Malice

Malice
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	World Championship V World Championship VI World Championship VII
Live	BattleBots FaceOffs
Other Events	BattleBots: Bounty Hunters re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022) (Grudge match only) BattleBots: Champions I BattleBots: Champions II
Team Information
Team	Team Malice
Team Members	Adrian "Bunny" Liaw (Captain) David Liaw David Rush David Small (WC V-BB: Champions I) Nick Dobrikov (WC V-BB: Champions II) Isaak Malers (WC VI-Present) Mike Britton (WC VII-Present) Brian Adamson (WC VII-Present) Ray Billings (WC VII-BB: Champions II) Jonathan LaPlain (WC VII) Johnny Tsoumpas (BB FaceOffs-Present) Alex Tramiel (BB FaceOffs-Present) Peter Garnache (BB FaceOffs-Present)
From	San Jose, CA
Associated Robots	Wrecks, Shatter! (Adrian "Bunny" Liaw) Silver Shield (David Liaw) Big Dill (Isaak Malers) Banshee (David Small, David Rush) Drago (Nick Dobrikov) Skorpios (Adrian "Bunny" Liaw, David Liaw, Jonathan LaPlain) Doomba and Friends (Adrian "Bunny" Liaw) Tombstone, Swamp Thing, Darkness, The Raven, Skorpios (Ray Billings) Captain Shrederator (Jonathan LaPlain) Horizon (Peter Garnache) VD6.0 (Alex Tramiel)
Robot Statistics
Weight	250lbs
Drive	2x S28-D4-400x Long Magmotors
Weapons	Horizontal drum spinner
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Not to be confused with the Season 3.0 competitor of the same name. For the ShowBot which competes at BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon live events, see Malice (ShowBot).

Malice is a heavyweight robot built by Bunny Liaw and Team Malice, which competed in every season of BattleBots since World Championship V.

It is red and black, two-wheel drive robot armed with a single-toothed horizontal spinning drum, alternatively referred to as a 'Thicc disk' 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 disk was named 'Red Rush' (later called 'Big Red'), but they also had a twin-toothed spinner called 'Purple Pain' to allow for heavier armor.

Malice's weapon is powered by a Motenergy 0909 motor which delivers 4.8hp and spins the weapon at roughly 50,000kJ per hour - approximately half the level generated by Tombstone. However, team captain Bunny Liaw states they have a greater transfer of energy, allowing Malice to hit harder than Tombstone and therefore boast a higher potential for damage. The motor is protected by a ¼" thick titanium plate, with alternative armor options designed for later seasons, and Malice has a weapon brace in which the shaft sits to further protect their primary weapon.

"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 disk prevents that from happening, we have more material to absorb the force."

— Bunny Liaw on the concept of Malice

Malice during World Championship V hero shots.

Malice sports 12" diameter Brazil wheels manufactured by the Black Dragon team - a type of vulcanized rubber wheel which absorbs impacts unlike any other type of wheel. 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. The robot impressed in its rookie season, finishing 2-1 in the qualifiers and making it into the Championship Tournament, before losing to Gigabyte in the Round of 32.

Malice also participated in the Witch Doctor BattleBots: Bounty Hunters bracket, defeating Tracer and HUGE, but losing out to SubZero.

Malice during World Championship VI hero shots.

After their debut season, the team intended to elongate Malice's body to make it weight less to put more weight into the weapon. However, Bunny Liaw also stated this design was scrapped due to the addition of the Upper Deck for World Championship VI. Bunny Liaw and Malice returned now featuring several additional weapons depending on who they were fighting, dubbed 'Big Red', '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 Liaw 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 shelf removed 30% of the usable area of the Arena floor, horizontals depend on huge amounts of floor space, so a short stubby horizontal was better off than the long redesign we had."

— Bunny Liaw explains the reasoning behind scrapping Malice's initial redesign

Malice suffered a tough start on its return, 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 1-2 record during the 2021 Fight Night rounds. Bunny Liaw's team were handed a lifeline with the announcement of the Top 32 bracket as they were one of four competitors which fought in play-in matches to decide the final two places in the tournament bracket. However, they lost their weapon early on and ultimately lost out on the No.32 seeding to Skorpios.

Bunny and David Liaw briefly joined up with Bot Bash Party Crew as Skorpios entered the 2022 re:MARS all:STARS event. Malice was present too, but was an unused reserve for the event, only fighting in a single grudge match against fellow backup JackPot.

Malice also fought in BattleBots: Champions I, defeating Slammo! but falling short to eventual bracket champion Ribbot in the second round of the tournament bracket.

Following the 2021 competition, team members David Small and Nick Dobrikov departed to captain their own entries for World Championship VII - Banshee and Drago. Both of these are sponsored by Team Malice for 2022 and whereas Banshee was accepted for the competition, Drago was not so successful. In October 2022, Malice was officially confirmed to be competing in the competition, ranked #28 in the BattleBots Pre-Season Power Rankings. The most notable change to Malice concerned the addition of 13" long serrated forks which were hinged and placed on both sides of the spinning weapon, which were debuted at re:MARS 2022. The team had forks made from AR500 steel and also lighter ones made from titanium. After the team burnt through three weapon motor controllers in the previous season, Malice now opted to run speed controllers custom created for large brushed weapon motors created by Robotic Death Company. Their speed controllers for drive have been Castle XLXs from their debut season, due to Bunny's familiarity with them from her days on Shatter!.

Malice during World Championship VII hero shots.

Malice's 3" thick Drumstick option returned, made primarily from aluminum but featuring AR500 steel teeth at either end. The Rolling Blackout weapon also made a comeback, and is manufactured from a mixture of 4140, S7 and AR500 steel as well as an aluminum hub with teeth either side. Thirdly, Purple Pain returned as Malice's lightest weapon, weighing just 45lbs. However, the weapon measured 22" end-to-end and allowed for a 190mph tip speed. Purple Pain is made from AR500 steel plates separated by a number of aluminum spacers. Lastly, the iconic single-toothed Big Red weapon designed by David Rush returned, weighing 60lbs in total and measuring just under 4 inches in thickness and featuring either a 4140 or S7 hardened steel tooth.

Depending on their weapon selection, Malice's top plate was now variable in thickness and material, ranging from ¼" to ¾" UMHW if deemed necessary for their traditional "Mischief" setup, specifically ½" UMHW for their "Mayhem" armor configuration or the same ½" thick UMHW with an additional ¼" titanium plate fitted too for their "Madness" armor setup. The latter was specifically planned to combat overhead spinning weaponry such as the robot which knocked them out of the 2021 tournament officially - Skorpios. David Liaw took over the sticks, while David Rush moved from driver to weapons operator. Malice's season began with a loss to Lock-Jaw, but the team returned to winning ways against Emulsifier albeit under fortuitous circumstances. In controversial circumstances, Malice advanced to 2-1 after launching the first Appeal in BattleBots history, successfully overturning a judges' decision which originally went in Valkyrie's favor. However, there was nothing dubious about their fourth battle, which saw Malice score a convincing win over Gruff to secure a 3-1 Fight Night record. This allowed Malice into the Round of 32 as the No.17 seed. It defeated Switchback in the first round before falling to Minotaur in the Round of 16.

Malice also competed in BattleBots: Champions II. It took out HiJinx in the first round of its Sin City Slugfest bracket but lost to former runner-up Whiplash in the Slugfest semi-final.

In March 2023, the team announced a brand new purple weapon, named 'Slamathyst'. This would directly replace the red drumstick weapon as Malice would take on a "purple pain" appearance for future competitions, according to Bunny Liaw. Malice's return to the BattleBox was confirmed in July 2024, as Bunny Liaw stated it would compete in BattleBots FaceOffs.

Malice equipped with Slamathyst in the BattleBox.

Malice undergoing drive and weapon tests.

Two Malice builds in The Pits during BattleBots FaceOffs.

Malice with its purple look in August 2024.

Malice's purple weapon, known as Slamathyst.

Rolling Blackout equipped to Malice.

Rolling Blackout separate from the robot.

Malice on the scales with Rolling Blackout installed.

Malice with its hinged forks in 2022.

CAD comparing the first and proposed second iterations of Malice ahead of the Upper Deck's introduction in 2021.

Malice armed with Purple Pain during World Championship V.

Malice in the Test Box during World Championship V.

Outside BattleBots

A repainted version of Malice was entered into RoboGames 2023, officially known as White Rabbit. In the first round, White Rabbit defeated RoboGames legend and reigning heavyweight champion Original Sin, before beating Terrortops in Round 2 by a 21-12 judges' decision. In its third fight, White Rabbit took out HexaDecimator after tearing off its right armor panel and exposing its gas bottle, allowing it to progress to the winners bracket final against Cataclysm.

At that stage, however, it was defeated after getting flipped over and high-centered against the wall, consigning it to the Loser's Bracket final against Manta. Here, both robots were embroiled in controversy, when an early hit ripped one of White Rabbit's weapon teeth off, causing an inner Lexan panel to fall from the arena ceiling. Despite the damage inflicted to the arena, the fight was restarted, with White Rabbit taking further damage from Manta before being flung into the ceiling, dislodging another Lexan roof panel. White Rabbit immediately tapped out, finishing the 2023 heavyweight championship third overall as a result.

Malice was among the BattleBots competitors displayed at BayCon in Santa Clara, California in July 2023. That same month, Malice was also displayed at Open Sauce in San Francisco.

On February 20, 2024, Team Malice took to social media to publicly denounce RoboGames 2024 due to unsatisfactory changes made following the previous year's safety breaches, stating they would not be competing in any of its weight divisions as a result. Malice was again on display during the 2024 Open Sauce event.

In 2025, Malice was displayed at the January Bell Brawls event, before being present at NorCal Knockout, SCAR Big Bot Brawl and Nexus Knockout in March. It was later displayed at Robotronica in Chico, California in May.

White Rabbit fighting Cataclysm during RoboGames 2023.

White Rabbit ahead of RoboGames 2023.

Robot History

World Championship V
Malice vs. Axe Backwards Malice strikes Axe Backwards. Malice delivers the killing blow. 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. The rookie bot then broke off both axe heads as a fire began inside Axe Backwards. Kurt Durjan's robot 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 Liaw's former team Bots FC and Shatter!. For this fight, Malice opted to switch out their disks 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 hammer head. 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; the team also brought in a can of Malice-labelled cat food as a pre-battle joke. 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 No.17 seed John Mladenik and his veteran shell spinner, Gigabyte. Malice opted for Big Red in this battle and started strong, taking repeated hits from its opponent early on. However as the match progressed, Malice started to take damage and began driving mostly in circles. It was still functional, charging at Gigabyte despite damage to its wheel, but ended up taking more damage as a result. Now near the screws, Malice was still struggling to drive and took a hit to the rear of the bot, which disabled their weapon motor. After this, they took one final hit which sent Gigabyte flying in return. John Mladenik's bot was able to recover and Malice was counted out, giving Gigabyte a spot in the Top 16. 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 asymmetrical 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.
World Championship VI
Malice vs. Tantrum Tantrum threatens to land another punch on a weaponless Malice. Malice continues to be harassed 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 Liaw 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. Another view of the BattleBox lights being smashed. 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 Liaw, 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 ⅜" 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 hammer saw into play, Al Kindle fired it straight into the primary weapon of Malice, which tore the disk 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 Liaw'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 Liaw'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)
Malice vs. JackPot (Exhibition) Malice attended the 2022 re:MARS all:STARS event as a reserve robot. While going unused in the main tournament, it would battle fellow reserve JackPot in a one-off 'Grudge Match', in an echo of their 2021 season clash. This battle marked the first time that Malice would utilize its hinged front forks; two sets of these were placed on either side of its red drumette. Malice flips JackPot over. Malice initially crept out of the red square, as both competitors got their spinners up to speed. It followed JackPot over the lower-left killsaw slots, only for JackPot to smash into its right forks. Seconds later, as JackPot tried to follow up with another attack, Malice turned its drumette into its opponent's diamond-shaped disks. The recoil knocked Malice back, as JackPot was thrown over into the wall in front of the control booth. Malice slowly approached JackPot as the latter tried to self-right. When Jeff Waters' machine stacked itself against the bumper in the process, it proceeded to tear off much of JackPot's srimech. A follow-up blow knocked part of the BattleBots banner off the control booth, at which point Malice stopped its drumette and backed into the inner perimeter. With JackPot smoking and still unable to free itself, Malice helped nudge it onto its back. The drumette spun back up while JackPot, still trying to right itself, lay on its left-hand side. Malice charged, weapon spinning, into one of JackPot's disks, flicking JackPot back onto its wheels with two rapid hits. With JackPot's spinners no longer working at full capacity, it slowly followed the green and red machine across the BattleBox. Chris Rose: "I was impressed. I didn't know Malice's weapon was comin' back to life! They had to just shut it down, I guess." Will Bales: "They were just being polite." — Chris Rose remarks on Malice's temporary weapon shutdown Malice tears JackPot's front plate off. At the end of the first minute, Malice and JackPot began exchanging more weapon blows. The first two threw JackPot off balance, while gradually wearing down its diamond disks. Malice dealt several more direct hits to JackPot's weaponry, neutralizing the disks entirely as it pushed the latter into one of the screw mounts. "Awww, beautiful! Right in the kissah! And again!" — Chris Rose as Malice gradually disables JackPot's weaponry While JackPot persisted in ramming Malice, Malice kept slamming into the Vegas resident's front end, almost flipping it over yet again. One blow ripped a red plate off of JackPot's front-right corner; others caused JackPot itself to lose much of its speed and turning ability. Chris Rose: "I've got to be honest with you, I think there's some bots that were in the competition tonight that are happy Malice wasn't." Pete Abrahamson: "Yes! I firmly agree. Count me in." — As Malice relentlessly attacks an ailing JackPot Malice's final hit on an immobile JackPot. Malice continued attacking JackPot while maneuvering it towards the upper-right killsaws. A flurry of blows to JackPot's front and right-hand side was broken up by a tentative phase, where Malice drove over and around the BattleBots logo while JackPot crawled towards the blue square. Malice proceeded to churn away at JackPot's left side, while pushing it over another set of killsaw slots. It negotiated across the lower perimeter and spun in the center, with JackPot now seemingly immobile. At that point, the killsaws under JackPot rose up, prompting Malice to slam into and throw JackPot into the corner. "Was it necessary? No. Do I like it? Yes!" — Will Bales, shortly after Malice delivers a knockout blow to JackPot When it became clear that JackPot could no longer self-right, John Remar began counting it out. Malice spun again as Bunny Liaw and her team's machine emerged victorious, soundly avenging their 2021 loss. In her post-match interview - partially shown in the Vegas All Stars edit - Bunny Liaw thanked Robotic Death Company for their ESC, which contributed to Malice's improved form and reliability over prior events. During a Skorpios team build diary, it was revealed that Malice had not only taken chunks out of JackPot's disks and damaged its srimech, but also written off the chassis for the latter's initial 2022 build.
BattleBots: Champions I
Malice vs. Slammo! Slammo! and Malice duke it out. The remains of Slammo!. Malice also entered BattleBots: Champions I, 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.
World Championship VII
Malice vs. Lock-Jaw Malice's first Fight Night opponent of World Championship VII was against former semi-finalist Lock-Jaw. For this fight, Malice opted for its drumstick weapon, accompanied by its new serrated forks. Lock-Jaw and Malice in the BattleBox. Lock-Jaw led with its plow and dashed towards Malice in the opening seconds, pushing it back towards the screws but failing to disrupt the spinning weapon. Malice spun around and locked horns with Donald Hutson's bot, sliding one fork underneath the plow but otherwise struggling to gain control. Lock-Jaw was offered space to spin up its weapon in the meantime, and swung around to face Malice momentarily before opting to lead with its plow once again. Malice is pinned by Lock-Jaw. Both robots engaged in a brief pushing match in the center of the BattleBox before Lock-Jaw dealt several minor uppercuts to Malice's weapon. Now leading with its vertical spinner, Lock-Jaw went weapon-to-weapon with Malice with Hutson getting the better of each engagement. As Malice escaped to the other end of the arena, Lock-Jaw charged into the front of Malice and popped it into the air, landing upside-down and rendering its forks useless. Malice finishes the fight strong. Malice looked to recover but was hit several more times until it was flipped back over, narrowly missing a shot from the pulverizer. Lock-Jaw's plow got underneath Malice again and pressed it against the wall before it became clear that Malice's weapon was no longer spinning. Lock-Jaw tried to lead with its weapon, but a puff of smoke emerged from its motors so the team held off. Malice continued to chase down Lock-Jaw and shoved it around in the closing seconds as Lock-Jaw again began to smoke. Both robots were mobile at the end of the battle, but Lock-Jaw was unanimously declared the winner, consigning Malice to an 0-1 start.
Malice vs. Emulsifier Malice's second Fight Night battle came against Bunny Liaw's former team and their new entry, Emulsifier. It was again armed with the drumstick weapon. Sparks fly as both robots collide. Early on, Malice tried to attack the wedge of Emulsifier but lost the fight for low ground and took several hits to its front. As it escaped the assault from Emulsifier, Malice lost its right-side fork before the vertical spinner caught Malice's side, launching it across the BattleBox. Malice's frame had been mangled at the front and as Emulsifier came in for another hit, both robots ricocheted in the short corner and landed inverted. Whereas Emulsifier was able to drive upside-down and used the spiked wall to flip back over, Malice appeared stuck on top of the pulverizer, and then on the warped piece of metal which had been bent upward on impact and kept Malice's right-side wheel off the floor. However, it was still mobile whereas Emulsifier appeared unable to escape the short corner whatsoever. Emulsifier's right hand side had become high centered, and the tracked bot suddenly could not move. "Keep in mind, the rules this season state that movement of any kind will keep you in a fight." — Chris Rose highlights the major rule change regarding mobility for World Championship VII Malice drives on one wheel while Emulsifier is high-centered. Malice continued to dance around on one wheel while a count began on Emulsifier, marking a first win of the season for Bunny Liaw's team and a healthier 1-1 record. "We got so incredibly lucky. We had an initial strategy that just didn't kick off very well. I think we were planning on getting them to pop off the floor by having them turn and gyro more than their magnets could handle, which really causes them to pop up somewhat violently, but it just didn't happen. The plan went out the window quickly." — David Rush's assessment of the fight
Malice vs. Valkyrie Malice's third Fight Night opponent was Valkyrie, now captained and driven by Lucy Du. Malice was again armed with its drumstick weapon, and also dropped its forks in favor of "nut guards" protecting the nuts which held its chassis together. Valkyrie delivers a hit to Malice's wheel early on. Both robots got their horizontal spinners up to speed as Malice was quickest out of its square, driving towards Valkyrie. Lucy Du's robot landed the first blow of the fight, however, hitting the frame of Malice, who then drove into the screws. The pair moved toward the center of the BattleBox and Valkyrie dealt a blow to Malice's wheel before they traded glancing shots. Valkyrie loses its primary weapon. Whereas Valkyrie was able to hit low on the frame of Malice, Bunny Liaw's bot was able to attack the sloped front of Valkyrie, tearing up its decoration. Lucy Du kept Valkyrie pointed at Malice, who opted to circle its opponent and look for an opening to attack. Malice then turned to attack Valkyrie head-on, slamming into the front and dislodging Valkyrie's weapon assembly. This caused its horizontal spinner to come loose and separate from the bot in an exchange which also inverted the former Most Destructive Award winner. Kenny Florian: "A very technical fight so far..." Chris Rose: "Valkyrie trying to stay squared up. Ooh, takes a stiff jab... WOAH!" Kenny Florian: "Valkyrie has lost the weapon! Glory is gone!" Chris Rose: "That is going to be an issue." — Chris and Kenny as Valkyrie's primary weapon comes loose Both robots struggle to engage. As Valkyrie looked to find its feet once again, Malice could only arc across the floor; its right side drive appeared to be locked up. Lucy Du used her opponent to self-right, and then nudged into Bunny Liaw's bot. However, its right-side tire was loose on its hub, meaning it too was struggling to move. As a result, both robots could not reliably engage with one another. Chris Rose: "The rules this season do allow for what they call 'crab-walking', which is pretty much what you're seeing. But Kenny, these teams do have to show they can engage with their opponent." Kenny Florian: "Yeah, that's right. The refs won't just let these two flounder like this forever. If they don't have the mobility to engage, we could see a double countdown which would force a judges' decision." — Chris and Kenny as neither robot is able to lead an attack with ninety seconds to go Both referees initiate a double count-out. Malice's weapon slowed as it tried to find mobility, but referees John Remar and Kathryn Godfrey initiated a double count-out. Valkyrie and Malice had finally manoeuvred towards one another as the count ended with Malice's weapon spinning once more. This marked the first enforcement of the new rule for World Championship VII which permitted a double knockout in the instance of two robots still showing sufficient mobility to ordinarily avoid a count-out, if they are unable to engage. The fight therefore went to the judges, who controversially ruled 2-1 in favor of Valkyrie. "I'm gonna challenge it... yeah, we're challenging. Sorry guys, we have to. We were not only functional, we had our weapon spinning... we love you guys though, good job!" — Bunny Liaw speaks to her team, and then to Lucy Du about the decision Both team captains confirm no animosity as the Appeal is confirmed. However, Team Malice captain Bunny Liaw was quick to disagree, and stated her intention to appeal the decision as she felt the judges had overlooked Malice still having full use of its weapon. As Valkyrie was declared the winner, Lucy Du admitted her surprise at the decision in the post-fight interviews, and Bunny Liaw confirmed the team's wish to appeal. "I think it was a pretty close one... it was a pretty good fight; there were some big hits. I think we both did what we do best." — Lucy Du post-fight "I think that I have the right idea because according to the rules, we were translationally moving towards them and our weapon was spinning. So I just don't think it's the wrong choice [to appeal]." — Bunny Liaw reacts to the judges' decision Both team captains speak to Match Steward Mike Jeffries. Both team captains pleaded their case to the Match Steward, who then liaised with the judges. This forced all three judges to re-evaluate the fight, but the new decision was not revealed until later in the episode. The three judges re-watching the fight. However, it was eventually confirmed that the judges had not initially seen the functionality in Malice's weapon as the double knockout was declared, therefore scored Valkyrie high in the Damage category. The original scorecards versus the rewritten scorecards. On reflection, these Damage points were docked and all three judges unanimously awarded the fight in favor of Bunny Liaw and Malice. In the first-ever appeal to be televised in BattleBots history, the initial decision was overturned and Malice advanced to a 2-1 record.
Malice vs. Gruff Malice ahead of fighting Gruff. Malice's fourth and final Fight Night opponent was Gruff. Leading into the bout, the team expressed just how important it was to win the fight in a convincing fashion. Despite their 2-1 record, Malice's win quality was not believed to be enough to score a strong seed, placing much emphasis on its performance in the final round. For the match, Malice once again donned its forks and the drumstick weapon, with Bunny Liaw noting that ground game and maneuverability would be Malice's best assets during the fight. "I don't want to be on the fence anymore. I don't want to have to go through another Skorpios situation. I want to get into the 32, and to do that I need to be 3-1." — Bunny Liaw explains the importance of ending Fight Night with a win Malice is pushed around by Gruff. When the match began, Malice moved away from the center of the box, opting to circle Gruff while its weapon spun up rather than attacking immediately. As Malice closed in, ready to attack, Gruff responded by igniting its flamethrower, hoping to scorch some of the spinner bot's internals. Malice responded with a few glancing blows before striking a solid hit against the rear of Sam McAmis' bot, following up with some side shots. Malice is taken to the Upper Deck, but escapes. However, the recoil of these attacks allowed Gruff to get underneath Malice, allowing it to bathe Bunny's robot in flames yet again and slam it into the wall. Still in control, Gruff then drove across the arena to pin Malice against the Upper Deck, using its powerful flamethrower to score points. Finally, the lifter bot finished its offensive by slamming Malice against the screws, forcing it onto the Upper Deck. "And Malice ends up on the Upper Deck! Can they find their way off of it, and also, how's their weapon?" — Chris Rose expresses concern about Malice's functionality after Gruff's sequence of attacks Malice retreats as Gruff's drive fails. Fortunately for Malice, driver David Liaw was able to escape from Gruff's clutches, giving the drumstick time to spin up again before attacking again. This time, it landed a powerful head-on shot that sent Gruff reeling, following up with a few lighter shots which pushed Gruff against the arena rails. Malice backed away, taking time to spin up the weapon while examining its opponent's condition. When Gruff moved away from the wall, Malice charged in for a kill shot, delivering a vicious blow which left the lifter robot completely immobile, warping its underside. While Gruff flailed helplessly in an attempt to regain some mobility, Malice celebrated in the center of the box as it moved to 3-1 by KO in just 90 seconds. "Big time kudos to Malice for showing toughness and tenacity in this fight. That's gonna help its case tremendously with the committee come tournament time." — Kenny Florian notes the positive effect the fight had on Malice's post-season hopes
Malice vs. Switchback "...and look at this! The grim reaper's in the house, Kenny!" — Chris Rose, introducing Ray Billings' return as part of Team Malice Ray Billings returns to the BattleBox. Entering the Top 32 for the first time since its debut season, Malice took the No.17 seed and fought the No.16 seed, Switchback. For this fight, Bunny Liaw's team were joined by Ray Billings and Jonathan LaPlain. Operated by regular members David Liaw and David Rush, Malice sported the Drumstick bar once again along with twin sets of serrated front forks. Switchback pops Malice up. Malice immediately drove out of the red square, but was subject to an early box-rush attempt by Switchback. Turning around at the same time, it struck the armored front and right-hand side of Team Midnight Invention's machine, while pushing it into one of the nearby screws. In response, Switchback raised its arm, bringing its eggbeater into contact with Malice's left forks. Both robots pirouetted together following a reverse drive from Switchback; Malice broke itself free as Switchback swung its arm again. After getting its Drumstick back up to speed, Malice slammed into the front of a pursuing Switchback, then the rear. A few seconds later, it was thrown upwards by Switchback in a direct weapon-on-weapon exchange. Malice responded by breaching Switchback's front ground clearance and inflicting more damaging blows to its lower armor, while also pressuring it into the blue square screws. A few rams followed, before both competitors turned around and drove away simultaneously. Malice followed Switchback as the latter drove and turned around near the bottom-left killsaw slots. Another spinner-on-spinner collision followed, with Malice momentarily driving up the side of Switchback as a consequence. Chris Rose: "Greg Needel does the Texas two-step and breaks free... but David Liaw, he's playing some serious press coverage tonight!" Kenny Florian: "And Chris, I'm not really hearing Switchback's drum anymore... [Malice hits the side of Switchback] OH!" Chris Rose: "In the meantime, the Drumstick on Malice is just fine, thanks." — As Malice maintains an aggressive onslaught against Switchback Switchback is caught under the pulverizer, Malice reversed towards the control booth, bracing itself for a ram from Switchback. Switchback, however, recoiled to the side following this impact, while Malice's attacks were enough to have disabled its eggbeater by this point. Immediately, Malice responded by landing two more blows to Switchback's left and front armor, then briefly nudging Switchback from behind. As Switchback headed to the killsaw slots, Malice drove towards the center. While catching a floor seam, it began another series of highly damaging attacks to the front of a persevering Switchback. Though its own spinner was also momentarily halted, David Liaw's machine still pushed Switchback in circles near the bottom-left corner. After this, Switchback reversed into the bumper and took a blow from the nearby pulverizer, while Malice once more headed back into the center. Switchback's weapon chain comes loose. Malice, capitalizing on Switchback's resulting mobility issues, drove up and clipped the latter's left-hand side, before hitting and sending it underneath the pulverizer. Switchback responded with a quick ram, briefly halting Malice's Drumstick once more. Again, Malice headed to the center as the match reached the halfway point, ultimately resuming its attacks on a now-crippled Switchback. This was enough - as spotted by Bunny Liaw - to sever the right-hand chain for Switchback's weapon arm, which now trailed behind Greg Needel's machine. "Got his chain, you've got his chain!" — Bunny Liaw, reporting Switchback's damaged chain to her teammates Malice gives chase, but is halted by the killsaws. Eventually, both robots met in the center again. Malice was deflected as it landed another powerful blow on Switchback. Tentative movements followed, before Malice again ground away at Switchback's front end and right-hand side, while pushing and spearing directly beneath its eggbeater. In turn, it was briefly pushed back across the inner perimeter by Switchback, whose remaining weapon chain was also severed and discarded. While its opponent coasted to the bottom-right corner, Malice positioned itself over two of the bottom-left killsaw slots, just as the lights for the final minute began flashing. Following another set of tentative movements, Malice made a charge towards Switchback, which was now reversing into the top-right corner. In the process, it hit the killsaws from that corner as they rose up, sending sparks flying everywhere. Malice, seemingly unhindered by this, proceeded to damage the right-hand side and rear of Switchback a few more times. David Liaw's machine got underneath and hooked Switchback with its forks, dragging and pushing it towards the blue square. Both robots separated, with Malice driving towards the center, then back into the corner to deliver another heavy blow to Switchback's right-rear corner. Kenny Florian: "That front and side armor is really saving Switchback. They would've been knocked out a long time ago." Chris Rose: "David Liaw seems to be backin' up, tryin' to measure - " Both [as Malice hits Switchback again]: "Oh!" Kenny Florian: "Nice little shot! Under thirty to go!" — As Malice attacks Switchback in the top-right pocket Switchback and Malice tussle in the short corner. Malice, in a rush to land another quick attack, drove up the rear of Switchback. Seconds later, it found itself being pushed into the corner, despite chipping away at Switchback yet again. Kenny Florian: "Greg Needel needs to go "pedal to the metal" here, Chris!" Chris Rose: "Okay, well look at this! Switchback rams Malice into the wall! What has Greg Needel's bot have left in the tank?" Kenny Florian: "Well, that weapon on Malice looks like its starting to slow down too! Switchback might just need one more big shot, but they might be out of time!" — As Switchback briefly outpushes Malice in the closing stages Malice strikes the rear of Switchback in the final seconds. This set up a brief pushing match going into the final ten seconds, which Malice backed away from to start a final run across the BattleBox center. As Switchback darted back and forth across the blue square, Malice unleashed its final wave of attacks, pounding and grinding away at its opponent's left side until the end buzzer sounded. Satisfied with Malice's performance, Bunny Liaw and Ray Billings exchanged a celebratory fist bump between each other. Members of both teams - including Liaw and Greg Needel - exchanged similar fist bumps while praising each other over a 'nice match'. Chris Rose: "Greg Needel did what he could, but an awful lot of credit to Team Malice. They never stopped attacking." Kenny Florian: "Absolutely. A dominant performance from Malice. They were aggressive, their weapon was effective, and it never really stopped working. And when we saw those chains on Switchback fall off, we knew it was over." — During post-match replays As a result of its more 'dominant', damaging and aggressive performance, Malice won the unanimous judges' decision. More fist bumps were exchanged between both teams, while Kenny Florian light-heartedly addressed Ray Billings' presence as Malice's 'superpower' during Bunny Liaw's interview. Chris Rose: "This must be incredibly uplifting after not making it to the Round of 32 a season ago, is it not?" Bunny Liaw: "It's the best! I've never made it to the Round of 16. I have my team to thank – I’m so excited!" — Bunny Liaw's post-match interview
Malice vs. Minotaur Malice in the red square ahead of fighting Minotaur. Malice advanced into the Round of 16, where it now faced the No.1 overall seed, Team RioBotz and Minotaur. This fight saw the return of Big Red - Malice's largest and heaviest weapon option - for the first time since 2020, but at the expense of its serrated forks. This decision came after consulting former champions Ray Billings and Paul Ventimiglia on their experiences facing Minotaur, ultimately concluding that brute force and aggressive driving were the best way to counter the bull. "So that's what she's doing. Going with her 60 pound drum, Big Red, which she feels has the best chance of breaking Minotaur's weapon." — Kenny Florian explains Bunny's plan to defeat Minotaur The first big impact between both robots. When the match began, both robots approached cautiously before Malice delivered the first blow, a jarring impact which sent both machines flying to opposite corners of the arena and flipped Minotaur over. Malice rushed in for a follow up attack, recoiling into the wall from the force of the blow. Malice slams into Minotaur as the Brazilian bot ricochets across the arena. Minotaur took the opportunity to try and self-right, but Malice hit it against the screws with a attack so powerful it caused the Brazilian bot to bounce into the screws of the Upper Deck, nearly on the other side of the arena. Malice's weapon slams into Minotaur, and then the BattleBox floor. Smelling blood in the water, Malice followed the still upside-down Minotaur and began pressuring it near the screws, delivering a series of light blows as Daniel Freitas struggled to self-right his robot. Finally, the bull from Brazil managed to make enough space to gyroscopically flip itself over, meeting Malice for a brutal weapon-on-weapon collision that once again sent both bots to opposite ends of the arena, this time with Malice flipped upside-down. The No.17 seed continued to attack, but the horizontal drum quickly lost speed and came to a standstill. Chris: "Minotaur shoving Malice up on the screws of the Upper Deck!" Kenny: "And look at Big Red! That tooth..." Chris: "Oh, God!" — Chris and Kenny react to the damage to Malice's dead weapon Malice is pinned against the Upper Deck. Now with its weapon fully out of commission, Malice was relegated to fighting as a push bot, but found itself unable to contend with Minotaur's powerful drive train. The Brazilian robot pushed Malice into the Upper Deck, pinning the underdog for several seconds before releasing and flipping it over with a blow from its drum spinner. Despite its less powerful drive train and lack of working weapon, Malice did not hesitate to pursue Minotaur as it attempted to get its drum back up to speed. Minotaur pins Malice against the rails. However, Malice's aggressive tactics were unable to make up for its lack of weaponry and pushing power, with Minotaur meeting them head on at every turn. Though the Brazilian Bull's drum spinner showed significant signs of slowing at times, it continued to bully its horizontal foe around the box, delivering small shots and pushing it into the rails. Despite the best efforts of David Liaw, Malice found itself under the pulverizer a few times and frequently on the wrong end of a spinning steel drum. Chris: "But Kenny, if his weapon's out of commission, what in the world can Malice driver David Liaw still do to actually win this fight?" Kenny: "Right now, he's just got to get some separation and reset. Can't do anything if Minotaur's got him in a chokehold." — Chris and Kenny analyze Malice's tactical dilemma Big Red after the fight. As the last moments of the fight ticked away, Malice was thrown upwards by Minotaur, rolling back onto its top plate and pushed into the corner. Though the plucky 17 seed had started strong, it came as no surprise that the final verdict from the judges was cast in favor of Minotaur, eliminating Malice from the competition in its furthest run yet. "But with Minotaur up against the screws, David Liaw could not capitalize and that's really where the momentum shifted." — Chris Rose breaks down Malice's eventual downfall after a strong start David Rush later confirmed that Malice's weapon died as a result of its battery eliminator circuit (BEC) failing. The damage was far from one-sided, however, as Bunny Liaw later revealed that Malice had become the first robot to break Minotaur's weapon pulley in its career.
Malice vs. Captain Shrederator (Exhibition) Malice fought in a single exhibition match against Captain Shrederator as part of Vengeance in Vegas II. It was again equipped with its corner braces for this fight, help protect the bolts keeping its frame together. Captain Shrederator sends Malice into the corner. Neither robot was quick out of its starting square as they allowed one another to spin up to speed. Malice faced Captain Shrederator, but it was Brian Nave's robot which was first to make contact, brushing against the front of its frame. After a suspenseful few seconds, Captain Shrederator then struck Malice and threw towards the corner of the arena. Sparks fly as Malice attacks the shell of Captain Shrederator. While Malice recovered quickly and got its weapon back up to speed, this impact halted Captain Shrederator's spinning shell, reducing it to a rambot for the remainder of this exhibition fight. Malice looked to attack but bounced up the sloped shell of Captain Shrederator before becoming free. Captain Shrederator then appeared immobile over the killsaw slots, leading to Malice knocking it free to continue the fight. It then buffeted against the motionless shell before striking its side, resulting it the Team LOGICOM robot becoming stuck over the slots for a second time. Malice rides up the shell of Captain Shrederator. The now sluggish Captain Shrederator was largely defenceless against Malice's assault as it was nudged underneath the pulverizer and took several hits from the hazard. But as Malice drove into Captain Shrederator with its weapon powered down, Bunny Liaw's bot rode up the sloped shell and became high-centered with both drive wheels off the BattleBox floor. The fight ends with neither robot able to show mobility. Brian Nave's team tried to free both robots by activating the nearby pulverizer on their own robot, but to no avail. There was insufficient time for a double count-out to begin, and Malice won the eventual judges' decision.
BattleBots: Champions II
Malice vs. HiJinx Malice competed in BattleBots: Champions II, where it faced off against HiJinx in Round 1 of the second Sin City Slugfest bracket. Team Malice were again joined by Ray Billings for this competition. Malice with its protective steel nut guards. Equipped with its drumstick weapon, Malice's team also added steel plates in front of the nuts holding its chassis together, offering greater protection against its opponent's weapon. Malice tears into HiJinx's wheel. HiJinx led with its tail as it started spinning up, but Malice quickly engaged and evaded the tail, instead striking the weapon with its own horizontal spinner. David Liaw looked to coerce HiJinx into the corner and tore off one of HiJinx's hubs, buckling the remaining wheel. Both both go weapon-to-weapon. However, HiJinx then backed up, striking Malice with its blade and unbalancing it momentarily. Malice retaliated by buffeting its reinforced tail. before taking advantage of HiJinx exposing its other wheel and splitting it across the center. At this stage, Malice had damaged both wheels on HiJinx, hampering its mobility. Jen Herchenroeder's robot struggled to keep its tail pointed at its opponent as a result, but its giant horizontal spinner continued to pose a threat to the Top 16 finisher. Both bots went weapon-to-weapon, which caused Malice to twist away into the middle of the arena. Jen Herchenroeder: "Yeah that's right! Right on their frame..." Chris Rose: "That was a great job by Orion Beach to use the tail to filter Malice into their weapon... trying to do it again, here!" — Jen Herchenroeder and Chris Rose react to Orion Beach's tactics An inverted Malice hits high up on HiJinx. Malice landed upside-down, meaning it could now hit slightly higher up, but the accumulated damage to HiJinx's wheels began to really affect their mobility. The left wheel was dragging the right side of the robot around, but Orion Beach kept the front pointed at Malice. David Liaw opted to charge head-on and tore away the decorative face of HiJinx before landing another hit on the wheels. HiJinx sits incapacitated. Now high-centered on its own weapon, the wheels of HiJinx lacked contact with the floor and the robot could no longer show mobility. HiJinx was counted out and Malice moved on.
Malice vs. Whiplash "What makes me nervous about Whiplash is they are very precise. They know exactly how to get in and get us flipped over. They're gonna box-rush us, and we need to be able to get away to spin our weapon up." — Bunny Liaw anticipates an aggressive performance from Whiplash Malice's semi-final opponent was Whiplash, which had beaten Fusion to reach this stage. The team opted to use their "Mayhem" configuration here, combining the lighter "drumstick" bar with front forks. Bunny Liaw explained that this was to breach Whiplash's ground clearance and potentially flip it over, giving Malice the best opportunity to cause maximum damage to the 2020 season runner-up. However, she still expected Whiplash to box-rush Malice at the start, noting their team's "very precise" driving in her pre-match interview. "...the forks are very important for Whiplash 'cause we need to get under them, and get them flipped over so we have time to get away to spin up. So we hope to keep them on their back, to give us enough time to get spun up and do some big hits." — Bunny Liaw explains Malice's battle strategy Malice is driven into the short corner by Whiplash. Darting towards the control booth from the red square, Malice was clipped by an approaching Whiplash and shepherded across the perimeter. A heavy collision between the "drumstick" and Whiplash's plow sent it recoiling into the lower wall; a second momentarily left Malice balancing on its rear panel. Malice exchanged another blow as Whiplash pinned it against the wall bumper, then proceeded to drag and slam it into the middle screw bumper behind the blue square. Malice is caught by the pulverizer. Both robots separated, allowing Malice a chance to retreat and get its bar spinner back into a fighting position. Initially dodging Whiplash's chase, it was again collected and rammed into the upper-left pocket, upon attempting another attack on its opponent's plow. The impact almost flipped Malice over against the wall, while also temporarily stopping the momentum in its "drumstick" weapon. No sooner had Malice landed back on the front of Whiplash, it was shoved directly under the nearby pulverizer, taking a few blows from the 100lb hazard. Still stuck on Whiplash, Malice was then turned around and pushed back across the BattleBox, while clipping and being slammed into two of the screw mounts. Malice buffets the plow of Whiplash. By this point, both robots became separated in the bottom-right corner, with David Liaw attempting to steer Malice out of the nearby paddle. As Whiplash closed in, Malice responded by delivering more heavy blows to the former's plow and lifter plate, while following Matt Vasquez's machine as it reversed across the perimeter. The front forks also succeeded in getting underneath Whiplash multiple times during this phase. At one point, a large piece of yellow metal was flung across the BattleBox as Malice steered Whiplash back against the control booth bumper. Chris Rose: "And now David Liaw starting to fight back on the sticks for Team Malice." Kenny Florian: "And they've gotta figure out a way to connect with the sides of Whiplash..." Chris Rose: "Woah!" Kenny Florian: "Put together some combos like this to get that plow out of the way!" — As Malice inflicts a chain of damaging blows to Whiplash's plow Malice is pinned beneath the pulverizer. However, this was not enough to prevent Whiplash from getting underneath and pushing Malice against the bumper itself. Seconds later, Malice was thrown upwards by Whiplash's lifter, crashing down to the floor opposite the bottom-right pulverizer. Malice clipped the front of Whiplash again while engaging in another head-to-head skirmish. However, it was unable to hold Whiplash in place under the pulverizer, and ended up driving under the hazard itself as Whiplash swerved out of the way. Malice bounces off Whiplash's plow and becomes inverted. While being hammered, Malice was scooped up and pinned by Whiplash, but retaliated by hitting the latter's plow twice more while trying to back away. Another lift from Whiplash threw it against the nearby door buffer screen. Malice landed on the back of its opponent, and was rammed into the bumper as a result. Both robots again separated. Unable to avoid another drive from Whiplash, Malice turned its "drumstick" into the plow yet again. However, the force of the impact caused it to recoil onto its side. While trying to land upright using its left wheel, Malice was nudged by a pursuing Whiplash, forcing it to gyrate onto its back and its opponent's front end. At that point, the forks had been completely nullified, though Malice still landed blows with the "drumstick" while Whiplash pushed it into the bottom-left paddle. Chris Rose: "And now Malice is inverted. Certainly can drive this way, but doesn't like having its weapon up high. Would rather have it down low." Kenny Florian: "And another issue with being inverted, Chris, is that it negates their forks. Whiplash should be able to dominate the ground game, while Malice is upside-down." — As Malice struggles to maintain weapon power while upside-down Malice becomes stuck on the BattleBox. Malice, having briefly caught the bumper opposite the paddle, reversed and retreated in an effort to get its "drumstick" back up to full speed. More hits and shoves were exchanged in the BattleBox center, and as both competitors maneuvered into the area immediately surrounding the red square. As the battle reached its halfway point, Malice kept hitting the front and left-hand side of Whiplash, though the "drumstick" had begun to lose power considerably. A tentative phase ended in Malice being pushed and deflected into the red square screws, which attempted to carry it off the BattleBox floor. In its attempt to escape, Malice backed up over the center screw mount, wedging itself in place as a result. "Look at that, wheels off the floor! Have a good night, Malice!" — Kenny Florian as a stranded Malice gets counted out Bunny Liaw and Debbie Vasquez embrace one another post-fight. With wheels spinning - and the "drumstick" seemingly out of action - David Liaw's machine was effectively incapacitated, prompting Whiplash to begin celebrating its impending victory. A full count-out was initiated by John Remar, officially eliminating Malice from Champions II. Unfazed by her team's loss, Bunny Liaw exchanged hugs with Jeff and Debbie Vasquez of Team Fast Electric Robots immediately following the match. In an Instagram post by Bunny Liaw, it was revealed that Malice had broken two of Whiplash's drive chains during the fight.
BattleBots FaceOffs
Malice vs. Lucky Malice returned for BattleBots FaceOffs, where it fought in the second round robin group consisting of three other competitors. One of these opponents was Lucky.
Malice vs. Disarray Malice also fought Wildcat Robotics entry Disarray during the group.
Malice vs. JackPot Also in Malice's group was JackPot, an opponent Malice had fought twice before, winning and losing a fight apiece.

Results

Competitive Wins/Losses

• Wins: 11
• Losses: 10

Exhibition Wins/Losses

• Wins: 2
• Losses: 0

Total Wins/Losses

• Wins: 13
• Losses: 10

Competition	Wins	Losses
World Championship V	Axe Backwards (Undercard Match) Shatter! (Undercard Match)	MadCatter (Undercard Match) Gigabyte
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters	Tracer HUGE	SubZero
World Championship VI	Blacksmith (Undercard Match)	Tantrum (Undercard Match) JackPot (Undercard Match) Skorpios (Play in Match)
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)	JackPot	None
BattleBots: Champions I	Slammo!	Ribbot
World Championship VII	Emulsifier (Undercard Match) Valkyrie (Undercard Match) * Gruff (Undercard Match) Switchback Captain Shrederator (Exhibition Match)	Lock-Jaw (Undercard Match) Minotaur
BattleBot: Champions II	HiJinx	Whiplash
BattleBots Proving Ground	TBD	TBD

* Valkyrie was initially declared the winner of this battle on a split judges' decision. However, following an Appeal, the judges rescored the fight and Malice was declared the winner by unanimous judges' decision.

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 thunder-land. 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!"

"From San Jose, California. Your bot's like her ears: they're about to get lit up. Give it up for MALICE!"

"From San Jose, California, better watch out, 'cause Bunny ain't here to play, boy. It's MALICE!"

"From San Jose, California. Remember the story of The Tortoise and the Hare? Well, this is the sequel where the Bunny wins by knockout. It's 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.
• Malice's "drumstick" weapon was designed with assistance from Ray Billings.
  • Ray Billings would later assist with Malice during World Championship VII.
• Malice was the first robot to issue an Appeal in BattleBots history, doing so in its fight against Valkyrie during World Championship VII.
  • Malice was also the only robot in World Championship VII to successfully use its Appeal to overturn an initial judges' decision.
  • Malice was originally supposed to take on HyperShock in its BattleBots FaceOffs group, before Team HyperShock swapped their machines in their respective groups.