sure, you can vaporize 90% of your opponents, but the other 10% are blocks of titanium with wheels that will just bump into you for a while and win on points.
The two seasons on ABC they seemed to have gotten to a sweet spot where aggression without real damage wouldn't be so badly discounted against a passive defense.
I tried watching this but even skipping around the video it seems to be 99% talking heads and 1% motionless robots. Is there a version edited down to the 2 seconds of action?
This marks a new era in combat robotics, as the Eastern competitors join the old hands in the West. Until now, China, India, and Russia have operated in isolation from the UK, US, and South America in combat robotics; I'm eager to see what they can bring to the table.
Steam / Origin & Wii U: Heatwave111 / FC: 4227-1965-3206 / Battle.net: Heatwave#11356
I found this in Target today, hopefully it's a good sign for season 3.
who cares watch the bots smash!
e:
From /r/battlebots:
and 5 (!) fights in this episode
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
Looks like there's a bunch of old episodes airing ahead of it, to. I didn't look to carefully, but last season or two?
That Minotaur v Tombstone fight though...
Maybe that was changed for this season.
Inquisitor77: Rius, you are Sisyphus and melee Wizard is your boulder
Tube: This must be what it felt like to be an Iraqi when Saddam was killed
Bookish Stickers - Mrs. Rius' Etsy shop with bumper stickers and vinyl decals.
Steam: Chagrin LoL: Bonhomie
Nothing for a flipper to flip, so subzero wasn't going be winning that fight I think, but a horizontal spinner is going to destroy them, especially one with a sharpened blade.
The only thing that tombstone has to fear is basically itself. It has so much power in what it is doing the few times I have seen it loose is when it hit something solid enough it basically broke itself usually its drive chain. They have to be careful driving around the edges if they hit the solid walls hard enough it can cause real issues. But otherwise there is not a whole lot you can do against it it is a near perfect offensive weapon.
The higher profile also makes them vulnerable to silly attachments like this shit from Ghost Raptor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fKJ1IZtIVg
Also, if you compare to a lot of horizontal spinners like Rotator, Minotaur, Tombstone, etc, they're reversible(ish) and can keep going when flipped. Icewave is KO'd if it's tipped, which is a real weakness when your weapon can send both your opponent and you flying chaotically across the box - arguably the De-Icer didn't actually win the fight for Ghost Raptor, but a glancing blow on the armor sending Icewave out of control. Before this last fight, the driver even said that was their main concern - glancing off the wedge and flipping over.
Still, just like Tombstone's main weakness is its own kinetic energy ripping it apart, not a lot of bots can stay in one piece to capitalize, and unless it's for the nut, you've got to remember there's probably going to be somebody worse in the next fight that you have to be ready for, so maybe you can take hits from Icewave until it spins out of control, but will you have enough left to try to break Tombstone's blade right after?
Overhaul v Sawblaze
Overhaul, you are not a good bot. Your weapon is bad and let's not get into your team aesthetic.
Now who's this Sawblaze character... eh, a saw bot, those are never good... hey wait a minute is that an actual metal cutting saw holy crap! And GREEN FLAME!
result: Sawblaze
This is the first saw bot I've ever seen that actually worked, and boy did it. Anyone out there with aluminum parts is probably done for, and watching Overhaul get embarrassed is always a treat.
Whiplash vs. Hypothermia
Whiplash looks like a competent little vertical spinner. Hypothermia... I don't even know what your weapon is supposed to be, I'm not sure how you got in. Let's see how they preform.
result: Whiplash
Ok that drum on a long arm is pretty slick. For all the bots out their with complicated rigging on the top it's going to pose a real challenge, Whiplash with just drop a spinner down onto you with no issues. Hypothermia I'm happy to watch get beat up a few more times and then not make it into the finals.
The Four Horsemen vs. Double Jeopardy vs. Gamma 9
Four Horsemen... eh minibots are whatever. Double Jeopardy... I thought projectiles were disallowed? I want to see it but with only a single shot this bot isn't going anywhere. Gamma 9, another pincher/crusher... maybe this will be the one that can succeed in the 250lb class?
result: Four Horsemen
This was the worst fight of the night. Double Jeopardy's weapon is a wet fart. Gamma 9 didn't do much of anything. Four Horsemen performed ok but they were shaking themselves apart. Having a mini wedgebot is pretty useful though, I think a lot of teams would be well served to have one if they have a good driver to spare. That little guy can't weigh too much.
WAR Hawk vs. Axe Backwards
WAR Hawk, it is 2018. I mean I see that you're from the PNW and all but maybe the native art is not a good look. Otherwise, yup, it's a vertical spinner. Axe Backwards that sure is an... ambitious design.
result: WAR Hawk
when creating a unique robot design, it's important to make sure you don't fall apart immediately. Loving that carnage, tho.
HyperShock vs. Bite Force
we know both these bots, HyperShock is still trying way too hard on the team look. I'll admit I kind of like the aesthetic but I find the main dude just annoying. Bite Force is just here to smash shit.
result: Bite Force
Apparently HyperShock is all flash and no engineering, I've never see the guts knocked out of a bot so badly. Even before it broke apart, there were sparks flying from inside of its chassis just from spinning it's weapon up.
Solid builds are the real champs in battlebots, never forget it.
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
I'm no physicist, but I know enough to guess who's the inner in that punch harder contest.
Hypershock
https://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-replacement-dolly-wheel-97183.html
Might explain something on the durability front, eh?
Double Jeopardy
Hypershock:
the bite force haters are from the 2015 incarnation of the bot that didn't have an effective weapon and was basically a brick bot
they put a nasty spinner on it, all is forgiven
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
This is what always puzzled me why more of the old brick bots did not use those small compact vertical spinners. It goes well with their armor and those spinners pack a crap ton of force so are highly effective offensive weapons.
I would guess that it's easier and can be more effective to dedicate all that weight to thicker armor, a stronger frame, bigger motors and better batteries then to engineer a weapon that might deal as much damage to your bot as it does the other. Especially against the old school spinners where they were good for one or two hits before just being done in by their own force (or spinner dancing across the box). The current generation spinners like ICEwave or Tombstone you'd need a really good brick bot to make them dance.
waste of weight
if your league allows bricks, then you spend all your weight on armor and the batteries/motors to go fast another motor and a weapon just means you go slower, and can't beat out a brick with 30lbs more armor
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
all hail Minotaur
eats tombstone hits for breakfast and has somehow still affords a horrifying drum
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies