Battlebots: Season 6, Episode 10 Review (TV Series, 2022)
Editorial note: These Battlebots reviews will contain spoilers.
We’re finally at the end of the qualifying rounds. By the end of this episode, we will know who is still competing for the Giant Nut at the end of the single elimination tournament.
Battlebots makes it a point this time to include every robot with a 2-1 record or higher. Good. That avoids the controversy from last year where 1-2 robots qualified over P1 with a 2-1 record. That also means that there are quite a few robots that won two fights and didn’t get a third (because of scheduling issues) that qualify, as well. The fights tonight are determining the final guaranteed spots in the tournament.
Up first is Bloodsport vs Claw Viper. Both of these robots are 1-1 right now. Bloodsport is the interchangeable weapon horizontal spinner from Justin Marple and Team Bots ‘n’ Stuff Robotics. It lost its first fight in a knockout against Whiplash but won against SubZero in a knockout. Claw Viper is the grappler bot from Kevin Milczewski and Team Bad Ideas. They won their first fight of the season against Pardon My French in a knockout, but lost their second fight against Black Dragon when they couldn’t show enough controlled movement.
Straight away, Bloodsport rips off the top grappling arm from Claw Viper. That does not stop Claw Viper. Claw Viper turns into a lifter, repeatedly scooping Bloodsport up and slamming it into the Arena walls. Bloodsport is tearing apart Claw Viper’s weapon, but Claw Viper is controlling the fight and ramming Bloodsport over and over again.
The fight goes to a judges’ decision. Bloodsport wins unanimously. With the current scoring system, I agree with the decision. Bloodsport could’ve taken 5-0 on Damage since there is no sign of Damage on Bloodsport but Claw Viper lost its entire weapon. Claw Viper was in Control and more Aggressive, but not enough that Bloodsport would get no points in those categories. I’ll be honest. If there wasn’t a scoring system in place, I’d give the win to Claw Viper. The rules are the rules, and Bloodsport did enough to win in this tournament.
Next is Mad Catter versus Rampage. Mad Catter is the flipper/vertical spinner bot from Martin Mason and Team Bad Kitty. They’re currently 1-1, winning against Yeti in a knockout but losing against SawBlaze in a knockout. Rampage is a vertical disc spinner from the Knox Family and Team X. They lost a YouTube exclusive fight against Retrograde in a knockout.
Mad Catter and Rampage go head to head straight away. Mad Catter has a stronger drive train and easily pushes Rampage onto the Upper Deck. Rampage makes their way off, then gets tossed back up, losing its upper armor plate and landing upside down on its weapon. Rampage gets counted out.
Mad Catter looks strong going into the Round of 32. Their wins against Yeti and Rampage were quite dominant, and their loss against SawBlaze was still an impressive showing of driving and durability.
The next fight is HUGE vs Switchback. Both robots are 1-1 this season. HUGE is the massive two-wheeled robot with multiple wheel and vertical spinner configurations from Jonathan Schultz and Team HUGE. They lost in a knockout to Riptide but won in a knockout against Retrograde. Switchback is the rookie bot with a customizable vertical drum spinner on a 180 degree articulating arm from Greg Needel and Team Midnight Invention. They lost their first fight against Gruff in a knockout but won in a YouTube exclusive fight against Slammo! in a knockout.
Switchback looks great coming out of the box. It’s moving at full speed and the weapon is going full speed, too. They miss their box rush against HUGE, giving HUGE the opportunity to spin back around and flip Switchback upside down. Switchback can self-right and starts digging its weapon into HUGE’s frame and weapon. Neither robot is moving as well as it should after some big weapon on weapon hits, but HUGE’s weapon is causing way more damage to Switchback’s frame. HUGE knocks out one of Switchback’s weapon belts and then its drive train in back to back hits. Switchback stops moving and loses in a knockout.
HUGE did seem to be struggling with its movement, but that robot actually moves really well even with just the one wheel getting traction. They have experience with HUGE-like robots in multiple weight classes and know how to maintain translational and controlled movement with their weapon and one wheel. That weapon is dangerous this year.
Up next is Kraken vs Glitch. Kraken is the pneumatic crusher from Matt Spurk and Team CE Robots. They’re actually 0-2 this season, losing judges’ decisions against Rotator and HiJinx. Glitch is the rookie omni wheel eggbeater from Kyle Miller and Team Combat Robotics at Berkeley. They’re 2-0 this season, winning in a judges’ decision against Ghost Raptor and in a knockout against Hydra.
Glitch uses its omni wheels right away to slide away from the starting box sideways and get away from Kraken. They do not engage until their weapon is fully up to speed. They launch Kraken onto the Upper Deck. Kraken makes its way down, but half of its drive train locks up. Kraken crabwalks at Glitch, then gets launched into the screws and cannot free itself. Glitch wins in a knockout.
Glitch is the best performing rookie in the tournament. I’m excited to see what it does in the Round of 32. Eggbeaters are a dominant force in a lot of the lower weight classes and the bots finally approved to compete with them on Battlebots are proving how well that wide horizontal spinner-style works in the heavyweight category.
The next fight is Mammoth vs Lucky. Both of these robots are 1-1 so far. Mammoth is the massive trebuchet-style flexible spinner/lifter from Ricky Willems and Team Mammoth. They won their first fight against HiJinx is a knockout but lost their second fight against Tombstone in a judges’ decision. Lucky is the flipper from Mark Demers and Team TKO Robotics. They lost their first fight against Tantrum in a knockout but won their second fight against Blade in a knockout.
Lucky misses its first flip in the box rush, but lands the second one beautifully. It launches Mammoth half on, half off the Upper Deck. Lucky uses the opportunity to knock off Mammoth’s right wheel with its flipper, putting Mammoth back on the Arena floor. Lucky flips it again, knocking it upside down. Mammoth takes a long time trying to self-right. Lucky loses the front of its flipper and gets the arm stuck in place, but Mammoth slips its weapon chain and starts smoking. One final hit flips Mammoth upside down again. It can no longer self-right and gets counted out.
Lucky has always had the potential to be a real contender for the Battlebots championship. The robot is so durable and that flipper (which they call a launcher) is so strong. Lucky’s upcoming opponents should not underestimate what it can do.
Next up is Rusty vs Witch Doctor. Rusty is the beloved, adorable hammerbot from Dave Eaton and Team Iron Force. It’s currently 0-1 this season, losing its only fight to Blip. Witch Doctor is the asymmetrical vertical spinner from Andrea Gellatly, Mike Gellatly, and Team Witch Doctor. They are currently 1-1, winning their first fight in a judges’ decision against DUCK! but losing their second fight in a knockout against End Game.
Rusty is going headfirst with a new lifter attachment instead of its hammer. Witch Doctor doesn’t take the bait, choosing to do laps over and over until its weapon is up to full speed. The first impact flips Rusty upside down. Rusty can self-right, and self-rights right into Witch Doctor’s weapon. Witch Doctor splits the new lifter plow in half. A hit on the side knocks Rusty onto just the right angle to stop it from self-righting again. Our precious boy Rusty loses. Even Team Witch Doctor is sad to move on like this.
Now cracks a noble bot. Good night, sweet prince. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
Never count out Witch Doctor. Andrea and Mike Gellatly are both experienced robot builders and put a lot of work into their heavyweight every season. If they can tune in the drivetrain issues like they did for this fight, they’re a force to contend with in the Round of 32.
I do want to point out that Rusty had a rough season for a reason. This is still Season 5’s version of Rusty. The new build for Season 6 could not be finished in time because of supply issues. The new Rusty was photographed for the tournament but unable to run. Next season, with the planned upgrades, Rusty could be a real contender. This season, it was the same bot that fought its way through Season 5 and the Bounty Hunters tournament.
The main event is Fusion vs ICEwave. Both robots are 1-1 this season. Fusion is the dual vertical and horizontal spinner from Reese Ewert and Team Whyachi. They won their first fight in a knockout against Cobalt, but lost their second fight in a knockout against Copperhead. ICEwave is the gas-powered horizontal spinner from Mark DeVidts and Team ICEwave. They lost their first fight of the season against Black Dragon in a knockout, but won their second fight against Deadlift in a knockout.
Fusion is leading with its vertical spinner but only firing up the horizontal spinner. ICEwave gets a strong hit in straight away, but its blade stop spinning after the impact. Fusion gets ICEwave caught on the screws and stops moving. ICEwave frees itself and Fusion starts smoking. Fusion is counted out and ICEwave moves on to the Round of 32.
All I’m going to say is a functioning ICEwave is no joke. That hum is terrifying when the weapon gets to speed. Marc DeVidts is another robot combat veteran and he has ICEwave looking the best it has in years. If the blade can keep spinning, it can knockout most of the robots in the tournament.
In an interesting twist, four robots on the bubble with 1-2 records are going to compete for the number 31 and 32 seeds. Skorpios will battle Malice for the chance to fight number one seed End Game. Hydra will battle Defender for the chance to fight number two seed Ribbot.
I’m going to put up a screengrab of the full Round of 32 bracket. Per the Discovery website, robots on the left side of the bracket will fight next week, 17 March; robots on the right side of the bracket will fight the following week, 24 March.
There’s also one more YouTube exclusive fight this week between two rookie bots. Blade, the horizontal bar spinner from Cheog Gyu Hwang and Team Orby, faces Dragon Slayer, the vertical spinner from Jordan Neal and Team Wild Side Robotics. Members of the Battlebots Facebook page can watch this fight already. Everyone else can see it on the Battlebots YouTube page this Sunday, 13 March.
Battlebots premieres new episodes at 8PM EST on Thursdays Nights on Discovery Channel. Discovery+ releases the episodes earlier in the day.
For the posterity. Predictions for the tournament as of 11 March 2022.
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