WAR Hawk's Discovery Season 4 appearance
WAR Hawk is a heavyweight robot which competed in both seasons of the BattleBots reboot on Discovery and Science. It is a four-wheeled robot armed with two possible center weapon modules, similar to ABC Season 2 finalist Bombshell. The first is equipped with a solid front wedge, decorated with Native American markings, and the center of the wedge is a dual tooth spinning disc, operating vertically to throw robots over. Two skate wheels are placed above the spinner, so that WAR Hawk can run inverted. The second weapon never made an appearance on the show at all though. The team also had a minibot called WAR Stop. The robot was driven by Rob Farrow, who previously competed in the original BattleBots run with lightweight semifinalist Death By Monkeys.
For Season 4, WAR Hawk was fully armored this time, due to the fact they only had a 5 week deadline for the robot last season. The armor covered the motor and drive chains, the wedge was repainted, the posts for its skate wheels were beefier, it had custom rubber wheels and hubs, and it could now switch between its disc or a new vertical bar.
Robot History
Discovery Season 3
WAR Hawk's Discovery Season 3 appearance.
WAR Hawk tears an axe off Axe Backwards.
WAR Hawk tosses Axe Backwards into the air.
WAR Hawk's first ever opponent was against Axe Backwards. In this match, WAR Hawk first dealt sparks to Axe Backwards, not really causing any damage. However, soon after, WAR Hawk attacked Axe Backwards from the side and jarred loose one of the two wheels. Since Axe Backwards wasn't giving up, WAR Hawk continued its assault, eventually tearing off the loose wheel and one of Axe Backwards' two rear axes. As the match reached the halfway point, it was evident that Axe Backwards was left without much drive power at all and was counted out, advancing WAR Hawk to the next stage of the tournament.
WAR Hawk tosses Brutus at the beginning of the match.
Brutus throws WAR hawk high into the air.
Next up for WAR Hawk was Brutus so WAR Hawk added a front black extension in hopes of having the lower front to get under its opponent. When the match began, WAR Hawk got the better of the first collision, sending Brutus upside down. However, this impact left WAR Hawk struggling to drive on one side due to one of its removable links falling out. Brutus was still able to drive and did its best to try and right itself but WAR Hawk still had a working weapon while Brutus did not so WAR Hawk struck it again. Brutus got back over using the arena wall but still didn't have a working weapon so it couldn't really capitalize on WAR Hawk's drive issues. WAR Hawk couldn't do much at all and took a big hit from its opponent, who just got its weapon working again. This proved to be fatal as WAR Hawk wasn't moving as a result of another of its removable links falling out and started to be counted out. With seconds left in the count out, WAR Hawk showed some movement but it wasn't enough to stop the count out, giving Brutus the win by KO.
WAR Hawk hits Overhaul.
WAR Hawk gets flipped by Overhaul.
WAR Hawk's minibot WAR Stop pushing Overhaul.
WAR Hawk's 3rd opponent was Overhaul. For this fight, the team brought their Warstop minibot to the BattleBox. Things were off to a good start for WAR Hawk when the match got underway as they dislodged extra armor Overhaul added for the fight. However, this did little to the actual chassis so WAR Hawk delivered another hit. This proved to be somewhat costly as WAR Hawk was having drive issues, allowing Overhaul to have some control. WAR Hawk took a shot from the killsaws while it was parked there but was still able to spin its weapon and cause damage. As the damage mounted, WAR Hawk was still gaining some control and eventually a fire broke out from within Overhaul with 15 seconds left. Time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to WAR Hawk.
WAR Hawk tosses Free Shipping into the air.
WAR Hawk hits Free Shipping from the left side.
WAR Hawk flips End Game onto its front.
WAR Hawk pushes Brutus against the arena wall.
WAR Hawk then had one last chance to make the top 16 and earn the 15th seed by facing End Game and Brutus in a rumble. WAR Hawk held back a bit while End Game tore off Brutus' front wedge. WAR Hawk then took advantage of End Game's driving error and threw them onto their weapon where they couldn't self-right up against the arena screws. With Brutus' defenses and offenses already down, WAR Hawk then put Brutus up against the arena barrier in the same fashion. WAR Hawk was the only mobile robot left and was declared the winner by KO.
WAR Hawk hits Bronco from its right side with its spinning disc.
WAR Hawk gets flipped by Bronco.
Bronco flipping one of WAR Hawk's minibots while WAR Hawk was stuck on the screws.
WAR Hawk's next fight would be up against the No.2 seed and former semi-finalist, Bronco. When the match began, both robots were cautious to approach for several seconds until Bronco turned to the side and took a hit from WAR Hawk. Bronco continued to fight and after lots of maneuvering, tossed WAR Hawk onto its back. WAR Hawk used the arena to self-right and Bronco took another hit from it. Bronco then got WAR Hawk on to the screws, which ground away at WAR Hawk until they got free. However, by this point, WAR Hawk had no mobility left and while WAR Hawk was being counted out, Bronco went after one of the minibots and threw it into the air. This loss eliminated WAR Hawk from the tournament.
Discovery Season 4
WAR Hawk went into the 2019 season with a match against Petunia. For this fight, WAR Hawk went with a more flat wedge set-up with wedgelets at the front in hopes of getting under Petunia. When the match began, WAR Hawk was hesitant to attack, possibly fearing Petunia's weapon and/or its front wedge. However, WAR Hawk soon went on the attack, throwing Petunia into the arena barrier. However, Petunia landed upright so WAR Hawk threw Petunia onto its head. Unwilling to wait for Petunia to right itself, WAR Hawk sent Petunia flying once more, this time landing on its back under the pulverizer. WAR Hawk then stayed back to see if Petunia would continue fighting but Petunia was unable to get much going and eventually stopped moving. Petunia was counted out, giving WAR Hawk the win by KO.
WAR Hawk's next match was against newcomer Hydra and was accompanied by its minibot Warstop once again. When the match began, WAR Hawk was able to get its weapon up to speed and take advantage of Hydra's failed attack by shoving them around and causing sparks with its weapon. WAR Hawk continued attacking but wasn't really able to cause any real damage and was thrown into the air by Hydra. Fortunately, WAR Hawk landed upright so it resumed the match normally. Unfortunately, this luck didn't last long as WAR Hawk was tossed upside down near the pulverizer. Making matters worse, WAR Hawk was tossed again and roughly 1/3 of its chassis broke free, leaving it down to half its drive and a working weapon. With little offense or driving ability, WAR Hawk had little choice but to take another flip from Hydra, which completely separated the robot. WAR Hawk was now completely immobile and was counted out, giving Hydra the win by KO.
Although WAR Hawk was 1-1, its record was kind of hollow, so it competed in the Desperado Tournament for a spot in the Top 16 bracket and the Giant Bolt trophy. As a result, it was given the No.2 seed and placed against Tim Rackley and the No.7 seed, Ragnarok. As a result, WAR Hawk opted for a front shield with wedgelets to get under Ragnarok and toss them into the air and thicker plastic top armor to protect its electronics. However, when the match began, WAR Hawk struggled to drive well as they were suffering from radio issues. This allowed their opponent to try and get an attack in, but they missed. WAR Hawk attacked the front of Ragnarok, causing plenty of sparks, but no real damage. WAR Hawk then took a light hit from Ragnarok before going back on the attack again. WAR Hawk then got shoved into the arena barrier and took another hit from its opponent's axe. However, WAR Hawk, delivered some big hits to the front side that sent Ragnarok flying each time. The final hit to the front bent a section of Ragnarok's wedge sticking straight out and they were no longer moving as their safety link fell out. Ragnarok was counted out, giving WAR Hawk the win by KO.
This win put WAR Hawk through to the semi-finals, where they met No.3 seed, Black Dragon. WAR Hawk went back to its traditional wedge with their floating wedgelets up front to try and win the battle of ground clearance. Unfortunately, the match didn't go as planned as WAR Hawk was only able to get moving out of its square before it stopped moving completely. With its weapon also disabled, WAR Hawk had nothing to respond with as they were thrown onto the screws where they couldn't get down. WAR Hawk was operational, but since it was stuck on the screws, WAR Hawk was counted out, giving Black Dragon the win by a quick and easy KO.
WAR Hawk's last opponent in the regular season was against Copperhead. As a result, WAR Hawk went with a flat front and front wedgelets. Its driver opted for a regular joystick controller to hopefully prevent radio interference issues. As the match got underway, WAR Hawk wasn't doing well as they were thrown into the air by Copperhead. WAR Hawk then took another hit that bent up one of their front wedgelets. After another few impacts, WAR Hawk lost one of its front wedgelets and was then thrown onto the screws. Unfortunately, even with the screws' help, WAR Hawk wasn't able to get down and was counted out, giving Copperhead the win by KO.
WAR Hawk also fought Wan Hoo from China in an exhibition match and opted to include War Stop and its flat front attachment. Unfortunately, WAR Hawk didn't start off well as their weapon wasn't spinning anywhere near top speed and their front plow was doing nothing to prevent them from getting lifted by their opponent. This left WAR Hawk with little offense and defense against Wan Hoo and they ended up eventually getting thrown into the air. WAR Hawk was then shoved into the screws before both robots lost their weapons. However, this wasn't advantageous for WAR Hawk as they had no means to get under Wan Hoo and took a shot from the killsaws before time ran out. The judges went in favor of Wan Hoo but it is unknown whether it was a split or unanimous decision.
Wins/Losses
- Wins: 6
- Losses: 6
| Competition | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Season 3 | Axe Backwards (Undercard Match) Overhaul (Undercard Match) Free Shipping (Undercard Match) End Game and Brutus (Play-In Rumble) | Brutus (Undercard Match) Bronco |
| Discovery Season 4 | Petunia (Undercard Match) Ragnarok (Desperado Tournament) | Hydra (Undercard Match) Black Dragon (Desperado Tournament) Copperhead (Undercard Match) Wan Hoo (Unaired Match) |
Faruq Tauheed Introductions
"More magical than a warlock. Keeps you out like a door lock. Walks over you like the boardwalk. Alright, that's enough talk, it's WAR HAWK!"
"From the Emerald City, this bot will leave you sleepless in Seattle, starring Tom Tanks and Meg Dyan. It's WAR HAWK!"
"Most birds have the power of flight but this one has the power to fight. It'll put you to the test and kick you out of the nest. It's WAR HAWK!"
"With wings stretched wide, it's time to hide. When it soars from the sky, you just might die. *imitates hawk sound* It's WAR HAWK!"
"Soaring into the box for war, this bird is looking to even the score. *bird noises* It's WAR HAWK!"
"Flying in from Seattle, trying to knock Bronco off his saddle, *bird noises* It's WAR HAWK!"
"This bird of prey will make you pay. Not like pay on a first date. Pay like you know it's going to destroy you! You get it. It's WAR HAWK!"
"Tweet tweet tweet, a little birdie told me you're going to get murdered! If you think you're going to survive, then you're just plain cuckoo. It's WAR HAWK!"
"This bird flies solo because it just don't give a flock. When it comes a knocking, you'll be squawking bwaaak bwak bwak bwak bwaak. It's WAR HAWK!"
"It's the god slaying, waste laying, no more playing. You better start praying, it's WAR HAWK!"
Trivia
- WAR Hawk is one of four robots to reach the Top 16 in the reboot's third season to not have any of its fights featured as a main event, with the others being Son of Whyachi, Rotator, and Monsoon.
