Bayou Bengle was a featherweight robot which appeared exclusively at the 1997 US Robot Wars competition. Initially losing its first battle to Bot Will Eat Itself,[3][4][5] it would attain at least one Face-Off victory against Destructomatic in the Loser's Bracket,[6][7] only to be eliminated by eventual quarter-finalist Bob Smith.[8][9] Bayou Bengle also fought in the Featherweight Melee tournament, where it was eliminated in the first round.[10][11][12]
Design[]
A simplistic four-wheeled machine built around an RC car chassis, Bayou Bengle's primary defense was a wedge-shaped bodyshell made out of welded steel. The shell was decorated with blotches and streaks of green, blue, red and pink spray paint, giving it a highly colorful appearance. Bayou Bengle relied on its wedge shape to ram and drive underneath opponents, though the RC car base proved unsuitable for pushing and could deplete its battery quickly under heavy loads.[2]
Etymology[]
As a possible homage to the robot's New Orleans origins, "Bayou Bengle" is likely a combination of "Bayou", referring to a slow-moving body of water typically found in the southern United States, and a misspelling of "Bengal", referencing the Bengal tiger. A plush tiger toy was attached to Bayou Bengle's shell during its Featherweight Face-Off run, potentially reinforcing the latter connection.
Robot History[]
1997 US Championship[]
Bayou Bengle's first 1997 battles occurred in the Featherweight Face-Off. In the first round, it fought Bot Will Eat Itself, a significantly-rebuilt version of Jason Bardis' 1996 entry Rampage. This formed a set of 'Dual Matches' alongside The Rat vs TKO.
Bayou Bengle scoops under Bot Will Eat Itself
The two competitors immediately dodged each other in the opening seconds, while also having to avoid a charge from The Rat. Bayou Bengle backed up, trying to scoop and ram Bot Will Eat Itself up as the duo met in the center. From that point, it attempted to lure and chase the latter across the arena, before collecting and holding it on its side using its wedge shape. Bayou Bengle's exchange also caused the front saw of Bot Will Eat Itself to lock up, stall and malfunction.[3][4]
A few seconds later, both robots were separated by a push from the out-of-control Rat. They resumed their pushing match almost immediately, with Bayou Bengle continuously breaching Bot Will Eat Itself's ground clearance, while weathering attacks from the latter's now-inactive saw. Bayou Bengle started pushing Bot Will Eat Itself towards the left-most wall, once the latter began suffering drivetrain issues. More bumping followed, at which point Bayou Bengle began to drive noticeably slower across the arena. The batteries of both robots started to lose charge. After taking a few rams from Bot Will Eat Itself, Bayou Bengle fully lost mobility as the battle entered its final minute, and was pushed forwards across the arena by Bot Will Eat Itself.[3][4]
Following another separation, Michael Meehan asked Bayou Bengle to show signs of mobility, while it was grazed from the side by the increasingly sluggish Bot Will Eat Itself. Time expired shortly after, though Bayou Bengle's immobility was factored into the subsequent Judges' decision. As a consequence, it was ruled to have lost the battle.[3][4]
Bayou Bengle was thus consigned to the Loser's Bracket, where it needed to win against Destructomatic for a chance to stay in the competition.
In the opening moments, it quickly drove past Phil Putman's machine as it began spinning around and trying to utilize its chain flails. A few tentative moments followed, in which Bayou Bengle circled around, dodged, then began shoving Destructomatic. Both robots bumped into the left wall; Bayou Bengle approached again, weathering Destructomatic's flail attacks, before colliding with the upper-left flipper. Recovering, it kept breaching Destructomatic's ground clearance multiple times, and surviving more hits from its weaponry, but did not have enough power to push it.[6][7]
With Destructomatic venturing into the arena hazards, Bayou Bengle followed this up with another series of head-to-head rams. In turn, it would drive into the wall, and later became involved in a double pin during the final thirty seconds. By that time, both competitors were left 'barely moving' due to depleted batteries, but survived to another Judges' decision regardless. On 'style', Bayou Bengle was ruled to have won the decision and the match.[6][7]
Bayou Bengle next faced Bob Smith, a new machine from Will Wright with a swinging hammer tail. For this fight, a plush tiger toy was added to the top of its shell.
As both robots cautiously approached each other, Bayou Bengle took two swipes from Bob Smith's weaponry, one of which briefly lifted it upwards. It received several more blows as it tried to push and control Bob Smith across the arena, but again struggling to do so every time it got underneath. Further hits from Bob Smith's tail immobilized Bayou Bengle completely, rendering it helpless as it was whacked further, then pushed against a 'curb' near one of the spike traps. Bob Smith was soon announced as the winner; Bayou Bengle was eliminated from the Featherweight Face-Off altogether at this stage.[8][9]
Bayou Bengle returned for the Featherweight Melee tournament. In the first round, it would encounter Bot Will Eat Itself and TKO again, the trio also facing C3, Gorange and 1996 Face-Off champion Wedge of Doom.
Immediately, Bayou Bengle and Wedge of Doom rammed each other at high speed. Bayou Bengle was in turn followed by Gorange, the two machines engaging in a ramming match alongside TKO. All three would be joined by C3, with Bayou Bengle ramming all of these opponents in quick succession. At that point, Bayou Bengle was shepherded and thrown against the upper wall by Wedge of Doom. It would play no further part in the battle, and was eliminated from the Featherweight Melee competition altogether.[10][11][12]
Results[]
| BAYOU BENGLE - RESULTS | ||
| 1997 US Championship | ||
| Featherweight Face-Off Round 1; eliminated in Loser's Bracket, Round 2 | ||
| Round 1 | vs. Bot Will Eat Itself | Lost |
| Loser's Bracket, Round 1 | vs. Destructomatic | Won |
| Loser's Bracket, Round 2 | vs. Bob Smith | Lost |
| Featherweight Melee Round 1 | ||
| Melee, Round 1 | vs. Bot Will Eat Itself, C3, Gorange, TKO, Wedge of Doom | Lost |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 1
- Losses: 3
Series Record[]
| Events | Bayou Bengle Event Record |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Did not enter |
| 1995 | Did not enter |
| 1996 | Did not enter |
| 1997 | Featherweight Face-Off, Loser's Bracket, Round 2 Featherweight Melee, Round 1 |
References[]
- ↑ 'Contestants: Featherweight Class', 4th Annual Robot Wars (1997) souvenir programme, p.2
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 'BAYOU BENGLE', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 'Robot Wars 1997: Featherweight Dual Match 5', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded April 14 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 'MATCH: BOT WILL EAT ITSELF VS BAYOU BENGLE', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 'Bot Will Eat Itself vs.Bayou Bengal: Robot Wars 97, 8/1997', Infernolab (YouTube), uploaded February 10 2010
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight match: Bayou Bangle versus Destructomatic', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 3 2021
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 'MATCH: BAYOU BENGLE VS DESTRUCTOMATIC', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight match: Bayou Bangle versus Bob Smith', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 4 2021
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 'MATCH: BOB SMITH VS BAYOU BENGLE', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight Melee 1', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 10 2021
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 'FEATHERWEIGHT MELEE ROUND 1', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 'The 1997 Featherweight Melee', Wedge of Doom/Nolex website (archived)
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