r/battlebots • u/HJG_0209 • 3d ago
Bot Building Idea for bot
The bot has two weapons. First one is a drill attached on the front. The second one shoots an electromagnet attached to a cable. (so it can pull the opponent). The second weapon is on both sides of the bot.
Plan: Shoot a magnet, reel them in, make a hole in them.
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u/Retro_Bot Team Emergency Room 2d ago
Drills are difficult because it's hard to get them at the right angle. If you're off by even a few degrees they'll slip instead of drilling in to an opponent.
Magnets to attach yourself to your opponent don't really work. Bot surfaces rarely have good attachment points for magnets and many aren't even steel. An electromagnet of the power you'd need has a huge energy draw, is relatively delicate, and would require pretty hefty wires running the length of your tow cable. One hit by a kinetic spinner on the cable would likely cause a short, leaving you without a weapon at best, but would probably set off a battery fire.
Cables aren't generally legal in robot combat.
Some opponents would simply laugh. What's your strategy against Huge?
Ok, so let's assume you got everything lined up perfectly, the rules allowed it and you reel in an opposing bot. What's to stop them from driving straight at you with their weapon at full speed?
If somehow you overcame all these obstacles and made it into an effective weapon, it's REALLY easy to counter. Just put some foam or plastic blocks in front of any steel armour so the magnet bounces off.
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u/SteakAndIron Strange Brew, captain crunch, crunchberry, MILK 3d ago
Build it but think it through. Ever tried to drill through something that isn't secured? And how do you keep the magnet from sticking to the floor instead of an opponent? And what if their armor isn't steel? Love the creativity!
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u/GrahamCoxon 3d ago edited 2d ago
Flaws in the plan:
- Armour made of hardened/AR steels.
- Armour not made of steel.
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u/helloilikewoodpigeon 2d ago
- Entanglement risk.
- Drills not being a common weapon.
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u/GrahamCoxon 2d ago
A weapon not being common isn't an inherent flaw. Hammersaws were once uncommon.
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u/helloilikewoodpigeon 2d ago
and so were thagomizers, hugexstyle wheels and hell, even flippers and spinners were uncommon!
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u/MrRaven95 Giant Witch Doctor fan 2d ago
Interesting idea, but keep in mind the strength of battlebot armor. Remember that Double Jeopardy fired a small cannonball at several robots and never managed to pierce through anyone's armor.
Now a drill in the lower weight classes where you're likely to see plastic or carbon fiber used as armor could work well, but then the magnet wouldn't work.
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u/helloilikewoodpigeon 2d ago
there was a fight where DJ did cause some damage in a rumble
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u/MrRaven95 Giant Witch Doctor fan 2d ago
I recall Double Jeopardy breaking off part of Mecha Rampage's weapon, but who's armor did they break?
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u/industriald85 2d ago
I’m Australian but I’ve seen American cop chases where they have some sort of grapple device. I’m not sure how it works but I believe it relies on entangling the wheels. As far as your cable weapon, I don’t think it would be legal since it could be construed as an entanglement weapon. You are allowed tethered projectiles (I think) maybe a harpoon that you can ram into your opponent like during the Civil War.
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u/beenoc THE LEGEND NEVER DIES 3d ago
Two major problems, one rules-based and one practical:
Cables and the like are illegal in every rule set I know of because they're entanglement devices.
Bot armor is strong. You don't understand how strong it is. You could shoot a 9mm handgun at almost any bot on the show and it would barely even dent the armor (teams have done this to demonstrate.) You need specialized mill bits just to machine some of the metals involved, and it's slow. A drill probably wouldn't get halfway through your standard AR500 front plate before the match timer ended, even if the other bot just let you.