Malice

Malice
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	Discovery Season 5 Discovery Season 6
Other Events	BattleBots: Bounty Hunters re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022) (Grudge match only) BattleBots: Champions
Team Information
Team	Team Malice
Team Members	Adrian "Bunny" Sauriol David Liaw David Rush David Small Nick Dobrikov Isaak Malers (Discovery S6-Present)
From	San Jose, CA
Associated Robots	Wrecks, Shatter! (Adrian "Bunny" Sauriol) Big Dill (Isaak Malers) Banshee (David Small) Drago (Nick Dobrikov)
Robot Statistics
Weight	250lbs
Drive	2x S24-D4-400x Long Magmotors
Weapons	Horizontal spinning "drumette"
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

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.

This article is about the reboot heavyweight BattleBots competitor. For other uses, see Malice (disambiguation).

Malice is a heavyweight robot built by Team Malice, which competed in Discovery Seasons 5 and 6 of the BattleBots reboot.

It is red and black, two-wheel drive robot armed with a single-toothed horizontal spinning drum, alternatively referred to as a "thicc disc" due to its thick structure, or a "drumette". In Malice's debut season, the team had two weapon options both made from aluminum to support the hardened steel teeth. Their large red disc was named Red Rush (later called Big Red), but they also had a twin-toothed frame-like spinner called Purple Pain to allow for heavier armor. Malice's weapon is run by a powerful Moto-Energy 0909 motor which delivers 4.8hp and spins the weapon at roughly 50,000kJ per hour. This is approximately half the level generated by Tombstone. However, Bunny Sauriol claims they have a greater transfer of energy, allowing them to hit harder than Tombstone and therefore boast a higher potential for damage. The motor is protected by a 1/4" thick titanium plate and Malice has a weapon brace in which the shaft sits to further protect their primary weapon.

• Malice CAD Design.
• Malice cost split for Discovery Season 5.
• Malice Ar-500 wheelguards
• Malice UHMW Wheelguards
• Malice's additonal "Bunny Tail" to prevent it getting stuck

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"We sacrificed reach to have a drum instead of a bar. But doing that allowed us to have a more sturdy blade at the hub. We found the biggest issue with other horizontal spinners was that they would shatter, or crack, or facture at where the hub mounts to the bar because there's just less material to absorb the force, and having a drum or thick disc prevents that from happening, we have more material to absorb the force."

— Bunny Sauriol on the concept of Malice.

Malice has AR500 wheelguards which are very stiff and triangualar in shape, but are very heavy. The robot also has UHMW wheelguards which can make room for weight, but bend more easily and ended up getting Malice high-centered in their loss to MadCatter. The team added a small blunt spike at the rear for BattleBots: Bounty Hunters dubbed the "bunny tail" to prevent Malice from getting stuck on it's rear again, but because of a change in speed controllers, Malice managed to find itself stuck in the same way. Malice uses spherical roller bearings rather than the more common tapered kind, often referred to as "lazy man's bearings." This provides a larger margin of error for shaft and bearing alignment, as well as providing it with more slack to prevent breakage.

Malice's construction is also unique in the way that it sports a 'clam shell' design, meaning a two-piece design with large through bolts to keep the chassis together. This allows for the frame to be stronger with fewer individual pieces to come loose, but also allows for much easier accessibility. Ray Billings of Tombstone helped the team by suggesting that the ring on the weapon brace should be made out of steel instead of aluminum, as the latter would bend too easily.

Malice impressed in its rookie season, finishing 2-1 in the qualifying rounds and making it into the Championship Tournament, before losing to Gigabyte in the Round of 32. Malice also participated in the Witch Doctor Bounty Hunters bracket, defeating Tracer and HUGE but lost out to SubZero.

Bunny Sauriol and Malice returned for Discovery Season 6, now featuring several additional weapons depending on who they are fighting dubbed Big Red (formerly Red Rush), The Drumstick and Purple Pain. While Big Red was their signature 55lb "drumette", Purple Pain was lighter and allowed for the team to apply more top armor against dangerous overhead weapons. For the 2021 season, Malice team captain Bunny Sauriol teased a brand new weapon that weighed 80lbs - the maximum weight allowed to be dedicated to a spinning weapon according to BattleBots rules. In December 2021, the team showcased Rolling Blackout, a 60lb aluminium bar with large, AR500 steel teeth at either end. As the name suggests, it was painted black. The weapon belts had also been upgraded according to the team.

The canceled design for Malice (right).

• Rolling Blackout equipped to Malice.
• Rolling Blackout separate from the bot.
• Malice on the scales with Rolling Blackout installed.

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For future seasons of BattleBots, the team intended to elongate Malice's body to prevent it from getting beached on its rear end. This was a flaw which cost Malice two fights in its debut year, even despite modifications between fights. However, Bunny Sauriol also stated this design was scrapped due to the addition of the Upper Deck for the 2021 season. In place of this, Malice added a white "bunny tail" to combat their past design flaw.

"The shelf removed 30% of the usable area of the Arena floor, hortizontals depend on huge amounts of floor space, so a short stubby horizontal was better off than the long redesign we had."

— Adrian "Bunny" Sauriol explains the reasoning behind scrapping Malice's initial redesign.

Malice suffered a tough start to Season 6, losing consecutive fights to 2020 season Top 4 finisher Tantrum and Las Vegas representatives JackPot. Malice defeated Blacksmith late in the Fight Night bracket, but could not escape a negative record during the 2021 Fight Night. Bunny Sauriol's team were handed a lifeline with the announcement of the Top 32 bracket as they were one of four robots who fought in a play in match to decide the No.32 seed. However, they lost their weapon early on and ultimately lost to Skorpios.

Malice fought in BattleBots: Champions, defeating Slammo! but falling short to eventual bracket champion Ribbot.

Malice's brand new hinged forks.

Following the 2021 season, team members David Small and Nick Dobrikov departed to captain their own entries for Discovery Season 7 - Banshee and Drago. Both of these are sponsored by Team Malice for 2022, inferring Bunny Sauriol's intention to also compete with Malice itself. The team posted footage of serrated fork additions to either side of Malice's drum in June 2022.

Bunny Sauriol and David Liaw also joined up with Bot Bash Party Crew as Skorpios entered the re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge. Malice was present too, but was an unused reserve for the event, only fighting in a single grudge match against fellow backup JackPot.

Robot History

Discovery Season 5
Malice vs. Axe Backwards Malice strikes Axe Backwards. Malice delivers the killing blow to Axe Backwards. Malice's first fight of the season was against veteran Axe Backwards. Malice opted to start the fight going straight for Axe Backwards' tires and managed to quickly hinder its opponent's movement as a result, ripping the right tread off before breaking off the right axe head fully, then breaking the left to make an eruption of fire. Axe Backwards struggled to move around with a shredded tire, but still had a working weapon so Malice moved in again and manage to disable the flaming Axe Backwards near the screws after four more hits. Axe Backwards was counted out, giving Malice the win by KO.
Malice vs. Shatter! Malice shreds Shatter!'s front panel. Malice rips off Shatter!'s hammerhead, but Malice's weapon is also disabled. Malice's second fight was against Bunny Sauriol's former team Bots FC and Shatter!. For this fight, Malice opted to switch out their discs by bringing in Purple Pain to allow for more top armor. Malice started the fight by tearing off little pieces from Shatter!. However, when they came to attack the second time around, Malice's weapon belt was cut and fell out, but this had also allowed Malice to rip off Shatter!'s hammerhead. Post fight revealed Malice actually broke two of the fingers off the titanium arm as well, sending the hammerhead flying. For the remainder of the fight, Malice pushed Shatter! around the BattleBox causing it to smoke, while taking some hits with the Shatter!'s hammer arm, but none of these seemed to inflict much damage. When the fight was over, the judges awarded a close 2-1 split decision in favor of Malice.
Malice vs. MadCatter Malice is flipped on its rear end by MadCatter. With the potential to be one of the first bots to finish unbeaten in Fight Night, Malice had to battle Martin Mason and MadCatter. For this fight, Malice decided to use Big Red in order to inflict more damage. Malice had a poor start to the match as MadCatter's wedge deflected Malice in the first impact. Malice then hit the arena floor and deflected upward, allowing its opponent to move in. Unfortunately for Malice, when MadCatter impacted Malice for a third time, it was flipped it onto its rear end. Malice was working its drive wheels in hope of rocking itself back on its wheels, but could not do so. Malice was scorched by the flames from MadCatter's minibot and was counted out, meaning MadCatter had won by KO. However, with a 2-1 record, Malice had performed well enough to enter the Top 32 as the No.16 seed.
Malice vs. Gigabyte Gigabyte and Malice collide. In the Top 32, Malice met Team Robotic Death Company and Gigabyte. Malice opted for Big Red in this battle, and Gigabyte entered the fight visually unchanged. Malice started strong, taking repeated hits from Gigabyte without showing any signs of damage or wear. However as the match progressed, Malice started to take damage and began driving mostly in circles. Malice was still functional, charging at Gigabyte despite damage to its wheel, and ended up taking more damage as a result. Near the screws, Malice was still struggling to drive and took a hit in the rear of the bot, which disabled their weapon motor. After this, they took one final hit which sent Gigabyte flying in return. Unfortunately for Malice, Gigabyte was still fully functional and Malice was counted out, giving Gigabyte a spot in the Top 16 and the win by KO. This meant Malice was eliminated from the main tournament.
Battlebots: Bounty Hunters
Malice vs. Tracer Tracer's belt comes loose. Malice also competed in the Witch Doctor Bounty Hunters bracket, where it faced Tracer in the first round. Having added a rear spike to prevent it getting beached on its rear end, Malice started the fight weaving around its opponent before dealing a blow to Tracer's side. Although this impact seemed to hurt Tracer more than Malice, it caused Malice's chassis to flex substantially, stretching its weapon belt to the point of snapping. Now weaponless, Tracer dealt an uppercut to Malice, overturning it in the process. As the fight continued, Tracer's weapon also slowed, allowing Malice to attack with less fear. Malice then used its superior drive to bully Tracer into the corner of the box, but Tracer was now dead on one side. Only able to move in circles, it was counted out and Malice moved on.
Malice vs. HUGE HUGE and Malice go weapon-to-weapon. Malice now had to face the ever-awkward HUGE, and opted for Purple Pain in this fight to allow for additional top armor. HUGE also made changes, adopting black wheels instead of its traditional white pair, as well as an asymetrical spinning bar. Malice started on the defensive, receiving the brunt of HUGE's overhead attacks. Malice retaliated by attacking the wheels, tearing off parts of the tread and one of the stabilizing arms in the process. Having dealt the bulk of the damage, Malice continued to attack, and after losing one arm and having the other bent inwards, HUGE struggled to drive forwards. Malice's weapon had now also stopped working, its belt strewn across the floor of the box. Despite this, it maintained its attacks on HUGE, taking advantage of its drive issues and avoiding its vertical spinner. As the fight entered its closing moments, Malice rammed HUGE into the screws and left the lasting impression on the judges. Despite losing its weapon, Malice won by unanimous decision.
Malice vs. SubZero Malice removes one of SubZero's wheels in the opening seconds. Malice becomes stranded on its rear, resulting in a heartbreak defeat. Next up for Malice was SubZero, fresh off its revenge win over Valkyrie. At the start of the battle, SubZero initially drove to the side of the box, and attacked Malice from the side, sending it spinning. After backing away to avoid the horizontal drum, SubZero was chased down by Malice and took a shot right to the left size, having the front left wheel removed fully and the side armor mangled. SubZero then had some nicks to the back, but not causing much until Malice broke the other left tire and what was left of the armor on that side. Wounded, SubZero looked to have lost this early, but after having its eye plate removed again, Malice violently recoiled and hit Spitfire, becoming stranded on its rear. Despite the addition of the spike, Malice struggled to right itself. SubZero backed off and allowed Malice to be counted out, winning by KO and eliminating Malice from the competition.
Discovery Season 6
Malice vs. Tantrum Tantrum threatens to land another punch on a weaponless Malice. Malice continues to be harrassed by Tantrum. Malice first fight of the 2021 season was against reigning semi-finalist Tantrum, now co-captained by Alex Grant and Ginger Schmidt. For the battle, Malice opted for their newest weapon bar called Rolling Blackout and charged straight at Tantrum as the fight began. However, Malice was thrown across the BattleBox and its weapon slammed into the floor. From then, Malice's weapon was no longer working and Tantrum took advantage, punching it into the barrier before landing several more punches with their 18lb drum spinner. Tantrum was also able to win the pushing battle and remained on Malice's tail, tossing it into the air once again. Malice found itself stuck in the corner of the BattleBox momentarily, but in an act of sportsmanship, Tantrum's new driver Dillon Carey freed them to continue the fight. It then rammed Malice back into the corner and grinded against their chassis. Tantrum sent Malice to the Upper Deck's screws and remained aggressive for the remainder of the battle, eventually winning on a unanimous judges' decision. After the fight, Bunny Sauriol announced that bearings for the weapon exploded early on, followed by the weapon speed controller failing soon after.
Malice vs. JackPot JackPot and Malice deflect away after exchanging blows. Shrapnel smashes the lights above the BattleBox as JackPot hits Malice once more. Ditto. Malice's second fight came against the home team, JackPot. Having replaced the damaged bearings and speed controller, they opted again for Rolling Blackout. Both bots spun up their weapons as the fight commenced, dodging one another to start. JackPot landed the first hit of the match which saw Malice gyro onto its wheel and land a hit in return on JackPot's plow. After a glancing hit, Malice was flung into the corner of the BattleBox with the next hit, bouncing back onto its wheels. The two robots exchanged several minor hits before JackPot sent Malice twisting in the air, hindering Malice's drive on one side. The casino-themed bot coerced Malice back into the middle of the arena before delivering a brutal shot which not only sent Malice bouncing halfway across the box, but caused debris to shatter a light and send shards of glass falling onto the floor. JackPot then punted Malice onto the screws, as it became clear Malice could only drive in circles. Although JackPot's primary weapon began to smoke and slow to a halt, Malice was already being counted out as its right-side wheel had locked up. Losing by KO, Malice was now 0-2 in the season. According to Malice captain Bunny Sauriol, JackPot was also immobilized soon after Malice was counted out, but this was cut from the final edit.
Malice vs. Blacksmith Sparks fly as Malice and Blacksmith collide. Last up for Malice in the Fight Night rounds was against Blacksmith in a desperate attempt to not fall to an 0-3 record. For this fight, Malice opted for its new red weapon bar nicknamed "The Drumstick", which allowed for additional titanium armor underneath their UMHW to protect against Al Kindle's hammersaw. Blacksmith itself was equipped with a steep 3/8" AR500 steel plow to deflect the drumette of Malice. As the fight began, it was Malice who got the better of the early exchanges, grazing against the steel plow of Blacksmith before a big shot sent both bots flying to opposite ends of the BattleBox. Overturned, Blacksmith was able to right itself before Malice dealt another couple of hits with its drumette. As Blacksmith attempted to get its hammersaw into play, Al Kindle fired it straight into the primary weapon of Malice, which tore the disc and weapon belt of Blacksmith away while splitting the arm. Malice remained aggressive and attacked the front of Blacksmith as fire began to emit from the New Jersey representative. Despite its best efforts, Blacksmith was able to withstand the assault from Malice in the second half of the fight, so it went to the judges. Malice won by unanimous decision, giving Bunny Sauriol's team her first win of the season, putting both bots at a precarious 1-2 record.
Malice vs. Skorpios Sparks fly as Malice and Skorpios fight for their lives. Malice is pinned against the screws. With the announcement of the Top 32 bracket, Malice faced off against Skorpios in a play in match to determine the No.32 seed for the tournament. The winner of whom would advance and take on No.1 seed End Game. For this must-win battle, Malice opted for The Drumstick, which led them to their only 2021 season win to date last time out. Skorpios immediately slammed its plow into Malice's drum, preventing it from spinning up. After a weaker second impact, the primary weapon of Malice was no longer functional and Skorpios was able to capitalize. Skorpios hooked its plow under Malice and delivered a handful of shot to the top frame. Bunny Sauriol's bot was still driving, but found itself rammed into the arena barriers on several occasions, and later into the screws. Skorpios continued to land blow from overhead as it attempted to target a wheel, but could not damage it or hamper Malice's mobility. Although it began to smoke late on, the fight went the distance and Skorpios were awarded the No.32 seed, eliminating Malice from the competition.
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. Malice vs. JackPot Despite only being a reserve for the event, Malice fought in a single grudge match against JackPot, which was also a 2021 season rematch. For this fight, Malice debuted its hinged forks either side of the horizontal drum weapon. Little is known about the battle, but both robots exchanged multiple blows and Malice won by knockout after taking a chunk out of one disc and flipping JackPot over.
BattleBots: Champions
Malice vs. Slammo! Slammo! and Malice duke it out. The remains of Slammo!. Malice also entered BattleBots: Champions, and faced Slammo! in the first round of Sin City Slugfest. Early on, Slammo! was immediately able to overturn Malice, whose weapon hit the arena barrier and ground to a halt. As it began to spin up again, Malice was shoved into the short corner and flipped over. Unbalanced, Slammo! flipped itself over and Malice took advantage, tearing a wheel away as it attempted to self-right. Despite this, Slammo! appeared capable of showing sufficient maneuverability and Malice deflected off the plow, almost propping itself up on its back. The improved bunny tail assisted in righting Malice as it approached Craig Danby's robot again, forcing one of the grabbers shut. Malice continued to hit high up on Slammo!'s plow, ripping the dazzle camo in places and keeping it within the corner of the BattleBox. It then tore into a grappling arm of Slammo!, but rode up the plow in the process, allowing Slammo! to drive Malice across the arena with just one wheel drive. Slammo! attempted to lift, but made itself vulnerable to a counter attack and Malice did just that, removing the other wheel and leaving Slammo! unable to move. Slammo! was counted out and Malice moved on in the bracket.
Malice vs. Ribbot Ribbot pins Malice against the Upper Deck. Malice with its frog decal ahead of fighting Ribbot. Malice faced David Jin and Ribbot in the next round, who had previously beaten Double Jeopardy. For this battle, it was equipped with Big Red. Malice began poorly, however, as it was overturned by Ribbot in the opening moments and then thrown towards the screws. One side of drive appeared damaged from this early assault as Malice struggled to escape the red square. Ribbot flung Malice over a few more times and then used its superior pushing power to ram it around the arena. Ribbot purposely spun down its weapon, shoving it into one of the paddles before taking it to the pulverizer. Ribbot then pinned Malice against the Upper Deck before pinning it in the short corner once more. Ribbot spun back up in the closing seconds to prove its weapon had not been broken during the course of the battle. It went the distance, and Ribbot was declared the winner by unanimous judges' decision.

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 6
• Losses: 6

Competition	Wins	Losses
Discovery Season 5	Axe Backwards (Undercard Match) Shatter! (Undercard Match)	MadCatter (Undercard Match) Gigabyte
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters	Tracer HUGE	SubZero
Discovery Season 6	Blacksmith (Undercard Match)	Tantrum (Undercard Match) JackPot (Undercard Match) Skorpios (Play In Match)
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)	JackPot	None
BattleBots: Champions	Slammo!	Ribbot

Faruq Tauheed Introductions

"From San Jose, California, the bell of the brawl, MALICE!"

"From San Jose, the bay area bomber, MALICE!"

"From San Jose, California. This Bunny ain't from Energizer, but when it's time to kill you, she keeps going and going and going! Give it up for MALICE!"

"A hard-hitting bot with the head engineer who's got killer instinct and some killer bunny ears. Think bots are just for boys? You're wrong and you'll be reeling. She'll knock you out of the pass and right through the glass ceiling, it's MALICE!"

"From San Jose, California, call her the Beaster Bunny but you won't be looking for eggs, you'll be hunting for blown-off robot parts. It's MALICE!"

"From San Jose, California, forget about Wonderland, this bot's gonna take you to thunderland. It's MALICE!"

"From San Jose, California, the queen of the palace, it's MALICE!"

"From San Jose, California, when you see those bunny ears, your bot's about to lose some gears. It's MALICE!"

"The most powerful drummer since Rush's Neil Peart. This bot smashes and pounds you until you're hurt. A modern-day warrior, mean, mean stride. If I were you, I would run and hide. It's about to rock hard like it sold out the palace. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for MALICE!"

Trivia

• When the Konami Code is entered on TeamMalice.com, a raptor runs across the screen.
• Alongside a handful of other robots from the season, Malice made an appearance as a static display at a live premiere of the 2021 tournament conclusion in San Jose, California.
• Team member Isaak Malers wanted Big Red to weigh 65lbs initially, but it had to drop to 55lbs to comply with the weight limit.
• Team Malice sponsored Arizona Robotic Combat's RoboRumble event in November 2021.