Team captain Al Kindle previously entered Season 2.0 of Comedy CentralBattleBots with Enforcer, a two-wheel drive lightweight sporting a lifter with an in-built circular saw. However, his involvement with the sport dates even further back, having fought with a more primitive version of the same bot as early as the 1996 US Robot Wars competition.
In each of its iterations, Blacksmith has been a large, square-shaped robot with four-wheel drive and a hammer as its primary weapon, which also served as a self-righting mechanism. Blacksmith's design was inspired by a 30lb sportsman class robot named Mangi which was also built by Al Kindle. The hammerhead of Blacksmith is unique in that it contains a flamethrower which can be activated remotely. The original idea was suggested by Al Kindle's team as they were concerned they would not get accepted into World Championship II without a theme, but team member Alan Young led the design of this unique primary weapon.Citation?
The hammer of Blacksmith was originally powered by an NPC Black Max electric motor. The goal was not to deliver massive shots, but to hit more rapidly, be more reliable, and have more controlled self-righting. The fire shooting from the flamethrower is fueled by propane. The frame of Blacksmith is a combination of tapped holes in the frame and through bolts and nuts in the side, front and rear panels, with the top armor consisting of all tapped holes in the frame. It had two thicknesses, one of which was ¹⁄₁₆" and the other being slightly thinner. Blacksmith won its qualifying round in its debut season before being defeated by Bronco. It received a wildcard to reach the Top 32, only to lose against Minotaur in spectacular fashion.
"The first order of business is to make the hammer motor not self destruct in each fight... We should be able to maintain the same power level. The power was there, it's difficult to generate spinner level power with half of one rotation. It's a different type of strategy than always going for the KO. The hope is the shock of the hammer will shake something important loose inside... The secondary plan is for the steel tips to create dents, holes, or gaps for the fire to enter the opponent."
— Al Kindle on plans to improve Blacksmith for future seasons in a Reddit AMA[1]
Blacksmith during World Championship III hero shots.
Al Kindle and his team returned for World Championship III with a remade, 13lb hammerhead which could swing quicker than before. The hammer arm and head were both also now made from one piece of AR500 steel. The hammer arm also originally had HDPE around it, but this was no longer used after the team's first fight against Bite Force, which was a narrow loss by judges' decision. The team also had brought two full flame hammer assemblies and two plain steel non-flame hammers in case damage was done to the weapon itself. The hammer shaft was made of machined titanium and its new AR500 steel chassis welded together. Al Kindle stated the top armor was thin and light, but the sides and rear were heavily armored with 3/16 AR500 steel. Blacksmith notably now had additional front configurations to adapt against different opponents, including two heavy front forks specifically designed for drum spinners like Minotaur, and a smaller wedge designed to counter horizontal spinners. There were oversized holes to allow the wedge to float and remain flat on the floor, resulting in multiple front end packages that bolted to the main frame for easy replacements. Speed controllers with current limiting were used as additional precaution so Blacksmith would not overheat during matches, as was the case in its qualifying rumble a season ago. Blacksmith only picked up a single win during the 2018 season against multibot The Four Horsemen, but proved itself as durable by lasting the full three minutes in all four of its losses. With its poor record, Blacksmith failed to make the tournament bracket.
"The power of the hit is not small. Torque wise, it has enough to lift 250lbs at the tip. The head is 13lbs and it travels the full swing arc in 3 seconds. The hammer is more than a weapon to do damage. It delivers the fire, it acts as a self right device, and it may make it possible to free ourselves from precarious areas of the Battlebox..."
— Al Kindle on Blacksmith's hammer in a Reddit AMA[2]
"This season is probably the hardest it has hit. But most importantly, this is the season we figured out the magic combinations that keep the Black Max from blowing up in 3 minutes."
— Al Kindle on Blacksmith's improvements for the 2019 competition in a Reddit AMA[3]
Blacksmith during World Championship IV hero shots.
Returning for World Championship IV, Blacksmith had a new green color scheme based on one of their sponsors: Nuclear Blast. Blacksmith sported a new shaft for its weapon and a bulkier, more rounded-out hammerhead with a radioactive symbol cut out in it. The hammer was stated by Al Kindle to hit the hardest out of all the previous seasons. Blacksmith's front forks were now painted green, and the hammer axle now had green color lineage on it. It had yet again, another revised chassis and frame structure, with the armor thickness ranging between ⅛"to ½". The team had also figured out how to resolve the issues which kept causing the hammer's electric motor from overheating. Depending on the flow rate, Blacksmith could keep the fire burning from the hammerhead for upwards of two minutes. The team's main success to date was seen in this competition, finishing 3-3 and making the Top 16 for the first time.
Blacksmith's hero shot during World Championship VI.
After being absent for the 2020 season, Blacksmith arrived at World Championship VI with the hammerhead removed in place of a completely new primary weapon: a hammer saw dubbed the "power hammer" by Al Kindle himself. Keeping its green color scheme, the weapon was an asymmetrical green disk linked to a gear chain and weapon shaft which slams down on opponents. Blacksmith still retained its trademark weapon-flamethrower, which was connected to the back of the weapon axle. Blacksmith also had newly shaped front-forks which were attached and bolted differently. Besides receiving another revised chassis structure, the New-Jersey bot also received a new paint-job, with a graffiti-styled 'Blacksmith' logo right next to the numerous drawn skulls on the left-side of Blacksmith, staying true to the 'heavy metal' theme. Its primary weapon proved to be very eye-catching, which led to Blacksmith being used in a lot of teaser footage for the show. Blacksmith's first fight since 2019 resulted in a win by judges' decision over Free Shipping, but it quickly fell to 1-2 after losing out to Adam Wrigley'sShatter! and Bunny Liaw'sMalice in consecutive fights.
In September 2022, Blacksmith was confirmed not to be competing in World Championship VII, opting against applying for the competition for unconfirmed reasons.[4] In May 2023, it was confirmed that Blacksmith is seeking sponsors ahead of World Championship VIII.[5]
Blacksmith in the blue square during World Championship VI.]]
Blacksmith backstage during World Championship IV.
Blacksmith without its armor.
Blacksmith's 2019 construction without top armor.
Blacksmith's controller programming.
Blacksmith frame with motors, electronics, and wheels.
Construction of Blacksmith's frame.
Blacksmith with its electronics installed.
The weapon system of Blacksmith.
Blacksmith's weapon chain and gearing.
Blacksmith in the BattleBox during World Championship II.
Blacksmith was on display at the February 2020 Motorama event.
Blacksmith at Motorama.
Robot History[]
World Championship II[]
Blacksmith vs. Gemini vs. Basilisk
Blacksmith was one of twelve robots which had to fight its way through the preliminary round in order to qualify for the main tournament. In its qualifier, Al Kindle's team took on newcomers Basilisk and Gemini. The match went to the judges, who ruled a unanimous decision for Blacksmith.
Blacksmith targets Basilisk.
Basilisk quickly targeted Blacksmith as the Gemini twins separated, but Blacksmith landed a direct shot to its shell. Basilisk fired its flipper in retaliation, though could not get underneath the plow of Blacksmith and found itself pushed into the corner by Al Kindle's flaming hammerbot.
Blacksmith shepherds both Gemini twins into the corner.
After this attack, Basilisk appeared immobile in the corner, and it played no further part in the rumble. Its drone, AfterByte, hovered in place as Blacksmith cornered both Gemini robots and landed multiple shots with its primary weapon, damaging the drive of the black half of Ace Shelander's multibot.
"He's got Gemini cornered; both of 'em! POW! POW! POW!"
— Chris Rose as Blacksmith strikes Gemini
Basilisk with a disabled Afterbyte.
With one half of Gemini experiencing drive issues, Blacksmith momentarily turned its attention towards AfterByte but failed to swat it out of the air. It instead attacked the remaining red half of Gemini, whose weapon was now out of commission too.
Basilisk is hammered by Blacksmith.
As AfterByte crash-landed, Basilisk suddenly returned to life as the team's drone was mercilessly attacked by Blacksmith, but Basilisk's flipper had been damaged from earlier attacks. The hammerbot then landed several more blows on Basilisk and the red half of Gemini drove wedge-first into Blacksmith, who then chased it around the middle of the BattleBox.
"Chris, Al Kindle is going for the knockout in his first taste of a big time victory. What a display we are seeing!"
— Kenny Florian as the fight enters its final minute
Blacksmith toasts Gemini.
Blacksmith eventually struck the top of its multibot opponent, pinning it in place with the weight of its hammer before firing its flamethrower and scorching the red half of Gemini. After raining down even more hammer blows, Blacksmith began to smoke and a fire began inside Al Kindle's robot, who stopped moving.
Blacksmith catches fire late on.
The referee initiated a count-out, but in a race against the clock, Blacksmith showed late signs of life to interrupt the count and force a dramatic judges' decision, which went in Blacksmith's favor.
Blacksmith vs. Bronco
This win put Blacksmith to the Round of 48. Here, it faced the daunting challenge of fighting 2015 season semi-finalist Bronco.
Blacksmith attacks Bronco, but is immediately flipped.
Both robots were slow to start as they sized one another up, but it was Bronco who hunted Al Kindle's robot down, trying to flip but narrowly missing. Blacksmith retaliated with a near miss of its own before Bronco drove its flipper underneath the back corner of Blacksmith's frame and tossed it into the air.
Bronco throws Blacksmith again.
Blacksmith landed upright but was quickly thrown around again. A third flip in quick succession saw the flaming hammerbot land awkwardly on the screws before using its weapon to become free.
"Bronco just tossing Blacksmith around like a ragdoll!"
— Chris Rose after Bronco's series of flips
Bronco flips Blacksmith.
The Inertia Labs bot continued to hunt Blacksmith down as it looked to find space, but its weapon was struggling to ignite. Despite this, Blacksmith was able to meet Bronco head-on and capitalize on a missed flip by striking Bronco and following this up with a pulverizer shot. The unfazed Bronco immediately responded by overturning Blacksmith again and its hammer head fell off in self-righting.
Blacksmith continued to swing its now-broken weapon at Bronco, causing minimal damage but showing aggression as the fight wore on. Not to be outdone, Bronco again got underneath Blacksmith's front plow and launched it in the corner. The pulverizer landed a shot to the top of Blacksmith, though it continued to run in a strong showing of reliability.
"Bronco's just throwing everything at Blacksmith. What's it gonna take to knock this bot out?"
— Kenny Florian praises Blacksmith's durability
Bronco's knockout flip.
Now past the 1:30 mark, the fight had moved to the center of the arena and Bronco used its momentum to launch Blacksmith into the Lexan of the BattleBox, landing on the housing for the screws before trying to use its weapon shaft to slide back onto the steel floor. However, Blacksmith was now stuck on the arena and Bronco retreated in anticipation of a count.
Bronco celebrates its win.
In celebration, Bronco flipped Blacksmith's broken hammerhead into the roof of the BattleBox. Despite its loss, Blacksmith was awarded one of the eight wildcards and advanced to the Round of 32 with its No.26 seeding.
Blacksmith vs. Minotaur
Reinstated and eager to take advantage of its second chance in the tournament, Blacksmith faced the No.7 seed, Minotaur.
Blacksmith begins on the front foot.
Blacksmith gingerly approached Minotaur, which crept forward with its drum up to speed. It then had to evade the charging bull as it looked to land an early hit on Blacksmith, whose flaming hammer had ignited. Al Kindle's robot misfired its hammer but was able to drive to the side of Minotaur, pushing it into the red starting square as Daniel Freitas looked for an opening. It was Blacksmith which landed the next attacks, however, as it drove Minotaur back into the spiked rails, narrowly avoiding the pulverizer, and then into the screws.
Minotaur pops Blacksmith into the air.
Minotaur then landed its first attack of the fight, chipping away at the edge of Blacksmith's front plow. This was followed up by a strike to its front, launching Blacksmith into the air and peeling away from the leading edge of its wedge. Blacksmith misfired its hammer several more times, allowing Minotaur to grind down Blacksmith's front and flip it over.
Blacksmith's plow is ripped off.
Though Blacksmith recovered, it was on the defensive again as Minotaur pushed it back. The 12,000rpm drum spinner continued to attack from Blacksmith's front, which allowed Al Kindle's team to land a blow to the top of the Brazilian bot. As it flailed its hammer in search of a second hit, however, this allowed Minotaur to attack its opponent's underside and overturn it for a second time. Blacksmith self-righted but was now in the corner, so Minotaur continued its assault on its front. This resulted in the defensive plow being torn away completely.
"Blacksmith's had its face ripped off - are you KIDDING me?!"
— Chris Rose
Minotaur causes further damage.
Now at the halfway mark, Blacksmith landed several hammer shots in succession before finding itself driven back into the screws by Minotaur. As it hit the flat top of the Team RioBotz heavyweight several more times, the very next attack from Minotaur tore away its front armor protecting the weapon mechanism. With the front of Blacksmith completely unprotected, Minotaur was relentless as overturned Al Kindle's robot again before striking its sides and deforming Blacksmith's chassis.
Blacksmith loses its hammer head.
Minotaur popped Blacksmith into the air, then bullied it into the screws behind the blue starting square. As Blacksmith attempted to mount a counter-attack, its hammer head broke off, leaving just its shaft to swing helplessly.
"Minotaur just pulverizing Blacksmith now!"
— Kenny Florian as Minotaur seeks a knockout
The final attack on Blacksmith.
Smoke began to emit from the helpless Blacksmith, but it kept on driving. Minotaur drove to its front and sparks flew as it grazed against Blacksmith's exposed frame, pushing its opponent back all the while. Blacksmith erupted into flame as the extent of its damage became apparent.
The remains of Blacksmith.
A knockout was mercifully declared and Blacksmith was eliminated from the tournament.
World Championship III[]
Bite Force vs. Blacksmith
Returning for World Championship III, Blacksmith first faced off against former champion Bite Force. Pre-fight, Blacksmith's opponents expressed concern over Blacksmith's high durability.
Blacksmith swings at Bite Force.
Blacksmith's forks proved effective in the opening moments of the fight, keeping Bite Force at bay. The New Jersey bot fired its hammer in an attempt to break the stalemate, but this allowed Bite Force to drive to its flank and land a damaging hit which peeled up some of Blacksmith's armor. Bite Force kept the pressure on, alternating between grinding attacks which threw sparks and more powerful blows that tossed Blacksmith around. In retaliation, Al Kindle made use of his robot's flaming hammer, striking Bite Force's top armor to try and cause internal damage.
"Blacksmith throwing a lot of flame, but also eating a lot of sparks courtesy of Bite Force!"
— Chris Rose narrates as Bite Force goes on the offensive
Bite Force delivers a shot to the side of Blacksmith.
Blacksmith's flailing attacks would ultimately reap some rewards for Al Kindle's team as their robot lodged the hammer into Bite Force's weapon assembly and prevented the spinner from gaining speed. However, the same attack also severed the fuel line in the hammer's flamethrower, rendering it unable to take full advantage. The pair engaged in a pushing match as Blacksmith retracted its hammer, raining blows down on Bite Force as the two dueled near a pulverizer. After a few more exchanges, Bite Force regained power to its primary weapon and was able to hunt its opponent down again.
Bite Force takes Blacksmith to the Screws in the final seconds.
The 2015 season champion landed another solid attack, but this saw its weapon cease spinning once again, this time for good. As Blacksmith continued to deliver hit after hit, Bite Force began to show signs of wear as it slowed noticeably, seemingly becoming caught on its own weapon chain. As it became free, Blacksmith was hit by a killsaw. This attack from the arena hazard offered Bite Force an opportunity to maneuver to Blacksmith's side and leave a lasting impression as the clock wound down. Bite Force slammed Blacksmith into the killsaws with seconds remaining, trapping it as the buzzer sounded to signal a judges' decision.
Though Blacksmith disabled the weapon of Bite Force, the former champion was unanimously declared victorious and despite a valiant effort, Blacksmith began the season with an 0-1 record.
Blacksmith vs. The Four Horsemen
Blacksmith takes a shot from Famine.
Blacksmith charges Pestilence into the wall.
Blacksmith immobilizes Famine.
In its second battle of the season, Blacksmith took on The Four Horsemen. The fight started with Blacksmith opting to use its wedge over its hammer to avoid taking possible damage from The Four Horsemen. This proved to be a good decision as they were able to easily shove the Four Horsemen around the arena. Blacksmith took the damage dished out by Pestilence and Famine and kept pushing The Four Horsemen around. Blacksmith started taking damage from Pestilence and Famine, but Buttercup was destroyed by its own teammate, allowing Blacksmith to gain the upper hand. Blacksmith continued to attack and managed to cause the spinner of Famine and Pestilence to stop working. With 3 seconds left on the clock, the Four Horsemen were counted out, giving Blacksmith the win to advance to the next stage.
"Right before the horsemen match a nasty glitch resurfaced that we thought we knocked out before the event began. The bot would just stop for a few seconds at a time. We were very fortunate to actually pull out a win in that match. The spinners are no joke and Ian has years of experience."
— Al Kindle on what happened in the BattleBox before fighting The Four Horsemen on a Reddit AMA[6]
Blacksmith vs. Witch Doctor
Blacksmith is damaged by Witch Doctor.
Blacksmith shoves Witch Doctor into the screws.
Blacksmith now took on Witch Doctor and opted to use the front forks it had previously used against Bite Force. The match started out well for Blacksmith as they were getting underneath Witch Doctor and shoving them into the wall. However, as the match progressed, Blacksmith found itself on the receiving end of multiple attacks and the possible loss of its hammer. On top of all that, Blacksmith was slower to turn than Witch Doctor, so it was unable to keep its opponent from making hits from the side or rear. However, the fight turned as Blacksmith managed to get fully under Witch Doctor and shove it up onto the arena screws such that the left-front tire of Witch Doctor was between the screws and the arena barrier. Blacksmith celebrated, but at the last second, Witch Doctor got free with six seconds left on the clock. Time ran out and Witch Doctor was declared the winner by a 3-0 unanimous judges' decision.
Blacksmith vs. Minotaur
Blacksmith takes shots to its plow from Minotaur.
Blacksmith next found itself in a rematch against Minotaur. Blacksmith kept the red front forks to try and keep Minotaur's weapon at bay and control the fight using its hammer. This seemed to work out as neither robot dished out any hits for several seconds. However, Blacksmith started to take attacks from Minotaur, though they were mostly sparks. Blacksmith retaliated with its hammer, but dealt about the same level of damage. Blacksmith then had Minotaur underneath, causing more sparks as it was thrown against the arena barrier, but retaliated with its hammer once again. As the fight wore on, Blacksmith was starting to seemingly lose some of its power, but it pressed on and withstood an attack from Minotaur near the pulverizer. Time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Minotaur.
Blacksmith vs. Warhead
Blacksmith and Warhead fire up their flamethrowers.
Blacksmith starts attacking Warhead.
Blacksmith grills Warhead's side.
Blacksmith dueling with Warhead.
Next for Blacksmith was a battle against Warhead in the USA vs. The World special tournament. The match was off to a pretty even start for Blacksmith, with both bots moving around and activating their flaming weapons. Eventually, Blacksmith and Warhead clashed head on and the former fired a shot to Warhead's head before maneuvering to the side and striking an area just behind the clamping head and firing a third shot that missed, instead tangling with one of Warhead's self-righting arms. After backing away, Blacksmith let Warhead grab onto its hammer, allowing Blacksmith to lift Warhead off the ground and continue to grill it. Blacksmith eventually let go and clashed head on again, but missed the hammer shot. Blacksmith then connected wedge to wedge to try and aim its hammer, but Warhead started spitting out flames and soon grabbed on the side of Blacksmith's wedge. Blacksmith fired its hammer in retaliation with some of its shots managing to strike the clamping head, but not doing much damage. Warhead eventually let go of Blacksmith and Al Kindle's bot continued to rain down hits on the head until Warhead started gaining a hold of Blacksmith, which by then was grilling Warhead's side. After the two bots separated, Blacksmith continued its barrage of jabs on its opponent's clamping jaw as Warhead continued to grab and push Blacksmith around. The hammer bot eventually got its weapon caught in Warhead's grasp and made a second lift. Blacksmith started pounding away again, but Warhead soon grabbed Blacksmith by the side and pushed it into the screws. After the two were hit by the killsaws, Blacksmith gave one more shot to the head before moving away to get a better position, before charging in and delivering more shots to the upper jaw of Warhead until they separated again. After some maneuvering, Blacksmith charged in and continued to pound away, even as Warhead grabbed Blacksmith by the front. Eventually, however, Blacksmith's weapon motor started to burn up, its hammer slowing down and emitting smoke as Warhead slammed Blacksmith into the rails. Blacksmith got free after getting shoved into the killsaws and delivered another charge, firing its hammer one last time on the T-Rex head as its weapon motor started smoking before getting shoved into the arena wall as the time ran out. The judges awarded a 2-1 split decision to Warhead, a decision of which was debated by fans. This gave 1 point to Warhead and The World.
World Championship IV[]
Blacksmith vs. Quantum
Quantum with a hold on Blacksmith.
Quantum sinks its teeth into Al Kindle's bot.
Quantum and Blacksmith are separated off-camera.
Blacksmith started off 2019 with a match against newcomer Quantum. Things were off to a bad start for Blacksmith as they were grappled by Quantum and unable to mount any kind of attack since the hammer was out of reach. After several seconds, Quantum was unable to let go as Blacksmith's AR500 steel armor was actually preventing Quantum from being able to release due to the jagged barbs that were created when Quantum bit down so the match was paused, though the separation of bots was cut from the televised airing and both halves of the fight were sewn together. Blacksmith didn't have any real offense against the crusher and was bitten down again. This time, Blacksmith was carried around the arena and still wasn't able to be let go. This resulted in the fight ending early as the result probably would've been the same. The judges were called in and awarded Quantum a unanimous 3-0 decision.
Blacksmith vs. Kraken
Blacksmith fighting Kraken.
Next up for Blacksmith was Matt Spurk and Kraken. As the match began, Blacksmith was having trouble landing hits but managed to start landing several in a row, though none causing significant damage. Blacksmith continued to fire the hammer, and was eventually grabbed by its opponent but thankfully this didn't cause much damage either. Blacksmith continued swinging its hammer as time ran out. The judges awarded Blacksmith a close 2-1 split decision.
Blacksmith vs. SawBlaze
Blacksmith topples SawBlaze
Blacksmith is attacked by SawBlaze's hammer saw.
Blacksmith shoots fire as it's pushed by SawBlaze
Blacksmith's next opponent was Jamison Go and SawBlaze. For the fight, Blacksmith added triangular-shaped extrusions to the top armor to protect itself from SawBlaze's hammer saw. SawBlaze opted to go with its new hammer saw, which was thicker than its traditional saw and could hit harder and its traditional front forks. As the match got underway, SawBlaze struggled to land any hits as their new saw was causing the robot to raise its front forks off the arena floor briefly. Luckily, SawBlaze managed to stabilize and shoved Blacksmith around before dropping its hammer saw. SawBlaze released, then took shots from Blacksmith's hammer. SawBlaze went back on the attack, shoving Blacksmith around again. After a third attack, SawBlaze's saw stopped working as the belts powering it had gotten tangled up, which left SawBlaze vulnerable but Blacksmith was unable to make use of this vulnerability before time ran out. The judges awarded SawBlaze a 2-1 split decision.
Blacksmith vs. Captain Shrederator
Blacksmith roasts Captain Shrederator
With only a win over Kraken thus far, Blacksmith was now looking to improve its odds of being selected for the Top 16 and was placed against Brian Nave and Captain Shrederator. Blacksmith opted to add its anti-spinner configuration, intending to use it to stop Captain Shrederator from spinning and then attack. As the match began, Blacksmith did just that, taking the hits from their opponent without suffering any damage. Blacksmith continued to take the hits, occasionally being sent flying in the opposite direction as a result but was still strong enough to survive. Eventually, Blacksmith got Captain Shrederator up on the screws but Captain Shrederator escaped. Blacksmith managed to get them to the pulverizer before using its weapon to cook Captain Shrederator's top. Soon, Captain Shrederator's weapon stopped and smoke began to pour out. Blacksmith managed to take Captain Shrederator back to the screws and flip it over. With no way to right itself, Captain Shrederator was counted out, giving Blacksmith the win by KO.
"It was obviously not hitting as hard as it can during the Shred fight. The speed controller used in this fight had an issue we didn't see until half way into the fight."
— Al Kindle on Blacksmith's hammer power during it's fight against Captain Shrederator on a Reddit AMA[7]
Blacksmith vs. ROTATOR
Sparks fly as Blacksmith and ROTATOR come to blows.
With a 2-2 record, Blacksmith took on ROTATOR and Victor Soto for a place in the Top 16 bracket. For this battle, Blacksmith opted for its anti-spinner wedge to counter against ROTATOR's double-disc configuration. The match was pretty even to start as Blacksmith was absorbing the impacts from ROTATOR's upper disk but quickly lost the use of its hammer, although the hammer was still spitting out flames. Blacksmith continued to use its wedge against ROTATOR and eventually gave ROTATOR drive issues near the screws. For a moment, it seemed like ROTATOR was about to get counted out for crab-walking and not showing active moment. However, Al Kindle and Blacksmith decided to keep the match going, looking to take the fight to a judges' decision. Blacksmith then took advantage of ROTATOR's spin technique by flipping them over and shoving them under the pulverizer. ROTATOR had little left to do but both robots survived to the end of the match. The judges awarded Blacksmith a unanimous 3-0 decision and a place in the Top 16.
Blacksmith vs. Witch Doctor
Blacksmith's long forks used against Witch Doctor.
Having fought hard to make the Top 16, Blacksmith and Team Half Fast Astronaut were now facing a rematch with Witch Doctor. For the match, the team opted to use Blacksmith's long green front forks for the first time. As the match got underway, Blacksmith was ramming continuously straight into Witch Doctor's vertical disk spinners. Blacksmith could not find an opportunity to push or swing it's hammer and continued tanking Witch Doctor's shots. As the match progressed, Blacksmith's front forks were becoming increasingly bent. Blacksmith soon took a huge hit from Witch Doctor which launched it hammer-first onto the Lexan glass on-top of the screws. Eventually, Blacksmith escaped by swinging it's flaming hammer. Blacksmith began taking more punishment from Witch Doctor until smoke began to pour from one side of Blacksmith. The New Jersey bot was then knocked over under the pulverizer, but self-righted. One half of Blacksmith was now completely on fire and smoking badly. Despite being engulfed in flames and severely damaged, Blacksmith kept on moving. However, Blacksmith was deemed to be crab-walking and not showing active movement. Blacksmith was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO.
World Championship VI[]
Blacksmith vs. Free Shipping
Free Shipping pushes Blacksmith into the screws in the opening seconds.
Blacksmith lands a big shot to Free Shipping early on.
Al Kindle and Blacksmith first faced fellow veteran Gary Gin and Free Shipping, both of whom returned after a year away from BattleBots. The fight began with Blacksmith welcoming the box-rush from Free Shipping as it fired the hammer saw for the first time. However, Free Shipping won the ground game and was able to spin Blacksmith around and ram it into the Upper Deck in a cloud of fire.
Free Shipping overturns Blacksmith by the arena barriers.
As Free Shipping came back, Blacksmith again fired its primary weapon, causing sparks to fly, but then drove into the pulverizer which temporarily saw it stuck in the corner. Al Kindle's bot escaped and tried to fire its weapon directly onto Free Shipping's lifting arm, but could not make contact. Gary Gin was able to maneuver Blacksmith onto its forks and flipped it over, though its opponent could self-right.
Blacksmith and Free Shipping do battle near the newest BattleBox hazard.
Blacksmith attempted to swipe with its weapon, but misses several times before landing a couple of hits again. Free Shipping then takes Blacksmith to the Upper Deck once more, but Free Shipping's weapon chain is visibly broken, thus disabling its lifting weapon. However, with Blacksmith now smoking and on fire, its spinning weapon also appeared inactive but could still swing like a traditional hammer. Free Shipping took a shot from the pulverizer in the closing seconds, but the fight went the distance with both bots still active. The judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision in favor of Blacksmith.
Blacksmith vs. Shatter!
Shatter! and Blacksmith meet in the BattleBox.
Shatter! hits Blacksmith with the back of the Mary Special.
Blacksmith rams Shatter across the arena.
Blacksmith's second fight was against Shatter!, who sported their new Mary Special weapon. Although Shatter! was able to attack in the opening seconds, Blacksmith immediately retaliated as its flaming hammer saw made contact with the weapon of Shatter!, visibly deforming it for the remainder of the fight. However, Shatter!'s next attack caught the belt for Blacksmith's disk in the next attack, disabling part of their primary weapon.
"Blacksmith has 2 different things going on in their power hammer: it spins the disk and it swings the arm. The disk spins via a belt, and the arm swings via a chain. Apparently some bad wiring inside caused the arm to get stuck extended, and then after we sliced the belt the disk could no longer spin. The electronics eventually rebooted and with the chain still attached, the arm could still swing, but without the spinning disk it wasn't going to do anything to our AR500 tops."
— Bots FC's explanation for what happened to Blacksmith during the first few exchanges
Blacksmith attempted to outdrive Shatter! for much of the fight, but Adam Wrigley's team were able to utilize their omniwheels and keep the front forks pointed their way. However, Shatter!'s forks soon proved to work against them, becoming stuck in the killsaw slots. This allowed for Blacksmith to drive Shatter! into the Upper Deck and rack up valuable aggression points. Shatter! remained aggressive itself though and caught Blacksmith under the pulverizer as the fight wore on, continuing to deliver shots to its top armor with its own hammer. Blacksmith was still able to control Shatter! at times during the closing stages, but the fight went the distance and the judges rules unanimously in favor of Shatter!, pegging Blacksmith back to 1-1.
Blacksmith vs. Malice
Sparks fly as Blacksmith and Malice collide.
Last up for Blacksmith in the Fight Night rounds was Bunny Sauriol and Malice, who sat 0-2 in the season. For this fight, Blacksmith opted for its anti-horizontal spinner configuration, consisting of a steep 3/8" AR500 steel plow to deflect the drumette of its opponent. As the fight began, it was Malice who got the better of the early exchanges, grazing against the steel plow of Blacksmith before a big shot sent both bots flying to opposite ends of the BattleBox. Overturned, Blacksmith was able to right itself before Malice dealt another couple of hits with its drumette. As Blacksmith attempted to get its hammersaw into play, Al Kindle fired it straight into the primary weapon of Malice, which tore the disk and weapon belt of Blacksmith away while splitting the arm. Malice remained aggressive and attacked the front of Blacksmith as fire began to emit from the New Jersey representative. Despite its best efforts, Blacksmith was able to withstand the assault from Malice in the second half of the fight, so it went to the judges. Malice won by unanimous decision, pushing Blacksmith to a precarious 1-2 record. Blacksmith was not chosen to advanced into the Round of 32 and was eliminated from the tournament as a result.
BattleBots: Champions I[]
Blacksmith vs. Deadlift
Blacksmith pins Deadlift.
Deadlift is held against the screws.
Blacksmith retreats as Deadlift struggles to move.
Blacksmith returned for BattleBots: Champions I, facing Deadlift in the first round of its bracket. Blacksmith immediately spun up its disk and prepared its flamethrower, while Deadlift tried to get a grip on its arm. Deadlift was pinned by Blacksmith against the wall in front of the drivers' booths, then Al Kindle fired the hammersaw down on the left side of Deadlift. As Blacksmith looked to prepare another attack, Deadlift activated its own flamethrower in an attempt to warn its veteran opponent. Blacksmith landed another shot on Deadlift before getting in underneath and driving it into one of the paddles. One half of Deadlift's drive was now down, as it arced in place trying to escape the red square. Blacksmith continued to attack, pinning Deadlift against the screws and delivering further punishment as it looked to finish the job. Referee John Remar disclosed that he could not begin a count unless Blacksmith refused to engage any further, and Deadlift consented to remaining in the fight. However, it was largely at Al Kindle's mercy as Blacksmith drove Deadlift back to the center of the BattleBox and then into the short corner. Deadlift continued to show limited movement, but survived until the end of the fight. Blacksmith lost a weapon belt in the closing seconds but in spite of this, took the win by unanimous decision and advanced in the bracket.
Blacksmith vs. Switchback
Blacksmith upends Switchback.
Blacksmith pins Switchback under the pulverizer.
Switchback is pressed against the Upper Deck.
Switchback is counted out.
In the second round, Blacksmith faced Greg Needel and Switchback, who previously chalked up a win over Lucky. Blacksmith was again armed with its steep front forks, and began the fight by driving Switchback into the short corner. Switchback found itself pinned under the pulverizer and suffered a shot from Blacksmith's power hammer. Blacksmith landed another blow which took a chunk out of Switchback's side supports before getting underneath and overturning it. Switchback was able to self-right, but fell into the path of Al Kindle's bot, which attacked again with its disc. Switchback's weapon sprocket had been severely damaged by this point and could no longer swing its arm back and forth with the same efficiency.[8] It also appeared to be struggling to drive, as it ran weapon-first into the Upper Deck and bounced away. Blacksmith met the rear of Switchback and fired its flaming hammersaw several more times, herding Switchback into the short corner again. Greg Needel's bot found itself under the same pulverizer as before, but only suffered gentle taps from the 100lb hammer. Blacksmith used this to pin its opponent in place, however, and delivered further attacks to the weapon of Switchback, who struggled to escape the corner. With the clear aggression points to its name, Blacksmith opted to send Switchback towards the front of the Upper Deck, where its wedgelet became caught underneath the robot and stopped Switchback from moving. A countout began, and Blacksmith moved on.
Blacksmith vs. Bloodsport
Blacksmith equipped with its plow ahead of the fight.
Blacksmith pins Bloodsport against the screws.
Blacksmith's crucial error.
One step away from facing Skorpios, Blacksmith faced Bloodsport. Ahead of this fight, Al Kindle swapped the forks out for a front plow to protect against its opponent's untested horizontal disc. Bloodsport immediately spun up and left a slice in Blacksmith's plow as it dealt a succession of hits which left it upside-down. Blacksmith righted itself as this exchange also cost Bloodsport one of its two hinged wedgelets. Sparks flew as Bloodsport continued to graze the front of Blacksmith, who continued to tank hits before being spun around and taking a hit to its rear. Bloodsport then bounced up the front of its opponent, leaving a scar down the right side of Blacksmith's AR500 steel armor. Yet to land a shot with its flaming power hammer, Blacksmith kept the weapon prepared for any opportunity to attack. Bloodsport hit the rear of Blacksmith again, who suddenly became caught in the wall. Blacksmith took its opportunity with Bloodsport's weapon now halted, and rained down several overhead attacks directly to the new horizontal disc. Although, Bloodsport escaped relatively unscathed, Blacksmith's momentum continued as it rammed Bloodsport weapon-first into the wall before taking it to the screws. Its power hammer delivered several blows to Bloodsport as it was momentarily beached on the hazard. The screws reversed, but Bloodsport fell wedgelet-first and Blacksmith took advantage, pinning it against the hazard once more. Blacksmith got around to Bloodsport's front again, but as its horizontal spinner got up to speed, Blacksmith mistimed an overhead attack, which destroyed its power hammer. The disk lay useless on the floor and parts scattered the BattleBox as Blacksmith made one last attempt to leave an impression on the judges by shoving Bloodsport into the short corner. In a close fight, a split decision went in favor of Bloodsport, and Blacksmith was eliminated at this stage of the competition.
Results[]
BLACKSMITH
World Championship II
World Championship Tournament #26 Seed, Round of 32
"I don't know if this New Jersey bot is in the Mafia but it's definitely out to put a hit on ya. Bot-a-bing, bot-a-boom. Its flaming hammer will send you to your tomb. It's BLACKSMITH!"
"This bot's like a mob boss. It'll smash you into capeeshes. He's no good fella, so you better not flip, because he will never, ever forget about it. Here to amuse you is BLACKSMITH!"
"Back from the fiery furnace, this bot is bringing the heat. Prepare to be lathed to the ground. He dealt it, now he's gonna smelt it. It's BLACKSMITH!"
"You know his name. Al be Kindle, Al be quick. Al be swinging a big, flaming stick. Sorry you turned up, you're about to get burnt up. It's the flaming hammer of myth, the one and only, BLACKSMITH!"
"This is not a drill. I repeat, this is NOT a drill. It's a flaming hammer and it maims at will. It's BLACKSMITH!"
"A bot who's from Jersey like Kevin Smith and Jay, who makes his enemies think ‘I'm not even supposed to be here today!'. When his hammer comes down, the sound is quite violent. And the crowd gets so pumped, not even Bob could stay silent. Snooch to the nooch, it's BLACKSMITH!”
"From Edison, New Jersey, home of Menlo Park, this bot's forged to be stronger than the armor of Tony Stark. You'll be dust when his hammer's fired and slams. Other bots are like tin foil, but he's the Iron Man. It's BLACKSMITH!"
"From Edison, New Jersey, he forges weapons using an anvil, and when he hits you with them, you need an Advil. It's BLACKSMITH!"
"From Edison, New Jersey. He came from the Garden State to make you a vegetable. Give it up for BLACKSMITH!"
Merchandise[]
Any appearances by Blacksmith in merchandise are listed below:
On Blacksmith's statistics card ahead of fighting Quantum during World Championship IV, fire was listed as both a strength and weakness.
Team member Alan Young shares a name with a member of 2016 season competitor Photon Storm, but the two are unrelated.
This is one of two recognized examples of two unrelated team members sharing a name between different teams. The other being Alex Grant, co-captain of Tantrum, and the Bale Spear team member of the same name.
![Blacksmith in the blue square during World Championship VI.]]](/wiki/File:Blacksmith_blue_square_WCVI.jpg "Blacksmith blue square WCVI.jpg (387 KB)")
