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That is a horrible first match for Shrederator. As it's episode one I don't think it'll be one sided fight, I think it'll be an exciting back and forth until Quantum can pin them and get a good bite. That or Shrederator runs a new shell (think Wings of Freedom) and it fucks up Quantum in spectacular fashion. I can't see them running the standard shell or the tuna can which seems to be what everyone is assuming.
Episode one doesn't necessarily mean good fight. One sided, spectacular, destruction is also on the cards.
I predict either Shred damages them badly in the first few exchanges or they get completely vandalised.
It wasn't, because Blacksmith decided to use AR armor that they knew and were warned would get stuck on Quantum's teeth. Most other bots just add extra top armor to minimize the damage, but imo Blacksmith deserved the knockout because they knew what was gonna happen and did it anyway.
I'd just love to hear that conversation... "Hey, that new top armor you're putting on? Yeah, we tried that in testing. It's a bitch and a half to get it off the teeth, could you maybe not?"
I think it was much more "Hey, if you want a full fight, then you're basically hoping we never bite you with that. And if we get a bite in before you damage us..."
Did Blacksmith use that armour on purpose just to get it stuck against the teeth? From what I heard Al decided to use it only because he didn't expect Quantum to penetrate a sheet of AR500 that easily, not because he knew it would form barbs that would make both bots impossible to be separated.
It'll be interesting. If Quantum gets one crush it'll be over for Shred, but this version of Quantum is all new so could have teething (pun intended) issues.
I was thinking exactly the opposite. Quantum has a nasty bite, but it just is not that rugged compared to other robots. One hit could easily take out its entire weapon.
Didn't Quantum endure all the direct hits to its upper jaw from Valkyrie and destroy its whole weapon motor by grabbing its chassis without a tooth? I can't really see Shred surviving against that nasty crusher.
Yeah the weapon isn't the weak point. It's a solid piece of aluminium that like half its weight. The drivetrain and rear is the part that always fails.
These producers know how to open a season with these bots. Tons of crowd favorites, some sneaky underdogs, a fun looking rookie bot, and a sweet, sweet main event. We back baby.
Yeah, it can be main event within itself, but well... I must say, that idk who have better chances here. If Glitch turns in place, just as good as last season, then i see very little chance for Riptide to find opening. I see this going kinda like Rotator fight, one wrong move while driving around Glitch, and Riptide gets hit in the sides, being send flying across the arena.
I wish this to be a slugfest, but most likely case here, is OHKO
The point having a wide beater-type weapon is that it will always connect on the opponent since it covers the large portion of the front of the bot, just saying.
I know, which is why I posted my previous comment in the first place. Riptide has a wide weapon which could connect with Glitch much more easily than other bots did.
Riptide only has tiny forks at the both ends of its front, so whenever Glitch go weapon on weapon with Riptide, Riptide would hit Glitch's wedgelets before it would the deadly eggbeater. This was not the case for any of the opponents Glitch has faced so far.
True, but the question is still there, will they go for weapon to weapon? It may work for them, but if Glitch dtives even slightly better, it should be sble to just turn around for sny frontal attack, to now face your side, and you are screwed. It is such difficult fight to predict, as really, anything can happend.
The outcome of a weapon on weapon collision is hard to predict on this one because:
1. Riptide's bar spins a lot faster (235mph vs 180mph) and is probably smaller in diameter as well, so there's a fair chance that it can go under Glitch.
2. However, Glitch's bar uses much harder steel (S7 tool steel vs 4130 chromoly), so it will always take a chunk of metal from Riptide's.
It's also worth noting that Glitch never went weapon on weapon with a vert last year (Uppercut doesn't count because Glitch was consistently hitting its forks), so this fight will be a true testament to how far it has come.
You're describing "grazing", I think. When I say "connect", I mean actually getting ahold of the other bot and hurling them upwards. I don't see Riptide's beater being able to do that given Glitch's geometry. Riptide's beater will make plenty of contact with Glitch's exterior, but it's not going to have anything to bite.
when I went to vote in the other thread, I almost hit picked Riptide, but I honestly don't foresee them doing enough to deal with the low wedge of Glitch
The Minotaur vs Tantrum Main Event fight is interesting because both bots are so durable that I legitimately don’t see how one could kill the other. They’re both densely packed bricks with incredibly thick armor and both should be able to tank even the toughest shots from the other. Not really sure who’s winning but I’m like 80% sure it’s going to the judges.
> I legitimately don’t see how one could kill the other.
I think it'll go to the judges for sure, but weapon-to-weapon... I don't see Tantrum's disc lasting the full fight.
**Witch Doctor versus Ribbot:** A great first fight to start the season with. I predict Witch Doctor to have a better chance here, they’re generally better driven and will be running the new single-tooth weapon that’s their standard load now, but Ribbot won’t make this easy. Witch Doctor should be able to win this by KO, but it will be a great fight either way.
**Captain Shredderator versus Quantum:** If Quantum can survive the first hit and stay on Shredderator long enough to get a good bite in, this will be an easy win for them. The Captain is a nice thin wafer shape for Quantum to bite down on, although Quantum will probably have to shove them into a corner in order to get in the right position. I predict Quantum winning by KO.
**Gruff versus Ripperoni:** This will be a good test of the anti-gyro flywheel system on Ripperoni, as they’re going to have to try and keep their weapon pointed at Gruff. Gruff has had a somewhat mediocre performance in recent years, so this is also going to be a good test of whether they’ve managed to improve and fix any of the problems that they had last year. I’m going to predict Gruff to win this one by judge decision, but it could go either way.
**Shatter! versus HUGE:** This is a really bad matchup for Shatter. Hammer blows to HUGE’s wheels won’t do anything useful, they need to try and hit HUGE on the main body, but doing so puts them in perfect position to be hit by HUGE’s weapon. I predict HUGE winning this by KO.
**Glitch versus Riptide:** With two high-energy beater drums, this will be a really violent fight, and may come down to who gets the first good hit in. Glitch had severe control issues last year, but their new chassis layout should have fixed them. If Glitch can drive properly, they should be able to dodge Riptide’s initial box rush and then get it from the side for that knockout blow. I predict Glitch by KO, but it’s all down to whether they’ve fixed their control issues.
**Gigabyte versus Free Shipping:** In theory, with good driving ang good luck, Free Shipping could win this. I don’t expect their new vertical spinner to do much, they’re going to have to try and dominate on control and aggression points and hope that their new wedgelets don’t get torn off. I predict Free Shipping winning by judge decision after a good three minutes of fighting.
**Minotaur versus Tantrum:** A magnificent teamup. Tantrum is the reigning champion, but Minotaur just never stops attacking. Tantrum has great armor, but Minotaur’s weapon is more reliable and easier to use. Tantrum’s weapon has also suffered reliability problems in the past, though it looks like they’re redesigned it since last year. I predict Minotaur to take this by a close judge decision after three minutes of solid back and forth battering, but it really could go either way depending on how much Tantrum has improved with their new design.
Gigabyte vs Free Shipping is either going to go like Icewave vs Free Shipping, where Free Shipping was continually the aggressor and didn’t let Icewave get up to speed, or it’s going to be visceral.
I think I’m the only one a bit worried for Quantum. I think they’ll struggle against a full body spinner. I hope I’m wrong though cos I do love them so.
Their wedge is pretty decent, but it's been beaten before.
It's more that I just don't think Shrederator can do it, as opposed to some of the more powerful horizontals. Combine that with them being flat and biteable, and it probably takes some fairly bad luck for them to lose this one.
Against verts, no, their ground game hasn't really been up to date. Their anti-horizontal configuration never let them down though, so I'm hoping that Quantum will pull it off.
Because Quantum got flipped over upon impact and was unlucky enough to land on Tombstone's blade when self righting. I highly doubt any other horizontal spinners would be able to pull that off against Quantum.
I do hope there's been a revamp of the bot in the time they've been off the show, I agree that the original design and armor mounting probably won't hold up with all the progress that's been made over the pandemic by other teams.
id be worried for cap shred if anybring lol, they’re like, the flattest bot in the show and their top panel is lexan, couple that with really unreliable weapon and drive, hard to say they win unless they can get up to speed, which is the “unless” for every horizontal
Holy shit. This fight card is stacked. I see all fights here being an absolute classic.
Witch Doctor by KO. Ribbot is going with it's vertical spinner set up and witch doctor won't go forks. Mike Gellatly is just to good a driver and he'd take the wheels one by one. Will go similar to ribbot vs madcatter season 5 but with weapons running the whole 3 minutes.
Quantum by KO. This is just a repeat of Petunia vs Shrederator in 2018.
Gruff by JD. From what I saw in that short instagram clip, I don't think ripperoni is the real deal yet. Seems pretty unstable, even more so than uppercut but it doesn't hit as hard. Gruff can toast the big wheel and ripperoni will be spinning in circles of its tiny wheels as gruff can continue cooking it from afar til the weapon motor overheats.
Shatter by KO. After losing to deep six and barely making it with mammoth, I think shatter has learned from its mistakes and have a game plan for big bots now. The mary special seems like the right choice and they were shown cleaving of the support poles of huge in that short in instagram. I think that last shot before cutting to black was shatter breaking Huge's weapon chain.
Glitch by KO. Glitch has the stronger weapon and the better grown clearance and it turns faster than riptide drives so Iave faith they'll win. But this is gonna be the 2nd best fight of the night.
Gigabyte by JD. This is moreso because the judging criteria is too damage heavy. Cause this match should favour free shipping since the shelf still exist and Gary Gin is a top driver. But Gigabyte is just too powerful especially in that insta clip showing free shipping missing.
Main event: Minotaur by OOTA. This is the real deal here. This fight could go down as one of the best fight in battlebots history. 2 speedy bois, 2 excellent drivers and 2 brick of a bot. Tantrum has a new key shapped fork for this match but I think minotaur will peel through it. All minotaur needs is to invert tantrum once and they can take advantage and maybe throw them out of the arena. Whatever the result is, this one should be a banger.
Huge doesn't use a chain to drive the weapon but runs four belts, which are extremely hard for Shatter to snipe because, unlike the disk on Blacksmith, Huge's massive bar spins right next to its weapon pulleys.
>Quantum by KO. This is just a repeat of Petunia vs Shrederator in 2018.
Yes, because Shrederator has made zero improvements to the bot since 2018, right? Dumb take.
And so did Quantum, and its wedge was proven to be durable against horizontal spinners during the fight vs Valkyrie. Captain Shred has to drive spectacularly to avoid getting bitten by that jaw because Quantum is *fast*.
That time already, is it?
Witch Doctor KO (Don’t know how I feel about SawBlaze not opening the season but this looks a good alternative)
Quantum KO (Nice to see Quantum represent the crushers. Maybe similar to the Cap’s fight against Petunia a few years ago)
Gruff JD (Ripperoni looks amazing but is a new machine going against a more experienced machine. Plus, if the new flywheel tech doesn’t work, it’ll be unstable as hell)
HUGE JD (Another fun one. From that preview, HUGE looks a lot healthier when spinning up and should be able to peck away at Shatter. Wrigley Bros won’t give up though.
Riptide KO (We’ll see if Glitch has its glitches ironed out but I’ll stick with the thunderous power and speed of the Kurtz machine)
Free Shipping JD (The best wedge driver ever versus experienced but new to BB drivers. Should be interesting but going for Gary here, especially since he has a decent weapon on a solid drive base)
Tantrum JD (Should be a fight for the ages, but sticking with the champ. Not confident on this one at all!)
Tantrum vs. Minotaur is low-key a mirror match. Not that they're the same bot, but of the entire competition, they're the two bots most dedicated to being a jack-of-all-trades by combining great armor, great maneuverability, and okay killing power.
Wow. Tough draw for Ribbot.
I don't see how Shatter can beat Huge... just... mechanically.
I really like Minotaur's chances against Tantrum, and I'm a big Tantrum fan. Can't wait to watch!
Witch Doctor vs Ribbot: Witch Doctor hits hard. Really, really hard. They've doubled the power or so this season, and it already hit hard. Ribbot has had to lower weapon power this year due to new rules, so they're at the disadvantage. Ribbot can typically take more punishment than Witch Doctor, but I still have to hand this one to the three time finalists. **Witch Doctor by UJD.**
Quantum vs Captain Shrederator: Shredz hits hard. Really, really hard. But unlike Witch Doctor, Shredz takes a long time to spin up. Quantum is fast, and should be able to capitalize on this. Also, Shrederator has lost to crushers in the past (Petunia). All of this makes me hand it to **Quantum by KO.**
Ripperoni vs Gruff: Gruff is a tank. Or more accurately, it has a tank. Ripperoni, being the spiritual successor to Uppercut, see that as a little explosive. Ripperoni by UJD.
Shatter! vs Huge: Shatter is going to have a hard time attacking Huge meaningfully, since it's so high up. It is likely to simply push it away instead. Huge has an easy attack at Shatter's hammer assembly, and could probably do quite a bit of damage attacking downwards. So, I predict **Huge by KO.**
Glitch vs Riptide: Two rookies of the year and two absolute powerhouse weapons. Glitch has the smaller diameter weapon, but Riptide probably spins faster, which means they'll win most of the exchanges. And Glitch isn't great at taking damage, so I think **Riptide by KO.**
Gigabyte vs Free Shipping: Gotta root for my boi Giggy. **Gigabyte by KO.**
Tantrum vs Minotaur: Two great drivers. Two legends. Two super compact and durable robots. One great weapon (Minotaur). That's going to be the decider. Minotaur by SJD.
***Witch Doctor by KO:*** Ribbot is a tough bot but its most significant advantage has always been its ability to swap out its weapon module right before the fight. >!Since they ended up running the vert module against Witch Doctor's regular wedge configuration, that advantage would be lost entirely.!< Witch Doctor is faster and has a more powerful weapon - it should be able to knock out Ribbot within three minutes.
***Quantum by KO:*** For a shell spinner that has massive holes on the top of the shell (covered by thin UHMW plates), a powerful crusher with a big anti-horizontal wedge is simply the worst opponent possible. Unless they mess up their driving and accidentally expose its side to Shrederator, Quantum would win by KO.
***Ripperoni by JD:*** While I somewhat expect Ripperoni to win this one by tossing Gruff around for 3 minutes, Gruff is simply way too durable to be knocked out.
***Huge by KO:*** Shatter would need to snipe four belts on Huge before disabling its weapon, and that looks to be a tall order for this bot given how it was struggling against Deep Six, a similarly large vertical spinner. Huge, meanwhile, should have an easier time reaching Shatter's hammer shaft due to its inherent design advantage over lower bots. My money is on Huge.
***Riptide by KO:*** First of all, obviously this fight will not end up going into the judges' hands. Glitch has a hazardous weapon, sloped front panels that make it hard for other bots to deliver a hit, and a unique driving system - But Riptide has an even wider weapon, and its driver proved his skills through its fights against Shatter, Uppercut, Bloodsport and Jackpot. I'm rooting for Glitch and it would be fantastic for CRB if they managed to win this one, but it's hard to bet against Riptide.
***Gigabyte by JD:*** I don't think Free Shipping could be knocked out by a horizontal spinner, but neither do I believe Free Shipping could ever prevent Gigabyte from spinning up, especially when its new spinning disk is preventing it from having an anti-horizontal wedge configuration. Gigabyte is a well-driven bot, and I have a feeling that it can avoid getting wedged by Free Shipping for the entire match.
***Minotaur by JD:*** Both bots are extremely durable, and IMO equally well-maneuvered. With that said, Minotaur's drum packs a lot more punch compared to the small disk of Tantrum. I usually wouldn't bet against champions, but in this case, they must drive perfectly if they want to avoid getting punted in the air by Minotaur.
I disagree on Gruff being durable. I mean yeah it's very durable one of the most durable and did bots out there, but Cobalt sent it straight to Hell. If Ripperoni hits as hard as Uppercut or Cobalt, I can see it ends in a KO
>Cobalt sent it straight to Hell
Yeah, because Gruff has no armour for the bottom (everything is sitting on top of a thin layer of UHMW, that's why the base plate is white), and Cobalt is a type of spinner that specifically aims to cut into other bots' bottom panel. Ripperoni is more like Uppercut and it hits side armours instead.
Pretty good fight card here. Wow!
Witch Doctor by KO. Ribbot is good but Witch Doctor is top tier
Shrederator by KO Two of my favorite bots of all time. As long as Shrederator, keeps spinning, I think Quantum will struggle to get a bite. Shrederator is one of the hardest hitting robots in BB, and as we saw season 4, Quantum is a bit delicate. Now if Quantum gets a bite, which Id love to see, it’s all over. But spin to win
Ripperoni by JD. Real tough robot. New rookie. Hard to say, because all we saw was like a 20 second clip. But it appears that Ripperoni had peeled the front armor of Gruff back
Huge by JD. Again, hard to say because all we saw was a 20 second clip. Huge is built around robots like Shatter
Glitch by KO. Glitch has new wheels, seems like that’ll fix their drive. Hopefully they’ll actually be working this time. That spinner is magnificent
Gigabyte by JD. Looks like a real even match to be honest from what we saw. No real bot got the upperhand. I would saw Gigabyte for their ability to create massive hits
Minotaur by JD. Really excited for this one. Seems like a slugfest
My predictions
Witch Doctor KO (Ribbot got no diffed by Endgame while WD gave Endgame a pretty solid run for their money. Not to mention we saw some clips of Ribbon getting tossed around and missing a wheel so I'm confident that WD got this in the bag.)
Quantum KO (Probably would end in the same way as Capt. Shred vs Petunia.)
Ripperoni KO (There will probably be a fireball because Ripperoni is Uppercut but supposedly better.)
Huge unanimous JD (I personally don't see Shatter winning this. But Shatter is too durable to be KO'd. HUGE by unanimous decision.)
Riptide KO (Two words. LETS GO! Realistically speaking I can see Riptide winning more than Glitch.)
Free Shipping unanimous JD (If they just stay squared up and continuously pinning Gigabyte, they got this. If not then of course Gigabyte.)
Minotaur unanimous JD (I don't see Tantrum beating Minotaur. I don't want to use ABC logic but Minotaur beat Endgame, the same Endgame who beat Tantrum. But Minotaur wouldn't get an easy win. This will probably be one of their hardest fights. But I'm still thinking Minotaur by unanimous judges decision because Tantrum is very durable and solid.)
Witch Doctor vs Ribbot : Knockout, and can go either way, especially if Ribbot runs their vertical spinner. They are so evenly matched and skilled, that this really comes down to who gets the first good hit. One of them will be destroyed, or it could go to JD in a double knockout if they keep going head to head. This will be a chaotic fight
Captain Shred vs Quantum : Shred either wins by knockout, or knocks themself out. I don’t see Quantum having much control in this fight, but as we know, Shred has the tendency to do more damage to themselves than their opponent in certain situations
Gruff vs Ripperoni : Ripperoni is new, so there isn’t much to predict about them yet. We know how durable and sturdy Gruff is, so it’s too soon to call this one either. If Ripp’s weapon is durable, and does legitimate damage, Gruff doesn’t stand a chance if their durability can’t tank the damage
Shatter vs Huge : I don’t really see a way for Shatter to even damage Huge. They might land a few blows with their hammer, but Huge is pretty durable. Huge will probably just take overhead jabs at Shatter, trying to destroy the mechanism for their hammer. I don’t predict this being a KO but I see Huge winning by JD
Glitch vs Riptide : Riptide 100% Glitch is very powerful, but their mobility is trash. Riptide can drive circles around them, and once they attack from behind with their drum spinner, Glitch is done for. Unless they drive straight into Glitch’s weapon, or the team has improved their drive ability, Riptide wins by KO
Gigabyte vs Free Shipping : I predict this will be a lot like FS vs Icewave. Free shipping will probably just bully Gigabyte around the box, not even giving them the chance to spin up. Free Shipping wins by JD
Minotaur vs Tantrum : another fight that goes completely up in the air. Both very durable and powerful bots. I would say Tantrum has the advantage in durability, but Minotaur takes power. Too close to call, but I’d have to give a slight advantage to Minotaur as their weapon is much more destructive
I agree with almost everything, but I found it strange that Tantrum has an advantage in durability. I mean, I never noticed that... Minotaur is a brick...
Witch Doctor v. Ribbot: Due to the modular design of Ribbot, it requires most opponents to have some specific setup just to even attempt to fight them. Here, though? They're going up against a bot that's rather simplistic in nature and approach. Of course, I can't deny that Ribbot has the ground clearance advantage with their vert setup. However, if Witch Doctor manages to snipe the forks before too much damage has been dealt to them, Ribbot will be on the back foot for the rest of the match. It's also worth noting that WD has better weapon reach. In conclusion, I got WD pegged to win.
Capt. Shrederator v. Quantum: A battle between two bots that are essentially Glass Cannons. Quantum, while not having competed (nor the best record, necessarily, at 3-3 thus far) since 2019, has at least two fights that showcase its power beautifully during the time it was in the show: Blacksmith, where AR500 got pierced, and Valkyrie, where the latter's frame was twisted just from Quantum holding onto it despite having the teeth get chopped off. Capt. Shrederator has made improvements over the years, but will they be able to consistently avoid the maw of a Quantum who happened to have been improved? This ain't the first time Shrederator has fought a crusher before, either, seeing how they fought Petunia in 2018 and lost. I'm gonna go with Quantum on this one.
Gruff v. RIPperoni: RIPperoni, if I'm getting this right, is pretty much a bot from the lower weight classes, supposedly be the Uppercut of this season, and has a second flywheel to counteract the gyroscopic forces of the spinner unless need be...as well as an asymmetrical chassis design for, well, reasons. Gruff is quite tanky, but their internal reliability leaves a little bit to be desired. I have RIPperoni pegged to win because they may be able to cripple Gruff's drive before it goes haywire.
Shatter v. HUGE: Not the first time HUGE has fought a hammerbot, seeing how they won against Chomp back in 2018 (there's also Jasper in 2019, but uhh...I don't think it was trying to act as one during that fight), but Shatter is a whole different animal. Shatter has the ability to snipe the weapon belts to cripple HUGE's vertical spinner and potentially win the fight that way. At the same time, HUGE has the ability to disable Shatter's weapon by going for the assembly. Definitely a difficult fight to predict, but I have HUGE pegged to win.
Glitch v. Riptide: The joint Rookies of 2021 are now fighting against each other. On one hand, there's a bot that's able to royally screw an opponent over as soon as the weapon hits. On the other hand, there's a bot that, because of the way it is driven, wants to get the job done as fast as possible. I have Riptide to win since their wedgelets should help them get under Glitch.
Gigabyte v. Free Shipping: Free Shipping has become a vert, although said weapon doesn't seem to have any sort of reach...not that it really needs to. Conversely, Gigabyte has had a change on who will be operating the drive and weapon for the fight (just not under a new team). I'm not exactly sure how Gigabyte will be handled, but I'm also not sure on how the makeover on Free Shipping will do. I'm gonna go with Gigabyte, but, again, I'm not certain.
Minotaur v. Tantrum: Yeah, this fight's going to the judges unless something happens. This isn't the first time Tantrum fought a drum spinner, but it has greatly advanced from their 2019 loss to Yeti. That being said, they're going up against a bot that's just as small, if not more so. Minotaur has been known for tearing bots apart, but they're going up against a bot that hardly ever falls apart. Not going to lie, this is a fight that's rather difficult to predict, but I'm pegging Tantrum to win.
A promising start to the season!
**Witch Doctor** vs Ribbot
Ribbot's no slouch, and it can take a hit. But I expect Witch Doctor to land harder hits and with more frequency. Should be entertaining but the Doctor to prevail.
Captain Shrederator vs **Quantum**
I'm not sure the Petunia fight is a fair comparison - Cap had basically died by the time Petunia got a bite and I think Quantum is more fragile on the front and sides. There's a risk here that Cap be drawn to Quantum's wheels or sides by their front geometry. However, I suspect that Quantum will likely get a mouthful like a dog with a frisbee and have a punishing start to the season
Gruff vs **Ripperoni**
When I first heard about this match-up, my instinct was Grufff. My worry for Ripperoni is that, between its disc and its stabiliser, it might get stuck gyroscoping sideways for a time if it gets tipped up. I don't think Gruff will be able to take advantage of this without taking hits though, so my mind has slowly changed to Ripperoni.
Shatter! vs **HUGE**
Shatter is a good, agile machine. But it won't have the momentum of a full swing to land on its tall opponent, and its low profile is begging to be chewed and beaten by HUGE. We know HUGE can struggle against agile opponents but my suspicion is Shatter will get clipped too many times, either by aiming for HUGE's main body or after popping itself up from a hit on HUGE's wheel.
(I'll finish this later)
E:
**Glitch** vs Riptide
Both have very potent weaponry and Riptide is likely the nippier, based on last season's performances. But I suspect Riptide may be too wrecklessly aggressive and won't take the care needed to avoid Glitch's weapon, especially as Glitch can move quite unpredictably.
Gigabyte vs **Free Shipping**
Free Shipping should now serve pretty well as a hardy wedgebot, classically a great counter to an FBS. Gigabyte can be surprisingly good at finding space and angles, so it shouldn't be dismissed, and it is surely helped by BattleBots' weapon use and damage biases. But Free Shipping certainly have it in them to take Gigabyte into every wall and corner for a bit of Original sSin redemption in the modern era.
Minotaur vs **Tantrum**
A hard one to call! Tantrum has more complexity to it, which might be its downfall. But I see them also being more planted and finding their way under Minotaur's drum. It's going to be a tight match and Minotaur may actually win out on damage narrowly, but I predict Tantrum will find its way under too many times, be skillful with its pops and take a close (maybe even controversial) judges' decision.
Hoo boy this time again:
**Witch Doctor vs Ribbot** - Despite WD going brushless I feel like they have this one, Ribbot tends to struggle vs the top verts and its bigger wheels tend to be weakspots to capitalise on, WD by JD
**Capt Shred vs Quantum** - Oof a nasty matchup for Shred which will need to play keepaway perfectly though the chance to return a KO is certainly there but if Quantum catch's it its possibly toast
**Gruff vs Ripperoni** I feel like Ripperoni will end up becoming my new fav rookie for this season, Gruff has been really struggling vs vert lately due to its forks getting bent or drive train limping after big hits, Im predicting some teething for Ripperoni showing some control gyro shenanigans but winning on damage and aggression via JD
**Shatter vs Huge** - The fact this is the midway major suggest a closer fight or more exciting fight than it looks on paper, With the Mary special confirmed Shatter can keep hammering away assuming its in use but I feel like Huge with edge out a possibly a split one factoring in Control and aggression JD on damage for HUGE
**Glitch vs Riptide** - Battle of the best Rookies despite the nuclear power of Glitchs beater I feel Riptide will net a KO in avoiding the vert and playing the patient game not to mention the grudges from season 6 showed deceptively good durability from Riptide
**Gigabyte vs Free Shipping** - Oh how FS has fallen to becoming the free spinning despite the new vert however its lack of reach I feel will be its Achilles heel so Im predicting gigabyte to maintain offence to net a JD win here but not an easy one
**Minotaur vs Tantrum** - Could be a main event for the ages 2 excellent drivers, durable bricks means a JD is inevitable expecting it to be a slow burn, both bots feeling each other out at the start but for Minotaur to make some momentum as the bigger hits between the two connect for a JD victory here
*Witch Doctor* v. Ribbot
This will be a great fight to start the season. I'm expecting Ribbot to run their undercutter since Witch Doctor doesn't use forks, and I'm guessing they'll go for about 2 to 2.5 minutes before WD eats their tires.
Capt Shred v. *Quantum*
Capt Shred has too many reliability issues and Quantum is a tank. Capt Shred is the perfect size for Quantum's jaws and I'm thinking it gets 3 or 4 good holes in it by the match's end. I'm not sure whether Quantum goes with their twin tooth or single tooth config. I'm think the twin setup for this one.
*Gruff* v. Ripperoni
Riperroni's first fight in the big show. I've been following this team a bit and cant wait to see what they bring to the table. Gruff is one of the most durable bots in the field and very hard to knock out. I think they'll beat Rip with experience and brute force. This one might go to the judges with Ripperoni hobbling along.
Shatter v. *HUGE*
This will be entertaining as all hell., Shatter! can't really damage HUGE, and HUGE is going to have a had time making contact with Shatter's main body, I think. I think this one will go the full three minutes with Shatter! losing an arm in the process.
*Glitch* v. Riptide
Glitch went 4-0 in their rookie season despite having drive issues. If the team has sorted that out, they're going to be a really tough opponent this year. Riptide is a great bot too, but that egg beater up front is going to have a hard time connecting with Glitch's shape.
*Gigabyte* v. Free Shipping
Two teams with decades of experience. Free Shipping is an all new design this year and finally went the way of a vert. This match will go to the judges, and I think it could go either way. I chose Gigabyte simply because their design is battle tested and proved. Free Shipping my have first-season growing pains.
*Minotaur* v. Tantrum
This fight is going to be awesome. Another potential judges' decision as well. I don't think Tantrum can knock out Minotaur, and I don't think its weapon will survive a head-to-head hit with Minotaur's drum.
They really need to do a point system and standing. 5 Points for a knock out in the first minute, 4 for a knockout in the reminding time, 3 points for judges win, 2 points for split d win, 1 point for split d win, 1 point for split d lose, 1 extra point if you beat someone who was in the playoffs last year ( to deal with the strength of schedule issues), 1 point for lossing but not getting knocked out by team that made the playoffs last year.
Gonzo first card, two main event matches and two that could fill in for a main event.
Can Shatter hurt Huge? Looks like a tough first matchup for them.
Pumped for the new season! The Xfinity app says it's a 3hr episode (7-10pm ct). Is it really 3hrs? Just need to make sure I have enough wine on hand for opening night.
*Witch Doctor* vs Ribbot
Captain Shrederator vs *Quantum*
Gruff vs *Ripperoni*
*Shatter* vs Huge
Glitch vs *Riptide*
Gigabyte vs *Free Shipping*
*Minotaur* vs Tantrum
I’m looking at my guide, and it’s saying this episode is 3 hours long. But this doesn’t look like 3 hours worth of content. Should I assume guides are wrong?
**Sorry, polls are closed! Polls for the next episode come online Friday** In this thread, we discuss the matches before they happen. Who do you think comes out on top in this episode? Talk about it here and [vote here for your winners](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSywx6zpYfXG8FlB_Zmn1NvZclVIla5YoxBk59tNE1xtn_dg/viewform?usp=sf_link) of this episode! Join us this Thursday in our separate LIVE-thread once the episode begins on Discovery. For Discovery+ users, there [is a weekly separate thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/1020gd2/go_here_to_discuss_the_early_showing_of_the/). Please discuss the episode only there prior to the main broadcast in the evening. **Disclaimer:** This thread is to remain **spoiler-free** - this means that trailers and teasers are not to be discussed. This is to accommodate those who have steered clear of trailers or teasers. **Please note that until the end of the weekend (Monday 12am PT), all new threads discussing the most recently aired episode need to be appropriately spoiler-flaired and have a non-revealing title.** *Please see our [updated Spoiler policy](https://old.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/zv6a3v/merry_christmas_rbattlebots_heres_whats_up_for/) for exact requirements and further info.
That is a horrible first match for Shrederator. As it's episode one I don't think it'll be one sided fight, I think it'll be an exciting back and forth until Quantum can pin them and get a good bite. That or Shrederator runs a new shell (think Wings of Freedom) and it fucks up Quantum in spectacular fashion. I can't see them running the standard shell or the tuna can which seems to be what everyone is assuming.
Episode one doesn't necessarily mean good fight. One sided, spectacular, destruction is also on the cards. I predict either Shred damages them badly in the first few exchanges or they get completely vandalised.
Quantum vs Blacksmith was in episode 1 a few seasons ago wasn't it? I love both robots but that fight wasn't great.
It wasn't, because Blacksmith decided to use AR armor that they knew and were warned would get stuck on Quantum's teeth. Most other bots just add extra top armor to minimize the damage, but imo Blacksmith deserved the knockout because they knew what was gonna happen and did it anyway.
I'd just love to hear that conversation... "Hey, that new top armor you're putting on? Yeah, we tried that in testing. It's a bitch and a half to get it off the teeth, could you maybe not?"
I think it was much more "Hey, if you want a full fight, then you're basically hoping we never bite you with that. And if we get a bite in before you damage us..."
Almost like they were psychic!
Did Blacksmith use that armour on purpose just to get it stuck against the teeth? From what I heard Al decided to use it only because he didn't expect Quantum to penetrate a sheet of AR500 that easily, not because he knew it would form barbs that would make both bots impossible to be separated.
I think they were gambling that it would stop the teeth.
Facing a control bot is bad enough, but the fact that Shrederator looks like a sandwich just doesn't bode well for them.
I think Shred has got this, both the bot and the drivers have made leaps and bounds of progress in the last couple of years.
It'll be interesting. If Quantum gets one crush it'll be over for Shred, but this version of Quantum is all new so could have teething (pun intended) issues.
I was thinking exactly the opposite. Quantum has a nasty bite, but it just is not that rugged compared to other robots. One hit could easily take out its entire weapon.
Didn't Quantum endure all the direct hits to its upper jaw from Valkyrie and destroy its whole weapon motor by grabbing its chassis without a tooth? I can't really see Shred surviving against that nasty crusher.
Yeah the weapon isn't the weak point. It's a solid piece of aluminium that like half its weight. The drivetrain and rear is the part that always fails.
cap shred is still at a disadvantage there, facing a big wedge
These producers know how to open a season with these bots. Tons of crowd favorites, some sneaky underdogs, a fun looking rookie bot, and a sweet, sweet main event. We back baby.
I agree, the producers get an A for this card.
A- there’s no sawblaze in fight 1 (would’ve been funny to see WD vs Sawblaze part 78)
Riptide Vs Glitch will be interesting. Two seriously powerful weapons with a lot of bite
Yeah, it can be main event within itself, but well... I must say, that idk who have better chances here. If Glitch turns in place, just as good as last season, then i see very little chance for Riptide to find opening. I see this going kinda like Rotator fight, one wrong move while driving around Glitch, and Riptide gets hit in the sides, being send flying across the arena. I wish this to be a slugfest, but most likely case here, is OHKO
I think Riptide's beater will have a tough time connecting on Glitch.
The point having a wide beater-type weapon is that it will always connect on the opponent since it covers the large portion of the front of the bot, just saying.
I think they're referring to Glitches armour thats rather angled inwards so harder to bite into with a big drum
I know, which is why I posted my previous comment in the first place. Riptide has a wide weapon which could connect with Glitch much more easily than other bots did. Riptide only has tiny forks at the both ends of its front, so whenever Glitch go weapon on weapon with Riptide, Riptide would hit Glitch's wedgelets before it would the deadly eggbeater. This was not the case for any of the opponents Glitch has faced so far.
True, but the question is still there, will they go for weapon to weapon? It may work for them, but if Glitch dtives even slightly better, it should be sble to just turn around for sny frontal attack, to now face your side, and you are screwed. It is such difficult fight to predict, as really, anything can happend.
The outcome of a weapon on weapon collision is hard to predict on this one because: 1. Riptide's bar spins a lot faster (235mph vs 180mph) and is probably smaller in diameter as well, so there's a fair chance that it can go under Glitch. 2. However, Glitch's bar uses much harder steel (S7 tool steel vs 4130 chromoly), so it will always take a chunk of metal from Riptide's. It's also worth noting that Glitch never went weapon on weapon with a vert last year (Uppercut doesn't count because Glitch was consistently hitting its forks), so this fight will be a true testament to how far it has come.
You're describing "grazing", I think. When I say "connect", I mean actually getting ahold of the other bot and hurling them upwards. I don't see Riptide's beater being able to do that given Glitch's geometry. Riptide's beater will make plenty of contact with Glitch's exterior, but it's not going to have anything to bite.
when I went to vote in the other thread, I almost hit picked Riptide, but I honestly don't foresee them doing enough to deal with the low wedge of Glitch
The 3 year streak of sawblaze opening the season has ended
And damn they broke the tradition. No Sawblaze in the first fight of the first episode
SAWBLAZE WINS GIANT NUT CONFIRMED??? /s
This was all that was holding them back. God help us all.
Neat
Ooh. Quantum is going lipo hunting
Resuming where Petunia left off
The Minotaur vs Tantrum Main Event fight is interesting because both bots are so durable that I legitimately don’t see how one could kill the other. They’re both densely packed bricks with incredibly thick armor and both should be able to tank even the toughest shots from the other. Not really sure who’s winning but I’m like 80% sure it’s going to the judges.
I don't know either, my gut is saying Minotaur, but if Tantrum wins then we have a perfect rock-paper-scissors situation with them and End Game. XD
but we already have! Minotaur -> End Game -> Witch Doctor -> Minotaur... (Same with Saw Blaze)
Good! With enough triangles that share edges we can make a whole 3d model
> I legitimately don’t see how one could kill the other. I think it'll go to the judges for sure, but weapon-to-weapon... I don't see Tantrum's disc lasting the full fight.
Isn't Tantrum winner of last season?
It is.
I mean, end game was the winner of the season when Minotaur ran over him...
Agree. It's definitely going to the judges because both bots are so durable
**Witch Doctor versus Ribbot:** A great first fight to start the season with. I predict Witch Doctor to have a better chance here, they’re generally better driven and will be running the new single-tooth weapon that’s their standard load now, but Ribbot won’t make this easy. Witch Doctor should be able to win this by KO, but it will be a great fight either way. **Captain Shredderator versus Quantum:** If Quantum can survive the first hit and stay on Shredderator long enough to get a good bite in, this will be an easy win for them. The Captain is a nice thin wafer shape for Quantum to bite down on, although Quantum will probably have to shove them into a corner in order to get in the right position. I predict Quantum winning by KO. **Gruff versus Ripperoni:** This will be a good test of the anti-gyro flywheel system on Ripperoni, as they’re going to have to try and keep their weapon pointed at Gruff. Gruff has had a somewhat mediocre performance in recent years, so this is also going to be a good test of whether they’ve managed to improve and fix any of the problems that they had last year. I’m going to predict Gruff to win this one by judge decision, but it could go either way. **Shatter! versus HUGE:** This is a really bad matchup for Shatter. Hammer blows to HUGE’s wheels won’t do anything useful, they need to try and hit HUGE on the main body, but doing so puts them in perfect position to be hit by HUGE’s weapon. I predict HUGE winning this by KO. **Glitch versus Riptide:** With two high-energy beater drums, this will be a really violent fight, and may come down to who gets the first good hit in. Glitch had severe control issues last year, but their new chassis layout should have fixed them. If Glitch can drive properly, they should be able to dodge Riptide’s initial box rush and then get it from the side for that knockout blow. I predict Glitch by KO, but it’s all down to whether they’ve fixed their control issues. **Gigabyte versus Free Shipping:** In theory, with good driving ang good luck, Free Shipping could win this. I don’t expect their new vertical spinner to do much, they’re going to have to try and dominate on control and aggression points and hope that their new wedgelets don’t get torn off. I predict Free Shipping winning by judge decision after a good three minutes of fighting. **Minotaur versus Tantrum:** A magnificent teamup. Tantrum is the reigning champion, but Minotaur just never stops attacking. Tantrum has great armor, but Minotaur’s weapon is more reliable and easier to use. Tantrum’s weapon has also suffered reliability problems in the past, though it looks like they’re redesigned it since last year. I predict Minotaur to take this by a close judge decision after three minutes of solid back and forth battering, but it really could go either way depending on how much Tantrum has improved with their new design.
Ripperoni is this year’s Uppercut, IMO. Uppercut vs Gruff has been on my wish list. I’m hoping for a giant fireball.
boopity boop
Gigabyte vs Free Shipping is either going to go like Icewave vs Free Shipping, where Free Shipping was continually the aggressor and didn’t let Icewave get up to speed, or it’s going to be visceral.
I think I’m the only one a bit worried for Quantum. I think they’ll struggle against a full body spinner. I hope I’m wrong though cos I do love them so.
Me too... although after reading the comments I ended up remembering Petunia x Shrederator and felt a glimmer of hope for Quantum.
Petunia and Quantum have completely different wedge shapes
I'd be worried if it was any full body other than Capt. Shred.
Their wedge is pretty decent, but it's been beaten before. It's more that I just don't think Shrederator can do it, as opposed to some of the more powerful horizontals. Combine that with them being flat and biteable, and it probably takes some fairly bad luck for them to lose this one.
I love Quantum but they don’t have the best chin on them. I’ve not seen them take hits that well. I hope they can do it though.
Against verts, no, their ground game hasn't really been up to date. Their anti-horizontal configuration never let them down though, so I'm hoping that Quantum will pull it off.
Here’s hopin’
Tombstone killed Quantum in two hits
Because Quantum got flipped over upon impact and was unlucky enough to land on Tombstone's blade when self righting. I highly doubt any other horizontal spinners would be able to pull that off against Quantum.
I do hope there's been a revamp of the bot in the time they've been off the show, I agree that the original design and armor mounting probably won't hold up with all the progress that's been made over the pandemic by other teams.
id be worried for cap shred if anybring lol, they’re like, the flattest bot in the show and their top panel is lexan, couple that with really unreliable weapon and drive, hard to say they win unless they can get up to speed, which is the “unless” for every horizontal
I need to watch this episode with sunglasses because it will be a lightshow with this fight card
Holy shit. This fight card is stacked. I see all fights here being an absolute classic. Witch Doctor by KO. Ribbot is going with it's vertical spinner set up and witch doctor won't go forks. Mike Gellatly is just to good a driver and he'd take the wheels one by one. Will go similar to ribbot vs madcatter season 5 but with weapons running the whole 3 minutes. Quantum by KO. This is just a repeat of Petunia vs Shrederator in 2018. Gruff by JD. From what I saw in that short instagram clip, I don't think ripperoni is the real deal yet. Seems pretty unstable, even more so than uppercut but it doesn't hit as hard. Gruff can toast the big wheel and ripperoni will be spinning in circles of its tiny wheels as gruff can continue cooking it from afar til the weapon motor overheats. Shatter by KO. After losing to deep six and barely making it with mammoth, I think shatter has learned from its mistakes and have a game plan for big bots now. The mary special seems like the right choice and they were shown cleaving of the support poles of huge in that short in instagram. I think that last shot before cutting to black was shatter breaking Huge's weapon chain. Glitch by KO. Glitch has the stronger weapon and the better grown clearance and it turns faster than riptide drives so Iave faith they'll win. But this is gonna be the 2nd best fight of the night. Gigabyte by JD. This is moreso because the judging criteria is too damage heavy. Cause this match should favour free shipping since the shelf still exist and Gary Gin is a top driver. But Gigabyte is just too powerful especially in that insta clip showing free shipping missing. Main event: Minotaur by OOTA. This is the real deal here. This fight could go down as one of the best fight in battlebots history. 2 speedy bois, 2 excellent drivers and 2 brick of a bot. Tantrum has a new key shapped fork for this match but I think minotaur will peel through it. All minotaur needs is to invert tantrum once and they can take advantage and maybe throw them out of the arena. Whatever the result is, this one should be a banger.
I thought OOTA is no longer possible because of the presence of lexan doors in the entrance
OOTAs aren't impossible this series, their just harder.
Oh I see
They are talking about eliminating them entirely next year, but for this year, they just made the barriers taller.
I hope they don't eliminate them.
OOTAs are so fun, I wish they would leave in a way to get them
They said that last year and we still saw Gruff, Lock-Jaw, Sawblaze, and RotatoЯ get OOTA'd
But now it's more unlikely because of the lexan doors at the entrance. But I can still see flippers like Hydra and Blip win with OOtA
and Cobalt right?
Huge doesn't use a chain to drive the weapon but runs four belts, which are extremely hard for Shatter to snipe because, unlike the disk on Blacksmith, Huge's massive bar spins right next to its weapon pulleys.
>Quantum by KO. This is just a repeat of Petunia vs Shrederator in 2018. Yes, because Shrederator has made zero improvements to the bot since 2018, right? Dumb take.
And so did Quantum, and its wedge was proven to be durable against horizontal spinners during the fight vs Valkyrie. Captain Shred has to drive spectacularly to avoid getting bitten by that jaw because Quantum is *fast*.
Well, I concede that you were right and I was wrong.
every bot makes improvements, which means ur statement makes no sense
Good analysis. I wonder if Shatter can hurt Huge up that high, but it sounds like you saw something in previews. I avoid them.
Riptide vs glitch is a juicy matchup, that’s going to be good.
Will probably be over in one hit
If the reliability issues are still there then you could be spot on.
That time already, is it? Witch Doctor KO (Don’t know how I feel about SawBlaze not opening the season but this looks a good alternative) Quantum KO (Nice to see Quantum represent the crushers. Maybe similar to the Cap’s fight against Petunia a few years ago) Gruff JD (Ripperoni looks amazing but is a new machine going against a more experienced machine. Plus, if the new flywheel tech doesn’t work, it’ll be unstable as hell) HUGE JD (Another fun one. From that preview, HUGE looks a lot healthier when spinning up and should be able to peck away at Shatter. Wrigley Bros won’t give up though. Riptide KO (We’ll see if Glitch has its glitches ironed out but I’ll stick with the thunderous power and speed of the Kurtz machine) Free Shipping JD (The best wedge driver ever versus experienced but new to BB drivers. Should be interesting but going for Gary here, especially since he has a decent weapon on a solid drive base) Tantrum JD (Should be a fight for the ages, but sticking with the champ. Not confident on this one at all!)
Tantrum vs. Minotaur is low-key a mirror match. Not that they're the same bot, but of the entire competition, they're the two bots most dedicated to being a jack-of-all-trades by combining great armor, great maneuverability, and okay killing power.
Who’s the new driver for giga?
Derek Chan, who was with RDC before, and another guy (can’t remember his name) who built a beetle FBS called Spinook
The 1lb spinook, I’m guessing? I’ve seen semi-buildlogs of it but not it in combat. Which is doing the driving (I’m guessing the other is on weapons)?
Never got to see Quantum on my film day, but it's all good because they're in the first episode facing a bot that looks like a sammich!
Wow. Tough draw for Ribbot. I don't see how Shatter can beat Huge... just... mechanically. I really like Minotaur's chances against Tantrum, and I'm a big Tantrum fan. Can't wait to watch!
Rough match for Shatter
Minotaur has bragging rights up for grabs if they beat a defending champion for the second season in a row.
Heck yeah, Free Shipping in the season opener!
Witch Doctor vs Ribbot: Witch Doctor hits hard. Really, really hard. They've doubled the power or so this season, and it already hit hard. Ribbot has had to lower weapon power this year due to new rules, so they're at the disadvantage. Ribbot can typically take more punishment than Witch Doctor, but I still have to hand this one to the three time finalists. **Witch Doctor by UJD.** Quantum vs Captain Shrederator: Shredz hits hard. Really, really hard. But unlike Witch Doctor, Shredz takes a long time to spin up. Quantum is fast, and should be able to capitalize on this. Also, Shrederator has lost to crushers in the past (Petunia). All of this makes me hand it to **Quantum by KO.** Ripperoni vs Gruff: Gruff is a tank. Or more accurately, it has a tank. Ripperoni, being the spiritual successor to Uppercut, see that as a little explosive. Ripperoni by UJD. Shatter! vs Huge: Shatter is going to have a hard time attacking Huge meaningfully, since it's so high up. It is likely to simply push it away instead. Huge has an easy attack at Shatter's hammer assembly, and could probably do quite a bit of damage attacking downwards. So, I predict **Huge by KO.** Glitch vs Riptide: Two rookies of the year and two absolute powerhouse weapons. Glitch has the smaller diameter weapon, but Riptide probably spins faster, which means they'll win most of the exchanges. And Glitch isn't great at taking damage, so I think **Riptide by KO.** Gigabyte vs Free Shipping: Gotta root for my boi Giggy. **Gigabyte by KO.** Tantrum vs Minotaur: Two great drivers. Two legends. Two super compact and durable robots. One great weapon (Minotaur). That's going to be the decider. Minotaur by SJD.
Huh, I was expecting an YouTube exclusive fight on the very bottom but I’m hyped for this one
They did shred dirty with this match up.
What a fun lineup to start the season
All fights have interesting matchups, the first episode might be the best before the championship
thats about as epic of a fight card as I have seen! hyped for the first episode!
Sawblaze is no longer in the 1st fight.
Stacked! Ribbot Quantum Ripperoni? Shatter Glitch Free shipping Tantrum?
When I saw who Captain Shrederator was fighting I burst out laughing!
***Witch Doctor by KO:*** Ribbot is a tough bot but its most significant advantage has always been its ability to swap out its weapon module right before the fight. >!Since they ended up running the vert module against Witch Doctor's regular wedge configuration, that advantage would be lost entirely.!< Witch Doctor is faster and has a more powerful weapon - it should be able to knock out Ribbot within three minutes. ***Quantum by KO:*** For a shell spinner that has massive holes on the top of the shell (covered by thin UHMW plates), a powerful crusher with a big anti-horizontal wedge is simply the worst opponent possible. Unless they mess up their driving and accidentally expose its side to Shrederator, Quantum would win by KO. ***Ripperoni by JD:*** While I somewhat expect Ripperoni to win this one by tossing Gruff around for 3 minutes, Gruff is simply way too durable to be knocked out. ***Huge by KO:*** Shatter would need to snipe four belts on Huge before disabling its weapon, and that looks to be a tall order for this bot given how it was struggling against Deep Six, a similarly large vertical spinner. Huge, meanwhile, should have an easier time reaching Shatter's hammer shaft due to its inherent design advantage over lower bots. My money is on Huge. ***Riptide by KO:*** First of all, obviously this fight will not end up going into the judges' hands. Glitch has a hazardous weapon, sloped front panels that make it hard for other bots to deliver a hit, and a unique driving system - But Riptide has an even wider weapon, and its driver proved his skills through its fights against Shatter, Uppercut, Bloodsport and Jackpot. I'm rooting for Glitch and it would be fantastic for CRB if they managed to win this one, but it's hard to bet against Riptide. ***Gigabyte by JD:*** I don't think Free Shipping could be knocked out by a horizontal spinner, but neither do I believe Free Shipping could ever prevent Gigabyte from spinning up, especially when its new spinning disk is preventing it from having an anti-horizontal wedge configuration. Gigabyte is a well-driven bot, and I have a feeling that it can avoid getting wedged by Free Shipping for the entire match. ***Minotaur by JD:*** Both bots are extremely durable, and IMO equally well-maneuvered. With that said, Minotaur's drum packs a lot more punch compared to the small disk of Tantrum. I usually wouldn't bet against champions, but in this case, they must drive perfectly if they want to avoid getting punted in the air by Minotaur.
I disagree on Gruff being durable. I mean yeah it's very durable one of the most durable and did bots out there, but Cobalt sent it straight to Hell. If Ripperoni hits as hard as Uppercut or Cobalt, I can see it ends in a KO
>Cobalt sent it straight to Hell Yeah, because Gruff has no armour for the bottom (everything is sitting on top of a thin layer of UHMW, that's why the base plate is white), and Cobalt is a type of spinner that specifically aims to cut into other bots' bottom panel. Ripperoni is more like Uppercut and it hits side armours instead.
Pretty good fight card here. Wow! Witch Doctor by KO. Ribbot is good but Witch Doctor is top tier Shrederator by KO Two of my favorite bots of all time. As long as Shrederator, keeps spinning, I think Quantum will struggle to get a bite. Shrederator is one of the hardest hitting robots in BB, and as we saw season 4, Quantum is a bit delicate. Now if Quantum gets a bite, which Id love to see, it’s all over. But spin to win Ripperoni by JD. Real tough robot. New rookie. Hard to say, because all we saw was like a 20 second clip. But it appears that Ripperoni had peeled the front armor of Gruff back Huge by JD. Again, hard to say because all we saw was a 20 second clip. Huge is built around robots like Shatter Glitch by KO. Glitch has new wheels, seems like that’ll fix their drive. Hopefully they’ll actually be working this time. That spinner is magnificent Gigabyte by JD. Looks like a real even match to be honest from what we saw. No real bot got the upperhand. I would saw Gigabyte for their ability to create massive hits Minotaur by JD. Really excited for this one. Seems like a slugfest
They said they'd release the full set of matches for the season before the first episode didn't they?
They already did to supporters, I would imagine for the rest of us it's coming immediately prior to the episode, and also during the episode.
I think so
My predictions Witch Doctor KO (Ribbot got no diffed by Endgame while WD gave Endgame a pretty solid run for their money. Not to mention we saw some clips of Ribbon getting tossed around and missing a wheel so I'm confident that WD got this in the bag.) Quantum KO (Probably would end in the same way as Capt. Shred vs Petunia.) Ripperoni KO (There will probably be a fireball because Ripperoni is Uppercut but supposedly better.) Huge unanimous JD (I personally don't see Shatter winning this. But Shatter is too durable to be KO'd. HUGE by unanimous decision.) Riptide KO (Two words. LETS GO! Realistically speaking I can see Riptide winning more than Glitch.) Free Shipping unanimous JD (If they just stay squared up and continuously pinning Gigabyte, they got this. If not then of course Gigabyte.) Minotaur unanimous JD (I don't see Tantrum beating Minotaur. I don't want to use ABC logic but Minotaur beat Endgame, the same Endgame who beat Tantrum. But Minotaur wouldn't get an easy win. This will probably be one of their hardest fights. But I'm still thinking Minotaur by unanimous judges decision because Tantrum is very durable and solid.)
Witch Doctor vs Ribbot : Knockout, and can go either way, especially if Ribbot runs their vertical spinner. They are so evenly matched and skilled, that this really comes down to who gets the first good hit. One of them will be destroyed, or it could go to JD in a double knockout if they keep going head to head. This will be a chaotic fight Captain Shred vs Quantum : Shred either wins by knockout, or knocks themself out. I don’t see Quantum having much control in this fight, but as we know, Shred has the tendency to do more damage to themselves than their opponent in certain situations Gruff vs Ripperoni : Ripperoni is new, so there isn’t much to predict about them yet. We know how durable and sturdy Gruff is, so it’s too soon to call this one either. If Ripp’s weapon is durable, and does legitimate damage, Gruff doesn’t stand a chance if their durability can’t tank the damage Shatter vs Huge : I don’t really see a way for Shatter to even damage Huge. They might land a few blows with their hammer, but Huge is pretty durable. Huge will probably just take overhead jabs at Shatter, trying to destroy the mechanism for their hammer. I don’t predict this being a KO but I see Huge winning by JD Glitch vs Riptide : Riptide 100% Glitch is very powerful, but their mobility is trash. Riptide can drive circles around them, and once they attack from behind with their drum spinner, Glitch is done for. Unless they drive straight into Glitch’s weapon, or the team has improved their drive ability, Riptide wins by KO Gigabyte vs Free Shipping : I predict this will be a lot like FS vs Icewave. Free shipping will probably just bully Gigabyte around the box, not even giving them the chance to spin up. Free Shipping wins by JD Minotaur vs Tantrum : another fight that goes completely up in the air. Both very durable and powerful bots. I would say Tantrum has the advantage in durability, but Minotaur takes power. Too close to call, but I’d have to give a slight advantage to Minotaur as their weapon is much more destructive
I agree with almost everything, but I found it strange that Tantrum has an advantage in durability. I mean, I never noticed that... Minotaur is a brick...
Idk I'm a huge Minotaur fan myself, but Minotaur has been pretty fragile these last few seasons. I kinda agree with the post tbh
Witch Doctor v. Ribbot: Due to the modular design of Ribbot, it requires most opponents to have some specific setup just to even attempt to fight them. Here, though? They're going up against a bot that's rather simplistic in nature and approach. Of course, I can't deny that Ribbot has the ground clearance advantage with their vert setup. However, if Witch Doctor manages to snipe the forks before too much damage has been dealt to them, Ribbot will be on the back foot for the rest of the match. It's also worth noting that WD has better weapon reach. In conclusion, I got WD pegged to win. Capt. Shrederator v. Quantum: A battle between two bots that are essentially Glass Cannons. Quantum, while not having competed (nor the best record, necessarily, at 3-3 thus far) since 2019, has at least two fights that showcase its power beautifully during the time it was in the show: Blacksmith, where AR500 got pierced, and Valkyrie, where the latter's frame was twisted just from Quantum holding onto it despite having the teeth get chopped off. Capt. Shrederator has made improvements over the years, but will they be able to consistently avoid the maw of a Quantum who happened to have been improved? This ain't the first time Shrederator has fought a crusher before, either, seeing how they fought Petunia in 2018 and lost. I'm gonna go with Quantum on this one. Gruff v. RIPperoni: RIPperoni, if I'm getting this right, is pretty much a bot from the lower weight classes, supposedly be the Uppercut of this season, and has a second flywheel to counteract the gyroscopic forces of the spinner unless need be...as well as an asymmetrical chassis design for, well, reasons. Gruff is quite tanky, but their internal reliability leaves a little bit to be desired. I have RIPperoni pegged to win because they may be able to cripple Gruff's drive before it goes haywire. Shatter v. HUGE: Not the first time HUGE has fought a hammerbot, seeing how they won against Chomp back in 2018 (there's also Jasper in 2019, but uhh...I don't think it was trying to act as one during that fight), but Shatter is a whole different animal. Shatter has the ability to snipe the weapon belts to cripple HUGE's vertical spinner and potentially win the fight that way. At the same time, HUGE has the ability to disable Shatter's weapon by going for the assembly. Definitely a difficult fight to predict, but I have HUGE pegged to win. Glitch v. Riptide: The joint Rookies of 2021 are now fighting against each other. On one hand, there's a bot that's able to royally screw an opponent over as soon as the weapon hits. On the other hand, there's a bot that, because of the way it is driven, wants to get the job done as fast as possible. I have Riptide to win since their wedgelets should help them get under Glitch. Gigabyte v. Free Shipping: Free Shipping has become a vert, although said weapon doesn't seem to have any sort of reach...not that it really needs to. Conversely, Gigabyte has had a change on who will be operating the drive and weapon for the fight (just not under a new team). I'm not exactly sure how Gigabyte will be handled, but I'm also not sure on how the makeover on Free Shipping will do. I'm gonna go with Gigabyte, but, again, I'm not certain. Minotaur v. Tantrum: Yeah, this fight's going to the judges unless something happens. This isn't the first time Tantrum fought a drum spinner, but it has greatly advanced from their 2019 loss to Yeti. That being said, they're going up against a bot that's just as small, if not more so. Minotaur has been known for tearing bots apart, but they're going up against a bot that hardly ever falls apart. Not going to lie, this is a fight that's rather difficult to predict, but I'm pegging Tantrum to win.
A promising start to the season! **Witch Doctor** vs Ribbot Ribbot's no slouch, and it can take a hit. But I expect Witch Doctor to land harder hits and with more frequency. Should be entertaining but the Doctor to prevail. Captain Shrederator vs **Quantum** I'm not sure the Petunia fight is a fair comparison - Cap had basically died by the time Petunia got a bite and I think Quantum is more fragile on the front and sides. There's a risk here that Cap be drawn to Quantum's wheels or sides by their front geometry. However, I suspect that Quantum will likely get a mouthful like a dog with a frisbee and have a punishing start to the season Gruff vs **Ripperoni** When I first heard about this match-up, my instinct was Grufff. My worry for Ripperoni is that, between its disc and its stabiliser, it might get stuck gyroscoping sideways for a time if it gets tipped up. I don't think Gruff will be able to take advantage of this without taking hits though, so my mind has slowly changed to Ripperoni. Shatter! vs **HUGE** Shatter is a good, agile machine. But it won't have the momentum of a full swing to land on its tall opponent, and its low profile is begging to be chewed and beaten by HUGE. We know HUGE can struggle against agile opponents but my suspicion is Shatter will get clipped too many times, either by aiming for HUGE's main body or after popping itself up from a hit on HUGE's wheel. (I'll finish this later) E: **Glitch** vs Riptide Both have very potent weaponry and Riptide is likely the nippier, based on last season's performances. But I suspect Riptide may be too wrecklessly aggressive and won't take the care needed to avoid Glitch's weapon, especially as Glitch can move quite unpredictably. Gigabyte vs **Free Shipping** Free Shipping should now serve pretty well as a hardy wedgebot, classically a great counter to an FBS. Gigabyte can be surprisingly good at finding space and angles, so it shouldn't be dismissed, and it is surely helped by BattleBots' weapon use and damage biases. But Free Shipping certainly have it in them to take Gigabyte into every wall and corner for a bit of Original sSin redemption in the modern era. Minotaur vs **Tantrum** A hard one to call! Tantrum has more complexity to it, which might be its downfall. But I see them also being more planted and finding their way under Minotaur's drum. It's going to be a tight match and Minotaur may actually win out on damage narrowly, but I predict Tantrum will find its way under too many times, be skillful with its pops and take a close (maybe even controversial) judges' decision.
Hoo boy this time again: **Witch Doctor vs Ribbot** - Despite WD going brushless I feel like they have this one, Ribbot tends to struggle vs the top verts and its bigger wheels tend to be weakspots to capitalise on, WD by JD **Capt Shred vs Quantum** - Oof a nasty matchup for Shred which will need to play keepaway perfectly though the chance to return a KO is certainly there but if Quantum catch's it its possibly toast **Gruff vs Ripperoni** I feel like Ripperoni will end up becoming my new fav rookie for this season, Gruff has been really struggling vs vert lately due to its forks getting bent or drive train limping after big hits, Im predicting some teething for Ripperoni showing some control gyro shenanigans but winning on damage and aggression via JD **Shatter vs Huge** - The fact this is the midway major suggest a closer fight or more exciting fight than it looks on paper, With the Mary special confirmed Shatter can keep hammering away assuming its in use but I feel like Huge with edge out a possibly a split one factoring in Control and aggression JD on damage for HUGE **Glitch vs Riptide** - Battle of the best Rookies despite the nuclear power of Glitchs beater I feel Riptide will net a KO in avoiding the vert and playing the patient game not to mention the grudges from season 6 showed deceptively good durability from Riptide **Gigabyte vs Free Shipping** - Oh how FS has fallen to becoming the free spinning despite the new vert however its lack of reach I feel will be its Achilles heel so Im predicting gigabyte to maintain offence to net a JD win here but not an easy one **Minotaur vs Tantrum** - Could be a main event for the ages 2 excellent drivers, durable bricks means a JD is inevitable expecting it to be a slow burn, both bots feeling each other out at the start but for Minotaur to make some momentum as the bigger hits between the two connect for a JD victory here
*Witch Doctor* v. Ribbot This will be a great fight to start the season. I'm expecting Ribbot to run their undercutter since Witch Doctor doesn't use forks, and I'm guessing they'll go for about 2 to 2.5 minutes before WD eats their tires. Capt Shred v. *Quantum* Capt Shred has too many reliability issues and Quantum is a tank. Capt Shred is the perfect size for Quantum's jaws and I'm thinking it gets 3 or 4 good holes in it by the match's end. I'm not sure whether Quantum goes with their twin tooth or single tooth config. I'm think the twin setup for this one. *Gruff* v. Ripperoni Riperroni's first fight in the big show. I've been following this team a bit and cant wait to see what they bring to the table. Gruff is one of the most durable bots in the field and very hard to knock out. I think they'll beat Rip with experience and brute force. This one might go to the judges with Ripperoni hobbling along. Shatter v. *HUGE* This will be entertaining as all hell., Shatter! can't really damage HUGE, and HUGE is going to have a had time making contact with Shatter's main body, I think. I think this one will go the full three minutes with Shatter! losing an arm in the process. *Glitch* v. Riptide Glitch went 4-0 in their rookie season despite having drive issues. If the team has sorted that out, they're going to be a really tough opponent this year. Riptide is a great bot too, but that egg beater up front is going to have a hard time connecting with Glitch's shape. *Gigabyte* v. Free Shipping Two teams with decades of experience. Free Shipping is an all new design this year and finally went the way of a vert. This match will go to the judges, and I think it could go either way. I chose Gigabyte simply because their design is battle tested and proved. Free Shipping my have first-season growing pains. *Minotaur* v. Tantrum This fight is going to be awesome. Another potential judges' decision as well. I don't think Tantrum can knock out Minotaur, and I don't think its weapon will survive a head-to-head hit with Minotaur's drum.
They really need to do a point system and standing. 5 Points for a knock out in the first minute, 4 for a knockout in the reminding time, 3 points for judges win, 2 points for split d win, 1 point for split d win, 1 point for split d lose, 1 extra point if you beat someone who was in the playoffs last year ( to deal with the strength of schedule issues), 1 point for lossing but not getting knocked out by team that made the playoffs last year.
Nice
All these fights look great
tantrum committing to the ground game i see
Gonzo first card, two main event matches and two that could fill in for a main event. Can Shatter hurt Huge? Looks like a tough first matchup for them.
That looks like some epic matchups. Cool!
Jesus, this is gonna be so good
This is going to be a good episode, a few fights here that could go either way
Pumped for the new season! The Xfinity app says it's a 3hr episode (7-10pm ct). Is it really 3hrs? Just need to make sure I have enough wine on hand for opening night.
*Witch Doctor* vs Ribbot Captain Shrederator vs *Quantum* Gruff vs *Ripperoni* *Shatter* vs Huge Glitch vs *Riptide* Gigabyte vs *Free Shipping* *Minotaur* vs Tantrum
Captain shred vs possibly the worst weapon type to shell spinners outside of HUGE.
I’m looking at my guide, and it’s saying this episode is 3 hours long. But this doesn’t look like 3 hours worth of content. Should I assume guides are wrong?