Headscratchers / BattleBots

• Why do some bots never seem to use their weapons, except in situations where it's completely pointless? Like they'll pin their opponent into a corner and hold them there, without attacking, despite having a functional weapon. Looking at you, Blacksmith and Sawblaze.
  • Against spinners at least, this is usually done to minimize the potential damage that a weapon-to-weapon hit would cause, a fact some horizontal spinners weaponize by putting their spinner on the top. A weapon attached to a swinging arm is much more likely to break off completely if it comes into contact with a spinner's main weapon than it is to damage the spinner.
    • This was proven in the 2020 match between beta and Rotator. beta's team predicted that their hammer would break the moment it so much as touched Rotator's spinning disk while it's still working, and they were absolutely right. As controversial as their decision to never swing the hammer was, it was the safest strategy they had. Shatter! also lost its hammerhead against End Game after hitting their spinner.
    • Happened again with Blacksmith when fighting Malice in 2022; Blacksmith's hammer hit Malice's spinner and broke instantly. The commentators specifically mentioned it as a mistake to fire the hammer when the spinner was still working.
    • For another example, Shatter Vs Malice. Shatter hits the spinner and its hammer well, shattered. Only the chain broke off Malice’s spinner and it became a shoving match with Shatter desperately whacking the opponent with a bare arm.