Ribbot is a heavyweight robot built by David Jin's team of WPI students, which has competed in every BattleBots season since World Championship IV.
It is a four-wheel drive, modular robot designed to resemble a frog, hence its name. In its debut season, the look was complete with foam legs and a frog body made by the team, however this was outlawed for future seasons due to the mess it made in the BattleBox. Ribbot boasts an array of different weapons, with most revolving around different types of spinners. These include a traditional 35lb vertical disc spinner, an undercutting 46lb horizontal flywheel, a 12lb bar spinner atop a defensive wedge and exclusively for its debut season, a lifter module. The team became known for their tendency to take on part of their opponent's look.
- "The arena cleanup crew was not too happy with the foam but it looked pretty getting destroyed so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"
- — Team member Christian Cooper explains the retirement of Ribbot's foam frog limbs[1]
Ribbot returned for World Championship V, but were forced to swap out their foam frog features, which saved around 20lbs in the process.[2] Instead, the team used vacuum-formed heads, but this came at the cost of losing the arms and legs. The team reworked their main configurations with kinetic weaponry and dropped the option for a lifter. For weaponry, Ribbot retained the vertical and horizontal weapons, but ditched the lifting weapon. Ribbot finished with a modest 2-1 record after Fight Night, earning it the No.20 seed in the Top 32. However, its run continued, defeating Beta in the Round of 32 and pulling out a comeback win against Uppercut in the Round of 16 before losing out to Black Dragon in the final eight.
Ribbot came back for the 2021 season, now opting for brushless motors to power its primary weapon and featuring a self-righting mechanism on its vertical spinner configuration (which was now combined with its wedge). These changes made Ribbot the highest-volted robot in BattleBots history, boasting over 250v underneath its armor. Ribbot started the 2021 season with an unbeaten Fight Night record, knocking out Defender and Overhaul in its opening fights before following suit after a tussle with P1 to go 3-0. Ribbot then advanced to the Round of 32 with the No.2 seed. However, Ribbot's Giant Nut ambitions were cut short after losing to No.31 seed Hydra.
Returning for BattleBots: Champions I, Ribbot ultimately won the second Sin City Slugfest bracket, defeating Double Jeopardy, Malice, Deep Six and the bracket's gatekeeper Lock-Jaw en route to the Golden Bolt Tournament. Despite a dominant run through its episode, Ribbot fell in the first round of the Golden Bolt tournament to eventual champions End Game.
In October 2022, Ribbot was confirmed to be competing in World Championship VII, ranked #11 in the Pre-Season Power Rankings.[3] The extend of its upgrades is unknown, but Ribbot now sported red hubs and more detailed eyes with red irises. The team were also now partnered with the animal conservation organization SAVE THE FROGS!, with their logo adorned on Ribbot's vacuum-formed shells. Unlike the previous season, Ribbot lost three consecutive battles in the Fight Night rounds to Witch Doctor, Claw Viper and JackPot respectively, but managed to keep its Top 32 hopes alive with a knockout over Skorpios. Entering the tournament bracket, Ribbot found its feet with wins over Quantum, Black Dragon and Hydra, punching its ticket into the tournament semi-finals for the first time, where it lost to eventual champion SawBlaze, ending its best season to date.
Robot History[]
World Championship IV[] |
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Ribbot vs. Kraken Ribbot's BattleBots debut came against Kraken. For this fight, Ribbot opted for its vertical spinner as its team trusted it more over their undercutter. When the match began, Ribbot was quickly grappled by Kraken and moved towards the screws, where it lost a decorative leg near the screws. Ribbot got away and managed to bend one of Kraken's front teeth but this didn't stop them from being grabbed again and paraded around the arena floor. Ribbot was released, then grabbed again and taken to the pulverizer, which caused more damage to the cosmetic shell. After another trip to the screws where it lost the other rear cosmetic leg, Ribbot survived until the end of the match, but the judges awarded Kraken a unanimous 3-0 decision. |
Ribbot vs. End Game Ribbot was next drawn against New Zealand representatives End Game. For this fight, Ribbot went with its bigger and heavier vertical spinner setup with wedgelets on the front. Ahead of the fight, the team added sunglasses to Ribbot to represent the New Zealand's team tendency to wear sunglasses. Ribbot began taking early punishment from End Game, losing one of its four decorative frog legs and being thrown into the air. Ribbot continued to fight and after taking more damage, managed to send End Game flying right in front of the pulverizer. End Game recovered but Ribbot was now turning the tables as it tore off one of End Game's front wedgelets and left End Game without drive on one side. End Game tried to fight back but Ribbot delivered a fatal blow that left End Game motionless. End Game was counted out, giving Ribbot the win by KO. |
Ribbot vs. Falcon Next for Ribbot was Team Whyachi's Falcon. Ribbot went with its normal vertical spinner setup, only with a symmetrical bar compared to the single toothed disc. This setup proved to work well because as the match got underway, Ribbot was dishing out hits on Falcon. Falcon was having drive issues so Ribbot attacked a few more times, losing one of its cosmetic legs in the process. As the match progressed, Ribbot ripped off one of Falcon's front wedgelets and took them into the screws before losing another cosmetic leg. After losing the last two cosmetic legs, Ribbot disabled Falcon's drum spinner. Falcon continued struggling so Ribbot attacked it once more, leaving Falcon very little movement near the screws. Falcon was counted out, giving Ribbot the win by KO. |
Ribbot vs. SawBlaze Ribbot's next match was against Jamison Go and SawBlaze with its vertical bar used against Falcon, and an inverted paint scheme which made it resemble its opponent. Ribbot started off the match poorly by quickly losing the cosmetic legs and top section early on. Ribbot continued to attack, but was shoved them around the arena and into the screws, losing its right front tire in the process. Ribbot continued to be dominated without much to retaliate with, especially once it lost the use of its weapon. Ribbot had little to do in return so it was shoved around again and ended up upside down under the pulverizer as time ran out. The judges awarded SawBlaze a unanimous 3-0 decision. |
Ribbot vs. Valkyrie Ribbot also had a grudge match against another fellow Massachusetts bot, Valkyrie. For this fight, Ribbot had its minibot and went with its vertical spinner configuration. It also introduced a new, blue wedge to deflect the undercutter. Valkyrie sported decorative eyes and wings to make it look like a fly. The match started with both minibots going at one another while the main bots spun up to full power. Ribbot made a slight advancement towards Valkyrie, but backed up to the corner, then turned towards the minibots. Ribbot was still trying to position itself as Valkyrie was at full speed and advancing a lot closer. Ribbot's wedge was able to only cause a shower of sparks, deflecting the undercutter very well for the first few exchanges as they drove to keep squared up. Unfortunately, something bizarre happened to Ribbot as the team couldn't figure out why it stopped suddenly. At this point, Valkyrie came around to the right side, shredded the foam and some of the tires. They opted to do the same to the left side, tearing one tire off fully. Ribbot was counted out, giving Valkyrie a quick win by KO. |
Ribbot vs. Sharkoprion Outside of the main tournament, Ribbot was also chosen to fight Ed Robinson and Sharkoprion. In response, Ribbot was armed with its undercutter and a minibot named Surrenderbot. Sharkoprion itself was accompanied by Team XD's drone, Spitfire. When the match began, Ribbot quickly took control by tearing off Sharkoprion's left wheel guard and tire. However, in the second hit, Ribbot lost its foam top and eventually ran into the screws, losing more foam in the process. Ribbot then when back on Sharkoprion and pushed it into the screws. While Sharkoprion remained motionless, Ribbot went after its own minibot, then while Sharkoprion was being counted out, tried to rip off Sharkoprion's tail but was unable to do so before its opponent was counted out. |
World Championship V[] |
Ribbot vs. Tracer Ribbot's first fight of the season was against newcomer Tracer. Ribbot opted to use its undercutter weapon as this allowed for better maneuverability. Unfortunately, things didn't start off well for Ribbot as they lost a tire almost immediately. Luckily, this didn't hinder Ribbot much and they were able to land a solid hit on Tracer; the impact sent Tracer upside down. With Tracer motionless and being counted out, Ribbot went after Tracer’s minibot “Clean Cut” and destroyed it before the count finished. Ribbot won by KO, and was 1-0 to start the season. |
Ribbot vs. MadCatter Next for Ribbot was a match against fellow veteran Martin Mason and MadCatter. Ribbot was armed with its vertical spinner configuration and four wedgelets underneath. Ribbot started off quite well as they were able to dish out some early hits but lost a wedgelet in the process. Ribbot went after the opponent's minibot but this opened themselves up for an attack and they were sent flying, nearly ending up out of the arena and causing the frog body to partially become detached. Smoke began to pour out and Ribbot's weapon was slowing down, leaving them vulnerable as they were flipped upside down and lost the frog shell completely. Luckily, MadCatter's weapon had also been disabled as well as one of their lifting forks, resulting in a pushing match. Unfortunately, MadCatter got its weapon going and Ribbot was flipped right-side up, where it landed on MadCatter's minibot and had little maneuverability. Ribbot managed to get off MadCatter's minibot and pushed MadCatter into the corner, where it took two more blows from MadCatter. Both robots were then temporarily stuck and spent the rest of the match mostly pushing each other but MadCatter was given a unanimous 3-0 decision. |
Ribbot vs. Axolotl Now, Ribbot was placed against newcomer Axolotl and was armed with its undercutting disc. Ahead of the fight, Ribbot added pink fins above its eyes, similar to match its amphibious opponent. Ribbot immediately charged for the front of Axolotl, disabling their drum spinner in the process but deflecting up into the air. The next impact cut into Axolotl's right-side wheels, which was now pinned in the corner by the WPI students' machine. Ribbot went in for a final hit, with Axolotl immobile in the corner of the BattleBox, an attack also encouraged by Uh-Oh Robotics. As a result, Ribbot lost its top armor and sent itself flying into the pulverizer's arm, but won by KO after Axolotl was counted out. |
Ribbot vs. Beta Now in the Top 32, Ribbot faced John Reid and Beta with its typical vertical spinner setup, but the bot also fitted with extra armor on the top to withstand Beta's hammer. This proved to be a good choice as Ribbot had no issue getting underneath Beta and shoving them across the box. Ribbot dished out multiple hits which sent Beta flying and disabled Beta's primary weapon. With Beta twitching near the screws, it was counted out, giving Ribbot the win by KO and a spot in the Top 16 for the very first time. |
Ribbot vs. Uppercut Seeded No.20, Ribbot had to face one of the most feared competitors of the 2020 season to this point, No.4 seed Uppercut. Ribbot chose to use their horizontal spinner, and in the beginning were clearly losing the fight, with their top and front wheels being torn off. Even without its front wheels, they still pushed Uppercut into the walls and using themselves as dead-weight, caused uppercut to burn out its drive motors. Ribbot then pushed Uppercut towards the pulverized, and landed a huge hit on Uppercut, immobilizing them and flipping Ribbot upside-down. As they drove away, Uppercut was counted out and Ribbot once again advanced. |
Ribbot vs. Black Dragon Ribbot progressed to the Top 8 to face the No.5 seed, Black Dragon. Sporting its vertical spinner configuration for this fight, it started by circling the Brazilian machine. The first weapon-to-weapon hit between the two bots caused Ribbot to pop in the air, shedding some of its decorative armor in the process. Black Dragon made contact with Ribbot once more, sending it flying across the box and damaging part of the side wall. With its entire shell now off, Ribbot escaped to the center of the arena, but Black Dragon had started smoking. As both bots drove around, the smoke became thicker and more substantial, creating a cloud inside the BattleBox. It became apparent that Black Dragon's weapon was no longer working, but the smoke continued. Ribbot was now upside-down, struggling for control of the fight. As it escaped, Black Dragon's smoke turned to fire but seemed unfazed, continuing to bully Ribbot into the screws. Neither robot had functional weaponry at this stage, but the flaming Black Dragon fought on and remained aggressive. With a minute to go, Black Dragon's fire engulfed the bot as it darted around the box, but Ribbot never found its feet for the remainder of the match. Despite being on fire for over two minutes, Black Dragon survived to the end and took the unanimous judges' decision, ending Ribbot's run for the Giant Nut. |
World Championship VI[] |
Ribbot vs. Defender Ribbot returned for the 2021 season and its first opponent was a new bot from a familiar face, Jason Vasquez's Defender. For this fight, Ribbot was equipped with its vertical spinner and hinged forks. Defender began on top as it initially won the ground game and shoved Ribbot into the barrier separating the Upper Deck's sets of screws. Ribbot could only grind against the front of Defender, sending sparks flying in its direction. Defender attempted to get its grappling arm into play, but opted instead to release Ribbot. This proved to be a mistake as Ribbot was able to damage the forks of Defender, sending parts flying and bending the middle fork upwards. Ribbot continued its assault, overturning Defender before sending it into the corner of the BattleBox, where it became stuck and unable to free itself. Defender was counted out, and Ribbot earned its first KO of the season. |
Ribbot vs. Overhaul Ribbot's second opponent was against the redesigned Overhaul. For this fight, they opted for their horizontal undercutter and a unique blue shell fitted with cat ears to match their opponent. Ribbot spun up immediately and delivered an early shot to Overhaul's forks. Though Overhaul attempted to chase Ribbot down, it was quick enough to evade Overhaul's primary weaponry. As it landed another hit, Ribbot's undercutter sent small parts of Charles Guan's bot flying across the BattleBox. Following two more hits in quick succession, Overhaul was no longer moving. Ribbot drove circles around its opponent as it was counted out, and took the win to go 2-0 in the season. |
Ribbot vs. P1 Last up for Ribbot in the Fight Night rounds was fellow 2-0 team P1, for a shot at one of the top seeds in the Round of 32. For this fight, Ribbot sported a blue and orange top to reflect their racecar-themed opponent. As the buildup to the fight began, both robots positioned themselves side-by-side as if to ready themselves for a drag race before returning to their squares. During this time, Ribbot's decorative spoiler fell off. Ribbot attempted to get its vertical spinner into play early on as P1 circled its opponent. Ribbot became caught on the BattleBox floor momentarily, but continued its pursuit of P1. It then grazed its disc across the right front of P1 as sparks began to fly, with Ribbot shoving it backwards into the screws of the Upper Deck. However, P1 pushed back and was able to lift Ribbot's front wheels off the ground, using its superior drive power under the circumstances to drive Ribbot under the pulverizer. After several hits to Ribbot's top armor, P1 drove back before Ribbot breached the front and buckled part of its wedge upwards and out of shape. P1 was then punted across the BattleBox and found itself overturned. Although it was able to self-right, it did so onto the edge of the Upper Deck, leaving itself vulnerable to another assault from the WIP students' bot. Ribbot attacked again and threw P1 onto the Upper Deck, where it was only able to drive in circles. Unable to escape the Upper Deck, P1 was counted out, giving Ribbot the win by KO and an undefeated 3-0 record. |
Ribbot vs. Hydra Entering the Top 32 as the No.2 seed, Ribbot faced the winner of the No.31 seed play in - Jake Ewert and Hydra. For this battle, Ribbot opted for its horizontal undercutter and sparks flew as it made contact with the front of Hydra. However, Hydra was able to get its flipping arm under the front of Ribbot and throw them high into the air, landing on the screws and tearing the decorative frog shell away. Ribbot landed on its wheels and tried to clamber over Hydra to cause damage, but found itself hurled through the air a second time, bouncing right side up. As Hydra tried to flip a third time, Ribbot's undercutter sliced the tip of their weapon away, though it was able to fully retract and was otherwise unaffected. Ribbot struggled to settle and Hydra gave chase, flipping it against the screws two further times. At this stage, Ribbot's front-left wheel was locked up and much to the frustration of the team, who believed Ribbot was still able to show translational movement. Hydra opted against engaging any further and a count began on the No.2 seed. Ribbot could not survive the count and was eliminated from the tournament at the Round of 32 stage.Following this fight, the Ribbot team's frustration became a source of controversy as they believed they were able to show translational movement. Hydra's Jake Ewert revealed that the fight had been edited to shorten the length of time Hydra refused to engage for, and confirmed he was not encouraged to engage with Ribbot again to disrupt the potential count.[4] |
BattleBots: Champions I[] |
Ribbot vs. Double Jeopardy Ribbot entered BattleBots: Champions I and in the first round of the bracket, faced against the returning cannon - Double Jeopardy. For this fight, Ribbot was fitted with extra armor in the front to withstand against Double Jeopardy's projectile weaponry. As the match began, Ribbot moved out of its square and positioned itself to allow Double Jeopardy to hit it. As Double Jeopardy launched its 5lb slug and 2lb ball bearing at Ribbot, the robot was violently launched backwards and the vacuum-formed head of Ribbot was blown apart, though no further damage was sustained. Following this hit, Ribbot advanced in with its undercutter, scuffing the wedge of Double Jeopardy and removing a side panel. As Double Jeopardy attempted to flee the onslaught, Ribbot continued to damage Double Jeopardy, peeling open one half of the wedge and eventually tearing off the additional side panel before tearing out an entire side of drive. Although Double Jeopardy was still able to move on three wheels with its motors falling out, Ribbot promptly tore out the remaining drive side, leaving Double Jeopardy with no mobility. As Ribbot threw the side panel of Double Jeopardy across the box, it was mercifully counted out, meaning Ribbot moved on by knockout. |
Ribbot vs. Malice Next up in the bracket was Bunny Sauriol and Malice. Ribbot opted for its plow and vertical spinner setup, whereas Malice opted for their traditional drum, Big Red. Ribbot began the fight by flipping Malice over and then throwing it in the screws. One side of drive appeared damaged from this early assault as Malice struggled to escape the red square. Ribbot flung Malice over a few more times and then used its superior pushing power to ram it around the arena. Ribbot purposely spun down its weapon, shoving it into one of the paddles before taking it to the pulverizer. Ribbot then pinned Malice against the Upper Deck before pinning it in the short corner once more. Ribbot spun back up in the closing seconds to prove its weapon had not been broken during the course of the battle. It went the distance, and Ribbot was declared the winner by unanimous judges' decision. |
Ribbot vs. Deep Six Awaiting Ribbot in the next round was Deep Six. Ribbot returned to its undercutter configuration for this match and allowed its opponent to get up to speed as it danced around Deep Six early on, looking for an opening. Ribbot forced Deep Six to arc on its one wheel, as the gyroscopic forces caused the right side to lift off the floor. Ribbot then oversteered and Deep Six charged forwards, delivering a big hit to the decorative exterior and destroying the frog shell. Ribbot spent the next minute of the fight patiently waiting to get to Deep Six's exposed wheels, but Dustin Esswein would not let it happen. Ribbot otherwise refused to engage, instead attempting to bait Deep Six into a driving error. Eventually, Ribbot managed to reach the back of Deep Six and unbalanced it, causing the bar to dig into the BattleBox floor and bounce away. Ribbot did not escape unscathed, however, as it lost a tire in this exchange. Deep Six landed on top of Ribbot, effectively high-centered, and David Jin's bot carried it to the screws. While the left-rear stabilizer was stuck on top of the hazard, Ribbot carved into Deep Six's left wheel as the screws reversed. Deep Six was no longer able to drive quite as freely as before, but could still show sufficient movement by arcing while the bar was spinning. Still wary of the primary weapon, Ribbot held off, but Deep Six's remaining tire gave way and Team Overboard's bot stopped moving. A count began on Deep Six and Ribbot moved on. |
Ribbot vs. Lock-Jaw After making its way through the bracket, Ribbot earned the right to fight the episode's gatekeeper to the Golden Bolt tournament, Donald Hutson and Lock-Jaw. Ribbot again went for its horizontal undercutter ahead of this battle, and Lock-Jaw led with its rear plow in response. However, Hutson's plan immediately backfired as Ribbot was able to get to the side of Lock-Jaw and attack its exposed wheels with the horizontal undercutter. Lock-Jaw pointed its plow at Ribbot again and the WPI students' bot spun Lock-Jaw around with the hit that followed. Ribbot then threw Lock-Jaw over and continued to shred the tires with chunks of rubber flying away on each impact. Ribbot closed in again and the tires suffered further damage. Its hubs had also been bent in the assault and Lock-Jaw was no longer moving. A count began on Donald Hutson's bot and Ribbot took the win by knockout, preventing Lock-Jaw from reaching the Golden Bolt tournament. |
Ribbot vs. End Game In winning the second Sin City Slugfest episode, Ribbot qualified for the Golden Bolt tournament. Its first opponent came in the form of the 2020 season Giant Nut winner, End Game. For this battle, Ribbot opted for its horizontal undercutter weapon and for the second time, decorative shades to impersonate their opponents. Upon learning of Ribbot's weapon selection, End Game intentionally spun into the paddle and snapped its forks off, instead preferring to lead with their plow. Ribbot immediately spun up and threw itself at End Game's plow, but was launched high into the air, losing its decorative shell. Ribbot bounced over its opponent and landed inverted, but its horizontal disc was no longer spinning. As End Game continued to attack, Ribbot's snapped weapon belt was exposed and armor on its left side had bent upwards. Ribbot finally landed upright, albeit deep in the short corner and pinned in place by the pulverizer. End Game honed in on the left-front tire, tearing it apart before throwing Ribbot over one final time. With its drive seemingly dead, Ribbot was counted out and was eliminated from the Golden Bolt tournament. |
World Championship VII[] |
Ribbot vs. Witch Doctor Ribbot opened its season against the 2019 and 2021 season runner-up, Witch Doctor. It was armed with its vertical spinner and twin wedgelets for this opening battle.The fight commenced and Ribbot quickly approached Witch Doctor. Both robots went weapon-to-weapon, but, neither vertical spinning disc had the reach to cause a big impact. As Ribbot turned, Witch Doctor tore away a wedgelet, followed by Ribbot's front-left tire. Witch Doctor continued to attack and drove Ribbot back, pushing it across the arena as it grazed down the front of Ribbot's chassis. Mike Gellatly spun Witch Doctor around, landing a brutal uppercut to David Jin's bot which threw it upside-down. This was followed up by an equally big attack to its side that tore away the amphibious bot's shell and sent it twisting through the air. Ribbot was given no time to recover as Witch Doctor attacked its back end, but landed on its three remaining wheels. However, its weapon was no longer spinning and Witch Doctor tore away Ribbot's other front tire. John Remar counted out Ribbot, confirming a 0-1 start to the season. |
Ribbot vs. Claw Viper Ribbot next faced one of the fastest robots in the World Championship VII line-up - Claw Viper. As in its previous battle, it was entered in its vertical spinner configuration, with driver David Jin expecting a tough draw in light of its opponent's recent win against Ominous.
No sooner had it landed on its wheels, however, Ribbot hit the left-rear corner of Claw Viper, flipping it over. It continued pressuring Claw Viper by maneuvering it into the bottom-left corner, and hitting its front forks a few times after it self-righted. However, Ribbot had lost drive to its left-hand side, and was twice rammed into and over the spiked bumper by Claw Viper. For several seconds, Ribbot lay stranded on top of the bumper, with Claw Viper's Kevin Milczewski anticipating a quick victory. Eventually, Ribbot freed itself, allowing it to keep shuffling in its partially-immobilized state. Ribbot shed part of its top cover as Claw Viper positioned itself for another attack. The battered green machine was scooped up and briefly destabilized, before being rammed into one of the paddles by Claw Viper. Despite this, Team Ribbot criticized Claw Viper for 'not doing anything' after the latter distanced itself, in an attempt to line up a suitable opening. In another head-to-head meeting, Ribbot charged and hit the left side of Claw Viper as it turned and darted away. More sparks flew as Claw Viper slammed into the front of Ribbot once again, allowing Ribbot's spinner to keep attacking its forks. Nevertheless, Ribbot again struggled for mobility, leaving it vulnerable to another series of shoves and rams from Claw Viper.
As the battle entered its second half, Ribbot was scooped up and slammed spinner-first into the bottom-left corner by Claw Viper, which followed up with more aggressive ramming maneuvers. Ribbot - having retreated back into the bottom-left corner - found itself being slammed into the bumper once more, before Claw Viper grabbed, lifted and reversed it into the already-damaged Lexan. This 'reverse suplex' attack flipped Ribbot over, sparks flying as its disc hit the BattleBox floor. More sparks were kicked up as Ribbot struggled to drive away on its top castors, enabling Claw Viper to ram it at high speed into one of the Upper Deck screws.
Ribbot was next steered into another screw on the left-most side, giving Claw Viper more chances to lift and grab it. Ribbot drove to the center, but was not able to avoid being grasped and reversed into the bottom-left Lexan one last time. It, however, landed upright before the full three minutes expired.
In what was considered to be a major upset, the battle ended in a unanimous judges' decision in favor of Claw Viper. Ribbot thus suffered its second Fight Night loss, though its durability - despite the incapacitated drive - was praised by both Chris Rose and Kenny Florian. |
Ribbot vs. JackPot In its penultimate Fight Night battle, Ribbot took on Las Vegas representatives JackPot, with both robots desperate to avoid picking up a 0-3 record. For this all-important battle, it adopted the horizontal undercutter configuration - the first time this weapon would be used in World Championship VII.
JackPot ripped off Ribbot's front-left tire, the attack also causing the damaged hub to fall off. Ribbot fought back by flipping JackPot over, and removing its front-left panel once the Vegas Combat Robotics machine self-righted. Debris flew across the BattleBox as Ribbot struck the front-right of JackPot, before grinding away at its opponent's exposed chassis. Another attack allowed it to momentarily destabilize JackPot, while maneuvering towards the center to line up another head-to-head clash. Again, Ribbot threw JackPot onto its back, while inflicting more damaging and spark-generating hits. Both competitors circled around each other, with Ribbot continuing to to target JackPot's sides and front-right corner. However, in doing so, it exposed its entire left-hand side to JackPot's "Heartbreaker" spinner, allowing JackPot to rip its entire left-rear wheel off. This hampered Ribbot's mobility for the remainder of the match; after shuffling near the top-right killsaw slots, it retreated towards the other side. Nevertheless, it persisted in following JackPot across the bottom perimeter, but was unable to land a direct hit. During this moment, Ribbot drove disc-first into the spiked bumper, allowing JackPot to lift and buffet it against the bumper with its "Heartbreaker". The recoil of Ribbot's disc sent it spinning backwards into the air, before Ribbot as a whole landed upside-down near the bottom-left paddle. Here, Ribbot's mobility was reduced further, the robot itself only able to crawl around in circles on its right wheels. After grazing the paddle surface with its disc, it attempted to strafe towards an approaching JackPot, which responded with a light blow to its front-right corner. Ribbot, now left by the red square screws, could only inch back and forth sluggishly before JackPot rammed it into the hazard itself. Sparks flew as Ribbot's disc made contact with the now-reversing screw.
Ribbot, while shuffling once more, got itself high-centered over the killsaws three times, prompting a count-out to begin during the closing moments. However, it circled around again with less than eight seconds to go, sparing itself of an impending knockout loss. Though Team Ribbot encouraged JackPot's Jeff Waters to attack their machine one last time, neither competitor approached each other again as Ribbot took one last snipe from the killsaws. Despite its competitive start, the subsequent judges' decision ruled against Ribbot, leaving it with a 0-3 record at this stage. |
Ribbot vs. Skorpios Now facing the possibility of having its season cut short with a winless 0-4 record, Ribbot needed to defeat its final Fight Night opponent Skorpios for a potential chance to qualify for the Round of 32. For this crucial match-up, it reverted to its vertical disc weapon, accompanied by seven of its narrower hinged forks. During filming, this match was initially billed as a Main Event, though neither Team Ribbot nor Bot Bash Party Crew were aware of this until after its conclusion.[5]
After being shunted into the bumper, Ribbot pushed Skorpios back against the nearby paddle. This was enough to turn Skorpios around, exposing its left wheel to direct contact with the disc. Ribbot shredded the tire while lifting Skorpios onto one side, grinding at its underside, and continued this damaging assault while Skorpios resumed its pushing attacks. However, while unaffected by two swipes from Skorpios' overhead arm, it found itself being pressured into the top-right bumper and paddle. Ribbot took superficial damage to its top cover in the process, but again grinded away at Skorpios' forks during the ensuing tussle. Once both robots separated, Skorpios spun quickly over a nearby hellraiser. Ribbot capitalized by pushing and lifting Skorpios from the left side against the Upper Deck bumper, causing further damage to the tire, forks and underside. Sustained blows from Ribbot's disc were enough to flip Skorpios against the bumper, and to further damage the right fork of Bot Bash Party Crew's machine following a self-righting attempt.
Ribbot kept attacking Skorpios as the latter wheelied uncontrollably into the top-right paddle, damaging its base and forks even more. These blows left Skorpios with significantly impaired mobility, as both robots locked forks during a series of minor head-to-head exchanges. During this stage, Ribbot was pushed back into the top-right corner by Skorpios, narrowly avoiding a blow from the nearby pulverizer. While its top cover was prised open by Skorpios' forks, it retaliated by inflicting more damaging attacks while pinning the latter against the bumper. These included further shots to Skorpios' left tire, shredding it even further. This onslaught continued even as both robots left the pocket, with Ribbot flipping Skorpios against an Upper Deck screw mount and churning away at the latter's now-mangled forks.
After the match, Team Ribbot discovered that the sustained attacks on Skorpios had severely worn the weapon tooth down on their machine's disc. They were also presented with one of Skorpios' damaged forks by Bot Bash Party Crew's Diana Tarlson, in honor of its success and a 'good fight' by both teams.[5] |
Ribbot vs. Quantum Even with its 1-3 record, Ribbot was chosen to compete in the main championship bracket, entering the Round of 32 as the No.28 seed. There, it took on the unbeaten No.5 seed, Quantum, again entering the match with its vertical spinner and hinged front fork configuration. Prior to the match, David Jin stressed the importance of avoiding the hydraulic crusher of Team Robo Challenge's machine, which had the potential to immobilize Ribbot with only 'one perfect pinch'.
As Quantum attempted to clamp down, Ribbot managed to wriggle the affected fork free from the slot. However, in its attempt to escape, it dug its inner front-right fork into another slot. This allowed the Cooper brothers' machine to pierce through Ribbot's top cover and an armor panel beneath, the crusher operating at low pressure at this point.[6] Ribbot remained stuck in place for some time, as Team Robo Challenge considered not attacking it further while in this position. Seconds later, it finally broke free, reversing away from a pursuing Quantum chased. Another tentative head-to-head exchange quickly followed, with Ribbot briefly pushing Quantum back using its front forks. Ribbot parked and pivoted around near the center, tracking Quantum's movements as the latter struggled to find a suitable angle to attack. Two front-on rams from the Team Robo Challenge machine allowed Ribbot to get underneath, then throw Quantum into the air with two rapid blows from its flywheel, while also tearing off the lower panel from the latter's front wedge. After Quantum self-righted, Ribbot landed another blow, this time to the rear-left corner of the fleeing British machine. Ribbot briefly caught the bottom-right killsaw slots, but quickly regained composure, weathering another ram from Quantum as the two competitors found themselves in the lower perimeter. There, Ribbot was again pressured by Quantum, which attempted to clamp down on its spinning disc with its own crusher. However, it again exploited Quantum's ground clearance with its forks. As soon as the two weapons clashed, Ribbot flipped Quantum over, while also severing the crusher from its own hydraulic ram. As Quantum landed on its weapon and began struggling to self-right, David Jin perceived its movement as a sign that the UK entry was still active. However, once James Cooper asked Team Ribbot to 'back off', Jin obliged, and Ribbot stood beside its now-incapacitated opponent. Once David Sanfilippo completed Quantum's count-out, Team Ribbot celebrated as their titular machine picked up a surprise knockout victory.
After the match, David Jin shed more light on his team's feelings going into the match, admitting that facing a crusher like Quantum was a 'scary' and potentially 'expensive' proposition. Additionally, he revealed that Quantum's initial bite had come close to piercing Ribbot's right-rear drive motor. |
Ribbot vs. Black Dragon After ending Quantum's winning streak, Ribbot now took on the No.21 seed Black Dragon in a rematch from the World Championship V quarter-finals.
Still inverted, Black Dragon looked to drive away from danger, but was clipped again by Ribbot's vertical spinner and was flipped upright. As Black Dragon looked to mount a comeback, Ribbot got to its side and began grinding away against its frame while pushing the No.21 seed towards the Upper Deck. Ribbot used its drive power to remain aggressive, charging at its opponent as Black Dragon sat against the screws of the hazard. The amphibious robot hit again, warping the remaining wedgelet of Black Dragon as it suffered damage to its left-side drive.
Ribbot had now lost a fork also as the fight moved back to the corner of the BattleBox. The pair exchanged glancing shots, which cost Black Dragon its remaining wedgelet. Looking to get the right angle, Ribbot struck the front of Black Dragon again, violently throwing it back against the rails. The No.28 seed followed this up with another hit which righted Black Dragon as it lay on Ribbot's right-front wheel. Eventually resting against the entry gate, Black Dragon's weapon was still spinning but its wheels were now no longer moving. Ribbot backed away to assess the situation, with David Jin's team anticipating a count-out. Referee David Sanfilippo agreed that Black Dragon was immobile, and began a count against Julio Cortez's team. Ribbot took the win by knockout and advanced to the quarter-finals. |
Ribbot vs. Hydra Ribbot's next opponent was No.4 seed Hydra in a rematch from the previous season's Round of 32. Unlike last time, Ribbot was armed with its vertical spinner configuration to face the Team Whyachi bot.Neither robot opted for a box-rush as the pair gingerly approached one another. Hydra's wedgelets and Ribbot's forks became caught on the BattleBox floor as they performed a stand-off, just beneath the BattleBots logo. Ribbot edged forward with its spinner active before retreating, and Hydra did the same, getting its front under one of Ribbot's central forks momentarily but lacking the leverage to flip. Ribbot's primary weapon then caught the front of Hydra, causing a shower of sparks. Ribbot then pushed forward but became caught, freeing Hydra and immediately squaring back up to Jake Ewert's robot. With thirty seconds gone, Ribbot drove both of its longest forks up the wedge of Hydra, prompting the No.4 seed to fire its flipper for the first time in the match. Though it missed, Ribbot was unable to capitalize on this and both robots returned to their stand-off.
With ninety seconds remaining and barely an attack to either robot's name, Ribbot grazed Hydra's front once again before Jake Ewert oversteered, allowing its patient opponent to charge forward and strike Hydra twice in quick succession, creating a gash in the front corner of the former semi-finalist. With Hydra's mobility hindered due to a damaged receiver wire,[7] Ribbot drove to its back and then its sides, attacking with its spinning weapon as its opponent ground was no longer moving.
Hydra was counted out, securing Ribbot's place in the final four. |
Ribbot vs. SawBlaze Now in the semi-finals for the first time in their career, Ribbot had another rematch, this time against the No.8 seed, SawBlaze.Immediately, Ribbot drove near the center of the BattleBox, but showed its right side to Jamison Go. Capitalizing on this early driving error, SawBlaze hooked underneath Ribbot's right-front tire, causing both robots to perform a dance of death across the inactive killsaws.
As Chris and Kenny questioned whether the robots were stuck together, Jamison Go explained he was continuing to spin to prevent Ribbot from landing a strike on SawBlaze. Likewise, Ribbot refused to back down as David Jin did not want to leave his robot vulnerable to an overhead attack. Both robots began driving in larger and larger circles before Ribbot caught a seam in the floor and finally became free, much to the delight of the live audience.
Although it tried to equal SawBlaze's aggression, Ribbot found itself pinned against the Upper Deck. SawBlaze dealt another hit to the weapon housing of Ribbot, whose smoke became more thicker and more abundant as time went on. SawBlaze drove Ribbot back, slamming it into the rails and then the Upper Deck once more.
All three judges awarded the fight in SawBlaze's favor, ending Ribbot's hopes of a Giant Nut. |
Results[]
RIBBOT | ||
World Championship IV | ||
Fight Nights 2-2 | ||
Fight Night #1 | vs. Kraken | Lost (JD) |
Fight Night #2 | vs. End Game | Won (KO) |
Fight Night #3 | vs. Falcon | Won (KO) |
Fight Night #4 | vs. SawBlaze | Lost (JD) |
Exhibition Matches 1-1 | ||
Exhibition Match #1 | vs. Valkyrie | Lost (KO) |
Exhibition Match #2 | vs. Sharkoprion | Won (KO) |
World Championship V | ||
Fight Nights 2-1 | ||
Fight Night #1 | vs. Tracer | Won (KO) |
Fight Night #2 | vs. MadCatter | Lost (JD) |
Fight Night #3 | vs. Axolotl | Won (KO) |
World Championship Tournament #20 Seed, Quarter-Finals | ||
Round of 32 | vs. Beta (13) | Won (KO) |
Round of 16 | vs. Uppercut (4) | Won (KO) |
Quarter-Final | vs. Black Dragon (5) | Lost (JD) |
World Championship VI | ||
Fight Nights 3-0 | ||
Fight Night #1 | vs. Defender | Won (KO) |
Fight Night #2 | vs. Overhaul | Won (KO) |
Fight Night #3 | vs. P1 | Won (KO) |
World Championship Tournament #2 Seed, Round of 32 | ||
Round of 32 | vs. Hydra (31) | Lost (KO) |
BattleBots: Champions I | ||
Sin City Slugfest II Champion | ||
Quarter-Final | vs. Double Jeopardy | Won (KO) |
Semi-Final | vs. Malice | Won (JD) |
Final | vs. Deep Six | Won (KO) |
Golden Bolt Qualifier | vs. Lock-Jaw | Won (KO) |
Golden Bolt Tournament Quarter-Finals | ||
Quarter-Final | vs. End Game | Lost (KO) |
World Championship VII | ||
Fight Nights 1-3 | ||
Fight Night #1 | vs. Witch Doctor | Lost (KO) |
Fight Night #2 | vs. Claw Viper | Lost (JD) |
Fight Night #3 | vs. JackPot | Lost (JD) |
Fight Night #4 | vs. Skorpios | Won (KO) |
World Championship Tournament #28 Seed, Semi-Finals | ||
Round of 32 | vs. Quantum (5) | Won (KO) |
Round of 16 | vs. Black Dragon (21) | Won (KO) |
Quarter-Final | vs. Hydra (4) | Won (KO) |
Semi-Final | vs. SawBlaze (8) | Lost (JD) |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 18
- Losses: 12
Competition | Wins | Losses |
---|---|---|
World Championship IV | End Game (Undercard Match) Falcon (Undercard Match) Sharkoprion (Exhibition Match) |
Kraken (Undercard Match) SawBlaze (Undercard Match) Valkyrie (Grudge Match) |
World Championship V | Tracer (Undercard Match) Axolotl (Undercard Match) Beta Uppercut |
MadCatter (Undercard Match) Black Dragon |
World Championship VI | Defender (Undercard Match) Overhaul (Undercard Match) P1 (Undercard Match) |
Hydra |
BattleBots: Champions I | Double Jeopardy Malice Deep Six Lock-Jaw |
End Game |
World Championship VII | Skorpios (Undercard Match) Quantum Black Dragon Hydra |
Witch Doctor (Undercard Match) Claw Viper (Undercard Match) JackPot (Undercard Match) SawBlaze |
Honors[]
RIBBOT | ||
BattleBots: Champions I | ||
Sin City Slugfest Winner |
Faruq Tauheed Introductions[]
"It's not easy being green, even when you're a killing machine. This bot will make you croak. RRR-RIBBOT!"
"This next bot is off the lily pad. Ready to make you feel really bad. And it's got a taste for one thing, victory. It's RIBBOT!"
"It only knows how to fight one way - FROGGY STYLE! Here to tear off your legs and eat em' with a side of flies. Don't run, you're already caught. It's the RIBBITY RIBBITY RIBBITY RIBBITY SMACK DADDY! RIBBOT!"
"Uh oh! It's hopping mad! Meaner than a junkyard frog. Been kicking bots since it was brawlliwog. There's no crime it won't Kermit, and after its tongue lashing, you'll be saying, "Ah spit!" RRR-RIBBOT!"
"This intro was too wordy, so I'mma say it like it's the 1930s. Say Mac, check out the gams on that bot. It's the bees knees and it's giving me the heebie jeebies. That's all I got. Give it up for the boys in green, RIBBOT!
"From Worcester, Mass., the felonious frog, RIBBOT!"
"From Worcester, Massachusetts, the only frog that’ll make you croak. It’s RIBBOT!"
"You know what they say... if you're feeling froggy, then leap! But be careful because this bot can put you straight to sleep. This amphibious assassin can do you really bad and then bury your body right under his lily pad. It's RIBBOT!"
"If you thought he was Kermit, you best make a correction cause this frog's here to show you The Painbow Connection. He might look like a Muppet but he's here to rock ya. He'll hit you so hard you can't waka-waka. Here comes RIBBOT!"
"Some amphibians make you hallucinate if you touch it with your lips, but when this toad licks you, you're gonna have a bad trip. You'll have Freaky Deaky visions of evil monsters and melting faces. Buy the ticket, take the ride. It's fair in loathing in broad Vegas. Its RIBBOT!"
"From Worcester, Massachusetts, cry havoc, and let slip the frogs of war. It's RIBBOT!"
"For this intro I Googled, 'Fun facts about frogs.' Now, let me begin. Did you know they don't have lungs? They actually breathe through their skin. They come in all sorts of colors from green to yellow to white and how's this for impressive? Many can jump twenty-times their height. There are over 4,700 species of frogs. There used to be millions but then this bot showed up at the pond and started to kill them. Give it up for RIBBOT!"
"They say you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet your prince, but get too close to this frog, and you'll lose your lips. This ain't a fairy tale, Mother Goose. You've got something to dread because you can't live happily ever after if you're already dead. It's RIBBOT!"
"From Worcester, Massachusetts, there's some blood on the hands of the frog on the log in the hole in the bottom of the sea, it's RIBBOT!"
"'This team lives out in Worcester, where the R is silent. And they don't say much either, but their aura is violent. So, beware the quiet night at the pond when the only noise is crickets because your life is about to end after you hear the r-r-r-r-ribbit. Give it up for RIBBOT!"
"From Worcester, Massachusetts, the amphibian that will beat you into oblivion. It's RIBBOT!"
"It's got a crazy long tongue to catch lots of flies and everyone who sees it gets chopped and dies. So don't get too close or next could be you. And your last words will be, 'Hey, what'd that tongue do?' Give it up for RIBBOT!"
"This next bot will Jump Around till you're in a House of Pain, so pack it up, pack it in, and run if you're sane. Word to your mom. This bot, it embalms your body for free after it kills without qualms. It came to get down, it came to get down, so get out your seat and RUN! It's RIBBOT!"
"A beast from the swamp like Shrek, he's bringing scary tale destruction. Run tell the muffin man he's coming from far, far away to eat you and your gumdrop buttons. Like the first Shrek, he's really good. Like the sequels, you'll feel awful. This All Star's gonna Smash your Mouth and in the morning he's making waffles. It's RIBBOT!"
"From Worcester, Massachusetts, step to him and you'll get some lilypadlin'. It's RIBBOT!"
Trivia[]
- Despite sporting multiple configurations, Ribbot is able to run both ways up with all of them.
- Ribbot was originally set to have a horizontal drum spinner configuration, possibly similar to Malice, as well as a "HUGE module" though these were scrapped according to Christian Cooper.[8]
- According to David Jin, the Ribbot team were interviewed ahead of their P1 fight as if it was going to be their first Main Event, even being asked how it feels to be in their first Main Event. However, production opted to keep SawBlaze vs. End Game as the marquee fight for Episode 8 of the 2021 season.
- Ribbot was also set to have a drum spinner option for the 2021 season, though this was not finished in time.[9]
- Ribbot has only won a single judges' decision in its career, against Malice.
- Ribbot's Fight Night battle against Skorpios during World Championship VII was originally billed as a Main Event, but was bumped down to a standard undercard match, likely due to Ribbot's then 0-3 record.
- Ribbot is the only #2 seed to have lost in the opening round of the World Championship tournament, getting beaten by #31 seed Hydra, making it the biggest upset to date.
- Ironically, Ribbot would then score the biggest upset of World Championship VII in a rematch with #4 seed Hydra, a complete reversal of their previous encounter.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/c75uq2/comment/esdjr19/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
- ↑ https://www.zekebuilds.com/ribbot
- ↑ https://twitter.com/BattleBots/status/1579788919914520581?s=20&t=tHf9f_9j8onBuOXXqwTSTA
- ↑ Public comment from Jake Ewert in the Out of the Arena Discord server.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF9iuyICXIM
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://www.facebook.com/spectrerobot/posts/pfbid0wCYdQvD8qesyaSiiaRuXMa4Wi975FA7rXfgYeHxwMdCef6WQgSP4iMD7xEYZgC8rl
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1rj7o1zC3I
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/c75uq2/comment/esddl17/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
- ↑ Team Ribbot AMA (February 2022)
[]
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