The NPC Charity Open was a 2004 BattleBots-sanctioned live event organized by the Minnesota Manufacturing Educational Resource (MMER) and sponsored by NPC Motors. Open to as many as eight individual weight classes, it took place between June 29 and July 4, 2004 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, running largely to newer versions of the standard BattleBots technical and tournament regulations.[1]
As well as being a charity event – with proceeds supporting educational activities run by the MMER - the NPC Charity Open was also filmed by BattleBots in preparation for a proposed televised event to be held at the end of 2004. Footage from this was to be used to promote and secure a network deal for the latter event – tentatively dubbed 'BattleBots 6.0' – though this ultimately did not materialize.[1]
One Fierce Upper-Cut, Ricochet and Morpheus won the inaugural 3lb, 12lb and 30lb divisions, weight classes which would become more popular as combat robotics developed in the United States. Ray Billings and Tombstone defeated The Judge in the superheavyweight competition, whereas Donald Hutson's Karcas 2 took home the heavyweight title, defeating Verbal Abuse in the final. Elsewhere, Team PlumbCrazy's middleweight Devil's Plunger defeated the Ewert family and Falconizer, and Goosfraba Steel won the lightweight competition.
This event saw the second and final inclusion of 1lb competitors, known as BattleAnts. Originally trialed during filming of Season 5.0, reigning champion Hoser'd was not present to attempt to defend its title, and the competition was won by Jim Smentowski and MicroNightmare.
Weight Divisions[]
A total of 131 robots were registered for the NPC Charity Open across eight combat classes/weight divisions – the most divisions out of any BattleBots-sanctioned event to date.[2] Of these, four would form the 'main event' classes – these being the returning Lightweight, Middleweight, Heavyweight and Superheavyweight divisions respectively. Updated Technical Regulations outlined a 30% weight allowance for walking/StompBot designs across all four of the aforementioned classes.[3]
| Main Event Class | Minimum Weight (Non-walker) | Maximum Weight (Non-walker) | Minimum Weight (Walker/StompBot) | Maximum Weight (Walker/StompBot) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight | 30lbs | 60lbs | 39.0lbs | 78.0lbs |
| Middleweight | 60lbs | 120lbs | 78.0lbs | 156.0lbs |
| Heavyweight | 120lbs | 220lbs | 156.0lbs | 286.0lbs |
| Superheavyweight | 220lbs | 340lbs | 286.0lbs | 442.0lbs |
In addition to the main classes, robots for the four 'Sub-light' categories – Featherweight, Hobbyweight, Beetleweight, Antweight – were accepted into their own 'builder-only' tournament brackets.[4] This made the NPC Charity Open the first BattleBots event known to have hosted the former three weight classes. All 'Sub-light' divisions followed a separate set of Technical Regulations issued by the MMER, with the following upper limits being set:
| Sub-light Class | Weight |
|---|---|
| Antweight | 1lb |
| Beetleweight | 3lbs |
| Hobbyweight | 12lbs |
| Featherweight | 30lbs |
A Megaweight Walker (alternately Mega Walker) class was also introduced, with a maximum weight limit of 500lbs and largely based on the existing BattleBots regulations. Allowances were also made for robots with hopping mechanisms to compete in this division, the only restriction being that such designs were not allowed to touch the 12ft-high arena roof.[1][5] The Builders Database entry for the NPC Charity Open alludes to the Megaweight Walker class forming a 'Walkers-Only' event, with the possibility of both combat and 'non-combat' exhibition events being mentioned in official sources such as the MMER website.[2][5] One superheavyweight walker, Russell's Paradigm, was known to have performed solo demonstrations and taken part in a Rumble match during the event.[6]
Competitors[]
Superheavyweight[]
Source: Builders Database.[7]
| Competitor | Builder/Team |
|---|---|
| Bounty Hunter[8] | Team Hammertime |
| Hogzilla | Team Botknocker |
| Mer Madd | Team Van Cleve |
| Nitro SOW | Team Whyachi |
| OUCH!! | Team ORGANISED CONFUSION |
| Phrizbee-Ultimate | Team LOGICOM |
| Psycho Splatter II | Team Flying Parts |
| Shovelhead | DNA Robotics |
| Star Hawk 3.0 | Team Moon |
| Steel Piranha[8] | Team Steel Piranha |
| Steel Reign | Team XD |
| Super Megabyte | Robotic Death Company |
| The Black Knight | Team Klein |
| The Judge | Team Mechanicus |
| Tombstone | Hardcore Robotics |
| Zeus | DRT Robotics |
* RockBot was listed among the list of entrants, but did not end up competing for unknown reasons.
NOTE: Megaweight robot Russell's Paradigm was listed as a superheavyweight, but did not compete in the main division bracket.
Heavyweight[]
Source: Builders Database.[7]
| Competitor | Builder/Team |
|---|---|
| Bambulance | Team LOGICOM |
| BladeSpinner | Team Killulator Robotics |
| Botknocker-19 | Team Botknocker |
| Corporal Punishment | Team Killerbotics |
| Death-Maul | CR-Robotics |
| Final Verdict | Russ Robotics |
| Flippin Mer | Team Van Cleve |
| Jack in the Bot | Milwaukee Competitive Robotics |
| Karcas 2 | Mutant Robots |
| Megabyte | Robotic Death Company |
| Shrederator | Team LOGICOM |
| Thunder Child | Team Thunder |
| Unit 3000-21 | Chaska Hawks |
| Verbal Abuse | Team Killerbotics |
| Warrior | Team Whyachi |
Middleweight[]
Source: Builders Database.[7]
| Competitor | Builder/Team |
|---|---|
| Adonai | Team XD |
| Blue Flame | Volatile Robotics |
| Borris | Creation Robotics |
| Bot Named Sue | Team Robo Command |
| Death Drum[9] | Team Insanity |
| Devil's Plunger | Team PlumbCrazy |
| Easty Beast | Mutant Robots |
| Falcon | Team Falcon |
| Floor Jack | Team Van Cleve |
| Green Wave | Team Demolition |
| Icewave | Team UI |
| Major Punishment | Team Humphrey |
| Norbert | Team Tin Can Robotics |
| Papercut | Benson Labs |
| Red Square | Team Whyachi |
| SABotage | Team Sabotage |
| Speed Bump XL[9] | Team X-Bots |
| SubZero[9] | Team Hammertime |
| Swamp Thing | Hardcore Robotics |
| WarSaw | Pandora's Bots |
| Z.I.P. | Creation Robotics |
NOTE: Mad Dog was registered to compete in the middleweight division, but withdrew for unknown reasons.
Lightweight[]
Source: Builders Database.[7]
| Competitor | Builder/Team |
|---|---|
| 2x4 | Team 2x4 |
| Agsma | Neilson |
| Amish Rebellion[10] | Team Mad Cow |
| Backlash | Team Nightmare |
| Code:BLACK | Team LOGICOM |
| Goosfraba Steel | Team Killerbotics |
| HazMatXD | Team XD |
| Insomnia | Team Night Owl |
| J.R.C.V. | Humble Robotics |
| Little Black Box | Team Mongoose |
| Llamakazi | Fab Lab Robotics |
| Mini Madd | Team Van Cleve |
| Peanut | Team Van Cleve |
| Rotato | Pandora's Bots |
| Slyder | Fab Lab Robotics |
| Speed Bump[10] | Team X-Bots |
| The Prosecutor | Team Mechanicus |
| Wipe Out #2 | Team PlumbCrazy |
| YU812 | Team Whyachi |
NOTE: Joe 2.0 was registered to compete in the lightweight division, but withdrew for unknown reasons.
Featherweight[]
Source: Builders Database.[7]
| Competitor | Builder/Team |
|---|---|
| Black Diamond | Bad Boys |
| Doom | Team Bad Bot |
| EBot | Team Regulators |
| Jacksauce[11] | Team Insanity |
| MaxTrax[11] | Patient Pending |
| Morpheus | Team Mad Cow |
| Puddle Jumper | Hardcore Robotics |
| ShredHead | Team LOGICOM |
| Skewer | Team Wazio Robotics |
| Totally Manipulative | Team Mad Overlord |
| Totally Offensive | Team Mad Overlord |
Hobbyweight[]
Source: Builders Database.[7]
| Competitor | Builder/Team |
|---|---|
| Another Fierce Weed-Wacker | Fierce Robots |
| Chigger | Greasemonkey Robotics |
| Gone Postal | Benson Labs |
| Mace | Red Dawn |
| Natasha[12] | Creation Robotics |
| Rellik | Team Suplex |
| Ricochet | Team Whyachi |
| Spatula[12] | Team Wazio Robotics |
| The Reading Terror Squad | Anarchy Robotics |
| VBT12 | VBT Robotics |
| War Drums | Team Insanity |
NOTE: Judge WHOP-Ner and Ntertainment were registered to compete in the hobbyweight division, but withdrew for unknown reasons.[12]
Beetleweight[]
Source: Builders Database.[7]
| Competitor | Builder/Team |
|---|---|
| /dev/null | Team Killerbotics |
| 3A | Team Whyachi |
| Buzzkill | Team Whyachi |
| Chigger Jr.[13] | Greasemonkey Robotics |
| Chimera | Team Python |
| DarkFire | Team Disaster |
| Doktor | Team Maahs |
| Fire Fly | Team Booyah |
| Itsa? | Team Bad Bot |
| Krank | Team Maahs |
| Nemo | Maim Robotics |
| One Fierce Upper-Cut | Fierce Robots |
| One Fierce Weed Wacker | Fierce Robots |
| Peregrine | Team Falcon |
| Wallop | Team Nightmare |
| Wheelie | Team Clark |
Antweight[]
Source: Builders Database.[7]
| Competitor | Builder/Team |
|---|---|
| ...Tysant[14] | Team XD |
| /bin/bash | Team Killerbotics |
| 1A | Team Whyachi |
| Arsenic | VBT Robotics |
| Cerberus | ? |
| Decidedly Undecided | Benson Labs |
| MicroNightmare | Team Nightmare |
| Mr. Sticky | ? |
| One Fierce Beer Coaster | Fierce Robots |
| POW | Team Whyachi |
| Punked Out Puppy | Team Trial and Error |
| RobotussinDM | Team XD |
| ShazBot | Team Nightmare |
| The Mailman | Benson Labs |
| UnderWHERE?! | Team Hazardous Robotics |
NOTE: Tongue Lash was registered to compete in the antweight division, but withdrew for unknown reasons.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 'MAY 7 2004 ANNOUNCING THE NPC CHARITY OPEN BattleBots and the Minnesota Manufacturing Educational Resource', MMER website (archived)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Builders Database entry on the 2004 NPC Charity Open, archived March 12, 2022
- ↑ 'BattleBots Inc. Technical Regulations, Version 3.2', 2004, Battlebots.com (archived)
- ↑ 'NPC Charity Open', MMER website (archived)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 'Mega Walker Class Information', MMER website (archived)
- ↑ 'BattleBots NPC Charity Open 2004: demonstration of Russell's Paradigm', Romax 24245, YouTube (footage uploaded 20 August, 2020)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Builders Database list of registered NPC 2004 entries (accessed May 12, 2022)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 'Builders Database', Builders Database listing of NPC Charity Open 2004 superheavyweight entries (archived November 24, 2010)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 'Builders Database', Builders Database listing of NPC Charity Open 2004 middleweight entries (archived November 24, 2010)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 'Builders Database', Builders Database listing of NPC Charity Open 2004 lightweight entries (archived November 24, 2010)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 'Builders Database', Builders Database listing of NPC Charity Open 2004 featherweight entries (archived November 24, 2010)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 'Builders Database', Builders Database listing of NPC Charity Open 2004 hobbyweight entrries (archived November 24, 2010)
- ↑ 'Builders Database', Builders Database listing of NPC Charity Open 2004 beetleweight entries (archived November 24, 2010)
- ↑ 'Builders Database', Builders Database listing of NPC Charity Open 2004 antweight entries (archived November 24, 2010)