Gigan

Gigan
Participation Information
US 1994-1997 Events	1995-1996
Team Information
Team	Team Sinister
Team Members	Peter Abrahamson
From	California
Other Entries	The Master (1994-1996, Mark Setrakian) Nezumi (1996, Robert Orr) Snake (1997, Mark Setrakian) The Rat (1997, Robert Orr)
Robot Statistics
Drive	Tamiya RC tank base
Weapons	Interchangeable cutting discs/chain flails
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Gigan was a featherweight robot built by Peter Abrahamson for the 1995 and 1996 US Robot Wars competitions.

A tracked robot based on a Tamiya "King Tiger RC tank", it participated in Face-Off and Melee championships in both of its appearances, but never progressed beyond the first round in either. Incidentally, both of Gigan's Face-Off defeats were against 1995 Super Lightweight champion KMM.

For the 1997 competition, Peter Abrahamson built a heavyweight successor, Gigan II, which also featured a tracked design. However, mechanical issues prevented it from competing as intended.

Design

The internals of Gigan

As mentioned above, Gigan's base was a 1:10 scale radio controlled tank, of the Tamiya "King Tiger" model. This provided the machine with an off-the-shelf tracked system, though contemporary accounts suggested that the tracks themselves were 'too slow and fragile' against other robots. Protecting Gigan's internals was a custom carbon-fiber shell, the front of which included mounting points for the robot's main weapons. In both years, the latter consisted of a pair of interchangeable cut-off sawblades or flail spinners, making Gigan an early pioneer of this concept alongside heavyweight counterpart The Master. According to Team Sinister's 1995 write-ups, the flails are suggested to have used chainsaw chains as their main form of offense.

Changes specific to the 1996 incarnation include a set of 'pontoons' mounted to the top of the shell - to 'help prevent overturning' - along with a moving 'spiked spine' hinged at the back. The latter incorporated five narrow spikes on the top of the arm, but served no clear purpose other to improve Gigan's aesthetics.

Etymology

The robot's name is a reference to the kaiju of the same name from the Godzilla media franchise.

Robot History

1995 US Championship

Debuting in the 1995 US Robot Wars competition, Gigan fought fellow newcomer KMM in the first round of that year's Super Lightweight Face-Off.

From the outset, it would spin in circles close to its starting position, enabling KMM to catch and drag it forwards with its left arm. Gigan struggled to move away as KMM turned and clamped it from either side, before driving it into a nearby mousetrap. After being shuffled back and forth, and taking a swipe from the mousetrap net, it was deemed to have been fully pinned. Gigan was eliminated from the Super Lightweight Face-Off as a result.

Gigan also fought in the Super Lightweight Melee event. In the first round, it would fight Fuzzy Yum Yum, Piranhabot, Slomo II, The Nexus 7 and Zomo.

The opening seconds saw Gigan drive into the center of the arena, where it was rammed and pitched into a spin by Piranhabot. After a moment's hesitation, it rammed Zomo, which in turn was being pinned off the floor by Slomo II. Another collision with Piranhabot followed almost immediately, prompting Gigan to ram Camp Peavy's entry in response. Gigan was next seen driving into Piranhabot and Slomo II again, after which it began scrapping with Fuzzy Yum Yum. While chasing Fuzzy Yum Yum across the far perimeter, it was collected and turned onto its side by The Nexus 7, but landed on its tracks following a ram from Fuzzy Yum Yum. These impacts left Gigan motionless near the arena wall, where it was rammed further by Zomo and eventually pushed close to the arena flippers in one corner. Gigan played no further part in the match, and was eliminated from the Super Lightweight Melee at this point.

1996 US Championship

Gigan returned for the 1996 competition, again participating in the newly-renamed featherweight category. In the Featherweight Face-Off, it was immediately drawn into a rematch against KMM, forming a set of Round 1 'Dual Matches' alongside Wedge of Doom vs WYSIWYG.

Gigan started by ramming KMM, but was immediately caught by the latter's claws. Rik Winter's machine pushed and axed it simultaneously, with Gigan unable to break free from its grip. The gripping attack ultimately constituted a full pin, eliminating Gigan from the battle and the Featherweight Face-Off.

Later returning for the Featherweight Melee tournament, Gigan would fight an eight-way first-round battle. Fellow competitors included Bite Me, Draggon Waggin', Edgar the Hate Bug, Mad Dog, Nezumi, P.A.T. and Ziggy.

Gigan engaged in an early tussle with Mad Dog, Bite Me, Nezumi and Draggon Waggin', but had its tracks snapped by a ram from an unidentified opponent. This left it immobilized at the left-hand side of the arena, where it was pressured by Ziggy, Nezumi and Draggon Waggin'. Gigan ejected both of its broken treads in the process, and would later have parts from the top be flung off once P.A.T. darted underneath it.

Later on, Gigan was nudged by Mad Dog, which proceeded to push it inside the mousetrap mechanism on the lower perimeter. Gigan had already become immobilized by this point; the Melee ended with no winners being declared once P.A.T.'s batteries became fully depleted.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 0
• Losses: 4

Series Record

Events	Gigan Event Record
1994	Entered with The Master (Mark Setrakian)
1995	Super Lightweight Face-Off, Round 1 Super Lightweight Melee, Round 1 Entered with The Master (Mark Setrakian)
1996	Featherweight Face-Off, Round 1 Featherweight Melee, Round 1 Entered with The Master (Mark Setrakian) Entered with Nezumi (Robert Orr)
1997	Withdrew with Gigan II (Peter Abrahamson) Entered with Snake (Mark Setrakian) Entered with The Rat (Robert Orr)

Outside Robot Wars

Peter Abrahamson and Team Sinister entered with other robots and into other competitions. For more information, see The Master, Snake and Gigan II.

Trivia

• Gigan would make a brief cameo appearance in Season 6 of the Discovery BattleBots series. A photograph of its RC tank chassis was shown during a segment on Peter Abrahamson (aired in Episode 2 of the original US broadcast), where Abrahamson summarized his experiences in robot combat, special effects and as the show's "Bot Whisperer" from 2020 onwards.