Battlebots - General Discussion

[libgirl2]

3 minutes ago, enoughcats said:

I wonder if last season's Bronco couldn't beat this year's Bronco.

What kind of battles do I like?  I like battles between two mountain rams up in the Rockies ....lots of collision sounds, lots of posturing, and when one realizes he's beaten, he backs off.  
This season Battlebots has bots that are built like brick sh*****ses and can take the collisions.  I like seeing that level of collision survival.  I'm finding that I don't enjoy seeing pieces flying all over the place, nor do I like the blow torches.  

Next season will we have nothing but vertical spinners, son of wyochi, and duck?

Last years Bronco would have. But in Broncos defense I didn't think it could take on Huge. It's just not flippable enough. 

[Quilt Fairy]

I always enjoy Huge, it's such a unique design and it's interesting how it fares against other types of bots.   I found it odd that they featured it in the main match as it's never been considered a top tier bot. 

I really liked seeing bits of unaired fights, or as Chris once referred to them, the undercard fights.  I don't think Science channel is airing the show at all this year. 

I wonder if the battle between the two Chinese teams was specifically requested by them - a grudge match, as Chris said - or it was just serendipity. 

I think the new format this season of having 2 hour episodes really works.  Eight fights in an evening is much more satisfying than just 4.   I remember last year that the season seemed to go on forever.  Also enjoying the behind the scenes parts more with the new girl (name?), she asks good, common-sense questions.

[Omeletsmom]

2 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I always enjoy Huge, it's such a unique design and it's interesting how it fares against other types of bots.   I found it odd that they featured it in the main match as it's never been considered a top tier bot. 

I really liked seeing bits of unaired fights, or as Chris once referred to them, the undercard fights.  I don't think Science channel is airing the show at all this year. 

I wonder if the battle between the two Chinese teams was specifically requested by them - a grudge match, as Chris said - or it was just serendipity. 

I think the new format this season of having 2 hour episodes really works.  Eight fights in an evening is much more satisfying than just 4.   I remember last year that the season seemed to go on forever.  Also enjoying the behind the scenes parts more with the new girl (name?), she asks good, common-sense questions.

Science channel airs the shows on the following Wednesdays.

[enoughcats]

1 hour ago, Omeletsmom said:

Science channel airs the shows on the following Wednesdays.

Except when they don't.  there have been at least three Wednesdays (mostly recent Wednesdays) when there's been no repeat.  Also I don't recall any ads for the Wed. telecast that we saw the first month or so.

[libgirl2]

13 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I always enjoy Huge, it's such a unique design and it's interesting how it fares against other types of bots.   I found it odd that they featured it in the main match as it's never been considered a top tier bot. 

I really liked seeing bits of unaired fights, or as Chris once referred to them, the undercard fights.  I don't think Science channel is airing the show at all this year. 

I wonder if the battle between the two Chinese teams was specifically requested by them - a grudge match, as Chris said - or it was just serendipity. 

I think the new format this season of having 2 hour episodes really works.  Eight fights in an evening is much more satisfying than just 4.   I remember last year that the season seemed to go on forever.  Also enjoying the behind the scenes parts more with the new girl (name?), she asks good, common-sense questions.

WE were saying how we would love to watch some of these fights too. I liked seeing bits of them but it left me wanting a bit more. I know they aren't classic fights but I think it would be a lot of fun.

[jhlipton]

I may be the only one, but I think that if a bot competes in the Desperado, it should be out for the rest of the prelims.  Sorry, minotaur, but you weren't "second place", you were first loser.

On 8/31/2019 at 3:08 AM, rmontro said:

I get a kick out of seeing those little minibots.  They rarely affect the outcome, and a lot of the time they're just fodder, but they're kind of cute, in a funny sort of way.

t was so cute watching Kraken's minibot (Willy?) try to take on Son of Whyatchi, and SOW was like "do you feel anything???"

On 8/31/2019 at 12:58 PM, enoughcats said:

Next season will we have nothing but vertical spinners, son of wyochi, and duck?

There's several other horizontal spinners, including Tombstone, of course.  Next season, a number of builders will come up with counter-measures against vertical spinners and we'll see something else dominate.

[rmontro]

4 hours ago, jhlipton said:

Next season, a number of builders will come up with counter-measures against vertical spinners and we'll see something else dominate.

I don't know.  Admittedly, I haven't been watching that long, only a couple of seasons, but the vertical spinners seem to be the most consistently effective weapons.

[libgirl2]

Tomorrows big fight is Hydra vs. Bronco. Why Bronco again? So we can watch it lose again? 

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

Tomorrows big fight is Hydra vs. Bronco. Why Bronco again? So we can watch it lose again? 

Ha, the title of the episode is "One Flipper to Rule Them All".  We pretty much know the top flipper is Hydra at this point.  But it sounds like a fun match, and there are a fair amount of upsets on this show.

[libgirl2]

On 9/5/2019 at 2:56 PM, rmontro said:

Ha, the title of the episode is "One Flipper to Rule Them All".  We pretty much know the top flipper is Hydra at this point.  But it sounds like a fun match, and there are a fair amount of upsets on this show.

That wasn't fun at all. It was no match. It actually made me sad to watch.

[rmontro]

15 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

That wasn't fun at all. It was no match. It actually made me sad to watch.

Wow, you are right there.  Normally I like to watch bots get flipped around up in the air like that, but this was just a mauling.  You could see it on the guy's face who was driving Bronco before the fight even started.  Looking at the two robots, Hydra is so low to the ground, there was no place for Bronco to get under it and flip it.  Meanwhile Bronco was a sitting duck (or horse).

If Bronco is going to be successful in the future, they're going to have to redesign it to keep up with modern times.

Edited September 8, 2019 by rmontro

[Totale]

Hydra guy must not have noticed that the Battlebots asshole slot is already taken. and a second asshole is far less impressive.

I was playing scrabble today, and Faruq would have fit perfectly on a triple word score.

[CoderLady]

8 hours ago, Totale said:

Hydra guy must not have noticed that the Battlebots asshole slot is already taken. and a second asshole is far less impressive.

I enjoy BattleBots so much. There's the spectacular yet completely bloodless violence, the banter between Kenny and Chris, Faruq's inventive introductions, Jenny's informative interviews with the contestants and not least of all, the unfailing sportsmanship. Winners and losers have gallantly praised their opponents and given thoughtful, insightful critiques of their performances. It's all been good.

Then there's this guy. Watching him sneering and snickering about beating Bronco left me cold. You would think that coming from a family of robot builders and fighters he'd have some idea how to behave, but I guess legacy can't overcome inclination. Ray Billings for all his egotistical boasting at least gives credit where it's due but Ewert just comes off as a sour little jerk. Can't wait to see him whipped.

Edited September 9, 2019 by CoderLady

[libgirl2]

14 hours ago, CoderLady said:

I enjoy BattleBots so much. There's the spectacular yet completely bloodless violence, the banter between Kenny and Chris, Faruq's inventive introductions, Jenny's informative interviews with the contestants and not least of all, the unfailing sportsmanship. Winners and losers have gallantly praised their opponents and given thoughtful, insightful critiques of their performances. It's all been good.

Then there's this guy. Watching him sneering and snickering about beating Bronco left me cold. You would think that coming from a family of robot builders and fighters he'd have some idea how to behave, but I guess legacy can't overcome inclination. Ray Billings for all his egotistical boasting at least gives credit where it's due but Ewert just comes off as a sour little jerk. Can't wait to see him whipped.

We noticed that too. For me this is supposed to be about fun competition, not egos. Show some respect and decorum, as Bronco goes so can Hydra. Karma is going to get you. 

Edited September 9, 2019 by libgirl2

[Omeletsmom]

On 8/31/2019 at 10:43 PM, enoughcats said:

Except when they don't.  there have been at least three Wednesdays (mostly recent Wednesdays) when there's been no repeat.  Also I don't recall any ads for the Wed. telecast that we saw the first month or so.

Hmm...it looks like they were running old episodes on Wednesdays.  For some reason, the streaming service I use (Philo) has all episodes labeled season 4, so I assumed they were the current season; I see now that the titles don't line up. I have it set to record all episodes just in case I can't watch live on Friday nights, but I had not been paying attention to what it was recording.

ETA hmm; my wifi cut out just as I was posting the above content a week ago; I thought it was lost, but it re-appeared when I hit reply.  Huh.

Quote

Then there's this guy. Watching him sneering and snickering about beating Bronco left me cold. You would think that coming from a family of robot builders and fighters he'd have some idea how to behave, but I guess legacy can't overcome inclination. Ray Billings for all his egotistical boasting at least gives credit where it's due but Ewert just comes off as a sour little jerk. Can't wait to see him whipped.

I've always found the whole Whyatchi clan to be smug and obnoxious.  I really can't stand them.

Edited September 9, 2019 by Omeletsmom

[enoughcats]

Crappers: sorry I searched for 2019 and surprise, surprise, it gave me 2018.  

When I saw that they had tombstone at #1 and Bronco at #2, I knew nobody had joy juice that strong.

Brackets 2019 two ways: for your computer and for a print out.

They've made an effort (or maybe it just happened, yeh, right) that when I scanned the bracket I had a bot to put with each bot name. 

And it (according to these will be on Discovery AND Science.  

Edited September 10, 2019 by enoughcats

[libgirl2]

On 9/9/2019 at 11:26 AM, Omeletsmom said:

Hmm...it looks like they were running old episodes on Wednesdays.  For some reason, the streaming service I use (Philo) has all episodes labeled season 4, so I assumed they were the current season; I see now that the titles don't line up. I have it set to record all episodes just in case I can't watch live on Friday nights, but I had not been paying attention to what it was recording.

ETA hmm; my wifi cut out just as I was posting the above content a week ago; I thought it was lost, but it re-appeared when I hit reply.  Huh.

I've always found the whole Whyatchi clan to be smug and obnoxious.  I really can't stand them.

Husband and I feel the same. 

[libgirl2]

Now that was a battle!

[rmontro]

4 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

Now that was a battle!

I assume you're talking about Minotaur vs Colbalt?  That was a good fight.  I agree Minotaur won, but it could have gone either way.

I thought some of the matchups were odd.  I would have put all 2-2 bots into the three way.

[libgirl2]

9 hours ago, rmontro said:

I assume you're talking about Minotaur vs Colbalt?  That was a good fight.  I agree Minotaur won, but it could have gone either way.

I thought some of the matchups were odd.  I would have put all 2-2 bots into the three way.

Yes I was. Cobalt really took a licking but kept going. 

[enoughcats]

41 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Cobalt

didn't get extra points for knocking more ceiling panels down than any other bot this season.

[Quilt Fairy]

10 hours ago, rmontro said:

I thought some of the matchups were odd.  I would have put all 2-2 bots into the three way.

I also wondered how they set the matches.  I think both Cobalt and Minotaur should be in the top 16, and it's a shame they ended up going against one another.  

On the other hand, HUGE!  I could not believe that Huge would win its fight.  It's unlikely to go far in the final tournament, but you can't help but admire how it stands up against other, more obviously destructive bots. 

[4Sibes Redux]

On 9/14/2019 at 10:33 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

On the other hand, HUGE! 

I was hoping for a Huge vs Duck match. Chances are it would be boring. But if it wasn’t, it could be fascinating. 

[rmontro]

On 9/16/2019 at 9:55 AM, 4Sibes Redux said:

I was hoping for a Huge vs Duck match. Chances are it would be boring. But if it wasn’t, it could be fascinating. 

Poor Duck's out of the top 16 again.  Originally I laughed at it, then it impressed me.  Now I'm thinking it might be too much of a one trick pony.  It's either going to have to get lucky one of these years, or they're going to have to add a new wrinkle.

[enoughcats]

14 minutes ago, rmontro said:

too much of a one trick pony

I'm not sure what Duck's trick is.  When it tosses itself all over the ring, I wonder if it's damaging itself more than its competition gets a chance to.  Sort of a really warped version of the "if you don't ______, I'll hurt this puppy"  except it's become Duck saying, "If you hit me, I'll flip myself over all over the place and I might hurt myself.   Maybe I'll make you exhaust your battery" 

How does Duck describe it's primary weapon?  Its  defensive weapon has to be outlasting the opposition. 

I really like the man who created Duck and made such a well built bot.  But well built has to come with aggressive weapon(s) even if they only work for the first minute of three.

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, enoughcats said:

I'm not sure what Duck's trick is.  When it tosses itself all over the ring, I wonder if it's damaging itself more than its competition gets a chance to.

It is mainly defensive.  It's got that heavy metal bar on the front of it, and the idea is that the other bot will break its weapon on Duck's "beak".  Which actually works more often than you might think.  Plus it's incredibly durable.

It can also use that bar as a flipper, but I've seldom seen that be effective.  Sometimes it seems to use it to flip itself around, and I'm not sure what the point of that is.  I figure when it's doing that it's malfunctioning, but I really have no idea.  

Edited September 18, 2019 by rmontro

[CoderLady]

6 hours ago, rmontro said:

It is mainly defensive.  It's got that heavy metal bar on the front of it, and the idea is that the other bot will break its weapon on Duck's "beak".  Which actually works more often than you might think.  Plus it's incredibly durable.

It can also use that bar as a flipper, but I've seldom seen that be effective.  Sometimes it seems to use it to flip itself around, and I'm not sure what the point of that is.  I figure when it's doing that it's malfunctioning, but I really have no idea.  

Its strategy of aggressive passivity -- rolling around in front of an opponent until the opponent burns out a motor or trips over its own weapons -- finally failed it. A few fights ago the victor over Duck! called out that all you have to do is not take the bait. Instead, getting around behind Duck! you chew off enough of its tires that it can't move, then wait for the countdown. Flipping it out of the box is good, too. Fighters have been catching on. If Duck! comes back next season I hope it learns more strategies because this one's done.

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, CoderLady said:

If Duck! comes back next season I hope it learns more strategies because this one's done.

Just put a vertical spinner in the middle of that heavy bar, instead of the "beak".  

Seriously, vertical spinners are so successful, I have a theory that Discovery gives a stipend to bots who don't use them - just to encourage variety on the show.

[libgirl2]

On 9/18/2019 at 12:59 PM, rmontro said:

Poor Duck's out of the top 16 again.  Originally I laughed at it, then it impressed me.  Now I'm thinking it might be too much of a one trick pony.  It's either going to have to get lucky one of these years, or they're going to have to add a new wrinkle.

I was thinking the same thing. Duck is tough but needs some kind of a weapon that can inflict damage as well. 

[Omeletsmom]

I am very, very satisfied with the outcome of the first bout.

ETA and the last!

Edited September 21, 2019 by Omeletsmom

[rmontro]

Wow, several of those bouts were really, really short.  Including the last one.  Looks like MInotaur has regained its old form.  I at least expected Hydra to make a better fight of it, if not win outright.

I'm hoping Bite Force doesn't repeat as champ.  I have nothing against it, I'm just bored with it.

[enoughcats]

5 hours ago, rmontro said:

Looks like MInotaur has regained its old form.

Part of me wants Minotaur to win it all because I admire the bot and the guys are so intense and dedicated.  And then there's the part of me that has a quibble (the same quibble as Ninja Warriors engenders with their do-over).  It took Minotaur two additional battles to get to the final 16 because their first two fights were disasters because their bot needed a bunch of adjustments.  I'm not sure how that fits with the "everybody gets four fights" when it looks like Minotaur will get six or more.  On the other hand, Minotaur is so well built that it has survived all those fights when we've seen other bots disintegrate and never rebuild more efficiently.

Is Tombstone the only not vertical spinner surviving?   We had a house guest who had watched Battlebots a couple of times before, and somehow he'd never seen Tombstone.  When the weight of Tombstone's weapon was announced, all of a sudden he got really interested.  By the end of the two hours, he was beginning to realize that bots that weigh over 200 pounds can fly; that hadn't sunk in before with him being a casual viewer.  

I'm looking forward to rewatching, with a cup of good coffee and no distractions.  

I did catch the ad encouraging rank amateurs to build their own and compete next year- that sure sounds like we'll have Battlebots next year. 

[4Sibes Redux]

I always enjoy cheering against Witch Doctor just because of the costumes, but I often root for them in matches. 

But I love the Minotaur with those intense, emotional Brazilians. 

[rmontro]

8 hours ago, enoughcats said:

It took Minotaur two additional battles to get to the final 16 because their first two fights were disasters because their bot needed a bunch of adjustments.  I'm not sure how that fits with the "everybody gets four fights" when it looks like Minotaur will get six or more.

It does appear to me that there is a little bit of favoritism going on, in that established bots will be given a few advantages. and be given every chance to get in.  One reason Minotaur has extra fights, though, is because they were in the Desperation Tournament.  The thing I like about Minotaur is the sound it makes when its drum is spun up.

There have been so many successful vertical spinners, I kind of wonder why there hasn't been a really successful copy of Tombstone - that is, a really good horizontal spinner.  Most of the ones I've seen are very flimsy in comparison.  Last year's cheeseburger, for instance, lol.

[Quilt Fairy]

2 hours ago, rmontro said:

It does appear to me that there is a little bit of favoritism going on, in that established bots will be given a few advantages. and be given every chance to get in.

I noticed that they always say the top 16 will be "selected by a jury".  Which implies to me that given 2 bots with identical but so-so records, other factors come in to play.  Presumably the jury is also how the seedings are set.  

Edited September 22, 2019 by Quilt Fairy

[CoderLady]

It seemed like the jury decisions were based not just on number of wins but how those wins were achieved. Bots that showed lots of combative skills and inflicted a shit-ton of damage on their opponents probably impressed the jury enough to get into the Sweet 16 even without perfect win records.

[CoderLady]

23 hours ago, Omeletsmom said:

I am very, very satisfied with the outcome of the first bout.

ETA and the last!

That last battle had me doing a happy dance. The icing on the cake -- both Ewerts got blown out of the tournament. 

[Quilt Fairy]

1 hour ago, CoderLady said:

both Ewerts got blown out of the tournament. 

It is a petty and very personal reason to dislike them, but they all have that sponsor patch prominently on their shirts that says "Udder-gun" and I find it tasteless every time I see it.  Like I find the Witch Doctor outfits cheesy. 

[rmontro]

5 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I noticed that they always say the top 16 will be "selected by a jury".  Which implies to me that given 2 bots with identical but so-so records, other factors come in to play.  Presumably the jury is also how the seedings are set.  

I'm sure.  They've said that they take into consideration not only win-loss records, but also strength of schedule (how tough their opponents were), and the manner in which they won.  Spectacular knockouts will impress more than eking out a split decision.  Regardless, I'm sure there's a little bit of subjectivity that comes into it.  Not that it bothers me.

I couldn't believe how Sawblaze dismantled Son of Whyachi.  A lot of fun but still surprising.  I loved the way Sawblaze cut through those bars that make up the outer triangle on SOW.

[Omeletsmom]

15 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

It is a petty and very personal reason to dislike them, but they all have that sponsor patch prominently on their shirts that says "Udder-gun" and I find it tasteless every time I see it.  Like I find the Witch Doctor outfits cheesy. 

The Udder Gun patch does not bother me.  It's a company that makes dairy cow equipment.  I just hate their smug, superior, self-satisfied attitudes.

[libgirl2]

13 hours ago, rmontro said:

I'm sure.  They've said that they take into consideration not only win-loss records, but also strength of schedule (how tough their opponents were), and the manner in which they won.  Spectacular knockouts will impress more than eking out a split decision.  Regardless, I'm sure there's a little bit of subjectivity that comes into it.  Not that it bothers me.

I couldn't believe how Sawblaze dismantled Son of Whyachi.  A lot of fun but still surprising.  I loved the way Sawblaze cut through those bars that make up the outer triangle on SOW.

That made my night. It was my birthday and I was picking who I wanted to win. Yay, Sawblaze!

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

That made my night. It was my birthday and I was picking who I wanted to win. Yay, Sawblaze!

It was pretty cool, I really didn't think they would stand a chance.  Sawblaze had a great strategy of continuing to bull rush SOW before it could spin up too fast.  It still took some hits but was tough enough to withstand them.

[rmontro]

I know Witch Doctor is not very popular on this forum, and to be honest I've never been that fond of them either, but they've had a "magical" season this year.  And I have to admit I was rooting for them in the final, I am tired of Bite Force.  With three Giant Nuts in four seasons, they're becoming the New England Patriots of Battlebots.

I've never really noticed this before, but Bite Force's shape:  It looks kind of like Duck with a powerful vertical spinner attached.

Kudos to the seeding committee, with the #1 and #2 seeds meeting in the final.

Watching Bite Force dismantle Tombstone in nothing flat was pretty jaw-dropping.  

I thought it was a bit unfortunate that the semifinal bout between Witch Doctor and Death Roll had to go to the judges, with a split decision yet.  As close as it was, I think they made the right decision though.  If there was going to be a dark horse winner, I was thinking it would have been Death Roll.

[4Sibes Redux]

1 hour ago, rmontro said:

And I have to admit I was rooting for them in the final,

I was rooting for them, too. They have a solid bot and they are a great team.  I just enjoy having someone to yell “boo” at with good cheer. 

[libgirl2]

Maybe it was me (and my husband) but in the Death Roll and Witch Doctor match when WD first stopped, it seemed the countdown started a little late. I feel like they really wanted WD in the final. But WD really had an incredible season.

Wow to the way Bite Force destroyed Tombstone.... and fast. I like Bite Force so I was thrilled with the outcome. IT does look like Duck with a spinner!

Edited September 28, 2019 by libgirl2

[rmontro]

6 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

Maybe it was me (and my husband) but in the Death Roll and Witch Doctor match when WD first stopped, it seemed the countdown started a little late. I feel like they really wanted WD in the final.

I thought they started all the countdowns later than usual, so I don't think it was favoritism toward Witch Doctor.  Sort of like other sports where they don't want to call as many penalties in the playoffs.  Kind of a "Let them play" attitude.

[enoughcats]

30 minutes ago, rmontro said:

Sort of like other sports where they don't want to call as many penalties in the playoffs.  Kind of a "Let them play" attitude.

I hope you are right. 
But.

I think TPTB really wanted a woman to win this year.  From that strange ?crowd sourced bot from England with the flirty female owner, neither (bot nor owner) of whom had any chance at all, to Duck's owner's daughter and her bot, the women competing were continually introduced, chatted with emphasizing that they were women.  

At the finale last night, Witch Doctor was "built by the best woman builder building today".  That may be the first time she was said to be the sole builder.  All the other team members ....chopped liver....including the other driver who she married (I think I heard that) in the off season.  They really wanted her to win. Last year, at least, it seemed to me that Chomps owner was more involved in the design, build and fights.

And when it came to break the tie in the semifinals, Lisa Winter, former competitor, "Cast her ballot for the winner Witch Doctor".  Just a coincidence.  

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, enoughcats said:

And when it came to break the tie in the semifinals, Lisa Winter, former competitor, "Cast her ballot for the winner Witch Doctor".  Just a coincidence.  

You're really bringing the conspiracy theories lol.  I have no doubt they are wanting to push the female participants.  I don't think that's to push some sort of evil feminist agenda or to artificially create gender balances with wins though.  I would guess their main motivation is to encourage more female builders, and thus increase greater female viewership, thus driving up ratings and bringing in a larger spectrum of ad revenue.  

That fight between Witch Doctor and Death Roll was really close, but I would have chosen Witch Doctor the winner also - and I was rooting for Death Roll during the match.  Now that it's over though, I would have liked to have seen how Death Roll would have fared against Bite Force.  I thought going in that Death Roll had the best chance of winning an upset.

[enoughcats]

45 minutes ago, rmontro said:

the conspiracy theories lol.

Yup.  And strongly influenced by watching a summer of American Ninja Warriors where they also wanted "the first Mother to get up the wall" the second woman to make it to stage beta, the whatever to do whatever and on and on and on.  

When they haven't declared a not-unanimous decision, several times the bot that limped to the win has limped with major damages.  I think that's what happened to Witch Doctor; didn't they say they had to replace all their motors?  And that was the beginning of their repairs.  Pushing them through may not have been kind in the long run.  

I don't know if Witch Doctor was a major fan favorite.  I'm old enough and cynical enough that if someone is declared to be a fan favorite,  I wonder why that needs to be said so often.  Sometimes I find myself calling out BS when I'm told what to think too often.   The edited version we watch had Witch Doctor fan favorite a lot of times.  

I really wanted a different set of three judges to adjudicate that matches of the final 16 bots.  That bothered me a whole lot. 

The guys from Australia came in (my husband keeps saying 'they had no repair parts' ) but being new to the scene, they may have had the potential to think outside their particular box. 

[rmontro]

6 hours ago, enoughcats said:

I don't know if Witch Doctor was a major fan favorite.

They seem to be popular with the crowd, so I don't think they're making that part up.   They don't seem to be very popular on this forum.  I'm not too fond of them myself, but I rooted for them against Bite Force (which I'm getting tired of winning all the time).  There is a little Witch Doctor bot in that Battlebots toy game that they advertise, or at least in one version of it.  

Maybe that's just clever marketing, or maybe TPTB are trying to push it.  But there has been a ton of close and controversial matches this season though, and I thought Witch Doctor got to the finals fair and square.