Hydra

Hydra
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	World Championship IV World Championship V World Championship VI World Championship VII
Live	BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon
Other Events	re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)
Other Names	HYDRA
Team Information
Team	Team Whyachi
Team Members	Jake Ewert (Captain) Richard "Dick" Stuplich Rachel Stuplich-Trantow (WC V-Present) Terry Ewert
From	Dorchester, WI
Other Entries	Son of Whyachi, Whyachi, YU812, Y-Pout, Why Not, Red Square, Warrior, Warrior Clan, Fusion, Falcon, Warrior SKF, Falcon15, 1A, 3A. POW, BABS, Ricochet, Buzzkill
Associated Robots	New Cruelty, Bad Blood, Goosfraba Steel, Verbal Abuse (Richard Stuplich, Rachel Stuplich-Trantow)
Robot Statistics
Weight	250lbs
Power	LiPo batteries
Drive	4x Brushless motors
Weapons	Hydraulic flipper
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Hydra is a heavyweight robot built by Team Whyachi which has competed in every BattleBots season since World Championship IV under the captaincy of Jake Ewert.

It is a flat, four-wheel drive robot armed with a unique hydraulic flipping arm which would build up pressure, then release in a burst, which would launch anything resting on its arm in the process. Hydra also had two additional wheels positioned at the rear of the robot which are raised off the floor by ¼". This allowed Hydra to maintain contact with the floor if another robot gets underneath its front.

Hydra during World Championship IV hero shots.

In test videos prior to its debut, the robot was shown to be capable of lifting and launching immense loads, including a 450lb quad bike and a van belonging to the team. Hydra was the replacement for the now-retired Warrior series of robots. The robot's name derived from the hydraulic system it uses for its flipper, something which had never been seen before in BattleBots.

"We build up pressure into pretty much a big spring, and then when we release it, the spring is what's actually moving the fluid to the hydraulic cylinder to the flipper. So you get that quick action, but you're just using the fluid as a medium for moving it instead of air."

— Jake Ewert during a March 2023 Team Whyachi livestream

Hydra performed well in the 2019 season, becoming the fourth unbeaten robot in the opening stages of the tournament. Despite its undefeated Fight Night record, it suffered an early exit after its loss to Minotaur in the Top 16.

Hydra during World Championship V hero shots.

For World Championship V, Hydra sported a redesigned front end, as well as performing an overhaul on its internal layout and drive train. It also replaced its reptile-like paint job with a more monstrous look akin to the mythical beast from Greek and Roman mythology. Hydra once again did very well, being one of the few bots in the 2020 season to finish the Fight Night rounds with an unbeaten 3-0 record, ending on the winning side of two controversial battles against Witch Doctor and HUGE. As such, Hydra made it into the Championship Tournament as the No.1 seed and picked up wins against HyperShock and Gigabyte, but lost to eventual runner-up Whiplash in the quarter-finals.

Hydra during World Championship VI hero shots.

Returning for World Championship VI, Team Whyachi ditched the cow catcher attachment in response to a rule change concerning corralling in the BattleBox. Hydra was rebuilt from the ground up for this season, with the main focus for upgrades concerning the efficiency of the primary weapon. Previously, as the tournament progressed, Jake Ewert found Hydra to be losing power due to contaminated hydraulic fluid. It now had filters to prevent this from happening again and its internals were liquid-cooled. Hydra could also reach maximum pressure within just four seconds, compared to eight seconds in seasons past. In the lead up to filming, Jake Ewert teased the idea of a vertical spinner attachment, using one of Fusion's horizontal triangular disks to rack up more damage points, even posting a test video of the configuration in action in November 2021. However, this went unused throughout Fight Night and Hydra's tournament battles.

Unlike in previous seasons, Hydra started World Championship VI on the back foot by losing its opening fight to defending champion End Game, but returned to form by tossing Gruff out of the arena. Rookie team Glitch were able to score arguably the take down of the season, with Hydra finishing the season with a 1-2 record having never lost a Fight Night battle prior to the 2021 season. Hydra was snubbed of a guaranteed spot in Top 32 bracket, but was one of four robots who fought in a play-off match to decide the No.31 seed. After defeating Defender, Hydra backed this up with a statement victory over No.2 seed Ribbot. Jake Ewert got the better of Blip in the Top 8, but was eliminated after a controversial split decision loss to eventual champions Tantrum.

In June 2022, Hydra was confirmed to compete in that year's re:MARS all:STARS Challenge. Despite beating MadCatter and Cobalt successfully to the route to the final, Hydra fell short of competition success at the hands of HyperShock after its previous two victories.

Hydra during World Championship VII hero shots.

Team Whyachi teased progress on Hydra in the lead-up to World Championship VII, and BattleBots later confirmed its inclusion, ranked #5 in the Pre-Season Power Rankings. Hydra began its season with a convincing win over ROTATOR, but lost its second battle in a rematch against Tantrum. Hydra then won its final two battles against Free Shipping and SawBlaze to enter the Top 32 with a 3-1 record, where it took out DeathRoll. It then won a rematch against Whiplash to make it to the quarter-finals for the third successive season where it lost a rematch against Ribbot.

Terry and Jake Ewert also brought Hydra to make guest appearances at the live show BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon beginning in February 2023. Hydra is known to have taken on OverKill in at least two fights - a ShowBot based on Christian Carlberg's Comedy Central BattleBots heavyweight design which was estimated to weigh around 50lbs more than Hydra itself. For several battles, Hydra was driven by Trey Roski.

In a May 2023 livestream, Jake Ewert addressed Hydra's future beyond World Championship VII, acknowledging the inherent disadvantages of flipper robots like his versus more visually destructive opponents and his distaste for having to play the ground game to remain competitive.

"If they have a super quick turnaround and we feel the itch that we need to go back to bots, then Hydra will probably be back... but if we actually get time before the next season, it would be nice to bring something else."

— Jake Ewert during the tenth Whyachi Rumble livestream in May 2023

Hydra throwing OverKill through the air during a BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon event.

Jake Ewert working on Hydra during World Championship VI.

Hydra in The Pits during World Championship V.

Hydra in the blue square during World Championship V.

Hydra circa 2020.

Hydra's teased vertical spinner configuration.

Hydra under construction.

Robot History

World Championship IV
Hydra vs. Free Shipping Hydra's BattleBots debut came against Gary Gin and Free Shipping. Hydra mistimes a flip on Free Shipping. As the match got underway, Hydra struggled to get under Free Shipping's low front wedgelets, allowing Hydra to be pushed around after a mistimed flip. Hydra tried again and once more was shoved around by its opponent. Free Shipping, unable to right itself, is pushed across the floor. Hydra eventually managed to get under Free Shipping and threw it into the air, landing upright on the BattleBox floor. Free Shipping tried to retaliate and managed to get another shove in before Hydra threw them into the air where they landed on their back. Free Shipping was unable to right itself, allowing Hydra to push it into the corner. Free Shipping was counted out, gaining Hydra the win by knockout and handing Jake Ewert a debut victory.
Hydra vs. WAR Hawk Hydra's next opponent was veteran competitor Rob Farrow and his newest machine, WAR Hawk. Hydra sustains damage to its side. Both robots approached the center of the arena, but Hydra hit a seam in the floor and was unable to avoid WAR Hawk's first attack. Hydra withstood the punishment from its opponent and continued its attack, eventually finding an opening when WAR Hawk lay momentarily immobile, tossing it into the air. WAR Hawk landed upright, however, and Hydra took another hit from its opponent's disk. WAR Hawk's drive pod, removed by Hydra. Hydra retaliated by throwing WAR Hawk upside down near the pulverizer. WAR Hawk escaped, so Hydra threw it in the air again, this time snapping the rubber wubs holding WAR Hawk's modular chassis together, splitting off the left drive module. With WAR Hawk's mobility limited, Hydra threw it in the air again, separating the other drive module and leaving WAR Hawk unable to move in three different pieces. WAR Hawk was mercifully counted out, giving Hydra a second win by knockout in as many fights.
Hydra vs. Petunia Hydra was next placed against Petunia from The Netherlands. Hydra charges down Petunia from the start of the match. Jake Ewert's bot missed with its first flip and was almost grabbed by Petunia for its trouble. Hydra missed again and narrowly avoided a grab once more. Hydra got underneath its opponent and threw Petunia into the air, but the Dutch robot landed right-side up. Hydra got in position and threw Petunia on its head, but it self-righted and the fight continued. Petunia is stuck and counted out. Hydra then took Petunia to the arena barrier and tossed it again, nearly getting it out of the arena and damaging the battle timer. Continuing its assault, Hydra got in another flip which sent Petunia over the arena wall, trapping Mischa de Graaf's machine behind the pulverizer. Petunia was counted out, giving Hydra a third win by knockout and putting the Team Whyachi robot at 3-0.
Hydra vs. Bronco Unbeaten in three and looking for a high seed going into the Top 16, Hydra was matched against Inertia Labs and Bronco. The premium flipper from the first three seasons, Bronco was experiencing a disastrous campaign and was looking to avoid a 0-4 record. Hydra overturns Bronco early on. Hydra launches Bronco high into the air. It was again Hydra who began on the front foot as it won the battle for low ground and threw Bronco over, but it landed on its wheels. Hydra tossed Bronco again and the veteran team's bot landed upright once more. After a third flip, Hydra successfully got Bronco upside down, but Bronco quickly self-righted. Bronco stuck against the arena wall. Hydra continued to throw Bronco around until they got Bronco with its flipper outside the shorter arena Lexan wall where it could not move or escape. Bronco was counted out, confirming an undefeated record for Jake Ewert's bot and a high seed in the World Championship tournament.
Hydra vs. Minotaur Hydra was now in the Top 16 and met Team RioBotz and Minotaur. Hydra is unable to escape as Minotaur grinds away at its side. The match started well for Hydra as they managed to get a decent flip on Minotaur, and tried attempted to flip Minotaur again. However, Hydra missed its flip and was quickly attacked by their opponent, losing a piece of their flipper in the process. Damage to Hydra's drive chain. Hydra attempted to maneuver around Minotaur, but the Brazilian bot started chipping away with their drum and Hydra suffered damage to the side skirts, as well as the left-side drive chain. Hydra continued to take damage to the sides until it was left motionless against the wall. Hydra was counted out, and fell at this stage in the 2019 competition.
Hydra vs. HyperShock (Exhibition) Hydra also had a final exhibition match against fellow veteran Will Bales and HyperShock. Before the fight, Team HyperShock were unable to get their self-righting mechanism working, giving an immediate advantage to Jake Ewert and his bot. HyperShock launches itself out of the BattleBox. Hydra started off strongly, throwing HyperShock onto its back. However, HyperShock could drive inverted and, when spinning downwards, hit Hydra and still cause damage. HyperShock was unable to capitalize though as HyperShock soon began smoking, and both robots drove towards the corner of the BattleBox. Jake Ewert and Richard Stuplich are presented with the Founder's Award for 2019. HyperShock drove at Hydra and rode up its front, but in doing so, launched itself over the wall and out of the BattleBox. HyperShock was counted out, giving Hydra the win by knockout. At the end of the season, Jake Ewert and Hydra were presented with the Founder's Award by Greg Munson and Trey Roski.
World Championship V
Hydra vs. Witch Doctor Hydra's first fight was a Main Event against the previous season's runner-up, Witch Doctor. Hydra flips Witch Doctor. When the match started, Hydra managed to flip Witch Doctor into the air, and afterwards kept flipping them continuously. After the short hang-time, Hydra was hit by Witch Doctor's weapon, and then took a small hit from the disk spinner. Hydra then managed to flip Witch Doctor high into the air, which caused one of Witch Doctor's disks to break. Their opponent's drive seemed okay, so Hydra remained aggressive and flipped Witch Doctor into the screws. After that, Hydra started smoking and was barely moving. However, Hydra was able to get moving again after letting its speed controllers cool and the fight went the distance. In a decision deemed controversial among fans and builders alike, Hydra was declared the winner by a 2-1 split vote and began with a 1-0 record.
Hydra vs. HUGE Hydra equipped with its new configuration. Hydra's second opponent was Jonathan Schultz and HUGE. Before the fight, Team Whyachi installed an attachment dubbed the 'Hydragate' - 28lbs of steel tubing capitalizing on HUGE's weapon diameter being shorter than its wheels. The attachment was designed to be wide enough catch HUGE by the wheels and push it around the arena, dictating the fight in such a way. The team removed all but two of Hydra's wedgelets to make weight. HUGE tries to escape the attachment. This idea worked well for Jake Ewert's team as HUGE was outright unable to deal any major damage to Hydra, only able to scratch it with its spinner as it lifted it up with its struts, before promptly being let go. Hydra pushed HUGE into the corner of the arena where it was hit by the pulverizer. Shortly after, Hydra kept HUGE in the corner, where it corralled its opponent and intermittently pinned it in place, prompting reaction from referee John Remar. John Remar: "You need to release - back up." Jake Ewert: "I'm not touching him, he can back up if he wants. I don't need to move anymore. He can move if he wants. I'm not holding him." John Remar: "Back up. Jake, back up. I'm telling you to back up. That's a warning." — Jake Ewert argues his case with the referee HUGE is corralled by Hydra's attachment. Eventually, Hydra ran out the clock and took the win by a unanimous judges' decision as although neither robot was able to cause damage in the fight, Hydra dominated the Control and Aggression categories, so by BattleBots judging rules, won the battle. As such, Hydra advanced to 2-0 for the season.. This fight proved to be incredibly controversial, leading to ill-feeling among fans and builders alike. Ultimately, though the attachment was within the BattleBots rules for the 2020 season, changes to rules concerning corralling and additions to a bot to encourage this were made for World Championship VI. Jake Ewert was interviewed about this moment during the special BattleBots: Most Outrageous Moments, which aired in early 2023. "Generally, HUGE destroys most controlbots and anything that, you know, can do damage to the wheels. We were sitting ducks without a creative, inventive way to come at that solution" — Jake Ewert, three years on from the controversy
Hydra vs. Uppercut For Hydra's final match of the 2020 Fight Night season, they were placed against a mightily impressive Uppercut. Hydra propels Uppercut into the air. Hydra quickly tossed Uppercut into the air early on, then dismantled Uppercut's minibot while waiting for Uppercut to move in again. However, shrapnel from the now-destroyed minibot was sucked into their drive train got stuck, chewing away at one of its rear wheels and causing drive issues. Hydra was ready for a flip and tossed Uppercut once more. After another brief exchange where Uppercut grazed the frame of Hydra, the Team Whyachi machine tossed Uppercut onto the screws, which reversed and allowed Uppercut back into the fight. As it remained aggressive, the shrapnel came loose, meaning that Hydra no longer had drive issues. It recovered and threw Uppercut one more time. This last flip, however, saw Hydra's flipper stuck open for the closing seconds. Hydra's hydraulic valves had small metal flakes creeping in over time and was keeping one of the bot's valves open ever so slightly. This fight lasted the full three minutes, and despite its late weapon concerns, the judges awarded Hydra the unanimous decision to once again move to 3-0.
Hydra vs. HyperShock Despite a Fight Night run labeled with controversy, Hydra once again finished the Fight Night season undefeated. As such, it entered the Round of 32 as the No.1 seed and took on the No.32 seed HyperShock. For this fight, the hydraulic oil had been replaced, hoping to fix the problems from their previous match. Hydra tosses HyperShock out of the arena. Hydra struggled to gain the upper hand in the opening seconds as HyperShock began running rings around Hydra, and Jake Ewert's bot repeatedly missed its flips. On one occasion, they opened up their side to HyperShock, and were delivered a glancing blow on the side from its opponent. Hydra managed to get under HyperShock afterwards and toss them into the air. By this point, HyperShock had now lost its weapon, and was now more vulnerable to Hydra's attacks. Hydra chased HyperShock as they began to drive circles around the BattleBox. It then started to get in the flips as they repeatedly launched HyperShock around the box, tossing HyperShock upright and upside down until they finally got their opponent out of the arena. With around fifteen seconds left, Hydra won by KO and earned a spot in the Top 16.
Hydra vs. Gigabyte Hydra's next opponent was the dangerous shell spinner Gigabyte. Although Jake Ewert teased an anti-Gigabyte device ahead of the fight, essentially a keep-away stick to hold Gigabyte's self-righting pole at a safe distance, this was not used. Hydra did, however, add a front wedge to deflect Gigabyte's spinning shell. Hydra launches Gigabyte. As the fight commenced, Gigabyte spun up to full speed and delivered a glancing blow to Hydra's front wedge. Hydra opted to attack it head on, throwing Gigabyte into the air. Upon landing, Gigabyte ricocheted into the wall in front of commentators Chris Rose and Kenny Florian. Hydra was able to remain aggressive throughout, giving chase and landing flips on Gigabyte while John Mladenik's bot could only deal small hits to Hydra in return. Despite Hydra's persistence in breaking its opponent's weapon, Gigabyte's spinner kept working for the entire battle, and the fight went to the judges. Hydra won by another unanimous decision and advanced into the Top 8. In a March 2023 Team Whyachi livestream, the Ewert family revealed the fight had to be paused momentarily as Gigabyte was thrown into an area of the BattleBox which yanked out an extension cord, leaving wiring strewn across the arena floor.
Hydra vs. Whiplash Next up for Hydra was the Vasquez family and Whiplash, who were looking stronger as the season went on. Hydra upends Whiplash, but it is able to self-right. Both robots looked tentative in the opening seconds, as Whiplash teased a head-on attack, forcing Hydra to misfire its flipper. Whiplash then managed to slide its forks underneath its opponent's front and tip it over, forcing Hydra to self-right for the first time in its career. Whiplash lifts the front of Hydra. However, Hydra landed on Whiplash's disk, which caught the underside of the bot. Hydra misfired once more, and Whiplash was able to lift from the front again, but this time not enough to topple it over. Hydra retaliated, landing a flip on Whiplash which forced them to have to self-right for the first time in the battle. Both bots jostled for an advantage in the middle of the box, before Hydra flipped Whiplash over again, but not with the same power as in previous fights. Whiplash was now pinned against the screws, but used its lifting arm and disk in tandem to attack Hydra from behind. Hydra's flips were temperamental for the remainder of the fight, and parts of its side skirts had come away. Hydra was able to pop Whiplash in the air several times as the battle entered its closing moments. But in the last ten seconds, Jake Ewert exposed Hydra's rear to Whiplash, and the Vasquez family took full advantage, attacking with the disk and tearing a panel from its opponent. Whiplash itself was smoking with just three seconds on the clock, but it went to the judges. They ruled in favor of Whiplash by a split 2-1 decision, and Hydra was eliminated from the tournament.
World Championship VI
Hydra vs. End Game Returning for World Championship VI, Hydra started its campaign with a Main Event against the reigning champion End Game. For this battle, Hydra and End Game both teased extremely long fork additions to the front of their bots, though only End Game followed through with the idea. Hydra launches the defending champions early on. In the opening moments, End Game spun up while Hydra resided in the corner, momentarily becoming stuck in the killsaw slot. As End Game turned, gyroscopic forces lifted the right side and gave Jake Ewert a prime opportunity to flip, and he did, launching End Game high into the air. End Game bounced back onto its wheels as Hydra attempted to flip again, but missed the opportunity and was now on the defensive as the fight turned. Hydra becomes stuck in the corner of the BattleBox. However, Hydra could no longer retract its flipper due to damage to its pump, and the defending champions coerced it into the corner. Ironically, the length of its own forks prevented End Game from delivering a big hit immediately as they were slightly bent from Hydra's initial flip. Both bots returned to the center of the BattleBox as one of End Game's longest forks came away, but Hydra's weapon was still stuck open and they had lost multiple side wedges. End Game shoved the Team Whyachi bot into the corner once more, and it became apparent Hydra was no longer able to move. Hydra was therefore counted out, giving End Game their first win as BattleBots champions. Following the fight, Jake Ewert revealed on Team Whyachi's Facebook account that the reason Hydra stopped moving was because it was using the same speed controllers Fusion used last season, which had a tendency to burst into flames.[1]
Hydra vs. Gruff After a devastating loss to End Game, Hydra's next opponent was Gruff, who was coming off of a victory against rookie Switchback. Hydra circling around Gruff. As the match started, both bots quickly met in the center of the box and tried to best the other's ground clearance. Hydra fired two flipper shots that ultimately missed. Hydra was then finally able to get under Gruff and only slightly pop it on its rear but when Gruff landed, was able to toss Gruff towards the screws and upside-down. Jake Ewert's bot followed this up with two more flips before Gruff was able to get away in an attempt to regroup. However, Hydra quickly pursued its opponent and flipped Gruff upside down again, followed by two more with the last one nearly sending Gruff onto the Upper Deck. Gruff's flamethrower appeared to start malfunctioning as flames were now coming out of the bottom of the robot. Hydra meanwhile was able to once again toss Gruff upside down before getting caught on the killsaw slots, but was able to quickly meet Gruff again and this time flipped Gruff onto the screws in front of judge Jason Bardis. Hydra watches on as a flaming Gruff is counted out. Hydra fired its flipper again but only brushed against the side of Gruff as it continued to be chewed by the screws. Hydra's flipper, which appeared to be much weaker than in previous fights, was still able to land a flurry of flips on Gruff, tossing a few feet in the air each time. As Gruff was trying to regroup, Hydra got underneath Gruff again and flipped it towards the corner near the out of the arena zone. Hydra fired its weapon once more, and threw Gruff out of the arena, right by the entrance for the BattleBox. Gruff was counted out and Hydra won by KO in a much-needed victory, setting its record to 1-1. Jake Ewert later explained in a Facebook post that Hydra's lack of weapon power was down to damage to the larger of their two valves, meaning hydraulic fluid could not flow as effectively as in previous fights.
Hydra vs. Glitch Last up for Hydra in the Fight Night rounds was against newcomer Glitch, who won its first fight by judges' decision against veteran Ghost Raptor. Hydra throws Glitch into the air. Hydra charged at the rookie team's bot from the start, but missed its first flip. Hydra then slid underneath their front and launched its opponent 13ft into the air, landing on its forks. However, although Hydra's weapon was now at full power, it was struggling to drive in the middle of the BattleBox. Glitch fights back. This allowed for the rookie bot to strike the front of Jake Ewert's machine, tipping it upside-down, a feat which had only previously been achieved by Whiplash. Hydra attempted to right itself but landed on its lid, leaving it vulnerable to two further Glitch attacks. The Team Whyachi bot was upright again, but its gearbox had now locked up and a speed controller had blown. Glitch landed one more hit and backed away to allow Hydra to be counted out, confirming one of the biggest upsets in BattleBots history and pushing Hydra to precarious 1-2 record.
Hydra vs. Defender With the announcement of the Top 32 bracket, Hydra faced off against Defender in a play in match to determine the No.31 seed for the tournament. The winner of whom would advance and take on No.2 seed Ribbot. Hydra and Defender face off. Defender immediately drove over the top of Hydra, snapping one of its long yellow forks and landing upside down. Defender righted itself and did the same again, as Hydra misfired before successfully throwing Defender over. Jason Vasquez's bot landed upright but could not get underneath Hydra's low profile design as it was flipped again. Upon driving into the corner of the BattleBox, Hydra slid underneath Defender again and threw it considerably higher, landing on the arm of the pulverizer and detaching one of the arena signs. Hydra sends Defender flying. The next few times Defender was flipped, it landed directly on its grabbing arm before almost being thrown out of the arena by Hydra. The latest attacks appeared to break Defender's arm upon landing, and one final throw onto the Upper Deck beached it upside down. "And that's why The Shelf sucks, because I can't play with my toy anymore." — Jake Ewert criticizes the Upper Deck as Defender is counted out Defender was counted out, and Hydra sealed its place in the World Championship bracket.
Hydra vs. Ribbot Hydra faced Ribbot who, for this fight, used its undercutting horizontal spinner. This was a weapon type Hydra had rarely encountered since its debut, so Jake Ewert opted to weld Hydra's wedgelets together to form a solid wedge. Sparks fly as Ribbot's undercutter grinds down Hydra. Hydra was able to get its flipping arm under the front of Ribbot, however, 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. Hydra watches on as Ribbot is counted out. 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. Hydra's welded forks. Following this fight, the Ribbot team's frustration became a source of controversy as they believed they were able to show translational movement. 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. Hydra had also welded its wedgelets together upon hearing Ribbot had opted for its undercutter, having already locked into using their forks. Due to a loosely enforced rule regarding configurations only having to appear the same as what had been blindly submitted prior to knowing Ribbot's configuration, this loophole also went unpunished.
Hydra vs. Black Dragon Now in the Top 16 despite a shaky start to the season, Hydra took on Team Uai!rror and Black Dragon. Hydra ditched the forks for this fight, instead opting for its sharpened wedgelets. Black Dragon throws itself at Hydra. Immediately, Black Dragon spun up and tested Hydra's ground clearance, but rode up it and was thrown into the air, bouncing back upright. Black Dragon fought back and pushed Hydra towards the arena barrier, but was again flipped away. Hydra tentatively approached the center of the BattleBox as Black Dragon got to their left side, but could not make contact with their spinning weapon. Hydra misfired before Black Dragon again rode up the front of Jake Ewert's bot and was thrown high into the air. Unbeknownst to Team Uai!rrior, Hydra was suffering from drive issues in the middle of the floor, but Black Dragon continued to attack Hydra. Black Dragon becomes stuck on the BattleBox. Landing upside-down, Black Dragon was now able to make contact with their weapon, but was spinning downwards, propelling itself off its opponent every time the Brazilian team drove at Hydra. As a result, Hydra barely had to reposition as Black Dragon kept throwing itself at its opponent. Especially as Black Dragon was now right side up, this more often than not resulted in it being thrown in the air by Hydra rather than making meaningful contact with their own weapon. Black Dragon landed against the housing for the screws at one stage, but managed to shake itself free. Team Uai!rrior refused to leave Hydra alone, but the Team Whyachi bot countered every attack as Black Dragon caught fire with seconds to go, and their weapon was no longer spinning. The fight went the distance, and Hydra were given the nod to move into the top eight.
Hydra vs. Blip Now in the quarter-finals for the second consecutive season, Hydra's next opponent was a new bot from a familiar face, Aren Hill's undefeated flywheel flipper Blip. Blip takes on Hydra. Hydra throws Blip early on. As the fight began, both robots approached the center of the BattleBox as their ground games were tested. Blip found itself manoeuvred into Hydra's starting square and Jake Ewert's bot was able to breach the front of its opponent, throwing it against the wall. Blip struggles to self-right. Blip is counted out. Blip landed upside-down but as it tried to flip back, Hydra tossed it again and it landed in the short corner. Blip tried several times to throw itself back onto its wheels, but despite twisting through the air each time, kept landing on its lid. Hydra watched on before trying to flip, but misfired and only scratched the surface of Blip. Aren Hill's bot was able to escape the onslaught from Hydra as it threw itself onto the Upper Deck. Blip's broken left-side wheel. However, its right side became caught on the housing for the screws of the arena hazard. Blip was able to partially free itself, but in doing so, found itself with its right wheel high-centered. Its piano key wedgelets were also now stuck on the housing of the screws and its left rear wheel was buckled from an earlier Hydra attack, meaning Blip was unable to escape the Upper Deck and was counted out. Despite its 1-2 Fight Night record and low seeding, Hydra advanced to the semi-finals.
Hydra vs. Tantrum Having eliminated Aren Hill's Blip from the competition, Hydra had to face the robot he took to this stage in the 2020 season - Tantrum. Hydra faces Tantrum. As the fight began, Tantrum immediately got its left-side fork lodged in the killsaw slot and Hydra took advantage, getting a small flip in early. Tantrum slips its forks underneath Hydra. Tantrum self-righted and teased Hydra into misfiring, opting to circle its opponent who misfired for a second time. Dillon Carey drove Tantrum up the top of Hydra as it looked for an opening, and Hydra missed with its flipper once again. Tantrum then drove directly into the front of Hydra, getting underneath with one fork but not the other. As Hydra flipped, both robots were locked in an embrace momentarily before landing upright. One of Hydra's many flips on Tantrum. Tantrum danced around Hydra again but Jake Ewert managed to throw Tantrum through the air several times. Tantrum was unharmed, however, and continued to remain aggressive, getting around to the side of Hydra and landing a blow against its skirts, ripping several off in the process. Hydra chucked Tantrum over again in retaliation, who righted and baited Hydra into another missed flip. This exact exchange repeated before Tantrum pushed Hydra back and pinned it in the corner of the BattleBox, thrusting its drum mechanism forwards and grating the front of its opponent. Tantrum pins Hydra against the wall in the closing moments. Following another flip, Hydra's arm appeared to be stuck open and Tantrum drove up their wedge, punching against the underside of Hydra's arm. Jake Ewert improvised and clamped down on Tantrum before throwing it over again. However, its arm appeared reluctant to retract properly and Tantrum took advantage, tearing a piece away before snapping the tip of the flipper. It rode up the front of Hydra again in the closing moments as Hydra twice missed, but then dealt the final attack of the match as it launched Tantrum, who bounced into the screws on landing. Judges' scorecards for the fight. The fight went to the judges, who awarded the fight in favor of Tantrum on a split decision. This controversial decision meant Hydra bowed out of the 2021 season at the semi-final stage.
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)
Hydra vs. MadCatter Hydra pre-fight. Hydra was one of eight robots selected to compete in the second re:MARS all:STARS Challenge in June 23, 2022. In the first round of the bracket, it faced MadCatter and sported additional armor to its front as well as hinged wedges on its sides. Pre-fight, 82% of the live audience predicted Hydra to win this Round 1 battle. Hydra finds itself in early trouble. In the opening seconds, Hydra found itself in trouble as Gassy Cat was able to get underneath and prop Hydra up for a shot from the main robot's vertical spinner. This made Madcatter the chance to attack with full successful shots. However, Hydra escaped with damage to its segmented side skirts. MadCatter pinned Hydra back against the drivers' booths and a piece of shrapnel was sent into the ceiling, shattering a light as shards of glass rained upon both robots. Hydra flips MadCatter, but loses the tip to its weapon. Hydra then flipped into MadCatter's disk, overturning its opponent but not without tearing away the tip of its arm. The flipper retracted and Jake Ewert's bot gave chase, but was now unable to flip as effectively. MadCatter's left-side wedge had also come loose from these exchanges, hanging off. Pete Abrahamson: "It's got no tongue left on it." Chris Rose: "Oh no... so, does that mean he won't be able to flip at all?" Pete Abrahamson: "No, the arm still works but he just doesn't have the ability to actually get deep underneath the other robot." — Pete and Chris discuss Hydra losing the tip of its flipper Hydra lands a crucial flip. MadCatter's blade now stopped working as it was "stuck in its weapon" and Hydra shoved it back towards the blue starting square, turning it around before holding it against the screws. Madcatter remained stuck there with no ways to escape. Sliding itself underneath Martin Mason's machine, Hydra was able to gain enough leverage to throw MadCatter onto the screws, where it landed inverted. Hydra plays with Gassy Cat as MadCatter is counted out. Turning its attention to Gassy Cat momentarily, Hydra left MadCatter, which was slotted in behind the screws in such a way that they could not release Hydra's opponent. A count started and Hydra took the win by knockout. Jake Ewert: "Yeah, I'm definitely the best flipper." Chris Rose: "Is there any question about it?" Jake Ewert: "No, we'll find out in the finals tonight again." — Jake Ewert teases a potential rematch against Blip to Chris Rose post-fight
Hydra vs. Cobalt In the semi-finals, Hydra took on one of the most feared bots from the 2021 season, Cobalt, now owned by John Mladenik of Gigabyte fame. Hydra begins on the offensive. Hydra was quickest out of its starting square, racing towards its opponent but showing restraint as Cobalt almost got underneath from its right side, but did not land a shot. It then turned away, spinning to face Hydra again. However, Hydra's opponent was impeded by the floor and the Team Whyachi machine approached, mistiming a flip but remaining in an advantageous position. Hydra throws Cobalt out of the arena. Just fourteen seconds into the battle, Hydra then slid underneath the spatula wedges of Cobalt and fired again, throwing it backwards. Its disk hit the arena floor and then the rail, propelling Cobalt out of the arena and damaging the side wall in the process. Will Bales: "OHHH and out the arena! That is a knockout, Chris!" Chris Rose: "That... is a rarity in this sport. Hydra, take a bow!" — Will and Chris react to the quick ring-out Hydra took the win with less than thirty seconds gone and advanced to the final.
Hydra vs. HyperShock Now in the re:MARS all:STARS final, nearly to the Nut, Hydra faced HyperShock for the third time since 2019, having won their previous two encounters. Hydra flips HyperShock, but is then struck by its opponent. As the finalists met in the middle of the BattleBox, Hydra was caught on the steel floor and was suddenly halted as HyperShock flew past to its left. Hydra turned to face its opponent, bumping into its left-rear tire before HyperShock found itself penned against the rails. Hydra stood its ground as Alex Bales drove up its front, allowing Jake Ewert to launch HyperShock into the air. While HyperShock landed upright, however, the same was not true of Hydra, which had tipped over from the force of its own attack. As the Team Whyachi bot twisted violently through the air, HyperShock driver Alex Bales sensed an opportunity and surged forward before it had a chance to land. Will Bales cheered his wife on as she dealt an immediate follow-up to Hydra's front, ripping part of its bodywork away in addition to the wedgelets lost from the first attack. Though the gyroscopic forces from its weapon flipped HyperShock over as it turned sharply, Hydra was partially stuck on the arena wall so could not capitalize on this driving error. The former semi-finalist used its hydraulic flipper to escape and set about launching a counterattack, but struggled to gain purchase on a HyperShock machine which was struggling to drive accurately due to the absence of its second horn, yet was agile in its attempts to self-right. Hydra flips HyperShock into the screws. The fight moved to the red starting square, where Hydra was finally able to land its second flip of the final. However, this inadvertently righted its opponent as it fled to spin up its drisk once again. Hydra sends HyperShock bouncing across the arena. Hydra took another frontal attack courtesy of HyperShock, costing the Ewert family's bot several of its purple piano key style wedges to the left of its flipping arm. The visual damage began to mount up, but Hydra was still able to throw HyperShock across the arena following Alex Bales' latest attack, again landing inverted. HyperShock maneuvered around the arena before gyroing against the left flank of Hydra and returning to its wheels. HyperShock landed on top of Hydra in doing so, which delivered an uppercut to the former Sin City Slugfest winner and sent it rolling along the floor, once more landing upside-down. These most recent hits appeared to have fatally damaged Hydra as it twitched in place between the lower-left killsaw slots, leaking hydraulic fluid. Hydra flipped several times in an attempt to free itself from the saw slots, but only succeeded in loosening one of its flipper panels as HyperShock tried desperately to self-right in the background. Chris Rose: "In the meantime, what has happened to Hydra, Pete?" Pete Abrahamson: "Not sure. I think he's, uh- probably lost power to all of his speed controllers for his motors. I see smoke... I see lots of smoke..." — 'The Bot Whisperer' speculates the reason for Hydra's sudden lack of mobility Hydra is counted out. Hydra suddenly jolted backwards just past the halfway mark, nullifying any questions of immobility in the eyes of the referees as per the new mobility rules in play from this event onward. Following uncertainty on whether to engage, Team HyperShock were asked to attempt to free Hydra if possible for the benefit of the event, but this proved futile. It arced in place again, but Hydra returned to twitching in place, which was not enough to satisfy David Sanfilippo as a count commenced. HyperShock finally self-righted with three counts to spare, and a knockout against Hydra was confirmed. As such, Team Whyachi and Hydra finished runners-up as Jake Ewert held back to applaud his opponents.
World Championship VII
Hydra vs. ROTATOR Hydra's first Fight Night opponent of World Championship VII was a Main Event against former quarter-finalist ROTATOR. ROTATOR finds itself on the rails. Immediately darting from the blue square, it caught a floor seam on its way to colliding with and trying to get around the side of its slower-starting opponent. Hydra gave chase as ROTATOR's spinner got up to full speed, ramming and flicking it onto one side. Moments later, it turned around and threw Victor Soto's machine over into its undercutter position. Hydra re-righted ROTATOR upon tossing it a second time into the spiked bumper. However, ROTATOR broke free, responding by pushing Hydra back twice within the bottom-left pocket. Hydra, nevertheless, sped out and turned by the blue square, catapulting ROTATOR away as soon as it drove up its own front end. Unrelenting, Jake Ewert's machine twice threw ROTATOR at great height against the outer Lexan enclosure. Both bots duel in the short corner. Two more flips from Hydra followed; the second resulting in ROTATOR hitting one of the BattleBox lights before slamming back onto the floor near the Upper Deck. Though Hydra was briefly pushed back by ROTATOR once again, the flips were enough to severely damage one of the latter's tires. Hydra backed out of the corner and got around the side of ROTATOR, forcing it upwards alongside the bumper upon deflecting its spinner. Capitalizing on this, it threw ROTATOR once again onto a nearby paddle, but not without taking a hit from the descending pulverizer. "Jake Ewert never broke a sweat. He looks like a man on a mission!" — Kenny Florian, as Jake Ewert and Hydra wait for the count-out Hydra leaves ROTATOR on the wall. Regardless, this attack left ROTATOR beached on the paddle, while Jake Ewert positioned Hydra close by to see the full count-out through. Hydra would thus pick up its first Fight Night knockout of the season, having thrown ROTATOR a total of eleven times and as high as 14ft at one point. "Hydra Airlines is open for business, folks, and tonight, business was… goooood!" — Chris Rose, over replays of Hydra's colossal flips
Hydra vs. Tantrum Hydra in the red square. Hydra's second fight was a Main Event rematch against defending champion, Tantrum. Looking to avenge its highly controversial semi-finals loss in the previous season, Hydra was equipped with wider wedgelets, each with two smaller plastic wedgelets spring-mounted on it—something it had tested at re:MARS prior, designed to improve its mobility while still giving it solid ground game. "Let the bot rematch begin!" — Chris Rose as both robots exit their starting squares Hydra misses an early flip. Hydra and Tantrum go head-to-head. Hydra tried to gain the early advantage, but Tantrum got underneath it and delivered several shots to the underside of the flipper. Tantrum then pushed Hydra towards the rails and continued its attack before letting it free. Hydra then flipped Tantrum over but it quickly self righted. Hydra is pinned against the wall as Tantrum punches its front. Tantrum proceeded to deliver shots to the back and sides of Hydra; These shots peeled up Hydra's baseplate which led to it being high-centered and unable to move. "That was a well-placed shot to the underbelly by Tantrum in that last exchange... and Hydra is not moving!" — Kenny Florian as Hydra becomes immobile Tantrum leaves Hydra to be counted out. A count began soon after, confirming Hydra's second loss to Alex Grant and Ginger Schmidt's bot in as many seasons. Post-fight, a magnanimous Jake Ewert conceded that Tantrum deserved its first and second wins.
Hydra vs. Free Shipping Desperate to maintain a positive record, Hydra's third Fight Night battle was another rematch, this time against Free Shipping. "Free Shipping and Gary Gin are known for their ground game. So it's going to be a driving battle, and his new little spinner underneath... is... small, but it resembles Tantrum. And Tantrum just got to my bottom side, so... we just have to win the ground war and then, you know, just keep on... pushing at 'em, and not letting 'em get at us." — Jake Ewert reveals his thoughts and tactics against Free Shipping Hydra immediately gets underneath Free Shipping. Both competitors approached each other tentatively, until Free Shipping attempted to ram Hydra head-on. Hydra took this chance to throw Free Shipping into the bottom-right corner, just as Gary Gin's machine activated its flamethrower. This momentarily left Free Shipping upside-down and on the spiked bumper, with Hydra tossing it a second time onto the killsaw slots. Jake Ewert's machine was not without issues, however; its forks and flipper lip kept catching the slots and floor seams while trying to track Free Shipping's movements. "We said the ground game was the key for both of these teams. So far, Hydra is the lower bot!" — Kenny Florian, moments after Hydra lands its first two flips Free Shipping approaches Hydra early on. Hydra turned to face Free Shipping as the latter again came in for another ram. It proceeded to hurl Free Shipping three more times across the inner lower perimeter; through this sequence, Hydra took a grazing hit from its opponent's drum and lost the first of its side skirt plates during the second flip. Another head-to-head collision ensued, with Hydra again pivoting and shuffling around near the center as Free Shipping unsuccessfully tried to ram it. Once Free Shipping slammed into the wall beneath the competitors' control booth, Hydra closed in. Contact with Free Shipping's drum caused another of its side skirts to fly off. Chris Rose: "Oh man, "How much can Gary Gin take?" is the question." Kenny Florian: "Oh, he's rocked!" Chris Rose: "We know it won't stop 'im from driving like a mad man. In fact, it may even make him crazier!" — As Free Shipping attempts to retaliate with a few rams Hydra launches Free Shipping high into the air. Hydra weaved over the killsaw slots, as Free Shipping charged in and once again rode up its front end. A large piece of metal was deposited as Hydra raised its flipper, though this had no detrimental effect on either robot. Free Shipping proceeded to circle across the lower perimeter, before repeating its earlier attempts to drive up and ram Hydra. In doing so, it bumped into one of the Upper Deck screw mounts, then Hydra once again as the two competitors met in the center for the second time. Following this stand-off, Hydra flipped Free Shipping over as soon as the latter made another head-on lunge. Free Shipping retreated to make another similar charge, only for Hydra to toss it at greater height into the blue square. Chris Rose: "Oh right! There it is!" Kenny Florian: "Big one!" Chris Rose: "I didn't think that Free Shipping could get any flatter…" — After Hydra catapults Free Shipping towards the ceiling Free Shipping loses a wedge. Hydra turned and tracked Free Shipping's movements as the latter attempted to recover from the top-right corner. Another head-to-head collision allowed Team Whyachi's machine to catapult Free Shipping back into the corner with a similar force and height. Free Shipping's front-left wedge broke off upon landing, with Hydra proceeding to throw it over the entire width of the Upper Deck. These flips, again, had no impact on the drivetrain of Gary Gin's machine, which Hydra again monitored from the center as it darted to the bottom-right corner. Hydra continued to pursue the damaged Free Shipping, before tossing it into the air for the tenth time. An eleventh flip followed as the battle entered the final minute, with Free Shipping inverted once more. In the tentative movements that followed, Hydra drove front-first into the now-active killsaws, but sustained no major damage. Hydra proceeded to throw Free Shipping into the air and onto the killsaws with two quick successive attacks. Both competitors circled around simultaneously. Hydra slipped underneath Free Shipping's remaining wedge, and proceeded to catapult the entire robot three more times, removing another strip of metal from it in the process. It promptly tossed Free Shipping onto the red square screws with another flip - the fourth in this sequence – and again once the screw reversed direction to free its opponent. "Somebody throw in the towel! Jake Ewert... have you no mercy, sir?" — Kenny Florian, shortly after Hydra tosses an immobile Free Shipping away from the screws Free Shipping at the end of the fight. Through this fifth flip, Free Shipping became completely incapacitated. Unrelenting, Hydra tossed it again into the outer Lexan enclosure, before pushing and briefly clamping it in the top-left corner. As the count-out began for its opponent, Hydra landed two more flips, buckling and ripping another piece of sheet metal from Free Shipping moments before the end buzzer sounded. Though Free Shipping had become immobilized, both robots had survived to a judges' decision. It was revealed following post-match replays that Hydra had flipped Free Shipping a total of twenty times, achieving a maximum recorded height of 15.3ft, almost certainly the highest in BattleBots history. "Well, Kenny, Gary Gin came out spittin' flames, but Hydra was in the mood for inflicting pain!" — Chris Rose, over a replay of Hydra's first flip The judges unanimously ruled in favor of Hydra, bumping its Fight Night record up to 2-1.
Hydra vs. SawBlaze Hydra's fourth and final Fight Night opponent was a Main Event against SawBlaze, both of whom made it to the semi-finals in the previous season. In order to provide additional protection to its tanks and other vital components, Team Whyachi added a layer of 3/16" thick AR500 steel to the top. Hydra wins the war for low ground. Both robots drove out of their squares intending to meet in the center, but SawBlaze immediately became caught on the floor. Keen to test the front of Hydra, Jamison Go drove towards the flipper but rode up it, allowing Jake Ewert to toss SawBlaze upward. Hydra landed a follow-up flip, but the retracted arm of the 3-0 bot prevented it from tipping over. "Great start for Jake Ewert. Hydra looks like the lower bot here, and that is bad news for Jamison Go. Hydra just kinda waiting for SawBlaze now..." — Kenny Florian as Jamison Go looks for a plan B Hydra launches SawBlaze. Hydra then got underneath again, this time able to upend its opponent and force SawBlaze to self-right. Looking to reset, SawBlaze threatened with its flamethrower, but Hydra was undeterred and kept its front pointed towards the former semi-finalist. The Team Whyachi robot bided its time before sliding under and throwing SawBlaze through the air - its outermost fork taking the brunt of the fall. Upon landing, Hydra launched Jamison Go's robot again, but it landed upright on this occasion. SawBlaze leads with its disk. SawBlaze opted to attack with its blade, backing into Hydra in a desperate attempt to tally up some damage points. At this stage in the fight, its central fork was no longer flush to the floor so SawBlaze drove disk-first into Hydra. This prompted the hydraulic flipper to throw SawBlaze three more times. The outer fork was momentarily able to get in underneath Hydra, but SawBlaze could not get its opponent in a position to slam its hammer saw down. It instead managed to pin Hydra against the wall near the pulverizer, but Jake Ewert retaliated by launching the black and green robot in front of the drivers' booths. SawBlaze strikes the wedges of Hydra. In a rare moment of SawBlaze dominance, it was then able to position Hydra in the path of the hammer saw, landing its first meaningful attack of the fight. However, Hydra immediately countered by throwing SawBlaze once again, before mistiming a flip and then landing yet another. SawBlaze remained determined, getting under the front of Hydra again and dropping the hammer saw directly onto Hydra's front wedges. But this attempt to turn the tide was short-lived as Hydra flipped its opponent twice more before SawBlaze's disk ground to a halt. With thirty seconds to go, Dick Stuplich of Team Whyachi instructed Jake Ewert to prepare for SawBlaze righting itself, but Jamison Go's robot appeared immobile. Kenny Florian: "WOAH! Jake wants to keep going!" Chris Rose: "Jake Ewert can't resist landing one last flip... even if it means taking this match to a decision. What's he doing?!?" — Chris and Kenny react as Hydra forces a judges' decision The Main Event goes the distance. A count began on SawBlaze as Hydra looked to take the win by knockout. With just two seconds left, however, Hydra inched forward and launched SawBlaze again, forgoing the knockout to attack several more times. Hydra flipped twice more as the clock hit zero, technically allowing the fight to go the distance. In spite of this, all three judges voted in favor of Hydra, pushing it to a 3-1 record to round out of its Fight Night schedule.
Hydra vs. DeathRoll Hydra once again made the Top 32, this time as the No.4 overall seed. In the Round of 32, it fought the No.29 seed DeathRoll. Both robots were former semi-finalists in World Championships IV and VI respectively. Hydra's record-breaking flip, which brushed the rafters of the BattleBox. As the battle began, DeathRoll attempted an early attack on the front of Hydra, but Jake Ewert's bot won the first engagement, flipping DeathRoll into the air and making contact with the ceiling of the BattleBox before landing on its wheels. DeathRoll then backed away while Jake Ewert lined the flipper up for another attack. The Australian bot turned away, however, and spent the following ten seconds trying to find an angle of attack while Hydra tracked its movements. Hydra ultimately scored another flip on DeathRoll, however, throwing it near the corner of the BattleBox. "Are these two of the biggest flips we've ever seen?" — Kenny Florian after seeing DeathRoll get launched into the air for a second time Soon enough, Hydra got a third flip on its opponent, sending it into the Lexan before landing blade-first into the arena wall. A fourth flip threw DeathRoll close to the blue square, as it finally landed upright and could drive away to the red starting square. DeathRoll bounces around as its weapon makes contact with Hydra's frame. Another attempt by DeathRoll to line up an attack resulted in yet another flip, courtesy of Hydra. This time, the No.29 seed landed near Team Whyachi pulverizer, as it then reset and tried to hit with its vertical spinner. An unrelenting Hydra launched DeathRoll into the air yet again and sent it back to the red square. In a small turn of fortune, a misplaced flip on the out-of-control DeathRoll faced Hydra away from its opponent, and in turn, was hit by DeathRoll's vertical spinner and lost the guards to one of its drive chains. Hydra then responded with yet another flip on DeathRoll as the two reset to face each other again. However by this point, one of the chains for Hydra's drive had been partially dislodged from its now-bent sprocket. Hydra and DeathRoll become stuck. Jake Ewert attempted to keep his robot facing DeathRoll, which in turn tried to find an opening around its vulnerable sides. Eventually, DeathRoll landed a hit with the vertical spinner on the side of Hydra, resulting in the blade becoming stuck in the thin titanium armor of Hydra. With half the fight remaining, both robots became stuck and were unable to move. The fight was then stopped as Trey Roski looked to unstick the robots. "I'm no doctor, but these two are stuck!" — Chris Rose Hydra and DeathRoll struggle to attack one another. Both robots were eventually freed and the fight was resumed. However, Hydra and DeathRoll appeared to have lost drive on one side, resulting in both robots crab-walking. Eventually, Hydra managed to align itself under DeathRoll and launched it into the air once again. DeathRoll self-righted and managed to maneuver away from danger, but its weapon was no longer spinning. DeathRoll's drive appeared significantly less affected, however, as Jake Ewert instructs the opposition driver Miles Blow to "come to him". Obliging, DeathRoll made its way towards Hydra before the No.4 seed launched DeathRoll close to the BattleBox roof yet again. Hydra lands the final attack of the match. Despite the abuse against DeathRoll, its drivetrain was mostly unaffected as it tried to find an angle on Hydra again, but with minimal success. In spite of its compromised drive, Hydra still managed to throw DeathRoll several more times as the battle came to a close. The fight went to the judges and Hydra won by a unanimous decision, putting it through to the Top 16.
Hydra vs. Whiplash Next up for Hydra was a rematch against the robot which ended its Giant Nut hopes in World Championship V, the No.20 seeded Whiplash. "We're gonna go with our SawBlaze config, where we go with the piano key wedgelets. I'm gonna have to try to sideswipe them and get to them before he can come around my side. I'm hoping to break that arm so he can't self-right anymore." — Jake Ewert pre-fight Both robots enter an early stalemate. Both robots were tentative as they exited their starting squares, with Hydra's front wedges becoming stuck on the floor seams. Whiplash twice baited Hydra into misfiring its flipper, but drove directly up its front the third time and was thrown into the air as a result. Hydra lands a successful flip. Whiplash landed hard on its right side, falling back onto its wheels as Hydra got in a follow-up flip. The Vasquez family's robot momentarily got its lifter underneath the front of Hydra, but could not capitalize as the No.4 seed reversed free. Hydra missed another flip but landed its next, kicking Whiplash back as it landed inverted, forcing the 2020 runner-up to self-right against the rails. Whiplash tears off part of its own lifter as Hydra struggles for mobility. From this moment, Whiplash took a more offensive approach as it hooked its left-most fork under the corner of Hydra, driving it back. This burst of aggression appeared to have affected Hydra, however, as it was now struggling to drive straight. Hydra ends Whiplash's season. Jake Ewert was able to position Hydra for a flip as the Vasquez brothers willingly led with the back of Whiplash, swinging the arm over to behave like a hammer saw. Whiplash struck the front of its opponent, but the hydraulic flipper got underneath and threw the No.20 seed over. Kenny Florian: "OHH! He's trying to attack from behind; he said he'd try this technique... Oh no!" Chris Rose: "Hydra with the quick counterstrike and Whiplash is on its head!" Kenny Florian: "This could be it!" — Chris and Kenny as Whiplash is immobilized Hydra watches on as Whiplash is counted out. With just over a minute gone, Whiplash appeared unable to self-right and a count began, ending their season as Hydra advanced.
Hydra vs. Ribbot Now in the quarter-finals, Hydra had another rematch against the No.28 seed Ribbot. Ribbot and Hydra state each other down. 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. Hydra misses its first flip. 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. "Both drivers jockeying for low ground, but nobody's been able to get the clear edge. Another miss by Jake, but Ribbot slow to attack... and another one! And again, Ribbot cannot take advantage." — Chris Rose Hydra lands a small flip on Ribbot. David Jin was able to bait Hydra into misfiring its flipper three more times as the No.28 seed kept its spinner active - a constant threat as Hydra backed away from danger once more. At the fifth attempt, Hydra's flipper tip slid underneath and the Team Whyachi bot landed a flip with its weapon, tipping Ribbot onto its rear wheels before it landed upright. Ribbot powered forward, delivering a glancing shot to the front of its opponent before Hydra mistimed another flip. Pushing back now, Hydra spun both robots ninety degrees but briefly showed Ribbot its side, quickly reversing to correct itself. Ribbot's final flurry of hits. 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, Ribbot drove to its back and then its sides, attacking with its spinning weapon as its opponent ground was no longer moving. "There's not much Jake Ewert can do. Just sit there, and there comes the count-out!" — Chris Rose as a count begins on Hydra Hydra was counted out with under a minute to go, ending Team Whyachi's season at the quarter-final stage. Despite its exit, Hydra finished as the only robot to defeat the eventual season champion, SawBlaze, during the competition.
Hydra vs. Rusty (Exhibition) Hydra also fought in a single exhibition match in what was known as the second edition of Vengeance in Vegas. There, it fought Rusty following a two-week struggle for Team Iron Force to get their robot running. Rusty was equipped with a blue chainsaw and sword for this fight. Hydra flips Rusty early on, dislodging its chainsaw. To start off the match, Hydra performed a slow box-rush while Rusty was trying to move out of its starting square. Hydra cornered Rusty and landed a flip, causing the former Rookie of the Year's chainsaw to fly off and for the robot to land on its side. Looking for a longer fight, Hydra flipped Rusty again but Rusty was stuck on its side again. This time, Hydra missed its flip but managed to help right Rusty before launching it for a fourth time. Rusty recovered but was immediately chased by Hydra until it was cornered at the red starting square. Hydra launches Rusty in the corner of the arena. Hydra slid underneath Rusty and launched the fan favorite over a meter and a half through the air, causing it to land in one of the short corners beside the Upper Deck. Rusty was flipped several more times in the pocket of the arena - the biggest of which measured 2.1 metres in height. Hydra throws Rusty into the camera. At the two minute mark, Hydra launched vertically, striking one of the BattleBox cameras and hitting the pulverizer on its way back down and landing upright. Hydra's final flip on Rusty. Hydra continued its assault, scooping Dave Eaton's robot up and driving it across the BattleBox before launching Rusty at the drivers' booths. Rusty landed upside-down and was now immobilized. A count began on Rusty, and Hydra was victorious by knockout.
BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon
Hydra vs. OverKill (Exhibition) Hydra sends OverKill flying during a BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon event. Hydra launches OverKill. In a February 2023 BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon show, special guest Hydra fought the newly-built ShowBot version of OverKill in an exhibition battle. Little is known about the fight as it was not shown to Facebook Supporters or televised, though Hydra won by knockout after flipping OverKill out of the arena.
Hydra vs. OverKill (Exhibition) Hydra fought OverKill for a second time, with both robots surviving the full three minutes. Hydra was successful with most of its launches. OverKill's driver tried to attack Hydra with the sword, but missed every single attack. Hydra continued most of the impression by flipping OverKill and making it land on the ground. Hydra was able to side it's opponent, but freed it from the awkward position. Neither bots did a last impression until the last second when it flipped OverKill and making it land on the screws. This went to a crowd vote,where Hydra took the win.

Results

Competitive Wins/Losses

• Wins: 21
• Losses: 8

Exhibition Wins/Losses

• Wins: 4
• Losses: 0

Total Wins/Losses

• Wins: 25
• Losses: 8

Competition	Wins	Losses
World Championship IV	Free Shipping (Undercard Match) WAR Hawk (Undercard Match) Petunia (Undercard Match) Bronco (Main Event) HyperShock (Exhibition Match)	Minotaur
World Championship V	Witch Doctor (Main Event) HUGE (Undercard Match) Uppercut (Undercard Match) HyperShock Gigabyte	Whiplash
World Championship VI	Gruff (Undercard Match) Defender (Play in Match) Ribbot Black Dragon Blip	End Game (Main Event) Glitch (Undercard Match) Tantrum
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)	MadCatter Cobalt	HyperShock
World Championship VII	ROTATOR (Main Event) Free Shipping (Undercard Match) SawBlaze (Main Event) DeathRoll Whiplash Rusty (Exhibition Match)	Tantrum (Main Event) Ribbot
BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon	OverKill OverKill	None

Faruq Tauheed Introductions

"From the cheese state of Wisconsin, in this fight, it's the big old cracker and you're just de-brie. Give it up for HYDRA!"

"This bot is a wizard with its flippers. It's going to put you on tilt and rock the way you're built. Bounce you off the bumpers and off the walls. When it's over, it's over. In the BattleBox, there are no free balls. It's HYDRA!"

"This bot is going to Die Hard. It's about inflict some John McPain. You're gonna need some Nakatomi plasma. Welcome to the BattleBox pal! It's HYDRA!"

"This Wisconsin flipper would make a great cow tipper. It'll udderly defeat you if you make one wrong moooooove. It's HYDRA!"

"It may be the three seed, but it's the baddest flipper in town. Say buh-bye-dra, it's HYDRA!"

"This bot is flipping fantastic. It's a member of Team Whyachi that'll make you fly-achi. Reach for the sky-dra, it's HYDRA!

"He's launched bots all over, from London to Boston. Get too close, and he'll stun you like Stone Cold Steven Austin, and that's the bottom line, 'cause Hydra said so. It's HYDRA!"

"This bot comes from Wisconsin, the land of cheese and dairy. If you're lactose intolerant, this might be kind of scary. It'll turn you into Swiss, 'cause its flipper doesn't miss. Make you crumble like ricotta, it's one big bot-ta. It's HYDRA!"

"The number one seed, he beat every bot on the schedule. And had opponents bouncing off the walls, like they just pounded some Red Bull. His launch is so good, you might start in the BattleBox. But take one hit, and end up in the parking lot. It's HYDRA!"

“Last year, he had a Buzz. He wondered Woody hit the ceiling? He goes Hamm and he Rex bots if that's how he's feeling. Those were Toy Story references, in case you didn't get their barn. And now this bot will launch you into infinity and beyond. It's HYDRA!”

"Hey everyone, it's your captain Faruq here wanting to thank you guys for flying Hydra Airlines. We're gonna get launched here in a second and then we'll be cruising at about 35000 feet. It's going to be a bumpy ride so buckle up. Flight attendants will be around to take your orders for your last meal. And in the very likely event of a crash landing, sit back, relax and enjoy your demise. You're now free to move about your coffin. Thanks again for flying the deadly skies with HYDRA!"

"From Dorchester, Wisconsin, he might be named after a character from ancient folklore but when he takes aim at you, he doesn't myth. It's HYDRA!"

"Straight outta Wisconsin, the home of the Cheeseheads, when this bot sees a fight, he just thinks, 'Yeah, he's dead.' He flips a bot farther than an Aaron Rodgers throw. Tells his enemies, 'Packer your bags 'cause you're going home.' Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome HYDRA!"

"This flipper is a killer. It ain't no friendly TV dolphin. It's the deadly kind flipper that will put you in a coffin. He'll flip you in the morning. He'll flip you late at night. He'll flip you til you're nearly dead then turn out the lights. It's HYDRA!"

"This bot is made from 100% real Wisconsin Bad Boy. It's part cheese curd on a motorcycle, part bratwurst punching soy. Your chances of living are skim to none when this bot eats you whole. It's the scary dairyland monster, gee, golly don't you know? It's Hydra!"

"Earlier, he flipped Blip so hard, his little heart shut down. Now he'll send Blip's bro to a family reunion six feet underground. Started 31st, now he's the dirty worst. Jake Ewert's got no chill. He just won't stop until he kills both of Aren's bots and then he's the king of the hill. It's HYDRA!"

"Remember that old video game, NBA Jam, where you could jump from half court and still put down a slam? I always thought that was merely an optical illusion until I saw this bot launch people that high. Now it's a logical conclusion. Boom Shaka Laka, he's on fire. It's HYDRA!"

"This team is known as villains, but you wanna know the truth? Earlier today, I accidentally left my keys up on the arena roof. He offered to launch me up there 'cause I didn't have a ladder. But I passed because I've seen all his victims land and splatter. Anyway, my keys are still up there if anyone knows of a fire escape or something. In the meantime, make it loud for HYDRA!"

"This bot is a mythical beast like the monster from Loch Ness. But you don't have to be Mothman to prophesize, he's the best. When you're flipped by this crypted, it'll be legendary. Just watch! Don't give him any sass, or he'll kick you in the crotch. It's HYDRA!"

"Wisconsin is the birthplace that this bot and Chris Farley share. You'll be a fat bot in a little grave when he's giving you the scares. Forget Tommy, you'll run to Mommy, boy. When you see what he can deliver, he'll kill you quick like a Beverly Hills Ninja and hide your body in a van down by the river. It's HYDRA!"

"If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with ego inflation you may be entitled to a broken spine and full decapitation. If you think exposure to competition puts you at risk for talking smack call 555-DEMOLITION and he'll put you on your flippin' back. It's HYDRA!"

Trivia

• Hydra was the first modern BattleBots competitor to physically split a robot apart without the use of a spinning weapon, doing so against WAR Hawk.
• In World Championship IV, Hydra's paint changed color from purple to teal depending on the lighting.
• Hydra is the only robot who was given the No.1 seed but did not have a spinning weapon.
• Hydra survived its first eleven fights without being flipped over, a run that ended in the quarter-finals of Hydra's second season by Whiplash.
  • This feat was repeated in Hydra's upset loss to Glitch during the 2021 season.
• Hydra is the only hydraulic flipper in BattleBots history.
• Hydra's No.31 ranking in World Championship VI is the lowest of any previous bot to be granted the No.1 seed. It also became the lowest seed ever to reach the Semi-Finals of any World Championship tournament to date.
• Hydra's upset of No.2 seed Ribbot in World Championship VI is statistically the biggest in the history of the World Championship tournament.
• Despite the team's pedigree and success, Hydra and Son of Whyachi are the only Team Whyachi robots to make it past the Round of 16.
• In December 2021, the exhaust manifold from the 2019 and 2020 iterations of Hydra, as well as the 2019 bot's titanium front plate were auctioned on eBay.
• According to Terry Ewert, the team planned to utilize steam to power their flipping weapon if the hydraulic system could not be developed and implemented.
• Hydra holds two BattleBots records, earning both during World Championship VII. One for the most flips on an opponent (20 against Free Shipping) and another for the highest ever flip (~20ft against DeathRoll).