Changes: Black Hole

Revision as of 20:13, 14 April 2020

Black Hole was a German competitor robot that mainly fought in German Robot Wars. It won the first and only German championship after defeating Tsunami in the Grand Final, and represented Germany in the European Championship, which was also broadcast as part of the second series of Robot Wars Extreme. However, it lost in the second round of the European Championship to Belgian representative Philipper 2.

Despite its successes, Black Hole did not return for the Third World Championship, broadcast as part of Series 7 of the UK Robot Wars, leaving Reaper NP2, I Bot One Beta and Ansgar 3 to fight for the chance to represent Germany.

Design

BlackholeGRW — Black Hole in *German Robot Wars*

Black Hole was an invertible, reverse-wedge robot painted black and silver, and armed with two 4000rpm, four-toothed vertical spinning discs at the front. These silver and red discs were connected to the same axle, and were very powerful, being able to deal significant damage to its opponents as well as flipping them clean over. The robot was two-wheel driven, one of which was rotor-driven through a 12V electrometer, and its armour was made from steel and aluminium.

Black Hole's discs proved especially potent throughout its appearances, especially towards Tsunami and Zeus, but could not work as effectively when the robot was inverted, as they were only designed to spin in one direction. Additionally, the robot could be easily flipped from the front and suffered from poor traction, with all three issues costing it in its European Championship battle against Philipper 2.

Qualification

Black Hole qualifiers — Black Hole at the German series auditions

In order to qualify for the German series of Robot Wars, all German competitors were required to attend an inspection run by Derek Foxwell in May 2002, to receive safety advice, and pointers with the build. A relatively complete Black Hole attended the event, and as German Robot Wars had less applicants than the number of spaces for competitors, Black Hole was automatically accepted for the German series.

Robot History

German Series

Black Hole vs Absolut Krankhaft — Black Hole and Tsunami turn Absolut Krankhaft over

Black Hole began its opening battle by attacking Absolut Krankhaft, teaming up with Tsunami to overturn the Dutch machine. Black Hole stayed away whilst Tsunami righted and then re-flipped Absolut Krankhaft. Black Hole then slammed into Absolut Krankhaft, causing damage to the rear. Absolut Krankhaft was then counted out and Black Hole dodged Tsunami until eventually cease was called.

BlackHoleHydrotec — Black Hole pushes Hydrotec

Black Hole next faced Hydrotec. Black Hole disabled Hydrotec’s flipper very early on, severely buckling it. Then, Black Hole turned its attention to the rest of the robot, causing sufficient damage to the internals to cause Hydrotec to break down. Hydrotec was counted out by the Refbot, and left to the House Robots. With this victory, Black Hole had made the Grand Final.

Son of Armageddon vs Black Hole — Black Hole pushes its larger foe back

Black Hole vs Son of Armageddon — Black Hole throws sparks from the side of its opponent

In its first Grand Final battle, Black Hole came up against Son of Armageddon. Black Hole repeatedly attacked the front and sides of its opponent, destroying the supports of the flipping weapon on Son of Armageddon; however this attack stopped the discs from working. Black Hole pushed Son of Armageddon into Dead Metal, and the House Robot attacked Son of Armageddon until cease was called. The judges made the obvious decision to put Black Hole through to the Grand Final.

Black Hole vs Tsunami — Black Hole wedges under Tsunami

Black Hole sparks — Black Hole inflicts major damage

In the Grand Final, Black Hole came up against Tsunami. Black Hole was turned over early on in the fight, and was on the back foot early on, being pressured by Tsunami, but it quickly recovered and caused damage, also suspending Tsunami on its wedge. Eventually, Black Hole was righted, and went on the offensive, securing several major blows and ripping armour panels off Tsunami, particularly on the side and back. The Jury was called on to make a decision, which went in Black Hole's favour, making it the first, and only, German Robot Wars champion.

"Ah, but will the German champions disappear into one?"

— Jonathan Pearce introduces Black Hole in the European Championship

Black Hole also represented Germany in the European Championship, which was also broadcast as part of the second series of Robot Wars Extreme. It faced Italian representatives Zeus in the first round.

"Zeus in big trouble here. Black Hole looks formidable!"

— Jonathan Pearce

Zeus vs Black Hole — Black Hole flips Zeus over

Black Hole vs Zeus — Black Hole throws Zeus around

Black Hole immediately ripped off Zeus' flipper plate and rendering it unable to attack. Black Hole proceeded to flip Zeus over with its discs, before tearing shards of Zeus' armour off and leaving it stranded on its flipper. It pushed Zeus back onto its wheels, before throwing it around the arena several more times, eventually leaving Zeus on its back close to a CO₂ jet. Zeus was attacked by Dead Metal and Mr. Psycho, counted out and pitted, allowing Black Hole to proceed to the second round.

"This is some weapon they've got, you know. Black Hole could be a very strong contender for this Euro title."

— Jonathan Pearce

Black hole lifts philipper 2 — Black Hole lifts Philipper 2 up with its discs

Philipper 2 overturns black hole — Black Hole is overturned by Philipper 2

Black Hole vs Philipper II — Black Hole grinds into Philipper 2

Black Hole pitted — Philipper 2 shoves Black Hole down the pit

There, Black Hole faced Belgian representatives Philipper 2. It charged straight towards Philipper 2, flicking it up into the air and tearing a shard of its armour off, before both machines circled around each other. Black Hole slammed into Philipper 2's sides a few more times, leaving more gashes in its armour, before steering Philipper 2 into Shunt's CPZ after it pressed the pit release button. After tearing through its opponent's sides again, Black Hole was flipped over by Philipper 2, leaving its discs spinning the wrong way up and causing it to jolt upwards as it continued damaging Philipper 2's armour. In a sudden turn of events, Black Hole drove up Philipper 2's flipper, and was pushed straight into the pit, eliminating it from the European Championship.

"A fantastic robot, we would've loved to see it go up against Razer, or Tornado, but it wasn't to be!"

— Craig Charles

Results

BLACK HOLE - RESULTS
German Robot Wars
German Championship Champion
Heat B, Eliminator	vs. Absolut Krankhaft, Tsunami	Qualified
Heat B, Final	vs. Hydrotec	Won
Grand Final, Eliminator	vs. Son of Armageddon	Won
Grand Final	vs. Tsunami	Won
European Championship Representing Germany, Round 2
NOTE: This competition was also broadcast during Extreme Series 2
Round 1	vs. Zeus (ITA)	Won
Round 2	vs. Philipper 2 (BEL)	Lost

Black Hole in the pits during the German Series
Black Hole with its team
The second incarnation of Black Hole
Black Hole's rebuild, after it was renamed.
An early version of Luzifer.
Luzifer before entering Robot Wars 2013

Wins/Losses

Wins: 5
Losses: 1

Series Record

German Series	Black Hole Series Record
German Robot Wars	Grand Champion European Championship, Joint Third

Outside Robot Wars

DRG Black Hole — Black Hole 2 at the *Dutch Robot Games* in 2003

Black Hole 2 team — Black Hole 2 with its original team

After Black Hole's last appearance on TV, the robot was rebuilt completely as Black Hole 2, forgoing its offensive weaponry for a more Tornado-like approach. This version competed at the Dutch Robot Games in 2003, but lost its opening melee after Dantomkia stranded it against the arena wall, in a battle ultimately won by Tough as Nails. It later fought Reaper NP2 and Ansgar 3, losing a close Judges' decision^[1]. However, it later won two non-competition melees, both of which were against Delldog and Snake Bite^[2].

Black Hole II — Black Hole 2, prior to its rebuild as Luzifer

Black Hole 2 was sold to The Devil Crew, who would gradually rebuilt the robot into Luzifer. Luzifer competed briefly on the live circuit in 2004. In 2012, it was rebuilt to have weaponry like Sewer Snake so it could compete in the RoboGames before being reactivated in 2012, and refurbished in 2013.

The original Black Hole that appeared on the show was scrapped at some point prior to 2011.^[3]

Robot Wars Live Events

Team Kaputo and Black Hole have had no involvement with the Robot Wars live events, although its spiritual successor, Luzifer competed in these events in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Trivia

Blackhole germ stats — Black Hole's German stats board

In 2016, Black Hole's new owners, The Devil Crew, applied for the new series of Robot Wars with their new heavyweight, Luzifer, the spiritual successor to Black Hole. Despite this, Team Kaputo and Black Hole have no relation to the new series, and Luzifer was not selected to compete.

External Links

The Devil Crew website (written in German)

Honours

References

[1] ttp://web.archive.org/web/20040607150933/http://www.golemcrew.roboteers.org/event_drg2.html

[2] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060128030110/http://www.dutchrobotgames.nl/cgi-bin/pda

[3] ttp://robotwars101.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1513

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Image|Need more images from German Robot Wars}}
 {{robot
 |robot_name=Black Hole
 |image=[[File:BlackHole.jpg|200px]]
-|caption=Black Hole in the European Championship
 |series=Extreme 2
 |german_series=1
 |team=Team Kaputo
 |team_members=Jorg Marschall<br/>Marcus Marschall<br/>Manfred Rachner<br/><small>(European Championship)</small><br/>Andreas Mair<br/><small>(German Championship)</small>
+|from=Dachau, Upper Bavaria
-|other_entries=
+|stats=Black hole ext2 stats.png
 |weight=100kg
 |dimensions=0.78m x 0.70m x 0.36m
 |clearance=
-|power=Electric motors
+|drive=Electric motors
 |weapons=2 x Vertical spinning discs
 }}
-{{quote|Ah, but will the German champions disappear into one?|Jonathan Pearce}}
 '''Black Hole''' was a German competitor robot that mainly fought in ''[[German Robot Wars]]''. It won the first and only German championship after defeating [[Tsunami]] in the [[German Robot Wars/Grand Final|Grand Final]], and represented Germany in the [[European Championship]], which was also broadcast as part of [[Robot Wars Extreme: Series 2|the second series of ''Robot Wars Extreme'']]. However, it lost in the second round of the European Championship to Belgian representative [[Philipper|Philipper 2]].
 Despite its successes, Black Hole did not return for the [[The Third World Championship|Third World Championship]], broadcast as part of Series 7 of the UK ''[[Robot Wars]]'', leaving [[Reaper NP2]], [[I Bot One Beta]] and [[Ansgar|Ansgar 3]] to fight for the chance to represent Germany.
-In 2016, Black Hole's new owners, The Devil Crew, applied for the [[Robot Wars: Series 8|new series of ''Robot Wars'']] with their new heavyweight, [[Luzifer]], the spiritual successor to Black Hole. Despite this, Team Kaputo and Black Hole have no relation to the new series, and Luzifer was not selected to compete.
 ==Design==
 [[File:BlackholeGRW.jpg|thumb|left|Black Hole in ''German Robot Wars'']]
-Black Hole was an invertible, reverse-wedge robot painted black and silver, and armed with two 4000rpm, four-toothed vertical spinning discs at the front. These silver and red discs were connected to the same axle, and were very powerful, being able to deal significant damage to its opponents as well as flipping them clean over. The robot was two-wheel drive, one of which was rotor-driven through a 12V electrometer, and its armour was made from steel and aluminium. Black Hole's discs proved especially potent throughout its appearances, especially towards [[Tsunami]] and [[Zeus (Italy)|Zeus]], but could not work as effectively when the robot was inverted, as they were only designed to spin in one direction. Additionally, the robot could be easily flipped from the front and suffered from poor traction, with all three issues costing it in its European Championship battle against [[Philipper|Philipper 2]].
+Black Hole was an invertible, reverse-wedge robot painted black and silver, and armed with two 4000rpm, four-toothed vertical spinning discs at the front. These silver and red discs were connected to the same axle, and were very powerful, being able to deal significant damage to its opponents as well as flipping them clean over. The robot was two-wheel driven, one of which was rotor-driven through a 12V electrometer, and its armour was made from steel and aluminium.
+[[File:Black Hole.jpg|thumb|left|Black Hole from the front]]
+[[File:Blackhole.png|thumb|Black Hole's light-up eyes]]
+Black Hole's discs proved especially potent throughout its appearances, especially towards [[Tsunami]] and [[Zeus (Italy)|Zeus]], but could not work as effectively when the robot was inverted, as they were only designed to spin in one direction. Additionally, the robot could be easily flipped from the front and suffered from poor traction, with all three issues costing it in its European Championship battle against [[Philipper|Philipper 2]].
+==Qualification==
+[[File:Black Hole qualifiers.jpg|thumb|left|Black Hole at the German series auditions]]
+In order to qualify for the German series of ''Robot Wars'', all German competitors were required to attend an inspection run by [[Derek Foxwell]] in May 2002, to receive safety advice, and pointers with the build. A relatively complete Black Hole attended the event, and as ''German Robot Wars'' had less applicants than the number of spaces for competitors, Black Hole was automatically accepted for the German series.
 == Robot History ==
 ===German Series===
+[[File:Black Hole vs Absolut Krankhaft.jpg|thumb|left|Black Hole and Tsunami turn Absolut Krankhaft over]]
 Black Hole began its opening battle by attacking [[Absolut Krankhaft]], teaming up with [[Tsunami]] to overturn the Dutch machine. Black Hole stayed away whilst Tsunami righted and then re-flipped Absolut Krankhaft. Black Hole then slammed into Absolut Krankhaft, causing damage to the rear. Absolut Krankhaft was then counted out and Black Hole dodged Tsunami until eventually cease was called.
-[[File:BlackHoleHydrotec.jpg|thumb|left|Black Hole pushes Hydrotec]]
+[[File:BlackHoleHydrotec.jpg|thumb|Black Hole pushes Hydrotec]]
 Black Hole next faced [[Hydrotec]]. Black Hole disabled Hydrotec’s flipper very early on, severely buckling it. Then, Black Hole turned its attention to the rest of the robot, causing sufficient damage to the internals to cause Hydrotec to break down. Hydrotec was counted out by the Refbot, and left to the House Robots. With this victory, Black Hole had made the Grand Final.
+[[File:Son of Armageddon vs Black Hole.jpg|thumb|left|Black Hole pushes its larger foe back]]
+[[File:Black Hole vs Son of Armageddon.jpg|thumb|Black Hole throws sparks from the side of its opponent]]
 In its first Grand Final battle, Black Hole came up against [[Son of Armageddon]]. Black Hole repeatedly attacked the front and sides of its opponent, destroying the supports of the flipping weapon on Son of Armageddon; however this attack stopped the discs from working. Black Hole pushed Son of Armageddon into [[Dead Metal]], and the House Robot attacked Son of Armageddon until cease was called. The judges made the obvious decision to put Black Hole through to the Grand Final.
-[[File:TsunamiBlackHole.jpg|thumb|Black Hole running inverted]]
+[[File:Black Hole vs Tsunami.jpg|thumb|left|Black Hole wedges under Tsunami]]
+[[File:Black Hole sparks.jpg|thumb|Black Hole inflicts major damage]]
-In the Grand Final, Black Hole came up against [[Tsunami]]. Black Hole was turned over early on in the fight, and was on the back foot early on, being pressured by Tsunami. Eventually, Black Hole was righted, and went on the offensive, securing several major blows and ripping armour panels off Tsunami, particularly on the side and back. The judges were called on to make a decision, which went in Black Hole's favour, making it the first, and only, ''German Robot Wars'' champion.
+In the Grand Final, Black Hole came up against [[Tsunami]]. Black Hole was turned over early on in the fight, and was on the back foot early on, being pressured by Tsunami, but it quickly recovered and caused damage, also suspending Tsunami on its wedge. Eventually, Black Hole was righted, and went on the offensive, securing several major blows and ripping armour panels off Tsunami, particularly on the side and back. The Jury was called on to make a decision, which went in Black Hole's favour, making it the first, and only, ''German Robot Wars'' champion.
+{{quote|Ah, but will the German champions disappear into one?|Jonathan Pearce introduces Black Hole in the European Championship}}
+Black Hole also represented Germany in the European Championship, which was also broadcast as part of the [[Robot Wars Extreme: Series 2|second series of ''Robot Wars Extreme'']]. It faced Italian representatives [[Zeus (Italy)|Zeus]] in the first round.
+{{quote|Zeus in big trouble here. Black Hole looks formidable!|Jonathan Pearce}}
 [[File:Zeus_vs_Black_Hole.png|thumb|left|Black Hole flips Zeus over]]
+[[File:Black Hole vs Zeus.jpg|thumb|Black Hole throws Zeus around]]
-Black Hole also represented Germany in the European Championship, which was also broadcast as part of the [[Robot Wars Extreme: Series 2|second series of ''Robot Wars Extreme'']]. It faced Italian representatives [[Zeus (Italy)|Zeus]] in the first round, immediately ripping off Zeus' flipper plate and rendering it unable to attack. Black Hole proceeded to flip Zeus over with its discs, before tearing shards of Zeus' armour off and leaving it stranded on its flipper. It pushed Zeus back onto its wheels, before throwing it around the arena several more times, eventually leaving Zeus on its back close to a CO<sub>2</sub> jet. Zeus was attacked by Dead Metal and [[Mr. Psycho]], counted out and pitted, allowing Black Hole to proceed to the second round.
+Black Hole immediately ripped off Zeus' flipper plate and rendering it unable to attack. Black Hole proceeded to flip Zeus over with its discs, before tearing shards of Zeus' armour off and leaving it stranded on its flipper. It pushed Zeus back onto its wheels, before throwing it around the arena several more times, eventually leaving Zeus on its back close to a CO<sub>2</sub> jet. Zeus was attacked by Dead Metal and [[Mr. Psycho]], counted out and pitted, allowing Black Hole to proceed to the second round.
+{{quote|This is some weapon they've got, you know. Black Hole could be a very strong contender for this Euro title.|Jonathan Pearce}}
+[[File:Black hole lifts philipper 2.jpg|thumb|left|Black Hole lifts Philipper 2 up with its discs]]
+[[File:Philipper 2 overturns black hole.jpg|thumb|Black Hole is overturned by Philipper 2]]
+[[File:Black Hole vs Philipper II.jpg|thumb|left|Black Hole grinds into Philipper 2]]
 [[File:Black_Hole_pitted.png|thumb|Philipper 2 shoves Black Hole down the pit]]
 There, Black Hole faced Belgian representatives [[Philipper|Philipper 2]]. It charged straight towards Philipper 2, flicking it up into the air and tearing a shard of its armour off, before both machines circled around each other. Black Hole slammed into Philipper 2's sides a few more times, leaving more gashes in its armour, before steering Philipper 2 into Shunt's CPZ after it pressed the pit release button. After tearing through its opponent's sides again, Black Hole was flipped over by Philipper 2, leaving its discs spinning the wrong way up and causing it to jolt upwards as it continued damaging Philipper 2's armour. In a sudden turn of events, Black Hole drove up Philipper 2's flipper, and was pushed straight into the pit, eliminating it from the European Championship.
+{{quote|A fantastic robot, we would've loved to see it go up against Razer, or Tornado, but it wasn't to be!|Craig Charles}}
 ==Results==
@@ Line 44: / Line 63: @@
 {{Show|German Robot Wars}}
 {{Competition|German Championship|Champion}}
-{{Battle|[[German Robot Wars/Heat B|Heat B]], Eliminator|[[Tsunami]], [[Absolut Krankhaft]]|Qualified}}
+{{Battle|[[German Robot Wars/Heat B|Heat B, Eliminator]]|[[Arena Killer|Absolut Krankhaft]], [[Tsunami]]|Qualified}}
-{{Battle|Heat B, Final|[[Hydrotec]]|Won}}
+{{Battle|[[German Robot Wars/Heat B|Heat B, Final]]|[[Hydrotec]]|Won}}
-{{Battle|[[German Robot Wars/Grand Final|Grand Final]], Eliminator|[[Son of Armageddon]]|Won}}
+{{Battle|[[German Robot Wars/Grand Final|Grand Final, Eliminator]]|[[Son of Armageddon]]|Won}}
-{{Battle|Grand Final|[[Tsunami]]|Won}}
+{{Battle|[[German Robot Wars/Grand Final|Grand Final]]|[[Tsunami]]|Won}}
 {{Competition|[[European Championship]]|Representing Germany, Round 2}}
 {{Note|This competition was also broadcast during Extreme Series 2}}
-{{Battle|Round 1|[[Zeus (Italy)|Zeus]] (ITA)|Won}}
+{{Battle|[[European Championship|Round 1]]|[[Zeus (Italy)|Zeus]] (ITA)|Won}}
-{{Battle|Round 2|[[Philipper|Philipper 2]] (BEL)|Lost}}
+{{Battle|[[European Championship|Round 2]]|[[Philipper|Philipper 2]] (BEL)|Lost}}
 |}
 <gallery type="slideshow">
+Blackhole pits.jpg|Black Hole in the pits during the German Series
 TeamBlackHole.jpg|Black Hole with its team
 Bhko.jpg|The second incarnation of Black Hole
@@ Line 65: / Line 85: @@
 ==Series Record==
-{{Series Record German|Black Hole|'''Grand Champion'''}}
+{{Series Record German|Black Hole|'''Grand Champion'''<br>'''European Championship, Joint Third'''}}
+==Outside Robot Wars==
+[[File:DRG Black Hole.jpg|thumb|left|Black Hole 2 at the ''Dutch Robot Games'' in 2003]]
+[[File:Black Hole 2 team.jpg|thumb|Black Hole 2 with its original team]]
+After Black Hole's last appearance on TV, the robot was rebuilt completely as '''Black Hole 2''', forgoing its offensive weaponry for a more [[Tornado]]-like approach. This version competed at the ''Dutch Robot Games'' in 2003, but lost its opening melee after [[Dantomkia]] stranded it against the arena wall, in a battle ultimately won by [[Tough as Nails]]. It later fought [[Reaper NP2]] and [[Ansgar|Ansgar 3]], losing a close Judges' decision<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20040607150933/http://www.golemcrew.roboteers.org/event_drg2.html</ref>. However, it later won two non-competition melees, both of which were against [[Delldog]] and [[Snake Bite (Swiss)|Snake Bite]]<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20060128030110/http://www.dutchrobotgames.nl/cgi-bin/pda</ref>.
+[[File:Black Hole II.jpg|thumb|Black Hole 2, prior to its rebuild as Luzifer]]
+Black Hole 2 was sold to The Devil Crew, who would gradually rebuilt the robot into [[Luzifer]]. Luzifer competed briefly on the live circuit in 2004. In 2012, it was rebuilt to have weaponry like [http://battlebots.wikia.com/wiki/Stinger:_The_Killer_Bee Sewer Snake] so it could compete in the RoboGames before being reactivated in 2012, and refurbished in 2013.
+The original Black Hole that appeared on the show was scrapped at some point prior to 2011.<ref>http://robotwars101.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1513</ref>
 ==Robot Wars Live Events==
 Team Kaputo and Black Hole have had no involvement with the ''Robot Wars'' live events, although its spiritual successor, [[Luzifer]] competed in these events in 2013, 2015 and 2016.
+==Trivia==
-==Outside Robot Wars==
-[[File:Black Hole II.jpg|thumb|Black Hole 2, prior to its rebuild as Luzifer.]]
+[[File:Blackhole germ stats.png|thumb|Black Hole's German stats board]]
+*In 2016, Black Hole's new owners, The Devil Crew, applied for the [[Robot Wars: Series 8|new series of ''Robot Wars'']] with their new heavyweight, [[Luzifer]], the spiritual successor to Black Hole. Despite this, Team Kaputo and Black Hole have no relation to the new series, and Luzifer was not selected to compete.
-After Black Hole's last appearance on TV, the robot was rebuilt completely as '''Black Hole 2''', forgoing its offensive weaponry for a more [[Tornado]]-like approach. Black Hole 2 had few battles before it was sold to The Devil Crew, who would gradually rebuild the robot into [[Luzifer]]. Luzifer competed briefly on the live circuit in 2004. In 2012, it was rebuilt to have weaponry like [http://battlebots.wikia.com/wiki/Stinger:_The_Killer_Bee Sewer Snake] so it could compete in the RoboGames before being reactivated in 2012, and refurbished in 2013.
-==References==
+==External Links==
-[http://devil-crew.eu/index.html The Devil Crew website (written in German)]
+*[http://devil-crew.eu/index.html The Devil Crew website (written in German)]
 ==Honours==
@@ Line 86: / Line 116: @@
 }}
 {{End Box}}
+==References==
+<references/>
 {{German Series Competitors}}