Season six of Battle Bots started a couple of weeks ago and I continue to be amazed at multiple aspects of the show. It’s grown in such popularity they moved it to Las Vegas. There are some newcomers although I’m not sure if this is referred to as a “League”, “Circuit” or other term. If I recall the number correctly, they start with 64 teams and have I think it’s 7 or 8 battles per show. As with other sporting competitions, wins are tracked as they move toward the latter part of the season when eliminations pare down to the final 2 teams that compete for the Giant Nut trophy.

The teams can be as small as 2 and some have 6 or more members and quite a few adolescents are involved which is nice to see. They come from different countries as well as the USA and the approaches to design are on quite a spectrum. Some are very large with hammering devices and blades; others are smaller with low profile as “spinners with wedges”. The idea with these is to close in to use the opposing robot’s bulk to flip and disable it. There are danger zones built into the arena of destructive hammers, etc., and if the opponent can be maneuvered/forced into these, the smaller robot doesn’t have to be equipped with much weaponry. The arena has high, shatterproof walls like in hockey since pieces or chunks of flying metal is the norm and there are shooting flames as well.

The M.C. is well known within the “community” as he has a voice like James Earl Jones and introduces the teams with rhyming comments that he apparently mostly writes himself.

There continue to be matches determined by the judges as a knockout is not always achieved. The spectators have their favorites and like fans everywhere, they cheer and have signs of support.