# Forum > Discussion > Media Discussions > TV New Battlebots season

## tomandtish

So, Battlebots has a new season starting this Thursday. Based on their website it looks like there are 57 robots competing. Some thoughts on each of them. Lifetime record will be in a wins/losses/knockout format. Early speculation as to whether they will make the bracket or not. MY predictions are based on actual performance that I've seen, but i freely acknowledge that there are things the committee considers that I can't. Spoilered for space savings. 

*Spoiler: Bots that should make the bracket (22)*
Show

Black Dragon: 14/7/8. Egg beater type spinner. This is an extremely tough bot that often outlasts opponents through sheer toughness. Spent large parts of last season on fire but still had solid record. Should make the bracket. 

Blip: 6/1/5. A rookie flipper last year Blip is the little flipper that could. While substantially smaller in size than other flippers, it is extremely gifted. Unlimited flipping ability also helps. Only weakness is that it tends to lose low ground battles with other flippers. Should make the bracket. 

Bloodsport: 14/7/9. A horizontal spinner that has a variety of blades, including some that also act as top armor. Hits extremely hard. Should make the bracket. 

Cobalt: 8/6/7. A brutal vertical spinner, Cobalt has their blade on the top of their bot. When they get under someone and land a solid hit the results are catastrophic. Should make the bracket.

Copperhead: 10/6/5. They use a drum spinner to deliver hard hits. Occasionally uses minibots that dont normally do much, but the power of Copperheads hits usually make up for it. Should make the bracket. 

End Game: 18/9/16. With their brutal vertical spinner End Game has one of the most impressive records in the league. They were champions in 2020 and won the Battlebots: Champions tournament in 2022. Not only will they make the bracket but going into this season they are the bot to beat.

Gigabyte: 13/10/12. A full body spinner capable of delivering a solid hit, but sometimes has clothing issues (the top dome has been knocked completely off on three separate occasions). Tends to make the bracket but usually doesnt go far. Ill predict the same here. 

Glitch: 7/1/3. Glitch and their eggbeater spinner are even more impressive than their record might indicate. They are extremely fast and maneuverable but did have some drive train issues. They won a bracket spot in 2021 but couldnt repair damage fast enough to compete and had to withdraw. They should make the bracket. 

Hydra: 14/5/9. Hydra is probably the best flipper in the game at present. It can maintain low ground and can flip an unlimited number of times since it is hydraulic and not pneumatic. They should make the bracket. 

Hypershock: 17/13/15. For many seasons Hypershock and their vertical spinner were an almost bot. They almost made the bracket. They almost had a great season. But reliability invariably reared its head in time to end the season. However, in the recent Champions season they made the semifinals with an incredible showing. Assuming reliability doesnt start glitching on them they should make the bracket. 

Jackpot: 6/4/5. Jackpot has a hard hitting vertical spinner and can deliver devastating hits. They lack a self-righter though which can cause serious problems. Theyll make the bracket but not go far. 

MadCatter (Im NOT going to do the letter thing!): 11/7/10. Let me get this out in the spirit of honesty. I cant stand martin Mason. The wrestler persona has always annoyed me, and Ill be rooting for him to be eliminated quickly. But despite that their vertical spinner hits incredibly hard and they are a fairly fast bot. Its an effective combination and Ill be surprised if they dont make the bracket. 

Minotaur: 19/9/13. A hard-hitting drum spinner, Minotaur has gone toe to toe with some of the best. Their driver Daniel Freitas is one of the best in the league. They should make the bracket. 

Ribbot: 14/6/13. Ribbot is hard hitting whether using a vertical or horizontal spinner (it can swap). While they often get stripped naked (losing the decorative cover) they can deal solid damage. They are also tough and had arguably the best comeback from near destruction to win of any bot (zombie Ribbot is a saying in our home. Should make the bracket. (My wife is a huge frog fan so Im contractually obligated to root for them). 

Riptide: 6/2/5. Riptides egg-beater spinner delivers hard blows, and they drive well. I expect them to make the bracket. 

Rotator: 15/11/8. Rotator started as a dual horizontal **** spinner (top and bottom) but switched to single blade a few seasons ago. They deliver hard hits and won some upset (at the time) victories. They do seem to have problems closing the deal but should make the bracket. 

SawBlaze: 17/9/6. Sawblaze started with a rotating saw blade but switched to a hammer saw which is much more effective. They are aided by the fact that Jameson Go is one of the best drivers in the sport. However, they do seem to have trouble making it to the end. Theyll make the bracket. 

Shatter: 9/6/3. A hammer bot (more like a pick really), Shatter is an extremely mobile bot that can hit hard. One of the few hammer bots that actually do damage. Theyll make the bracket. 

Skorpios: 16/9/5. Skorpios uses a hammer saw to great advantage and is very maneuverable. They should make the bracket. 

Tantrum: 16/7/8. Tantrum started with a punching fist on an arm. It had difficulty making contact with opponets. But in 2021 after a switch to a small drum spinner on the punching arm Tantrum came on strong. They won the 2021 season and did extremely well in the Champions series. They should make the bracket. 

Whiplash: 21/8/9. Whiplash uses a lifter arm with a small vertical spinner on it. They are helped by the fact that Mattie Vasquez is one of the best drivers in the sport. They should make the bracket. 

Witch Doctor: 24/12/17. Witch Doctor is another almost bot, although in their case its literal. Theyve made the finals 3 times in the last 4 seasons (counting Champions as a season), but cant close the deal. They will make the bracket.



*Spoiler: Bots on the cusp (10)*
Show

Beta: 6/3/3. A hammer bot with a decent record but seems to have trouble closing the deal when it counts. Tossup whether or not they make the bracket. 

Deathroll: 6/2/5. Deathroll and their vertical spinner had a solid season in 2019, winning nearly every fight with a knockout. However, they havent competed since then so Im putting them in the maybe category. 

Fusion: 4/5/4. Fusion is a dual spinner combo, with a horizontal blade in front and a vertical drum spinner in back. When it wins it tends to win solidly, but it sometimes seems to lack the power to be a true contender (doing two things OK instead of one thing well). Ill put it on the cusp. 

Gruff: 6/10/4. A lifter/grappler with a flamethrower, Gruff is an almost bot. They ALMOST seem to have a victory, but then something happens. Despite looking impressive they have yet to have a winning season. Ill put them on the cusp. 

Huge: 12/11/5. Uses a vertical bar spinner. Huge was an interesting design when it first came out and is in the top 3 in terms of size. However, the large wheels have not aged well and people have started getting more solid hits on the body. Ill put them on the cusp. 

Lock-Jaw: 18/14/11. Lock-jaw and their vertical spinner are another almost bot, made worse by the fact that Donald Hudson is considered a legend in the sport. They start their seasons strong but almost invariably have reliability issues and begin losing. Ill place them on the cusp. 

Mammoth: 8/11/6. Mammoth is a bit unique in that its a vertical arm flipper. Its also probably the biggest bot in the competition in terms of size. But it is incredibly vulnerable to a fast moving spinner. I put them on the cusp. 

Monsoon: 6/5/3. A vertical bar spinner Monsoon is hard-hitting but has had reliability issues in the past. We last saw them in 2019 so Im putting them in the cusp category. 

Quantum: 3/3/1. A crusher with piercing fangs Quantum had a decent rookie season in 2019 and we havent seen them since. Will put them on the cusp. 

Valkyrie: 15/10/10. Valkyrie is a horizontal spinner that suffers from durability issues. It will start strong but gradually starts losing fights as it breaks down. Ill place it on the cusp.
 


*Spoiler: Bots that probably won't make it (12)*
Show

Big Dill: 2/6/1. Classified as a lifter but also has a vertical spinner. Has had durability issues. Based on past performance not likely to make bracket. 

Captain Shrederator: 6/16/6. A full body spinner with serious reliability issues. When they win, it is a solid win, but they break down way too often. Opponents have actually planned their attacks under the assumption it will break down. Doubtful they will make the bracket. 

Claw Viper: 3/6/2. A lifter that has durability issues, Claw Viper seems to have problems working as a lifter. Has a hard time grappling and holding bots. Probably will not make the bracket. 

Free Shipping: 4/9/2. A lifter with a flame thrower Free Shipping is a bot that generates talk more for its builder/driver Gary Gin than its actual performance. Free Shipping spins a majority of its fights knocked over (or exploding in a ball of flame). Doubtful it will make the bracket. 

HiJinx: 5/6/4. A horizontal spinner that is positioned in such a way that they tend to have problems hitting anything. They have a long back tail that they use to get under opponents, but it also protects opponents from the blade. Im doubtful they will make the bracket. 

Kraken: 5/15/0. Kraken is a grappler/crusher (fangs are intended to penetrate), but isnt as effective as hoped. They tend to get shredded a lot, and have yet to actually have a knockout. I suspect they wont make the bracket. 

Lucky: 6/11/4. Lucky is the annoying little brother of flipper bots. It lacks power so the flips arent dramatic, and it regularly seems to break after 2-3 hits. It wont make the bracket. 

Malice: 6/7/3. Malice has an incredibly large horizontal drum spinner. It can deliver solid blows when everything works. However, it seems to get unbalanced way too easily, resulting in the blade completely stopping and having difficulty in getting up to speed. I suspect they wont make the bracket. 

Overhaul: 3/11/1. A grappling bot that seems to have problems grappling. In the past it appears to have had difficulty grabbing other bots, and the arm seems to get damaged easily. Will not make the bracket. 

Rusty: 2/5/1. Arguably a hammer bot, Rusty is the bot on a budget. The total cost of the bot is less than most people spend on batteries. Its cute, but almost completely ineffective. Will not make the bracket. 

Slammo: 2/6/2. A grappler robot that has never seemed particularly effective. Will not make the bracket. 

Switchback: 2/3/2. Switchback uses an egg-beater spinner on an articulated arm. The arm seems slow moving and doesnt do a lot of damage as a result. Wont make the bracket. 



*Spoiler: Rookie bots (13)*
Show

Banshee: New bot to this version of the competition. Classified as a flipper. Team has competed previously. No thoughts at present. 

Doom: New Bot. Has a vertical bar spinner (translation: hammer saw). 

Doomba: New bot. Uses a horizontal spinner. I assume the chainsaw on top is decoration. 

Double Tap: New bot. Uses a horizontal spinner.

Dragon King: New bot. It has two vertical saw blades, a grappler, and is tracked instead of wheeled. My initial thought in looking at it? Looks like it might be trying to do too much, which may mean that it does none of it well. 

Emulsifier: New bot. Uses a vertical spinner.

Horizon: New bot with two horizontal spinners. (For some reason the site calls them hammer saws but I dont see any way for them to hammer. The two weapon focus tends to have a problem in that neither by itself is anywhere near as effective as one weapon getting all the power. 

Ominous: New bot with a drum spinner (looks more disk to me but OK). 

Riperoni: New bot. Appears to use a vertical disk spinner with a pepperoni pizza theme. The bot loks lopsided to me, with a wedge on the front left half, and the right half angled up about 30 degrees. Not sure what Im actually seeing. 

Shreddit Bro: New bot with an egg-beater drum spinner. 

Starchild: New bot. They call it a thwackbot. Looks similar to Huge in basic shape but appears to have a vertical spinner on an arm rather than Huges bar. 

Terrortops: A new bot. Both a lifter and a grappler. Ill make my obligatory comment that bots trying to do two different things seldom end up doing them well. 

Triton: New bot with a horizontal bar spinner. Honestly, if you just showed me a picture of the bot Id wonder if it was a new form of Tombstone. Basic shape is very similar. Lets see how it does.



*Spoiler: Noticable Absences*
Show

Bite Force: Paul had posted that he was not competing until contracts improved for builders. Since we dont see him this year I assume that hasnt changed. 

Blacksmith: Blacksmith came back last event with a hammersaw and was actually looking pretty good. Not sure why they arent competing. 

DUCK: DUCKs reimaging seemed to make it less effective than it was originally. Not surprised that they arent here. 

Ghost Raptor: With the exception of season 1 Ghost Raptors performance has been subpar at best. Not surprised they arent here. 

SMEEE: The biggest issue with SMEE was that it was basically two bots connected by a piece of metal. It therefore suffered all the weight problems caused by multi-bots AND lacked the maneuverability that a multi-bot setup might have. No surprise here. 

Tombstone (and Perfect Phoenix): Apparently Ray badly injured his hand last year. He has had at least 3 surgeries and may have to have others. And reading between the lines I expect Tyler isnt allowed to go to Vegas without Ray along.


You can find the listing of the bots here. 

The build rules and match rules are here. 

Of notable interest given some of the controversies the last few seasons was this:

7.62: A Robot is considered Responsive if it can display some kind of noticeable translational or rotational
movement on the Arena Floor. *The Robot can use any combination of mobility and/or weapon systems for
the movement, and the direction of movement does not have to be controllable.*
A whole-body spinner-type Robot that can only spin its shell and not noticeably change its position on the
Arena Floor will be considered to be non-Responsive.
If the Referees determine that a Robot is not Responsive, they will perform a 20-count. If, at the end of the
count, the Robot is not able to move as described above, the Robot will be declared Incapacitated, and the
competing Robot will be deemed the winner by KnockOut.
Referees have the option of terminating a count early if a Robot or Multi-Bot is non-Responsive and in their
opinion will not recover.

Note that as written the marked part appears to indicate that ANY horizontal movement by a bot means it can't be counted out. This fixes one of the big complaints with matches.

----------


## animorte

> So, Battlebots has a new season starting this Thursday.


Thanks for the breakdown of bots!  :Small Big Grin: 

I haven't been able to keep up with this in a long time, just periodic updates. I'll be attempting to maintain better in the future.

----------


## Enceladus

Same here. Thanks Animorte!

----------


## pendell

This looks good. I can't follow as closely as I have in previous seasons because I have other commitments, but I'll be delighted to read about it here! 

Shame about Ray and his surgeries. I hope he recovers! 

Respectfully, 

Brian P.

----------

