Circular Saws, also called Sawblades or simply Saws, are a type of cutting, spinning weapon which can be mounted vertically or horizontally.
Unlike modern spinners which aim to bludgeon opponents, circular saws look to slice through vulnerable armor and leave a long, thin mark behind. They typically consist of off-the-shelf cutting saws attached directly to a weapon motor, with the blade itself either partially protruding through a space in the robot's armor, or entirely exposed. Compared to other spinning weapons, circular saws tend to create a shower of sparks on impact, which can create a spectacle on impact.
Design and History[]
The Master during US Robot Wars 1994.
The circular saw weapon began as one of the most inexpensive and relatively simple way to incorporate a damaging primary weapon into a robot's design, and were used as far back as US Robot Wars in 1994, where The Master, considered one of the pioneers of combat robots, could sport one as part of its arsenal of weaponry. From the earliest 1999 events, circular saws became one of the more potent and destructive BattleBox hazards, known colloquially as killsaws.
As the sport developed, circular saws remained a popular primary weapon. Some of the most successful robots to bear such weaponry include Christian Carlberg's championship-winning Minion in its earliest iterations, though this was swapped to a twin-toothed flywheel from Season 3.0 onward. Fan favorite Ginsu and its lineage of smaller robots notably featured four saw blades for wheels, a rare use of a robot's method of locomotion also being its weapon. Although Ginsu underwent many iterations over the years, most recently becoming a ShowBot for the live show BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon, its sawblade wheels remained throughout.
Sparks fly as SawBlaze slices into Reality.
As the sport evolved and armor got thicker and more difficult to cut through, circular saws fell out of popularity and were replaced by a range of more destructive, flywheel-like discs, drum spinners, and bar spinners. Two competitors which sport a circular saw include World Championship VII Giant Nut winner SawBlaze, which used its cutting saw configuration in its Fight Night win over Rusty in World Championship V, and Skorpios, which sported a saw for its official photos but has not used one in combat since its opening Fight Night battle of the 2020 season. Both robots debuted exclusively as robots with circular saws attached to articulating arms, though they are predominantly seen running heavier discs in what is called a hammer saw weapon. The Skorpios team's second robot, however, used twin circular saws positioned at angles to cut into opponents once its front jaw had clamped it in place. Purchased from Jerome Miles as the sister robot to the similarly-designed Red Devil, Dragon King was an alternate entry throughout World Championship VII.
Notable Competitors[]
| Robot | Seasons | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Minion | Las Vegas 1999 Season 1.0 Season 2.0 |
 |
| SawBlaze | World Championship II - Present |  |
| Skorpios | World Championship II - Present |  |
| Dragon King | World Championship VII - Present |  |
| Red Devil | World Championship II
World Championship III World Championship IV |
 |
| Ginsu | Season 1.0 Season 2.0 (Exhibition only) Season 3.0 (Exhibition only) JavaOne 2007 (Exhibition only) |
 |
| S.O.B. | Season 4.0 Season 5.0 |
 |
| Sunshine Lollibot | Season 3.0 Season 4.0 Season 5.0 |
 |
| Agrippa | Long Beach 1999 |  |
| More... | ||
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