The Revenant, also known simply as Revenant, was a middleweight robot built by students of Carnegie Mellon University which competed in numerous BattleBots IQ events.
The team with The Revenant in April 2005
It was a compact robot a large, 50lb spinning shell manufactured from titanium, which acted as The Revenant's armor and its primary weapon. The shell was capable of spinning at 2000rpm.[1] Originally black and red, The Revenant would later sport a black and blue color scheme. It placed third overall at the 2006 BattleBots IQ competition, marking a third placed finish for Victor Soto's team for the third successive event.
Revenant was built by then-student Victor Soto, who previously fought in BattleBots IQ event with Nightstalker. He also competed with Blue Flame, which inspired his entry for the televised BattleBots reboot, ROTATOR.
Please note that the order of the following fights is unknown, as documentation on the event itself is either limited or non-existent. This is typically true of untelevised events such as BattleBots IQ and those sanctioned by the BattleBots name.
BattleBots IQ 2005[]
The Revenant vs. Checkmate
The Revenant watches on as Checkmate struggles to move.
The Revenant fought Checkmate during the 2005 competition. Both robots got up to speed and collided in the middle of the arena, which caused Checkmate to pop into the air. The Revenant then moved towards Checkmate again and was launched into the Lexan wall as a result of its own attack. Still upright, Victor Soto's robot got its bearings and rammed into Checkmate. Now, it was the chess-themed bot who was not spinning and The Revenant took full advantage, striking Checkmate several more times until it stopped moving near the pulverizer. Checkmate was counted out and The Revenant was declared the winner.
The Revenant vs. Manta Raya
The Revenant stares down an immobile Manta Raya.
During the competition, The Revenant also took on Manta Raya from Puerto Rico. After dealing several hits to its opponent, Manta Raya stopped working in the red starting square and was counted out, confirming The Revenant's win by knockout.[2]
The Revenant vs. Alakran
The Revenant fought 2004 BattleBots IQ champion Alakran in the quarter-finals. Little footage of this battle was shown. Alakran took several blows to the rear forks from The Revenant and managed to get a lift in on Victor Soto's bot as the time ran down. The Revenant ultimately lost by by judges' decision and was eliminated.
BattleBots IQ 2006[]
Revenant vs. Icewave
Revenant unbalances Icewave on the first hit.
Revenant took on Icewave during the 2006 BattleBots IQ competition.[3] As Icewave approached, Revenant evaded contact and got its shell up to speed. Icewave was also at full speed, but as the two robots collided, Icewave unbalanced and was thrown upside-down before landing on its back. With no way to self-right, Icewave was immobilized so the team tapped out, and Revenant took the win by knockout.
Revenant vs. ?
Revenant lands one final blow.
Revenant fought again in the 2006 competition, against a low, invertible robot made from steel with a small lifter at the front. Revenant won this fight also, but not before smashing the camera used for filming during its final blow.[4] It is unknown who Revenant ultimately lost to.
BattleBots IQ 2007[]
The Revenant vs. The Wedgie
The Revenant attacks its opponent.
Returning for the 2007 college division, The Revenant is known to have fought The Wedgie. The battle commenced and The Revenant spun in its starting square, allowing The Wedgie to approach it. The first hit sent The Wedgie spinning away as The Revenant deflected into the wall. In the time it took The Wedgie to recover, Victor Soto's robot had gotten up to full speed and dealt a blow to the front of its opponent, ripping away its front wedge panels and then attacking its side. At this point, The Wedgie's frame had been warped by the assault from The Revenant, and it was no longer moving. A count began and The Revenant won this fight by knockout.
The Revenant vs. Plan B
The Revenant takes on Plan B.
The Revenant then fought a large cage spinner named Plan B. The Revenant won by knockout and moved on in the bracket.[5]
The Revenant vs. ?
Both shell spinners collide.
The Revenant also took on a fellow shell spinner whose name is not known. Both robots got their weaponry up to speed and shared a few glancing blows before The Revenant deflected into the barrier of the arena. The Revenant stopped spinning momentarily and drove into its opponent, successfully stopping the spinning shell. This offered The Revenant time and space to spin up again, and it delivered a big hit which sent both robots to either corner of the arena. The Revenant got back up to speed as it became clear that its opponent's primary weapon was no longer functional. It was hit once more, and could now no longer escape the corner. The Revenant therefore took the win by knockout.
The Revenant vs. Bear Down
The Revenant is almost upended by Bear Down.
The Revenant also fought a four-wheel drive, invertible wedgebot named Bear Down. During the fight, Bear Down deflected The Revenant away and caused it to bounce around and ultimately damage the arena floor. The Revenant ultimately won this battle by judges' decision and moved on.[6]
The Revenant vs. Alakran
The Revenant attacks a wounded Alakran.
The Revenant took on Alakran in a rematch from the 2005 competition, this time in the semi-finals. The Revenant was able to land a flurry of shots with its spinning shell, but found itself bouncing off the walls of the arena. However, it persisted and eventually sent Alakran flying through the air. The Revenant took the win and advanced.
The Revenant vs. Bear Down
Bear Down wedges underneath The Revenant.
In the final, The Revenant took on Bear Down. As it began, Bear Down drove towards The Revenant as it began spinning. The shell spinner tried to get up to top speed, but the Missouri State University entry continued to charge wedge-first into its opponent and pop it up into the air, hoping to unbalance it. Smoke began to emit from The Revenant and it stopped spinning for a moment, allowing Bear Down the opportunity to ram it into the corner and under a pulverizer. Bear Down ultimately took the win by judges' decision, meaning The Revenant took second place overall.
