User blog:CrashBash/Ragnabot 3 - Top 16 thoughts

Well, it's that time. The top 16 of Ragnabot 3 has, after quite a long time, finally been confirmed. And in the short moment between the last heat ending and the semi-finals actually beginning, I'm going to do a very quick write-up on my thoughts on the last 16 robots in the competition, and who I feel could potentially win. In alphabetical order, because why not....

Apollo
This robot is one of four Robot Wars champions to reach the top 16 (the most recent four at that). Its chances of winning are extremely good. It should be able to deal with every single preboot robot and most of the reboot ones easily. The biggest concerns here are Carbide and Eruption, two robots who have handily beaten it several times before. It'll be a heavy favourite if they crash out, but a run-in seems all but certain.

Behemoth
Behemoth should easily be able to deal with every preboot robot easily. I'm less confident about the reboot machines, though. Apollo was an impressive win, but live events suggest Apollo would win more times than not. Magnetar and Terrorhurtz were more-or-less due to lucky breaks and we've seen how Carbide and Eruption have dealt with it. I don't think it'll make the runner-up position this time.

Big Nipper
The furthest this machine has ever gone, and it could easily go further. It has a lot to chew on. But I don't see it winning. There are still several really solid flippers, a weapon that has always been Big Nipper's main weakness.

Carbide
Carbide always has a strong shot of doing well here. It'll decimate the preboot robots and I'm fairly sure it'll get most of the reboot robots as well. Eruption and Terrorhurtz are still there, though, so I'm not convinced there will be a title defence...but anything is possible.

Eruption
Eruption has to be the bot to beat here. We've seen it handle almost every single one of the reboot robots left, most with ease, and there's no question it'll be able to handle the preboots. Carbide and Magnetar are a potential worry, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Honestly, I'd say it's the favourite going in to win the whole thing.

Hypno-Disc
Either the second or the third best remaining preboot robot depending on how you feel about X-Terminator. I can see it handling most of the preboot robots, since most of those remaining aren't that well armoured, but if it gets stuck up against a reboot machine, then the only way it can win is via glorification.

Magnetar
In theory, Magnetar should reach the final two at least. Depending on how you feel a fight between it and Carbide would go, it could even win. But with its srimech not strictly being the most reliable and with several good flippers, I can't really put too much faith in it...which is a shame.

Manta
Manta is one of my all-time favourite American robots, and it looks really cool. But I won't hesitate to say that it is by far the weakest of the top 16, and it'll ultimately be the free pass to whoever draws it. It pains me to say that too.

Rapid
It's a good reboot flipper, but it's not really a great reboot flipper. It'll handle the preboot machines fairly easily, with maybe the exception of Typhoon 2. There's a few reboot machines I think it could also beat, such as Terrorhurtz of course. But the heavy spinners and more reliable flippers make me fairly certain that Rapid will eventually turn into a gentle trickle.

Rosie the Riveter 2
Rosie will win this whole thing easily, since it's my sweepstake! To be serious, though, whilst Rosie should be able to beat Manta, I'm not convinced it'd be able to deal with any of the remaining preboot robots, let alone the reboot ones. Most look like they'd be able to either negate the wedge or get to the framework.

Spawn Again
I wonder who thought this would be the best preboot flipper to get to the top 16? I feel reasonably confident that it could deal with most of the preboot machines, and heck, I feel it could even beat Hypno-Disc or X-Terminator on a good day. But I don't trust it to beat Typhoon 2, so how do you think I feel about its chances of defeating a reboot machine?

Terrorhurtz
Terrorhurtz is the Carbide killer here. Nothing can convince me their fight in Series 8 isn't how every single fight the two would have, or at least most of them, would go. We know Carbide struggles if it can't win the fight quickly. But Terrorhurtz also has to contend with several really strong flippers, which are its biggest weakness. If it can avoid them, it can do really well, as everyone who isn't a flipper could suffer.

Tough As Nails
Easily the weakest of the reboot machines, which feels awkward to say. Anyone who isn't a reboot machine will get kicked in the dust easily, but I feel everyone who is can easily clip Tough's Nails. It doesn't feel like it should be able to easily deal with even the smaller robots - Eruption should fit into its claws, but it'll just flip it away, surely.

Typhoon 2
Easily the best of the preboot robots, and it will take down every single one without much issue, especially considering we've seen it defeat its biggest threat, X-Terminator. I feel it could stand a chance against a reboot machine, and I wouldn't be surprised if it got votes, but I'm not all that convinced, really.

Wheely Big Cheese
Can't say I'm too happy about this, but it is how it is. Wheely Big Cheese will ultimately struggle with whoever it is drawn against unless it gets lucky and snags one of the two American robots. The remaining preboot machines will easily deal with it, let alone the reboots.

X-Terminator
Another really strong preboot machine and has the potential to put out nearly every other fellow preboot. But we saw it couldn't beat Typhoon 2, and by that reasoning it sure as heck isn't beating any of the reboot machines. Especially with its iffy srimech and all.