- "A steel weapon, steel spikes, maybe they’ve got an ace up their sleeve!"
- — Stefan Frank introduces King of Diamonds
King of Diamonds was a competitor robot from Clearwater, Florida which fought in Season 2 of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors. It competed exclusively in the US Championship, reaching the second round before losing to Tricerabot 3.0.
Design[]
King of Diamonds in the arena
King of Diamonds was an invertible, pentagonal-shaped robot painted silver with the image of the eponymous playing card printed on its top panel. Its weapons were a 37lb cross-shaped spinning blade at the front which spun at 100mph (roughly 2000rpm), along with a rear static scoop and sets of rear spikes which were intended to prevent it from getting side-stranded. The robot was armored in ¼-inch thick aircraft-grade aluminum, while the spikes could also ram and cause damage to opponents when it reversed into them or spun on the spot, although the scoop fell off in the robot's first battle and was not replaced.
Etymology[]
The robot’s name and design are influenced by the playing card of the same name, the king of diamonds.
Robot History[]
Season 2[]
King of Diamonds fought exclusively in the US Championship, competing in Heat F. In its first round battle, it fought fellow newcomer Dragbot and The Termite, the successor to Close Enough, equipped with the rear scoop and two sets of rear spikes.
King of Diamonds is rammed by The Termite
King of Diamonds is wedged by Dragbot
It started slowly, but dodged both of its opponents as they came together, and drove around Dragbot as it attempted to get underneath King of Diamonds with its wedge. King of Diamonds was briefly pinned against the wall by Dragbot as the latter finally got its wedge underneath, but escaped as Dragbot reversed over a flame jet. King of Diamonds then dodged The Termite, before slamming into it and knocking it away as it spun on the spot. After a few nudges from Dragbot, it drove towards Refbot before backing away and chasing Dragbot across the arena. King of Diamonds eventually slammed into The Termite and attempted to push it towards the flame jet, but both robots were then rammed by Dragbot, which forced King of Diamonds against the wall again.
- "So that King of Diamonds might be the real sleeper here in this round…and Dragbot caught him sleeping!"
- — Stefan Frank as King of Diamonds is rammed against the wall by Dragbot
King of Diamonds lingers near the wall
King of Diamonds is pitted by Shunt
King of Diamonds lingered near the wall for some time, and Dragbot rammed underneath it again as it attempted to drive away. In return, King of Diamonds used its rear spikes to nudge and push Dragbot side-on into an angle grinder, before driving close to Shunt’s CPZ and spinning on top of a CO2 jet. It was nudged by Dragbot a few more times and spun close to the wall, but The Termite has lost mobility in the meantime as Shunt came out of his CPZ to press the pit release button. Before The Termite could be counted out, however, King of Diamonds was pushed towards the pit by Shunt, and King of Diamonds turned directly into it, forcing the Judges to make a decision based on the battle up to the House Robot's intervention. The judges ruled that The Termite had become immobilized before King of Diamonds was pitted, allowing King of Diamonds through to the second round along with Dragbot.
- Carol Grow: "King of Diamonds, tell me what you're thinking right now."
- Dean Dubois: "Well, we’re a little nervous. The robot’s been completely torn down, we’ve had to replace a motor controller… erm, so we’re not exactly sure what it’s going to do when it gets in the ring."
- Carol Grow: "Well that’s tough, it seems like you’ve got a gamble going on!"
- Dean Dubois: "Well, you know, if it works, then, we hope to maybe… you know, disrupt their frame a little bit."
- — Team Girder discuss their strategy and concerns ahead of their second-round battle
There, King of Diamonds faced Tricerabot 3.0, now fitted with three sets of rear spikes.
King of Diamonds is overturned by Tricerabot 3.0
Tricerabot 3.0 holds King of Diamonds against the wall
It immediately approached Tricerabot 3.0 and smacked its rear wheelguard numerous times with its spikes, before Tricerabot 3.0 got underneath and lifted it onto its back. King of Diamonds drove away, bumping into and whacking Tricerabot 3.0 a few more times, at one point getting one of its rear spikes stuck through Tricerabot 3.0’s side. However, it was pushed and lifted again, being carried around the arena by Tricerabot 3.0's flipper before being slammed into the Disc of Doom button. Tricerabot 3.0 lifted King of Diamonds a few more times before backing away, allowing King of Diamonds to smash into it again and drive away as Tricerabot 3.0 bumped into the Disc of Doom. King of Diamonds hid behind Refbot in an attempt to disrupt Tricerabot 3.0's next attack, but drove into the wall just as the latter pressed the pit release button, and spun in circles as Tricerabot 3.0 tried to nudge it towards Sir Killalot. Tricerabot 3.0 missed, nearly driving towards the pit after a run-in with Sir Killalot, before ramming King of Diamonds against the wall as it became apparent that it was suffering from drive problems.
- "Seems like the King of Diamonds guys have a little trouble up in the booth with their controlling! They’ve only got one direction going left on their motors, so something must’ve got jarred loose…"
- — Stefan Frank speculates on King of Diamonds’ control problems as Tricerabot 3.0 attempts to position it near the pit
King of Diamonds struggles with mobility issues
King of Diamonds is pitted by Tricerabot 3.0
King of Diamonds struggled to drive away from Tricerabot 3.0, briefly pinning it against the wall as Tricerabot 3.0 drove round and attempted to line it up near the pit. It hit Tricerabot 3.0 a few more times before the latter backed into Shunt and rammed King of Diamonds out into the middle of the arena; with King of Diamonds hitting Tricerabot 3.0’s sides and rear in the process. Eventually, King of Diamonds was pushed towards the pit and lifted again by Tricerabot 3.0, before finally being shoved in after spending a few seconds suspended over the edge. This eliminated King of Diamonds from the US Championship.
- "See ya! Great bit of strategic driving by Tricerabot, as King of Diamonds hits the deck!"
- — Stefan Frank as King of Diamonds is pitted
Results[]
| KING OF DIAMONDS - RESULTS | ||
| Season 2 | ||
| US Championship Heat, Round 2 | ||
| Heat F, Round 1 | vs. Dragbot, The Termite | Qualified |
| Heat F, Round 2 | vs. Tricerabot 3.0 | Lost |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 1
- Losses: 1
Series Record[]
| US Series | King of Diamonds Series Record |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | Did not enter |
| Season 2 | Heat, Round 2 |
| Nickelodeon | Did not enter |
Gallery[]
Outside Robot Wars[]
I-Beam
Team Grinder member Dean Dubois also entered Seasons 3.0 and 4.0 of the original BattleBots with the heavyweight thwackbot I-Beam. I-Beam reached the televised rounds in both series, but lost to Greenspan in Season 3.0 and Botulizer in Season 4.0.
After its appearance on Robot Wars, King of Diamonds briefly continued to compete in live robot combat events, with moderate success.
See Also[]
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