Number 30 - DUCK!

DUCK! is practically indestructible. Its lifting wedge has taken some nasty hits against the best weapons on Earth, including against Tombstone in the video. DUCK! first appeared on the Battlebots scene in 2018, winning a three team rumble in its debut and knocking out Reality in its second. These two impressive performances led the selection committee to match it up against flipper robot Bronco in the main event. DUCK! ended up losing but it performed so well that it drew Tombstone in its next battle. Tombstone won but DUCK! delivered more damage to Tombstone than any other robot except for maybe Bronco in season 1. DUCK!, one of the most popular and exciting rookies of season 3, had the chance to win a six team rumble to earn the 16th seed in the final tournament and a rematch with Tombstone. Also in the rumble was season 2 runner up Bombshell, which was 0-4 and had no business being anywhere near the top 16. DUCK! was pretty much dominant over the course of the fight but Bombshell performed well too, and it took a unanimous decision right out of DUCK!'s beak. Until season 4, Battlebots fans were very upset with the outcome of the "Last Chance Rumble." After the tournament, DUCK! fought an exhibition fight against GIGABYTE, which it won by knockout. In 2019, DUCK!'s initial matchup was Bombshell in a one on one format to settle the dispute once and for all. DUCK! knockout Bombshell out with one flip. DUCK! won its second fight against Cobalt in a knockout but lost its next two fights by decision to vertical spinner Lock Jaw and crusher Quantum. At 2-2, DUCK! was given another shot at the top 16 with another play in fight, this one against Yeti. Yeti won bu unanimous decision, eliminating DUCK! from the competition. After the season it against fought an exhibition match, this time losing to vertical spinner End Game. DUCK! did not return in season 5, but is sporting a new design for season 6. DUCK! is perhaps the best armored Battlebot out there. Its all time record is 5-6 (.455) with four knockouts. For its wins over several big names and for its very strong losses to Tombstone and Bronco, DUCK! has impressed me enough to earn a spot in my top 50. 

Number 31 - Warhead

Warhead is one of the most unique, powerful, and best looking Battlebots ever created. Its horizontal spinner was one of the best weapons ever entered, and it had some pretty great moves (as seen above). Warhead started out as a classic Battlebot, entering season 5.0 in the heavyweight division. It went 5-0 that season with two knockouts that ended in under a minute, including a 38 second gem over the legendary vertical spinner Nightmare. Its fifth win was over the Matador, a great flipper built by Inertia Labs, which built legends Toro and Bronco. Warhead made it all the way to the quarterfinals before losing out to Christian Carlberg and Overkill. Battlebots closed after season 5.0 and opened up again 15 years later, and Warhead came back as one of the favorites to win it all. Rookie Bite Force shocked the world when it took down the mighty Warhead, but Warhead performed well enough to earn one of four wildcards to enter the round of 16 as the 12th overall seed. This put it up against Matt Maxham (one of the most successful early Battlebotters) and Stinger. Warhead lost again, putting a dent in its reputation. In season 2, Warhead had the honor of battling the only heavyweight humanoid Battlebot in history, the Obwalden Overlord, and Warhead, with a Tyrannosaurus Rex head as a new weapon, buried it. This win over an overmatched opponent put Warhead in the round of 32 as the 23rd seed, when it faced tenth seed Complete Control, as seen in the video. It was totally awesome! Its next fight was against Minotaur, and it lost (Minotaur may have been the best combat robot in the world at that point). Warhead returned in season 3 and went 4-1, including a win over Blacksmith in the U.S.A. vs. The World special event. Although its tournament record was 3-1, with its only loss coming to Whiplash, Warhead's team opted out of the top 16 tournament on account of damage sustained to their spinner in their first fight. They weren't willing to fight in the top 16 with their Tyrannosaurus Rex head. Warhead did not return in season 4. Its overall record sits at 11-5 (.688) with six knockouts. For its massive weapon, head spinning moves, ridiculous winning percentage, and many fights against legends of the sport, Warhead easily makes my list of the top 50 Battlebots of all time. 

Number 32 - Ribbot

 

Ribbot is a giant killer. It has only been around for two seasons, but it has taken out End Game, Beta, and Uppercut. It is a Swiss army bot with a horizontal spinner, a vertical spinner, and a lifter. It first surfaced in season 4, losing its debut fight to crusher robot Kraken. It faced End Game in its next bout and won by knockout. Ribbot took its next fight by knockout as well but ran into SawBlaze in its fourth battle and lost a judges' decision. In two exhibition matches after the tournament, it went 1-1, beating Sharkoprion and losing to Valkyrie. In season 5, Ribbot came back and won its first fight against vertical spinner Tracer. It lost to MadCatter in its second fight of the season but took its third by knockout, which was enough to reach the final 32 as the 20th seed. It fought the ridiculously underseeded hammer robot Beta in that round and shocked the world when it won in dominant fashion. Its next fight was Uppercut, a devastating vertical spinner, and Ribbot again shocked everybody with its fourth knockout of the season. In the quarterfinals, it met drum spinner robot Black Dragon and did okay, but eventually lost the judges' decision. Ribbot's all time Battlebots record stands at 7-5 (.583) with seven knockouts. For its knockout power, fine win / loss record, and victories over three giants, Ribbot makes my list of the best Battlebots ever. 

Number 33 - HyperShock

 

HyperShock has used either dual vertical disc spinners or a drum spinner to rack up some vicious knockouts over all five seasons of modern Battlebots. In season 1 in 2015, HyperShock won its first fight in 35 seconds, which was the fastest knockout of the season, to advance to the round of 16. It was seeded uncharacteristically lowly, earning the 14th seed and a fight with Bite Force, who was overseeded. HyperShock dominated the entire fight until its drive motors burned out, giving Bite Force the win on its way to winning the championship. After the tournament, it fought an exhibition match against quarterfinalist Icewave, which it lost. In season 2, HyperShock battled Ultraviolent in the qualifying round and ended up destroying it in one of the most violent performances that I have ever seen. This win sent HyperShock into the round of 32 as the 11th seed, and it drew Warrior Clan in the second round. HyperShock won by knockout, disabling Warrior Clan's drone with a rake attachment and a hit from its drum. In the round of 16, it faced another deadly drum spinner - Poison Arrow - and was expected to win. Hypershock dominated the whole fight before drive failure caused it to lose, much like it did in season 1. At the end of the season, it won the Best Driver award. In season 3, HyperShock got a new paint job and a new weapon, but it only went 1-3, finishing the season with a split decision loss to Skorpios. During a special event, it battled fellow drum spinner Reality and, as it does so often, started out dominant before eventually losing. In season 4, however, the same HyperShock went 3-2, completely obliterating such big names as Valkyrie and Monsoon, before losing a play in fight to HUGE at the end of the season. It fought an exhibition match against Hydra after that and lost. In season 5, HyperShock went down losers' lane again, languishing at 1-3 once more. It wasn't all bad, though, as HyperShock fought very well in three of its fights, and the only one in which it didn't was against the future champion. Its lone win in season 5 was a very violent knockout of Mammoth, which made the final 16 that season. HyperShock's record stands at 8-13 (.381) with eight knockouts. For its heavy knockout punch, wins over great opponents, and many strong losses, HyperShock makes my top 50 Battlebots list. 

Number 34 - Cobalt

 

Cobalt has sported two different kinds of spinners, one in each season in which it competed. In season 2 in 2016, it sported a deadly asymmetrical horizontal blade. In season 4 in 2019, Cobalt featured an even more deadly vertical disc spinner. Cobalt's builder, Dave Moulds, has competed in various other robot combat competitions, winning Robot Wars a couple of times with a robot called Carbide. In season 2, Cobalt drew returning quarterfinalist Overhaul in the qualifying round, but won by knockout in under a minute and a half. With that impressive performance, it reached the round of 32 as the 14th seed, drawing wildcard recipient and 19th seed Bombshell. Bombshell knocked Cobalt out in 1:45 on its way to the championship. It stayed out of Battlebots for three years, returning in 2019 with a vertical spinner. Its first fight was against flipper robot SubZero, which it knocked out in one of the most violent fights ever. Its second match was against the 1-0 lifter robot DUCK!, which is pretty much indestructible (just ask Tombstone, Reality, and many others). Cobalt threw it around the Battlebox for pretty much the entire fight, and became the only Battlebot to tear off its wedge, but its low wedge got stuck in a slot for one of the killsaws, giving DUCK! the win by knockout. Its third fight was Bombshell in a rematch from season 2. Cobalt got revenge by knocking the Swiss army bot out. At 2-1, another win would have almost positively put Cobalt in the final 16. Its next opponent was End Game, another deadly vertical spinner, which taught Cobalt a lesson and won by knockout. Because it impressed in all four fights, Cobalt was given a play in fight against season 3 runner up Minotaur, who was 3-3. It was a really close fight with a lot of devastating hits, but it somehow made it to the judges, who gave it to Minotaur. Although Cobalt's season was over, it wasn't through impressing the audience, as it was given the Most Destructive Robot award at the end of the season. It did not return in season 5. Cobalt's Battlebots record is 3-4 (.429) with three knockouts. For its absolutely devastating weapon, dominant wins, and good losses, Cobalt truly belongs among the top 50 Battlebots of all time. 

Number 35 - GIGABYTE

 

GIGABYTE has one of the designs that I would have tried out if given the chance. I like the dome spinner because its defense is its defense. GIGABYTE causes plenty of damage in the Battlebox and has gotten far more durable than in seasons past. It debuted in season 3 in 2018, hyped as an improved version of Megabyte, which had previously beaten Tombstone in another event. Its debut battle was a main event against Tombstone, and it was knocked out. Halfway through the season, Battlebots held a "Desperado Tournament" for robots that were struggling to ave a chance to make it into the final 16. The tournament consisted of eight robots, and GIGABYTE was seeded second, behind eventual champion Lock Jaw. It tore up its first opponent, Double Dutch (as seen above) and battled third seed Lucky next. Although it caused much damage, it lost, and returned to the regular season. It drew a 2-1 Brutus but ended up knocking the vertical spinner out. This win put GIGABYTE at 2-2 and it was given the chance to play into the tournament as the 16th seed if it won a six team rumble. Controversies ensued about the judges picking Bombshell over Duck!, but GIGABYTE also did very well. It battled DUCK! in an exhibition match after the season, but lost by knockout. In season 4, GIGABYTE won its first battle against fellow full body spinner Chronos, drawing returning runner up Minotaur, which was 0-1. GIGABYTE beat Minotaur in a unanimous decision and sent Minotaur to the second Desperado Tournament. At 2-0, GIGABYTE drew HUGE in its next fight. HUGE ended up winning and GIGABYTE also dropped its next fight against Witch Doctor. At 2-2, it was going to have another play in match, but since it was damaged so badly against Witch Doctor it couldn't compete for a spot in the tournament. In season 5, GIGABYTE lost its first fight to drum spinner Copperhead but won its next two fights to put it at 2-1 and in the round of 32. It was seeded 17th and drew horizontal spinner Malice. In brutal fashion, GIGABYTE knocked out Malice, and in the round of 16 it fought the umber 1 overall seed, flipper robot HYDRA. It went the distance but lost. GIGABYTE's overall record is 7-8 (.467) with six knockouts. For its fine design and heavy knockout punch, GIGABYTE makes my top 50 Battlebots of all time. 

NOTICE II

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Number 36 - Brutus

 

Brutus is a fine example of the ideal Battlebot - one with great armor, a great weapon, and great speed and driving skills. It hasn't had the best success but it has played .500 and put up great fights in most of its losses. It started out in 2016's season 2, destroying a full body spinner called Moebius in its debut match. Since it won, it made the bracket of 32 as the 16th seed. This seeding pitted Brutus against the legendary Lock Jaw, which had lost to another legend, Yeti, and gotten a wildcard. The fight went to a split decision, and Brutus came out on top. In the round of 16, Brutus drew the number 1 seed, horizontal spinner Tombstone, and came out with a lot of preparation. Even though it lost by knockout, Brutus did deliver some huge hits to Tombstone before getting counted out. It returned in 2018 for season 3 and drew a robot called Red Devil, which was the 30th seed in season 2 and upset the third seed, Witch Doctor, before losing in the round of 16. Brutus was certainly the aggressor in the battle but it experienced drive failure and lost by knockout. Its next fight was a deadly full body spinner called Son of Whyachi (which was the only Battlebot to get a 100 rating in weaponry other than Tombstone) and Brutus was expected to get bludgeoned to death. Instead, Brutus landed "SOW" on its head for a quick knockout. It then faced a 1-0 WAR Hawk and though it took some damage, it won by knockout. It then drew a 1-2 GIGABYTE, a deadly full body spinner, and dominated the entire match, disabling GIGABYTE'S spinner, but it simply got flipped over. Eventually, it was counted out, finishing off a frustrating match. Since it went 2-2 and impressed against GIGABYTE, Brutus was given a chance to fight two other vertical spinners in similar situations, WAR Hawk and End Game, to earn a slot in the final 16 as the 15th seed. Unfortunately, it lost, eliminating it from the competition. It did not return for season 4. Brutus's all time record is 4-4 (.500) with three knockouts. Because it took down some absolute legends and fought really well in most of its losses, Brutus makes my top 50. 

Number 37 - Nightmare

Nightmare was equipped with perhaps the most devastating vertical spinner ever built. Its spinner has caused massive damage on opponents and, sometimes, on itself. It has fought in ten Battlebots tournaments across the years, and is one of the biggest names in Battlebots history. In the Long Beach 1999 competition, Nightmare went a disappointing 1-2, but won the "Most Aggressive" award. In Las Vegas later that same year, it went all the way to the quarterfinals before losing to Rhino. In season 1.0, Nightmare lots in the first round but performed well in the heavyweight rumble. In season 2.0, Nightmare did well again, making it to the quarterfinals for a second time (the robot that took it out was Biohazard, also one of the biggest names in classic Battlebots), but failed to win the Heavyweight Royal Rumble. In season 3.0, Nightmare won its first fight in interesting fashion. Nightmare knocked out a robot called SlamJob in 34 seconds but immobilized itself in the process, winning a judges' decision. It lost its next battle to Son of Whyachi and lost in the Heavyweight Royal Rumble again. In season 4.0, Nightmare started out on a rampage, tearing through Junkyard Offspring and beating BattleRat in a decision, and looked good for its quarterfinal rematch with Biohazard. The match was legendary, with tons of damage, but Nightmare ended up losing again. In season 5.0, Nightmare's first opponent was Warhead, who was even more successful. Warhead ended up knocking Nightmare out. In the Heavyweight Consolation Rumble, however, Nightmare tore many pieces off of other robots, until it lost a tooth from its blade, causing it to shake around when it spun. What none of the drivers knew at the time was that the tooth had smashed through the lexan walls of the Battlebox and landed in the crowd. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured, but the Battlebots staff, in an attempt to protect the crowd, cancelled the rest of the rumbles. Nightmare didn't win the rumble, which enraged the crowd. Thirteen years later, Battlebots came back and Nightmare came back with it. Its first fight was against Warrior Clan, and although it caused severe damage to the top of Warrior Clan an obliterated one or both of its minibots, Nightmare lost and didn't earn one of the four wildcards (automatic tournament berths given to robots which lost in the qualifying round but put up a good fight). It competed in the three team exhibition rumble before the championship against quarterfinalists Witch Doctor and Overhaul, and in a dominant performance, it won by knockout. In season 2, it battled another returning quarterfinalist - Stinger - in the first round, but lost. This time it did do well enough to earn a wildcard, and it was seeded 25th in the round of 32, scheduled to fight the deadly horizontal spinner Icewave. In 48 seconds, Nightmare pulled off the upset knockout and met hammer robot Beta in the round of 16, as seen above. It dominated the entire fight until it was flipped over at the very end, giving Beta the knockout. In season 4, it fought an exhibition match against Mammoth, and it lost. In all, Nightmare's record (excluding rumbles from classic Battlebots) is 10-12 (.455) with six knockouts. Because it took out some of the most feared robots in Battlebots history (Mortis, Icewave) and had one of the best weapons of all time, Nightmare makes my list of the top 50 Battlebots of all time. 

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Number 38 - The Ringmaster

 

The Ringmaster was a full body spinner that competed in season 2 of modern Battlebots. It is so far the only invertible full body spinner in modern competitions, and one of the most powerful as well. Its debut fight was against Ultimo Destructo, which was the same design and built by the same builder as the legendary classic, superheavyweight flipper Techno Destructo, and was advertised as an upgrade. The Ringmaster took it out in three big hits and won by knockout at 1:48. This win put it into the round of 32 as the 29th seed, an uncharacteristically low seeding for such an impressive performance, when it faced off against returning champion and fourth seed Bite Force, which was sporting a new vertical spinner weapon. Bite Force won by a unanimous decision, but The Ringmaster caused enough damage to shut down Bite Force's spinner, which was what caused Bite Force to go out in the next round of competition, marking the only modern season in which it didn't win the championship. After the tournament, The Ringmaster competed in a three team rumble against vertical spinners OverDrive and Bad Kitty. This it won by knockout in quick and dramatic fashion. Since the team came back in season 3 with Duck! and in season 4 with bot Duck! and Marvin, The Ringmaster has been inactive ever since. The Ringmaster's overall record is 2-1 (.667) with two knockouts. For its revolutionary design and for its powerful knockout punch, The Ringmaster makes my top 50 Battlebots of all time. 

Number 39 - Quantum

 

Quantum is the best crusher Battlebot ever built. The crusher has always been a very unsuccessful weapon choice, but Quantum won more than half of the fights won in modern Battlebots by crushers. Debuting in 2019's season 4, Quantum won its first ever fight against Blacksmith. Although it passed the inspection and was cleared for battle, Quantum's crusher got stuck in Blacksmith's thick armor for more than the allowed time limit, and the referees stopped the fight at 2:16. The judges gave a unanimous decision to Quantum. It lost its next two fights against ferocious vertical spinners Lock Jaw and Death Roll, both of which made it into my top 10. Its fourth fight ended in a unanimous decision win over DUCK!. At 2-2, it was given a play in fight against the 3-1 Valkyrie, and when Valkyrie chopped off its tooth early on, it looked like Quantum was finished. Quantum was still ale to grab Valkyrie and ended up knocking it out. This win put it into the round of 16 as the 13th seed, meaning that it had to face the fourth seed, the deadly Tombstone. Tombstone knocked Quantum out of the tournament in quick fashion. At the end of the season, it was given the award as the best design in the competition by opposing teams. Quantum did not return for season 5. Overall, Quantum's record is 3-3 (.500) with one knockout. For playing .500 against six robots in my top 50 and for being the very best crusher Battlebot in history by far, Quantum has earned a rightful spot in my top 50 Battlebots of all time. 

Number 40 - Monsoon

 

Monsoon was one of the most unique Battlebots ever. Armed with a vertical spinner, it can rotate its chassis around its entire body, meaning that it can drive upside down just as it could right side up. It also has a nasty vertical spinner that has caused excessive damage. It debuted in season 3, airing in 2018, and was matched up against Red Devil, a tough opponent, in its first match. Monsoon delivered an onslaught of paralyzing hits that tore Red Devil's saw clean off and ended up victorious. It completely destroyed the heavily armored crusher robot Petunia in its next fight. In its third fight, Monsoon was matched up against a 1-1 full body spinner Son of Whyachi, which was one of the best Battlebots in the world at that point. It ended up losing but it delivered a crushing hit or two before it was through. It drew a 1-2 full body drum spinner Axe Backwards for its fourth fight, which it dispatched in 38 seconds. It made the final bracket of 16 as the 12th seed, matching up against fifth seed SawBlaze. In a dominant performance, Monsoon tore through SawBlaze to fight against fourth seeded drum spinner Minotaur in the quarterfinals. After taking some shots off the drum, Minotaur threw Monsoon against the wall, eliminating it from the tournament. After the tournament, it was presented with the Founders Award, given to the Battlebot that best embodies the spirit of Battlebots. In season 4, Monsoon came in one of the favorites to win it all, and its first fight was against hammer Battlebot Ragnarok, which was built by a former teammate, and took Monsoon out in one hit. Its next three matches were against terrifying spinners HyperShock, Valkyrie, and defending champion Bite Force, which all made this top 50 list, and unfortunately it lost in all three fights. After the tournament, Monsoon fought alongside Ragnarok in a tag team fight against full body spinner Chronos and Swiss army bot MadCatter. While Ragnarok was mostly ineffective, Monsoon tore MadCatter in half and destroyed Chronos for the win. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Monsoon sat out for season 5 (2020-2021), but is planning to return for season 6. Monsoon's all time record is 6-5 (.546) with three knockouts. Because its weapon is so devastating and because its unique design is so effective, Monsoon rightly claims a spot among my top 50 Battlebots of all time. 

Number 41 - Diesector

 

Diesector was the most dominant superheavyweight classic Battlebot of all time. Equipped with clamping jaws and two hammers, Diesector would flip, grab, ram, and slam opponents. A creation of legendary builder Donald Hutson, it competed in seasons 1.0 through 5.0. In season 1.0, Diesector lost its qualifying fight, eliminating it from the tournament, and also failed to win the Superheavyweight Royal Rumble. It returned in season 2.0 to win the championship, taking out such big names as War Machine and Atomic Wedgie. Its performance in the Superheavyweight Royal Rumble was also impressive. For season 3.0, Hutson greatly upgraded Diesector's hammers, and it played well, using them to score another knockout in the qualifying round. It made it all the way to the semifinals, and in an era when knockouts were relatively rare, Diesector had three among its three wins. It was eventually taken out by Vladiator. In the Superheavyweight Royal Rumble, Diesector did very well but failed once again to win as Toro did better. In season 4.0, Diesector once again made it to the semifinals, this time losing to New Cruelty, but accomplished something new by knocking out Techno Destructo. In season 5.0, it went 5-0 with two knockouts to win the championship. Diesector got revenge on Vladiator in the championship, which was one of the more dramatic of all time. One of Vladiator's attacks sent it into the wall, which knocked a panel of lexan to fall out. The Battlebots stopped the match at 1:36 on account of safety concerns and the judges awarded Diesector the win. Altogether, Diesector's tournament record is 16-3 (.842) with eight knockouts. For its sheer dominance, it reaches my top 50. For its design disadvantages and low technological features, it fails to crack my top 40. 

Number 42 - Minion

 

Minion was piloted by the legendary builder Christian Carlberg, who competed in modern Battlebots with Overdrive and Mecha Rampage. Minion sported a vertical spinner and a rear wedge that has been described as "indestructible". It competed in the 1999 Las Vegas Tournament and in seasons 1.0 through 5.0 in Classic Battlebots. In the Las Vegas 1999 competition, Minion went 3-0 with a knockout win over S.L.A.M. to win the championship, but couldn't win the Superheavyweight Royal Rumble. In season 1.0, Minion went 4-0 to again win the championship and finished off the season with the Royal Rumble crown. In season 2.0, however, it lost in the first round of competition against Atomic Wedgie. It did compete in the Superheavyweight Consolation Rumble, however, and won with another Battlebot called Liquid Lunch. The Royal Rumble was won by Toro, to Minion's dismay. Minion went all the way to the championship again in season 3.0, knocking out Tortoise and beating Toro in the semifinals, but it fell to Vladiator, which, I'm sure, will get a lot of complaints for not being on this top 50 list. In season 4.0, because it was the season 3.0 runner up, Minion was allowed to skip the preliminary rounds, and it faced the tough ax Battlebot No Apologies, which is also one of the greatest classic Battlebots ever built. Minion suffered another stunning loss, and additionally lost the Superheavyweight Consolation Rumble. Minion went 1-1 in season 5.0 but couldn't compete in the Superheavyweight Royal Rumble on account of immense damage caused to the Battlebox by heavyweight Nightmare in the Heavyweight Royal Rumble. Ass it now stands, Minion's tournament record is 12-4 (.750) with three knockouts. Because it was a two time champion and beat some of the biggest names in classic Battlebots history, Minion gets a spot in my top 50 Battlebots of all time. 

Number 43 - Toro

 

Toro is a pneumatic flipper Battlebot built by Inertia Labs, which has also found great success with middleweight flipper T-minus and modern Bronco. It competed as a superheavyweight in seasons 2.0 through 5.0. In season 2.0, its debut fight was against Tortoise, which it won by a judges' decision of 45-0. Its next fight was against Tripulta Raptor (as seen above) and it scored a 55 second knockout to advance to the quarterfinals. It met Atomic Wedgie that round and flipped it eight times, dominating the fight until its drivetrain quit, resulting in a crushing loss. In that season's Superheavyweight Royal Rumble, Toro won, taking out four opposing Battlebots, in a dominant performance. In season 3.0, Toro won two fights aainst tough opponents in quick knockouts, including a 37 second gem over Phere. It faced Minion in the semifinals and lost by a 27-18 judges' decision. Minion was one of the robots that Toro had knocked out in the Royal Rumble, so it had its revenge. Toro then captured the Superheavyweight Royal Rumble crown again. In season 4.0, Toro dominated Maximus and knocked out one of the toughest classic Battlebots ever built - The Judge - on its way to the quarterfinals again. This time it faced the reigning champion Vladiator, which was generally regarded as the top robot around, and was expected to get killed. Instead, Toro won in a 32-13 judges' decision and took its next two fights to become the superheavyweight champion. The Judge got revenge on Toro in the Rumble, taking the win over Toro, who also performed very well, as expected. In season 5.0, however, Toro met famous full body spinner robot Phrizbee-Ultimate, which won in a 25-20 decision, eliminating the defending champion in the first round of competition. I could not compete in the rumble on account of mechanical issues. Toro's all time tournament record stands at 9-3 (.750) with four knockouts. Even though it was simply dominant, Toro doesn't crack my top 40 because the technology was so different ten or twenty years ago. Nevertheless,its design and success in Classic Battlebots would probably signify that it would be a contender if it made a comeback some day. 

Number 44 - Shatter!

 

Shatter! is one of the most interesting designs in modern Battlebots. Wielding a dangerous ax, Shatter! is equipped with two strategic advantages that no other Battlebot has. It has special omni-wheels that enable it to drive sideways, with its hammer always pointed at its opponent. Shatter! also has armor that falls off, acting as a decoy and deadening the opponent's hits with a spinner. Shatter! debuted in season 4, going 2-3, including a knockout over Kingpin in just 56 seconds. Its debut fight was against eventual runner up Witch Doctor, who was mot moving for about 30 seconds. The referee refused to count it out, and Witch Doctor won the decision. In season 5, Shatter! knocked out season 1 semifinalist Ghost Raptor (which barely missed this list and made its first appearance since season 2), but lost a very controversial decision to Malice in its next fight. Desperate for a second win to keep its tournament hopes alive, Shatter! beat the dangerous full body spinner Captain Shrederator for a slot in the 32 team tournament, earning the number 19 seed. Its opponent, 14th seed Lock Jaw, was built by a legendary captain and had two seasons for the ages in 2018 and 2019, but slumped off to a 2-1 mark in 2020-2021. Lock Jaw was still expected to beat Shatter! anyway. As seen above, Shatter! pulled off an upset and knocked out the stellar vertical spinner on its way to the round of 16. Its opponent, 30th seed Mammoth, also stunned the world with an upset win over Copperhead, and nobody knew who to predict in its next battle. In a fight that ended up in a split decision (although I didn't really think that anyone could have given it to Mammoth), Shatter! punched its ticket to the quarterfinals, when it ran into eventual Champion End Game, suffering defeat. Overall, Shatter!'s overall record stands at 6-5 (.546) with three knockouts and only two knockouts against. For its two unique advantages, quarterfinal run, and great fights against some of the very best combat robots ever built, Shatter! earns a deserved spot in my top 50 Battlebots of all time.