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Jun 30, 2009 · Paul Bots (@paulbots) / Twitter. Follow. Paul Bots. @paulbots. Onderzoeksjournalist bij De Limburger, mede-auteur boek De Zaak-Nicky Verstappen (tweet op persoonlijke titel) tips: paul.bots (at) delimburger.nl) delimburger.nl Joined June 2009. 327. 1,423 Followers. Tweets & replies. Media. Paul Bots. @paulbots. ·. Nov 8.
- June 2009
- 1423
Creating robotic art projects for fun and inspiration. I have a deep love of education and the process of learning and I hope to inspire others to get out an...
- Overview
- Outside BattleBots
- Robot History
- Results
Bite Force is a heavyweight robot built by Aptyx Designs which competed in the first four BattleBots World Championships as well as the 2019 re:MARS all:STARS event. With a 26-1 career record and three Giant Nuts to its name, Bite Force remains the most successful competitor since the show's revival in 2015.
Initially a tracked robot sporting a 6061 aluminum frame armed with a grabbing jaw to lift and even overturn opposing robots, it would later evolve into a vertical bar spinner using a more traditional four-wheel drive setup.[3] Bite Force also had multiple interchangeable configurations - ranging from small blue wedgelets which could be mounted to the front of the robot to a large, cobalt-blue steel wedge could be mounted to the back of the robot to battle spinners. However, in order to make weight with the steel wedge, the top claw of the robot had to be removed and the wedgelets could not be used. The robot also had high-power magnets attached to the tracks in order to increase grip.
Bite Force was originally not accepted for World Championship I, but the team were made aware that they had been selected nine days prior to filming. As such, the robot was built in an extremely short time span.[4] Despite this, Bite Force performed well in its debut outing, winning the first season of the modern era. En route to the title, Bite Force defeated the legendary Warhead, edged out HyperShock and Overhaul, destroyed Ghost Raptor and defeated the fearsome Tombstone to earn the first title of the modern BattleBots era. In doing so, Bite Force became the only champion of the modern era to use tracks, and is also the only robot not armed with spinning weaponry to win the Giant Nut.
For World Championship II, the robot was completely redesigned. With a new aluminum chassis sporting an asymmetrical vertical spinning bar powered by a Motenergy ME0909 instead of its grappling jaws, Bite Force also ran on homebrewed urethane wheels instead of tracks.[5][6][7] This is the version that Paul wanted to build ahead of the 2015 season, but was turned down by production as there were already too many robots with spinning weapons.[8] Bite Force did not perform quite as well this time out, defeating Mohawk in the qualifying round and The Ringmaster in the Round of 32, before losing to Chomp in the Round of 16. However, Bite Force would win the exhibition rumble at the end of the season against Wrecks and Witch Doctor.
For the 2018 season, Bite Force did not change much externally, though UHMW chain guards were added on the top and front of the bot after losing its weapon to Chomp in the previous season. It even had the scars from last season, proving it was structurally identical from the outside, although it dropped the under-chassis magnets. Amid the qualifying rounds, Bite Force was internally redesigned after its fight against End Game, replacing its fragile weapon motor with four battle-hardened S28-150 Magmotors.[4][6][9] This change increased the reliability of the weapon and allowed Bite Force to save considerable weight in favour of more armour by running the entire bot at the same voltage, 24V, and dropping several batteries.[10] The revamped Bite Force was able to dish out punishment in every fight it fought in with its 40lbs bar, defeating Minotaur in the finals to earn the championship for the second time.
For World Championship IV, Bite Force returned with little in the way of obvious changes, aside from more "knockout power" in its bar and later a reserve operational bot.[11] Bite Force once again destroyed the competition, winning all of its fights, including knocking out Tombstone in a rematch from the first reboot era title fight. It defeated Witch Doctor in the title decider to win the championship for a record-equaling third time.
In April 2023, Bite Force was on display at that year's RoboGames competition.
Although Bite Force itself did not compete, Paul and Teena Ventimiglia joined Team Malice and White Rabbit.
World Championship I
Bite Force's first BattleBots match came against Warhead, from the legendary Team Razer. In preparation for the fight, Bite Force swapped out its upper clamping jaw for a heavy steel plow to provide defense against its opponent's spinning disc. The fight began with Bite Force charging across the box, quickly getting to the side of Warhead and pushing it around the arena. After a few glancing blows from Warhead's dome spinner, Bite Force shoved the British machine into the rails, pinning it for several seconds before forcing it up onto the screws. Warhead escaped, working to get its disc up to speed, but Bite Force met it head on with a ram attack that popped Warhead up into the air. It continued to shove the older robot around, throwing it into the screw mount in a big collision. This seemed to permanently slow the spinning dome of Warhead, who was unable to get its weapon working afterwards. "This is art against practicality and right now, practicality is winning." — Kenny Florian's assessment of the opening minute of the fight Bite Force paraded its crippled opponent around the arena, using its superior drive train to bully the veteran robot across the box. In a clear demonstration of just how well it was dominating the fight, Bite Force pushed Warhead under the pulverizer, delivering several shots with the hazard before forcing it all the way across the box to another pulverizer to continue pounding away at the British robot. Seeing that his opponent's weapon had been well and truly disabled, and was not simply turned off to avoid injury, Paul Ventimiglia turned his robot around, now leading with the lifting forks to try to tip Warhead over. Despite one of its treads seemingly locking up, Bite Force was able to hook its arms underneath Warhead's dome, dragging the former quarter-finalist around by its chin and trying to overturn it. Though Warhead remained upright and was able to make it to the bell, it could not muster any resistance, and the judges unanimously voted for Bite Force, giving Team Aptyx Designs their first win. Bite Force's dominant win over Warhead allowed it to advance to the Round of 16 as the No.3 seed, where it faced Will Bales and HyperShock. Once again, Paul opted to attach a heavy steel wedge to his robot in place of the upper jaws, though the black plow used in this fight was different from the blue one debuted against Warhead. When the fight began, both robots maneuvered towards the center, with Bite Force getting underneath its opponent in the first exchange. HyperShock attempted to escape, its weapon not yet spinning, but Bite Force continued to catch it from the sides and front, pushing the Floridian robot around the box. Finally, one of HyperShock's claws got underneath Bite Force's plow, allowing driver Will Bales to push the grappler bot under the pulverizer. "HAMMER! HAMMER! HAMMER! HAMMER! HAMMER!" — Will Bales instructs his team to operate the pulverizer Bite Force sustained several blows from the arena hammer before escaping, scooping up its opponent and maneuvering back to the center of the arena. However, as HyperShock escaped its grasp once again, its drum began to spin, finally functional after over thirty seconds of inactivity. Both robots jockeyed for position, but it was HyperShock who scored the next blow of the match, landing a hit with its spinning weapon that flipped Bite Force over, though this also caused the drum to once again go still. As Bite Force struggled to right itself, the armored plow interfering, HyperShock shoved it towards the screws. "This is not what I expected from a 3 [vs.] 14 matchup. The underdog is taking it to Bite Force." — Chris Rose heaps praise on HyperShock for its dominant start to the match However, this ultimately proved to be a mistake, as the momentum of the attack allowed Bite Force to escape the dangerous situation. With one of HyperShock's lifting arms stuck up in the air, Bite Force then shoved its opponent around and tried to take it to the hazards. Bite Force eventually got HyperShock up onto its plow, bringing down the clamping arms to try to hold it still, but the Floridian spinner wriggled free. Almost as soon as it escaped Bite Force's clutches, however, HyperShock began to smoke, its drive motors overheating from the stress of trying to keep up with Bite Force's powerful drive train. Seizing the upper hand as HyperShock slowed to a crawl, Bite Force shoved its opponent into the red starting square, leaving it immobile near the screws. "Come on Paul! Paul, flip me Paul!" — Will Bales' attempt to continue the fight In a desperate attempt to avoid a count-out, Will Bales called for Paul to flip his machine over, and though Paul initially tried to oblige, he eventually backed away, allowing the referees to initiate a count-out on the immobile HyperShock. Despite a surprisingly difficult match, Bite Force was declared the victor by knockout and advanced to the quarter-finals. Next up for Bite Force was a fellow grappler bot in Charles Guan's Overhaul. Going into the match, Bite Force equipped its clamping jaw for the first time, intending to use it to take control of Overhaul and push it into the hazards. When the fight began, both robots were quick to go on the offensive, circling to find any openings they could. Bite Force was able to get under Overhaul in the first few exchanges, but the slippery MIT bot was able to escape before being lifted each time. Bite Force successfully got to the side of its opponent, pushing it across the box, but when it attempted to lift the larger bot it was unable to do so, instead nearly tipping itself over as Overhaul retreated once again. The two clashed near the corner, and Bite Force rammed the other machine into the wall several times before being pushed backwards. The two locked horns again, but this time Bite Force was able to fully get under Overhaul and push it into the wall on its back, attempting to flip it entirely. However, the competitor from MIT was able to avoid being flipped, slipping away from Bite Force once it was given space to breathe. Bite Force once again got underneath Overhaul as the two danced in the center of the box, but its wide footprint proved too much for Paul's robot to get a proper lift on, and instead Bite Force was forced to settle for tipping its foe up in the air to keep it from pushing back. As Overhaul pulled back once more, Bite Force appeared to have brief mobility troubles, but was saved from a possible counterattack when one of the hellraisers popped up, trapping Overhaul's lifting scoop long enough to the WPI grappler to escape. The two machines continued to clash, with Bite Force shoving Overhaul into the rails again, but in the final minute Overhaul began to make up ground. "In my eyes, Bite Force has a clear advantage up to this point. Just one more minute to make an impression on the judges should this go the distance." — Chris Rose moments before Overhaul's late comeback Ramming Bite Force into the corner, Overhaul was able to get a grip on its foe's side, using its crushing beak to clamp down on Bite Force's track and lift it up in the air. Paul flailed the lifter helplessly as he struggled to escape Overhaul's clutches, but was unable to stop his robot from being rammed against the screws. Bite Force was then dragged across the arena and slammed into the opposite corner, where Overhaul was finally able to flip it over onto its side, pinning it in the corner until time ran out. With such a close battle between two evenly-matched competitors, the judges entered the box to inspect the two robots personally in order to properly score the fight. Both teams waited with baited breath as the judges deliberated, and ultimately all three cast their scores in favor of Bite Force, sending it on to the semi-finals. Bite Force advanced to the semi-finals, where it faced Ghost Raptor. For this clash, Team Aptyx Designs was concerned about their opponent's adaptability, nervous about what unusual tactics the wily veterans would employ against them. This proved to be a well-founded worry, as Team Raptor modified their bot with a small fork attachment which was designed to get in between Bite Force's tracks and rip them off, serving as Ghost Raptor's weapon after the loss of its spinning blade earlier in the season. "Bite Force is gonna bring it, we're gonna get the jaws underneath Ghost Raptor, clamp down on him, hopefully flip him right out of the arena." — Paul Ventimiglia outlines his strategy ahead of the match The match began with both bots rushing towards the center, Ghost Raptor momentarily caught on a seam in the floor. Bite Force quickly took advantage, grabbing hold of its opponent and bringing it to the corner before hoisting Team Raptor's machine up in the air. Bite Force dashed across the box to bring its opponent under the pulverizer, flipping it over on its back in the process, but Ghost Raptor was able to regain its footing. Bite Force continued to pressure the veteran, however, pushing it back under the arena hammer before chasing it out into the center of the box. Ghost Raptor was able to lift Bite Force's front off the ground briefly, but failed to make effective use of its hold. Bite Force flipped Ghost Raptor over again, causing a wheel to fall out, before pushing its opponent up onto the screws. With no way to escape, Chuck Pitzer could only watch as his robot was counted out, ending his Cinderella run and giving Bite Force the knockout win it needed to advance to the finals. "Dude, that was awesome!" — Team Aptyx Designs celebrate their well-earned win Victory over Ghost Raptor earned Bite Force a spot in the championship final, where it faced the feared No.1 seed Tombstone. However, the team was confident in their abilities leading into the match, knowing that Ray Billings' bot was not invincible. Bite Force once again donned a heavy black wedge to help deflect its opponent's spinner, though this one was notably wider than the one used against HyperShock in order to protect the sides more effectively. "My message for Ray is, you know I've beat you twice before, I'll do it again... I'm gonna send Tombstone to the grave tonight!" — Paul shows confidence in his robot ahead of the finals As the box lights dimmed before the match, Paul and Ray briefly discussed the direction in which Tombstone's weapon would spin, a factor which would affect both teams' strategies for the fight. When the buzzer sounded, Bite Force charged across the arena, desperate to keep Tombstone's weapon from reaching full speed. Tombstone slipped away, delivering a few glancing blows to Bite Force's front wedge before rebounding into the corner. Tombstone landed a light hit to Bite Force's lifting arms but was unable to stop itself from being scooped up and pinned against the rails. Bite Force waited patiently once it had the fearsome spinner bot in its grasp, making effective use of the 10 second pin limit to help buy time. Eventually, it had to release, setting Tombstone free before chasing it down again. Bite Force suffered a large shot to its wedge while attempting to catch Hardcore Robotics' machine again, then narrowly avoided disaster as Tombstone's blade scraped underneath the right side treads. Bite Force remained mobile, slamming itself against its opponent's bar spinner several more times in an attempt to limit its damage potential. As Bite Force boxed Tombstone into the corner, a few plumes of smoke rose from within the No.1 seed, but it quickly escaped the dangerous situation and continued trying to spin up. The next collision, however, proved to be the most impactful, stopping Tombstone's weapon and causing much more noticeable smoke to pour out of it as its LiPo batteries began to go up in flames. "Oh, batteries. That's batteries." — Ray Billings identifying the problem within his robot as it belches white smoke Despite the fire raging inside, Tombstone's blade continued to function, struggling to get up to speed as Bite Force chased it around the arena. Around this point, Bite Force began to exhibit drive issues, occasionally struggling to get both tracks moving at the same time, but was still able to scoop up the floundering Tombstone and carry it to the screws. However, the spinner bot was able to escape before being chewed up, doing its best to create distance. With only thirty seconds left on the clock, Bite Force's mobility continued to worsen, the damage throughout the match taking its toll as Tombstone charged back in to try to push it onto the screws. Bite Force was able to bring its lifting forks into play, grappling with its opponent before making one last push across the box, shoving Tombstone towards the center in a final display of mobility before the clock hit zero and the fight went to the judges. After careful consideration of the fight, the judges ultimately scored the match unanimously in favor of Bite Force, crowning Team Aptyx Designs as the first champions of the BattleBots reboot.
World Championship II
Coming into the tournament as the reigning champion with a brand new design, Bite Force's first match of the 2016 season was against Euclid Robotics and their flaming crusher, Mohawk. For its first battle as a vertical spinner, Bite Force equipped a pair of blue ridged wedgelets to help it get under its opponent. At the start of the match, both robots moved towards the center of the box before Mohawk turned its rear to face Bite Force. The champ took advantage, landing a glancing blow and pushing Mohawk near the screws. The two struggled to make much happen, unable to make good contact with each other, until Mohawk finally disengaged to try again. However, sparks flew out from the crusher's underbelly, causing it to slow down enough for Paul Ventimiglia to land a more powerful blow. However, this collision caused one of Bite Force's wedgelets to fall off, making it more difficult to get under Mohawk's wedge. Several more grinding hits resulted in the loss of the other wedgelet, forcing Bite Force to charge head-on into its opponent. The champ continued to batter away at Mohawk's rear, even ripping a panel off of it before shoving it against the wall where the crusher found itself immobile. After a few more glancing shots by Bite Force, the match was paused due to the belief Mohawk may be stuck under the arena barrier, allowing the crew to enter the arena and pull it away. When the match resumed, it was clear Mohawk could no longer move, so Paul pushed the defeated machine towards the corner doors. As Mohawk was being counted out, the champ celebrated its continued winning streak with a gyro dance. Bite Force won the match by KO at 1:36, earning it a spot in the Round of 32 as the No.4 seed overall. Next up for Paul Ventimiglia and Bite Force was No.29 seed, The Ringmaster, built by Hal Rucker and driven by his daughter Hannah. For this battle, Bite Force equipped a heavy steel plow to protect against its opponent's spinning weapon. At the start of the match, Bite Force charged across the box, intent on attacking before The Ringmaster could get up to speed. Their first collision sent The Ringmaster flying through the air, bouncing off the rails before returning to the floor. Before it could recover, the champ was back in the mix, landing a shot which nearly flipped the colorful ring spinner and kept it trapped in the corner. Bite Force followed this up with a third shot which resulted in The Ringmaster being hit with the pulverizer as well. Hannah Rucker tried to escape the corner, but Bite Force was relentless, quickly chasing it and delivering a pair of hits which flipped the other bot over. However, these repeated hits proved to be too much for Bite Force's weapon to handle, as it quickly stopped spinning and smoke began to drift from inside it. While Bite Force attempted to revive its weapon, The Ringmaster managed to finally escape back to the center of the arena. However, its weapon was also nonfunctional by this point and it was much slower than the champion, allowing Bite Force to quickly catch up to it and push it towards the opposite corner. Despite several attempts, Paul was unable to push his opponent under the pulverizer before it escaped back towards the middle of the box. Bite Force chased The Ringmaster across the arena, managing to nudge it against the screws, but was still unable to do much to its helpless opponent. With less than a minute remaining in the fight, the wounded champ pinned the ring spinner in the corner, intent on running out the clock effectively. The Ringmaster attempted to lure Bite Force underneath one of its own pulverizers, but was unsuccessful as the title-winning vertical spinner continued to push it around. Bite Force was able to pin The Ringmaster in the corner once again, eventually releasing it as per the rules. Just as the buzzer sounded, the champion was able to get one more slam in against its opponent, ending the fight on a positive note. As time had run out, the fight was called to a judges' decision. All three judges voted in favor of Bite Force, unanimously putting it through to the next round of the bracket. However, the fight raised some questions about the defending champion's new design. In the Round of 16, Bite Force faced the No.13 seed, Chomp. Concerned about Chomp's powerful pneumatic hammer, Team Aptyx Designs opted to remove Bite Force's side armor in favor of additional top plates and a four-wedgelet setup. Paul Ventimiglia: "Is this what you're running with, for your maximum piercing? How much armor should I put on the top there?" Jascha Little: "There's no amount that will suffice, it's not worth even trying." — The two teams joke about their configuration choices before the match The two robots met in the center of the box, where the very first swing from Chomp knocked the chain of Bite Force's weapon loose while it released a torrent of flame towards the defending champion. In just five seconds, Bite Force's spinner had been completely disabled, forcing it to change up its strategy. Upon realizing his bot's weapon was down for good, Paul charged towards Chomp, dodging a second hammer strike and pushing Zoe Stephenson's bot towards the screws. Chomp, having tipped itself over during this exchange, attempted to self-right by firing its hammer, but the champ was determined to prevent that from happening. It pushed the flailing hammer bot towards the red square before finally relinquishing control of it, allowing Chomp to get back on its feet. Chomp threw out two more attacks before falling on its side again, allowing the weaponless Bite Force to engage again. Though Chomp continued to spew flames in retaliation, Paul kept on top of his opponent, doing everything in his power to prevent the hammer bot from righting itself. Eventually, Chomp wound up on its face in the middle of the arena, seemingly unable to move, and Bite Force backed away to allow a count-out. In the process, however, it backed over its own weapon chain, becoming trapped and giving Chomp time to flip itself over and get back in the fight. Sensing the defending champion's moment of weakness, Chomp fired its hammer onto Bite Force's back before letting loose a torrent of flames, roasting Team Aptyx Designs' bot before bringing down the hammer once again. Finally, Bite Force began to wiggle free of its weapon chain, reversing away as Chomp pursued with its flamethrower. Halfway through the match and behind on points, Paul charged forward intent on winning a control battle. However, his bot took two more hammer blows in the process, only putting it further behind. The two machines continued their back-and-forth attacks until a missed attack by Chomp provided the champ with the opportunity it needed to put Chomp up on the screws, if only momentarily. With just 30 seconds left in the match Bite Force attempted to put Chomp under the pulverizer, but was unsuccessful. Chomp let loose a flaming hammer strike which sent it tumbling through the air, but Bite Force was unable to capitalize on its opponent's floundering mobility. As the final seconds ticked away, Chomp ran over the killsaws and fell on its side, only getting back on its wheels as the buzzer rang. After a back-and-forth fight, the champion's fate was in the hands of the judges. When the results were finally tallied, the judges scored unanimously in favor of Chomp, sending it on to the quarter-finals and ending Bite Force's undefeated streak as well as its championship contention. Despite being eliminated from the main competition, Bite Force returned for a three-way exhibition rumble against fellow vertical spinners Wrecks and Witch Doctor. For this match, Bite Force equipped a pair of hinged steel wedges to help protect against its opponents' attacks. Identifying it as the biggest threat in the match, Bite Force was quick to target Witch Doctor first. The two exchanged blows in the middle of the arena while Wrecks practiced its handstands in the corner until Witch Doctor was thrown backwards into it. Shaman intervened on behalf of its parent bot, throwing fire around the arena to distract Bite Force, but ultimately was rewarded for its efforts with betrayal as Witch Doctor slammed into it and caused a large fireball. While the green and purple spinner fled to try to get its weapon spun up, Bite Force attacked the struggling Wrecks from behind, striking its legs and causing it to bounce towards the screws. Bite Force then turned back to Witch Doctor, who had lost one of its wedges, and began to apply pressure. A big hit forced the Floridian machine into the air, and before it could recover, Paul maneuvered his robot to trap Witch Doctor between itself and the now active Wrecks. In a brutal exchange, Witch Doctor lost its self-righter followed by its left front wheel, only to be flung out of the arena by Wrecks. Now alone with only a robot who could barely move, the former champ smelled blood in the water. Not to be underestimated, however, the gyro walker landed a shot which sent itself spinning across the arena, but also ripped one of Bite Force's wedges off and flipped it over in the process. Fortunately, Wrecks' limited mobility gave the Aptyx Designs machine ample time to self-right by ramming itself into the wall repeatedly. Once back on its wheels, Bite Force hunted down the still-mobile Shaman, punting it against the wall in a vicious kill shot. After disposing of the minibot, Bite Force turned its attention back to Wrecks, landing several more shots which left the gyro walker smoking. Sensing his opponent's imminent demise, Paul drove back to the center of the arena to play around with some of the debris before going back to finish off Wrecks, delivering a series of vicious hits that left Wrecks hung up on the arena barrier. Although it was able to climb back into the arena, Wrecks was declared unable to move effectively enough to keep fighting and counted out, thus handing the victory to Bite Force and allowing the former champion to end its season on a destructive high note.
World Championship III
As the former champion, Bite Force held the honor of participating in the first ever fight night undercard match alongside the fiery hammer bot Blacksmith. Going into the battle, the team was confident they would be able to withstand its attacks, more concerned with Blacksmith's durability, and planned to throw it out of the arena for a decisive win. "We're very worried about their reliability, they're hard to knock out." — Paul Ventimiglia explains his concerns before the battle At the sound of the buzzer, Bite Force was quick to attack its opponent, though its spinner initially struggled to make good contact due to Blacksmith's forks. The New Jersey bot fired its hammer, hoping to break the stalemate, but this allowed Bite Force to get around to its side and land a hit that peeled up some of Blacksmith's armor. The former champ continued to pressure its foe, alternating between grinding attacks that threw tons of sparks and more powerful blows that tossed Blacksmith around. In retaliation, Al Kindle made use of his robot's flaming hammer, smacking Bite Force's top armor and trying to cause internal damage. "Blacksmith throwing a lot of flame, but also eating a lot of sparks courtesy of Bite Force!" — Chris Rose narrates as Bite Force goes on the offensive Eventually, some of Blacksmith's flailing attacks bore fruit, lodging its hammer in Bite Force's weapon assembly and preventing the spinner from gaining speed. Unfortunately for it, this also severed the fuel line in the hammer's flamethrower, rendering it unable to take advantage of the spinner's vulnerability. The two engaged in a pushing match as Blacksmith withdrew its hammer, raining blows down on Bite Force as the two dueled near one of the pulverizers. Fortunately, after a few more exchanges its spinner managed to come back to life, giving Bite Force a second wind. Now armed once again, the former champ landed another solid shot, but this saw its weapon cease spinning once again, this time for good. As Blacksmith continued to deliver hit after hit, Bite Force began to show signs of wear as it slowed noticeably, seemingly hung up on its own weapon chain. Just as it began to maneuver free, one of the killsaws struck Blacksmith, allowing Paul to maneuver to his opponent's side and take back control. With just ten seconds left, Bite Force slammed Blacksmith into the killsaws, trapping the hammer bot as the buzzer rang. "Bite Force may not have landed as many shots, but the ones he did were absolutely vicious. And there's no doubt, that last move was a powerful statement." — Kenny Florian analyzes the match's action Since both machines had lasted to the closing bell, the fight was sent to the three judges. Despite having struggled in the middle portions of the battle, the judges deemed Bite Force's start and finish strong enough to hand it the victory unanimously, putting Bite Force at 1-0 and giving it the first win of the season. Bite Force's next opponent was HyperShock, a rematch from World Championship I that was billed as a main event. Before the fight, Paul expressed concern about the speed and power of his opponent, stressing that any hit from HyperShock could cause major damage. "We have all of our offense and defense at the front of the robot. It's just really tough to drive against them because their robot's very fast, and if we ever get hit by their weapon, it's very powerful, so it could do a lot of damage." — Paul Ventimiglia outlines his concerns before the match begins When the match began, Bite Force drove out to meet HyperShock, but was forced to readjust its trajectory as the Floridian bot sped past it. The two jostled for position before their weapons collided in a massive hit which flipped HyperShock and sent Bite Force flying back towards the screws. After taking a moment to assess the damage, the former champion quickly reengaged, attacking HyperShock again before it had a chance to flip back over. "Can HyperShock self right? Let's see if Bite Force- he does- oh my god! We've got guts spilled all over the Battlebox!" — Chris Rose's shock at the brutality of HyperShock's demise This hit removed the neon spinner's top armor completely, sending its batteries spilling out and over Bite Force. Knowing that the win had been secured in just two hits, Paul attempted to slide his opponent's internals off the robot by driving backwards as HyperShock was counted out, giving Bite Force the win by KO in just 36 seconds and improving it to a 2-0 record. Next up for Bite Force was rookie End Game, who was also sitting undefeated. Going into the match, Bite Force was unchanged from its previous fight, hoping to conserve spares for a potential tournament run. "Bite Force, we try to have the perfect blend of offense and defense. We're hard to face. We always have a good floor-scraping wedge or a really strong defensive wedge, and then couple that with a really powerful weapon in front and it's hard to prepare to fight us." — Paul Ventimiglia explains the secrets to Bite Force's success The battle began with an almost instant exchange as the two darted into the center, Bite Force delivering a jab to its younger opponent within the first three seconds. It followed up with a much stronger blow, sending the New Zealanders flying across the box and bouncing off their disc spinner. End Game landed upright but with its weapon stationary, but the former champ was unable to capitalize as it was suddenly immobile. Panicked, Paul Ventimiglia moved around the side of the box to analyze the situation as End Game watched cautiously. A few moments later, Bite Force came back to life, chasing down the orange robot and forcing it to flee as it desperately tried to get spinning again. Finally, End Game's spinner came back online, but before it could make use of it the 2015 champion pounced, flipping the hotshot rookie on its head where it was unable to self right. Despite a close call, Bite Force secured the victory by KO at 1:02 and improved to a 3-0 record, all but guaranteeing it a spot in the post-season tournament. "It was a little scary out there. We sort of died for a minute, we don't know why exactly. My pit crew and team will take a look at it, but we had to restart the radio, that seemed to bring it back to life, so we'll figure out what it is." — Paul reveals how he revived Bite Force after the big hit Bite Force's final regular season opponent was the World Championship II runner-up Bombshell, who was desperate for a win. In preparation for the championship bracket, Team Aptyx Designs swapped their large weapon motor out for four smaller motors to increase the reliability of the bot, planning on using the fight as a test run for the new setup. "Now we've switched over to four small Magmotors, so it's a whole total change, a lot more reliable. We've been testing it in the text box, but not in the arena. This will be the first test of the whole system." — Paul Ventimiglia explaining the revamp to his bot's internals When the match began both bots moved to engage, though only Bite Force was able to get its spinner up and running. After a moment, the former champ landed a vicious shot that flipped Bombshell over, quickly following up with another blow. After this, Bite Force hung back momentarily, waiting to see if its opponent could still move. Bombshell was still mobile, so Paul moved to reengage. After a few more glancing attacks, Bite Force backed up to get some momentum, charging into the runner up to deliver an attack that launched Bombshell against the rail. As it slid back down, it turned to face Bite Force once again, only for the former champion to fling it out of the arena. With Bombshell unable to get back over the barrier, Bite Force was declared the winner by KO at 49 seconds, making it the first robot in the season to finish with a perfect 4-0 record. "Why not? Do a celebratory dance, Paul Ventimiglia and Bite Force. You are a bad, bad bot!" — Chris Rose's excited comments after the flashy victory As Bite Force went 4-0, it was seeded No.3 in the Top 16, and faced the 14th seed, the aptly-named HUGE. For this match, Bite Force equipped a pair of wide hinged wedges and additional top armor to help protect against HUGE's powerful spinning bar. When the match began, Bite Force circled its enormous opponent, trying to get around to its sides and avoid the weapon. Finding no luck, it charged head-on into HUGE's blade, sending sparks flying from the collision. Bite Force continued to search for an opening, attacking the inside of the wheels with a small shot, but was sent skidding away by the larger robot. "Getting to the side of HUGE is easier said than done, Chris." — Kenny Florian analyzes Paul's driving strategy Another powerful blow saw Bite Force's weapon cease spinning, putting the former champ at a disadvantage. However, it also momentarily stopped HUGE's weapon, which allowed Paul Ventimiglia to maneuver under his gargantuan opponent. Before he could capitalize, however, Bite Force was caught up on its own weapon chain, hindering its mobility and allowing the big-wheeled rookie to escape. Though the 2015 champion quickly got free of its chain, it lacked a weapon with which to score points. With few options remaining, Bite Force rammed headfirst into HUGE's vertical bar spinner in an attempt to disable it. After a few slams, Bite Force was able to stop its opponent's weapon long enough to slide under it and push it around, but was unable to maneuver HUGE into the hazards before its spinner got going again. "Yeah, I think that weapon on Bite Force is out of commission Chris. You can see him trying to get in closer to HUGE there, prevent him from spinning up." — Kenny addresses Bite Force's change in tactics after its primary weapon is disabled Not giving up, Paul continued to throw his robot into the bot from Connecticut and shoved it into the corner, nearly getting it under the pulverizer. Upside down and beginning to visibly sag, HUGE managed to escape, though its weapon had once again stopped. However, the fight turned when HUGE flipped itself back over, as the force of its struts hitting the floor caused its previously damaged central axis to split in half. The towering bot collapsed in on itself, and though its wheels continued to spin it was unable to muster any controlled movement. "OH NO! Oh no, HUGE has fallen in! It has split - this is unbelievable! HUGE's wheels spinnin' but they ain't goin' very far!" — Chris Rose as HUGE collapses With HUGE in pieces and unable to fight, it was counted out, giving Bite Force the win by KO at 1:37 and allowing it to advance to the quarter-finals and continue its undefeated streak. In the Top 8 again, Bite Force now faced Victor Soto's ROTATOR. When the match began, Bite Force was able to dish out a big hit that launched ROTATOR into the air. However, Bite Force soon started to lose parts of its armor with each of its attacks. The table soon turned though as Bite Force got a hit on ROTATOR that tore off one of its armor panels. ROTATOR's weapons continued to spin, but even they stopped working partway through. ROTATOR eventually stopped moving and was counted out, giving Bite Force the win by KO to advance to the semi-finals, where it faced No.10 seed, Whiplash. Bite Force went into the fight relatively unchanged from its previous match. The match was off to a good start for Bite Force as they had the lower wedge and threw Whiplash into the air. After a few more hits, Bite Force managed to damage the right front wheel of Whiplash, but this didn't cause much damage. As the match progressed, Bite Force tore off both right tires, leaving Whiplash to drive in circles. Eventually, Bite Force's attacks took its toll on Whiplash and they stopped moving. Whiplash was counted out, giving Bite Force the win by KO, advancing it to the championship finals. Now in the championship decider for a second time in three seasons, Bite Force faced off against Team RioBotz and Minotaur. Bite Force did not have a good start to this match as they lost the furthest right wedgelet almost immediately and were tossed into the air shortly thereafter. However, Bite Force started to get the upper hand as they were now causing damage to Minotaur, tearing off the left side rail. This damage caused Minotaur to lose power in their weapon as the belts powering it had come loose. Bite Force powered down its weapon as its driver suspected that the motor wasn't giving enough power to the weapon.[16] This resulted in a pushing match, but Bite Force was seemingly being outmatched as they were pushed across the arena by Minotaur. After a short while, Bite Force powered its weapon back up and was able to finish off Minotaur near the screws. Minotaur was counted out, giving Bite Force the win by KO and the giant nut trophy for the second time.
Remember the season when BB did a Twitch rumble, where fans got to vote who was in, and BB had to falsify the polls to bring in Bite Force, the bot who won the season the rumble was in, and had won the 2 seasons prior? Success, and doing things right won't make you a favorite, BB called Paul's gamble this season and won.
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