It is a two-wheel drive robot with large, thin wheels that bear a strong resemblance to HUGE. Its wheels are also made from the same Tegris wheels as Jonathan Schultz's bot. However, Starchild features a vertical spinning disk for weaponry, which can swing around and cause the robot to behave as a thwackbot or a hammer saw. Starchild's theming is inspired by the 1979 film Alien, directed by Ridley Scott.
Starchild during the World Championship VII hero shots.
A collaborative effort from team members of P1, Uppercut and Valkyrie in seasons prior, Starchild is an upscaled version of Brandon Zalinsky's beetleweight robot of the same name.
"Starchild is a "thwackbot", that means we drive forward with the weapon dragging behind us, then slam the drive into reverse when we reach the opponent, swinging the weapon arm overhead for a devastating strike into their top armor."
Unlike the team's other entry, RIPperoni, Starchild's design was not immediately announced.[2] However, it was later revealed to sport similar weaponry and design work to its 3lb counterpart, which competes in multiple US events including the National Havoc Robot League. Starchild was unveiled to Facebook Supporters and later publicly announced by Aberrant Robotics, the team behind P1, in September 2022.[3] Despite having entertaining matches, Starchild lost all four of its Fight Night battles to Overhaul, Mammoth, Gigabyte and HUGE, failing to make it into the Top 32 as a result.
Starchild returned for BattleBots: Champions II, where it fought in the fifth and final Sin City Slugfest qualifying bracket and was defeated in Round 1 by HyperShock.
Starchild was present at the SEE Science Center in June 2023, and also at that year's White Mountain Jeep Invasion event in August. Alongside the team's own RIPperoni and Brandon Zalinsky's P1, Starchild featured at the New England Robotics Derby in Tewksbury, Massachusetts in October 2023.
Starchild was featured on display at a MassDestruction event on December 2nd, 2023.
Starchild on display in December 2023.
Starchild (3lb) in May 2022.
Robot History[]
World Championship VII[]
Starchild vs. Overhaul
Starchild's BattleBots debut came in the fourth episode against Charles Guan and Overhaul.
Starchild takes on Overhaul.
The fight began with Starchild moving towards Overhaul and tried to attack it but missed. Overhaul then lifted Starchild and took it into the wall a few times. Starchild managed to deliver a shot to Overhaul's back. Overhaul then caught Starchild by the wheel and began to play the control game, taking Starchild around the BattleBox. Overhaul delivered Starchild to the screws, but Starchild managed to escape. Both bots gave each other time to catch a breather. Starchild attempted to attack Overhaul several more times but kept missing. Overhaul began to have drive issues on its right side.
Starchild attacks Overhaul.
Starchild managed to deliver a couple more hits on Overhaul, but Overhaul caught Starchild briefly. Overhaul caught Starchild again and delivered it back to the screws. Both bots then jockeyed for position. Overhaul caught Starchild again and controlled it even as Overhaul was hit by the killsaws. As Overhaul released, Starchild hit its opponent again and towards the end of the fight, Charles Guan's bot pinned Starchild against the arena.
The fight went the distance and the judges awarded Overhaul the win by unanimous decision, putting Starchild at 0-1.
Mammoth quickly approached Brandon Zalinsky's bot and got its trunk underneath, throwing itself into the air as it tried to lift Starchild. As Mammoth took its time to self-right, Starchild fell into the screws and lost its decorative armor.
"Other way, other way!"
— Ricky Willems sends instructions to his team as Mammoth attempts to right itself
Starchild and Mammoth become stuck.
Starchild drove cumbersomely towards its opponent, attempting to use its spinning disc to attack from overhead but instead slamming into the floor. It hit with its second swing, but Mammoth eventually flipped back onto its wheels and went on the offensive. Mammoth began swatting at the spikes on Starchild's Tegris wheels and then hoisted it onto its back, carrying the rookie bot around the BattleBox. Upon reversing, Mammoth tilted backwards and found itself weighed down by Starchild, levering its wheels off the floor.
Kenny Florian: "Little piggyback ride! Come over here, Starchild. Let me introduce you to the BattleBox..."
Chris Rose: "How the heck is Starchild gonna get out of that thing, Anna?"
Anna Zolnikov: "Haha, that has got to be one of the greatest sticks in the history of BattleBots!"
— The three commentators react to both robots becoming stuck
The fight enters its closing stages.
Both robots were separated and the fight continued. Starchild found itself under the pulverizer before being swatted again by the UMHW trunk of Mammoth. Ricky Willems continued to be the aggressor, refusing to allow Starchild the space it needed to swing its vertical spinner over to attack Mammoth's tubular frame.
Both robots were still mobile after three minutes, and the judges ruled unanimously in favor of Mammoth, consigning Starchild to 0-2 record. It was later revealed that the match was paused to manually unstick both robots, with this part of the fight edited out of the episode.
Starchild vs. Gigabyte
Starchild's penultimate Fight Night opponent was Gigabyte, both of which were searching for their first win of the season.
Starchild is attacked by Gigabyte.
The fight began and Gigabyte dashed across the BattleBox to spin up, whereas Starchild drove around, anticipating an early hit. The wings clipped Starchild's right wheel, causing slight damage on impact. The next attack from Gigabyte saw Starchild deflect away, but cost the shell spinner one of its additional wings. However, this appeared to increase the damage potential of Gigabyte as it drove into the right wheel again, causing a visible gash in the Tegris.
Kenny Florian: "Wooahh! Now that's a big shot."
Chris Rose: "And check out the damage on those wheels of Starchild... starting to come apart in the first thirty seconds of this fight. Gigabyte all over Brandon Zalinsky's bot. "
— Chris and Kenny weigh in on the opening moments of the battle
Starchild limps across the BattleBox.
Starchild took time to recover, bouncing in the blue square as its mobility had been hampered somewhat. However, it suffered more abuse as Starchild was damaged further, causing the weight of the robot to flex its wheels. Gigabyte then approached, tearing a chunk out of the right-side wheel of the rookie bot. Starchild spun in place as it struggled to drive straight, leaving its damaged wheel vulnerable to further attacks. Gigabyte was slightly unbalanced from losing one of its wings, but remained aggressive as it honed in one the left-side wheel.
Starchild suffers more damage at the hands of Gigabyte.
At this stage, Starchild's vertical spinner was no longer active and with every attack, its wheels were struggling to hold the 250lb robot upright. Gigabyte came in again, further damaging its opponent's wheels but also sending its other wing attachment flying through the air.
Chris Rose: "Kenny, I gotta tell you though, I'm amazed that Starchild is still fighting. It's unreal!"
Kenny Florian: "It's not pretty, Chris, but I agree. They are still fighting hard and they have taken many, many hits out there."
— Chris and Kenny praise Starchild's durability
Starchild limps to a judges' decision.
With under a minute to go, Starchild's attempts to remain in the fight were not ignored by Gigabyte's co-captains, nor by Chris Rose and Kenny Florian in commentary. Gigabyte drove into the Upper Deck momentarily, but then opted to grind its shell against Brandon Zalinsky's machine, throwing it into the short corner as the clock ticked down.
For the third time in as many fights, Starchild lasted to a judges' decision, but failed to get the nod and fell to an 0-3 record.
Starchild vs. HUGE
Now facing the possibility of having its season cut short with an 0-4 record, Starchild needed to defeat its final Fight Night opponent HUGE to have any chance of making it into the Round of 32. For this all-important bout, Brandon Zalinsky was joined arena-side by Anna Zolnikov and the RIPperoni half of Omega Team.
Starchild begins on the back foot.
Starchild drove towards HUGE, looking to land an early attack with its thwacking arm as its opponent veered left. However, Starchild drove into the path of HUGE's bar spinner. This tore away the stabilizer keeping its own vertical spinner from hitting the floor. HUGE pinned Starchild in the corner, tearing off its ablative shell as Brandon Zalinsky's robot was held by the pulverizer.
"Starchild already in trouble here, Chris. Great driving by Jonathan Schultz, pinning it in the corner to start. "
— Kenny Florian as HUGE gains an early advantage
Starchild is double-teamed by the Upper Deck and its opponent.
Chipping away at the frame of Starchild, HUGE continued its assault as it landed a shot on its wheel, flinging the winless bot through the air. Starchild then became snagged in the screws of the Upper Deck in a desperate attempt to escape trouble. This split Starchild's left-side wheel across several of its spokes as it now buckled under the robot's weight. The rookie robot stopped for a moment, showcasing the extent of the damage caused to both of its Tegris wheels.
HUGE watches Starchild before attacking its wheel again.
HUGE attacked again as Starchild turned, gaining purchase on the right wheel and ripping off the spindle preventing it from becoming stuck on its side. Struggling for balance, the Omega Team robot spun in place before collapsing on its broken wheel. The undamaged HUGE clambered its opponent before striking the wheel, tearing a significant chunk of Tegris material away.
Kenny Florian: "OHHH, there goes the wheel, Chris!"
Chris Rose: "Half of that thing has been chewed off. It's like I took a big ol' bite out of that thing."
Kenny Florian: "Ohh, this is almost sad to see; Starchild is struggling. It's like a wounded animal out in the wild."
— Chris and Kenny react as Starchild suffers further damage
Shards of glass rain down on HUGE.
Starchild was still mobile, however, inviting HUGE to try and become the first opponent to immobilize it. Jonathan Schultz honed in on the tail of Starchild, whose weapon chain had snapped and the disc itself lay loose within its housing. Attacking what remained of its primary weapon, HUGE sent a piece of shrapnel into the ceiling, shattering one of the lights in the process.
"It just won't die!"
— Jonathan Schultz in the final twenty seconds of the fight
HUGE lands one final attack on Starchild.
Keen to score a knockout, HUGE attacked the healthier of Starchild's two wheels and tossed it through the air. Landing on its side, Starchild could no longer move, but there was not enough time remaining in the fight to initiate a count-out.
"HUGE says "You might look like me, you might dress like me, but I AM HIM!"."
— Chris Rose as both robots survive to a judges' decision
HUGE unanimously won the judges' decision, confirming Starchild's winless season. Post-fight, Brandon Zalinsky was comforted by his team as Starchild's debut campaign came to a destructive end.
BattleBots: Champions II[]
Starchild vs. HyperShock
Following a winless debut season, Starchild looked to redeem itself in BattleBots: Champions II. In the opening round of the final Sin City Slugfest bracket, it fought 2022 re:MARS all:STARS event champion HyperShock, piloted this time by Alex Bales.
"So, our first fight is against HyperShock. Their drive is really strong, their weapon is really strong, there's no question about that, but they haven't fought a robot like Starchild before, so we're kind of banking on our ability to be unfamiliar and be different; that will kind of carry us along. The real big thing that we're hoping is to get hits in on his top, disable his weapon and hopefully be able to control the fight that way."
— Brandon Zalinsky discusses his strategy for fighting HyperShock.
Following a winless debut season, Starchild looked to redeem itself in BattleBots: Champions II. In the opening round of the final Sin City Slugfest bracket, it fought 2022 re:MARS all:STARS event champion HyperShock, piloted this time by Alex Bales.
Starchild lands an initial thwack in the opening seconds of the battle.
Both robots began by charging into the center of the BattleBox, with Starchild swerving to face HyperShock and landing a first thwack. Although a second thwack did manage to land, Starchild was launched into the air by an impact on the main body from HyperShock's spinner. Starchild then retreated to the Drivers' Booth, where it was followed and tipped onto its right side following a charge from HyperShock as its body spun around. After that, Starchild turned to face HyperShock, where it then saw its other wheel attacked and pushed around, whilst failing to land a series of thwacks. After repeating this process again, Starchild was pushed towards the Screws, where it recovered yet failed to land another series of attempted hits. At this stage, though, HyperShock hit Starchild twice more, breaking the chain of its spinner in the process. Starchild attempted to recover and maneuver away, but at this stage, started to have difficulties with its mobility.
"Ninety seconds in and that thwackbot's becoming one with the floor! "It's melting...it's melting...""
— Chris Rose jokes about Starchild's mobility issues
Starchild languishes in the corner as HyperShock begins to spin down its weapon.
Despite this impediment, Starchild managed to retreat past the Screws, although it did become stuck on the side wall as HyperShock neared. Starchild continued to thwack, first pivoting on one wheel before becoming grounded again, but continued to fail to land shots. Following this, it then retreated back to the Drivers' Booth, highlighting further mobility issues as it drove against the Booth itself before being pushed around further by HyperShock. After staying immobile despite moving its wheel, Starchild was pushed towards the Red Square, managing to dodge further efforts from HyperShock. Starchild then drove onto the sidewall before retreating across the BattleBox as the match reached its halfway point. Now stuck in a corner, Starchild continued its previous efforts, struggling to escape the corner but ultimately maneuvering itself away and back towards a Pulverizer, where HyperShock reengaged and turned its spinner back on.
Chris Rose: "Aw, look at those wheels, those things are just mangled, dude!"
Kenny Florian: "Kids, hide your eyes!"
— Chris Rose and Kenny Florian make further comments on the damage taken to Starchild's wheels.
Continuing to squirm, Starchild was slowly pushed towards the opposite end of the BattleBox, taking several more hits to its wheels and main body in the process, the final of which led to HyperShock becoming stuck on its left wheel. HyperShock attempted to pull back, but was unable to prise itself loose as Starchild's right wheel continued to turn. Whilst HyperShock's attempts to drive past the Killsaws were partially frustrated by Starchild, they ultimately failed to prevent HyperShock from getting loose. Starchild then tried to land a final shot, but was instead dragged by HyperShock to the Blue Square, where it stayed for the final few seconds of the match.
Both robots survive to a judges' decision.
Although Starchild again survived the three minutes, HyperShock got the nod from the judges through a unanimous decision, and the Omega Team's machine was eliminated.
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