It was a compact, invertible four-wheel drive robot armed with a powerful spinning drum, which could allegedly hit 15000rpm. Manufactured from tool steel and weighing 70lbs, Poison Arrow's primary weapon made up almost a third of its total weight. The robot was black and lime green in color, mimicking that of a poison dart frog - one of the most feared amphibians in the wild. The official 2016 season t-shirt, which used early CAD submissions, Poison Arrow was depicted with a tail at the rear, though this was not present on the real robot, suggesting it was likely removed in the design stage.
"Lime green looks hot under the lighting and pops well. We also had been looking at a lot of amphibian like designs and green just screams amphibian to me. Poison Arrow as a name is a mixture of the poison dart frog and the strategy we tend to use of just going for the one hard hit like an arrow."
— Graphic designer Hana Goff explains the thought process behind Poison Arrow's name and look in a 2016 Reddit AMA
Poison Arrow during World Championship II hero shots.
The main robot was joined by a flame-breathing drone named Buzz, operated by Gabe Staples.[1] It did well in the competition, defeating former heavyweight champion Son of Whyachi en route to the quarter-finals, where it lost out to eventual runner-up Bombshell.
The team intended to enter World Championship IV with 'Poison Arrow 2.0', with the Caustic Creations entry even revealed to Facebook Supporters under that identity.[2] The redesign sported a narrower eggbeater drum spinner, two-wheel drive and a tail at the rear. However, the team would ultimately rename this version to Copperhead, competing with it from 2019 onward.
Poison Arrow 2.0 during 2019 Facebook Supporter reveals.
Poison Arrow and Buzz in the blue square.
Inside Poison Arrow.
Poison Arrow's tails.
Poison Arrow in The Pits during World Championship II.
Poison Arrow depicted with a tail on official BattleBots merchandise.
Although Poison Arrow would not return for World Championship III, the team competed in Chinese show Clash Bots with a renamed Poison Arrow, called Spicy Newt. Due to a warehouse incident, however, the robot was lost in China and could not be recovered.
Team Caustic Creations also competed in RoboGames 2015 and 2017 with their lightweight entry UnMakerBot, winning nine fights and only losing once across two separate competitions.
Spicy Newt during Clash Bots.
Poison Arrow as Spicy Newt.
Robot History[]
World Championship II[]
Poison Arrow vs. Mega Tento
Poison Arrow's first ever match in BattleBots was against Lisa Winter and Mega Tento.
Mega Tento taking aim at Poison Arrow.
Early on, Poison Arrow found itself smothered by its shell of Mega Tento as it also lost its decorative tail. Poison Arrow then maneuvered Poison Arrow towards the screws as its drone tried to melt the ladybug shell.
Poison Arrow lay stationary beside the screws for several seconds before returning to life, only to be captured by Mega Tento's shell again. The Caustic Creations robot got its drum up to speed as Mega Tento gave chase, splitting the shell towards the back end.
Poison Arrow breaks Mega Tento's primary weapon.
Time passed as both robots jockeyed for position, but this break in attacks ended by Poison Arrow slamming into the front of Mega Tento's main chassis and causing its shell to separate from its mounting point.
Mega Tento with Poison Arrow captured as time expires.
By this point, Mega Tento was unable to raise or lower its shell due to damage sustained, but this did not deter it from attempting to swallow Poison Arrow again, which used its drum spinner to keep hitting the frame of its opponent as time ran out.
Poison Arrow ultimately won by unanimous judges' decision and moved into the Top 32.
Poison Arrow vs. Son of Whyachi
Poison Arrow advanced to the Round of 32 as the No.27 seed, where it faced the No.6 seed, Son of Whyachi.
Poison Arrow disposes of Son of Whyachi's minibot.
Son of Whyachi's minibot charged towards Poison Arrow as the fight commenced, but was quickly thrown towards the screws and disposed of. Poison Arrow's own minibot remained in the blue square as the main robot turned to face Son of Whyachi. The Caustic Creations drone looked to scorch its opponent from overhead and Poison Arrow dealt a shot to Son of Whyachi's flank.
The knockout blow.
Poison Arrow remained patient and the Ewert family's robot turned in place, reversing directly into its opponent's spinning drum. This caused Son of Whyachi to be launched violently across the BattleBox and into the screws behind the red square. This impact knocked Son of Whyachi out cold, damaging its main receiver.
Poison Arrow stares its opponent down.
The former heavyweight champion lay immobile and Poison Arrow delivered several smaller attacks to its sides. Referee John Remar initiated a count and Poison Arrow advanced by knockout to the Round of 16 in under a minute.
Poison Arrow vs. HyperShock
In the Round of 16, Poison Arrow took on No.11 seed HyperShock.
Poison Arrow starts on the back foot.
HyperShock immediately charged towards Poison Arrow, circling Zach Goff's machine before getting around to its back and and flipping it over. With its drum now spinning the wrong way, Poison Arrow was upended again and suffered a glancing blow from the pulverizer as it struggled to escape the corner.
HyperShock tries to swat Buzz out of the air.
Poison Arrow eventually did become free, nudging its own minibot aside as it fled across the BattleBox, driving into the screws in the process. Poison Arrow was hunted down by HyperShock and flipped back over - its weapon shaft bent from its early assault on the Caustic Creations bot. Poison Arrow was pinned against the spiked arena wall as its flame-throwing drone approached the Miami representative. HyperShock used its rake attachment to try and swat Buzz out of the air, but was not successful on this occasion.
HyperShock keeps Poison Arrow in the corner.
Despite beginning this Top 16 clash on the back foot, Poison Arrow now had a chance to swing the momentum in its favor as its drum spinner was up to speed while the weapon of HyperShock remained disabled. The pair met head-on again, but HyperShock got the better of this exchange by getting to the flank of Poison Arrow and shoving it into the wall. Poison Arrow's drum buffeted against the front of HyperShock until Will Bales' team initiated a pin, following which Poison Arrow was let go.
HyperShock suddenly stops moving.
The Caustic Creations entry was held against the housing of the screws as its drum was halted again. However, smoke then began to emit from HyperShock as its drive ground to a halt.
"Will Bales and HyperShock have dominated the first two minutes but they can't move... It's their fight to lose, but they gotta right the ship!"
— Chris Rose as HyperShock's team try desperately to show mobility
Poison Arrow rips off HyperShock's right front wheel.
Poison Arrow drove away, spinning up to top speed before Zach Goff charged into the back of HyperShock, slamming against its rear plow and then attacking the underside as it popped the eleventh seed into the air. Referee Michael Ayers instructed HyperShock's team to show signs of life, but as Poison Arrow tore away its front-right tire, the countdown was well underway. A knockout was declared and Poison Arrow advanced to the quarter-finals at HyperShock's expense, moving into the final eight.
Poison Arrow vs. Bombshell
Poison Arrow took on Mike Jeffries and No.19 seed Bombshell in the quarter-finals, again accompanied by Buzz.
Poison Arrow is stacked against the wall.
In the opening seconds, Poison Arrow was charged down by Bombshell as the pair went weapon-to-weapon. It turned to face Bombshell and tried to grind against its wedge, but failed to get its primary weapon up to speed. Bombshell then got around to the back of Poison Arrow, punting and overturning the Caustic Creations bot. Bombshell followed this up with another attack, stacking Poison Arrow against the spiked wall. Buzz tried to chase down the retreating Bombshell, but this would be to no avail if Poison Arrow itself could not escape the wall.
"Are you kidding me? This could be it?"
— Chris Rose
Buzz sacrifices itself to try and save Poison Arrow.
As referee Michael Ayers initiated a ten count, Caustic Creations opted to sacrifice Buzz in an attempt to free their main robot, dropping out of the air to knock into Poison Arrow. Though Buzz made contact, this was not sufficient enough to free Poison Arrow. However, Bombshell's attempt to destroy Buzz resulted in it inadvertently knocking Zach Goff's robot back onto its wheels, meaning the fight resumed.
Bombshell strikes the side of Poison Arrow.
Poison Arrow fled from Bombshell and the No.19 seed gave chase again, delivering a shot to its opponent's flank which resulted in the drum spinner being flung towards the screws. A second and third hit ensured Poison Arrow would no longer be able to move as it was tossed behind the rotating augers, right in front of Chris and Kenny.
An unceremonious end for Poison Arrow.
This time, Poison Arrow could not be freed and it was counted out in what proved to be Poison Arrow's final BattleBots fight, as it was replaced by Copperhead for future seasons.
Results[]
POISON ARROW
World Championship II
World Championship Tournament #27 Seed, Quarter-Finals
"William Tell your friends to quiver when this bot takes aim, 'cause if he's on target, you'll get the shaft. It's POISON ARROW!"
"Its aim is to maim. In the immortal words of Bell Biv DeVoe, it's POISON ARROW!"
"Its favorite bedtime story is Green Eggs and Slam. It may kill you way down there, it may kill you in the air, it may kill you anywhere. Now go to sleep! It's POISON ARROW!"
"A venomous pair with violence to spare. You better find the number for Poison Control 'cause it's POISON ARROW!"
Trivia[]
Poison Arrow was originally supposed to be named Growler, though this changed after negotiations with their main sponsor Arrow.com.
