Fireball

Fireball
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	World Championship VIII (Status pending)
Live	BattleBots Proving Ground BattleBots FaceOffs
Team Information
Team	Bots 'n' Stuff Robotics
Team Members	Brian Boxell Glenn Boxell Alex Brown Gabriel Brown Nick Grumski Curtis Honeycutt Connor Howard Ian MacInerney Ellie Clark
From	Marlborough, MA
Other Entries	Bloodsport, Subatomic, Retrograde
Robot Statistics
Weapons	Eggbeater spinner Flamethrower
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Fireball is a heavyweight robot built by Bots 'n' Stuff Robotics which competed in BattleBots Proving Ground as well as BattleBots FaceOffs.

Captained by Brian Boxell, Fireball is a four-wheel drive robot armed with a 38lb vertical spinner at the front made from S7 tool steel, as well as twin, front-mounted flamethrowers. Fireball shares a name with his 3lb robot of the same name which competes in the National Havoc Robot League. When asked in the NHRL Discord server, Brian Boxell confirmed that the heavyweight version of Fireball shares more in common with the beetleweight's upcoming redesign than its most recent iteration as of July 2023. The 3lb build is also a four-wheel drive, orange and black robot with a vertical spinner at the front, as well as a counter-gyro mechanism known as a flywheel sitting behind similar to that of RIPperoni. Brian Boxell later confirmed that the 250lb robot would also adopt this mechanism.

Fireball made its debut against The Twins in September 2023 - a multibot entry by Seems Reasonable Robotics - and won their first outing. However, The Twins had to pull out of their second scheduled fight and instead fought the ShowBot version of Witch Doctor.

In October 2024, it was revealed that Fireball had directly replaced HiJinx in the fifth BattleBots FaceOffs group spanning October 25-27, 2024.

Boxell also confirmed Fireball had not yet applied for BattleBots World Championship VIII, but intends to once the season is formally scheduled. Bots 'n' Stuff Robotics already submitted applications with both Bloodsport and Subatomic, later withdrawing the latter.

Fireball in the BattleBox.

Top view of Fireball.

The team working on Fireball.

Front view of Fireball ahead of BattleBots FaceOffs.

Fireball under construction.

A render of Fireball.

Outside BattleBots

Brian Boxell is a regular on the US live circuit, best known away from BattleBots as the designer of the 30lb robot Waddles! and 3lb entries Eruption, Fireball and Caldera.

Alex and Gabriel Brown, who are responsible for the flamethrower on Fireball, are well-known for their beetleweight Clyde whereas Nick Grumski is known for his National Havoc Robot League beetleweight Saber. The team also includes Ian MacInerney who is the designer, builder and driver of National Havoc Robot League beetleweight Fully Defined, and Connor Howard, who competes in NHRL with his 3lb beetleweight Comet.

Brian Boxell's 3lb Fireball.

Robot History

BattleBots Proving Ground
Fireball vs. The Twins (9/9/2023) Fireball made its debut in BattleBots Proving Ground against former Giant Nut winners Seems Reasonable Robotics and their most recent design, The Twins. The Twins look to confuse Fireball. Fireball manoeuvred around to set its sights on one of the Twins as the multibot split off to occupy different areas of the BattleBox, each getting their vertical spinners up to speed. Fireball rode up one half's wedge momentarily but slipped away before both weapons made contact. A Twin tears off Fireball's fork before being struck by its vertical spinner. Fireball then drove up the front of the same Twin, losing its left fork as a result. The 125lb bot remained close, but was struck by the vertical spinner of Fireball and was sent into a frontflip, peeling up part of its armor but landing on its wheels. The other Twin then took the reigns, striking the side of Fireball and causing its remaining fork to become jammed in an upright position. Fireball throws itself over. Looking to confuse Brian Boxell, The Twins kept their distance and allowed Fireball to drive between them before closing in to attack together. Fireball escaped, but lifted up on one side as its anti-gyro flywheel appeared non-functional and landed upside-down. One of the Twins looked to capitalize and hit the side of Fireball, who used the BattleBox to right itself. One half of the multibot becomes incapacitated. The Twins then returned to the center of the arena, but as one half met Fireball head on, it was the 250lb bot which won the ground game and sent the Twin into a backflip, following this up with an attack which sent it bouncing away into the screws. Though it recovered from the hazard, that one Twin appeared to now be struggling to drive on one side, and its piano key forks had been damaged. The other Twin gave chase but caught a seam in the BattleBox floor and landed upside-down. Fireball punts one of the Twins through the air. The remaining Twin tried to help its stranded teammate, but was quickly hunted down by Fireball. With a minute to go, Fireball's vertical spinner caught the side of the 125lb bot, launching it into the screws and immobilizing the remaining Twin. Steve Judkins: "It looks like one of The Twins could be out of action, Bil." Bil Dwyer: "That's why there's two of 'em! Under a minute- OHHHH!" — Steve Judkins and Bil Dwyer react to both Twins being immobilized With both robots out of action, a count began and Fireball took the win by knockout.
Fireball vs. The Twins (9/10/2023) Fireball was set to take on The Twins for a second time over the weekend. However, The Twins had to withdraw due to damage suffered in the previous fight.
Fireball vs. Witch Doctor (9/10/2023) As such, Fireball instead took on the ShowBot version of Witch Doctor. Fireball begins with the upper hand. Despite the weight disparity, Fireball started on the aggressive, circling Witch Doctor while preparing to activate its flamethrower. Fireball then struck the front of its 330lb opponent and tore a front panel away. Fireball becomes stuck in the killsaw slots. But as it charged to deliver a follow-up attack, Fireball got its right-side fork stuck in the killsaw slots and Witch Doctor had a free hit on the rear panel of Fireball, ripping into its armor on impact. "Not a good time to get wedged in there. Go on, Witch Doctor, give him a tap!" — Steve Judkins encourages Witch Doctor to 'free' Fireball Fireball is left high-centered and immobile. Brian Boxell's bot landed upside-down in the blue square and a follow-up shot from Witch Doctor righted it, but left its right rear wheel exposed. Witch Doctor struck the side of Fireball and threw it towards the screws of the Upper Deck. As the attacks high-sided its wheels, Fireball could no longer drive. A count began after one last hit from the ShowBot and Fireball lost by knockout.
BattleBots FaceOffs
Please note that the order of the following fights is unknown, as documentation on the event itself is either limited or non-existent. This is typically true of untelevised events such as BattleBots IQ and those sanctioned by the BattleBots name. Fireball vs. Terrortops Fireball will compete at BattleBots FaceOffs in Fall 2024. One of its opponents is known to be Terrortops.
Fireball vs. Bloodsport Fireball will also face the team's own Bloodsport.
Fireball vs. Switchback Fireball is also set to take on Switchback in a rematch from World Championship VII.

Results

Exhibition Wins/Losses

• Wins: 1
• Losses: 1

Competition	Wins	Losses
BattleBots Proving Ground	The Twins	Witch Doctor
BattleBots FaceOffs	TBC	TBC

Trivia

• Fireball became the first non-ShowBot to fight the ShowBot version of Witch Doctor in September 2023.
• Fireball's battle against Bloodsport will become the second battle between two robots from the same team since Tantrum fought Blip during World Championship VII.