Battlebots - General Discussion

[4Sibes Redux]

I signed up for a free trial for Discovery+. I’m enjoying the BattleBots Bounty Hunter show. I’ll probably keep the channel once the trial ends because it has many of the HGTV & Food shows that I enjoyed snarking about back in he old TWoP days. 

[4Sibes Redux]

No comments yet about this week’s episode? I want to discuss the Hydra vs Huge bout!

[Quilt Fairy]

1 hour ago, 4Sibes Redux said:

No comments yet about this week’s episode? I want to discuss the Hydra vs Huge bout!

All I can say about it is "Well, that happened........"

If I had been there, I would be booing Hydra's win, but I seem to have developed a dislike for anyone named Ewert. 

[QuantumMechanic]

2 hours ago, 4Sibes Redux said:

No comments yet about this week’s episode? I want to discuss the Hydra vs Huge bout!

I don't particularly like the Ewarts (though like with Billings, I am amused by them playing the heel), but that was a brilliant strategy and I was so sick and tired of Team Huge's whining.

Instead of whining, perhaps Team Huge could have designed and/or driven Huge with more agility so it could have gotten to the side or rear of Hydra and nailed it.  Or with enough power to drive Hydra back into box hazards instead of being weak enough to be constantly controlled by Hydra. Or designed a robot whose weapon wasn't constrained to the footprint of the robot. Or, or or.

Edited January 9, 2021 by QuantumMechanic

[4Sibes Redux]

I hope that this causes Huge to be innovative in finding a defense for a “bike rack.”

What irritated me about Hydra Ewert is him telling the ref that he wasn’t holding Huge in the corner. I don’t recall the exact wording. But I didn’t like the spirit behind them. 

mid there are more matches like this one, I’ll stop watching. I want destruction. 

[enoughcats]

13 hours ago, 4Sibes Redux said:

Ewert is him telling the ref that he wasn’t holding Huge in the corner.

This might have been in the Battlebot series before this one, but I remember a bot coming out and tossing a net over its opponent such that the entrapped bot couldn't move.  It was a true kerfuffle. That match was thrown out and the rules rewritten to disallow entrapment. 

Was Huge entrapped? When Ewert bot was holding Huge in the corner?  Husband and I have been argu... having a heated discussion about that.

I was impressed that the rails were tall enough that Huge couldn't go over them, but did it fit the letter of the laws in that with the addition, the weight wasn't excessive NOR did the bot extend out past the edges of the opening box? 

And I was surprised that two bots that were walking wounded fought at all. South Park's Cripple Fight must have been so proud.

[rmontro]

21 hours ago, QuantumMechanic said:

Instead of whining, perhaps Team Huge could have designed and/or driven Huge with more agility so it could have gotten to the side or rear of Hydra and nailed it.  Or with enough power to drive Hydra back into box hazards instead of being weak enough to be constantly controlled by Hydra. Or designed a robot whose weapon wasn't constrained to the footprint of the robot.

I like Huge, but I think it's due for a redesign.  It seems to have reached its ceiling as a competitive bot.  Hydra had a clever idea for containing it, but it made for a pretty boring match.

[lynxfx]

27 minutes ago, enoughcats said:

This might have been in the Battlebot series before this one, but I remember a bot coming out and tossing a net over its opponent such that the entrapped bot couldn't move

The onet I remember is that he actually put the net in a wrapped gift box and let the spinner bot attack it. I think they just stopped their match calling foul and redid the match. Was actually pretty funny at how well it worked. Ensnaring was already against the rules I believe. 

[4Sibes Redux]

4 hours ago, lynxfx said:

The onet I remember is that he actually put the net in a wrapped gift box and let the spinner bot attack it.

I see this net as bad sportsmanship like the cattle guard. But it’s definitely a lot more entertaining and funny to me. 

[KHenry14]

You people are talking about Derek Young, now a Battlebot judge, and his bot Complete Control. The net thing was Derek's idea to circumvent the rules. Alas, it didn't work as the judges had a do over where he fittingly lost to Ghost Raptor. A douchebag move by Derek IMO

[rmontro]

With Doctor's fortunes have really fallen.  Last year they were runner up, and this year they've started 0-2.  They got on quite a roll last season.

[4Sibes Redux]

3 hours ago, rmontro said:

 

With Doctor's fortunes have really fallen.  Last year they were runner up, and this year they've started 0-2.  They got on quite a roll last season.

 

And on the other hand, I never was impressed with Krakken. But they seem to be doing something right this year. 

My favorite this year is MadCatter. I enjoy team leader Martin Mason’s schtick. 

[libgirl2]

On 1/10/2021 at 11:16 AM, KHenry14 said:

You people are talking about Derek Young, now a Battlebot judge, and his bot Complete Control. The net thing was Derek's idea to circumvent the rules. Alas, it didn't work as the judges had a do over where he fittingly lost to Ghost Raptor. A douchebag move by Derek IMO

I never liked him much so this doesn't surprise me. 

 

17 hours ago, 4Sibes Redux said:

And on the other hand, I never was impressed with Krakken. But they seem to be doing something right this year. 

I feel the same. I'm happy for them. 

[libgirl2]

Those were some great fights last night! And no controversies! 

[scootypuffjr]

^^ Glad to hear it. I havevn't watched yet, but last week's show was pretty much a total snooze, as far as I'm concerned. It's nice to know this week's show is worth watching, lol

 

[libgirl2]

17 minutes ago, scootypuffjr said:

^^ Glad to hear it. I havevn't watched yet, but last week's show was pretty much a total snooze, as far as I'm concerned. It's nice to know this week's show is worth watching, lol

 

Oh, you will like it. There was also some great sportsmanship on display! 

[4Sibes Redux]

It was a great episode. 

I was glad to see Smeee again. I like the unusual bots. Along that line, I would like to own Sharko and chase people down a street. 

[Quilt Fairy]

That first match between Valkyrie and Rotator was amazing!  

[rmontro]

My favorite match was the way Hypershock dismantled Mammoth.  Especially after the Mammoth team was trash talking about punting Hypershock across the arena.

[KHenry14]

Who would have thought  Captain Shredderator would actually go thru a fight without breaking and end up wining?

[CoderLady]

3 hours ago, rmontro said:

My favorite match was the way Hypershock dismantled Mammoth.  Especially after the Mammoth team was trash talking about punting Hypershock across the arena.

Yessss. Most of the other builders are good sports, giving credit and respect to their opponents but the Mammoth guys seem to take every opportunity to come off as arrogant dicks. And I still think their bot looks like a wardrobe rack.

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, CoderLady said:

Yessss. Most of the other builders are good sports, giving credit and respect to their opponents but the Mammoth guys seem to take every opportunity to come off as arrogant dicks. And I still think their bot looks like a wardrobe rack.

Maybe it's unfair, but I can't help but see Mammoth as a bully, just because of its size.  Especially after it beat up on Huge last time.  I know Mammoth isn't favored to be a top bot, and was actually the underdog against Hypershock, but I still have a hard time getting behind it.  And it does look like a wardrobe rack.

[Quilt Fairy]

20 minutes ago, rmontro said:

Maybe it's unfair, but I can't help but see Mammoth as a bully, just because of its size.  Especially after it beat up on Huge last time.  I know Mammoth isn't favored to be a top bot, and was actually the underdog against Hypershock, but I still have a hard time getting behind it.  And it does look like a wardrobe rack.

It looked pretty well dismantled by the time the match ended.  If it makes it into the final 16, there's a lot of welding in its future. 

[rmontro]

2 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

It looked pretty well dismantled by the time the match ended.  If it makes it into the final 16, there's a lot of welding in its future. 

Maybe somebody should make a bot out of a bunch of plumbing pipes.

[lynxfx]

8 hours ago, KHenry14 said:

Who would have thought  Captain Shredderator would actually go thru a fight without breaking and end up wining?

Some say he is still spinning. 

[scootypuffjr]

First and last fights were fun, with a few not quite so interesting ones in between. BUT

Spoiler

any day Tombstone loses is a good day, in my book. Yay for Skorpios! 

😄

[4Sibes Redux]

14 hours ago, scootypuffjr said:

BUT

Regarding your spoiler, I think the ref ended the fight prematurely. But it was obvious at that point who was going to lose.

I was impressed with Jackpot & Skorpios. They are both a little rough looking but they are fast and violent. 

[libgirl2]

58 minutes ago, 4Sibes Redux said:

Regarding your spoiler, I think the ref ended the fight prematurely. But it was obvious at that point who was going to lose.

I was impressed with Jackpot & Skorpios. They are both a little rough looking but they are fast and violent. 

I agree, it should have just come to its inevitable conclusion. Someone on FB compared it to the black Knight scene in Monty Python. 

Jackpot continues to impress me. 

[4Sibes Redux]

I found the THUNK! sound of Huge hitting Kraken to be pleasing. I like Kraken, but it was a nice sound. 

[rmontro]

5 hours ago, 4Sibes Redux said:

Regarding your spoiler, I think the ref ended the fight prematurely. But it was obvious at that point who was going to lose.

My only issue was the ref started the countdown while Skorpios was attacking it.  I thought you had to stand off during the countdown, and if that's not the rule it should be.

[Quilt Fairy]

4 hours ago, rmontro said:

My only issue was the ref started the countdown while Skorpios was attacking it.  I thought you had to stand off during the countdown, and if that's not the rule it should be.

I'd have to rewatch, but I think when the ref started the countdown, Skorpios was standing back, but it attacked again while the countdown was in progress, and then they got entangled and it appeared that Skorpios had lost it's propulsion as well.  It was confusing, and perhaps it shouldn't have been considered a KO, but Skorpios was the obvious winner. 

[rmontro]

6 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I'd have to rewatch, but I think when the ref started the countdown, Skorpios was standing back, but it attacked again while the countdown was in progress,

Maybe that's what happened.  I've seen this several times on the show, and the ref didn't stop the countdown.  So maybe that's not a rule, but it should be.  Sometimes the attacking bot can accidentally bring the other one back to life, so if there is no rule to stop the countdown, maybe that's why.  But it still isn't right, IMO.

[Quilt Fairy]

18 hours ago, rmontro said:

Maybe that's what happened.  I've seen this several times on the show, and the ref didn't stop the countdown.  So maybe that's not a rule, but it should be.  Sometimes the attacking bot can accidentally bring the other one back to life, so if there is no rule to stop the countdown, maybe that's why.  But it still isn't right, IMO.

I agree it was a dicey call by the ref, but the ref generally gets a lot of latitude on this show, as does Ray Billings.  I remember a few times where Tombstone had stopped and instead of starting the call immediately, the ref was all "I need to see some movement, Ray.  Give me some movement", giving Tombstone 10-15 extra seconds that another bot would not have gotten.  

Still, the right bot won the match, and while I can't help rooting against Tombstone in any match, I find that I don't dislike Ray as much anymore.  It seems as if he really was edited to be "The Villain" when this Battlebots reboot started a few years ago, and Ray just played along with it.   The top position on my hate list is now filled by Reese Ewert and his skanky-ass beard.  

Edited February 1, 2021 by Quilt Fairy

[grommit2]

I am amazed at how often a battle seems to be over in less than 30 seconds when a bot with a ferocious primary weapon suddenly loses that weapon. These hits must be ferocious to cause a 250 pound bot to go flying around the battle space. 

[Quilt Fairy]

On 2/1/2021 at 4:43 PM, grommit2 said:

These hits must be ferocious to cause a 250 pound bot to go flying around the battle space. 

And they pointed out a few weeks ago that the bot that goes flying (or damages its weapon) might have been the stronger bot, but there's just so much kinetic energy generated that something has to give.  

[Jack Sampson]

They need more diversity in the bot weapon package.  Maybe the rules need to be loosened.  It's gotten to where spinners and flippers are the only effective weapons.  It's rare to see fire, saws, hammers or piercers to do much damage - sometimes they'll win but it's usually because the other bot burned itself out. 

[enoughcats]

We used to see a lot more differences from bot to bot when there were lighter weight classes.  

Go lighter weight and there's a major reduction in kinetic energy. Right now it's sheer brute force and refinement of driving comes in second or third.  The skill of a great driver is negated when his or her bot is flying through the air.  

Last night while watching Chomp, it dawned on me that the huge increase in weight that Chomp carries is almost like an additional weapon. Two hundred + pounds of Chomp that mean that Chomp doesn't have to be engineered to recover from being flipped.  

In smaller/lighter bots, there can be an simplicity in elegance of the fight.  The youngster that Ray Billings is mentoring has a very simple bot. And the kid drives it very well.  

Maybe there needs to be a demolition derby type competition with parts flying all over the place.  AND a significantly lighter weight class with longer matches that looks to repeated action rather than going for the knock out.

[4Sibes Redux]

I understand what someone would build a bit like Chomp to be innovative. But I don’t think it brings anything to the competition. 

I like Copperhead’s simplicity. And I like the little small snakes that don’t add anything. 

[rmontro]

7 hours ago, 4Sibes Redux said:

I understand what someone would build a bit like Chomp to be innovative. But I don’t think it brings anything to the competition. 

I like Copperhead’s simplicity. And I like the little small snakes that don’t add anything. 

I think this version of Chomp is better than the old version.

Those little snakes are funny.

[grommit2]

My pet peeve:  I am annoyed by the director taking the camera off the bots and showing the teams driving the bots.
The people driving the bots...this shot  adds nothing to the show, but definitely detracts from the action.
As an old director, I recognize the compulsion to try to spice up the action by switching to a shot of the crews. 
But, as a fan, I say please keep the camera on the bots.  

[Quilt Fairy]

On 2/7/2021 at 4:49 PM, grommit2 said:

My pet peeve:  I am annoyed by the director taking the camera off the bots and showing the teams driving the bots.
The people driving the bots...this shot  adds nothing to the show, but definitely detracts from the action.
As an old director, I recognize the compulsion to try to spice up the action by switching to a shot of the crews. 
But, as a fan, I say please keep the camera on the bots.  

This, a  million times, plus - I wish Discovery wouldn't keep plastering their banner ads for Discovery+ across the bottom of the screen when all the action is taking place at the bottom of the screen!  Arggghhh!

Edited February 13, 2021 by Quilt Fairy

[libgirl2]

Ahhh... Rusty, thank you for the fun! 

[Quilt Fairy]

Wow, Tombstone only got the #21 seed, that's quite a comedown for a past winner.  I think it may still surprise people now that the qualifiers are over. 

Really nice to see my favorite Huge made it in as well.  

Edited February 13, 2021 by Quilt Fairy

[rmontro]

They didn't have a loser's bracket this year.  Too bad, that's usually entertaining.

[enoughcats]

15 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Tombstone only got the #21 seed

About three episodes in, I started getting a bad feeling about the bots we know and have grown to admire over time.

This may be their last Hurrah!.  From IceWave to Duck to Tombstone to Bronco, I guess we'll have to come up with the robot equivalent of "Hey, kid, get off'a my lawn." for next year.

[rmontro]

At least there's no Bite Force this year.  I was getting tired of it winning.

Looks like they're trying to set Hydra up as the new king of the hill.

[grommit2]

On 2/13/2021 at 12:39 AM, Quilt Fairy said:

Wow, Tombstone only got the #21 seed, that's quite a comedown for a past winner.  I think it may still surprise people now that the qualifiers are over. 

Really nice to see my favorite Huge made it in as well.  

Hi Quilt Fairy...
Huge is really interesting.  Seems to defy most designs, except for that monstrous spinning blade. 
The wheels look so fragile. Clearly they are not. 
Looks like you could attack from the side, if you could actually complete that maneuver. 

[KHenry14]

58 minutes ago, grommit2 said:

Hi Quilt Fairy...
Huge is really interesting.  Seems to defy most designs, except for that monstrous spinning blade. 
The wheels look so fragile. Clearly they are not. 
Looks like you could attack from the side, if you could actually complete that maneuver. 

Huge's weakness is horizontal spinners. A bot like Bloodsport or Perfect Phoenix would rip it to shreds. But I really like Huge, a very clever design.

[Quilt Fairy]

5 hours ago, KHenry14 said:

Huge's weakness is horizontal spinners.

I don't remember the bot that did it, but someone attached a spike to their bot to put through Huge's wheels.  It didn't cut them up, but it prevented Huge from doing much IIRC. 

[grommit2]

Ok...problem:  I cannot tell one bot from another.
I need a photo array with names. 
Like a scorecard with pictures. 
But, I sure do like those huge collisions where both bots go flying.