Whiplash's Discovery Season 6 appearance.
Whiplash is a heavyweight robot built by Team Fast Electric Robots which competed in every season of the BattleBots reboot since Discovery Season 3. It is the successor to Splatter, which carries a heavy resemblance to it.
Whiplash did extremely well in its debut season, going 3-1 in the qualifying rounds, only losing a Main Event to the reigning champion Tombstone. It made it into the Championship Tournament where it defeated Yeti and Bronco in the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals, respectively, before being destroyed by the former, and soon-to-be recrowned, champion Bite Force in the Semifinals.
Like last season, Whiplash did very well in Season 4, once again going 3-1 in the qualifying rounds, only losing a Main Event to eventual runner-up Witch Doctor. It once again made it into the Championship Tournament where it defeated HUGE in the Round of 16 before being brutally destroyed in the Quarterfinals by the former reigning champion Tombstone in a rematch from last season.
Like before, Whiplash did extremely well in Season 5, going 2-1 in the qualifying rounds, only losing it's first fight to SawBlaze, and made it all the way to the Finals where it was thrown out of the arena by eventual champion End Game.
Team Fast Electric Robots confirmed that they will be competing in Season 6 with Whiplash along with a new robot called Defender that will be captained and driven by team member Jason Vasquez, who is the brother of Whiplash driver Matty Vasquez.
Whiplash also competed at RoboGames 2015 and 2017. While it lost twice in 2015, Whiplash performed really well in 2017 as it reached the Championship Final and finished second overall.
Contents
Design
Whiplash in the blue square during its debut season.
The robot carries a heavy resemblance to Splatter, who competed in the first two seasons of ABC's BattleBots reboot. Whiplash's main weapon was an articulated disc spinner; a small spinning disc mounted on an arm which could rotate 180 degrees. The arm had forks so it could be used as a lifter, and it could also use the disc as a hammer weapon, making it a versatile weapon.
For Season 4, Whiplash was now an electric yellow replacing the red and had a new, more destructive disc. Even when Whiplash had three wheels left, it could still drive well.
Whiplash in the red square during Season 5.
For Season 5, Whiplash remained largely the same, but has new wheels and rims, a modified disc and lifter, a bigger lifter gear that's protected, and slightly altered front wedgelets. This version of Whiplash also has a Witch Doctor styled plow to put on for horizontal spinners, but they have to sacrifice their destructive edge with their disc to make the weight limit.
The Vazquez family and Defender's Robert Masek ahead of Season 6.
For Season 6, Whiplash remains visually unchanged from last season, keeping the neon yellow wedgelets at the front, as well as the lifter/disc weapon setup.
Robot History
Discovery Season 3 |
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Whiplash vs. Hypothermia   Whiplash's Discovery Season 3 appearance.   Whiplash rips a wheel off of Hypothermia.   Whiplash knocks out Hypothermia. Whiplash found itself facing Team Toad's Hypothermia for its first fight. The match started out poorly for Whiplash as they were quickly pushed up against the screws. Whiplash then started to retaliate with a hit of its own, sending Hypothermia flying. Its 2nd hit tore off one of Hypothermia's wheels, leaving the opponent to drive in circles. Whiplash moved its lifting arm 180 degrees to dish out one last blow before Hypothermia was counted out, allowing Whiplash to advance to the next stage. |
Whiplash vs. Mecha Rampage   Whiplash stacks Mecha Rampage against the wall. |
Whiplash vs. Tombstone Up next for Whiplash was the reigning champion Tombstone. When the match began, things were mostly looking up for Whiplash as they were withstanding the impacts from Tombstone and sending them flying with each collision. However, that changed as they lost a tire and one of the two front scoops. Even so, they managed to corral Tombstone into the corner and keep them there for a period. When they let go, they took another hit from Tombstone that tore off another wheel. After another hit, Whiplash was left motionless against the arena barrier and smoking. Whiplash was counted out, giving Tombstone the win by KO. |
Whiplash vs. Warhead   Warhead sets Whiplash ablaze.   Whiplash flips Warhead over. |
Whiplash vs. Yeti Next for Whiplash was Yeti. This match was pretty even to start, as both robots met weapon-to-weapon without causing much damage or giving control to their opponent. Whiplash then had the front middle plate of its lifting arm torn off by Yeti's drum but was still able to lift Yeti up and push it around. Both robots then had another weapon-on-weapon brawl before Whiplash hit Yeti hard and disabled their opponent's weapon. Yeti continued to fight so Whiplash got under Yeti again and nearly threw it upside down but Yeti recovered. Whiplash then threw it over before hitting them hard enough to flip them back over. Whiplash managed to get a few hits on Yeti's wheels, bending the hubcaps but not affecting Yeti's mobility at all. However, with fifteen seconds left, smoke began to pour out of Whiplash as its drive motors were burning up, leaving it pretty much immobile near the killsaws. Luckily, there wasn't enough time for a count out, so Whiplash survived to the judges decision, which gave them a 3-0 decision to advance to the quarter-finals, where it faced Bronco. |
Whiplash vs. Bronco (Quarterfinals) When the match began, things were off to a great start for Whiplash as they were easily able to take control of Bronco by shoving it around the BattleBox and putting pressure on them up against the arena barrier. When Bronco self-righted, Whiplash was right there waiting for them and proceeded with its 2nd attack to shove Bronco around again but this time did its best to ensure Bronco had little room to maneuver while in the corner. Whiplash was able to control Bronco a third time before they were tossed over but they quickly self-righted. After a fourth dominant attack, smoke began pouring out of Bronco, whom had no drive power left. Bronco was counted out, giving Whiplash the win by KO to advance to the semifinals, where it faced Bite Force. |
Whiplash vs. Bite Force (Semifinals) Whiplash did not start off well during this bout as they were taking hits from Bite Force without being able to do much in response. Whiplash's front forks were soon bent up and were tossed into the air, jamming the right front wheel upwards but still had enough mobility to continue. However, things changed as they continued to take damage and eventually lost both right side tires, leaving them only to drive in circles with little weaponry to attack with. After the repeated impacts, Whiplash was still crab walking, but was counted out, giving Bite Force the win by KO. This eliminated Whiplash from the tournament. |
Discovery Season 4 |
Whiplash vs. Minotaur   Whiplash's Discovery Season 4 appearance.   Whiplash strikes the side of Minotaur. Whiplash's first match of 2019 was against runners-up from 2018, Team Riobotz and Minotaur. This fight also served as a rematch back in 2017 RoboGames. As the match got underway, Whiplash used its driving and weapon arsenal to keep Minotaur's weapon at bay and from reaching top speed. Whiplash continued to control the fight as Minotaur was also having issues getting its weapon to top speed outside of Whiplash's attacks. However, Whiplash eventually lost their lifting arm and were left to continue attacking with their spinning weapon. Luckily, they still had full drive and their front scoops and were still able to control Minotaur, even getting them under the pulverizer. Both robots were hit by the killsaws before time ran out. The judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Whiplash. |
Whiplash vs. Son of Whyachi Whiplash's next opponent was against former champion Son of Whyachi, a rematch with the Ewert family from 2016. (between Warrior Clan and Splatter). Whiplash was not off to a good start as Whiplash caught a seam in the arena floor and was unable to box rush Son of Whyachi in time. Instead, Whiplash started to take damage, losing the left scoop completely. Even so, Whiplash stayed on Son of Whyachi, working hard to prevent their opponent from having any room to get their weapon going. Whiplash managed to lift Son of Whyachi so that the lifting arm served as a grabber and Whiplash was able to push Son of Whyachi onto the screws before Son of Whyachi escaped. Whiplash stayed on Son of Whyachi, but didn't entirely stop Son of Whyachi's weapon from reaching a high speed. After another hit, Whiplash was able to move in further as Son of Whyachi's weapon had stopped working. This allowed Whiplash to finish what it started earlier as they flipped Son of Whyachi onto its top. Son of Whyachi was unable to right itself and was counted out, giving Whiplash the win by KO. |
Whiplash vs. Witch Doctor   Whiplash lifts Witch Doctor against the wall. Whiplash next faced off against veteran Andrea Gellatly and Witch Doctor. In response, Whiplash opted to swap out its traditional front forks for a wedge plate. When the match got underway, Whiplash was not doing well as they were thrown into the air by Witch Doctor and had its left wedgelet bent up. As the match progressed, Whiplash lost a tire and was pushed into the screws, where it got stuck. Whiplash then used its lifting arm to escape and was pushed into the other set of screws directly next to it, but it escaped. Whiplash continued to fight and managed to flip Witch Doctor over near the screws, but Witch Doctor righted itself and escaped. As Whiplash lifted Witch Doctor up again, the chain for its lifting arm came off, rendering it useless. Making matters worse, Witch Doctor also took out their lifting arm's spinner, leaving Whiplash to try and win a shoving match as Witch Doctor had lost the use of its own weapon. Time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Witch Doctor. |
Whiplash vs. Texas Twister   Whiplash kicks Texas Twister into the air at the opening seconds. |
Whiplash vs. HUGE Having secured a place in the Top 16 as the No.5 seed, Whiplash was placed against Jonathan Schultz and the No.12 seed, HUGE. Whiplash started off fairly well as they were able to use their lifting arm to attack while also being much lower than HUGE's body. Still, Whiplash managed to lose a tire, but this didn't affect them all that much. Whiplash maintained a lot of control over HUGE by pushing them around and avoiding further damage. Unfortunately, they were also not dishing out much damage either, but they maintained control of the fight until time ran out. The judges awarded Whiplash a 2-1 split decision and a spot in the quarter-finals. |
Whiplash vs. Tombstone (Quarterfinals)   Whiplash collides with Tombstone's blade.   Whiplash gets part of its right front rim shaved off. Whiplash found itself in a revenge fight against Tombstone. Things got off to a bad start as Whiplash immediately had its right wedge ripped off. From there, Whiplash began losing some minor bits and pieces, even getting spun around from the sheer kinetic energy. Whiplash found its left wedge also not in the best shape, having a slice right on the left edge. Whiplash tried keeping its front pointed to the former champ, but Tombstone managed to slip underneath and rip off the right front wheel. Whiplash tried to keep its other wheels from getting damaged, but that didn't work as Tombstone tore off the forks and a chunk out of the rear right tire one, leaving Whiplash to crab walk at this point. Wounded, Whiplash received more damage, losing its other wedge, and the remainder of its right tire torn off. With a few more final shots to the front, Whiplash was finally being counted out, giving Tombstone the win by KO once again. |
Amazon Alexa BattleBots Challenge |
Whiplash vs. Lock-Jaw Whiplash was one of 10 robots to compete in a live stream event at Las Vegas, Nevada to compete for the Giant Bolt trophy. Its first opponent was Lock-Jaw, a match the Vasquez family had been waiting for since the show's run on Comedy Central. The match was pretty even for both robots as there was no advantage gained either way. However, Whiplash started to take the better end of the collisions as they were thrown into the air by Lock-Jaw. The next few impacts were pretty minor but Whiplash soon lost its left rear tire and the left fork on its lifting arm was bent up. Luckily, the match turned in Whiplash's favor as the next impact disabled Lock-Jaw completely. Whiplash played with the dead Lock-Jaw by shoving it toward the screws and attacking with their lifting arm's spinner, mangling the top plate pretty severely. Lock-Jaw was counted out, giving Whiplash the win by KO. Whiplash wasn't finished yet as it was given a revenge match against Bite Force to compete for 3rd and 4th place respectively. |
Whiplash vs. Bite Force When the match began, Whiplash started to take punishment. As the match progressed, its left front scoop became slightly angled upward from Bite Force's attack. After the next attack, that same scoop was now about 45 degrees and left Whiplash with little defense. Whiplash then lost its left rear tire, which reduced its mobility and rendered its remaining intact scoop almost useless. Whiplash suffered more damage as its left scoop was torn off and then more pieces went flying as the two robots fought near the pulverizer. Whiplash was now down to two tires and few options so it tried to use its lifting arm's spinner, but Bite Force's remaining attacks took what little was left in its ability to fight. Whiplash was counted out, giving Bite Force the win by KO. |
Discovery Season 5 |
Whiplash vs. SawBlaze Whiplash's first fight of the season was against the fellow well-driven and versatile quarter-finalist, SawBlaze. Ahead of the match, Whiplash went with the version with the spinner attached and swapped their wedgelets out for flatter but taller front plates, intending to protect the electronics from SawBlaze's attacks. As the match got going, Whiplash collided with SawBlaze before it started to get pushed around a bit. Whiplash tried to retaliate, but was shoved to different areas of the BattleBox and took attacks from SawBlaze instead. Finally, as Whiplash was being pushed towards the screws, it used its lifting arm's spinner to attack SawBlaze near the attachment point for the weapon's arm as well as SawBlaze's tire. Unfortunately, Whiplash lost the use of the spinning disc on its lifting arm, leaving it with little offense or defense against SawBlaze and started to get pushed around again. Whiplash then found itself on top of the screws, but had trouble getting down for a few seconds before being taken to another part of the BattleBox. After being shoved into the casing for the screws, Whiplash took two more shots to its side and stopped moving as a result of SawBlaze cutting through their right drive control. Whiplash was counted out, giving SawBlaze the win by KO. |
Whiplash vs. Gruff Having just been battered by SawBlaze in their first battle, Whiplash was repaired and next faced Gruff, which also serves as a rematch from the 2015 season of Robogames. Whiplash started off well, getting lifts in and starting to control the match. However, Whiplash took the heat from Gruff's flamethrowers before attacking again, managing to flip Gruff over in the corner. However, the corner housed the pulverizer operated by Gruff's team and Whiplash took a hit before resuming its attacks from above and even below. Whiplash soon began to emit smoke and had to spin down its weapon, leaving only its lifter to attack and defend. This didn't hinder Whiplash much as they continued to control the fight, sending Gruff up and over the screws as Gruff began to also emit smoke and slow down its driving. Time ran out with Whiplash in total control and the judges awarded them a unanimous 3-0 decision over Gruff. |
Whiplash vs. Valkyrie Whiplash fought Leanne Cushing and Valkyrie, where it was armed with only its lifter and a stronger front scoop. This proved to be a good decision as while they took early damage from Valkyrie's weapon, they were able to disable it and begin controlling the fight. Whiplash took Valkyrie all across the arena, costing Valkyrie its decorative wheel guards in the process while sustaining little to no further damage. With 10 seconds left, Whiplash got Valkyrie up on the screws but was unable to get them out and disabled before time ran out. The judges awarded Whiplash a unanimous 3-0 decision. |
Whiplash vs. HUGE Whiplash made it into the Round of 32 as the No.8 seed and was given a rematch against the No.25 seed HUGE. Whiplash was armed similarly to its match against SawBlaze apart from adding longer forks with a tiny wedge on the lifter. Whiplash started off well as they absorbed impacts from HUGE's downward spinning bar before they started to control the fight, sending HUGE into the screws twice. HUGE escaped and Whiplash reset its lifter before moving in again, unwilling to let HUGE get its weapon going. Whiplash continued to control the fight, losing only small pieces in the process before time ran out. The judges awarded Whiplash a unanimous 3-0 decision and a spot in the top 16. |
Whiplash vs. Valkyrie Up next for Whiplash was a rematch with Valkyrie from a Main Event earlier in the 2020 season. Like before, Whiplash ditched the spinner for it's anti-horizontal spinner configuration. The fight started with Whiplash charging at Valkyrie, attempting to make the first attack before it could get up to speed. Valkyrie did however spin up, and delivered several glancing hits to Whiplash, the latter of which sent Valkyrie flying into the corner of the box. Now upside-down, Valkyrie was less manoeuvrable but persisted in attacking. The next impact saw a piece fly from Whiplash's lifter, however hits seemed to be unbalancing Valkyrie all the more, as it bounced across the arena. Whiplash then lifted Valkyrie directly into the air and due to the gyroscopic forces in play, was able to balance on the tip of Whiplash's lifter momentarily. Valkyrie found itself the right side up but struggled to escape the corner of the box. Whiplash got to its rear, shoving Valkyrie the length of the arena and getting it caught on the screws. Whiplash again managed to balance Valkyrie, still spinning, on its lifting arm and proceeded to push their opponent against the screws once again. Whiplash continued to dominate, even hooking its lifting arm in one of the weight-saving holes in Valkyrie's disc at one stage. The fight went to the judges, and Whiplash won unanimously. |
Whiplash vs. Hydra (Quarterfinals)   Whiplash self-righting after a flip from Hydra. |
Whiplash vs. Black Dragon (Semifinals) Now in the Top 4, Whiplash faced Black Dragon for a place in the title fight. Both weapons spun up to speed, but it was Whiplash who started on the offensive. Having gotten underneath its opponent, Whiplash landed a hit which sent one of Black Dragon's wedgelets flying away. It then managed to lift it up, carrying Black Dragon to the side of the box and throwing it upside-down. Whiplash knocked the wheel and flipped the Brazilian bot over again. Despite their attempts to hit with the weapon, Whiplash maintained its aggression and tipped Black Dragon over once more, before it righted and Whiplash shoved it into the side of the box. Whiplash's right-side wedgelet had come off, temporarily beaching Black Dragon, but it managed to escape. After a few minor encounters, Whiplash then managed to tip Black Dragon onto its rear end, up against the wall. Stranded, Whiplash turned around and attempted to attack with the disc, using it as a hammer saw with the knowledge its opponent could not escape. This was unsuccessful however, as Black Dragon tried to spin up and tipped itself back over. With both bots now down a wedgelet and fork respectively, Whiplash hoisted its opponent onto the screws with 10 seconds to go, landing another hammer saw attack as the screws reversed. This left a lasting impression on the judges, who unanimously ruled in favour of Whiplash, taking the Vazquez family to their first ever Battlebots title fight. |
Whiplash vs. End Game (Finals) Whiplash advanced to the final, and only End Game stood between them and the Giant Nut. The fight started with Whiplash circling End Game, first clockwise then counter-clockwise, biding its time. End Game, less willing to play the patient game, took advantage of Whiplash steering onto their forks and dealt an uppercut to its lifting mechanism. With Whiplash held against the screws with its lifter raised, End Game stuck its disc between Whiplash's forks and pinned it momentarily. Whiplash pushed back, but rode over the top of End Game after dropping its lifter onto the New Zealand representative's vertical spinner. Whiplash drove away, but its disc was not spinning. End Game kept its front pointed at Whiplash as it again circled its opponent, but Whiplash oversteered, and End Game capitalised by flipping it over. Whiplash righted itself immediately, but its lifting arm was bent ever so slightly out of place and could not retract properly. Another hit saw Whiplash overturned again, and one final hit saw End Game send Whiplash over the wall and out of the box. The team celebrated as Whiplash was counted out, and End Game became the first international team to win the Giant Nut. |
Wins/Losses
- Wins: 16
- Losses: 7
| Competition | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Season 3 |
Hypothermia (Undercard Match) Mecha Rampage (Undercard Match) Warhead (Undercard Match) |
Tombstone (Main Event/Undercard Match) |
| Discovery Season 4 | Minotaur (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Son of Whyachi (Main Event/Undercard Match) Texas Twister (Undercard Match) |
Witch Doctor (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Tombstone |
| Amazon Alexa BattleBots Challenge | Lock-Jaw | Bite Force (Third Place Play-Off) |
| Discovery Season 5 | Gruff (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Valkyrie (Main Event/Undercard Match) HUGE Valkyrie |
SawBlaze (Undercard Match) |
| Discovery Season 6 | TBA | TBA |
Faruq Tauheed Introductions
"If this bot wrote a book, it would be called Fifty Shades of Slay. Oooh child! Hope you know the safe word. It's WHIPLASH!"
"A crash with this bot will leave you with aches, pains and a visit to a questionable lawyer. Better call Brawl because you just got WHIPLASH!"
"Congratulations, this robot just proposed a ring of destruction. *sings* Every kill begins with kay. it's WHIPLASH!"
"This bot fights at the speed of sound and loves to go out and flay. It will grip, rip and send you on a trip, straight to the trash. It's WHIPLASH!"
"This family means business and business is booming. Could a spot in the next round be looming? It's here to fight, slam and smash. It'll beat you in a flash. It's WHIPLASH!"
"It dominated a monster in the opening round, sending parts of Yeti to the Lost and Found. A bot that will make you crash, give it up for WHIPLASH!"
"It's done the impossible; buck the Bronco and slayed a Yeti with a 19 year old driver who's proven he's ready. The Vasquez family is in the big show at last. Ladies and gentleman, it's WHIPLASH!"
"Buckle up, it's time to showcase your neck brace. You'll be in misery with this injury. Better call your lawyer. Get ready for the hit'n'run, it's WHIPLASH!"
"This bots family matters. It could win fast or win slow. It's going to spin you in a vicious circle, then laugh at you like Steve Urkel. Hehehehe, *snort snort* Did I do that? It's WHIPLASH!"
"When it hits, you'll be saying, "my neck, my back, someone's mom just had a heart attack." It's going to hit you hard, hit you hard, hit you hard just like IT should. It's WHIPLASH!"
"This bot is driven by a real wiz kid, who'll leave your bot twisted. Don't make him clean his room because he will send you to your doom. Here to give you road rash, it's WHIPLASH!"
"The Vasquez clan is seeded at #5, and to win the Giant Nut, they're goin to kick in overdrive. And even though their young driver can't grow a mustache, you better beware of the smooth moves of WHIPLASH!"
"Last name Vasquez, first name Matt. He's about to beat you flat. Oh no, he just stomped on the gas! At least you'll die fast. It's WHIPLASH!"
"To quote Dustin Hoffman, he's an excellent driver. Not many have left a match with him a survivor. But instead of Rain Man, he's here to bring the pain, man. It's definitely definitely WHIPLASH!"
"Ask anyone, they'll say they always stay humble. Make no mistake, this family came to rumble. They've been working for years showing their strut, now the only thing left to win is that first Giant Nut. Two brothers who drive with passion and pride, when they walk out together, a look that says "let's ride!". So what was said right before this final bout? The message was simple. Momma said knock you all the way out! Give it up for WHIPLASH!"
Trivia
- The five bots that Whiplash has lost to were champions of certain events, with Witch Doctor later going on to be the All Star champion in 2019 and End Game being the most recent champion in 2020.
- While SawBlaze is the first bot to defeat Whiplash that hasn't won a BattleBots event, Jamison Go has won numerous featherweight and beetleweight events.
- An unpainted Whiplash was used in an 18-bot preview on Witch Doctor's YouTube channel.
- Whiplash is the only bot so far to flip over Hydra and force it to self right.
- Every time Whiplash has competed, it has never failed to make at least the quarter-finals, making it one of the most consistent bots in the reboot.
- Whiplash is the second bot to beat the same robot twice in the same season. The first was Lock-Jaw over Bombshell in Season 3.
- Coincidentally, Whiplash lost the very first fight and very last fight of Season 5.
