Hydra

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Hydra
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	Discovery Season 4 Discovery Season 5 Discovery Season 6
Other Events	re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)
Team Information
Team	Team Whyachi
Team Members	Jake Ewert Richard "Dick" Stuplich Rachel Stuplich (Discovery Season 5-Present)
From	Dorchester, WI
Other Entries	Falcon, Fusion, Red Square, Son of Whyachi, Warrior, Warrior Clan, Whyachi, Why Not, Y-Pout, YU812
Associated Robots	New Cruelty, Bad Blood, Goosfraba Steel, Verbal Abuse (Richard Stuplich)
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 season of the BattleBots reboot since Discovery Season 4.

It is a flat, six-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. 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. Along with a new version of Falcon, Hydra was a 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 modern BattleBots. 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.

For Discovery Season 5, 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 a 3-0 record. As such, Hydra made it into the Championship Tournament as the No.1 seed but lost to eventual runner-up Whiplash in the quarter-finals.

Hydra's teased vertical spinner configuration.

Returning for Discovery Season 6, Hydra ditched the cow catcher attachment in response to a rule change concerning corralling in the BattleBox after their controversial win over HUGE. Though the bot looked visually near-identical, 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 the 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 discs 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 Discovery Season 6 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 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 en route to the final, Hydra fell short of competition success at the hands of HyperShock.

Robot History

Discovery Season 4
Hydra vs. Free Shipping Hydra mistimes a flip on Free Shipping. Free Shipping, unable to right itself, is pushed across the floor. Hydra's BattleBots debut came against Gary Gin and 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 their opponent. Luckily, they managed to get under Free Shipping and threw them into the air where they landed upright on the arena 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 KO.
Hydra vs. WAR Hawk Hydra sustains damage to its side. WAR Hawk's drive pod, removed by Hydra. Hydra's next opponent was Rob Farrow and WAR Hawk. As both bots approached the center of the arena, Hydra hit a seam in the floor and was unable to avoid WAR Hawk's first attack. Hydra withstood the punishment by 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, sending more sparks flying. 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 very limited, Hydra threw it in the air again, separating the robot once more and leaving WAR Hawk unable to move in three different pieces. WAR Hawk was counted out, giving Hydra the win by KO.
Hydra vs. Petunia Hydra charges down Petunia from the start of the match. Hydra was next placed against Petunia from The Netherlands. As the match began, Hydra missed with its flipper and was nearly grabbed by Petunia. Hydra then missed again and once again was nearly grabbed by its opponent. Hydra then threw Petunia into the air, but Petunia landed right side up. Hydra got in position and threw Petunia on its head, but Petunia self-righted. Hydra then took Petunia to the arena barrier and tossed it again, nearly getting it out of the arena and damaging one of the battle clock's screens. Hydra got in another flip that sent Petunia over the arena barrier to where its weapon was outside of the barrier and Petunia was trapped against the pulverizer with no way out. Petunia was counted out, giving Hydra the win by KO.
Hydra vs. Bronco Bronco stuck against the arena wall. Hydra was having great success and was now placed against Inertia Labs and Bronco. Things were going very well for Hydra as they were first to throw Bronco into the air but Bronco landed upright. Hydra tossed Bronco again and Bronco landed upright once more. After the third flip, Hydra successfully got Bronco upside down, but Bronco quickly self-righted. 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, giving Hydra the win by KO.
Hydra vs. Minotaur Hydra is unable to escape as Minotaur grinds away at its side. Hydra was now in the Top 16 and placed against Team Riobotz and Minotaur. The match started well for Hydra as they managed to get a decent flip on Minotaur, and tried attempted to flip Minotaur again. Unfortunately, Hydra missed its flip and was quickly attacked by their opponent losing a piece of their flipper. Hydra attempted to manoeuvre around Minotaur, but Minotaur started chipping away with their drum and Hydra ended up taking damage to the sides and losing its side skirts, as well as the rear left hand drive chain. Hydra continued to take damage to the sides until its electronics failed and it was left motionless against the arena barrier. Hydra was counted out, giving Minotaur the win by KO to advance to the quarter-finals.
Hydra vs. HyperShock HyperShock launches itself out of the BattleBox. Hydra also had a final exhibition match against fellow veteran Will Bales and HyperShock. Before the fight, HyperShock couldn't get their self-righting mechanism working, giving an immediate advantage to Jake Ewert and his bot. Hydra started off very well, throwing HyperShock onto its back. Unbeknownst to them, however, HyperShock could hit Hydra and cause damage more easily when inverted. They were unable to capitalize though as HyperShock began smoking, and the fight moved to one of the corners with Hydra right next to the barrier. Jake Ewert and Richard Stuplich are presented with the Founders Award for 2019. Hydra then took an attack from HyperShock but in doing so, launched itself out of the BattleBox. HyperShock was counted out, giving Hydra the win by KO. At the end of the season, Jake Ewert and Hydra was presented with the Founders Award by Greg Munson and Trey Roski.
Discovery Season 5
Hydra vs. Witch Doctor Hydra flips Witch Doctor. Hydra's first fight was a main event against the previous season's runner-up, 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 disc spinner. Hydra then managed to flip Witch Doctor high into the air, which caused one of Witch Doctor's discs 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, causing some confusion and controversy among fans. The time ran out shortly after and Hydra won by a 2-1 split decision.
Hydra vs. HUGE HUGE is corralled by Hydra's attachment. Hydra's second opponent was HUGE. Before the fight, Team Whyachi installed an attachment dubbed the "Hydragate", 28lbs of steel tubing capitalizing a design flaw in HUGE in that its weapon is shorter than its wheels. The attachment was designed to be wide enough catch HUGE by the wheels and push it around the arena while HUGE was unable to flank around it. This idea worked perfectly during the fight as HUGE was unable to deal any major damage to Hydra, only being 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, and soon after Hydra kept HUGE in the corner, where it refused to properly release it. Eventually, Hydra ran out the clock and it won by unanimous decision. 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 corraling and additions to a bot to encourage this were made for Discovery Season 6. According to another competing team, production were informed ahead of the fight that they would not be using their primary weapon in light of the bike rack attachment being added. The team also did not bring the controller for their flipper with them to the BattleBox, further supporting the lack of intention to use their active weapon against HUGE. "Hydra told production "I don't want this fight. I'm going to use this thing. It's going to be boring." and boom it was." — Quote from another BattleBots competitor from the 2020 season.
Hydra vs. Uppercut Hydra propels Uppercut into the air. For Hydra's final match of the 2020 Fight Night season, they were placed against the robot that took down SawBlaze in dramatic fashion, Uppercut. The match started off very well as Hydra quickly tossed Uppercut into the air, then dismantled Uppercut's minibot while waiting for Uppercut to move in again. Unfortunately for them, a piece of the now destroyed minibot was sucked into their back right drive train getting stuck in a drive belt, chewing away at that wheel and causing drive issues. Hydra was ready for a flip and tossed Uppercut once more. After another brief exchange where Uppercut tapped Hydra causing a shower of sparks, they tossed Uppercut onto the screws, which reversed and allowed Uppercut back into the fight. However, Hydra tossed them again before the piece of minibot that was stuck inside of Hydra broke the drive belt that it was stuck in and the wreckage got spat out, meaning that Hydra no longer had drive issues. Hydra recovered and tossed Uppercut once more before time ran out. This last flip, however, saw Hydra's flipper stuck open for the closing seconds. Hydra's hydraulic valves had small metal flakes creeping in overtime and was keeping one of the bot's valves open slightly. Now with both sides of the cylinder being pressurized, the only difference was the surface area with the blind end having more than the rod end, it forced its way fully open rendering Hydra's flipping arm useless. The judges awarded Hydra a unanimous 3-0 decision.
Hydra vs. HyperShock Hydra tosses HyperShock out of the arena. Despite the controversy surrounding its fight with HUGE, Hydra once again finished the Fight Night season undefeated and made it into the Round of 32 as the No.1 seed where it was matched with the bot it defeated in an untelevised exhibition match last season, the No.32 seed HyperShock. For this fight, the hydraulic oil had been replaced, hoping to fix the problems from their previous match. 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. 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 launches 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. Gigabyte spun up to full speed and gave a glancing blow to Hydra's wedge. Hydra attacked it head on, thrusting Gigabyte into the air. Upon landing, Gigabyte ricocheted into the wall in front of Chris and Kenny. It took several more flipping attacks from Hydra throughout the remainder of the fight, with Gigabyte only landing one more hit on the side of Hydra's wedge. Despite Hydra's persistence, Gigabyte's spinner kept working the entire battle, and the fight went to the judges. Hydra won by unanimous decision, putting them into the Top 8.
Hydra vs. Whiplash Hydra upends Whiplash, but it is able to self-right. Next up for Hydra was the Vazquez family and Whiplash, who were looking stronger as the season went on. 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. Unfortunately for Jake Ewert, it landed on Whiplash's disc and 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 disc 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 fight entered its closing moments. But in the last ten seconds, Jake Ewert exposed Hydra's rear to Whiplash, and the Vazquez family took full advantage, attacking with the disc 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 favour of Whiplash by a split 2-1 decision, and Hydra was eliminated from the tournament.
Discovery Season 6
Hydra vs. End Game Hydra launches the defending champions early on. Returning for the 2021 season, 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. 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. Hydra becomes stuck in the corner of the BattleBox. However, Hydra could no longer retract its flipper 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 Hydra circling around Gruff. Hydra watches on as a flaming Gruff is counted out. After a devastating loss to End Game, Hydra's next opponent was Gruff, who was coming off of a victory against rookie Switchback. 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. Hydra 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 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 Hydra throws Glitch into the air. Glitch fights back. Last up for Hydra in the Fight Night rounds was against newcomer Glitch. 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. 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 before now. 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 locked up and a speed controller had blown. Glitch landed one more hit and backed away to allow Hydra to be counted out, scoring one of the biggest upsets in the modern era to date and pushing the Berkeley representatives to 2-0 and Hydra ended the Fight Night rounds with a precarious 1-2 record.
Hydra vs. Defender Hydra and Defender face off. Hydra sends Defender flying. 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. 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 Vazquez'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. 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. Defender was counted out, and Hydra advanced to face Ribbot. "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.
Hydra vs. Ribbot Sparks fly as Ribbot's undercutter grinds down Hydra. Hydra watches on as Ribbot is counted out. 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. 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. 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 Black Dragon becomes stuck on the BattleBox. Black Dragon throws itself at Hydra. Now in the Top 16 despite a shaky start to the 2021 season, Hydra took on Team Uai!rror and Black Dragon. Hydra ditched the forks for thie fight, instead opting for its sharpened wedgelets. 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. 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 and advanced in the tournament.
Hydra vs. Blip Blip takes on Hydra. Hydra throws Blip early on. Blip struggles to self-right. Blip is counted out. Blip's broken left-side wheel. 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. As the fight began, both robots approached the center of the BattleBox as their ground games were tested. Blip found itself maneuvred 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 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. 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-centred. 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 for the second successive year.
Hydra vs. Tantrum Hydra faces Tantrum. Tantrum slips its forks underneath Hydra. One of Hydra's many flips on Tantrum. Tantrum pins Hydra against the wall in the closing moments. 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. 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 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. 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. 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 relucant 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. The fight went to the judges, who awarded the fight in favor of Tantrum on a split decision. This meant Hydra bowed out of the 2021 season at the semi-final stage.
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)
This page/section of page contains SPOILERS about re:MARS all:STARS 2022 and/or BattleBots: Champions. 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 episodes. Hydra vs. MadCatter Hydra 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 MadCatter. Hydra took the win by knockout after MadCatter became caught on the screws.
Hydra vs. Cobalt Next up in the bracket was one of the most feared bots from the 2021 season, Cobalt. Hydra again won by KO and moved to the final.
Hydra vs. HyperShock Now in the re:MARS all:STARS final, Hydra faced HyperShock for the third time since 2019, having won their previous two encounters. Both robots got attacks in with their primary weapons, but Hydra appeared to come off worse, suffering damage to its side skirts. This led to it becoming lodged in a killsaw slot and stuck. Hydra fired its flipper and an unspecified part tore away before it stopped moving and began leaking hydraulic fluid. Unsure whether to engage, an upside-down HyperShock attempted to free Hydra, but was unsuccessful in its attempts. Hydra was eventually counted out and Team HyperShock were crowned re:MARS champion.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 17
• Losses: 6

Competition	Wins	Losses
Discovery Season 4	Free Shipping (Undercard Match) WAR Hawk (Undercard Match) Petunia (Undercard Match) Bronco (Main Event/Undercard Match) HyperShock (Exhibition Match)	Minotaur
Discovery Season 5	Witch Doctor (Main Event/Undercard Match) HUGE (Undercard Match) Uppercut (Undercard Match) HyperShock Gigabyte	Whiplash
Discovery Season 6	Gruff (Undercard Match) Defender (Play In Match) Ribbot Black Dragon Blip	End Game (Main Event/Undercard Match) Glitch (Undercard Match) Tantrum
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)	MadCatter Cobalt	HyperShock

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-bydra, 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. Botta. 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 Dorcester, 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!"

Trivia

• Hydra was the first modern BattleBots competitor physically split a robot apart without the use of a spinning weapon, doing so against WAR Hawk.
• In Discovery Season 4, 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.
• 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.