Cobalt

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Cobalt
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	World Championship II World Championship IV World Championship V (Withdrew) World Championship VI World Championship VII
Other Events	re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022) BattleBots: Champions II
Team Information
Team	Robotic Death Company (WC VI-Present) Team Carbide (WC II, WC IV)
Team Members	John Mladenik (Captain) (WC VI-Present) Dave Moulds (WC II, WC IV, WC VII- BB: Champions II) Sam Smith (WC II, WC IV, WC VII- BB: Champions II) Sheryl Prior (WC II) James Cooper (WC II) Danni Coxon (WC II) Andrew Kenworthy (WC IV) Mike Lindberg (WC VI-Present) Brent Rieker (WC VI-BB: Champions I) Matt Maxham (WC VI) Wendy Maxham (WC VI) Thy Phi (WC VI-Present) Elizabeth Mladenik (WC VI-Present) Melissa Mladenik (WC VI-Present) David Janssen (WC VI-Present) Anouk Janssen (WC VI-Present) Josh Hicok (WC VI) Carol Williams (WC VI-Present) Micah "Chewy" Leibowitz (WC VI-Present) Alon Belkin (WC VI) Conor O'Brien (WC VI) Jerry Serafin (WC VI) Derek Tran (WC VI-Present) Camden Wallraff (WC VI-Present) Blair Lindberg (WC VI-Present) Cal Coker (WC VII-Present) Jesse Ramos (WC VII-Present) Adam Stewart (WC VII-Present) Lacy Stewart (WC VII-Present) Eric Fisher (WC VII-Present) Sri Ram Nervati (WC VII-Present)
From	Oceanside, CA (previously Bromsgrove, UK)
Other Entries	Gigabyte
Associated Robots	Axolotl, Horizon (Alon Belkin) Wrecks, Skorpios, Tiki Fire (Micah Leibowitz) Stinger (Matt Maxham, Wendy Maxham) Quantum (James Cooper) Beta (Dave Moulds) Taco Tuesday (Camden Wallraff)
Robot Statistics
Drive	2x Long Magmotors
Weapons	Horizontal spinner (WC II) Vertical spinner (WC IV-Present)
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Cobalt is a robot built by Team Carbide from the United Kingdom, which competed in BattleBots World Championship II and IV under their ownership. Bought by Robotic Death Company in 2021, Cobalt also competed in World Championship VI and VII.

Cobalt was originally built by British engineers Dave Moulds and Sam Smith, who had vast experience competing in various UK competitions ahead of their 2016 season debut. Cobalt was originally an invertible, two-wheel drive robot armed with a powerful asymmetrical bar spinner. Cobalt performed decently in its debut season, reaching the Round of 32 before losing to the eventual season runner-up, Bombshell.

The render of Cobalt submitted ahead of World Championship II.

Around the same time that Team Carbide developed Cobalt for BattleBots, the team built Carbide for Robot Wars, which had great success in its appearances, winning Series 9 overall and making the Grand Final of its other two seasons. In doing so, it became the only competitor in Robot Wars history to make three Grand Final battles. Both the 2016 version of Cobalt and Carbide were largely similar in shape and design; Carbide differed in using a symmetrical bar spinner, different armor and internals, and a black and green color scheme instead of Cobalt's original white, blue and red.

Cobalt did not return for World Championship III due to filming clashes with Chinese robot combat show This is Fighting Robots, which Team Carbide had much more success with, becoming champion of the show, despite losing its debut fight.

Cobalt during the hero shots for World Championship IV.

For World Championship IV, Cobalt was near unrecognizable from its previous iteration, now sporting a black and green color scheme like that of their Robot Wars Series 9 winning entry Carbide, and a four-wheel drive design similar to their This is Fighting Robots entry Tungsten. In this form, it adopted a steep wedge-shaped profile and a vertical flywheel with several sharp teeth. Unlike Tungsten, the 2019 build of Cobalt did not have an electric self-righting axe. Despite a decent start, Cobalt suffered from its wedge body being too steep and relied on a wedge piece at points, which cost it three matches. With Cobalt's main wedge body, without the wedge piece at the front, Cobalt couldn't get underneath anyone. It didn't help the fact that Cobalt had to use bigger tires in its last two matches to avoid getting high centered, which left the middle wedge piece even more vulnerable to getting ripped off in both matches and making it even harder for Cobalt to get under, since its body was no longer scraping the ground, while other robots, like Minotaur, were able to push the British bot around from the front without getting hit by the disc. Though it impressed during the Fight Night rounds, it eventually lost to Team RioBotz's machine.

Team Carbide initially announced that Cobalt would be returning for World Championship V, but due to travel restrictions resulting from COVID-19, they later announced they would not return for the 2020 competition.

Cobalt in the BattleBox during World Championship VI.

Cobalt returned for World Championship VI, now under the control of Robotic Death Company, as Dave Moulds and Sam Smith confirmed their retirement from robot combat to spend more time with family. This version of Cobalt was largely similar to its previous iteration, though the front wedge was made noticeably less steep to get under bots easier, and it sported a new 36lb disc decorated with gear patterns and a robotic skull on the tooth. With Robotic Death Company essentially split down the middle for this season, Matt Maxham, previously of Stinger, became Cobalt's driver. Along with wife Wendy Maxham, he was joined by Micah Leibowitz, formerly of Skorpios and Wrecks, Alon Belkin from 2020 season rookies Axolotl and several others. Cobalt began with a loss to Reese Ewert and Fusion, but more than made up for its early defeat with one of the most visceral knockouts of the show's history against Ghost Raptor. This was backed up by another convincing win over Gruff to finish with a 2-1 record. With wins over Yeti and Whiplash in the tournament bracket, Cobalt's run for the Giant Nut ground to a halt at the hands of eventual champions Tantrum.

Cobalt during hero shots for World Championship VII.

In June 2022, Cobalt was confirmed to return for the re:MARS all:STARS Challenge, once again with Robotic Death Company. Despite bettering Skorpios in the first round, it fell short of the final to Hydra. This proved to be the final time Matt Maxham would drive the robot, as captaincy was handed over to John Mladenik for future competitions.

Cobalt and Tombstone side-by-side during the 2016 season.

Sam Smith and Dave Moulds reunited with Cobalt in 2022, officially joining Robotic Death Company ahead of World Championship VII. The team confirmed this via Instagram in August 2022 and were revealed publicly by BattleBots themselves a few weeks later, ranked #11 in their Pre-Season Power Rankings. Cobalt featured a 45lb serrated disc with bright green teeth named Nasty, and was operated by its original British builders. It began its season with a dominant win over the returning DeathRoll, before falling in a Main Event loss to Minotaur. Cobalt returned to form with wins over Overhaul and Lucky, ending with a 3-1 record and securing a Top 32 place, but was upset by Monsoon at this stage and exited the tournament.

Cobalt also competed in BattleBots: Champions II, where it entered the fourth Sin City Slugfest bracket. With John Mladenik replacing Dave Moulds at the controls of Cobalt, it advanced through to the bracket final, but was beaten at this stage by JackPot.

Two versions of Cobalt was present at the July 6-9 2023 BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon shows. Though it would not fight in Proving Ground - the team fought three times across the week with Gigabyte - Cobalt and Nightmare teamed up to destroy a slot machine attached to half of Ginsu on June 6. However, due to the extreme amount of debris, Cobalt was unable to attack effectively, and pulled out of the exhibition on the following days due to glass found in the robot afterwards.

Outside BattleBots

Robotic Death Company originally signed up to RoboGames 2023 with both Cobalt and Megabyte, but ultimately withdrew.

Robot History

World Championship II
Cobalt vs. Overhaul Cobalt's first BattleBots fight was in the qualifying rounds against Overhaul. Cobalt strikes the front of Overhaul. Quickly spinning up, Cobalt was the early aggressor as it chased Overhaul across the BattleBox. eventually landing a hit on its front wedges which sent Cobalt bouncing away. Cobalt attacks Overhaul. It quickly returned to speed and struck Overhaul again, twisting through the air and then carving into Overhaul's left-side wedge. Overhaul attempted to lift Cobalt after its next attack, but mistimed its move and turned to face the British robot again. Cobalt then began smoking, and slowed their weapon to an eventual halt. Despite this, it was Overhaul experiencing issues with its drive, only able to move in arcs. Overhaul is counted out. Cobalt maneuvered to the corner of the arena as Overhaul's mobility was assessed. Charles Guan activated his robot's lifting mechanism a few times, but the robot was now only edging forward. This was not enough to satisfy the referee, who initiated a count against Overhaul. Cobalt won the match by knockout and advanced to the Round of 32 with its No.14 seeding. Post-fight, Dave Moulds and Sam Smith opted against reusing their weapon motor for their next fight. The team instead decided to modify the chassis to install a bigger motor for their future battles.
Cobalt vs. Bombshell Cobalt's wheels are shredded by Bombshell. Next up for Cobalt was the No.19 seed, Bombshell. The match started out fairly evenly as Cobalt approached Bombshell while facing backwards and withstood the first attack. However, after a few more attacks, one of Cobalt's tires was torn off, leaving the robot struggling to move around the BattleBox. A few seconds later, Cobalt's remaining tire was torn off, leaving it unable to move. Cobalt was counted out and Bombshell won by KO at 1:45. This meant that Cobalt was eliminated from the tournament.
World Championship IV
Cobalt vs. SubZero Cobalt rips a piece away from SubZero. Cobalt watches on as SubZero is counted out. Cobalt's first match since 2016 put it originally against Captain Shrederator, who accepted to fight with little time to make any final adjustments. However, Team LOGICOM had fought Cobalt recently and did not want a repeat performance, so they opted to switch opponents. This instead put Cobalt against SubZero. For this fight, Cobalt added an extra wedge to the front of it in hopes of getting underneath SubZero. As the match began, Cobalt got in the first hit, sending SubZero up and buffering one of the added wedgelets. The second sent a piece of SubZero's added wheel protection flying and tore a tire. Cobalt kept the punishment coming as it started tearing up the right side of SubZero, sending it up and breaking the front right tire. SubZero was still moving on its back wheels, so Cobalt kept the pain coming. SubZero tried to recover and managed to stop Cobalt by going wedge to flipper, but that only held Cobalt off for a second. SubZero tried running away, but Cobalt caught him, pushed him into the wall and tore off the left wheel guard of SubZero, as well as what was left of the front left wheel. Cobalt then got under SubZero and damaged the underside near the pulverizer. SubZero tried fleeing once more, but Cobalt caught up and slammed SubZero in its exposed spacing, tearing out one of its gas tanks and throwing it against the wall and onto its back, before hitting it again and putting them on their side. SubZero got off the wall, but Cobalt turned back around and slammed SubZero once more and SubZero stopped moving. SubZero was counted out, giving Cobalt its first win of the season.
Cobalt vs. DUCK! Duck gets launched by Cobalt. Cobalt stuck in one of the arena seams. Next for Cobalt was Hal Rucker and DUCK!. In response, Cobalt added an extra wedge to hopefully get under DUCK! and cause damage. As the fight commenced, Cobalt immediately sent DUCK! flying through the air, but DUCK! came right back down seemingly unscathed. Cobalt continued to attack, sending DUCK! flying each time and eventually flipping DUCK! over near the pulverizer. DUCK! escaped and now had a bent lifting plow so Cobalt promptly tore it off, sending it out of the arena. DUCK! was now weaponless so Cobalt moved in for another attack, but ended up hitting a seam in the floor and landed directly on an uneven patch of the floor where it couldn't move. Cobalt was counted out, giving DUCK! the win by KO.
Cobalt vs. Bombshell Bombshell on top of Cobalt, the latter losing its wedge from the impact. Bombshell landing upside down, Cobalt's broken wedge visible in the foreground. Next for Cobalt was Bombshell in a rematch from World Championship II. Eager for revenge, Cobalt went with its usual wedge extension to get under Bombshell and cause damage. Cobalt was easily able to get under Bombshell, throwing it high into the air but Cobalt lost its front wedge extension in the process. This did not phase Cobalt as they got under Bombshell again, tossing them into the air once more and this time Bombshell landed upside down with no way to right itself. Bombshell was counted out, handing Cobalt the win by KO, and redemption for their loss in 2016.
Cobalt vs. End Game Cobalt loses its wedge to End Game. Cobalt upside down after being launched into the sidewall. Cobalt's run in the 2019 season continued with a match against Jack Barker and End Game. As a result, Cobalt swapped out its tires for larger ones to avoid getting high-centered on the arena floor and a new front wedge attachment to get under End Game and hopefully cause damage. Unfortunately, this didn't go as planned as Cobalt started the match by losing its front wedge, with its wedge embedded into the ceiling. This made it very difficult to get under End Game and the tires that were chosen were not providing sufficient grip on the arena floor. End Game was experience drive issues of its own, so Cobalt was able to get in a hit. Cobalt then took a big hit from End Game which sent it high into the Lexan, but it landed upside down and could not self-right as it lost its weapon belt. Cobalt was counted out, giving End Game the win by KO.
Cobalt vs. Minotaur Cobalt loses it wedge for the third time in a row. Cobalt being pushed around by a weaponless Minotaur. Desperate to make the Top 16, Cobalt now faced Team RioBotz and Minotaur. Cobalt had a new front wedge and a new 50lb weapon to deal with vertical spinners. Early on, Cobalt lost its front wedge in an attack which launched the British bot high into the air, bringing down pieces of lighting from above. It was still functional after landing, so Minotaur continued to attack. Cobalt was then thrown high into the air and nearly out of the arena but managed to recover, as Team Riobotz sensed Cobalt's wedge was no longer optimal for getting underneath them. However, as the fight progressed, Minotaur's drum was no longer working, but Cobalt struggled with Minotaur's superior pushing power. Cobalt found itself up against the arena walls, only able to cause cosmetic damage to Minotaur's drum during the rest of the match until time ran out. The judges awarded Minotaur a unanimous 3-0 decision and a spot in the Top 16, ending Cobalt's run for the Giant Nut. Team Cobalt and their Most Destructive Award. At the end of the season, the Cobalt team were awarded the Most Destructive Robot Award for 2019.
World Championship VI
Cobalt vs. Fusion Cobalt goes flying courtesy of Fusion. Sparks fly as Fusion's drum grinds the front wedge of Cobalt. After a season away from BattleBots and now under the ownership of Robotic Death Company, Cobalt returned for the 2021 season. Its first opponent was Team Whyachi's latest creation, Fusion, and the team welded an additional front fork onto the bot. Fusion got the best of the early exchanges, sending Cobalt flying away and into the air as Matt Maxham struggled to get underneath Fusion. Cobalt continued to attack but both weapons on Fusions were spinning, and Cobalt continued to be launched up into the air, often landing directly on its own weapon. As the fight wore on, Fusion was able to tear away at Cobalt's front wedge until another assault saw Cobalt land on its head near the arena barrier. Unable to self-right, Cobalt was counted out and Fusion took the win by KO.
Cobalt vs. Ghost Raptor Cobalt is momentarily stuck in the screws. Cobalt eviscerates Ghost Raptor. The remains of Ghost Raptor. Ghost Raptor in the pits post-match. Cobalt's second fight was against Ghost Raptor. Sporting front forks rather than the defensive approach that failed them last time, Cobalt found itself box-rushed by Ghost Raptor in the opening seconds. Cobalt took a hit which sent it turning into the screws of the Upper Deck, but it escaped and landed a few hits of its own to the front of Chuck Pitzer's bot, shredding both of their front wheels. Cobalt's forks then became stuck in the screws, but Ghost Raptor was unable to capitalize before Cobalt turned to face it again. It then scored a hit on the rear of Ghost Raptor before overturning it. Cobalt slid its forks underneath its upturned opponent and charged across the BattleBox, making contact right in front of the drivers. This impact caused a shower of sparks and completely destroyed Ghost Raptor, splitting it in multiple places, separating the drive pods and eventually causing smoke to emit from the remains of the former semi-finalist. Cobalt added an impressive KO to its name, now with a 1-1 record.
Cobalt vs. Gruff Sparks fly as Cobalt attacks Gruff. Gruff's propane tank erupts. Cobalt's final Fight Night opponent was fellow 1-1 bot Gruff. The team opted for their hinged wedgelets for this fight, and this proved to be the right call as Cobalt immediately got underneath Gruff to flip it upside-down. Gruff had its fork caught in the killsaw slot for a moment, but was soon free and threatened with their flames. However, Gruff ran right into the front of Cobalt again and was launched high into the air, buckling a lifting fork on impact. Gruff took a hit from the 100lb pulverizer before hitting Cobalt's disc head on once more, again flying across the BattleBox. Cobalt continued its relentless assault as Sam McAmis' machine appeared to have lost drive on one side, throwing it against the arena barriers. Smoke began to emit from the underside of Gruff after the next impact damaged their propane tank, and it burst into flames soon after. Unable to show translational movement, Gruff was counted out and Cobalt advanced to 2-1 for the season.
Cobalt vs. Yeti Cobalt turns away from Yeti. Entering the Top 32 as the No.14 seed, Cobalt faced No.19 seed Yeti in the first round of the tournament. Ahead of this fight, the team equipped Cobalt with large, curved forks which protruded past the length of their outer wedges. Yeti's forks initially prevented either weapon from engaging, but Cobalt was able to nearly shove Yeti into the Upper Deck in the opening seconds. As Cobalt turned around, Yeti stood up on its forks in order to raise its drum, but saw the tip of its left fork curled upwards in doing so. Cobalt was then driven by Yeti into the wall, and lifted off the floor as it turned to escape. Yeti took advantage, getting around to its side and landing the first big hit of the fight with its drum. Cobalt landed upside down, though bounced back onto its wheels and recovered well. It spun to Yeti's side as it tried to attack the exposed wheels, though drove into one of the paddles of the BattleBox. Both robots drove to the center of the arena as Yeti drove up the front of Cobalt and straight into their primary weapon. Greg Gibson's bot was thrown upwards and landed inverted. Though it could drive that way, Yeti was able to use its forks to quickly self-right. However, neither was flush to the ground at this stage and Cobalt again punted its opponent high into the air. Yeti twisted and turned, and one of its rear wheels appeared to have locked up upon landing. Furthermore, Yeti's right-side armor panel had begun to peel away as it desperately tried to recover. It was no longer able to drive, and Yeti was counted out, allowing Cobalt to advance in the tournament.
Cobalt vs. Whiplash Whiplash lifts Cobalt early on. Whiplash and Cobalt ready to square off in the BattleBox. Cobalt and Whiplash are both incapacitated. Cobalt's next opponent in the bracket was 2020 season runner-up, Whiplash. Whiplash was able to lift Cobalt multiple times, even making Cobalt have to right itself. However, Whiplash mistimed an attack and got one of its forks stuck in the side of the upper deck. Cobalt used this opportunity to strike, and was able to land multiple blows on Whiplash. One of these attacks led to Cobalt becoming stuck on the floor of the arena and the referees decided to pause the match. Although the show claimed that Cobalt's weapon could not be turned off, this has since been strongly refuted by Robotic Death Company and multiple attendees. Upon planning to restart, debris from Whiplash had obstructed the linked drive and weapon switch. "When attempting to shut off Cobalt, Trey could not shut off the weapon as there was some debris blocking the switch. What we had told Trey which was not heeded, was that our weapon and drive switch are linked, so the drive switch could've been shut off which would have powered down the whole bot. At no point was our spinner stuck on. Trey decided to simply count the whole thing as a double KO, and did the KO as seen filmed." — Derek Tran clarifies the controversy. Trey Roski determined that the fight could not be safely restarted, and a simultaneous knockout was declared. Since Cobalt caused the most damage to Whiplash, it got the judges' nod and advanced to the Top 8. "Was this upsetting for Whiplash? Yes, but remember, this is a TV show and that was cut showing our weapon spinning at the end! I DID shut it off, but it takes 45 seconds to stop spinning and it did shut off at the controller, but the crew bots couldn't turn off the Whyachi switch because there was a piece of Whiplash in the switch, so they said it wasn't safe to work on Whiplash. We were told it was a simultaneous knock out and we won the judges' decision on damage. Was it fair? Don't know. Was it inconsistent box treatment of competitors? Yes. Were we 100% functional at the stoppage? Yes. Did Whiplash have drive issues from hits? Yes. Should they have freed Whiplash? Yes. Was Cobalt stuck also? Yes (though we were stuck on the floor damage from an earlier round fight that went unnoticed by us or the crewbots). So, if they unstuck Whiplash, I don't believe they were translating well enough to not get counted out. So the situation sucks and we got the judges decision." — Matt Maxham's explanation behind the double knockout
Cobalt vs. Tantrum Cobalt's forks are bent upwards by Tantrum. Tantrum pins Cobalt against the rails. Tantrum throws Cobalt out of the arena. In the quarter-finals, Cobalt faced 2020 season semi-finalist Tantrum, who was yet to lose a battle this time around. For this battle, Cobalt again opted for the hinged inner forks which served it well throughout the tournament up to this point. As Cobalt spun up to speed and entered the center of the BattleBox, it was circled by Tantrum who looked for an early opening. Tantrum's front forks lifted those of Cobalt, allowing it to drive its opponent into the rails and land a couple of punches with the drum spinner. Pinning Cobalt against the Upper Deck, Tantrum dealt another few punched which peeled up the leading edges of Cobalt's forks, rendering them useless. Matt Maxham drove away but parts of the robot were strewn across the floor with little chance of getting its vertical spinner into play. Both robots engaged in a pushing match followed by a period where they evaded one another, but Cobalt's side lifted off the floor as it turned and Tantrum capitalized, pressing it against the rails and grinding its drum on the underside of its opponent. Tantrum then reversed a few inches and slammed it again. This move which sent Cobalt bouncing up and, with the help of their own vertical spinner, flying out of the arena. Tantrum advanced as Cobalt's run for the Giant Nut ground to a halt.
Pardon My French vs. Cobalt (Exhibition) Cobalt tears a panel from Pardon My French. Pardon My French is thrown onto the Upper Deck. Returning for the exhibition matches at the end of the season, Cobalt took on the winless Pardon My French. From the start of the fight, Pardon My French's drum failed to spin up while Cobalt's disc got up to speed. Cobalt almost tipped its opponent over with its steep wedge shape, but instead chased Pardon My French and delivered a hit to its static drum. Pardon My French evaded a charge from Cobalt as its drum attempted to spin up, but Cobalt attacked from the side and threw Team OuiOui's bot upside-down, tearing off pieces of its armor in the process as a chain dangled loose from its chassis. Cobalt positioned Pardon My French before sending it flying onto the Upper Deck. Philippe Voyer's robot attempted to escape, but became stuck on the edge of the hazard. Pardon My French was counted out and Cobalt took the win by knockout.
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)
This page/section of page contains SPOILERS about the unaired 2022 re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge. If you are unaffected by potential spoilers, then continue to read the page. Otherwise, this page/section of page should not be read before watching the relevant fights/episodes. Public information which could be deemed a spoiler may appear pixilated. To reveal this, hover over the text on desktop or double tap it on mobile. Example: Spoiler Cobalt vs. Skorpios Cobalt was one of eight robots selected to compete in the second re:MARS all:STARS Challenge in June 2022. In the first round of the bracket, it faced Skorpios. After getting to the back of its opponent and leaving gouges in the back armor, Cobalt was barely attacked throughout the fight but could not finish Skorpios off. The fight went to an audience vote, who cheered in favor of Cobalt.
Cobalt vs. Hydra Next up for Cobalt was Team Whyachi's Hydra. However, Hydra again won by knockout and moved to the final, eliminating Cobalt at the semi-final stage.
World Championship VII
Cobalt vs. DeathRoll Cobalt's first Fight Night opponent of World Championship VII was the returning World Championship IV semi-finalist DeathRoll. For this fight, Cobalt sported its 45lb asymmetric disc and wedgelets at the front. DeathRoll is pinned under the pulverizer. DeathRoll was fastest out of its starting square and drove directly into the front of Cobalt, but drove directly up its front and into the weapon. DeathRoll was sent spinning through the air and landed on its weapon, bouncing back onto its wheels and deflecting off the paddle. Chris Rose points towards the action. In the meantime, Cobalt drove across the killsaw slot and lost its central wedge. Cobalt then charged towards the Australian machine but became caught again, interupting its attack and allowing DeathRoll to land a glancing hit on another of its wedges, bending it up slightly. This did not deter Cobalt as it was still able to get under the front of DeathRoll and land another blow, tossing it across the BattleBox as it danced over the Upper Deck. Cobalt watches on as DeathRoll struggles to right itself. DeathRoll used its weapon to escape while upside-down, but was at the mercy of John Mladenik's bot as Cobalt knocked it into the short corner. DeathRoll bounced around before landing upright and Cobalt's team pinned it in place using the pulverizer. Not only did this stop DeathRoll from driving away, but it also served to lock its powerful vertical spinner which had struggled to make an impact up to this point. Waiting patiently, Cobalt kept its weapon spinning as the pulverizer retracted before knocking DeathRoll upside-down again. DeathRoll used its self-righting arm to roll back over, but Cobalt timed this with another charge and delivered a hit to its underside, causing visible damage. DeathRoll was hit by the shaft of the pulverizer several more times as it was again inverted, but could not right itself quite as easily as before. A number of fingers had been cut off from DeathRoll's severed arm and it no longer appeared able to move. Robotic Death Company activated the pulverizer one more time as DeathRoll was counted out, confirming Cobalt's first win of the season by knockout.
Cobalt vs. Minotaur The Cobalt team unveil their new forks. Cobalt's second Fight Night draw was a Main Event against World Championship III runner-up Minotaur in a rematch from World Championship IV. This marked the first-ever Main Event for the British machine. Ahead of this match, Dave Moulds explained that Robotic Death Company and Team Carbide had curved forks made especially for facing the Brazilian drum spinner. Cobalt was also armed with its asymmetrical disc, and driven by Sam Smith. Cobalt and Minotaur tussle in the corner. During a tentative start by both competitors, Cobalt's forks caught a floor seam in the center of the BattleBox. Retreating, it absorbed a grinding attack from Minotaur while turning round with the aid of its gyroscopic forces. Within a matter of seconds, Cobalt hurled Minotaur into the air with a powerful weapon-on-weapon collision, forcing the RioBotz machine to self-right using its drum. Cobalt kept pursuing Minotaur, launching it into the bottom-left paddle. More hits allowed it to toss Minotaur even higher across the BattleBox, and to re-right it with an abrupt jolt. Kenny Florian: "...we're finding out that those forks on Cobalt are working out really well so far!" Both [as Cobalt tosses Minotaur towards the ceiling]: "Whoa!" Kenny Florian: "Huge shot by Cobalt, and another!" Chris Rose: "Follows it up nicely! Daniel Frietas having trouble keeping his machine on the ground." Kenny Florian: "Cobalt the aggressor so far!" — As Cobalt pressures and punts Minotaur across the BattleBox Cobalt loses a fork. Once Minotaur drove back into its front end, Cobalt withstood more attacks from its drum, which was targeting its front forks. In doing so, it pushed Minotaur across the boundary of the Upper Deck and into the bottom-left corner, but had three forks - including one of the curved type - ripped off in the process. Both robots exchanged more shoves and grazing blows with their spinners, before Cobalt again punted Minotaur towards the nearest paddle, directly in front of commentators Chris Rose and Kenny Florian. Kenny Florian: "Going to be way more difficult for Cobalt with just one fork right now." Both [as Cobalt tosses Minotaur into the bottom-left corner]: "OH!" Kenny Florian: "Huge shot by Cobalt!" Chris Rose: "What were you were saying, Kenny?" Kenny Florian: "Yeah! Eat my words there!" — Chris Rose and Kenny Florian react to another powerful attack from Cobalt Cobalt pins Minotaur against the screws. More pushing, shoving and gyro hops followed, before Cobalt pinned Minotaur against an Upper Deck screw for six seconds. Again, it took more hits to its front end, disc and remaining fork, responding by getting underneath, flicking its Brazilian opponent around, and ripping off its left wedgelet. While pushing Minotaur back towards a pulverizer, however, Cobalt shot forwards and took a blow from the hazard once both competitors broke free. As the match entered its second half, it continued to absorb and exchange weapon blows with Minotaur's drum. "So far, this match has been driven with championship intensity. Cobalt misses front forks, but has landed the heavier shots. Does Minotaur have an answer down the stretch?" — Chris Rose as the battle passes the halfway mark Cobalt uses the rails to self-right. During one of these exchanges – with both robots near the red square – Cobalt was flung back towards the control booth by Minotaur, but landed upright. Cobalt recovered quickly, ramming and buffeting Minotaur away with another weapon-on-weapon collision. However, its disc began to encounter problems, spinning down to a stop twice as it pursued and clashed with Minotaur once again. Cobalt pushed Minotaur back, causing the latter to begin smoking while grinding and pounding away at it. However, another head-to-head exchange resulted in Cobalt being flipped violently into the bottom-left corner. "Huge shot there by Minotaur! Could this be a comeback?" — Kenny Florian, as a smoking Minotaur violently tosses Cobalt into the corner Minotaur smokes as Cobalt is immobile. Cobalt, laying upside-down, took another blow from Minotaur, before levering itself back onto its wheels using its disc. It proceeded to drive into the center of the BattleBox to line itself up for another head-to-head clash. However, after Minotaur rode up and hit its remaining fork, the impact tipped Cobalt onto its back, where its disc hit the floor and stopped working with around thirty seconds remaining. This left Cobalt vulnerable as Minotaur briefly churned at its baseplate, with the robot as a whole no longer able to self-right. Kenny Florian: "OH MY GOODNESS!" Chris Rose: "Cobalt is on its head!" Kenny Florian: "Are you KIDDING me?!" Chris Rose: "I don't think they can self-right!" Kenny Florian: "WOW!" Chris Rose: "This might do it!" Kenny Florian: "And he's SMOKIN'! Minotaur is smoking!" — As Cobalt's immobilization becomes clear Once the count-out began, Dave Moulds and Sam Smith patted each other on the backs in consolation, as Cobalt's defeat was all but confirmed. Despite its early advantage in this tense and highly competitive match, Cobalt lost by knockout after two minutes and 54 seconds, leaving it with a 1-1 record by this stage.
Cobalt vs. Overhaul Cobalt equipped with Nasty. Cobalt's third Fight Night opponent was another rematch, this time against Overhaul. In this battle, it debuted its newly-designed 45lb disc called 'Nasty'. Cobalt becomes stuck in the opening seconds. Whereas Cobalt got its disc up to speed early, Overhaul kept its grabbing arm down and remained close to the rails. Cobalt quickly turned to face Overhaul, and in doing so, the gyroscopic forces in play lifted its right side onto the bumper. In a good act of sportsmanship, the Overhaul team opted to free Cobalt to continue the fight, but allowed the vertical spinner to get a hit to the underside of their machine. Cobalt pins Overhaul against the wall. As the fight moved to the center of the BattleBox, Cobalt got underneath the front of Overhaul and eviscerated the mounting plate for its right-side fork, causing the bolts to shear and spill across the arena floor. Cobalt got underneath again, flinging Overhaul through the air before throwing it over and taking off one of its rear wheels, but Charles Guan's bot recovered. "Sub-optimal, sub-optimal... very, very sub-optimal." — Charles Guan as Overhaul suffers more damage Sparks fly as Cobalt slices into Overhaul. Although parts of Overhaul littered the BattleBox at this stage, its drive was still functional and it continued to meet Cobalt head-on. However, the motor powering its weaponry had come loose and dangled limply. Overhaul is knocked out. Cobalt remained patient before getting around to the side of Overhaul and driving it into the wall, throwing it through the air on impact. Overhaul landed upside-down and with its weapon disabled, had no way to self-right. The front-left wheel had also been buckled. Soon after, referee Kathryn Godfrey initiated a count-out, confirming Cobalt's second win of the season as it advanced to 2-1.
Cobalt vs. Lucky Cobalt's fourth and final Fight Night opponent was the Canadian Lucky, which stood unbeaten at 3-0. Prior to this crucial encounter, driver Dave Moulds and owner John Mladenik both aimed to 'outdrive' the TKO Robotics machine, while causing major damage to its aluminum chassis. Cobalt itself kept the 45lb Nasty disc from its previous match, but reverted to the front fork setup used against Minotaur. Dave Moulds: "I think the strategy for the next fight is gonna be to try and outdrive these guys... I'm gonna get him around the side and get a good hit in. The chassis' quite soft on that – it's like, welded aluminium, I think. So if we can do some damage to that, I think we'll come out on top." John Mladenik: "If we get under them, it's a bad fight for them. If they can keep getting under us and flipping us... you know, they have a chance." — Dave Moulds and John Mladenik weigh their thoughts on fighting against Lucky Cobalt immediately blasts a hole through Lucky's underside. Both robots quickly met in the center, where Cobalt immediately threw Lucky upwards from the right-hand side. With a loud bang, a second hit tore through Lucky's baseplate, rupturing the tank for its flipper pneumatics and removing two of its LiPo batteries. Chris Rose: "What an enormous shot by Cobalt!" Kenny Florian: "Chris, that sounded like a cannon inside the BattleBox! My goodness... oh!" Chris Rose: "Kenny, is that a battery that's smokin'?" Kenny Florian: "Yes it is! Lucky has been disembowled, Chris!" — After Cobalt immediately ruptures the tank for Lucky's pneumatics Cobalt remains aggressive as one of Lucky's batteries smoulders. Cobalt attacked the right-front wedge of the now-inverted Lucky, at which point the TKO Robotics machine twice somersaulted in its efforts to self-right. Team Carbide's entry ducked underneath Lucky as it prepared for its next maneuver. Lucky is counted out in the short corner. With Lucky seemingly immobilized on the right-hand side, Cobalt rushed in and attacked the former's right wedge and baseplate once more. A piece of debris flew from Lucky as Cobalt turned and hopped into position. Cobalt again attacked Lucky's front-right corner, pushing away the LiPo as the smoke intensified. This attack appeared to immobilize Lucky completely, just before Cobalt pushed it backwards into the top-right pocket and clipped its right wedge one more time. Cobalt darted back into the center of the BattleBox, catching floor seams and gyro-dancing in celebration. Chris Rose: "It looks like a couple of shots and this one's gonna be over, Kenny!" Kenny Florian: "Wow! Cobalt let... the formerly unbeaten Lucky know... there are levels to this game!" — As Cobalt takes a swift and explosive victory John Remar counted Lucky out, awarding the UK machine a second consecutive knockout win after just 39 seconds. Cobalt and Team Carbide thus rounded off their Fight Night schedule with a 3-1 record, securing their place in the main championship bracket as the sole-remaining representative of Robotic Death Company.
Cobalt vs. Monsoon Cobalt pre-fight. Entering the Top 32 as the No.9 seed, Cobalt faced No.24 seed Monsoon. This all-UK match-up united teams whose members had previously competed together in the rebooted Robot Wars. "For me, personally, that being the other big English spinner, I'd really like to take it out..." — Dave Moulds states his desire to overcome his British opponent Monsoon throws Cobalt through the air. Both robots met in the middle of the arena as Cobalt got the first hit of the match, tipping Monsoon back before chasing Tom Brewster's machine. In its eagerness to pursue its opponent, Cobalt drove itself into the Upper Deck but recovered to deliver a second blow to Monsoon. Monsoon pursues Cobalt, but is then struck by its opponent The No.24 seed tipped itself back to square up to Cobalt again, looking to take advantage of its superior weapon reach. Monsoon was driven back into the blue starting square, but retaliated with a couple of attacks on Cobalt which sent it bouncing across the BattleBox as the No.9 seed struggled to right itself. Eventually landing on its wheels, the fight moved to the center of the arena again and Monsoon dealt a glancing blow to the front of Cobalt. Monsoon and Cobalt come together. By this stage, both outer wedgelets on Cobalt had been torn away, buts its long forks - and more importantly for Dave Moulds and Sam Smith, their vertical spinner - remained an active threat Both robots drove directly at each other, forcing a stalemate until Monsoon backed away. However, Monsoon remained the aggressor, toppling Cobalt again and forcing it into the corner before Dave Moulds escaped further punishment. Cobalt got its left-side fork under the frame of Monsoon, but its pivoting chassis and weapon system meant it was unaffected by this momentary breach. Monsoon's devastating knockout shot. Cobalt turned to face Monsoon once again, but lost one of its remaining forks in the process. The No.9 seed then drove Monsoon back towards the Upper Deck, where it lay dormant for a second. In this moment, Cobalt turned in place, lifting its right side off the floor and leaving itself vulnerable. Monsoon gave chase and as Cobalt spun back around, Tom Brewster's robot struck the exposed left-side of Cobalt's front, tearing into its HARDOX wedge and sending the green and black robot spiralling through the air. Cobalt bounced around but landed inverted, its weapon lacking the ability to act as a self-righting mechanism. With just over half the fight gone, a count began and Monsoon returned to the center of the BattleBox, ending Cobalt's Giant Nut hopes at the Round of 32 stage. Damage to Cobalt's wedge post-fight. After the fight, Monsoon's Tim Rackley spoke highly of Cobalt's driver and original builder, Dave Moulds, as well as his own team's driver. Tim Rackley: "Do you know what? The best bit for me is - I keep telling Tom he's a great driver - and that guy there, Dave Moulds, is one of the best drivers the UK has ever seen..." Dave Moulds: "Thanks, man." Tim Rackley: "And for this young man to do that... it's really good." — Team Monsoon shower praise on both drivers post-fight Speaking on the Green Square Talks BattleBots podcast in May 2023, Derek Tran confirmed Cobalt severed its own power wires which shorted the robot's weapon motor as the live wires made contact with the robot's frame.
BattleBots: Champions II
Cobalt vs. Banshee Returning for BattleBots: Champions II, Cobalt took on rookie robot Banshee in the opening round of the fourth Sin City Slugfest bracket. Cobalt was fitted with 'Nasty' as well as its trapezoid-shaped wedgelets. For this competition, Cobalt was operated by John Mladenik rather than Dave Moulds, a change Mladenik admitted was "a risk" pre-fight. Cobalt fights Banshee. Cobalt dominated the center of the arena in the opening moments as it spun its weapon up, keeping it pointed at Banshee while David Small circled the vertical spinner. As Banshee clipped the Upper Deck, however, this provided Cobalt with an opportunity to attack. Cobalt sliced into the side of Banshee, but the rookie bot slipped away. It then turned sharply into Cobalt, riding up the wedgelets and directly into its vertical spinner, throwing Banshee up into the air. Upon landing, John Mladenik delivered a follow-up shot to its back end, before a third attack struck its right-side fork mount and launched shrapnel into the lights. This saw broken glass rain onto the BattleBox floor as Banshee landed inverted. Banshee and Cobalt meet head-on. Banshee self-righted but as it chased Cobalt, mistimed a flip and overturned itself. David Small's robot returned to its wheels again. The fight moved towards the short corner to the left of the Upper Deck as both robots struggled to drive. Banshee escaped the pocket as the fight passed the halfway mark. "More than ninety seconds into the three-minute fight. Cobalt has certainly landed the bigger blows but John Mladenik has been unable to put Banshee away so far..." — Chris Rose acknowledges Cobalt's advantage, but expresses concern over its ability to finish the fight Banshee flips Cobalt. Cobalt shoved Banshee across the arena, striking it head-on again, but was then caught by the flipper of David Small's machine, much to the delight of his team. Landing disc-first into the steel floor, Cobalt immediately bounced upright, but two of its front wedgelets were now raised off the ground. The pair exchanged attacks before Banshee got around to Cobalt's back, but landed a weak lift as its weapon appeared to be lacking power in the closing stages. Cobalt struck the side of Banshee in the final seconds, peeling up its armor before shoving the rookie bot around as the fight went to the judges. All three judges voted unanimously in favor of Cobalt, advancing it into the semi-finals.
Cobalt vs. Emulsifier In the semi-final, Cobalt faced Emulsifier, who had defeated Captain Shrederator in the first round. Robotic Death Company largely kept Cobalt the same, but added a fifth wedgelet beneath its vertical spinner. "Emulsifier has got a very dangerous weapon on it. If they hit you, it's gonna... it's gonna hurt." — Dave Moulds praises the power of Emulsifier's weapon Both bots meet head on. Pre-fight, Dave Moulds stated the team's intention to get the first hits in on Emulsifier, while driver John Mladenik emphasized the importance of Cobalt having the superior ground game. As it happened, Emulsifier went into this fight without any forks or wedgelets in order to gain a reach advantage over Cobalt. John Mladenik: "We want this Golden Bolt so bad. He [Dave] said he would streak around the whole hotel if we win." Dave Moulds: "Again!" — Cobalt's team joke ahead of the fight As in its first fight, Cobalt began by driving to the center of the arena and pointing the weapon at its opponent. Unlike Banshee, however, Emulsifier immediately drove towards Cobalt, slamming its blade into the sloped from of Cobalt as Kenny Florian picked up on the difference in size between the two robots' vertical spinners. This attack also tore off Cobalt's rightmost wedgelet. As Emulsifier turned, though, Cobalt struck its front and damaged its armor to the right of its blade. In retreating, Matt Bores' robot fled into the Upper Deck and then away. "C'mon John, you gonna come after us?" — Eric Wrigley goads Cobalt's driver Emulsifier then attacked Cobalt again, but failed to cause significant damage. The tracked bot showed speed as it tried to stay squared up to the 2019 Most Destructive Robot winner, but as Cobalt reversed, Emulsifier charged and tilted to one side as it turned sharply. This error offered Cobalt a free opportunity to capitalize, so Mladenik delivered a big hit to the underside of Emulsifier which sent it bouncing across the arena. Kenny Florian: "Matt Bores does not have good control of his robot, Chris!" Chris Rose: "Not at all. Not at all. In fact, it's lost half of its treads - one on each side." — Kenny Florian and Chris Rose discuss Emulsifier's driving Now down one of its two treads on that side, Emulsifier looked to retaliate but wheelied, slamming its own blade into the floor, hauling itself back towards the corner. Emulsifier got its primary weapon back up to speed, but another of its treads slipped off - this time on its right side. Emulsifier lands inverted in the short corner. Cobalt was now down three of its five wedgelets, but delivered a big hit which propelled Emulsifier into the short corner as it landed upside-down. The rookie bot suffered several blows from the pulverizer before the hazard pushed Emulsifier out of reach. Although its left-side drive was still semi-functional, the robot could not self-right from this position. A count began soon after, and Cobalt confirmed its place in the final by way of knockout.
Cobalt vs. JackPot Cobalt drew Las Vegas locals JackPot in the bracket final, and sported the same configuration which saw it beat Emulsifier. JackPot strikes Cobalt. Both robots spun up immediately, though neither opted for the instant box-rush. Cobalt accelerated toward JackPot but missed, forcing the pair to reset. Cobalt became stuck on the BattleBox floor temporarily so turned. In doing so, JackPot's minibot Ace managed to get underneath the former Most Destructive Robot Award winner, lifting its wheels off the floor. Battery smoke fills the BattleBox as JackPot sinks its blade into Cobalt. This allowed Jeff Waters a free hit on Cobalt, who lodged its heart-shaped disc into the back end of Cobalt, rupturing a battery in the process. Smoke quickly began to pour from John Mladenik's machine and fill the BattleBox, compromising visibility. With its lifter raised, JackPot dragged the wounded Cobalt into the Upper Deck in an attempt to free itself, but the pair remained connected as the Robotic Death Company machine burst into flames. Cobalt then lost power to its disc as fire engulfed its chassis, and as the Las Vegas bot crashed from hazard to hazard, Cobalt and JackPot were finally free. Cobalt drove away, but was still ablaze with ninety seconds of the fight remaining. Ace remained a menace, hassling Cobalt before JackPot drove up its front, deflecting upside-down before righting itself with its weapon. Cobalt is immobilized. Cobalt looked to chase JackPot, but became caught on the killsaw slot and suffered another strike from Jeff Waters' bot. Damage to Cobalt post-fight. This hit proved enough to immobilize Cobalt and it was swiftly counted out, ending its run at this stage.

Results

Competitive Wins/Losses

• Wins: 13
• Losses: 10

Exhibition Wins/Losses

• Wins: 1
• Losses: 0

Total Wins/Losses

• Wins: 14
• Losses: 10

Competition	Wins	Losses
World Championship II	Overhaul	Bombshell
World Championship IV	SubZero (Undercard Match) Bombshell (Undercard Match)	DUCK! (Undercard Match) End Game (Undercard Match) Minotaur
World Championship VI	Ghost Raptor (Undercard Match) Gruff (Undercard Match) Yeti Whiplash Pardon My French (Exhibition Match)	Fusion (Undercard Match) Tantrum
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)	Skorpios	Hydra
World Championship VII	DeathRoll (Undercard Match) Overhaul (Undercard Match) Lucky (Undercard Match)	Minotaur (Main Event/Undercard Match) Monsoon
BattleBots: Champions II	Banshee Emulsifier	JackPot

*Cobalt's 2v1 demonstration alongside Nightmare against Ginsu at BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon is omitted from its win/loss record.

Faruq Tauheed Introductions

"Roses are red, this bot is blue. Poems are dumb. Now, you're gonna die. It's COBALT!"

"Blade in the UK, pound for pound, the deadliest bot in the 'Box. It's the banger, you're the mash. It's COBALT!"

"This bot is made of one compound: fractures. Trust me, you are out of your element. It's going to give you the bluesies from the bruiseies. Here's COBALT!"

"Roses are red, this bot's now green. Blah, blah, blah it's... gonna kill you. It's COBALT!"

"If it were a beer, it would be called Bots Blue Rippin'. Wastes great, best killing. Alright, it's thrilla time! This bot's for you. It's COBALT!"

"From the UK, the killer fable, box you up like the periodic table. It got your number and when it gets its shots in, don't ask why. It's elementary, my dear Botson. All hail the hitman from Brit-land, COBALT!"

"From Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, he came, he saw, he sawed... It's COBALT!"

"You know a bot's a killer when It's chemical element 27. 27 is the very age all those rock stars went to heaven. Did this bot kill all those musicians? Is it one to blame? Of course it did, you idiot. It killed the entire Hall of Fame. It's COBALT!"

"This team's from a place called Pleasant Garden. Man, that sounds nice. Let me guess, low crime rate? Good schools? Just a wonderful life? Then again, how pleasant could it actually be when its most famous resident is this robotic killing machine? Give it up for COBALT!"

"The bot with only one full-time job on its resume: kicking your ass. It's COBALT!"

"Cobalt was discovered in 1735 by a Swedish guy named Georg. But mess with this Cobalt, and they'll discover you in the morgue. And as a tribute to Sweden, he'll not only beat you. But leave your body in more pieces than furniture from IKEA. Seriously, I bought a couch last year, and I still haven't finished putting it together. Anyway, give it up for COBALT!"

"If this bot hits you once, he won't need to do it twice. Call him a one-hit wonder like Vanilla Ice. At the beginning, you'll be under pressure. But then it's slice, slice, baby, you'll end up on a stretcher. It's COBALT!"

"Plastic surgery is all the rage now. From tummy tucks to a nose job. But it's a non-elective procedure if you come across this robot. So prepare for the biggest operation of your life because if you step to his blade, you're going under the knife. Give it up for COBALT!"

"This bot became a legend last season when in only an instant, he cut an opponent in half, like a magician's assistant! He can't escape a straitjacket, or pull a rabbit out of his hat, but his blade can make you disappear, just like that! Stab-ra-cadabra! It's COBALT!"

"From Oceanside, California and the UK and proving that the special relationship is still intact, it's COBALT!"

"Named for one shade of gray, he knows at least 50 more. The BattleBox is his personal shred room and he's locking the door. 'You signed the contract,' he says, 'now let's you and I fight.' Ripping off your limbs like Fifty Shades ripped off Twilight, don't forget your safe word, because here comes COBALT!"

Trivia

• Despite being under the ownership of Robotic Death Company, Cobalt sported the Union Jack flag for World Championship VI.
• Cobalt was the first modern BattleBots competitor to have been entered by both a UK and a US-based team.
• Cobalt has competed in every even-numbered season of BattleBots since its 2015 reboot, and been absent for every odd-numbered season except World Championship VII.
• In the full untelevised Round of 16 fight between Cobalt and Whiplash, Cobalt strangely did not receive an introduction whereas Whiplash did.
• Alongside a handful of other robots from the 2021 season, Cobalt made an appearance as a static display at a live premiere of the tournament conclusion in San Jose, California.
• Cobalt was offered to fight Craig Danby and Slammo!, but Danby declined and instead took on Gigabyte.

See Also

• Carbide (Robot Wars)
• Tungsten (This is Fighting Robots)