Witch Doctor

Witch Doctor is a robot which competed in every season of the BattleBots reboot. It was built by Busted Nuts Robotics, who created the original Witch Doctor. Witch Doctor featured a vertical disc as usual, with four-wheel drive and front wedges which could be replaced with a large steel plow to combat spinners. However, it was not alone in combat, being accompanied by a 30 lb "minibot" named Shaman. Shaman was a wedge robot designed to get behind the opponent and distract their drivers so Witch Doctor could go in for the kill. Shaman was not unarmed though, as it was also equipped with a flamethrower. It did poorly in its first competition, winning 1 fight, but losing 2 unlucky fights.

For Season 2, Witch Doctor was completely redesigned with a new double-sided spinning disc and a self-righting mechanism. Shaman also got redesigned with two flamethrowers instead of one and used green fire instead of the traditional orange. It got off to good start, but got humiliated in the second round by a shocking defeat at the hands of Red Devil, partially because they got rid of their front armor in favor of Shaman.

For Season 3, Witch Doctor was redesigned with the discs having two teeth instead of only one, more armor on top, and a more robust self-righter. However, Shaman was removed in order to save weight for the upgrades to Witch Doctor. This proved to be effective as they made the top sixteen before getting destroyed by eventual runner up Minotaur.

Witch Doctor will return for Season 4 with an updated design including its Season 2 styled drum with bigger teeth, custom rubber tires, and a revamped paint with light cracks on the rib cage. Although Shaman still remained absent, the team made a little purple bit on the self-righting arm under their new flamethrower, based on the crowd favorite minibot.

Robot History

ABC Season 1

Witch Doctor's first match was against Bronco. Right off the bat, Bronco got off to a quick start scoring a flip on Witch Doctor, but it quickly righted itself. Shaman then got underneath Bronco and started using its flamethrower. Bronco used its flipper to escape but then drove itself into the wall, where its flipper got stuck underneath. While they could've waited for the bot to be counted out by the referee, they instead used this opportunity to strike. Shaman sprayed fire on Bronco just as Witch Doctor struck it with its blade. This proved to be fatal, as Bronco was set free and quickly flipped Witch Doctor again, shoving onto the screws just when it righted itself, and was stuck on the wall with no means of getting off. Left out of the TV broadcast was a miscommunication whereby a rule was passed to Witch Doctor's team that allowed them back into the fight if they had been on top of the arena barrier. However, when Trey and one of Team Witch Doctor's team members went into the arena to free Witch Doctor, they were told that the rule only applied if the robot was caught on top of the screws within the first minute. After three takes of resetting the clock to before the timeout, the match resumed but with the main robot out, Shaman was unable to keep the match going and the multibot was counted out. The game wasn't over however, as Witch Doctor & Shaman were awarded one of 4 wild cards, allowing them to advance to the round of 16, where they faced OverDrive.

With a second chance at redemption, they were eager to take out their opponent as quick as possible. OverDrive charged at them head-on, slamming into Shaman before getting a hit on Witch Doctor. After a brief game of cat-and-mouse, OverDrive ran into the wall, allowing Witch Doctor to strike. After another chase, Witch Doctor hit OverDrive again, and then a third hit flipped OverDrive upside-down. Struggling to right-itself, OverDrive ran itself into the wall. Witch Doctor struck it again, flipping over but taking out one of its wheels. With the loss of its mobility, OverDrive was rendered useless and Witch Doctor easily took the win by knock-out. This win allowed them to advance into the quarterfinals, where they faced Tombstone.

Before the match began, Shaman had technical issues from the last match against OverDrive and wasn't able to continue. This left Witch Doctor alone and a wedge plate was added to the front to prevent damage from Tombstone. Witch Doctor put up a very good show in the opening moments, overpowering Tombstone and flinging it into the air several times, also slamming it into the wall. Witch Doctor maintained its lead until it got yet another stroke of bad luck. The repeated collisions with Tombstone took its toll on the weapon rail, jamming the weapon and preventing it from spinning. With no weapon, Tombstone was able to charge into Witch Doctor, and hit it so hard, Witch Doctor was overturned. Likewise, Tombstone was flung across the BattleBox, breaking its weapon in half in the process. Despite Tombstone being left with no offense, Witch Doctor was unable to right itself, meaning it was defeated via knockout for the second time in the competition.

Witch Doctor & Shaman weren't finished, however, as they went up against Nightmare and Overhaul in a three bot rumble at the end of the tournament. They started off okay at first, with Shaman spewing fire at the opponents. But Overhaul managed to lift Witch Doctor onto its wedge plate where it was helpless, Shaman tried to help Witch Doctor get back on its wheels but never succeeded, while Overhaul and Nightmare completely ignored them for the rest of the rumble. In the end Nightmare triumphed after disabling Overhaul and Witch Doctor lost.

ABC Season 2

Witch Doctor's first match in Season 2 was against newcomer Rotator. Shaman was omitted in this match to free up weight for the attachable front plow and the team replaced the front tires with two from HyperShock's team as their robot's scoop was scraping the ground during testing. In the beginning, both robots started spinning their weapons but due to Rotator's wheel rims not properly gripping its tires, Rotator approached slowly. Witch Doctor gave Rotator a small hit from its spinning disc. After another small hit from its spinning drum, Witch Doctor went straight at the left side of Rotator and ripped a tire off. Rotator couldn't move properly and Witch Doctor moves to the center of the BattleBox. Rotator could only move in circles and was counted out and Witch Doctor won the match by a quick KO at 27 seconds (the fastest KO of the season). This win put Witch Doctor to the round of 32 with a No.3 seeding, where it faced the No.30 seed Red Devil.

For this battle, Witch Doctor underestimated Red Devil, who had come off a close win against walker bot Wrecks. It had its front plow removed, allowing Shaman to participate. However, this proved to be a costly mistake as Red Devil was able to grab hold of Witch Doctor just beside the drum and use its saw whilst dragging Witch Doctor to the pulverizer. During the struggle, Witch Doctor's batteries were damaged and smoke began to pour out, getting thicker and thicker over time. Witch Doctor was then overturned by Red Devil whilst its self-righting mechanism was inoperable as the sprocket that the chain powering it went around had shattered. Witch Doctor, spewing thick smoke, was counted out and the No.30 seed Red Devil won by a shocking and impressive KO at 1:27. This shocking loss meant that Witch Doctor was eliminated from the competition again.

Witch Doctor wasn't finished yet as it participated in a small rumble with Wrecks and Bite Force. The rumble didn't start off well for Witch Doctor as it was taking damage from Bite Force whom knocked it upside down and straight into Wrecks's spinning disc which tore off part of its front scoop. Witch Doctor continued to take damage, eventually losing its self-righting arm and causing massive damage to Shaman, which resulted in a fireball. Regardless, it continued to attack, only to be sandwiched between Bite Force and Wrecks, whom together tossed Witch Doctor out of the arena. Although Shaman was still somehow moving, Bite Force then hits Shaman again, ripping off its wedge and remaining wheel, knocking Shaman out completely. Witch Doctor lost the rumble and Bite Force won overall.

Discovery Season 3

Witch Doctor's first opponent was Yeti. When the match began, things were about even between the two bots as there were hits but neither of them proving to be that damaging. However, Witch Doctor found itself being pushed into the screws, and lost a tire as a result. As the match went on, Witch Doctor retaliated by damaging Yeti's lifting forks such that the forks were bent out of alignment and one of the front prongs was torn off. Witch Doctor stayed face-to-face with its opponent,

whom got on top and tore one of the rib-cage armor pieces loose. Witch Doctor continued to take the hits and lost the same armor piece that was torn loose earlier. Worse still, it found itself in the corner under the pulverizer and Yeti attacked it once more, causing Witch Doctor to stop moving. Smoke started pouring out from Witch Doctor due to its drive motors overheating and Witch Doctor was counted out, giving Yeti the win by KO.

Witch Doctor's next opponent was Blacksmith. When the match began, Witch Doctor found itself being shoved into the wall by Blacksmith's front-mounted forks. Witch Doctor got away and started to get some hits on its opponent. Witch Doctor was seemingly taking control of the fight and continued to attack Blacksmith, whose hammer seemed to lose functionality. Witch Doctor continued to battle and lost its right rear tire. After some more maneuvering, Witch Doctor was fully on top of Blacksmith and was shoved up on top of the arena screws such that one tire was in between it and the arena barrier. Witch Doctor was being counted out but using its self-righting mechanism, managed to escape at the last possible second. However, by this point there was only 6 seconds left on the clock, leaving little chance to make any further attacks. Time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 judges decision to Witch Doctor.

Up next for Witch Doctor was Ultimo Destructo. In response, With Doctor removed the lip on the front of the scoop to have the weapon be Ultimo Destructo's first point of contact. The match was off to a great start for Witch Doctor as they evaded Ultimo's flipper and got underneath to cause damage. After another hit or two, it became clear that Ultimo couldn't move anymore as they'd lost wheels and their entire chassis had been jarred loose. Ultimo Destructo was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO.

Witch Doctor was then drawn against Overhaul, an old foe that flipped Witch Doctor over and rendered it immobile in the post-tournament rumble of 2015. If Witch Doctor was too enter the top 16 bracket, it would need to surpass Overhaul, but unlike last time, this time Witch Doctor had means of self-righting. The match began and was underway, with both bots launching themselves at each other. Overhaul's lifter made contact with Witch Doctor's frontal wedge and attempted to lift it, but it was unsuccessful. Witch Doctor instantly gave chase to Overhaul, but there was a sudden jolt as a Hell raiser jutted out from the BattleBox and desisted Witch Doctor, giving Overhaul an opening and allowing it to close in on Witch Doctor. But once again, Overhaul couldn't lift Witch Doctor. Witch Doctor, on the aggressive side, maneuvered to the right-hand side of Overhaul. Without warning, shrapnel was sent tumbling throughout the field as the armor of Overhaul

was ripped of from its hinges. Witch Doctor had been quick to already dismantle Overhaul, who was on its side, flipped onto its back, and slammed onto the screws. Overhaul quickly self-righted, but was almost instantly on its back again, before self-righting again. Overhaul was weakened, but nevertheless, it pressed on while Witch Doctor's drum spinner continued to spin with increasing power. Overhaul kept its distance, but couldn't keep Witch Doctor at bay forever. Soon enough, sparks began to fly, as Overhaul was thrown through the air, before being shoved around the arena by its relentless opponent. Overhaul was then left motionless

in a corner of the arena right next to the pulverizer with its lifting arm pointed towards the roof of the arena. The countdown began and Overhaul was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO. Witch Doctor did enough to enter the top 16 and found itself facing Minotaur.

In response, Witch Doctor opted to use the front plate that lacked the lip so that the weapon would be Minotaur's first point of contact. When the match began, things weren't off to a good start as Witch Doctor suffered drive issues almost immediately. As the match progressed, Witch Doctor lost the wheel that gave it drive issues and was able to continue fighting properly. However, when they next collided with Minotaur, they lost the other front wheel but still had a good deal of mobility left and a working weapon. Witch Doctor was then attacked by Minotaur and shoved into the corner where they lost one of the rear tires. After losing the final tire and getting flipped, Witch Doctor self-righted and caught fire. With all their wheels gone, Witch Doctor was counted out, eliminating them from the tournament.

Discovery Season 4

With Doctor's first match of 2019 was against newcomer Shatter!. In response, Witch Doctor added more armor under the rib-cage to hopefully prevent or minimize damage from Shatter's weapon. When the match began, Witch Doctor was doing well, tearing off chunks of Shatter's armor, including full armor plates. As the match progressed, Witch Doctor took advantage of Shatter's missed weapon attack and tore off Shatter's weapon head. Shatter was still not giving up and proceeded to take punishment. However, Witch Doctor started to lose drive on one side and eventually its weapon. Making matters worse, as Witch Doctor pressed on, the smoke turned to fire and Witch Doctor seemed like it was going to get knocked out. With 10 seconds left, Witch Doctor managed to get some mobility left and the fight went the distance. The judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Witch Doctor.

Next for Witch Doctor wes Brian Nave and Captain Shrederator. For this fight, Witch Doctor removed their flame thrower to beef up their defenses against Captain Shrederator. When the match got underway, Witch Doctor took hits from Captain Shrederator but also sent Captain Shrederator flying into each side of the arena. Captain Shrederator began to have balance issues so Witch Doctor went in again, sending Captain Shrederator flying once more. Captain Shrederator stayed upright but this time its weapon was slow to get going again. This allowed Witch Doctor to hit it near the screws and flip it over. With Captain Shrederator unable to do anything else but spin its body, Witch Doctor took it to the pulverizer before Captain Shrederator was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO.

Amazon Alexa BattleBots Challenge

Witch Doctor was selected as one of 10 robots to compete for the Giant Bolt trophy in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of a live stream event. Up first for them was a rematch with Tombstone from 2015. When the match began, Witch Doctor collided with Tombstone, sending both robots in opposite directions. Both robots recovered and took another collision, leaving Witch Doctor to lose part of its weapon and sending Tombstone into the arena barrier. However, this time, Tombstone was only turning in circles but its weapon was still at top speed so it turned to face Witch Doctor again and was nearly sent out of the arena. After one more collision, Tombstone was no longer moving and started smoking. Tombstone was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO. Witch Doctor was selected by the audience to compete with Bronco in a grudge match from 2015 for the championship bout.

The match was off to a great start for Witch Doctor as Bronco turned right into their weapon and lost a tire. Witch Doctor took advantage of Bronco's failed attempt to flip by tearing off another tire. Witch Doctor struck Bronco again and this time, Bronco's flipper tip had been bent up. Witch Doctor then tore off a 3rd wheel and left Bronco dead near the screws. Bronco was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO and the Giant Bolt trophy.

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 9
• Losses: 7

Competition	Wins	Losses
ABC Season 1	OverDrive	Bronco Tombstone Nightmare (Exhibition Rumble)
ABC Season 2	Rotator	Red Devil Bite Force (Exhibition Rumble)
Discovery Season 3	Blacksmith (Undercard Match) Ultimo Destructo (Undercard Match) Overhaul (Undercard Match)	Yeti (Main Event/Undercard Match) Minotaur
Discovery Season 4	Shatter! (Undercard Match) Captain Shrederator (Undercard Match)	TBA
Amazon Alexa BattleBots Challenge	Tombstone Bronco	None

Faruq Tauheed Introductions

"It do that voodoo that you do so well. Prepare to be spellbound by WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Glippity glappity glippity goo! It just put a voodoo curse on you! It's the magical WITCH DOCTOR!"

"When it's through with you, you're gonna need a check-up from the neck-up. Here to cause some serious psychological damage, it's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Glippity glappity glippity goo! The voodoo child is back for season two! It’s WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Glippity glappity glippity goo! I've got a case of deja-voodoo! She's got a prescription for demolition! Its WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Glippity glappity, glippity glee! The voodoo princess is back for number 3. It sacrificed its young and now is down to one. It's WITCH DOCTOR!".

"On Mardi Gras, this ragin' cajin bot doesn't throw beads, it throws beatings. It's about to be Fat Bruiseday, WITCH DOCTOR!"

"She doesn't use Tarot cards or a crystal ball. This witch uses a spell to maul. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"*spooky voice* Break out your cauldron for a special potion. An eye of bot or pinch of steel. Rubber from a burned up wheel. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"This nasty fighter would survive being burned at the stake. Now she comes here to make your bots break. She's ready to screw you with voodoo. It's WITCH DOCTOR!" 

"This bot will send you to the morgue. You can run, but you can't formaldehyde. First it decimates, then it cremates. Victory isn't given, you have to urn it. WITCH DOCTOR!"  

"Ooh eeh ooh-ah-ah, ting tang walla-walla bing bang! You're dead! WITCH DOCTOR!"  

Merchandise

Any appearances by Witch Doctor in merchandise are listed below:

• Witch Doctor/RC
• Witch Doctor/Push Strike

 

Trivia

• A lego RC version of Witch Doctor appeared at the 2019 BrickCon.
• Both times Witch Doctor faced Tombstone, the winner ended up with a broken weapon.