Tantrum

Tantrum
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	World Championship III World Championship IV World Championship V World Championship VI World Championship VII
Other Events	BattleBots: Champions I BattleBots: Champions II
Team Information
Team	Seems Reasonable Robotics
Team Members	Ginger Schmidt (Captain) Alex Grant (Captain) Aren Hill Sean Doherty Erica Chin Jason Weihman Brian Silverman Bryan Culver (WC IV-Present) Dillon Carey (WC IV-Present) David Mintz (WC IV-Present) James Doherty (WC IV-Present) Zach Marks (WC V-Present) William Stanley (WC V-Present) Alec Kochis (WC VI-Present) Max Chang (WC VI-Present) Sue Doherty (WC VI-Present) Katie Widen (WC VI-Present) Kristine Atiyeh (WC VI-Present) Steven Silverman (WC VI-Present)
From	Mountain View, CA
Other Entries	Blip, The Twins
Associated Robots	Insult and Injury (Aren Hill, Jason Weihman, Bryan Culver)
Robot Statistics
Weight	250lbs (WC IV-Present) 235lbs (WC III)
Power	4x 5.4Ah 6S LiPo batteries
Drive	2x TP5680 brushless motors
Weapons	Punching vertical spinner (WC IV-Present) Spring flipper (WC III)
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Not to be confused with the Comedy Central Season 3.0 lightweight entry of the same name.

Tantrum is a heavyweight robot built by Seems Reasonable Robotics, which has competed in every season since BattleBots World Championship III.

In its debut year, Tantrum was a four-wheeled robot armored in ½" AR400 steel, and was equipped with a spring-powered flipping arm made from three sheets of 10mm titanium plating which doubled up as top armor. The flipper boasted 12,800lbs at the tip, and Tantrum sported decorative fists on either side. Known as a 'choo-choo mechanism', the weapon system utilized electric motors and batteries rather than a large pneumatic system consisting of air tanks. This allowed Tantrum to remain compact, and let the team fire its flipper instantaneously. Its drive was relatively unique as its custom-molded wheels also housed planetary gears for the drive motors.

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Team captain Aren Hill stated this iteration of the bot took around two and a half years from concept to a finished product. It struggled in its debut season of BattleBots, only winning once against Battle Royale With Cheese, and losing two other matches.

Tantrum during World Championship IV hero shots.

For World Championship IV, Tantrum gained some new upgrades, including but not limited to wedges at the front, and a newly-shaped body to accommodate its more potent primary weapon. Replacing the titanium flipper was a unique 'puncher' weapon - a vertical spinning drum mounted on a sliding mechanism. This enabled Tantrum to "punch" opponents once the kinetic spinner was brought to the front of the machine. Tantrum did slightly better in the 2019 season, going 2-2 in the Fight Night rounds. However, its weapon was largely ineffective and internal issues cost it in several battles. As such, Tantrum failed to make the main tournament.

Tantrum during World Championship V hero shots.

Returning for World Championship V, Tantrum returned with its 'puncher' once again, now set at a downward angle for a lower reach. It sported a slightly more refined chassis and a dedicated self-righter on the back. Tantrum also had a hinged wedge to the front, which was interchangeable with forks, and the fists boasted flamethrowers. This proved to be Tantrum's best performance yet as it went 2-1 in the Fight Night rounds and progressed all the way to the last four, where it lost to eventual champion End Game in the semi-finals, falling just short of the Championship decider.

Tantrum during World Championship VI hero shots.

Seems Reasonable Robotics participated in World Championship VI with Tantrum along with a brand-new robot called Blip, a flywheel flipper. Tantrum appeared visually near-identical to the previous season, though its self-righting arms now sported smaller fists made from 3D-printed thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rather than being machined. The rails supporting its signature punching drum were made stronger, now manufactured from S7 tool steel. The drum itself could also now spin at up to 8,500rpm.

For World Championship VI, Aren Hill transferred captaincy of the bot to teammates Alex Grant and Ginger Schmidt, so Aren himself could captain Blip. He also confirmed Tantrum would be driven by Dillon Carey, who was present with Tantrum in the 2019 and 2020 competitions. The main bot was accompanied by a minibot called Nugget in some fights, which served primarily as something to high-center opponents and serve as a distraction. Boasting a powerful drive train relative to its weight and magnets to keep it grounded, Nugget was built by James Doherty and William Stanley. Tantrum opened its season with a dominant display over Malice before backing it up with a come-from-behind win over Lucky in a rematch from 2019. It then went to continue throughout the matches undefeated, eventually beating Witch Doctor in the Championship decider to earn their first Giant Nut.

Tantrum then competed in BattleBots: Champions I, automatically qualifying for the Golden Bolt episode as the most recent Giant Nut winner of the reboot era. After earning revenge on Tombstone in the first round, Tantrum fell in Round 2 in another rematch against eventual Golden Bolt winners, End Game.

Tantrum during World Championship VII hero shots.

In an April 2022 video uploaded by the team, Aren Hill stated that the World Championship VI build of Tantrum had been retired. Alex Grant later revealed that the team had used almost all of their spares during their run to the Giant Nut and BattleBots: Champions I stint. A brand-new Tantrum build was revealed by BattleBots themselves to be returning for World Championship VII to defend its title, ranked #2 in their Pre-Season Power Rankings, only behind End Game. Tantrum featured a freshly-machined chassis and a new weapon system was made, adding sensors to improve its spin-up time. Tantrum now sported improved armor mounting, inspired by its sister bot, Blip, during the previous season. Also new was Tantrum's drum for its 2022 rebuilt, confirming the retirement of the drum which dated back to the team's King of Bots entry, Boxing Champion. Unlike past reboot era champions, Tantrum suffered a major blow to its title defense as it shockingly fell to 1-2 in the Fight Night rounds, losing to Tantrum's own sister robot, Blip. This was compounded by a disappointing defeat to Whiplash in which the chain for their self-righting mechanism broke, but the defending champions still made the Top 32 as the No.26 seed, but their title defence came to an end at the hands of End Game.

Tantrum returned for BattleBots: Champions II as a former Giant Nut winner, where it was joined by End Game, SawBlaze and five Sin City Slugfest bracket winners. Tantrum defeated a Slugfest qualifier in RIPperoni, but fell at the semi-final stage to reigning Giant Nut winner SawBlaze. Alex Grant later conceded the choice to change Tantrum's armor mounting was a "red herring" in a November 2023 recap video, with the team believing Blip's solution appeared more effective than it actually was, due to only facing a couple of high kinetic energy opponents in its debut year.

It's unknown if the team has applied for World Championship VIII.

Tantrum and Blip during World Championship VII hero shots.

The World Championship VI build of Tantrum on display in April 2022.

Seems Reasonable Robotics hoist the Giant Nut.

The team work on Tantrum.

Nugget during World Championship VI.

Both frames for the 2020 build of Tantrum under construction.

An inside look at Nugget during the World Championship VI.

The 2020 season build of Tantrum on display at NHRL's robot museum in September 2022.

CAD of Tantrum's World Championship VI build.

Tantrum's 2020 season Supporter reveal.

The 2018 and 2019 Tantrum builds side-by-side.

"Tantrum 2" under construction in 2018.

Tantrum sporting a Witch Doctor-inspired fist ahead of fighting Tombstone in 2018.

A look inside a wheel of the first Tantrum build.

Outside BattleBots

In 2019, Tantrum was displayed at the Orlando Maker Faire event in Florida.

Tantrum was among the BattleBots competitors displayed at Open Sauce in San Francisco in July 2023. Alongside Blip, Tantrum was also on display at Open Sauce 2024.

Tantrum and its team at Open Sauce 2024.

Tantrum at Orlando Maker Faire 2019.

Robot History

World Championship III
Tantrum vs. Battle Royale with Cheese Tantrum's spatula attachment with kitchen utensils. Tantrum's first match was against Battle Royale With Cheese. Before the match, the team added an additional wedge plate on the flipper which resembled a spatula and decorative kitchen utensils on its fists. Tantrum takes Battle Royale With Cheese to the screws. Tantrum began strongly as its opponent was unable to get its weapon up to speed, allowing Aren Hill's robot to flip Battle Royale With Cheese almost immediately. Tantrum pushed Battle Royale With Cheese onto the screws and eventually flipped it back over. However, Tantrum remained in control as Battle Royale With Cheese was having trouble spinning up its weapon, barring one instance where Tantrum intercepted the weapon's motion. Time ran out and Tantrum won on a unanimous 3-0 judges' decision.
Tantrum vs. Mecha Rampage Next up for Tantrum was veteran Christian Carlberg and Mecha Rampage. Mecha Rampage knocks off Tantrum's left fist. When the match began, Tantrum was off to a poor start as they lost one of the cosmetic eyes. As the match progressed, Tantrum took another hit that didn't seem to do any major damage. However, Tantrum took another hit from its opponent and lost the left fist. It was also having drive issues resulting from the failed flipper mechanism that in turn pivoted such that the part of the mechanism that rotates with a chain was touching the arena floor. This lifted Tantrum's drive wheels off the arena floor where it could no longer move. Tantrum took a final hit from Mecha Rampage and was counted out, giving Mecha Rampage the win by KO.
Tantrum vs. Tombstone (Exhibition) Tantrum volunteered to compete in an exhibition match against Tombstone. Before the match, Tantrum's builder Aren Hill agreed to give Tombstone's builder Ray Billings a fist if it managed to break one off as a trophy. Tantrum sported a Push Strike toy of its opponent on its flipping arm, and also had its left fist recreated by Team Witch Doctor. Chris and Kenny highlight Tantrum's fist embedded in the BattleBox. Tombstone tears a fist away from Tantrum. The match got underway and Tantrum was slow to advance across the BattleBox as only three of its motors were functional going into the fight. By the time it reached Tombstone, Tantrum had its left skeleton fist torn off. Tantrum's armor was doing well to absorb the next hits, but lost the other fist shortly after. This fist embedded itself into the Lexan wall, and was highlighted in post-match sequences by Chris Rose and Kenny Florian. Tantrum was not able to move as it had a speed controller wire knocked loose and eventually stopped moving. Tantrum desperately attempted to show continued movement with its flipper, but was counted out, giving Tombstone the win by knockout. Ray Billings would thus collect a new souvenir 'trophy' in the form of one of the removed fists.
World Championship IV
Tantrum vs. Jasper vs. Uppercut Tantrum started off its season with an untelevised rumble and fought newcomers Jasper and Uppercut. Tantrum punches Jasper while Uppercut suffers from weapon issues. Tantrum started off strong, getting under Jasper and pushing them into the arena barrier before getting them hooked on their left side. All three robots collide. Tantrum did its best to remove Jasper but was unsuccessful until after Uppercut came in and delivered a big hit. Tantrum finally released Jasper without causing any real damage but Jasper had lost drive and stopped moving. Tantrum then took aim at Uppercut and delivered multiple hits with its punching spinner weapon. After Uppercut had stopped moving, Tantrum continued to drive around, mostly around Uppercut as both opponents had stopped moving and were counted out, giving Tantrum the win by KO.
Tantrum vs. Gemini Tantrum's next match was against veteran multibot, Gemini. Tantrum went with a more traditional front wedge to deflect blows from Gemini. Tantrum pops half of Gemini into the air. As the match got underway, Tantrum had little trouble dealing with Gemini as they mostly either bounced off the wedge or went up the wedge and were thrown into the air by its spinning weapon. Tantrum continued its attacks, eventually high-centering the black Gemini robot before taking it out on the red one. However, the red Gemini got its teammate from debris and Tantrum resumed the action. Tantrum managed to throw the red Gemini half under the pulverizer] before the black Gemini stopped moving. The match went the distance but the judges awarded a 3-0 unanimous decision to Tantrum.
Tantrum vs. Skorpios Tantrum's next opponent was veteran Skorpios. This time, Tantrum was back to its more typical setup for the fight with its two wedgelets to accompany its spinner. Skorpios hammers the top of Tantrum. It quickly became clear that Tantrum's weapon was unable to reach vital parts of Skorpios, resulting in Zach Lytle and Diana Tarlson's robot taking control of the fight. Tantrum continued to have trouble making contact with Skorpios. Although Tantrum remained mobile for the entire fight, the judges awarded Skorpios a unanimous 3-0 decision.
Tantrum vs. Yeti Tantrum equipped with hinged forks ahead of its fight with Yeti. Next for Tantrum was Greg Gibson and Yeti. For this battle, Tantrum ditched its wedge for individual forks at the front. Tantrum began poorly as it immediately had its left fist dislodged by Yeti, and its rightmost fork was bent. Nevertheless, Tantrum was doing well to absorb the attacks from Yeti and its front forks served as a shield against Yeti's drum. Tantrum continued to stay squared up to Yeti, of whom was being less aggressive than usual and careful not to drive over Tantrum's weapon. Tantrum is smashed against the rails near the pulverizer by Yeti. As the fight wore on, Tantrum was backed into a corner of the BattleBox and was left with its back exposed to Yeti's drum spinner. Tantrum's rear began taking serious abuse from Yeti, as it was continuously smashed against the rails whilst being pounded by the pulverizer. Tantrum's bottom plate was starting to suffer damage and was hindering its ability to drive. Tantrum was left almost motionless and was counted out, giving Yeti the win by knockout.
Tantrum vs. Lucky Tantrum also fought in an exhibition match against Lucky. Tantrum opted to remove its front wedgelets and just use its spinner for this fight. Tantrum is flipped by Lucky. After a tentative start, this proved to be a poor decision as they were soon tossed by Lucky. Tantrum stayed upright but didn't really have the weapon system to take on Lucky and were thrown again. After a third flip, Tantrum attacked Lucky's side, not causing any major damage. Tantrum is thrown again by Lucky. Lucky had been having drive issues from the start of the fight but Tantrum was then tossed over, where it struggled to self-right. Eventually, Tantrum's drum mechanism gave up and caused smoke to pour out. Both robots were counted out, sending the fight to a judges' decision, which ruled in favor of Tantrum.
World Championship V
Tantrum vs. Skorpios Ahead of the main season, Tantrum took part in an untelevised dress rehearsal fight against Skorpios, used to test camerawork and lighting ahead of the 2020 season being filmed. It is not known whether a winner for this fight was declared.
Tantrum vs. Valkyrie Tantrum started off its 2020 season with a fight against Leanne Cushing and Valkyrie. Tantrum pins Valkyrie against the rails. Early on, Tantrum was able to control its opponent, pushing Valkyrie around the arena. Tantrum continued to control Valkyrie and managed to disable their opponent's weapon by shoving them into the arena barrier. However, these exchanges made the mechanism that allows Tantrum's weapon to move forward lock up, leaving it only to spin from its starting position. Nevertheless, it continued to control the fight until it became a pushing match which wore down Tantrum's batteries until it was immobile on the arena floor. Tantrum was counted out and Valkyrie took the win by knockout.
Tantrum vs. ATOM#94 Tantrum's next fight was against newcomer ATOM#94. Tantrum gets thrown the air by ATOM#94's drum. Surprisingly, the more experienced robot began poorly as Tantrum was thrown towards the screws on the first hit. From this point, Tantrum righted itself and began to take control of the fight by shoving ATOM#94 into the arena barrier, nearly ending up in the screws in the process. With ATOM#94's weapon spinning down, Tantrum continued to control the fight and eventually flipped them over. ATOM#94 was no longer moving and was counted out, giving Tantrum the win by knockout.
Tantrum vs. Gamma 9 Ta trum fought Gamma 9 for their third and final Fight Night battle. Tantrum sends Gamma 9 to the screws. Aren Hill's robot quickly took advantage of Gamma 9's drive issues by shoving them across the arena but was unable to do much damage. Tantrum continued to attack, eventually flipping Gamma 9 over and ripping off their side armor. Gamma 9 righted itself so Tantrum attacked it again, causing additional damage. Finally, after over 2 minutes of attacking, Gamma 9 was suffering from Tantrum's assault and driving in circles. Gamma 9 was counted out with seconds left on the clock, confirming a win by knockout for Tantrum.
Tantrum vs. Fusion Tantrum managed to get into the Top 32 tournament for the first time, boasting a No.18 seed. In the first knockout battle, it was pitted against the No.15 seed, Fusion. Tantrum and Fusion come together. The match began with Tantrum using its speed to get under Fusion, halting Fusion's horizontal spinner against the Tantrum's front. As Fusion turned around to let its horizontal spinner spin up, Tantrum capitalized by shoving Fusion against the rails. Backing away from Fusion's vertical spinner, Tantrum turned to its side and lands a hard driving punch to Fusion. Reese Ewert's bot moved away and turned sharply, causing it to balance on its back end. Tantrum went in for a weapon-to-weapon collision which sent Fusion flying into the side of the arena, causing Tantrum's weapon mount to nearly disconnect in the exchange. With Fusion pinned against the wall, Tantrum still managed to spin up its weapon despite being damaged. Tantrum backed off and chased an inverted Fusion before taking a hard shot that temporarily left Tantrum motionless. Tantrum wears the flaming Fusion like a hat. After crab-walking for a few moments, Tantrum slammed into Fusion, throwing it off-balance before taking another big shot. Tantrum raised it's self-righter and broke free from it's drive issues, as both robots' primary weapons stopped spinning, with Tantrum's suffering from a damaged speed controller. Tantrum charged at Fusion, who became stuck on top of Aren Hill's machine, and burst into flames. Tantrum carried Fusion around the BattleBox for a while until the bots were manually separated as the fight was temporarily halted. Information from the teams and production was conflicting, but Fusion was extinguished and the bots were separated. This was cut from the TV airing of the fight. Regardless, Fusion was now immobile and was counted out, giving Tantrum the win by KO and a spot into the Top 16.
Tantrum vs. Bloodsport Tantrum then faced No.2 seed Bloodsport in the Round of 16, who had opted for the 'THICC bar' which saw them beat End Game earlier in the season. Tantrum is clipped by Bloodsport. The fight started with Bloodsport attempting to find space to spin up to speed, but Tantrum chased them down. Bloodsport inevitably did spin up, but the first meaningful impact saw their own wedgelets be ripped away. Tantrum was able to tank the glancing hits Bloodsport gave, but persisted in chasing its opponent and prevent it from spinning up to full speed. It then held Bloodsport against the side of the box, getting in underneath and pinning it momentarily. Tantrum's drum was spinning, but had yet to land a punch on Bloodsport. It got underneath Bloodsport again, attempted to hold the No.2 seed against the wall, and then rammed it against the red square's screws. Bloodsport escaped and finally got up to speed, but took a hit from the pulverizer after being coerced into the corner by Tantrum. Aren Hill's machine held Bloodsport under the hammer and allowed it to deliver blows to their self-righting pole, bending it out of shape in the process. With under a minute to go, Tantrum chased Bloodsport around the box and continued to smother its attempts to spin up. A wheel then fell out of Bloodsport, allowing Tantrum to pin it under the opposite pulverizer for the remaining seconds of the fight. Tantrum won by a 2-1 split decision, and moved on to the final eight.
Tantrum vs. SawBlaze Jamison Go and SawBlaze awaited Tantrum in the next round. Tantrum kicks SawBlaze up into the air. The former quarter-finalist made a fast start to the fight, rushing over to Tantrum's square. Tantrum drove to the center of the box and SawBlaze drove over it, taking a small hit from the drum in the process. SawBlaze's front prongs began to wheelie, but still managed to get underneath Tantrum and activate the flamethrower. Tantrum slipped away however, and took advantage of having the lower ground clearance, attacking SawBlaze head on. It then landed a punch with its drum, popping SawBlaze into the air. Struggling to get its own primary weapon into play, however, Tantrum was able to outdrive SawBlaze, using its agility to pin its opponent against the screws and hold it upside-down. SawBlaze used the arm to self-right, but Tantrum again was able to slide underneath the three front prongs and render the hammer saw useless. Now halfway through the fight, Tantrum pinned SawBlaze against the wall, right in front of Jamieson Go and his team. Tantrum took the opportunity to spin its drum up to speed and deliver a punch, but this only freed SawBlaze and did not cause visible damage. Tantrum remained aggressive, overturning SawBlaze several times in the closing moments and ripping a panel away from the underside. In the closing moments however, SawBlaze managed to grip Tantrum and landed two lasting hits on its opponent. The fight went to the judges, and Tantrum won by a unanimous decision to continue its run.
Tantrum vs. End Game Next up for Tantrum was New Zealand's End Game. The reigning champion slams into Tantrum. The fight started with Tantrum on the attack, getting around to End Game's side and ramming it into the corner. But despite trying to punch with its weapon, it failed to make the desired impact and End Game recovered. Tantrum then slid under End Game's front forks and punched more successfully, sending sparks flying on impact. It backed away for a run up, and shoved End Game into the wall again. End Game throws Tantrum into the arena barrier. After this showing of aggression, smoke began to billow from the top of the robot and the weapon came to a halt. The speed controller powering the weapon and self-righting mechanism had died, though Tantrum was not deterred. With a place in the final at stake, Tantrum again got underneath End Game, but retreated to the center of the box. End Game began to deliver glancing hits to Tantrum's chassis, one of which ripped a fork clean off, and then hit Tantrum with a deadly and decisive uppercut, flipping it over. Unable to self-right due to damage sustained to its speed controller earlier in the fight, Tantrum was counted out, and its tournament run was over.
World Championship VI
Tantrum vs. Malice Tantrum began its 2021 campaign with a fight against the returning Malice. For the battle, Malice opted for their newest drum, Rolling Blackout. Tantrum threatens to land another punch on a weaponless Malice. The fight began with Malice charging at Tantrum. However, it was Malice who was thrown across the BattleBox and its weapon slammed into the floor. From that point, Malice's weapon was no longer working and Tantrum took full advantage, punching it into the barrier before landing several more punches with their 18lb drum spinner. Malice continues to be harassed by Tantrum. 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.
Tantrum vs. Lucky Tantrum's second fight was a rematch from a 2019 exhibition match against Lucky. They introduced its minibot Nugget for this fight, and led with two front forks rather than its plow. Tantrum becomes stuck on the arena barrier. Tantrum gets launched by Lucky early on. However, Lucky was able to get underneath Tantrum in the opening seconds, showing aggression from the off as it threw Tantrum around the BattleBox at will, even getting it stuck on the arena barrier at one stage. However, Tantrum was then allowed to get back into the fight and landed a few hits of their own, which deformed the front of Lucky's weapon. Tantrum targets Lucky's exposed wheels. Tantrum then honed in on Lucky's exposed wheels and tore a few tires away from their hubs as it flipped the Canadian bot over. Tantrum turns the screw on Lucky. Lucky self-righted but was taken to the Upper Deck, where Tantrum punched into their side armor and loosened a protective panel before sending it to the side of the arena, where it was counted out. Lucky was immobilized, giving Tantrum the win by KO and pushing it to 2-0 for the season.
Tantrum vs. Gigabyte Seeded No.11 for the championship tournament, Tantrum faced No.22 seed Gigabyte in the Top 32, who sported forks for this battle. Gigabyte and Tantrum meet in the BattleBox. As the fight began, Tantrum box-rushed Gigabyte as it attempted to spin up, but drove into the barrier and took a glancing shot from Gigabyte's shell. Gigabyte's fork attachment then got underneath Tantrum, but lacked the pushing power to take full advantage. Tantrum coerced Gigabyte into the short corner momentarily, but escaped as both robots were thrown in opposite directions on impact. This caused Gigabyte's attachment to snap off but it was otherwise unharmed. Tantrum took its opponent back to the short corner as it was momentarily unbalanced and had to right itself. It pinned John Mladenik's bot against the wall, but backed away. Damage to Tantrum after its Gigabyte encounter. Gigabyte was unbalanced again and Tantrum was able to maneuver it to the Upper Deck, where Gigabyte settled and took the opportunity to spin back up to speed. Gigabyte threw itself off the hazard and into Tantrum in an impact which sent the shell spinner twisting through the air but more crucially, tore a wheel away from Tantrum. With its mobility hampered, Gigabyte was offered more time and space to spin up and landed big hits to Tantrum in the second half of the fight, warping parts of its frame. However, Gigabyte's shell eventually ground to a halt and Tantrum was able to get underneath, regaining control of the fight, and delivering a series of shots with the punching spinner. Both robots were visibly wounded as the fight went the judges, who ruled in favor of Tantrum.
Tantrum vs. ROTATOR Tantrum then met Victor Soto and ROTATOR in the Round of 16, who had only ever lost to former champions Bite Force and End Game up to this point. Tantrum and ROTATOR face off. ROTATOR led with its hinged forks, but Tantrum was able to get to the side of them and rammed ROTATOR into the wall. ROTATOR spun around to hit the front of Tantrum before driving away, and then Tantrum rode up their forks. However, they were able to escape before Victor Soto could take full advantage of the situation. Both bots returned to the center of the BattleBox and ROTATOR spun to deliver a swipe to the front of Tantrum and then to the side. With a well-timed punch, Tantrum upended its opponent, which bounced off its forks and landing against the Upper Deck. ROTATOR assaults Tantrum in the short corner. Now inverted, ROTATOR was chewed up by the screws and eventually lifter atop the platform, where it took the opportunity to spin back up to speed. ROTATOR exited the Upper Deck and threw itself into Tantrum, now hitting higher than before. After a collision sent both robots in opposite directions, Tantrum appeared to have lost drive on one side as it struggled to escape the short corner. However, a chain for the srimech had snapped and was stuck underneath the robot, high-centering it momentarily, although the mechanism was still functional. The knockout shot. Tantrum used its fists to lift its back end off the floor and suddenly became free, much to the surprise of Victor Soto who drove ROTATOR weapon-first into the wall. However, Tantrum again became stuck and this time, ROTATOR took advantage, attacking its opponent before damaging the self-righter. Despite this, Tantrum's self-righting mechanism remained functional. Both bots went weapon to weapon in the short corner as Tantrum was mobile again. Tantrum pinned ROTATOR against the side of the Upper Deck for a brief moment, but ROTATOR continued to dish out heavy hits to the front of Tantrum. However, the tides suddenly turned as Tantrum pinned ROTATOR again, this time with its drum spinning, and peeled away part of its front armor. ROTATOR escaped the corner but Tantrum gave chase, ramming ROTATOR into the wall and sending it flying out of the arena, marking a come-from-behind victory for Tantrum and a place in the final eight.
Tantrum vs. Cobalt In the quarter-finals, Tantrum now faced Cobalt, fresh off its win over the previous season's runner-up, Whiplash. Tantrum swapped out the front wedge for its forks for this battle, which allowed it enough weight for minibot Nugget to make a return. Cobalt's forks are bent upwards by Tantrum. Tantrum pins Cobalt against the rails. As Cobalt spun up to speed and entered the center of the BattleBox, it was circled by Tantrum who looked for an early opening. Tantrum's front forks lifted those of Cobalt, allowing it to drive its opponent into the rails and land a couple of punches with the drum spinner. Pinning Cobalt against the Upper Deck, Tantrum dealt another few punched which peeled up the leading edges of Cobalt's forks, rendering them useless. Matt Maxham drove away but parts of the robot were strewn across the floor with little chance of getting its vertical spinner into play. An alternative angle of the OOTA. Both robots engaged in a pushing match followed by a period where they evaded one another, but Cobalt's side lifted off the floor as it turned and Tantrum capitalized, pressing it against the rails and grinding its drum on the underside of its opponent. Tantrum throws Cobalt out of the arena. Tantrum then reversed a few inches and rammed it again. This move sent Cobalt bouncing up and, with the help of their own vertical spinner, flying out of the arena.
Tantrum vs. Hydra With another win under its belt, Tantrum advanced to the semi-finals for the second straight season. Standing in their way of a place in the final was Jake Ewert and Hydra, who eliminated the team's second robot Blip in its previous fight. Hydra faces Tantrum. Tantrum was again equipped with its front forks was accompanied by Nugget. As the fight began, Tantrum immediately got its left-side fork lodged in the killsaw slot and Hydra took advantage, getting a small flip in early. Tantrum self-righted and teased Hydra into misfiring, opting to circle its opponent who misfired for a second time. Tantrum slips its forks underneath Hydra. Dillon Carey drove Tantrum up the top of Hydra as it looked for an opening, and Hydra missed with its flipper once again. Tantrum then drove directly into the front of Hydra, getting underneath with one fork but not the other. As Hydra flipped, both robots were locked in an embrace momentarily before landing upright. Tantrum danced around Hydra again but Jake Ewert managed to throw Tantrum through the air several times. Tantrum was unharmed, however, and continued to remain aggressive, getting around to the side of Hydra and landing a blow against its skirts, ripping several off in the process. Hydra chucked Tantrum over again in retaliation, who righted and baited Hydra into another missed flip. One of Hydra's many flips on Tantrum. This exact exchange repeated before Tantrum pushed Hydra back and pinned it in the corner of the BattleBox, thrusting its drum mechanism forwards and grating the front of its opponent. Following another flip, Hydra's arm appeared to be stuck open and Tantrum drove up their wedge, punching against the underside of Hydra's arm. Tantrum pins Hydra against the wall in the closing moments. Jake Ewert improvised and clamped down on Tantrum before throwing it over again. However, its arm appeared reluctant to retract properly and Tantrum took advantage, tearing a piece away before snapping the tip of the flipper. It rode up the front of Hydra again in the closing moments as Hydra twice missed, but then dealt the final attack of the match as it launched Tantrum, who bounced into the screws on landing. Judges' scorecards for the fight. The fight went to the judges, and Tantrum advanced to the Championship fight on a controversial 2-1 split decision.
Tantrum vs. Witch Doctor Now in the title fight, Tantrum met Andrea and Mike Gellatly's Witch Doctor. Tantrum buckles Witch Doctor's baseplate early on. The Championship decider began with both robots attempting to circle the other, as had been Tantrum's tactic in their previous fights. Tantrum then turned into Witch Doctor and slid its forks underneath their front, but hardly engaging with their drum. Mike Gellatly turned to face Tantrum, who raised its fists in response. Witch Doctor lands on top of Tantrum's punching drum. However, Witch Doctor was partially high-centered on part of their own baseplate, which had peeled downwards after this seemingly minor exchange. Unaware of the damage, Tantrum driver Dillon Carey took advantage and got to the rear of Witch Doctor, shoving it into the housing for the screws and balancing its opponent on its side. Witch Doctor recovered, landing on Tantrum's drum which saw sparks fly. Tantrum retreated as it became more clear that Witch Doctor's entire right side was off the BattleBox floor, before coming back in to attack. Tantrum was able to land several punches which broke parts of their skeletal armor before attacking the underbelly of Witch Doctor again. Tantrum watches on as Witch Doctor struggles to move. A chain then fell out of Witch Doctor, whose left-front wheel had now also been chewed up. Still wary of the 2019 season runner-up's primary weapon, Tantrum attempted to swing around to the sides of its opponent again, but got around to the back and punched the rear armor of Witch Doctor. Tantrum then used its momentum to ram it into the screws, which upended Witch Doctor momentarily. Witch Doctor is counted out with seconds to spare. Witch Doctor self-righted, but found itself back in the red starting square once more. Tantrum pinned its opponent against the wall and tried to bring its drum into play, but it appeared to be no longer spinning on its mechanism. As Witch Doctor tried to escape the wall, referee John Remar threatened to count them out if they could not show translational movement. Tantrum's team hoist the Giant Nut. With thirty seconds to go, Tantrum shoved Witch Doctor to the corner as it could only drive in arcs. Witch Doctor was counted out and Tantrum's World Championship VI title was confirmed as Seems Reasonable Robotics were awarded the Giant Nut.
BattleBots: Champions I
Tantrum vs. Tombstone As the newly-crowned champion, Tantrum returned for the final episode of BattleBots: Champions I, where it had the chance for revenge in the first round against Tombstone. Tombstone ricochets around the arena. The World Championship II champion immediately spun up and delivered a shot to the front wedge of Tantrum, who spun away. On impact, Tombstone bounced upwards and its blade made contact with the floor, propelling it into the wall. Tombstone returned to the middle of the arena but was pushed from behind, coerced into the short corner by Dillon Carey. Tombstone swung from side to side and Tantrum's front plow tanked several glancing blows, but a chunk of Tombstone's blade flew away during the exchanges. Ray Billings' bot was again unbalanced, arcing on one wheel and driving itself into the short corner. Sparks flew out of Tombstone, followed shortly after by smoke as Tantrum shoved it under the pulverizer. Tombstone appeared to have lost drive on its left side, so was counted out. Tantrum raised its fists in celebration as Tombstone eliminated, and the team advanced in the bracket. Tantrum watches on as Tombstone is counted out. Post-episode, driver Dillon Carey confirmed the extent of the damage Tombstone caused. "We took a shot on the side of our weapon while fighting tombstone, which bent the whole carriage and one of the rails. It was the most hectic repair of the event." — Dillon Carey explains damage received by Tantrum.
Tantrum vs. End Game In the Golden Bolt semi-finals, Tantrum earned the change to avenge their World Championship V semi-final loss to that season's champion, End Game. Tantrum and End Game enter a pushing battle. Tantrum opted to circle its opponent early on, nearly getting to the side of End Game but instead settling to lock horns. Tantrum attempted to get its punching drum into play, but could not make contact, and End Game eventually reversed away. Tantrum suffers punishment in front of both teams. After measured driving from both teams, End Game found a way under the side of Tantrum and rammed it against the barrier, throwing the reigning Giant Nut winners through the air and onto their back. Tantrum self-righted, but found itself pushed across the arena by End Game and flipped over several more times. Tantrum recovered and as Jack Barker attempted to cut it off again, it became caught on a seam in the BattleBox floor. Tantrum is flipped over late on. End Game continued buffeting the front of Tantrum, whose forks no longer seemed able of breaching its opponent's front. Tantrum turned to attack, but its drum was no longer spinning and it lost its right fork courtesy of End Game soon after. The 2020 season champion continued its assault, ripping the one remaining fork away and throwing Tantrum over once more. One of its belts lay strewn across the floor as End Game spun down, preserving their weapon as the fight drew to a close. End Game took the unanimous judges' decision and Tantrum fell at this stage of the Golden Bolt tournament.
World Championship VII
Tantrum vs. Minotaur Tantrum returned as the defending champion, and first met World Championship III runner-up Minotaur in the first Main Event of the season. For this fight, Tantrum was equipped with a new, Y-shaped metal plate at the front dubbed the 'swordfish' wedge. Tantrum and Minotaur clash. Tantrum immediately darted out of the red square to attack Minotaur, though it was only able to bump the evading Team RioBotz machine. Circling across the center of the BattleBox, it rammed Minotaur side-on, briefly knocking it off its wheels, before the two competitors bumped each other again. Tantrum pushed Minotaur back, though Minotaur escaped through taking advantage of its gyro-dancing technique. "Tantrum on the attack, playing the aggressor early to start. Gets underneath Minotaur, but Daniel Freitas self-rights... Tantrum keeping the pressure on!" — Chris Rose Minotaur gets the better of Tantrum early on. Sparks flew as Minotaur’s drum then clipped the front of Tantrum multiple times, while the Seems Reasonable Robotics entry attempted to push it into the wall. While this happened, Tantrum was thrown up onto its left-hand side by Minotaur, breaking the two competitors up as Tantrum sped to the bottom-left corner. Another high-speed collision ensued before Tantrum spent the next moment attempting to evade a pursuing Minotaur. Tantrum is left to be counted out. Once both robots met again, Tantrum was thrown onto its back by Minotaur's drum, before being catapulted towards a nearby pulverizer by the Brazilian entry. Tantrum crawled on its right-most wheels, before it was turned back upright by another attack from Minotaur. One of Tantrum's self-righting arms broke off in the process, which fell onto the BattleBox floor as Minotaur gave chase. "Tantrum can't afford to be flipped back over, but here's the champ punching back! There's no surrender!" — Chris Rose as Tantrum begins to fight back Minotaur flipped Tantrum a full 360 degrees, while Tantrum attempted to respond with an attack using its puncher, and by pushing Minotaur back using the 'swordfish' wedge. However, this did not prevent it from being flipped over by Minotaur's drum once more. Tantrum struggled to self-right as the clutch for its srimech arms had not slipped, and therefore broken gears within the mechanism. As Minotaur drew alongside the reigning champions, Tantrum was eventually counted out. Thus, in an early blow to its title defence, it received its first Fight Night loss of the season by knockout.
Tantrum vs. Hydra Keen to return to winning ways, Tantrum's next opponent was Jake Ewert and Hydra in a Main Event rematch from their highly controversial World Championship VI semi-finals encounter. For this all-important battle, Tantrum was equipped with new forks which had similar functionality to the piano key-style wedges seen on its opponent. "Let the bot rematch begin!" — Chris Rose as both robots exit their starting squares Tantrum and Hydra duke it out. Hydra mistimes a flip. Hydra tried to gain the early advantage, but Tantrum got underneath it and delivered several shots to the underside of the flipper. Tantrum then pushed Hydra towards the rails and continued its attack before letting it free. Hydra then flipped Tantrum over but it quickly self righted. Tantrum throws its drum into the front of Hydra. Tantrum proceeded to deliver shots to the back and sides of Hydra; These shots peeled up Hydra's baseplate which led to it being high-centered and unable to move. "That was a well-placed shot to the underbelly by Tantrum in that last exchange... and Hydra is not moving!" — Kenny Florian as Hydra becomes immobile Tantrum watches on as Hydra is counted out. A count began soon after, securing a second win for Tantrum against Hydra in as many seasons and climbing to a 1-1 record. Post-fight, a magnanimous Jake Ewert conceded that Tantrum deserved its first and second wins.
Tantrum vs. Blip Looking to build momentum, Tantrum fought in a third consecutive Main Event, this time against its own sister bot, Blip. "It's a family affair. Tantrum versus Blip - the reigning world champion will try and take down its creator." — Chris Rose pre-fight Blip loses a fork in the center of the BattleBox. Both robots were fast out of their starting squares as Blip immediately got to the side of Tantrum and slid underneath, threatening an early flip. Aren Hill hesitated as Tantrum tried to rock itself away from danger by thrusting its drum back and forth. With its flywheel powered up, Blip's weapon engaged and landed the first attack of the fight. Tantrum quickly self-righted and turned to face its opponent, landing a few glancing punches to the front of Blip. A fire starts within Tantrum. Suddenly, a fire erupted from the right-hand side of the reigning champions, where its speed controller was housed. The flame quickly diminished, replaced by smoke as Tantrum found itself pinned in the corner by Blip. Dillon Carey drove Tantrum out of danger and as Blip turned to face it, Aren Hill's bot lost one of its front forks. However, Blip was still able to get in underneath and drove its opponent towards the drivers' booths, flipping Tantrum over in front of its co-captains, Alex Grant and Ginger Schmidt. Tantrum righted itself again, but was on the back foot and its drum weapon was no longer spinning. Chris Rose: "Come on Aren, let's see it! C'mon, up here..." Kenny Florian: "Give it to us! Come on, I dare you!" — Chris and Kenny react as Blip threatens to launch Tantrum in front of their booth Blip pins Tantrum in the corner before launching it through the air. Now in the short corner, Blip had Tantrum pinned and the blue half of Seems Reasonable Robotics counted as the flywheel flipper charged up for another attack. Smoke began to pour from the reigning champions and Blip pulled the trigger, tossing it through the air. Ginger Schmidt: "Hahaha, oh my God..." Chris Rose: "A nervous laugh from Ginger Schmidt as her robot gets taken into the corner. Holy smokes!" — Chris and Kenny react as Blip threatens to launch Tantrum in front of the commentary booth Tantrum is pinned in the corner late on. Both robots regathered in the opposite corner and although Blip rode up the front of Tantrum, the lack of a spinning weapon meant it simply posed little threat to Aren Hill's new creation. It was now also missing a fist, and one of its self-righting arms had become bent inward. Once more, Blip won the ground game and charged Tantrum into the rail, and then into the screws of the Upper Deck. Tantrum ending the fight on top of the Upper Deck. With second remaining, Tantrum lost its other fist but began to fight back, pushing Blip back late on. However, it was quickly driven back to the short corner and with the last attack of the fight, found itself thrown atop the Upper Deck. The fight went the distance, and Blip was declared the winner by a unanimous judges' decision. Although Blip earned its first win of the season, it put both robots from Seems Reasonable Robotics at a perilous 1-2 record. "This is the annoying part. We aren't 100% certain what caused the fire. Our best guess is that when we landed upside down a lead shorted against the case after jostling and caused the board to go up in smoke." — Alex Grant's assessment of Tantrum's fire "Tantrum's drive ESC blew early in the match causing the fire. We are frustrated enough with that happening that we are actually designing our own version of custom motor controls that should be battle hardened to avoid that in the future." — Alex Grant's revised explanation behind the cause of the fire in the team's Reddit AMA
Tantrum vs. Whiplash Tantrum rounded out its Fight Night battles against World Championship V runner-up, Whiplash, who sat at a similarly desperate 1-2 record. To make matters worse, the team had to rush to change out their drive system and weapon belt before the fight, putting time pressure on the champ. "We hit people in weird ways. We look at their belly pan, and it is thin enough to be able to tear through and rip the belly. So we're really hoping to do that again here." — Alex Grant outlines the game plan against Whiplash Tantrum punches Whiplash against the rails. At the start of the match, Tantrum used its superior speed to dodge around Whiplash, circling the Vasquez family's bot until it found an opening. Sliding its forks underneath Whiplash's, the champ drove its opponent toward the wall, thrusting its punching disk forward. However, Whiplash was able to escape before taking any real damage, charging back in but missing its attack. This allowed Tantrum to get underneath Whiplash again, throwing it upwards with an attack on its wheel before chasing it down for a follow up. "Tantrum's so stout, so low to the ground, winning the ground game here, able to flank Whiplash." — Kenny Florian narrates Tantrum's offensive against Whiplash Whiplash upends Tantrum. Before Tantrum could initiate another attack, however, Whiplash managed to square back up, using its longer forks to force Tantrum into retreat. The puncher bot fled towards the short corner, briefly getting hung up on the shelf, before engaging again. However, this time it was Whiplash who got the best of the exchange, getting under Tantrum's forks from an angle and pushing the Seems Reasonable bot towards the screws. Through a combined assault from its lifter and spinner, Whiplash threw Tantrum onto its back before repositioning to press its advantage. "This team has been haunted by issues with its self righter all season, Chris. And it looks like the nightmare may just continue." — Kenny commiserates Tantrum's inability to get back on its feet Whiplash celebrates as Tantrum is counted out. This turned out to be unnecessary, however, as Tantrum once again found itself unable to self right. While the team attempted to bring some life back to their srimech, Whiplash hovered nearby with its disk at the ready to punish the champs if they got back in the match. Nevertheless, Tantrum remained overturned until it was counted out, dropping the reigning champion to a 1-3 record and putting its season in serious jeopardy. "We knew we came in with a new robot. We knew we had a lot of work to do, and we knew we had to sus out the issues. Whenever you build a whole new chassis, there's always things you have to work through. And we've been working, but not quite hitting the mark." — Alex Grant discusses Tantrum's noticeably lower success during the season
Tantrum vs. End Game "End Game likes to play with their front-end configuration, and that definitely gives them an advantage in some ways. But at the same time, I do think it affects their ability to drive and maneuver around the Box. And we've got a smaller turning radius. And so, End Game is gonna throw these super-long forks on their robot, and then they're not going to be able to turn as easily. And so, we'll be able to sweep around them and get to their sides." — Ginger Schmidt outlines preliminary tactics against the long-forked End Game Tantrum's dual fork configuration for End Game. Breaking into the Top 32 as the No.26 seed, Tantrum met a fellow former Giant Nut winner, No.7 seed End Game. This marked the third time these robots had faced off since World Championship V, with both previous encounters won by Team End Game. Tantrum - driven by Dillon Carey - entered the arena with twin hinged forks, along with a new guard to protect the chain powering its srimech. During pre-match build-ups, Ginger Schmidt commented on the difficulties encountered by the Kiwi machine with their long-forked configurations, with Seems Reasonable Robotics aiming to take advantage of these using Tantrum's speed and more compact dimensions. "For Ginger Schmidt and Alex Grant... this is a fight that could get them back on track. An up-and-down season has to have them feeling a little defeated, but a victory here... could awaken the sleeping giant." — Kenny Florian discusses the possible meaning behind a Tantrum win Tantrum forces End Game back into the Upper Deck. Initially, Tantrum circled around the inner perimeter, meeting a more tentative End Game by the bottom-right killsaw slots. As both robots locked forks, it was initially pushed back as End Game breached its ground clearance, but escaped as End Game's forks began catching the BattleBox floor. Tantrum capitalized by getting underneath End Game and maneuvering it into the bottom-right corner. From there, it repeatedly punched its drum spinner onto the front of End Game, while pushing it into the middle Upper Deck screw mount. More sparks flew as the Seems Reasonable Robotics entry ground away at End Game's left fork, though the drum would briefly stop spinning shortly after. Kenny Florian: "...big horsepower advantage for Tantrum." Chris Rose: "Going weapon-to-WEAPON!" Kenny Florian: "Oh!" Chris Rose: "Wow, Tantrum doing a nice job on End Game!" — As Tantrum tries to damage End Game's front forks early on End Game is pinned against the rails. Maintaining its initial advantage, Tantrum steered End Game into another screw mount behind the red square, then pinned it for a few seconds against the bottom-right bumper. Though clipping End Game a few more times during this phase, its drum could not reach far enough to create lasting damage on the New Zealand entry. Once both robots separated, Tantrum headed back towards the center, turning round to face - and again breach the ground clearance of - an oncoming End Game. It proceeded to ram End Game multiple times into the blue square and Upper Deck screw mounts, along with the bumper in the bottom-left corner, almost flipping it over with the first drive. However, as Tantrum positioned itself for another similar exchange, End Game got underneath and flipped it over a full 360 degrees. Chris Rose: "Good countershot by End Game!" Kenny Florian: "So far though, Tantrum is doing an incredible job at controlling this fight, as both teams battle for the low ground." — As Tantrum recovers from End Game's first major attack End Game throws Tantrum through the air. Shrapnel flew as Tantrum darted across the BattleBox, ramming and pushing End Game across the bottom perimeter. Despite steering and holding End Game under a nearby pulverizer, the hazard was not activated before both competitors again separated. Similarly to before, Tantrum backed out and darted past End Game. As the match entered half-distance, it turned around in front of the control booth and exchanged head-to-head spinner attacks with its opponent. Seconds later, Tantrum attempted to ram End Game from the front once more, only to be violently flipped over and forced to self-right over the killsaw slots. Through this attack, it lost its left fork, and began struggling to maintain its earlier clearance advantage as it steered End Game back towards the bottom-right corner. A metal strip was also dislodged from the top of the BattleBox enclosure during this exchange. The defending champion is upended by End Game. End Game retaliated by sniping Tantrum's left side, with Tantrum again being flipped into a backwards somersault over the BattleBox center. A battered Tantrum escaped quickly, bumping End Game and attempting to spear through its piano key setup once more with its remaining fork. In doing so, however, it drove up the front of End Game once again. Once both spinners connected, this allowed End Game to flip it and tear the fork off completely. "And that just snapped off Tantrum's other fork! With no more forks, they're going to have to figure out how to attack the sides now..." — Kenny Florian as Tantrum loses its remaining front fork Tantrum tries to escape, but End Game gives chase. Tantrum immediately self-righted, but without either of its forks, could only bump and take another blow to its front armor from End Game's spinner. As the match entered its final minute, it weaved across the BattleBox center in a bid to out-drive End Game, only to again drive head-on into End Game's spinner. Tantrum was tossed into an aerial spin, landing on its wheels, and proceeded to circle around End Game at high speed. Reversing into the spiked bumper near the control booth, it was unable to find a suitable angle to attack from the side, with Kenny Florian also reporting that its drum spinner had become disabled. Tantrum loses an eye. Another head-to-head exchange resulted in Tantrum losing the front of its left wheelguard, which was violently hurled into the air by End Game. Tantrum again struggled to aim a counterattack, before taking more front-end damage and twice being upended. End Game pushed Tantrum back into the bottom-right corner. "Bit by bit, End Game... taking over now!" — Kenny Florian as End Game causes late damage to Tantrum's front end Tantrum finishes strong. With its right-side wheelguard also looking misshapen, Tantrum sped across the bottom perimeter, again circling around End Game and across the active killsaws. In the process, it again clipped End Game's spinner, taking more damage, but successfully steering the 2020 and Giant Bolt champion over another set of killsaws at the inner-left perimeter. Digging itself against its opponent's forks, Tantrum rammed End Game one last time against the bumper in the bottom-right corner, where both robots remained until the end buzzer sounded. Kenny Florian: "...once Tantrum's forks were gone, the Kiwis won virtually every engagement, eventually breaking Tantrum's weapon. But it was a valiant effort – maybe the best performance of the season." Chris Rose: "These two champions definitely rose to the occasion tonight. But only one can move on to the Round of 16." — Over post-match replays Ginger embraces Alex as Tantrum's title defence comes to an end. Though performing strongly in the early stages, Tantrum lost the unanimous judges' decision, eliminating it from World Championship VII and ending its title defense at this stage. Regardless, Ginger Schmidt remained positive about its improving form against End Game, while promising further improvements for Tantrum in preparation for its next BattleBots campaign. "Every time we fight End Game, we get a little closer to winning, and... who knows? Maybe next time we'll get it. I think it's clear this time we did even better than we did last time. So, we've got a lot of room to grow, and we'll do that." — Ginger Schmidt reflects on Tantrum's performance against End Game
BattleBots: Champions II
Tantrum vs. RIPperoni Tantrum returned for BattleBots: Champions II as a former Giant Nut winner. Its first round opponent in the Golden Bolt tournament was the final Sin City Slugfest champion, RIPperoni, and it was again equipped with its twin forks. RIPperoni loses a wheel early on. Both robots showcased their agility in the opening seconds, looking to capitalize on a potential driving error. Tantrum dashed towards the red starting square, but as RIPperoni turned sharply, the smaller of its two drive wheels flew off. Chris Rose: "Kenny Florian" OHH!: "Woah! There goes the wheel... it just fell out without a shot!" — Chris and Kenny react as RIPperoni loses a wheel Tantrum attacks the underside of RIPperoni. Yet to land an attack on the pizza-themed robot, Tantrum began circling RIPperoni as it looked to find a favorable angle. Tantrum had to continue attacking with Frederick Moore still able to arc across the arena floor with its primary weapon still a major threat. The former Giant Nut winner eventually got to RIPperoni's rear, shoving it across the BattleBox but lifting it in such a way that the 70lb disk made contact with Tantrum. Dillon Carey retreated before getting in underneath its opponent again, delivering a hit with its own spinner. Tantrum sends RIPperoni tumbling. This forced the RIPperoni disc-first into the steel floor, bouncing uncontrollably and landing upright. "Just a little precise shot from Dillon Carey! Trying to get RIPperoni to destroy itself, Chris." — Kenny Florian Tantrum lands a punch to RIPperoni's tire. With the fight passing the 1:30 mark, Tantrum appeared content with remaining patient as the unbalanced RIPperoni flung itself through the air again. Tantrum was again able to destabilize RIPperoni, backing off to conserve their machine before getting to its rear and honing in on the one remaining wheel, punching away with its drum. Tantrum pins RIPperoni in the final seconds. RIPperoni continued to show limited mobility in the closing moments, but neither robot landed a strong attack as the fight went to the judges. Tantrum unanimously won the judges' decision and advanced to the next round.
Tantrum vs. SawBlaze Tantrum with additional armor for fighting SawBlaze. Next up for Tantrum was the reigning Giant Nut winner, SawBlaze, in a rematch from the 2020 season. The team fitted Tantrum with Tegris top armor to better protect from overhead shots, removing side armor which typically protects its rear wheels in order to make weight. SawBlaze takes Tantrum to the pulverizer. SawBlaze wasted no time in scooping up Tantrum, driving it towards the pulverizer but failing to land a blow to their thickened top armor. It then eased Tantrum to a more advantageous position before slamming its disk down. This was immediately followed by a direct pulverizer shot to Tantrum's punching mechanism. Before the hammer released its pin, SawBlaze introduced fire to the attack, striking again with its hammer saw as the hazard reset. SawBlaze misses a couple of swings. Tantrum driver Dillon Carey fled on the first opportunity, showing characteristic agility as it circled SawBlaze and looked to bait the reigning Giant Nut winner into a mistake. But it was Carey who made the next error, showing its side to SawBlaze as Jamison Go's robot slid underneath the former Giant Nut winner with ease. SawBlaze failed to capitalize upon this, twice missing with its hammer saw before Tantrum rode up the front of its opponent again. Tantrum sits on the screws, poised for another SawBlaze attack. This time, SawBlaze rammed Tantrum into the blue square's screws and it was dragged onto the BattleBox hazard, striking the top of Tantrum again before the semi-final fight moved to the center of the arena. SawBlaze again got underneath the side of Tantrum, whose wheels were smoking against the steel arena floor. Tantrum loses one of its Tegris panels. It delivered yet another hit to the top of Tantrum, tearing through its Tegris top armor with this attack. This piece was momentarily stuck in SawBlaze's weapon, but was freed soon after. SawBlaze spun its disk up again as Dillon Carey dashed away from danger again. "And Dillon Carey has to start attacking from the side. SawBlaze is getting under them [Tantrum] on every head-to-head engagement." — Kenny Florian as SawBlaze sets up yet another overhead attack Tantrum lands a few punches of its own. As the fight approached the halfway point, SawBlaze held Tantrum in prime position to land a attack with its weapon once more, but instead opted to carry it around the arena until Tantrum slipped free. The Seems Reasonable Robotics entry then got to the side of SawBlaze's front forks, landing its first few meaningful attacks of the fight. Tantrum then dealt a punch to the back end of its opponent, and then made contact with its front. "First jab we've seen from Tantrum's fist... and there's another good shot! The former champs are starting to mounting a comeback." — Kenny Florian Tantrum delivers a flurry of attacks. Tantrum continued to build on its momentum, breaching the front of SawBlaze and driving it back towards the blue square. But again, SawBlaze got underneath Tantrum and shoved it back towards the Upper Deck, almost forcing it atop the platform. It instead rammed Tantrum into the spiked rails on the opposite end of the BattleBox before an overhead attack tore away the other Tegris armor panel. Tantrum's face is split open as SawBlaze prepares one last attack. This attack damaged the armor mounts on Tantrum, meaning its wraparound armor began to peel away from the frame. SawBlaze backed away as it became evident Tantrum was not moving with around forty seconds remaining. Wanting to deal one last hit, SawBlaze engaged once more, but struck the BattleBox floor instead. The robot rebound, flipping SawBlaze over in the process. This impact also broke the gearbox powering its arm, meaning the Giant Nut winner could not self-right in the closing seconds with both of its wheels off the floor. Chris Rose: "Wait a second!" Kenny Florian: "SawBlaze went for an extra shot, but might've knocked itself out!" — Chris and Kenny react to the fight's dramatic conclusion Tantrum's team began to celebrate as referee John Remar threatened a count on the reigning Giant Nut winners, opting to initiate a count-out as the fight entered its final ten seconds. Chris Rose: "How did this happen?!" Kenny Florian: "HE CAN'T SELF-RIGHT!" Chris Rose: "Oh my God, the countdown's started! Jamison Go cannot believe it! What's gonna- wait a second! WAIT A SECOND! WAIT A SECOND!! IS THAT A... IS THAT A KNOCKOUT OR NOT?!" Kenny Florian: "THEY MIGHT HAVE SURVIVED IT, CHRIS! WOW!! Tantrum is in disbelief! Did they survive it?!" — Chris and Kenny as the clock, and the referee's count, hit zero Both teams' captains hug it out. In a breathtaking twist, Jamison Go appeared despondent as the jubilant Tantrum team celebrated. Irrespective of the the drama, both teams expressed surprise at the unprecedented circumstance they found themselves in as referees assessed the fight to make a call on whether this would be declared a knockout or judges' decision. Post-fight, John Remar gathered both teams to the front of the BattleBox to announce his call. "Alright, before the end of the count, the clock went to zero. Therefore, it's going to the judges." — John Remar John Remar speaking to the teams. A judges' decision was then announced, which was revealed to be split. Judge Lisa Winter scored the battle for SawBlaze, whereas Fon Davis ruled it in Tantrum's favor. Casting the decisive vote, Derek Young scored SawBlaze victorious, eliminating Tantrum and Seems Reasonable Robotics from the Golden Bolt tournament, and BattleBots: Champions II as a whole. Omitted from the televised broadcast, Tantrum's team originally issued an Appeal - not against the judges' decision, but to instead review the declaration of a judges' decision rather than a knockout, as according to Alex Grant, there were "24 seconds" left on the BattleBox timer when SawBlaze became immobile. However, as soon as Seems Reasonable Robotics got confirmation that the fight could not be reviewed as part of the Appeal process, they withdrew their request. In a recap video featuring all three captains, Ginger Schmidt revealed the team drew a battery symbol on one of Tantrum's Tegris shoulders to give Jamison Go a target to attack. However, she only revealed in the video that they drew this over the wrong side in order to deter their opponents. They also confirmed no hard feelings between the teams.

Results

Competitive Wins/Losses

• Wins: 18
• Losses: 11

Exhibition Wins/Losses

• Wins: 1
• Losses: 1

Total Wins/Losses

• Wins: 19
• Losses: 12

Competition	Wins	Losses
World Championship III	Battle Royale With Cheese (Undercard Match)	Mecha Rampage (Undercard Match) Tombstone (Exhibition Match)
World Championship IV	Uppercut & Jasper (Untelevised Undercard Rumble) Gemini (Undercard Match) Lucky (Exhibition Match)	Skorpios (Undercard Match) Yeti (Undercard Match)
World Championship V	ATOM#94 (Undercard Match) Gamma 9 (Undercard Match) Fusion Bloodsport SawBlaze	Valkyrie (Undercard Match) End Game
World Championship VI	Malice (Undercard Match) Lucky (Undercard Match) Gigabyte ROTATOR Cobalt Hydra Witch Doctor	None
BattleBots: Champions I	Tombstone	End Game
World Championship VII	Hydra (Main Event)	Minotaur (Main Event) Blip (Main Event) Whiplash (Undercard Match) End Game
BattleBots: Champions II	RIPperoni	SawBlaze

Faruq Tauheed Introductions

"It'll make you a bigger crybaby than Tom Brady! Aw come on, you think I care if Boston fans hate me? It's TANTRUM!"

"Knock knock. (Who's there?) Boo. (Boo who?) Open the door and I'll give you somethin' to cry about. It's TANTRUM!"

"Get ready to get slapped around 'til you cry I'm so... *sobbing* scared *sobbing* ... It's TANTRUM!"

"Throwing a fit until other bots quit. It's going to lower the boom or get sent to its room. It's TANTRUM!"

"It might have a baby face, but it's armed with some adult teeth. There's nothing minor about this meltdown, son. *Cries, yells, and runs around the box* It's TANTRUM!"

"This bots battle cry is gimme gimme gimme, my my my! It needs to go to the naughty chair, but it won't stay there. It's TANTRUM!"

"This bot never quits and it throws giant fits. It'll scream and hit the floor like a six year old in a toy story. But mommy, mommy, I want more. It's TANTRUM!"

"Throwing a fit until other bots quit. It's going to give you the boom or get sent to its room. It's TANTRUM!"

"This bot packs a punch like bottomless mimosa brunch. It's TANTRUM!"

"It's got the fist of rage to split your face. Give it up for TANTRUM!"

"When you throw a tantrum, you'll scream and cry, but when you throw down with this Tantrum, you'll bleed and die. If you wanna feel that championship glory, you'll have to contend with his little fist of fury. It's TANTRUM!"

""From Cambridge, Massachusetts, the only pacifier for this bot is murder. It's TANTRUM!"

"Aren's new bot bit the dust but his squad's got the trump card. Ginger and Alex will make Jake's bot break and toss it right in the junkyard. Revenge is a dish best served for clenched fists and this team's ready to pound. They're not afraid of the son of the Son of Whyachi and tonight, the son goes down! It's TANTRUM!"

"This team's been humble in victory and they've never been conceded. But they've had plenty of practice since they haven't been defeated. It's one thing to prepare for the title to face the final boss, but they're the only bot here who has gone an entire distance without a loss. They beat Malice in their first fight sent bunny running through the field. Then smashed a mirror over Lucky's head and kept them even killed. Next, they took on Gigabyte, a legendary bot, took that giant hockey puck and bounced it all across the Box. They've made ROTATOR do a 360 and walked right out the door. Then dominated Cobalt and moved into the Top 4. Ran their win streak to six against Hydra, then they're walking with a strut as they get ready to use those tiny hands to hoist the Giant Nut. Give it up for TANTRUM!"

"This crybaby will hit you so hard, you'll have to call the wham-bulance, it's TANTRUM!"

"Play this game of death and you'll get popped in the chops. He throws hands like Bruce Lee] and his fists of fury don't stop. Jeet Kune Don't test him because he's earned his clout and when he enters the box, they'll be dragging you out. It's TANTRUM!"

"This slap-happy bot got the smacks that brings pain. Don't call him G.I. Jane or he'll go G.T. insane. You'll get Chris Rocked in the jaw, your odds of winning are going south. So keep this bot's name out your mouth. It's TANTRUM!"

"What's up? I hope you're ready to fight, son. This bot will come at you like he's Mike Tyson. So beware to hit the hammer, stay clear or suffer the fate of Holyfield's ear. It's TANTRUM!"

"This bot's power punch can send you to the moon. And it comes out of nowhere like when they start selling pumpkin spice lattes in June. He's one of the fiercest bots around, killing all his foes. And seriously, the pumpkin spice stuff comes out earlier and earlier every year. Like it's 90 degrees outside. Can we chill out a little bit? At least give me 'til September. Damn! Anyway, uh, where was I? Oh, yeah. Give it up for TANTRUM!"

"He'll throw a giant fit like Christian Bale did. Or when Tyra Banks yelled, 'Be quiet, Tiffany! We're all rooting for you.' It's TANTRUM!"

"Two cute cartoon eyes staring at you can feel out of place when a spinning punch comes down from the middle of its face. If you want a nose job, it'll rearrange yours for free. Don't worry about the cost. It doesn't bill the dead for rhinoplasty. It's TANTRUM!"

"From San Diego, California, prepare to throw hands with TANTRUM!"

See Also

• Boxing Champion (King of Bots)

Trivia

• Tantrum vs. Minotaur was not only the first Main Event of World Championship VII, but Tantrum's first ever Main Event too.
  • Tantrum was later assigned two more Main Events that season, against Hydra and Blip.
• Tantrum sported the exact same S7 tool steel drum weapon throughout the 2019, 2020 and 2021 BattleBots seasons, as well as throughout King of Bots as Boxing Champion.
  • This drum was retired after the team's World Championship VI success, with a new one made for World Championship VII and beyond.
• Current co-captain Alex Grant shares a name with a team member from Forge & Farm Combat Robots, who entered Bale Spear.
  • This is not the only known case of two team members sharing identical names, as was the case with Alan Young of Team MAD as well as Team Half Fast Astronaut.
• Ginger Schmidt became the first female captain to win the Giant Nut as she and co-captain Alex Grant led Tantrum to the 2021 Championship.
• According to Aren Hill, World Championship VI was originally set to be Tantrum's final competition. However, Tantrum then competed in BattleBots: Champions I as the then-reigning heavyweight champion, and then subsequent events.
• At #11, Tantrum is the lowest seed to win the Giant Nut.
• To date, Tantrum is the only defending World Champion to have lost a qualifying fight the following season, losing to Minotaur, Blip, and Whiplash in World Championship VII.
• Tantrum also has the dubious honor of receiving the lowest ranking of any defending World Champion, at #26. (Previously, this record was held by Bite Force, being ranked #4 in World Championship II.)
• Alongside a handful of other robots from the season, Tantrum made an appearance as a static display at a live premiere of the tournament conclusion in San Jose, California.
• The 2020 season build of Tantrum is now in possession of National Havoc Robot League, in their robot museum.
• Tantrum originally sported servo-powered eyebrows in its debut season, but these were damaged by Battle Royale With Cheese.
• During World Championship V, Tantrums fists were rumored to be duel flamethrowers. Though this was not brought to light.
• Both Tantrum and SawBlaze went from being beaten in the Semi-Finals to winning the Giant Nut the following season.