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Heat 8
Feb 21, 2009 11:01:27 GMT -5
Post by devilsincarnate on Feb 21, 2009 11:01:27 GMT -5
Round 1
Gravity (15) v SUNCUST v Megalodon Maneater - SUNCUST out Archangel of the Abyss (31) v Chameleon v SBPOTFR - Chameleon Out
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Heat 8
Feb 21, 2009 11:01:47 GMT -5
Post by devilsincarnate on Feb 21, 2009 11:01:47 GMT -5
Heat 8 - Round 2 Battle 1 - Gravity (15) v NSBFR-X (apologies for mistake in the billing)
3... 2... 1... Activate!
And straight away we're off, with interchangeable-weaponed rambot up against insanely powerful flipperbot. Straight away the 2 machines come out of their blocks at a great pace, NSBFR-X especially who seems to be the quicker of the 2 machines in the arena today. Gravity immediately starts dancing around, evidently trying to catch an opportunity to get underneath the practically impenetrable skirts, whilst Frank just allows his machine to keep spinning to keep the front facing. Neither machine seems in any great hurry to make an attack and both spin around tentatively. This is currently more like a secondary school amateur dance piece as opposed to a fight. NSBFR-X then overturns slightly in his attempt to keep the wedge facing, allowing Gravity to fly in towards the sign. Frank turns his machine around just in time to get Gravity on the wedge, but he flies almost straight off it, albeit not without a quick lick across his base plate with the bar which Frank is using today. Gravity runs away and with WJ at the controls seems baffled as to how to get underneath his opponent.
Frank seems relaxed in his control pod, seemingly just looking around for an opportunity, and it's not long before one presents itself. Gravity spins around, and as is his tendency to do so, does a little wheely, which is all the invitation Frank needs to slip under the side and slam him onto his side against the fence. The bar then immediately makes itself useful as it goes straight into one of the pneumatic tyres, puncturing it in no time at all. Frank backs off allowing Gravity to get himself off the wall with his flipper, and he immediately drives off, the puncture not having too much effect so far seemingly. NSBFR-X is following him though, and as WJ moves his machine away slide straight under the raised rear of Gravity, sending him flying into the fence again once more with a hugely impressive burst of speed and acceleration from NSBFR-X. This time Gravity just bounces into the wall and back over NSBFR-X but it's very evident who's on top of this fight right now.
Gravity moves away again but this time the effect of the puncture is beginning to show as he starts hopping around like a man with one leg shorter than the other. Give that robot a coaster! NSBFR-X this itme has no problems in getting underneath him, but this time the bar smashes into the polycarbonate instead, a large gash into the bulletproof plastic armour adding yet more discomfort to Gravity's present fall. NSBFR-X backs off, to get the bar up to speed, and charge in again, WJ turns his wedge to face but the spin ends up lifting him into wheelie position again and Frank delivers another blow to the base. He stays underneath him this time and slams him into the pit release button, causing Gravity to get stuck on his back against the wall. WJ fires the flipper and ends up doing a weird backwards Mute-esque jump straight over NSBFR-X, sending him onto the pit. The pit starts descending and Gravity manages to use all the ramining traction from his one good, and one punctured wheel to escape. He hobbles off limply again but NSBFR-X soon turns him around by getting under the side, and this time there's no escaping destiny for the Dutch real machine, as he falls into the pit, with just enough time to say goodbye as it finishes descending
CEASE
Gravity wishes he'd never seen THAT. NSBFR-X falls into place in the heat final.
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Heat 8
Feb 21, 2009 11:02:04 GMT -5
Post by devilsincarnate on Feb 21, 2009 11:02:04 GMT -5
Heat 8 - Round 2 Battle 2 - Archangel of the Abyss (31) v Megalodon Maneater
3... 2... 1... Activate!
And we're off! With both of machines far more cumbersome than the 2 from our previous battle there's no wonder that we see a far slower start this time around, and it's Archangel of the Abyss, nippy for a walker at 12mph, who immediately starts bobbling around the arena on it's parsley cutter like legs, whilst Megalodon Maneater tries to catch it. The wedge gets to the lower ring before Alex's Machine has got up to speed too quickly, but he still finds himself being spun away with the 4mm Hardox taking a small swipe. Alex tries to turn away but with manouvreability being the main issue for this particular walker, it's not long before Megalodon Maneater is hot on his tails again, again sliding underneath with the wedge, and again being knocked away with a couple of scratches to the wedge. Rich curses his luck as he can't get close enough to get a good grip, whilst Alex curses his luck that his top ring isn't low enough to take a good swipe at oncoming wedges.
Rich is persistent though and before long, once again he's driving Megalodon Maneater into Archangel of the Abyss again, and yet again he's sent spinning away by the half sped up shell. Whilst Archangel has been the better controlled and more damaging machine so far, Megalodon Maneater has been by far th emore aggressive, yet it seems at this point in time like it won't be easy for either machine to mount an overly meaningful attack on the other. Rich briefly spins around to show the back of his machine to Archangel of the Abyss, seemingly trying to provoke Archangel into making a charge but Alex isn't falling for it and so happily scuttles back on his way. This differing tactic has given Archangel of the Abyss the chance to get his bottom shell up to it's full 2500 revolutions per minute speed though, and Rich curses his luck, knowing that his attempt to swing the fight in his favour has actually given Alex an opening.
Alex turns his machine to face his foe, and then stops, seemingly baiting Megalodon Maneater into making a move. Rich is just as hesitant though, and seems to be contemplating the best plan of action. He moves in closer, but this just inspires Alex to trun slightly, changing direction minimally, but throwing Rich off course. A similar manouvre, with Megalodon Maneater sheepishly edging closer, provokes exactly the same reaction with Alex just making slight adjustments to his bearings. Finally Rich makes a bolder move to come in, but Alex gets his machine going fowards and the change in angle becomes clear, as he manages to tear into the bottom side corner of the wedge, a small gouge and some bent metal on the edge of the 4mm hardox armour, showing just how much potential is in those rings. Rich's robot has spun away, and is just regaining control, when a scuttlign Archangel catchs up with him and slams into him again, this time at the rear. A scratch to the paint and a couple of nuts and bolts follow but nothing more than superficial.
The previous attack has sent Megalodon Maneater spinning into a wall, and losing it's bearings. Archangel sees his chance to try and grab total control of the fight and comes in again, slamming the other side panel. Again more paint flakes and a couple of bolts as Archangel of the Abyss manages to damage his foe, but not seriously. The last impact sends both machines spinning into the wall, but this actually aids Rich as his robot is stopped spinning by an angle grinder and he immediately charges at Archangel of the Abyss, pinning him on the wedge and blocking him in with another angle grinder. The crusher comes down for the first time in the fight and immediately crumples through the 25mm polycarbonate on the top, cracking straight through it as if it was nothing more than a sheet of tin foil. Megalodon Maneater then performs some Razer-esque showmanship, lifting the arm up and taking Archangel with it, displaying him to the crowd before pushing it back down again. He jams his back against the wide wall before lifting the arm again, this time releasing his prey, knowing that he was never going to be able to get him to the pit before the anti-pinning rule came into play.
He exploits the rules though by backing him into the sidewall meaning that the only route out is straight back onto the wedge. Archangel however realises that he can exploit that and revs up the shells before driving straight up the wedge, and smashing straight into the ram of the hydraulic crusher. Immediately hydraulic fluid or some such liquid seems to be dripping from somewhere as Archangel of The Abyss falls off the side of the wedge and onto his back through the impact. As he uses the arm to self-right, Megalodon Maneater manages to catch him again on the wedge but when he tries to move the crucher down, the hydraulics system just won't respond, seemingly leaving the Maneater as a vegetarian anarexic. Knowing that being a pushbot is now his only shot Megalodon Maneater tries to turn and edge the 150kg machine towards the pit but instead Archangel of the Abyss just revs up the shell again and drives back into the claw, again throwing himself off but this time onto his wheels.
With the crusher bust and a wedge his foes' only weapon Archangel of the Abyss decides to go for broke and charges along the side of his sluggish opponent, shearing a gash into the 4mm hardox as the shell gets up to full speed. Megalodon Maneater barely has time to turn before he's coming back the other way and shearing at the same side panel again, this time an entire side panel coming off as Archangel manages to pull the main strengthening bolts away. With time running out Megalodon Maneater knows that he'd rather brave a judges decision than need an entire rebuild and so just starts spinning away from Archangel, keepign the wedge facing under all circumstances, and point blank refusing to show him the now exposed mechanics down the left hand side. Archangel manages to get one more attack in, gently denting the wedge, but this is all the time there is in the right, as the Refbot counts down to the end and the fight comes to a climax.
CEASE
Over to the judges
Damage - Archangel caused vastly more superficial damage but a judges report shows that 1 of Archangel's 4 drive motors was damaged by a crushing attack
AotA - 6/10 * 5 - 30 MM - 4/10 * 5 - 20
Aggression - Both machines seemed equally aggressive, Megalodon more at the start of the fight, Archangel more towards the end
AotA - 5/10 * 4 - 20 MM - 5/10 * 4 - 20
Style - Megalodon's showmanry tips it slightly in his favour, though Archangel's graceful self-righting swings it back to almost even
Aota - 4/10 * 3 - 12 MM - 6/10 * 3 - 18
Control - Megalodon Maneater was the better controlled for most of the fight, but the panic caused by Archngel towards the end swings it back a little.
AotA - 4/10 * 2 - 8 MM - 6/10 * 2 - 12
Dominance - Megalodon Maneater was never really on top of Archangel whereas Archangel was definitely on top at the end
AotA - 7/10 * 1 - 7 MM - 3/10 * 1 - 3
Totals -
AotA - 77 MM - 73
So there you have it, a much closer decision than people would've thought but it goes nonetheless to Archangel of the Abyss!
And so the heat final
Archangel of the Abyss (31) v NSBFR-X
Thoughts, Tactics, Predictions, semi-skimmed milk?
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Heat 8
Feb 21, 2009 11:02:20 GMT -5
Post by devilsincarnate on Feb 21, 2009 11:02:20 GMT -5
Heat 8 - Heat Final - Archangel of the Abyss (31) v NSBFR-X 3... 2... 1... Activate! And the last heat final in this half of the draw is under way. Immediately it's NSBFR-X using his solid hardox scoop that makes the quicker start who flies across into Archangel of the Abyss who has barely had time to move away and get his flywheel up to speed. Just like the last fight, Archangel's top ring is absolutely no use whatsoever against a wedge shape, whilst the bottom ring has no time to get up to speed, meaning that Frank is able to get his machine to box rush the number 31 seeds straight into the wall, the impact managing to get him underneath the Tengu-style foam skirt on the Archangel. Frank tries to turn away to keep Alex's machine on the wedge, but soon realises he's not got room to turn himself and the walker around and so has to back off. Archangel uses the opportunity to rush out of the genereal side area of the arena and manages to get the shell slightly more up to speed before Frank comes at him again, this time contact with the hardox scoop making light sparks, but other than being spun away Frank emerges from the attack unscathed. Alex uses the opportunity to start twirling aroundand getting the bottom shell up to speed, and this time when Frank tries to box rush him again, he has time to dodge the attack and go straight down the side, very reminiscent of his last fight, however this time the damage is far more evident as he immediately leaves a huge gash down almost the entire length of NSBFR-X's side panel. Frank seems to immediately have been made a little sheepish by this attack and goes more defensive in his approach, running across the arena, first turning on the arena spinner, before running to the other side of the arena and slamming into the pit release button as well, seemingly believing hazards are his best chance of defeating the number 31 seeds. This has given Alex all the time he needs to get his 2 shells, with a combined mass of over 50kg up to full speed though, and he charges towards NSBFR-X as NSBFR-X charges back directly at him with the scoop facing. The 2 robots collide and after a loud smack, NSBFR-X is sent spinning off with a slight dent to the hardox scoops side. However the impact seems to have done very little to slow the weapon down and before NSBFR-X has even regained its sense of direction Alex is back on his tail again, this time slamming into the the back corner, sending the vertex of the robot inwards. A gash has appeared but the damage is more indicative of a sledgehammer rather than a spinning ring. And immediately it seems in this single attack on the 5mm titanium, Archangel of the Abyss has wrecked any chances that Frank had of winning the fight as when Archangel backs off for a second, Frank tries to steer and it immediately appears that the slam has thrown off wheel alignment altogether as he can only go in circles. It turns out later that that sigle attack has bent the axle slighty upwards and so only one wheel is touching the floor. Frank continues to try and drive on with only one wheel on his wagon, but Archangel of the Abyss just bides him time. Alex has an almost sadistic grin appearing on his face, as he edges ever closer to the uni-directional NSBFR-X, seemingly waiting for an opporunity to come in on the kill altogether. Realising that one attack on the back corner was enough to take out a wheel, he's aiming for the other, again trying to negate the skirts as it's the angle that he can get to them from when they're mounted to the rounded sides. One attack is all it takes though as timing his "charge" (c'mon walkers don't charge ) he makes contact with the rear edge and goes straight through the 5mm titanium once again, pushing part of the back and part of the rounded side in on itself. This time the damage is noticeable as the wheel jolts forward and digs into the metal around the edge of the slot in the top that makes it invertible. 2 good shots are all it's taken for Archangel to dispose of Frank's machine, however the house robots are yet to have their fun. Dead Metal comes out and immediately starts digging the saw in, whilst Shunt hammers away with little effect on top of the wheels. Eventually they have enough of disembowlling the carcass and so instead decide to nudge him onto the arena flipper. The flipper fires and NSBFR-X goes sawing through the air. Dead Metal catches up with him and decides that eough is enough, that NSBFR-X is well and truly dead, and due for his burial, so as he closes him in the jaws, he gives him a nudge forwards and pushes once, twice, and into the pit of oblivion and out of the competition. CEASE NSBFR-X makes it obvious why there's "ex" in his name. Archangel of the Abyss rises into the series semi-finals.
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