BattleBots

And here's the halfway point, then the series takes a hiatus for Shark Week apparently. Anyway:

Hyper Shock v Free Shipping: I haven't been terribly impressed with Hyper Shock this season. While it's won where Free Shipping hasn't, said victory was against a Joke Character. Despite a structural advantage, I fully expect Hyper Shock's drive to blow out again. Meanwhile Free Shipping losses have all been razor thin and that lifter is powerful. Likely Free Shipping

Red Devil v Sub Zero: On one hand, I could see Red Devil being flipped and the team having problems working the treads if not outright broken on impact. On the other, Sub Zero's flipper isn't very impressive to begin with and it isn't that fast. Still Red Devil has overall had a much better record, so I'll go with Tilt Red Devil.

Sharkoprion v Warhead: While this one may be a reasonable fight for the start, I trust Warhead will get the upper-hand and then utterly dismantle the shark. By either dome spinner or by dino head. Glad to see both bots return, but Sharkoprion seems outmatched. Solid Warhead

Monsoon v Son Of Whyachi: This one should be interesting. On one hand, Monsoon's weapon seems to malfunction a lot, which would leave it helpless. On the other, Son of Whyachi is vulnerable to vertical spinners inherently, so it'd have to spin up first and avoid spinner-on-spinner contact. I'll call this Tilt Monsoon

Main Event, Bronco vs DUCK!: This one should be interesting, unless DUCK! gets tossed out of the arena 10 seconds in that is. Both are durable machines vulnerable only at the wheels. DUCK is faster and has a weapon that can actually feasibly puncture Bronco's tires. But Bronco has a wedge that could disable that weapon and as established earlier, buck it out of the arena. Methinks Lean Bronco

Bonus Rumble, Ultimo Destructo vs Axe Backwards: Apparently the former has won all its matches, though I don't know why these weren't televised. If they were just that bad, that brings it down. Meanwhile Axe Backwards has been pretty terrible. Likely Ultimo Destructo'''

Edited by terlwyth on Jul 12th 2018 at 4:53:13 AM

Okay, Imma just gonna be quick on this since I'm tired and don't feel like doing a full write-up. But I got 4/5 correct...TBD decided on the Bonus one, which won't air for a while.

So with Hyper Shock vs Free Shipping: It went exactly as I expected it to, down to the last play. Will Bales just can't "unsuckify" that drive of his if a gun got put on his head. Winner: Free Shipping

Red Devil vs Sub Zero: Well it went slightly better for Red Devil than when it faced Bombshell last season, and that was all it needed to win, but it wasn't entertaining. Winner: Red Devil

Warhead vs Sharkoprion: I wrote my initial assuming it would use its dome, rather than its T-Rex head and only added back lazily that "yeah even with the T-Rex head". Well it turned out mostly as I thought, though it probably would've been over sooner with the dome spinner and Sharky actually did do some decent damage. Winner: Warhead

Monsoon vs Son of Whyachi: I got this one wrong, but only by overestimating how much lift/force Monsoon's spinner could pull with So W up to speed. Unfortunate that So W got the weapon up to speed so quickly, but Monsoon held out for a while. Winner: Son of Whyachi

Bronco vs DUCK!: The end result was as I expected, but I didn't imagine Bronco would actually flip itself so much on the way, nor for DUCK! to gain that much of an advantage when the battle was in the mushpot. Seems to me like the winner was decided when DUCK! made the mistake of going too close to the edge. Pity. Winner Bronco'''

Okay it looks like I got half of Episode 9 correct.

And I got 2/6 matches from Episode 10 wrong.

Edited by terlwyth on Jul 27th 2018 at 8:31:32 AM

Okay, here's Episode 11:

It was a "Loser's Tournament" in which 8 hapless bots leapfrog into the real deal if they win.

The 8 were: Lockjaw, Lucky, Gigabyte, Valkyrie, Kraken, Double Dutch, Hypothermia, and Gemini

My guess for the final match was Gigabyte vs Lockjaw, with Lockjaw as winner.

Well I got the winner right, but Lucky did a surprisingly good job and even managed to defeat Gigabyte in the semi...but it came into the final worn out compared to Lockjaw

All in all, nice change of pace and I hope season 4 keeps this tradition.

Rotato R v Skorpios: Skorpios has a slightly better record overall and has the mobility and grabbing advantage to hack into Rotato R's side. But Rotato R has those two blades that could also lop off the latter's weapon. I suspect this'll be the closest match of the night. Tilt Skorpios

Ultimo Destructo v Witch Doctor: Apparently UD's wins were more like "wins" than anything significant, and it lost hard when it finally got a televised match. Meanwhile Witch Doctor is competent and hasn't left any spot seriously open. Solid Witch Doctor

WAR Hawk v Overhaul: Not impressed with Overhaul overall, they won their last match against Chomp...but only barely. Even without that record, spinners have an advantage. Solid WAR Hawk

Chomp v Warhead: Chomp has done terribly this season. But most of those loses were judge calls of some kind, and besides HUGE, the hammer still did a decent job. If Warhead uses their spinner, they should run away with it. If they go with thedino-head, that makes them an unnecessarily bigger target to be possibly done in by the hammer.But it's not hard to tip it over and stop from self-righting. I'll call this Lean Warhead

Main Event, Tombstone vs Whiplash: Nothing to see here, most open and shut case for the night. Solid Tombstone

Bonus Rumble, Sharkoprion vs Gemini: This could be either very interesting, or very boring. Given that this round is usually the worst to watch, the latter is most likely. Either because one or both bots breakdown in match, or because Sharkoprion quickly bites those twins with its spinner. Eh, Likely Sharkoprion.

Well, this episode had its moments.

Warhawk's minibot was the most effective I've ever seen a minibot be. I could've sworn I saw it actually pushing Overhaul for a moment despite being orders of magnitude smaller. The Chomp vs. Warhead fight was exciting, too. So much fire! And while it wasn't enough to secure the win over Warhead, dialing down the strength of Chomp's hammer did help it immensely with its stability problems. I feel like if it had done that from the start, it could've done better this year. And finally, Whiplash managed to get a few good hits in on Tombstone. Tombstone still won by KO, but Whiplash at least made it interesting.

Ep. 12 Results

Rotato R v Skorpios

I: Skorpios has a slightly better record overall and has the mobility and grabbing advantage to hack into Rotato R's side. But Rotato R has those two blades that could also lop off the latter's weapon. I suspect this'll be the closest match of the night. Tilt Skorpios

O: I still stand by what I said about this being Skorpio's battle to lose, and lose they did. I overestimated the ease of grabbing Rotato R, but I know Saw Blaze could've done it. They did a really good job at control like they did with Ice Wave. But in the end, Rotato R lopped of the head and took the lead from that point on. Winner: Rotato R by JD

Ultimo Destructo v Witch Doctor

I: Apparently UD's wins were more like "wins" than anything significant, and it lost hard when it finally got a televised match. Meanwhile Witch Doctor is competent and hasn't left any spot seriously open for attack. Solid Witch Doctor

O: UD lost a wheel, then a second, then split in half. Winning don't work like that. Winner: Witch Doctor by KO

WAR Hawk v Overhaul

I: Not impressed with Overhaul overall, they won their last match against Chomp...but only barely. Even without that record, spinners have an advantage. Solid WAR Hawk

O: I'm surprised with how close this battle was, though most of what I said was true at the beginning, with Overhaul losing a few panels to that spinner, eventually WAR Hawk couldn't completely move. In the end, it was mini-bot that did the heavy lifting. Said mini-bot just happened to be on Team WAR Hawk rather than Overhaul. Winner: WAR Hawk by JD

Chomp v Warhead

I: Chomp has done terribly this season. But most of those loses were judge calls of some kind, and besides HUGE, the hammer still did a decent job. If Warhead uses their spinner, they should run away with it. If they go with the dino-head, that makes them an unnecessarily bigger target to be possibly done in by the hammer.But it's not hard to tip it over and stop from self-righting. I'll call this Lean Warhead

O: I admit I underestimated how hard it would be for Chomp to hammer down on anything with the dino head in flux. However, the rest of the match was Warhead just biting into Chomp and knocking it over. Chomp did finally get the self-righting correct, but the top heaviness along with the weapon being structurally useless did it in. Winner: Warhead by Judge's Decision

Main Event, Tombstone vs Whiplash

I: Nothing to see here, most open and shut case for the night. Solid Tombstone

O: I repeat, nothing to see here. Sure Whiplash didn't get completely obliterated..but it still went the exact same way....what a bore! Winner: Tombstone by KO

Bonus Rumble, Sharkoprion vs Gemini

I: This could be either very interesting, or very boring. Given that this round is usually the worst to watch, the latter is most likely. Either because one or both bots breakdown in match, or because Sharkoprion quickly bites those twins with its spinner. Eh, Likely Sharkoprion.

O: Eh, looks like Sharkoprion won, thanks to a few bites and tail whips

Edited by terlwyth on Aug 16th 2018 at 12:51:48 PM

With UD I wonder if part of why it came apart the way it did is because of it being a modular bot, being designed to have the central section removed and replaced makes it an easy target for causing the sections to split under enough kinetic energy.

Ep. 13

Red Devil v Valkyrie: I could see this go either way. Valkyrie has a good spinner and seems to be pretty fast. But Red Devil still has that wedge to head it off, and it's much more effective against horizontal spinners anyway. It probably comes down to driving. Toss-up

Brutus vs Gigabyte: Brutus has done fairly well as of late, and they are reasonably fast. However, Gigabyte has the raw power on its side. If I recall, Brutus doesn't self-right all that well, whereas Gigabyte should be able to [assuming the shaft is fixed]. I'd give Gigabyte the advantage, but not by much. Tilt Gigabyte

Bite Force vs Bombshell: I'd be highly surprised if Bombshell won this one. This just isn't their season, just like two years ago wasn't Bite Force's time. But Bite Force seems to be back with a vengeance. I'll guess this one goes over quickly. Solid Bite Force

End Game vs Son of Whyachi: Son of Whyachi is vulnerable to vertical spinners, but only if said vertical spinners act fast enough and hit just right. End Game seems fast enough, but I don't know if it can do that without being damaged by So W's hammers. After Monsoon's defeat...I just dunno. Likely Son of Whyachi

Main Event, Blacksmith v Minotaur: Ah, a rematch, well perhaps Blacksmith will survive this time. That said, I didn't expect it to do so well against Bite Force in the inaugural match. But, the ball is in Minotaur's court. Solid Minotaur

Bonus Rumble, Reality vs Lucky: Reality hasn't really done all that well so far, whereas Lucky, in spite of a bad start, managed a respectable round in the Loser's Tournament, and nearly won the shot at the 16. I mean it's possible Reality lops the flipper off or busts a wheel off Lucky. More likely that Lucky tosses it into the screws or out the arena. Likely Lucky

Ep. 13

Red Devil v Valkyrie:

I: I could see this go either way. Valkyrie has a good spinner and seems to be pretty fast. But Red Devil still has that wedge to head it off, and it's much more effective against horizontal spinners anyway. It probably comes down to driving. Toss-up

O: Looks like it went to Valkyrie, mostly because Red Devil did not box rush as it should've. Still points for still going with one set of treads gone Devil. Winner: Valkyrie by Judge's Decision

Brutus vs Gigabyte

I: Brutus has done fairly well as of late, and they are reasonably fast. However, Gigabyte has the raw power on its side. If I recall, Brutus doesn't self-right all that well, whereas Gigabyte should be able to [assuming the shaft is fixed]. I'd give Gigabyte the advantage, but not by much. Tilt Gigabyte

O: The only thing I got wrong was the length of time. I figured, it'd be a quickie defeat with Brutus flipping over on impact. Instead, Brutus almost won until making one mistake that flipped it over. Winner: Gigabyte

Bite Force vs Bombshell

I: I'd be highly surprised if Bombshell won this one. This just isn't their season, just like two years ago wasn't Bite Force's time. But Bite Force seems to be back with a vengeance. I'll guess this one goes over quickly. Solid Bite Force

O: What a true ballet of despair, flipped over, forced up, and punched out of the arena in under a minute! Truly a perfectly fit way to end Bombshell's run. Winner: Bite Force

End Game vs Son of Whyachi

I: Son of Whyachi is vulnerable to vertical spinners, but only if said vertical spinners act fast enough and hit just right. End Game seems fast enough, but I don't know if it can do that without being damaged by So W's hammers. After Monsoon's defeat...I just dunno. Likely Son of Whyachi

O: Wow, I did not think it'd be over that quickly. I figured Son of Whyachi would demolish it with the hammers for a while. Instead, both bots nearly both got KO'd, Whyachi by a near flight out the arena on impact, End Game by the drive giving. The only difference was Whyachi managed to get back in. Winner: Son of Whyachi

Main Event, Blacksmith v Minotaur: Ah, a rematch, well perhaps Blacksmith will survive this time. That said, I didn't expect it to do so well against Bite Force in the inaugural match. But, the ball is in Minotaur's court. Solid Minotaur

O: Well, Blacksmith survived, and even got in a lot of good counter-punches. But in the end, Minotaur is Minotaur, and even with a deliberately less powerful weapon, this was proven. Winner: Minotaur by Judge's Decision

Bonus Rumble, Reality vs Lucky:

I: Reality hasn't really done all that well so far, whereas Lucky, in spite of a bad start, managed a respectable round in the Loser's Tournament, and nearly won the shot at the 16. I mean it's possible Reality lops the flipper off or busts a wheel off Lucky. More likely that Lucky tosses it into the screws or out the arena. Likely Lucky

O: I was wrong, Reality pulled it off Winner: Reality

Edited by terlwyth on Aug 23rd 2018 at 1:28:59 AM

Ep. 14

Petunia v Yeti: This could be either really close, as Yeti charges straight in and gets gripped at the drum by Petunia, whom either wins by wearing the weapon out, or losses by burning itself out trying to subdue the weapon...a Lockjaw v Yeti sorta thing. That or Yeti goes Leeroy Jenkins all over it and busts its sides. For this, I'd say...Lean Yeti

Axe Backwards v Monsoon: While Axe Backwards has a powerful weapon, it doesn't seem reliable, and quite hampered in its mobility. Monsoon has a powerful weapon too, but it's also much faster. This leaves Axe Backwards vulnerable at the wheels. Solid Monsoon

Warhead vs Warrior Dragon: This seems like an open-and-shut case for Warhead, especially if they use their spinner this time. Warrior Dragon should be opened up like a tuna can. Solid Warhead

Tombstone v DUCK!: Last time they had counterparts facing off, it was Tombstone's that got stomped against DUCK!'s. However Tombstone is much more durable than Last Rites and can win pretty quickly if Ray drives fast enough at DUCK's wheels. Whereas DUCK has to outlast, though it has done amazing at exactly that and only lost Bronco because it decided to follow Bronco to edge. I like DUCK's chances the most of any bot since BETA last season, but Tombstone is a force. I'd be euphoric if wrong, but, Tilt Tombstone

Main Event, Bronco v Sawblaze: This one honestly depends on whom gets under whom first as far as I can tell and Saw Blaze is faster at that. However, Bronco's weapon is probably more devastating and doesn't have to be quite as precise a hit. I'm calling this one a Toss-up

Bonus Rumble, Mecha Rampage v Tantrum: Going by which kind of weapon has the advantage, Mecha Rampage should easily win. But then again, Tantrum has a mobility edge and could flip Mecha Rampage on its side. It's probably gonna be close and dull to watch but...Tilt Tantrum

Ep. 14 Results

Petunia v Yeti

I: This could be either really close, as Yeti charges straight in and gets gripped at the drum by Petunia, whom either wins by wearing the weapon out, or losses by burning itself out trying to subdue the weapon...a Lockjaw v Yeti sorta thing. That or Yeti goes Leeroy Jenkins all over it and busts its sides. For this, I'd say...Lean Yeti

O: Yeti went all Leeroy Jenkins. Winner: Yeti by KO

Axe Backwards v Monsoon

I: While Axe Backwards has a powerful weapon, it doesn't seem reliable, and quite hampered in its mobility. Monsoon has a powerful weapon too, but it's also much faster. This leaves Axe Backwards vulnerable at the wheels. Solid Monsoon

O: Hey look at that, just one hit on the wheels was it for Axe Backwards. Winner: Monsoon by KO'

Warhead vs Warrior Dragon

I: This seems like an open-and-shut case for Warhead, especially if they use their spinner this time. Warrior Dragon should be opened up like a tuna can. Solid Warhead

O: Well, it wasn't so open and shut thanks to one critical push from Warrior Dragon which chopped off a third of Warhead's spinner. But like a Drunken Master, Warhead kept on coming with its flames a whacked weapon. But Warrior Dragon held off reasonably well. I wouldn't have given that decision if I were a judge but the Winner: Warhead by Judge's Decision

Tombstone v DUCK!

I: Last time they had counterparts facing off, it was Tombstone's that got stomped against DUCK!'s. However Tombstone is much more durable than Last Rites and can win pretty quickly if Ray drives fast enough at DUCK's wheels. Whereas DUCK has to outlast, though it has done amazing at exactly that and only lost Bronco because it decided to follow Bronco to edge. I like DUCK's chances the most of any bot since BETA last season, but Tombstone is a force. I'd be euphoric if wrong, but, Tilt Tombstone

O: Called it, DUCK's wheels were chopped well before Tombstone's blade gave out, but it did give out, and more interestingly Tombstone was actually immobilized for a bit. If those killsaws hadn't hit DUCK! at just the right place, this might have been ended differently for DUCK. I think this might be the best match for Tombstone yet. Winner Tombstone by KO

Main Event, Bronco v Sawblaze:

I: This one honestly depends on whom gets under whom first as far as I can tell and Saw Blaze is faster at that. However, Bronco's weapon is probably more devastating and doesn't have to be quite as precise a hit. I'm calling this one a Toss-up

O: Saw Blaze started off decent, but Bronco got under, and that was that. Winner: Bronco by Judge's Decision

Bonus Rumble, Mecha Rampage v Tantrum

I: Going by which kind of weapon has the advantage, Mecha Rampage should easily win. But then again, Tantrum has a mobility edge and could flip Mecha Rampage on its side. It's probably gonna be close and dull to watch but...Tilt Tantrum

O: Okay, looks like Tantrum was the slow one this time, so ut got the ax instead. But I was right about it being boring Winner: Mecha Rampage

EDIT: Also, from this edit, the upcoming episode is a USA v The World spectacular...and therefore like The Loser's Tournament, I wanna do this one blind*

• okay okay I did speculate that Lockjaw would win The Loser's Tournament, but the rest is true.

Edited by terlwyth on Sep 6th 2018 at 1:28:09 AM

While Episode 15 was fun, I'm glad to be back to predictable episode that I can, well, predict a bit easier.

So, with that:

Whiplash v Warhead (UK): Whiplash has had an impressive run this season, but Warhead has done well with their rex head. This one probably depends on who gets the jump first. Toss-up

Overhaul v Witch Doctor: Witch Doctor wins this one easily as soon as it attacks. Solid Witch Doctor

Mohawk v Reality (NL): Mohawk is just....bad. Reality only needs to outlast to win this one. Solid Reality

Free Shipping v WAR Hawk: WAR Hawk has the weapon advantage easily, but it's had driving issues as of late that could hamper it. Free Shipping is just the opposite. However Free Shipping's team seems a bit more experienced and the bot seems a bit more versatile. Tilt Free Shipping

Sub Zero v Minotaur (BRA): Another Sacrifical Lamb to the might of Minotaur. I'd be surprised if this one actually lasts. Solid Minotaur

Ep. 16 Results

Whiplash v Warhead (UK)

I: Whiplash has had an impressive run this season, but Warhead has done well with their rex head. This one probably depends on who gets the jump first. Toss-up

O: This one was close, very impressive, but Whiplash got the first jump by getting around to the side and tipping Warhead over to where it couldn't self-right...pity about the spinner now huh, could've spun on the head with a vengeance if it hadn't been destroyed. Winner: Whiplash by KO

Overhaul v Witch Doctor

I: Witch Doctor wins this one easily as soon as it attacks. Solid Witch Doctor

O: Witch Doctor attacked. It won. Simple as that. Winner: Witch Doctor by KO

Mohawk v Reality (NL)

I: Mohawk is just....bad. Reality only needs to outlast to win this one. Solid Reality.

O: Went just as I expected, Mohawk was savaged pretty quickly in. Reality did take a bit of time to tip it over though. Winner: Reality by KO

Free Shipping v WAR Hawk

I: WAR Hawk has the weapon advantage easily, but it's had driving issues as of late that could hamper it. Free Shipping is just the opposite. However Free Shipping's team seems a bit more experienced and the bot seems a bit more versatile. Tilt Free Shipping

O: WAR Hawk had their best performance for the season. Truly better than I ever anticipated as it rushed right in and destroyed Free Shipping's weapon and toppled it. However, Gary Gin's mad driving skills kept Free Shipping going to the end and turned the lifter into a whip. It wasn't enough though, but impressive still, given the damage. Winner: WAR Hawk by Judge's Decision

Main Event, Sub Zero v Minotaur (BRA)

I: Another Sacrificial Lamb to the might of Minotaur. I'd be surprised if this one actually lasts. Solid Minotaur

O: Minotaur whaled it like it owns the box! Subzero didn't stand a chance. Winner: Minotaur by KO

Alright, here's Episode 17, and the final episode before the Tournament begins. As such, I'm gonna finally get my betting odds back into order [I did skip two, so I won't count those].

HUGE vs ICE Wave: Ah, one of my favorite bots in this season vs one of my favorite to rag on! That said, Icewave has more experience with all types of bot, while this is HUGE's first match with a horizontal spinner. This matters because a horizontal spinner would have the easiest time dismantling HUGE's wheels. To do this, ICE Wave is going to have to get to HUGE's side though. But if HUGE can keep ICE Wave centered, it should have free range to wallop from top down. Either way, one bot will be destroyed! While I hope it is HUGE, I'm calling this one a Toss-up

The Four Horsemen vs Gemini: A two spinner team vs a team of three with two spinners and one wedge bot? I'm giving the edge to the side with the wedge on this one. Tilt The Four Horsemen

Hypershock vs Skorpios: First, Hypershock is likely to give out, 'cuz Bales can't seem to bail himself out and land a good drive. But even if his drive is good, Skorpios can use its dustpan to great effect as a wedge. Likely Skorpios

The Clone Battle, WAR Hawk vs Brutus vs End Game: End Game has been in a rut as of late, and they seem to overexert themselves, meanwhile WAR Hawk in spite of a good win, does a have vulnerabilities in its drive. So by default, that leaves Brutus. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if either of the others managed to win. Tilt Brutus

Last Chance Rumble, Gigabyte vs Bombshell vs Lucky vs Red Devil vs Valkyrie vs DUCK!

- This should come down to Gigabyte vs DUCK! once everything is factored, and DUCK! should have the advantage. Likely DUCK!

HUGE vs ICE Wave

I: Ah, one of my favorite bots in this season vs one of my favorite to rag on! That said, Icewave has more experience with all types of bot, while this is HUGE's first match with a horizontal spinner. This matters because a horizontal spinner would have the easiest time dismantling HUGE's wheels. To do this, ICE Wave is going to have to get to HUGE's side though. But if HUGE can keep ICE Wave centered, it should have free range to wallop from top down. Either way, one bot will be destroyed! While I hope it is HUGE, I'm calling this one a Toss-up

O: There was HUUUUUUGE carnage tonight. Winner: Icewave by KO

The Four Horsemen vs Gemini

I: A two spinner team vs a team of three with two spinners and one wedge bot? I'm giving the edge to the side with the wedge on this one. Tilt The Four Horsemen

O: Surprisingly, the one wedge bot from The Four Horsemen exhausted itself doing its job. And Gemini had the advantage after that. But then it got close again as the duo hurt themselves and it came down to one on one, which Gemini eventually took out. Winner: Gemini by Judge's Decision

Hypershock vs Skorpios

I: First, Hypershock is likely to give out, 'cuz Bales can't seem to bail himself out and land a good drive. But even if his drive is good, Skorpios can use its dustpan to great effect as a wedge. Likely Skorpios

O: Called it! Skorpios dust-panned his way out, but hey, at least Hypershock didn't burn out and even managed to dismantle the weapon.Winner: Skorpios by Judge's Decision

The Clone Battle, WAR Hawk vs Brutus vs End Game

I: End Game has been in a rut as of late, and they seem to overexert themselves, meanwhile WAR Hawk in spite of a good win, does a have vulnerabilities in its drive. So by default, that leaves Brutus. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if either of the others managed to win. Tilt Brutus

O: I did not see that coming! Basically after an edgy 3 way, Brutus lost the ground clearing game and lost their wedge and weapon to End Game. After that it came down to WAR Hawk and End Game, and that was decided by War Hawk sneaking in from behind and flipping End Game over. Winner: WAR Hawk by KO

Last Chance Rumble, Gigabyte vs Bombshell vs Lucky vs Red Devil vs Valkyrie vs DUCK!

I: This should come down to Gigabyte vs DUCK! once everything is factored, and DUCK! should have the advantage. Likely DUCK!*

O: It started off with Lucky crippled from the outset and Gigabyte and Bombshell (which I really don't think deserved this spot and should've proved its mettle in The Loser's Tournament) competing for top while DUCK! waited for weakness. Valkyrie did itself in and Bombshell took out Red Devil. Eventually, Bombshell lost drive and DUCK! took the spotlight, doing what it does best. But then Bombshell moved which apparently was enough to put it to the judges, who use different rules a for rumble than regular match. This is where the asterisk comes in, as I made my prediction as if rules were the same. I got ahold of the special rules and with those had the gut feeling Bombshell would win on those rules. And in the end, that was correct. Winner: Bombshell by Judge's Decision

Okay, so that's 1/5 correct for this episode. Now for the total throughout the season (besides the episodes I sat out).

That total is: 44/83 matches or just a little more hit-than-miss.

Edited by terlwyth on Sep 14th 2018 at 7:47:28 AM

Also, the tournament bracket and seedings are in, so I'm just gonna do those predictions now too:

The Ground Matches

Tombstone (1) vs. Bombshell (16), The Sequel: Solid Tombstone

Bronco (2) vs WAR Hawk (15): Solid Bronco

Bite Force (3) vs HUGE (14): I like both of these bots and I see a slight way for HUGE to eke it out, but it's so faint. Likely Bite Force

Minotaur (4) vs Witch Doctor (13): If Witch Doctor ponies up and box-rushes, they have a good chance to bend the under-armor and stop Minotaur from moving right...but Minotaur is a bit faster and more powerful. Likely Minotaur

Saw Blaze (5) vs Monsoon (12): Monsoon is fast and has a good shot at lopping off Saw Blaze's weapon...but it isn't the most reliable and Saw Blaze has the dustpan. This one could go either way Toss-up

ICE Wave (6) vs Rotato R (11): Both are powerful and the first strike determines the match, but Rotato R has exposed wheels so Lean ICE Wave

Yeti (7) vs Whiplash (10): Solid Yeti

Son of Whyachi (8) vs Lockjaw (9): Lockjaw has to be fast enough to copter or flip SOW, which has a decent chance of happening. Son of Whyachi has the advantage just because L.J. could have drive issues too. Lean Son of Whyachi

I don't get why Huge is included in anything and it was satisfying to see it get snapped in two like it was nothing.

Because it won 3 of the 4 and besides the last battle, won them quite handily. Certainly deserves the place more than Bombshell.

Edited by terlwyth on Sep 19th 2018 at 2:18:38 AM

The Ground Matches, Part I

Tombstone (1) vs. Bombshell (16), The Sequel: Solid Tombstone

O: I take back every rage over last week's decision after this. I'm so elated over this one. Ultimately,Tombstone did itself in on Bombshell's wedge after too many clashes, and then spinner cut off the weapon chain. It was a push-match, which Tombstone just can't do...Yeti aside. Winner: Bombshell by KO

Minotaur (4) vs Witch Doctor (13)

I: If Witch Doctor ponies up and box-rushes, they have a good chance to bend the under-armor and stop Minotaur from moving right...but Minotaur is a bit faster and more powerful. Likely Minotaur

O: Minotaur was faster, so they ended up taking out Witch Doctor's wheels pretty quickly. Winner: Minotaur by KO

Saw Blaze (5) vs Monsoon (12)

I: Monsoon is fast and has a good shot at lopping off Saw Blaze's weapon...but it isn't the most reliable and Saw Blaze has the dustpan. This one could go either way Toss-up

O: I was right to call this one a toss-up. The difference was literally one wrong turn from Saw Blaze, which allowed Monsoon to chop off one of the wheels. Saw Blaze valiantly used that dust-pan, but with that wheel gone, there was little that could they do. Eventually the other wheel was chopped and that was that. Winner: Monsoon by Judge's Decision

Son of Whyachi (8) vs Lockjaw (9)

I: Lockjaw has to be fast enough to copter or flip SOW, which has a decent chance of happening. Son of Whyachi has the advantage just because L.J. could have drive issues too. Lean Son of Whyachi

O: Lockjaw used a back wedge instead and ended up ramming Son of Whyachi to death. Winner: Lockjaw by KO

Quarter Finals, Part I

1. Lockjaw (9) vs Bombshell (16): Since I formatted this assuming the Quarters would be their own thing, I didn't think I'd have to do this. But I'm gonna guess off-the-cuff that this rematch goes the same way as back in Episode 1. Bombshell gets upturned. Game Over.Solid Lockjaw

O: Called it! Winner: Lockjaw by KO

2. Minotaur (4) vs Monsoon (12):

I: Another match I didn't see coming to air tonight. I'm gonna guess that Minotaur takes this one. Solid Minotaur

O: It went over quickly. Thought Minotaur would surgically hit the side until no mobility could be had of Monsoon. But nope, just like Lockjaw, they flipped the other guy. Winner: Minotaur by KO

Semi Final, Part I

Lockjaw vs Minotaur: I underestimated Lockjaw last time, I have no intentions of doing so again. The back-plow means business and might be exactly what is needed to stop the onslaught that is Minotaur. They might even be able to ram it to death. However, Minotaur loves them so exposed wheels, which Lockjaw has, and it's fast. Lean Minotaur

The Ground Matches, Part II

Bronco (2) vs WAR Hawk (15): Solid Bronco

O: Oh, now WAR Hawk's drive fails. 3rd times the charm huh. It was actually pretty close until Bronco flipped Warhawk into the screws, which WAR Hawk spent all their energy to get out of. Winner: Bronco by KO'

Bite Force (3) vs HUGE (14):

I: I like both of these bots and I see a slight way for HUGE to eke it out, but it's so faint. Likely Bite Force

O: HUGE took the way I thought they needed to take to have a chance to win. It really looked like Bite Force could lose. But nevertheless, Bite Force persisted and rammed themselves at HUGE and eventually caused it to fall in on itself an split in half. I guess coming back from being split in half isn't so easy. Winner: Bite Force by KO

ICE Wave (6) vs Rotato R (11):

I: Both are powerful and the first strike determines the match, but Rotato R has exposed wheels so Lean ICE Wave

O: Rotato R decided to get rid of the bottom blade and reinforced the wheels with wedge. Rotato R fixed their problems, fended off Icewave's blade and took out the engine at the top. Shrapnel everywhere. Winner: Rotato R by Judge's Decision

Yeti (7) vs Whiplash (10): Solid Yeti

O: This was highlighted sadly. But apparently Yeti started off beating up Whiplash, but eventually Whiplash held out and took out Yeti's weapon, but not without burning themselves out. Literally took luck of the clock to determine this one. Winner: Whiplash by Judge's Decision

Quarter-Finals, Part II

Rotato R vs Bite Force: If Rotato R keeps that configuration, they might be able to stop Bite Force's weapon again and gain the upper hand. If they have both blades, they stand a chance to hit Bite Force at the side. But Bite Force is the better shover and Paul is a mean driver. I'd say Tilt Bite Force

O: Paul's a mean driver. Rotato R had no opening to hit the side at any point. Winner: Bite Force by KO

Bronco vs Whiplash: I think this depends on where the battle is fought. If it stays in the middle, Whiplash has the advantage. If it stays on the perimeter, Bronco wins by a ring-out. Methinks Toss-up

O: Whiplash managed to almost always stay away from Bronco's flipper and actually used the wheel guards as a means to push around. But more impressively, they actually managed to cut in and immobilize Bronco...without taking out any wheels! Winner: Whiplash by KO

And here's my final round of predictions for the season, possibly for good here at TV Tropes given the lack of debate over these things. Anyway:

Semi-Finals

Lockjaw vs Minotaur: I underestimated Lockjaw last time, I have no intentions of doing so again. The back-plow means business and might be exactly what is needed to stop the onslaught that is Minotaur. They might even be able to ram it to death. However, Minotaur loves them so exposed wheels, which Lockjaw has, and it's fast. Lean Minotaur

Bite Force vs Whiplash: Under normal circumstances, I'd call this a toss-up. Both drivers are beasts. However, Whiplash only got as far as they did because they defeated Bronco. And as both Tombstone and Minotaur learned the hard way, there's bad juju from doing that. Then again, they took out Bronco's drive, not Bronco's wheels like a boss. Maybe they cancels out the curse. Tilt Bite Force

Final

Minotaur vs Bite Force: Paul and Dan are once again, beast drivers. But since Bite Force has an unreliable weapon and is vulnerable at the side, while Minotaur's lone vulnerabilities lie at the wheels. On the other hand, Bite Force is the much better push-bot when push comes to shove. Hmmm, I don't want a Toss-up on the final match, that'd be unbecoming, so....I'll give the former champ an incumbency push. Tilt Bite Force.

Edited by terlwyth on Oct 3rd 2018 at 11:56:13 AM

And here's my final round of predictions for the season, possibly for good here at TV Tropes given the lack of debate over these things. Anyway:

Semi-Finals

Lockjaw vs Minotaur

I: I underestimated Lockjaw last time, I have no intentions of doing so again. The back-plow means business and might be exactly what is needed to stop the onslaught that is Minotaur. They might even be able to ram it to death. However, Minotaur loves them so exposed wheels, which Lockjaw has, and it's fast. Lean Minotaur

O: Minotaur was just too fast. Lockjaw could just never quite lift them or do anything. Each clash favored Minotaur...and Minotaur wasn't even at full-blast. It wasn't too long before Lockjaw just couldn't drive anymore. Winner: Minotaur by KO

Bite Force vs Whiplash

I: Under normal circumstances, I'd call this a toss-up. Both drivers are beasts. However, Whiplash only got as far as they did because they defeated Bronco. And as both Tombstone and Minotaur learned the hard way, there's bad juju from doing that. Then again, they took out Bronco's drive, not Bronco's wheels like a boss. Maybe they cancels out the curse. Tilt Bite Force

O: Nope, curse wasn't canceled out. A few rams into the side with the wheels taken out is proof. Winner: Bite Force by KO

Bonus Match, Tombstone vs Tantrum: For extra time, they [The show] aired a match between Tantrum and Tombstone....Tombstone obviously won.

Final

Minotaur vs Bite Force

I: Paul and Dan are once again, beast drivers. But since Bite Force has an unreliable weapon and is vulnerable at the side, while Minotaur's lone vulnerabilities lie at the wheels. On the other hand, Bite Force is the much better push-bot when push comes to shove. Hmmm, I don't want a Toss-up on the final match, that'd be unbecoming, so....I'll give the former champ an incumbency push. Tilt Bite Force.

O: Started off decently, both got decent hits in at first. But eventually Bite Force, you guessed it, went right after the wheels, which slowly hampered mobility. It also went after the drum spinner. Eventually, Minotaur just flat out couldn't move nor do anything. Much better final than 2016, but not as gripping as 2015. Winner: Bite Force by KO

That Tombstone exhibition match was brutal.

The new season of Battlebots starts next Friday!

Battlebots website page for the premiere

And here's a list of this season's bots