- "We're the first Australian team to compete in BattleBots, so this is a pretty big deal for us. We've gotta make sure that we have a good showing for Australia, and let people know that we can build monsters as good down under as they can over here."
- — Team DeathRoll during World Championship II
DeathRoll is a heavyweight robot built by the Australian team of the same name, which has competed in multiple BattleBots seasons since World Championship II.
A collaboration between four of the best builders on the Australian robot combat circuit and initially captained by Erica Hediger, DeathRoll was a green and yellow, four-wheel drive robot designed to resemble a crocodile. Its main weapon was a front-mounted, 55lb vertical spinner mounted and decorated to resemble a crocodile's opened upper jaw.

DeathRoll during World Championship II hero shots.
The original 2016 build paired this with solid front wedgelets and a rear articulated swinging tail, which was claimed by Hediger to also double as a self-righting mechanism. This capability was never proven inside the BattleBox, however, as DeathRoll endured a difficult qualifying round against Captain Shrederator which saw it being eliminated from the main tournament by knockout.

DeathRoll during World Championship IV hero shots.
Returning for the 2019 season, DeathRoll had been totally redesigned, looking sleeker and far more compact than its previous build. Upgrades included, but were not limited to a bigger primary weapon, a new self-righter designed to look like a severed arm holding a knife, chunkier wheel protection, smaller hinged wedgelets and greater weapon reliability. Erica Hediger did not return, as DeathRoll was now captained by Steven Martin. DeathRoll earned a mighty 4-0 record through three knockouts and a judges' decision during the Fight Night rounds, becoming the first robot to earn an unbeaten 4-0 record. After notching up a further two wins - six in succession - DeathRoll lost out to Witch Doctor in the tournament semi-finals. DeathRoll was highly praised for its reliability throughout World Championship IV, due in part to the multiple weapon belts. This gave the robot greater redundancy than several fellow vertical spinners, which could lose functionality of their primary weapon after losing a single belt.
While DeathRoll was originally set to compete in World Championship V, even being revealed as "accepted" to BattleBots Supporters in February 2020, COVID-19 travel restrictions meant the team were not allowed to make the over 11000km journey. The team were also unable to return for the World Championship VI, but with international border bans lifted in Australia in November that year, Team DeathRoll reapplied for World Championship VII.

DeathRoll during World Championship VII hero shots.
This was eventually confirmed in August 2022, as the team posted an image of their crate ready for shipping.[1] In a September 14, 2022 episode of Behind the Bots podcast, Greg Munson confirmed that DeathRoll had been accepted into the seventh reboot season.[2] The robot is a refined version of what the team planned to enter in 2020, now utilizing chains as opposed to toothed belts to drive their weapon. Unofficially dubbed DeathRoll 3.0, the robot was now also slightly faster, and its vital components were shock mounted more efficiently to help it survive impacts such as the blows which led to its 2019 semi-final loss. Unlike many other vertical spinners in the field, the team have opted against using forks or wedgelets for the final build of DeathRoll 3.0. Team captain Steven Martin believes that the robot operates better without the risk of becoming caught on the arena itself.[3] Ahead of its return, BattleBots themselves officially confirmed DeathRoll's inclusion in the competition, ranked #22 in their Pre-Season Power Rankings.[4] In spite of the hype, DeathRoll's return was marked with a loss to Cobalt, being KO'd after being constantly battered by the British bot. However, DeathRoll returned to form with knockout wins over Switchback and Mammoth. Despite losing its final Fight Night battle to Monsoon, DeathRoll did enough to break into the Top 32. Unfortunately, unlike its success from 2019, it was stopped short by Hydra after it was flipped repeatedly and lost both its weapon and its drive motors, ending its season in a dismal note.
DeathRoll also competed in BattleBots: Champions II, beating Slammo! but losing to Gigabyte in the third Sin City Slugfest bracket.
Outside BattleBots[]
In 2017, Steven Martin made a shark-themed version of DeathRoll called Great White which competed in King of Bots, while team members Miles Blow and Jules Pitts entered Fango with less success.
Robot History[]
World Championship II[] |
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DeathRoll vs. Captain Shrederator DeathRoll's first fight was against veteran Brian Nave and his returning shell spinner, Captain Shrederator.![]() DeathRoll is hit by Captain Shrederator. ![]() DeathRoll and Captain Shrederator collide. As DeathRoll looked to recover, it became clear the repeated attacks had affected its vertical spinner, which was no longer spinning. Captain Shrederator closed in again, removing DeathRoll's right front wheel before sending it spinning into the screws. ![]() DeathRoll is immobilized. DeathRoll was not chosen to be a wildcard, meaning it was eliminated from the tournament. |
DeathRoll vs. Bucktooth Burl vs. Skorpios (Exhibition) DeathRoll also competed in an exhibition rumble against Skorpios and Bucktooth Burl.![]() Skorpios slices DeathRoll's tail as Bucktooth Burl approaches. ![]() Skorpios cuts into Bucktooth Burl's wheel before DeathRoll lands an attack. ![]() An immobile Bucktooth Burl is attacked by Skorpios. ![]() Bucktooth Burl high-centers DeathRoll. DeathRoll played no further part in the rumble and as Bucktooth Burl ground to a halt, Skorpios won by double knockout.[5] |
World Championship IV[] |
DeathRoll vs. End Game ![]() DeathRoll is attacked by End Game. |
DeathRoll vs. Foxtrot ![]() DeathRoll hits Foxtrot.
According to Foxtrot builder Craig Danby, DeathRoll was immobile for longer than shown in the edited version of this battle. A count even began on DeathRoll, but the Australian team escaped a loss by knockout and began showing sufficient mobility once more.[6] |
DeathRoll vs. Quantum ![]() DeathRoll clashes with Quantum. |
DeathRoll vs. ROTATOR ![]() DeathRoll tears off ROTATOR's blade. |
DeathRoll vs. Yeti ![]() DeathRoll and Yeti come together. |
DeathRoll vs. Minotaur ![]() DeathRoll and Minotaur go weapon to weapon. |
DeathRoll vs. Witch Doctor ![]() DeathRoll receives a brutal hit from Witch Doctor. |
World Championship VII[] |
DeathRoll vs. Cobalt After a two season hiatus, DeathRoll finally made its BattleBots return in World Championship VII. Its first Fight Night opponent was a World Championship VI quarter-finalist - Cobalt.![]() DeathRoll is caught under the pulverizer. ![]() Chris Rose pointing towards the action. ![]() Cobalt looks on as DeathRoll is counted out. |
DeathRoll vs. Switchback Looking to pick up its first win since 2019, DeathRoll next took on the redesigned Switchback.![]() DeathRoll and Switchback go weapon-to-weapon.
![]() DeathRoll lands a brutal shot as Switchback is pinned by the pulverizer. The shaft of the pulverizer continued to hit Switchback as it lay immobile, unable to escape the rails with its weaponry disabled. Greg Needel relinquished his transmitter as Switchback was counted out, marking DeathRoll's first win of the season and putting both robots to 1-1 records. |
DeathRoll vs. Mammoth DeathRoll's third Fight Night opponent was a fellow 1-1 competitor, Ricky Willems and Mammoth.![]() DeathRoll forces Mammoth back towards the screws.
![]() Mammoth's wheel suffers damage. With less than a minute gone, a count began on Mammoth and DeathRoll advanced to 2-1. |
DeathRoll vs. Monsoon DeathRoll's fourth and final Fight Night battle came against a fellow international returning to BattleBots after a hiatus, Monsoon.![]() DeathRoll shows immediate signs of hurt. ![]() Monsoon attacks DeathRoll once more.
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DeathRoll vs. Hydra DeathRoll entered the Top 32 with a No.29 seeding, where it met Team Whyachi and the No.4 seed Hydra, both of whom had achieved semi-final finishes in seasons prior.![]() Hydra's sends DeathRoll into the ceiling. DeathRoll then backed away while Jake Ewert lined the flipper up for another attack. The Australian bot turned away, however, and spent the following ten seconds trying to find an angle of attack while Hydra tracked its movements. Hydra ultimately scored another flip on DeathRoll, however, throwing it near the corner of the BattleBox.
Soon enough, Hydra got a third flip on its opponent, sending it into the Lexan before landing blade-first into the arena wall. A fourth flip threw DeathRoll close to the blue square, as it finally landed upright and could drive away to the red starting square. ![]() DeathRoll bounces around as its weapon makes contact with Hydra. ![]() DeathRoll and Hydra become stuck. ![]() Hydra and DeathRoll struggle to attack one another. ![]() Hydra lands the final attack of the match. The fight went to the judges and Hydra won by a unanimous decision, thus ending its run in World Championship VII. |
DeathRoll vs. ROTATOR DeathRoll returned for a single exhibition match against Victor Soto and ROTATOR as part of Vengeance in Vegas II. This served as a rematch from when the teams fought during the 2019 season Fight Night Main Event.![]() ROTATOR swipes at DeathRoll early on. ![]() Both robots fly to opposite ends of the arena. ![]() DeathRoll rides up the forks of ROTATOR. ROTATOR sends DeathRoll flying. ![]() ROTATOR strikes DeathRoll again before catching a seam in the floor. ![]() ROTATOR pins DeathRoll late on. |
BattleBots: Champions II[] |
DeathRoll vs. Slammo! DeathRoll returned for BattleBots: Champions II, where it first took on World Championship VII alternate Slammo! in Round 1 of the third Sin City Slugfest bracket.
![]() DeathRoll immediately hurts Slammo!. ![]() DeathRoll leaves Slammo! to be counted out. Referee David Sanfilippo immediately initiated a count, and DeathRoll advanced to the semi-finals with a comfortable knockout win. In the post-fight interview with Chris and Kenny, Steven Martin admitted his team's Round of 32 exit was "disappointing", and looked to make up for it in BattleBots: Champions II. |
DeathRoll vs. Gigabyte
In the second round, DeathRoll took on the veteran shell spinner Gigabyte. Though the Robotic Death Company machine was under new captaincy, Steven Martin remained concerned about its damage potential. As such, he committed to an aggressive battle strategy, where DeathRoll would aim to continuously attack and damage Gigabyte's shell. During pre-match preparations, Kenny Florian predicted that DeathRoll would have the 'edge', providing that it maintained this approach and prevented Gigabyte from fully spinning up. ![]() DeathRoll initiates a series of attacks on Gigabyte. ![]() DeathRoll strikes the base of Gigabyte, hitting a battery. ![]() DeathRoll slides across the arena before twisting through the air. ![]() DeathRoll throws part of its face towards Gigabyte.
DeathRoll initiated another chase on Gigabyte, which ended in Gigabyte deflecting it into a blue square screw bumper. After driving back and forth across the corner boundary, DeathRoll turned into and slammed into the spinning Gigabyte. ![]() DeathRoll meets its demise.
![]() DeathRoll becomes stuck behind the Paddle.
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Results[]
DEATHROLL | ||
World Championship II | ||
World Championship Tournament Qualifiers | ||
Qualifier | vs. Captain Shrederator | Lost (KO) |
Exhibition Matches 0-1 | ||
Rumble | vs. Bucktooth Burl, Skorpios | Lost (KO) |
World Championship IV | ||
Fight Nights 4-0 | ||
Fight Night #1 | vs. End Game | Won (KO) |
Fight Night #2 (Untelevised) | vs. Foxtrot | Won (KO) |
Fight Night #3 | vs. Quantum | Won (KO) |
Fight Night #4 - Main Event | vs. ROTATOR | Won (JD) |
World Championship Tournament #6 Seed, Semi-Finals | ||
Round of 16 | vs. Yeti (11) | Won (KO) |
Quarter-Final | vs. Minotaur (14) | Won (KO) |
Semi-Final | vs. Witch Doctor (2) | Lost (Split JD) |
World Championship VII | ||
Fight Nights 2-2 | ||
Fight Night #1 | vs. Cobalt | Lost (KO) |
Fight Night #2 | vs. Switchback | Won (KO) |
Fight Night #3 | vs. Mammoth | Won (KO) |
Fight Night #4 | vs. Monsoon | Lost (KO) |
World Championship Tournament #29 Seed, Round of 32 | ||
Round of 32 | vs. Hydra (4) | Lost (JD) |
Exhibition Matches 0-1 | ||
Exhibition Match | vs. ROTATOR | Lost (KO) |
BattleBots: Champions II | ||
Sin City Slugfest III Semi-Finals | ||
Quarter-Final | vs. Slammo! | Won (KO) |
Semi-Final | vs. Gigabyte | Lost (KO) |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 9
- Losses: 6
Exhibition Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 2
Total Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 9
- Losses: 8
Competition | Wins | Losses |
---|---|---|
World Championship II | None | Captain Shrederator Skorpios (Exhibition Rumble) |
World Championship IV | End Game (Undercard Match) Foxtrot (Undercard Match) Quantum (Undercard Match) ROTATOR (Main Event) Yeti Minotaur |
Witch Doctor |
World Championship VII | Switchback (Undercard Match) Mammoth (Undercard Match) |
Cobalt (Undercard Match) Monsoon (Undercard Match) Hydra ROTATOR (Exhibition Match)(Vengeance in Vegas II) |
BattleBots: Champions II | Slammo! | Gigabyte |
Faruq Tauheed Introductions[]
"From Australia, prepare to get dis-koala-fied. See you later, alligator! It’s DEATHROLL!"
"All the way from Australia, this bot settles everything outback. Holy Croco-mole, it's DEATHROLL!"
"This bot hails from a city named Toowoomba, but don't get it confused. This thing ain't a Roomba, but losing to it does suck. It's DEATHROLL!"
"From Australia, bringing its Great Barrier Teeth. Ha-ha-ha, that's not a bot, this is a bot. Say g'day to DEATHROLL!"
"Back from Australia, here to impale ya. It's not a dingo who got your baby, it's a croc. You Vege-might make it alive, you Vege-might not. The ancient killing crocodilian, DEATHROLL!"
"From Australia, it's the killer crocodile, but it's not Dundee and it's about to put the dung in your dungarees. Are you ready to take this fight Outback? Ohhh snap, it's DEATHROLL!"
"This robot reminds me of one of those thrillers where white people are dumb and run straight toward the killer. The dude's got a knife, so you better beware. No, you idiot. Don't go in there. They never listen. It's DEATHROLL!"
"From Brisbane, Australia. Stay away and he might spare your life. What's that old saying? 'Don't bite the hand that's holding a knife.' It's DEATHROLL!"
"It's a true crime scene when his spinner makes you history. How could you possibly beat him? That's an unsolved mystery. Eats other bots like serial, you'll be gone with no recovery. Such a killer they'll air in this fight on Investigation Discovery. Prepare to be his favorite murder, it's DEATHROLL!"
"This bot was gone for two years and I don't want to accuse, but I think he's returned with a few teardrop tattoos. Whether he was doing time or out on the lam, his next crime will end with blood on his hands. It's DEATHROLL!"
See Also[]
Trivia[]
- DeathRoll's blade is shaped like the outline of Australia.
- Clocking in at over 11,500km, Team DeathRoll had the most radial distance to travel out of any BattleBots team.
- DeathRoll makes frequent appearances in Australia, acting as a house robot in RoboWars events.
- The 2019 season build of DeathRoll's weapon arm was sold on eBay in February 2020.
- DeathRoll is the first robot in the reboot to hit the ceiling of the BattleBox, which it did during its fight with Hydra.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/TeamDeathRoll/photos/1941308676062895
- ↑ https://behindthebots.podbean.com/e/battlebots-season-7-reveal-with-battlebots-cofounder-greg-munson/
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/xj78ai/deathroll_30/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/BattleBots/status/1578701815415472128
- ↑ Confirmation of this rumble being declared a knockout rather than a judges' decision
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/f42lcl/comment/fhoxy9d/
- ↑ Confirmation of Hydra's achievement from Jake Ewert in the Out of the Arena Discord server
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IMbyC7lo2Y
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