Remote control robot fighting is a strange but exciting hobby. Every robot is unique and loaded with weapons and features, and often takes years to build. The fights are short, intense, and satisfyingly violent, and many bots go down in a blaze of glory–sometimes literally–after only a few minutes in the ring.
When building one of these machines, many factors must be considered, such as ground clearance, stability, weight, speed, maneuverability, protection, and effective weapons. The rules to the competitions are mostly just common sense: no lasers, radioactivity, explosive projectiles, self-destruction, etc., so there are few limits to what can be done. Flamethrowers, chainsaws, and missiles are all part of the deal.
These are five of the best designs for fighting bots that I could find, considering results from real competitions, as well as the potential or theoretical effectiveness since these are design ideas, not specific bots.
5: Hammerers
Characterized by one powerful hammer on top, these are formidable bots loaded with power. They have a sturdy base with no weak points and one powerful arm on top. It can be loaded with a hammer, ax or saw, but whatever it is all the power in the robot is behind it for one lethal blow that will smash anything in its path.
4: Flippers
Flippers, aka launchers, don’t have any flashy weapons like hammers or blades, but what they do have is just as effective. An entire section of the hull thrusts upward, hurling anything on it into the air. It is also used to flip itself up if it is turned upside down. The hydraulic motor responsible for the thrust is powerful enough to toss around just about any bot in the weight limit.
3: Grapplers
These scorpion-shaped bots grasp their victims with steel claws that can pierce the armor, and lower their “tails” to destroy them. The tail can be anything from a hammer to a saw to a spear, or anything else that can do damage. The power of the weapon is less dependent on the weight because it can use the enemy as balance, but even so, they are typically less powerful than hammerers. Nonetheless, by trapping its opponent in its claws, it ensures that it gets off multiple hits from the same angle, causing maximum damage with minimal effort.
2: Blade spinners
While many are small, these are powerful bots. Their rotating blades or bars can reach speeds high enough to launch opponents into the air. Because they are flat, most can be driven upside down. Their strong armoring protects them from heavy weapons like hammers and axes, and their blades can rip up bots twice their size with a single hit.
1: Tub spinners
These are one of the simplest types of fighting bots, but they do very good in battles. The key to their success is the speed of the cylinder and the durability. High-speed cylinders cause severe damage even on well-built robots and occasionally they even light others on fire with the sparks created by the friction of the cylinder against the opponent. Their flat, aerodynamic hulls optimize airflow and downforce so they are fast and stable. The weight of their armor is no disadvantage with a powerful motor, and it helps them stay on the ground and avoid getting tossed around by bigger bots. Most can take direct hits from heavy weaponry such as hammers. Many have no assigned top or bottom, so they are at no disadvantage when flipped upside down. Combined with a virtually indestructible body, these are dangerous bots with a good record.
What do you think? Which bot would you bet on? Do you have better ideas?
From ex-jedi to droids–yes, droid
10: Zam Wessel: Darth Sidious ordered Count Dooku to assassinate Padme. Dooku hired Jango Fett, Jango in hired Zam Wessel, Zam made a droid do the job. The droid dumped two toxic worms in the window to kill Padme. Obviously that failed, but Zam is still a pretty cool bounty hunter–and a shapeshifter.
9: Aurra Sing: Aurra Sing was supposed to be a Jedi padawan, but her training wasn’t going well. Apparently, she had an argument with her master and decided she had had enough of Jedi. She defected from the Order, and became a bounty hunter. She was a natural-born leader, succeeding in commanding the team of bounty hunters after Sugi, and worked for young Boba Fett in his quest for revenge on the Jedi.
8: Asajj Ventress: Ventress was a dark side acolyte, but the Rule of Two prevented her from becoming a true Sith. After a skirmish with a former ally Savage Oppress, she defected from the Seperatists to become a bounty hunter. Using her twin bent-hilted lightsabers and force powers, she became one of the most successful bounty hunters of the late Clone Wars.
7: Bossk: If there is one thing we can’t forgive a villain for, it’s hunting wookiees, and that’s exactly what Bossk does in his spare time. The reptilian has been seen in the Clone Wars hunting wookiees and working for Boba, in The Empire Strikes Back hunting Han Solo for Vader, and even in Rebels! “G
6: Dengar: Dengar was a bounty hunter who used sheer firepower to eliminate his enemies. He thought very highly of himself, which was only partially justified by his nearly unbroken track record. He used a combination of mini-grenades, his blaster rifle, and deadly skill to take down almost any foe. In Twin Engines of Destruction, Dengar and Boba Fett worked together to track down a fake who stole Boba’s identity.
5: IG-88: though not the only one, IG-88 is one of the very few droids who “escaped their programming” and became bounty hunters. He is no doubt one of the greatest bounty hunters ever; his chief rival for capturing Solo was Boba Fett. He is a modified IG-86 sentinel droid made from–uhh, recycled Mos Eisley Cantina parts left over from filming. Really, google it. Nonetheless, he’s pretty dang awesome.
4: Embo: There’s nothing bland about Embo: a bowcaster, a pet anooba called Marrok, an undecodable language, and downright colorful appearance. Not to mention the hat that doubles as a shield and triples as a snowboard. Though a quiet individual, he is completely ruthless when it comes to capturing his bounty. During the Clone Wars, his skills were second only to Cad Bane. <<You’re outmanned, laserblade.>>
3: Jango Fett: Having several million clones is not the only thing that makes Jango awesome. Extreme bounty hunting is really his thing; he knows that his clones will be for the Republic and that it was a Separatist who hired him, so he was willing to start a galaxy-wide war, as long as he gets payed. Besides, a guy who fights his own clones in his spare time has to be in the top three.
2: Cad Bane: Bane is one of the most notorious bounty hunters ever, going to massive lengths to achieve his goal. Breaking out of a Republic prison, kidnapping force-sensitive children pretending to be a jedi, infiltrating the Jedi Temple to steal a holocron, and holding the entire Senate as hostages are just a few highlights from his eventful career. Plus, he also has a genuinely evil droid, Todo 360. “I’ll take on any job…for the right price.” – Cad Bane.
1: Boba Fett: clone, bounty hunter, son of a mercenary, and Mandalorian. Boba was raised as a bounty hunter by a bounty hunter to become a bounty hunter. Capturing Han Solo and bringing him to Bespin was only one out of many jobs he completed. While he was young, he and a gang of other bounty hunters tracked down and nearly killed Mace Windu, the Jedi who killed his father. In Twin Engines of Desruction, he and Dengar tracked down and killed a fake pretending to be Boba. In addition, he’s the only person in the galaxy who dares to question Darth Vader.
Mandalorian warriors, soldiers of the Republic: these are the best clone troopers from the Clone Wars, ranked. Sorry, no Republic Commandos!
7: Thorn: A shocktrooper commander who fought and died on the planet Scipio, Thorn is a force to reckoned with. When the Seperatists launched an invasion, Thorn’s battalion fought to the last man. Thorn was the last one standing, using his blaster carbine at close-quarters like a club, but was surrounded and gunned down by a squad of B2s. “For the Republic!”- his last words.
6: Gregor: Gregor was a clone commando who crashed on a remote planet called Abafar not long after the Battle of Geonosis, and suffered from amnesia. He remained there, unaware that he was a clone, until a Republic ship crashed on the planet. He sacrificed himself for the safety of the envoy. We assumed he died there…until he showed up in Star Wars Rebels!
5: Ninety-Nine: CT-99 is more than just a defect. He supplied the 501st Legion with weapons at the Battle of Kamino, where he lost his life. Ninety-Nine proves that you don’t have to be perfect to be a hero. Echo even gave him a clone army graduation medal. “He really was one of us”- Rex.
4: Fives: CT-5555 “Fives” was best known for uncovering the problem of a fellow trooper’s (Tup’s) malfunctioning biochip that caused Tup to execute a jedi long before Order 66. Besides that, Fives also fought on Umbara next to Rex and the 501sts and helped in the execution of Pong Krell, a jedi turned to the dark side. He and Echo were promoted to ARC after the battle of Kamino, another battle where Fives was a major player.
3: Wolffe: the commander of Wolfpack, a famous division of the 104th battalion, Commander Wolffe served under Jedi General Plo Koon. From Kavado to the Malevolence, Wolffe has seen it all. He lost his right eye to Asajj Ventress’s lightsaber on Kholm. (He later installed a cybernetic implant.) Personally, every time he takes off his helmet, I’m surprised at how young he is.
2: Cody: A seasoned veteran affiliated with the 7th Sky Corps and the 212th Attack Battalion, Clone Commander Cody is Obi-Wan Kenobi’s most trusted ally. Even after having served under him for years, (“Come on, general, have I ever let you down?”), Cody mercilessly executes Order 66, attempting to kill Obi-Wan with an AT-TE walker’s laser cannon.
1: Rex: When someone says “clone trooper,” Rex is probably the first to come to mind. Serving under both Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, he commanded the feared 501st Legion, and led the attack on the Jedi Temple next to Darth Vader. Rex fought in the battles of Bothawui, Felucia, Saleucami, Umbara and Kamino, just to name a few, and showed up in Star Wars Rebels.
Shadow Squadron 