NSBFL 7

[pcbore]

NSBFL 7

Well, we€™ve had one middleweight mash-up already. This time, it€™s all about the spinners, as three different types go for it! This fight takes place in the Last €˜bot standing arena, so it really will be about who€™s the biggest damage dealer. Let€™s meet our fighters for today.

Heavy Metal Noise is a real robot, and it€™s fairly similar to Nightmare and Backlash, with its sloped body and large vertical disc. Will its fear factor be the same as Nightmares and Backlashes? Maybe, but it€™ll need to keep its exposed wheels out of harm€™s way.

Evil Scotsman almost didn€™t make it in time, but bolting on the last few bits of armour at the last second it just Scott€™s way. And when you look at the weapon, you€™ll end up wishing he hadn€™t made it in time! The thing is about 60% flywheel! And seeing it€™s being spun by a LEM-130, spin up time won€™t be much of an issue either. However, the armour may be. Whether anyone can get past the disc to attack it is another matter€¦

Fat Billy Sastards is our last entrant for this melee, and the slowest at 8 MPH. That might not worry Matty, as his weapon of choice today is a true full body spinner, which can produce enough power to make any opponent wish Billy would go on a diet Unlike many F.B.S€™s, it can self right, but manoeuvrability isn€™t Billy€™s strong point. Too many pies I guess

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ACTIVATE!!

Almost immediately, Evil Scotsman€™s flywheel is up to speed, and it€™s prowling the arena looking for something to try it out on! F.B.S is staying out of trouble for the moment, as is Heavy. Evil Scotsman isn€™t having any of that though and goes after Heavy! Heavy turns around somewhat ponderously, and the two flywheels connect in a shower of sparks! When the sparks clear, we can clearly see that Heavy€™s flywheel is buckled, yet still somehow spinning. The distorted gyro force is making Heavy bounce off the floor though, so it€™s turned off, then F.B.S comes in and rips one of Heavy€™s wheels off!

Not to be out-done, Evil Scotsman returns and rips off the other wheel. Then F.B S hits the flywheel again taking that off completely, so Evil Scotsman replies by taking off the front castor and scarring the bodywork. F.B.S replies by taking a slice at Evil Scotsman, missing the body but hitting the disc, spinning both machines away from each other! Evil Scotsman spins back up quickly, and heads after F.B.S, all thoughts of playing with Heavy forgotten, much to the builder€™s relief.

Evil Scotsman hits F.B.S as it tries to dodge, and the full body spinner is bounced away! Evil Scotsman comes in again, but F.B.S spins away, then reverses right at the rear of Evil Scotsman! Evil Scotsman is caught between a wall and a hard case now, as it tries to drive away from danger! However, F.B.S manages to strike the rear, blasting Evil Scotsman into the wall, tearing out a battery and damaging one of the wheels! F. B.S backs up to spin up, but Evil Scotsman is going nowhere, killed in a single blow!

Heavy Metal Noise, silenced. Evil Scotsman not evil enough! Fat Billy Sastards moves through to the middleweight final!

[pcbore]

NSBFL 7

Two middleweights are through to the final, and two want to join them! We head to the Roulette arena now to see which out of these three will make it through.

Killoteeny is a half weight version of Killotine, but definitely not a half arsed version. Everything may have been scaled down, but the axe still leaves many a migraine in its wake. If that should fail it, it can still ram opponents to death. The axe can self right the robot quickly, but with so-so turning, will Killoteeny be given the chopteeny?

We€™ve seen Black already, in the heavyweight division where despite taking a huge slice from Hefty Kick In The Balls and being thrown into the moat, it took no damage whatsoever. That tells you all you need to know about Black€™s armour. The weapon, a set of lifting blades, is less spectacular, but still does the job. Still, with some good shoving power for a middleweight, this might not need its partner to do well.

Lastly is Scarlek, a pushing wedge robot with a rear horizontal spinning bar. It prefers to shove robots around with the 0 GC wedge, but will smash them up instead if it needs to, and with good Ti armour, it looks tough to beat. However, random time travellers in blue police boxes could prove to be its downfall

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ACTIVATE!!

Scarlek doesn€™t have much time to get going before Killoteeny slams into it and brings the axe down on top! Black joins the fray not long after, sliding under Scarlek and lifting it up! Killoteeny€™s axe knocks it off the lifter though, but Scarlek has no time to get away before Killoteeny is under the side and shoving it to the PPZ! Black follows once more, as Scarlek barely avoids an intimate collision with the Militant, and instead gets lifted over by Black again!

Not wanting to be left out of the fun, Killoteeny smashes into Scarlek again and hammers in with the axe a few times! A few of the blows miss as Scarlek tries to wriggle away from the team up and officially get into the fight, but Black herds it in close where it can€™t do anything! Finally, Scarlek succeeds in getting under Bblack and pushing it over a pit, but Matt€™s luck isn€™t in as a different pit opens! Killoteeny charges in and starts battering away at the top of Scarlek again, but Scarlek turns and hits the front of Killoteeny with the bar!

Killoteeny is knocked away, but Black is also freed by this, and gets under the side of Scarlek, lifting it over onto a pit! Instantly, the team up is ended when Scarlek vanishes down the hole and it€™s every €˜bot for him€¦ Errr€¦ Itself. Black spins around and charges Killoteeny, getting under the front and lifting up, so the flailing axe hits thin air! Black overturns Killoteeny into the PPZ, and pins it as Uncle Tomahawk goes to work! Killoteeny is held in place for a few seconds before Dave backs off to let Killoteeny self right, which it does so, landing right on the lifting blade!

Black takes Killoteeny over a pit, which doesn€™t open! Killoteeny€™s axe flails madly in mid air, as it€™s taken over a few more pits! The first pit doesn€™t open, nor does the second, and then Black is forced to release Killoteeny or be disqualified! Black does so by rolling Killoteeny onto a third pit, but that doesn€™t open either! Killoteeny self rights, and then immediately turns and axes Black, the axe head just rebounding off the armour!

Still, Killoteeny is able to escape the blade of Black long enough to scoot under it and shove it into the PPZ! Black is thrust onto the flipping plate of Flipup, and is sent hurtling along the arena, where it bounces over one pit, which doesn€™t open. It€™s debateable if Black would have gone down anyway, it was going so fast. Blak then rolls over another pit which also doesn€™t open, giving Dave precious seconds to get in control, and incidentally away from Killoteeny, who swerves over a pit in an attempt to get at Black faster! This gambit proves un-costly, as a different pit opens.

However, Black has time to swerve around to meet Killoteeny, and although the axe bounces off Black€™s armour again, it€™s Killoteeny who gets lifted up and rolled onto a pit, which fails to open and send Killoteeny to its doom! Killoteeny self rights, but it immediately shoved into the PPZ, but escapes before any house robots can get near! Black gives chase and rolls Killoteeny over again, pushing it over a pit as it self rights! Yet again, Steve€™s luck is in and he€™s still in the game, but with points to make up as the match is in its last minute!

He does so with a vengenge, slamming into the side of Black and hammering away at the unyielding armour! Black is pushed over a pit, and it seems Dave€™s luck is still in as well, but maybe not for long as Black is sent into the PPZ! Black is slammed right into the wall and held, but it€™s Killoteeny who takes the axe blow from Uncle Tomahawk, as it€™s also in the PPZ and fair game! Killoteeny backs off, and Black is able to escape as well by driving around the house robot, despite taking an axe blow as well.

Black drives in around to Killoteenty€™s side, and rolls it over again, and yet again shoving it over a pit before it can self right! Yet again, Killoteeny is spared, and self rights off the pit! Now the pit is between Killoteeny and black, and Dave is unwilling to take a chance, and so drives around the pit. Steve also thinks he pushed his luck too far going over a pit the last time, and he also drives around. Amusingly, they both go the wrong way, and so the pit remains between the two machines! Killoteeny drives around again, while Black reverses to try and catch Killoteenty unawares! This he manages, but CEASE is called just as Black lifts Killoteeny over onto the pit again. Killoteeny once more fails to vanish, but it doesn€™t matter this time and we€™re off to a judge€™s decision!

Control: Although both machines were well controlled, Killoteeny spent a lot of time being pushed around and rolled over. Black: 3. Killotenny: 2

Damage: Black is undamaged, but Killoteeny did put a few dents in Scarlek during the brief team up. However, Killoteeny isn€™t looking too healthy either due to a couple of encounters with our very own axe wielding house robot. Black: 4. Killoteeny: 1.

Aggression: Both were pretty bloody minded, but as stated earlier, Black was in control for a healthy portion of the match. Black: 3. Killoteeny: 2.

Overall: Black: 10. Killoteeny: 5.

Not too close. Killoteeny, given the chop! Black goes through to the final!

[pcbore]

NSBFL 7

And so, the last middleweight melee is here. With one spot left open, and three robots interested, you just know it€™s going to be carnage We stay in the roulette arena for this.

Blazer, entered by Andy but built by Alan Young, is a good looking flipping machine, capable of flipping with 500 KG€™s of force, which is more then enough for a 50 KG machine. Along with enough gas for about fifty flips, this is one machine that won€™t be running on empty too soon. However, lightweight aluminium armour could prove a tasty snack for those evil spinners.

Another good flipping weapon is owned by Hell Fire, representing Team Hell for the middleweights. This robot€™s weapon isn€™t as strong as Blazers, but the rear saw on the back should make up for it. The armour is similar to Blazers though, so there€™s not really much between these two machines.

I€™ve already mentioned Alex€™s opinion on normal designs haven€™t I? Good. Then maybe Blizzard won€™t come as much of a surprise to you. Running on two screws, which it also uses offensively and defensively, Blizzard could be one slippery bugger to get hold of. Will originality reap rewards though? We€™ll find out soon!

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The two flipping machines start off the quickest as Blizzard moves accelerates slowly, gathering speed and traction as it goes along. Hell Fire heads for Blazer though, deciding on a policy of better the devil you know. As Andy and Alan haven€™t concocted a plan more complex than €œKill€, they decide to go for Hell Fire, and the two flippers meet head on, with Blazer coming out the better and throwing Hell Fire over! Blizzard is still approaching, carefully navigating around a pit and then finally getting up some speed, and heading for the two flippers!

Blazer flips over Hell Fire again, which lands on a pit, only being saved from an early exit by pure luck! Hell Fire self rights, only for Blizzard to smash into it from behind, scratching up the rear but not doing much else apart from stalling itself. Hell Fire spins around before the odd machine can escape and flips it over onto a pit, which it vanishes down! Dave and Hell Fire don€™t have much time to celebrate, as Blazer slams in from behind and send Hell Fire down the same pit before it closes!

It was a brief fight, but Blazer was hotter than Hell Fire, and certainly too hot for the Blizzard to survive. Blazer through to the middleweight final!

[pcbore]

NSBFL 7

Coming up sooner rather than later, the first two last 16 battles:

Sonic Boom vs Revenge of the Revenge of the Bludgeonater - Last bot standing

Dervish VI (3) vs Wedga Revo - Last bot standing

[mrdaves]

NSBFL 7

I think Franky needs a new keyboard

Predictions for Dervishs match

Wedga has little hope in this arena, so Dervish to whip up a storm and do some funky dance moves to win

[steven_mcg]

NSBFL 7

RotRotB tactics above ^

And BOO! HISS! to Dave for breaking Killys winning streak

[Guest]

NSBFL 7

No trouble in guessing who IM supporting in this middleweight final

[alex_holt]

NSBFL 7

This has not been my tournament...

[pcbore]

NSBFL 7

Gee, Tom, I wonder :P

Heres something for a laugh. Everyone take a guess at which of the last 16 is going to be the next champ, but keep the guesses a secret from me, and organise it so someones got all the guessed names in a word document. Then when the finals over, post the guesses and well see how far what actually happens differs from the predictions

[andrewj]

NSBFL 7

Tactics for next two upcomming matches:

Flip.

Im getting good at this RP stuff...

[darkguru]

NSBFL 7

Hmm, Stratosphere looks tough, i think if i can flip him so that his wheen lands on Crunch, thats probably my best bet. Split from the off, keep away from the flipper if at all possible.

[team_britespark]

NSBFL 7

Tactics for Dervish: Try and go for the sides and back. Stay away from the flipper if at all possible.

[team_britespark]

NSBFL 7

Sorry, didnt see Sonic Boom on the same post

Tactics for Sonic Boom: spin on the spot, hopefully knocking something inside ROROTB loose.

(Forum wouldnt let me edit for some reason)

[mrdaves]

NSBFL 7

The forum normally allows edits within 10 minutes of the post.

[pcbore]

NSBFL 7

After sixteen heats, and sixty four hopefuls being whittled down to just sixteen, we€™re ready to get on with the next part of the NSBFL campaign. In the heats, the axle €˜bot Sonic Boom smashed and battered the good Call Out Hook into submission, then caused the first shock of the tournament by upsetting champ Achilles on a judges decision! Revenge of the Stupidly Long Name took out fifteenth seeds Love Bite after a few blows broke it, then pushed Glasgow Kiss into the moat after another dominant fight. If either of these two machines missed each other, it could do serious damage to a wooden floor. Thankfully we€™re using the metal floored Last €˜Bot Standing arena.

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Sonic Boom is off so fast, it practically leaves its own Doppler effect! The axle €˜bot goes in for an overhead slam on the side of ROTROTB, but is soon scooped up onto the dustpan scoop, and the nitrogen slams down, missing the small target of Sonic Boom, but managing to latch onto Sonic Boom and stop it escaping. ROTROTB starts pushing Sonic Boom around, but with nowhere but the walls to push Sonic Boom, lets go. Immediately, Sonic Boom rushes away, only to come in again with another overhead slam! ROTROTB spins around and the hammer shoots, again missing Sonic Boom and hitting the floor!

Sonic Boom spins away from ROTROTB and slams in repeatedly at the top as ROTROTB spins around and again slams the floor with the hammer, bouncing up in the process! Sonic Boom keeps up the barrage of attacks, missing some but still keeping up a better hit to miss ratio than ROTROTB, reversing away from ROTROTB as it turns around and attacks the floor again, mistakenly believing Sonic Boom to be there. As before, the tenacious axle €˜bot comes in while Steve is retracting the axe and sorting out his aiming to slam in at the top of ROTROTB, but not doing much to the hardox armour. On the other hand, the paint job is starting to look rather suspect.

Rather than trying to nail Sonic Boom with the axe again, ROTROTB scoops it p onto the dustpan and pins it against the wall, then firing the axe, hitting the wall instead of the floor for a change! ROTROTB backs off to get a better shot in, but Sonic Boom again spins away from the attack, almost getting clipped by the hammer as it does so! Almost doesn€™t get you anywhere though, and Sonic Boom escapes by just driving over ROTROTB and starts slamming into it from behind! Sonic Boom is forced to retreat however, as the hammer almost nails it on the way back! ROTROTB reverses at Sonic Boom, but the axle€™ bot gets away faster and spins on the spot! By the time ROTROTB is caught up enough to fire the hammer, it€™s knocked away and once more attacks the floor instead!

ROTROTB spins around and scoops Sonic Boom once more, and the hammer flashes down, finally managing to hit Sonic Boom! The part hit in question is the axe pole, and when the hammer rises again to fire once more, no damage is seen on Sonic Boom€™s equally tough armour! Still, the hammer catches Sonic Boom again on the pole before it can get away, slamming ROTROTB on the top as it gets away! ROTROTB gives chase, but all its attacks miss and hit the floor, and the hammer looks to be moving slower now! Seeing this, Dan quits holding back, and Sonic Boom really goes to town with the overhead slams on ROTROTB! With the axe not moving fast enough to do enough damage, sonic Boom pretty much ignores evasion, and slams into ROTROTB!

ROTROTB is pushing Sonic Boom all over the arena, but that doesn€™t seem to matter as Dan seems content to let him! Sonic Boom is staying right in ROTROTB€™s face (if it had a face anyway. Shut up) and keeping up with the slams even as ROTROTB shoves it around! Eventually, ROTROTB starts to behave like its axe and moves slower and slower, prompting Sonic Boom to attack with even more frenzy, and within almost a minute, ROTROTB has stopped completely! Sonic Boom does a victory twirl in the centre of the arena as ROTROTB is counted out, eventually tipping over and spinning on one wheel alone!

When examined, it later turned out the repeated hammer blows from Sonic Boom caused ROTROTB€™s batteries to give out, cutting essential power to the motors. Maybe we€™ll see Revenge of the Revenge of the Revenge of the Bludgeonater in NSBFL 8, but for now Sonic Boom crashes on!