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For the ShowBot which competes at BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon live events, see Nightmare (ShowBot).

"Spinners like Nightmare have to soak up as much damage as they dish out."
BattleBots: The Official Guide

Nightmare is a heavyweight combat robot built by Jim Smentowski, whose titular team fought in ten BattleBots competitions in total: including two 1999 events, all five seasons of Comedy Central BattleBots and two ABC World Championships.

The robot's primary weapon was a 4ft diameter, ⅜" thick vertical spinner made from T-6061 aluminum with teeth on either side of the disk. It debuted in 1999, becoming an instant fan favorite due to its huge vertical spinning weapon in relation to the rest of its chassis. Returning in 2015, an upgraded version of Nightmare competed in the 2015 and 2016 seasons before Jim Smentowski entered Breaker Box in its place. It returned for a one-off exhibition match having been a static display in the past, but has not competed since.

Since its debut, Nightmare proved to be a consistent performer and a feared opponent, largely down to its giant spinning weaponry which made it a poster bot for the show in future seasons. Nightmare won the Most Aggressive Robot Award at the 1999 Long Beach event, yet never made it past the quarter-final stage in any competition. Nightmare's inspiration came from bucket wheel excavators, with the collection mechanism replaced with a giant spinning disk. Nightmare had several revisions over the years, starting as a boxy, awkward looking robot and evolving into a much sleeker and more powerful design by Season 5.0.

Team Nightmare also built a lightweight version of their popular heavyweight, named Backlash. It achieved even better success than its heavyweight counterpart, winning the Season 1.0 lightweight championship. A middleweight version was also built, which competed under the name Locust as part of multibot The Swarm. All of these robots were retired after BattleBots, but antweight and fairyweight versions of Nightmare competed long after the cancelation of Comedy Central BattleBots.

Nightmare also provided demonstrations for the 2004 BattleBots IQ event, fighting against an empty water barrel and wooden palettes.[1]

With BattleBots returning in 2015, so did Jim Smentowski and Nightmare. This new version sported wheelguards and a redesigned Grade 38 titanium blade which was ½" thick and weighed over 50lbs once the 5lb teeth were bolted in. Other internal upgrades included new speed controllers, motors, wheels and receiver.[2] Nightmare's NiMH and NiCad batteries were also replaced with Li-ion nanophosphate alternatives to help prolong its battery life. Nightmare lost its first and only battle against Team Whyachi's Warrior Clan, but won a three-way rumble later in the competition.

Nightmare WCII hero shot

Nightmare during World Championship II hero shots.

For World Championship II in 2016, symmetrical teeth were added to the spinning disk and the wheelguards were replaced by titanium hubcaps. Jim Smentowski also addressed Nightmare's inability to run inverted or self-right, a weakness that had plagued it for nearly two decades. The 2016 build of Nightmare was able to reposition its arms either side of the weapon and lock them in place to run inverted, a system dubbed "Inversion Conversion" by the team. As the primary weapon could spin both ways, Nightmare was now, in theory, completely invertible.[3] However, it did not get a chance to demonstrate this mechanism as a sensor failed in both of their losses against Stinger and Beta.

Nightmare WCIV hero shot

Nightmare during World Championship IV hero shots.

The team planned on entering Nightmare into the 2018 season[4], but due to a conflicting schedule with the Chinese show This Is Fighting Robots, they ultimately did not apply. While Nightmare would not compete in the 2019 season, as it was on display in the entrance for the audience along with Ginsu. Breaker Box took its place in the main tournament. It did however take part in an exhibition fight against Mammoth, where it lost in disappointing fashion after being flipped over and its articulating arms failed to work properly.

In 2023, it was revealed that Jim Smentowski would be building multiple Nightmare ShowBots for the live show, BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon.

Outside BattleBots[]

Outside of BattleBots, Nightmare was used as a display piece at various events, such as RoboGames 2011.

Jim Smentowski fought in This is Fighting Robots with a repurposed version of Breaker Box called Wrecker, but it lost both of its fights. The latter of which was a rumble that also featured Megabyte, Spectre and Lieutenant Bam whose teams fought in BattleBots with Gigabyte, Quantum and Jasper respectively.

Robot History[]

Long Beach 1999[]

Nightmare vs. frenZy

Nightmare frenzy LB99

Nightmare lines up an attack on frenZy.

Nightmare's very first fight in BattleBots came in the 1999 Long Beach event against frenZy. Nightmare landed consistent hits on frenZy and was flipped over. frenZy was able to right itself, but Nightmare hit frenZy again, a pattern which played out several times in the fight. After a while, frenZy's weapon was ripped away, leaving it weaponless and vulnerable to further attacks. However, Nightmare also lost its weapon as the disk got caught on the drive chain. Nightmare pushed frenZy into the spike strip and then into the killsaws, winning on a crowd vote.

Nightmare vs. KillerHurtz

Killerhurtznightmare

Nightmare rides up the front of KillerHurtz.

Next up for Jim Smentowski's machine was John Reid and KillerHurtz. Ahead of the fight, the BattleBots safety crew deemed Nightmare's weapon was too dangerous as shrapnel flew out of the BattleBox during their fight with frenZy. Jim Smentowski was given three options by the safety crew: he could withdraw Nightmare and receive a special award, lower the disk speed or reverse the direction of the disk. He chose the third option, though this resulted in Nightmare riding up the front of KillerHurtz as it tried to attack. Ultimately, KillerHurtz won on a crowd vote.

Nightmare vs. Malicious Mischief

Malicious Mischief was Nightmare's third BattleBots opponent in the loser's bracket. Little is known about the fight, but Nightmare beat Malicious Mischief by knockout and advanced in the competition.

Nightmare vs. Punjar

Punjar was the next foe for Nightmare. The US Robot Wars veteran sent Nightmare flying through the air as the disk was running backwards during the fight. Nightmare, however, lost via crowd vote.

Nightmare was unable to compete in the rumble at the end of the tournament due to electrical problems which were unable to be fixed in time.

Las Vegas 1999[]

Nightmare vs. Namreko 3000

Nightmarevsnamreko lv99

Nightmare tears into the top of Namreko 3000.

Unlike Long Beach, Nightmare was allowed to run the blade the correct direction for the 1999 Las Vegas event. Nightmare got a bye due to its No.7 ranking. As such, its first opponent was Namreko 3000. Nightmare started this fight by getting its weapon to full speed and attacking the front of Namreko 3000, tearing one of the circular saws off and flinging it across the BattleBox. The next two attacks from Nightmare tore large pieces off the front and sides of Namreko 3000's shell, whilst the second nearly destroyed Namreko 3000's dome. As Nightmare lined up for another shot, the fight was called. Nightmare won by knockout and advanced to the heavyweight quarter-finals.

Nightmare vs. Rhino

Rhino Nightmare

Rhino fires its spear right into Nightmare's wheel.

Nightmarevsrhino lv99

Nightmare tears off Rhino's spike.

Nightmare Rhino 2

Nightmare is pinned against the spikestrip by Rhino.

In the final eight, Nightmare now faced Rhino. This fight began with Rhino trying to line up at Nightmare, staying out of reach of the disk. Nightmare matched Rhino's every move, turning to keep its primary weapon facing its opponent, but eventually the robots met. Nightmare began to make contact, but Rhino managed to spike Nightmare's left-side wheel and puncture its other tire. Meanwhile, Jim Smentowksi's bot had torn into Rhino's armor, leaving visible dents and gashes behind. Nightmare had also ripped off the front of Rhino's spear, but struggled for mobility due to its puncture. With a minute gone, Rhino danced around its opponent as it swatted its dismembered spear tip away. In the meantime, Nightmare's weapon motor had repositioned itself and the chain was now spinning loosely. Rhino made contact with Nightmare and shoved it slightly, but upon going in for another attack, Nightmare dealt an uppercut to the front of its opponent. Undeterred, Rhino went in and managed to stop the disk of Nightmare, pressing it against the spikes of the BattleBox and lifting Nightmare's drive wheels off the floor. As Rhino moved away, Nightmare spent the closing seconds immobile and limply spinning its disk back up. Time ran out and Rhino won on a 7-2 judges' decision, meaning Nightmare was eliminated from the tournament.

Nightmare was unable to compete in the rumble at the end of the tournament due to a wiring problem in one of the drive motors which could not be fixed in time.

Season 1.0[]

Nightmare vs. Mauler

Maulervsnightmare sf00

One of Nightmare's wheels gets ripped off by The Mauler.

Nightmare's first match of Season 1.0 was against the dangerous Mauler. Nightmare drove at Mauler but was hit by one of Mauler's maces early on, which ripped off one of Nightmare's wheels. Mauler later struck Nightmare's behind and whacked it against the entrance ramp. Nightmare was then unable to move and was counted out. Mauler won by a quick KO at 40 seconds and Nightmare was eliminated from the tournament again.

Heavyweight Rumble

Nightmare rolling along 1

Nightmare on its side during the heavyweight rumble.

Nightmare participated in the Heavyweight Rumble at the end of the tournament, and it performed well in the beginning by ripping off one of Suicidal Tendencies' tracks. However, about 30 seconds later, Nightmare was overturned by Vlad the Impaler. Nightmare was still moving on its back by using its right drive wheel and was one of few robots that were still moving at the end, but it lost overall to BioHazard.

Season 2.0[]

Nightmare vs. Surgeon General

Surgeongeneralvsnightmare 1

Nightmare hits Surgeon General.

Nightmare's first match in Season 2.0 was against Surgeon General in the Round of 32. At the start of the match, both Nightmare and Surgeon General spun up their weapons and approached each other. Surgeon General stopped and attempted to come around the side of Nightmare. Nightmare instantly turned into Surgeon General and the spinning discs collided. After the impact, Surgeon General's disk had been destroyed, as well as the top half of its armor had been peeled back. Surgeon General, now weaponless, moved around to the side of Nightmare, where he attempted to push his attacker into an arena trap, but Nightmare pushed back. At one point, Surgeon General backed over the killsaws, and the remainder of the match consisted of Surgeon General and Nightmare pushing each other around. It comes down to a judges' decision, which Nightmare won, 30-15. This win put Nightmare to the Round of 16.

Nightmare vs. Mortis

Nightmarevsmortis lv00

Nightmare gets tangled with Mortis.

Nightmare vs mortis S2

Nightmare tears a piece of metal off of Mortis.

In its next fight, Nightmare took on the British entry Mortis. At the start of the match, Nightmare's disk spun up and approached Mortis, who turned tail and ran, exposing his rear end. Nightmare took this opportunity and slammed it from behind with the disk. However, it was just a glancing blow and not enough to do much damage. Mortis immediately spun around, evaded Nightmare's weapon and started firing its primary weapon. But the aim was such that the blade kept missing Nightmare's body. This went on for a while as Nightmare tried to navigate into a position to hit Mortis with the disk again. Jim realized was that the bots were somehow tangled together, and Nightmare couldn't move without taking Mortis with it, and vice versa. The refs called for a pause in the fight, and the two robots were separated. Upon restarting, Nightmare was able to hit Mortis with the spinning disk before Mortis pushed Nightmare into the killsaws, but then stops moving. Nightmare drove at Mortis again, disk spinning. Nightmare was able to smash a chunk of Titanium armor off the side of Mortis, but Mortis had stopped altogether. The refs counted Mortis out and Nightmare won by knockout.

Nightmare vs. BioHazard

Biohazard vs

Nightmare hits BioHazard with its disk, causing a shower of sparks.

Nightmare Biohazard pulverizer

Nightmare is lifted under the pulverizer by BioHazard.

Now in the quarter-finals, Nightmare took on BioHazard. The match began, and Nightmare's weapon spun up, heading towards the center to meet BioHazard. BioHazard attempted to get around the side of Nightmare, but Nightmare moved into it, catching his side panel with the spinning disk and Titanium sparks flew as the hinge was torn up. BioHazard tried again to lift Nightmare's left wheel in the air, but the gyroscopic forces of Nightmare's disk at full speed caused it to lift almost straight up in the air instead of tipping. Nightmare backed off BioHazard and moved into position again. BioHazard attempted to move around Nightmare again, but this time, the teeth of Nightmare's spinning disk gashed deeply into BioHazard's side skirt and BioHazard got sent flying. Pieces of titanium rained down on the BattleBox floor for several seconds. The titanium skirt on BioHazard had been nearly completely cut in half. Nightmare was then blindsided by BioHazard, who pushed Nightmare over the killsaws then under the pulverizer, using its lifting arm to suspend Nightmare right underneath the pounding hammer. The top armor on Nightmare was very tough, but Nightmare did not move again. The problem was that the armor that Jim had installed above Nightmare's speed controller had been hit hard enough to break the welds, causing the armor assembly to crash down on the Vantec, disabling the drive system. BioHazard won by knockout and Nightmare was eliminated from the tournament.

Heavyweight Royal Rumble

Nightmare also participated in the Heavyweight Royal Rumble at the end of the tournament. In the beginning, Nightmare managed to hit Vlad the Impaler and another robot. Panic Attack 3 lifted Nightmare's rear end, causing Nightmare to make a large gash in the BattleBox floor. Nightmare then did very little as there was not enough power in the batteries. When the five minutes ended, it was agreed that there would be two additional minutes. When it was over, it came down to seven robots and the crowd cheered loudest for Tazbot, who was declared the winner.

Season 3.0[]

Nightmare vs. SlamJob

Nightmare vs Slamjob

Nightmare's initial attack on Slam Job.

Nightmare's opening fight of Season 3.0 was against Slam Job in the Round of 32. When the match started, Nightmare drove Slam Job with the intention of hitting one of Slam Job's sloped fronts. Nightmare instead struck Slam Job's weapon shaft and threw it upside-down as parts lay strewn across the arena floor.
Tim Green: "Ohhhh baby!"
Bil Dwyer: "Up and at 'em..."
Tim Green: "THAT is a hit!"
— Both commentators react to the knockout blow
This attack struck the tank that powered the tire iron weapon and preventing Slam Job from being able to self-right. Nightmare was not undamaged as its weapon motor threads were torn free and the receiver that was taped in place was jarred loose. Nightmare and Slam Job were both immobilized and the battle was over in 34 seconds. Nightmare won on a 25-20 judges' decision and continued on.

Nightmare vs. Son of Whyachi

Nightmare Son of Whyachi KO

Nightmare's run comes to a brutal end.

Nightmare's damage was repaired as it now took on Son of Whyachi. Both spun up their weapons at the start of the fight and the two machines made their way across the BattleBox. Nightmare, however, was lifted by the Hellraisers into the path of Son of Whyachi's weapon, tearing off its wheels and flinging Nightmare across the BattleBox. This was enough to immobilize Nightmare as Son of Whyachi won by knockout, eliminating Jim Smentowski's team.

Heavyweight Royal Rumble

Nightmare returned in time for the Heavyweight Royal Rumble at the end of the tournament. It did not perform well, however, as its blade was not moving and Nightmare was immediately flipped by HexaDecimator. Nightmare was still able to move, but it mostly drove around in circles. In the end HexaDecimator was declared the winner of the Heavyweight Royal Rumble.

Season 4.0[]

Nightmare vs. Junkyard Offspring

Nightmarevsjyoffspring

Nightmare tears the lid off of Junkyard Offspring.

Returning for Season 4.0, Nightmare's first fight came against Junkyard Offspring in the Round of 32. Nightmare and Junkyard Offspring slammed together only a few seconds into the fight, and Nightmare's spinning disk tore a large chunk of Lexan from the top of Junkyard Offspring off and sent it flying. The bots then circled each other and attacked each other a few more times, each time Junkyard Offspring lost a little more Lexan. One hit sent a piece of Lexan flying into the camera at the roof of the BattleBox, severing some of the wires leading to it. The video feed instantly went dead from that camera for the rest of the match. The bots continued circling, and Junkyard Offspring got a couple good shots in with his spikes on Nightmare's right wheel, but Nightmare was unphased. Nightmare turned, hitting Junkyard Offspring hard enough to damage the drive motors on one side, it wasn't long before the stalled motor started smoking. With Junkyard Offspring's defenses down, Nightmare came in for one last hit, squarely in the front, which jarred loose the receiver battery pack, and Junkyard Offspring was out. Nightmare won by knockout after 1:37.

Nightmare vs. BattleRat

Nmvsbattlerat3

Nightmare tears BattleRat's arm in half.

BattleRat was Nightmare's next robot to fight in the Round of 16. Early on, both robots came together in the middle of the BattleBox and BattleRat slipped under Nightmare from the front, attempting to lift. BattleRat's weapon immediately came in contact with Nightmare's disk and on impact, sent Jim Smentowski's bot backward several feet. The lifter began to show signs of damage as it continued to make contact with Nightmare's disk. Nightmare began honing in on the sides of BattleRat, but with little success initially. It then came in contact with the pivot for BattleRat's arm and Nightmare embedded its tooth deep into its opponent, so much so both robots had to be separated. BattleRat once again rushed at Nightmare as the fight resumed, this time pushing Nightmare back against the screws. However, the disk was still spinning and the moment it came in contact with BattleRat's lifter again, it was ripped in half. The rest of the match was a lot of clumsy pushing, mostly by BattleRat, but try and try again, he was unable to push Nightmare into any arena hazard. Nightmare spent much of the rest of the time trying to get off of the top of BattleRat, but neither bot could do much to each other. Time ran out and it went to the judges, which Nightmare won on a 27-18 decision.

Nightmare vs. BioHazard

Nmvsbiohazard1

Nightmare proceeds to rip in to BioHazard.

The next fight for Nightmare was a grudge match against BioHazard in the heavyweight quarter-finals. In the first few seconds of the fight, the two bots met in the middle of the BattleBox and in a tremendous shower of titanium sparks, Nightmare smashed into the front of BioHazard. Jim Smentowski later learned that this initial impact damaged the lifting mechanism of BioHazard. The bots came back together, and Nightmare struck the front of BioHazard again. In an uncharacteristic display of poor driving from Carlo Bertocchini, BioHazard found itself on the killsaws momentarily as more sparks flew. Nightmare's weapon motor then began emitting smoke and the disk ground to a halt. With its primary weapon disabled, Nightmare tried to push BioHazard but struggled due to its opponent's incredibly low design. BioHazard's lifter could not come into play either, but Nightmare's right side drive motor's gearbox had its gears stripped, leaving Nightmare driving awkwardly as well. BioHazard was able to control Nightmare in the closing stages of the bout, and ultimately won by a 32-13 judges' decision, eliminating Nightmare once more.

Heavyweight Royal Rumble

Nightmare also entered the Heavyweight Royal Rumble at the end of the tournament. During the fight, Nightmare landed a big hit on Botulizer, sending it flying in a shower of sparks. The next victim was SlamJob who Nightmare sent flying upside down again. SlamJob managed to get back upright in the minutes that followed. M.O.E. opted to attack Jim Smentowski's bot, taking off one of Nightmare's tires and affecting its mobility. M.O.E then came back around and took out the other wheel too, breaking the drive gearbox on that side. Although its primary weapon was still functional, Nightmare could no longer drive, and it was left alone for the remainder of the battle. In the end, Little Sister was deemed the winner of the rumble.

Season 5.0[]

Nightmare vs. Warhead

Warheadvsnightmare sf02

Nightmare's wheel gets ripped off by Warhead.

In Season 5.0, Nightmare first had to face the dangerous newcomer Warhead. The match began with both bots spinning up and approaching each other. Warhead swooped in, but missed. Nightmare saw its opportunity, and moved in to attack the backside of Warhead, but Nightmare only casually approached. By the time Nightmare had got to Warhead, Warhead had spun around and was facing Nightmare head-on again, so Nightmare just kept going in. The first impact was both spinners against each other. Nightmare's vertical disk, up to full speed, slammed into Warhead's full-spinning horizontal dome. The impact cratered Nightmare's tooth deep into the aluminum dome of Warhead, which for most opponents, would have been just what Jim wanted, but because Warhead's dome was spinning sideways with the tooth embedded, Warhead effectively 'twisted' Nightmare's tooth right off the side of the disk. The 5lb tooth flew across the BattleBox, bounced off the Lexan and landed back near where the bots were fighting. The disk was still spinning at full speed, however, and the peeled-back aluminum from the gap where the tooth used to be came back around and sliced through Nightmare's own weapon drive belts, and the disk slowly spun down and stopped. Warhead spun around again to attack, and the stunned and now weaponless Nightmare couldn't do much but try to aim into the attack. Warhead ferociously pushed Nightmare to the side to get at its left-side wheel. Quite efficiently, Warhead smashed the wheel so hard that the motor it was attached to, shattered, sending the wheel, along with the hub and the face of the gearbox flying, leaving Nightmare crippled on the BattleBox floor. Jim Smentowski tapped out and Warhead took a surprise win by knockout in under a minute.

Heavyweight Consolation Rumble

NightmareJORumble5

Nightmare strikes Junkyard Offspring.

NightmarehitsDiskontent rumblesf02

Nightmare hits Diskontent.

Nightmare returned for the Heavyweight Consolation Rumble at the end of the tournament. Nightmare's first attack sent the Lexan lid of Junkyard Offspring towards the lights in the BattleBox, causing a shower of glass from the lights to fall onto the floor. Nightmare then struck Junkyard Offspring again and then Spitfire, tearing a tooth off the disk after striking the latter and sending it through the Lexan roof at extreme velocity and landing amongst the crowd. Jim Smentowski and the other competitors were oblivious that this had happened, believing the tooth to be still contained within the BattleBox. Nightmare's blade was now unbalanced, causing the entire robot to shake when it spun. It continued to fight despite this, spinning the now unpredictable weapon down between attacks, occasionally using its back wedge to push some of the robots and using the blade for others like Spitfire, Spinister and Diskontent. In the end, FrostBite and Little Sister were declared the winners of the Heavyweight Consolation Rumble and Nightmare lost with the crowd being outraged by the judges' decision.

Nightmare Blade Damage 5

Nightmare's disk after losing its tooth.

Nobody was seriously injured, though after this Heavyweight Consolation Rumble, the remaining rumbles were canceled for safety reasons.

World Championship I[]

Nightmare vs. Warrior Clan

Nightmare's return to the BattleBox saw it face fellow veterans Team Whyachi and their kinetic flipper multibot, Warrior Clan. As the fight began, Warrior Clan's minibots swarmed Nightmare who landed several early shots to Warrior's top as the flipper misfired.

Warrior Clan vs Nightmare replay

One of Warrior Clan's minibots is torn apart by Nightmare.

Nightmare then turned and swept up one of Warrior Clan's minibots, punting it across the arena before attacking the top of Warrior again. It then reversed onto the other minibot, launching it into the screws and eviscerating the smaller bot.
"Are you kidding me?! One of the minibots has been sacrificed!"
— Chris Rose reacts as Nightmare destroys one of Warrior Clan's minibots

Warrior Clan vs Nightmare 2

Warrior flips Nightmare over.

Shortly after, the lone robot Warrior drove to the center of the arena, tanking several glancing shots from Nightmare before using its front wedge to upend Jim Smentowski's machine, much to the excitement of Clint Ewert. Though Nightmare did not have a conventional self-righting mechanism, it attempted to use a combination of one drive wheel and its primary weapon to flip itself back over.

Nightmare KO vs Warrior Clan

Nightmare sits immobile on the screws.

In doing so, Nightmare clambered over its opponent, eventually ending up underneath the pulverizer, where the Ewert family pinned it in place. Nightmare escaped, but as the fight ticked past the halfway point, drove itself on top of the screws, beaching itself atop the hazard with none of its drive wheels touching the floor. Nightmare desperately spun its blade, but was stuck as Team Whyachi began to celebrate.

Nightmare was ultimately counted out, confirming its early exit.

Nightmare vs. Overhaul vs. Witch Doctor (Exhibition)

Nightmare returned to face Overhaul and Witch Doctor in a three robot rumble at the end of the tournament.

Nightmare got the first hit of the fight, turning sharply to hit the front of Overhaul. Witch Doctor took advantage of the distracted Nightmare, attacking its right flank. Witch Doctor, whose team had added flat additional armor to its front for this battle, went weapon-to-weapon with Nightmare and knocked it back before striking its wheelguard.
"This rumble's off to a frantic start! I don't even know where to look."
— Chris Rose

Witch Doctor Overhaul Nightmare rumble WCI flip

Witch Doctor is sandwiched between Overhaul and Nightmare.

Overhaul attempted a lift on Nightmare, but Witch Doctor's minibot, Shaman, obstructed the team's view with its flamethrower. Witch Doctor honed in on Overhaul, but quickly found itself stuck between both opponents. Despite its bent front forks, Overhaul was able to lift and overturn Witch Doctor as Nightmare landed a shot on Shaman which tore into its fuel tank and peeled open its chassis.

Nightmare Witch Doctor Overhaul

Nightmare approaches Witch Doctor as Overhaul watches on.

With Witch Doctor incapacitated, Nightmare and Overhaul duelled in the middle of the arena. The blade of Nightmare, which proved a constant threat to Team JACD's robot, made contact with Overhaul's frame several times.

Nightmare Overhaul Witch Doctor WCI rumble

Nightmare destroys Overhaul's primary weapon.

Overhaul's bent forks rendered its lifting mechanism largely useless, though it still attempted to hook the uniquely-shaped frame of Nightmare. Soon after, however, Nightmare destroyed Overhaul's crushing mechanism, ripping the arm away from its weapon motor.
"Overhaul looks like he needs a nose job after that, Kenny!"
— Chris Rose

Witch Doctor pulverizer WCI vs Overhaul and Nightmare

Witch Doctor's team try desperately to right their robot.

While this was happening, Witch Doctor had been repositioned underneath the pulverizer by Shaman and its team used the hazard in a desperate attempt to flip it over and continue the fight. As per Rumble rules, Witch Doctor was not counted out despite being immobile for over a minute by this point in the fight.

NightmareOverHaul 3WayRumble

Nightmare rips off Overhaul's crushing arm.

Not long after, Overhaul had stopped moving and a double count-out began against both it and Witch Doctor, confirming Nightmare as the winner.

Nightmare was also due to compete in a nine robot rumble at the end of the tournament, but due to time restraints in filming, the rumble never happened.

World Championship II[]

Nightmare vs. Stinger

Nightmare's first fight in World Championship II was against Team PlumbCrazy and the returning Stinger.

Nightmare was charged down by Stinger immediately, which looked to unbalance Jim Smentowski's machine. This proved unsuccessful as Nightmare rode over the top of Stinger and tore away its back-right wheel, but Stinger's mobility was unaffected by the damage.

Stinger Nightmare WCII KO

Stinger expertly overturns Nightmare.

Keen to retaliate, Stinger ignited its flamethrowers and hoisted its opponent, driving it to the middle of the arena and overturning Nightmare. As one of the sensors for the self-righting arms had broken loose, the pin was unable to loosen in order to assist Nightmare in righting itself.

Nightmare Stinger KO WCII

Nightmare is immobilzed.

Despite Matt Maxham's best efforts to continue the fight, Nightmare was counted out and Stinger won by knockout in under a minute.

Nightmare was awarded one of the eight wildcards and was given the No.25 seeding. At some stage in the fight, Nightmare peeled up part of the steel floor. This could not be repaired, so the piece was removed and gifted to Team Nightmare.[4]

Nightmare vs. Icewave

The reinstated Nightmare took on No.8 seed Icewave in the Round of 32.

Nightmare-icewave1

Nightmare and Icewave clash.

Nightmare was fastest to get its blade up to speed as both robots met in the middle of the arena. Jim Smentowski's robot struck the side of Icewave, but the gas-powered spinner managed to bend Nightmare's weapon shaft, causing its disk to bounce against the steel floor as a belt was also torn away from the vertical spinner.

Icewave vs Nightmare WCII

Icewave rips off Nightmare's wheelguard.

Icewave swiped at Nightmare again, ripping away its right wheelguard and buckling the wheel itself. Nightmare turned to face Icewave again, resulting in it losing a second wheelguard and being swept away.

Icewave KO vs Nightmare WCII

Icewave suddenly stops moving.

Though its bar was up to speed, Icewave was now stationary as Nightmare bounced awkwardly as a result of its damaged weapon. Nightmare held back, electing to power down its disk to allow for more control over its drive.

Icewave's team tried desperately to regain control of their robot, but the referee's count began and Nightmare advanced to the Round of 16 with its first victory in sixteen years. However, damage to Nightmare's frame meant its 'inversion conversion' system could no longer able be used.[4]
"Unfortunately, the damage from the Icewave fight had effectively disabled Nightmare's "Inversion Conversion" system, as the frame had been bent too far, so the holes didn't line up anymore, and there was not enough time before our match [vs. Beta] to do much about it, so I made the decision to remove the arm rotator mechanism."
— Jim Smentowski on his website

Nightmare vs. Beta

Nightmare pre-fight Beta WCII

Nightmare with its 'Beta Blocker' pre-fight.

In the Round of 16, Nightmare fought the No.9 seed Beta. Built by Team Hurtz, Jim Smentowski and Nightmare first met the British team in the 1999 Long Beach event. For this match, Team Nightmare had two pieces of titanium welded into a triangular shape and mounted to the frame protect Nightmare's weapon motor. The titanium was sourced from leftover wheelguards from the previous season and was known as the 'Beta Blocker'.

The fight began with Nightmare on the back foot as Beta wedged underneath Nightmare's right wheel before retreating. The British bot then began circling Nightmare, forcing it to lift a wheel off the ground due to the gyroscopic forces in play thanks to its vertical spinner.
"Nightmare seems to be off balance there as it turns..."
— Kenny Florian acknowledges Nightmare's gyro issues

Beta Nightmare Beta Blocker WCII

Nightmare loses its Beta Blocker attachment.

Nightmare then met Beta head-on, clashing with its large wraparound wedge before slamming into the front. This cost Nightmare its 'Beta Blocker', which was a triangular piece of armor added to protect the otherwise exposed weapon motor.

BetavsNightmare bb2016

Beta slowly strikes Nightmare with its hammer.

With a minute gone, Nightmare continued to turn in place and keep its active weapon pointed at John Reid's machine. The No.25 seed struck Beta from the flank before clambering on top and attacking the main gear for Beta's hammer mechanism. This was followed up by a blow to the hammer itself which was powerful enough to toss the 250lb machine across the arena. Beta then fired its hammer for the first time in the battle - a limp effort which saw the Team Hurtz robot lean its weapon against its opponent's frame.

Nightmare Beta

Beta losing complete control of its weapon.

Beta retracted its hammer, but not before suffering damage courtesy of the now-active killsaws. This did not appear to affect Beta as it edged Nightmare back into the red square. The hammer partially swung before quickly returning to its resting position. Soon after, weapon operator Grant Cooper confirmed Beta's weapon was no longer functional.
"We've lost the hammer... we've lost the hammer."
— Grant Cooper to John Reid
Jim Smentowski's robot slammed into the side of Beta again, causing part of its polycarbonate armor to go flying as the fight entered its final minute. With Nightmare the more damaging robot for much of this Top 16 bout, Beta swung around to the right side of Nightmare and pushed it around in circles, lifting its left wheel off the ground in a desperate attempt to produce a late knockout. Nightmare stabilized again as it hit the wall and the attack was then interrupted by the killsaws.

Nightmare Beta KO WCII 2016

Beta overturns Nightmare late on.

However, with Nightmare's blade still spinning, a driving mistake by Smentowski allowed Beta to perform a sharp turn which threw it over. Beta pushed Nightmare into the corner of the BattleBox and with just over ten seconds remaining, John Remar began his count.

A dramatic knockout was called with under a second remaining, confirming a come-from-behind win for Beta and a place in the quarter-finals. Nightmare was penciled in to fight in a three-way rumble against Mega Tento and Creepy Crawlies, but the rumble was canceled due to time constraints, thus ending Nightmare's season.

World Championship IV[]

Nightmare vs. Mammoth (Exhibition)

NightmarevsMammothBB2019

Nightmare gets flipped by Mammoth.

Despite not competing in the main tournament, Nightmare participated in an exhibition match against Mammoth alongside Breaker Box's minibot, Hacker. The match started off okay for Nightmare as it got to the side of Mammoth and hit it. But then, Mammoth's spinning lifter caught Nightmare's frame close to the disk, causing Nightmare to lift up a bit, then hit the floor with its disk and end up onto the screws. Nightmare was able to escape, but was quickly toppled by Mammoth. Nightmare remained upside down as it was pushed into the corner and counted out, giving Mammoth the win by KO.

Results[]

NIGHTMARE
BattleBots Long Beach 1999
Gigabot Championship
Winner's Bracket vs. frenZy Won
Winner's Bracket vs. KillerHurtz Lost
Loser's Bracket vs. Malicious Mischief Won
Loser's Bracket vs. Punjar Lost
BattleBots Las Vegas 1999
Heavyweight Championship
Quarter-Finals
Bracket vs. Namreko 3000 Won
Quarter-Final vs. Rhino Lost
Season 1.0
Heavyweight Championship
Bracket vs. Mauler Lost
Exhibition Matches
Rumble vs. Bender, BioHazard, Blendo, frenZy, Gammatron, KillerHurtz, Kill-O-Amp, Knome II, Mauler, Mjollnir, Monster, OverKill, Punjar, Suicidal Tendencies, Tazbot, Vlad the Impaler, Voltarc Lost
Season 2.0
Heavyweight Championship
Quarter-Finals
Round of 32 vs. Surgeon General Won
Round of 16 vs. Mortis Won
Quarter-Final vs. BioHazard Lost
Exhibition Matches
Heavyweight Rumble vs. Panic Attack, Tazbot, Vlad the Impaler, Other Robots Lost
Season 3.0
Heavyweight Championship
Round of 32
Bracket vs. SlamJob Won
Round of 32 vs. Son of Whyachi Lost
Exhibition Matches
Heavyweight Rumble vs. Punjar, Other Robots Lost
Season 4.0
Heavyweight Championship
Quarter-Finals
Round of 32 vs. Junkyard Offspring Won
Round of 16 vs. BattleRat Won
Quarter-Final vs. BioHazard Lost
Exhibition Matches
Heavyweight Rumble vs. Botulizer, SlamJob, Little Sister, M.O.E., Other Robots Lost
Season 5.0
Heavyweight Championship
Round of 32
Round of 32 vs. Warhead Lost
Exhibition Matches
Heavyweight Rumble vs. Diskontent, FrostBite, Junkyard Offspring, Little Sister, Spitfire, Spinister, M.O.E. Lost
World Championship I
World Championship Tournament
Qualifiers
Qualifier vs. Warrior Clan Lost (KO)
Exhibition Matches
Rumble Winner
Rumble vs. Overhaul, Witch Doctor Won (KO)
World Championship II
World Championship Tournament
#25 Seed, Round of 16
Qualifier vs. Stinger: The Killer Bee Lost (KO)
NOTE: Nightmare received a Wildcard and moved on to the next round.
Round of 32 vs. Icewave (8) Won (KO)
Round of 16 vs. Beta (9) Lost (KO)
World Championship IV
Exhibition Matches
0-1
Exhibition Match vs. Mammoth Lost (KO)

Competitive Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 9
  • Losses: 11

Exhibition Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 1
  • Losses: 6

Total Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 10
  • Losses: 17
Competition Wins Losses
Long Beach 1999 frenZy
Malicious Mischief
KillerHurtz
Punjar
Las Vegas 1999 Namreko 3000 Rhino
Season 1.0 None Mauler
BioHazard (Rumble)
Season 2.0 Surgeon General
Mortis
BioHazard
Tazbot (Rumble)
Season 3.0 SlamJob Son of Whyachi
HexaDecimator (Rumble)
Season 4.0 Junkyard Offspring
BattleRat
BioHazard
Little Sister (Rumble)
Season 5.0 None Warhead
FrostBite, Little Sister (Rumble)
World Championship I Witch Doctor, Overhaul (Exhibition Rumble) Warrior Clan
World Championship II Icewave Stinger
Beta
World Championship IV None Mammoth

(Exhibition Match)

Honors[]

NIGHTMARE
Long Beach 1999
Most Aggressive Robot Award

Mark Beiro Introductions[]

"From Novato California, weighing in at 210½lbs with a No.7 ranking, from creator Jim Smentowski and supported by Team Hercules. Introducing NIGHTMARE!"

"From Novato, California, machine for mayhem, created for chaos, also weighing in at 210lbs of absolute domination, it's NIGHTMARE!"

"Muahahaha... it's NIGHTMARE!"

"You are about to witness the most destructive and violent carnage in robot fighting, if that's what you came here for. Put your hands together for NIGHTMARE!"

"Do not try to wake up. This is not a dream, this is your worst NIGHTMARE!"

"Its specialty is a mauling so complete, that identifying the body is beyond the reach of forensic science. Let's hear it for NIGHTMARE!"

"A bot so powerful, he could smack the can off of George Hamilton. Here's NIGHTMARE!"

"Even the toughest robots wake in a cold sweat and sit straight up in bed crying for their mama, just thinking about NIGHTMARE!"

"Callous and cold blooded, but he don't care- 'cause this is the soulless creature called NIGHTMARE!"

"He has not eyes, he has not hands, just science. Here's the merchant of menace, NIGHTMARE!"

Faruq Tauheed Introductions[]

"Here's the bot that keeps other builders up at night. 'Cause if you're sawing logs, it's sawing you to pieces. It's NIGHTMARE!"

"Think you're in Jeopardy!? Oh no. It's time to play Wheel of Mis-fortune. It's NIGHTMARE!"

"If it were a painter, it would be called Vincent Van Gore. Scarry, Scarry Night. It's NIGHTMARE!"

"According to Dr. Sigmund Droid, your dream analysis is extreme paralysis. It's NIGHTMARE!"

"It keeps you up from dusk 'til dawn, the big bad horror is back to do major harm. It's the big deal with the big wheel. The original bot to make you scared, make some noise for the return of NIGHTMARE!"

Merchandise[]

Any appearances by Nightmare in merchandise are listed below:

Trivia[]

  • Nightmare is one of six robots to compete in the original BattleBots series on Comedy Central, and the ABC reboot. The others are Warhead, Complete Control, Moebius, Son of Whyachi, and Warrior Clan (as Warrior).
  • Between eras of BattleBots, Nightmare was also on display at RoboGames 2011.
  • Nightmare was originally going to be an alternate for the 2015 reboot, but another team dropped out two weeks before filming, so Nightmare was given the nod to compete.
  • Nightmare has competed in more series than any other BattleBots competitor, though it did not appear in World Championship III, and was replaced by Breaker Box for the 2019 competition.
  • A replica of Nightmare's disk was seen in the crowd during the semi-finals of World Championship III, as well as being seen in various episodes of World Championship IV.
  • Nightmare was one of multiple robots to appear on the BattleBots website as a competitor for the 2019 season despite confirmation that the robot was not competing that year. However, it was seen on display with Ginsu on top of it at the event.
  • Nightmare's match with frenZy was included in the opening sequence of BattleBots World Championship IV on Discovery and Science, a rare nod to the classic era of Comedy Central BattleBots.
  • Nightmare was the 2nd largest bot in the 2018-2020 season, just behind Mammoth, and above HUGE.

References[]

Navigation[]

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