Best BattleBot Robots

Robots, once the stuff of futuristic fantasies, have truly come into their own in the last few decades. The result is the addition of new and innovative branches to modern robotics, for instance, combat robotics – a popular STEM-based sport. 

Different robot combat TV shows like BattleBots let robot enthusiasts and fans across the globe indulge in their bloodlust and get enthralled by the extreme mechanical warfare. BattleBots is the ultimate war of robotic mastery where roboticists pit their wits against each other to win the long-awaited Grand Nut Trophy.

But which is the best BattleBot of all seasons of this show of mayhem? Let’s dive deeper:

What is BattleBots

BattleBots, an offshoot of the renowned British robot combat competition called Robot Wars, is an American STEM-focused TV series now on its 11th season. Roboticists have to apply online to participate in the show by submitting their robot layout, technical details, and CAD design. 

This adrenaline-packed TV show started in 1997, was picked up by the Discovery Channel in 2008, and has been telecast by it since then. The show had been broadcast by Comedy Central till 2002. It came back with a bang in 2015 with its 6th season aired on ABC by overcoming a 13-years hiatus.  

BattleBots Combat Robots at a Glance

• Two remotely controlled robots duke it out against each other in a 48′ x 48′ battle arena for 3-minutes. The ultimate aim is to knock out, immobilize, or destroy the opponent or force it to surrender by causing extreme damage. 
• While combat robots can be categorized as ‘robots,’ they are technically armored and armed vehicles controlled by Radio Controllers or microcontrollers and lack autonomy. However, a standard or sophisticated AI-based robot is fully/semi-autonomous. A BattleBot can have multiple weapons, but it must include at least one separately powered weapon to act as a decoy and demonstrate the capability to immobilize or destroy the enemy. No matter how many weapons your bot includes, it must not exceed the weight limit. While in the previous seasons, BattleBots robots could be classified into 4-different weight classes, for the lastest 11th season, no machine should weigh more than 250 pounds. 

• BattleBots robots are fascinating but challenging to build. You have to master the skill of robot building, driving, and controlling to ace the competition and win against any bot.
• You can install motors on the bot drive system or weapon(s). It’s recommended to use more than one motor for each side of the drive system for more redundancy. Both non-brushless and brushless motors are allowed to be used in your BattleBot but make sure your other electrical components comply with the motors’ nominal voltage. 
• BattleBots robots also come with a hefty price tag. While there is no set budget, you can always get a rough estimation on how much you have to invest in your combat robot. A rule of thumb is that each pound of BattleBot costs around $100. So, if you are up for building a 250lb machine, you have to spend $25000. Again, it’s just a rough estimation, and the cost racks up with the robot size, subsystem weight, the type of chassis, armor, and skeleton material you choose, etc.

Is Robot Wars Legal?

Bot war competitions are legal. In fact, they are a famous combat sport in the USA and UK. But betting on the battling machines is illegal and may lead to imprisonment.

Best BattleBots Robots of All Seasons

BioHazard

Built by: Carlo Bertocchini

Weight class: Heavyweight

Main weapon: Actuated lifting arm

Constructed by Carlo Bertocchini, BioHazard, a heavyweight combat robot successfully squared off in all 7-original BattleBots seasons from 1999 to 2002. The continuous evolution of this bot made it even more rigorous and mighty over the years – the result is that it was unbeatable for 4-seasons, was a two-time quarter-finalist, a one-time runner-up, and was declared winner in one heavyweight rumble. 

While the original structure of this mighty bot included two forklift-like plates on its lifting arm and a spring-loaded anti-intruding tool beneath the frame, it had no metal skirts. The 1997 edition of BioHazard came with sturdy anti-wedge skirts – the ultimate weapon that made it harder for any wedge bot to go underneath and flip its structure. 

In the 2005 season, this powerful combat robot got yanked off by Megabyte, and the extreme damage caused to BioHazard’s chassis by Brutality made it go back to the pavilion. 

Tombstone

Built By: Hardcore Robotics

Weight class: Heavyweight (formerly – super heavyweight)

Main weapon: Horizontal bar spinner

Tombstone, the most destructive heavyweight robot ever built in the history of BattleBots, was a creation of Hardcore Robotics led by Ray Billings. 

This box-type two-wheeled machine with a massive horizontally-spinning bar of around 65-75lbs is the only BattleBot that won the Championship trophy in two distinct weight classes – super heavyweight and heavyweight. 

In the ABC season 1 final match, no enemy competing against Tombstone could get a chance to stand if it didn’t lose its weapon due to battery overheating. In ABC season 2, Tombstone came back with a bang having an S7 red blade and shock insulators made of rubber on the tire mounts that made it challenging for the enemies to strike this ‘bot of destruction’ using their wedges when weapons clashed. Consequently, Tombstone smashed the opponent Bombshell and became the ultimate champion. 

Bite Force

Built By: Aptyx Designs

Weight class: heavyweight

Main weapon: Grappler (ABC season 1), Bar spinner (ABC season 2 and Discovery season 5)

Bite Force, the reigning contender having three big wins of the BattleBots original championship under their belt, is the most consistent player ever in the entire BB history. 

This ‘BattleBots 2019 World Champion’ had knocked out HyperShock, Ghost Raptor and Witch Doctor and won against the giant Tombstone, Overhaul and Warhead by unanimous judge decision. The only blemish in this mighty bot’s history was its controversial defeat against Chomp in the ABC season 2 round 32 when Bite Force lost its weapon while battling.

Originally, Bite Force was a heavy-duty tracked machine weaponized with grabbing jaws. But in the later seasons, it turned into a massive vertical bar spinner and didn’t let the enemies even get a chance to stand in the matches this mighty bot participated in. 

Unfortunately, Bite Force is not a part of the BattleBots season 11. But this destructive battle bot is expected to make a tremendous comeback and be revamped with a complete brushless design for more improved functionalities shortly. 

Witch Doctor

Built By: Team Witch Doctor (previously Busted Nuts Robotics)

Weight class: Super heavyweight

Main weapon: Vertical spinner and Flamethrower

Witch Doctor is another destructive massive combat bot that participated in all the BB reboot seasons. Most rivals who battled against Witch Doctor weren’t just defeated – they got disemboweled!

Using a powerful two-toothed double-sided spinning disc, self-righter, flamethrower, and Shaman – a 30-pound “minibot,” this wedged machine carried on with their winning streak by putting the enemies to death. The outcome is that it won four matches in the BattleBots Discovery Season 4 and made its way to the Finale – two by KO (against Gigabyte and Captain Shrederator) and two by judge decisions (against Shatter and Whiplash). However, it got flipped over twice and finally knocked out by the two-time’s Grand Nut Trophy winner, Bite Force, in the season 4 championship bout.