La Machine

La Machine
Participation Information
UK Series	1995 UK Open Competition
US 1994-1997 Events	1995 (middleweight) 1996-1997 (heavyweight)
Team Information
Team	Team La Machine/Team Berzerker
Team Members	Gage Cauchois (1995) Trey Roski Greg Munson Gar Munson
Sponsors	Impact Media Group New Tek Incorporated (1996-1997) Jet (1997) Genuity (1997) Belden (1997)
From	San Francisco, California
Associated Robots	Vlad the Impaler (Gage Cauchois)
Robot Statistics
Weight	77kg (169.8lbs)
Dimensions	0.91m x 0.76m x 0.46m
Top Speed	30km/h (18.6mph)
Power	2x batteries
Drive	4x custom 4-pole motors
Weapons	Ramming scoop Pneumatic ram (1997)
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"Undisputed World Champion of two years before losing its crown to an even meaner killing machine."

— Jonathan Pearce's brief overview of La Machine (Series 1, Heat D)

La Machine was a combat robot primarily built for and entered into the 1995-1997 US Robot Wars competitions. Initially co-built by Gage Cauchois, along with future BattleBots co-founders Greg Munson and Trey Roski, it is noteworthy for popularizing full-sized wedge shapes as a robot design element, as well as its multiple championship victories in the middleweight and heavyweight classes.

The original wedge-shaped La Machine competed as a middleweight in the 1995 event, using its shape and ramming power to win the Face-Off and Melee championships in its class. Such was its dominance and popularity with the audience, that it would later appear in and win the Heavyweight Melee as well, outlasting that year's Heavyweight Face-Off co-champion The Master in the process.

For future events, La Machine was updated into a heavyweight-spec competitor; the simple wedge evolving into a larger scoop blade. It first appeared in this guise at the 1995 UK Open Competition – a taped pilot and proof-of-concept for the UK Robot Wars television series. Invited alongside The Master and Thor, it took part in various combat and non-combat events, highlights from which would be shown in the home video release Robot Wars: The First Great War.

La Machine continued its imperative display in the 1996 US heavyweight class, finishing runner-up to Carlo Bertocchini's BioHazard in the Face-Off. Vengeance would be earned over BioHazard in the first round of the Heavyweight Melee tournament, which La Machine ultimately won outright for the second successive year. Highlights of La Machine's 1996 campaign would be showcased in the official American Robot Wars 1996 and American Robot Wars Final 1996 VHS releases, as well as Heat D of Robot Wars: The First Wars.

For 1997, La Machine was again updated to incorporate an active pneumatic ram weapon, integrated into the redesigned front scoop. Again, it enjoyed a dominant run through the Heavyweight Face-Off, but settled for runner-up honors after being turned over by BioHazard early into the final. Despite defeating all of its opponents in its initial Heavyweight Melee round, La Machine would also relinquish its title in the finals, once BioHazard turned it over a second time.

Design

"Keep it simple, stupid. Form follows function. Don't make it too complicated... Let's build something simple, something to get underneath and flip them over."

— Gage Cauchois, suggesting La Machine's wedge-shaped concept to Greg Munson

La Machine, as originally built, was a two-wheel drive middleweight with chain drives, pneumatic tires and a hybrid aluminum and wood construction. The outer shell would employ a wooden framework, with riveted sheet aluminum panels protecting the robot from all sides. Power was provided by two starter motors from a remote-controlled boat (one for each wheel) and a car battery, the latter borrowed for the event from a Honda Civic owned by a friend of Trey Roski. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports alternatively states that two lead-acid batteries were used to power the robot.

During early development, Greg Munson conceptualized 'about 20 ideas' for La Machine's design, including proposals with 'spinning' or 'rolling' features. At the suggestion of Gage Cauchois, who immediately rejected all of these ideas, the team settled on a simpler design with no powered weapons and a large box wedge-shaped shell. The wedged front provided La Machine's only means of offense, with the aim of breaching ground clearances, pushing, pinning and turning other competitor robots over. Cauchois described the concept as a 'water-ski ramp', the theory being that the box-wedge shape would effortlessly drive under and launch opponents into the air.

Coupled with the robot's strong drive system - capable of bringing it to a claimed top speed of 15-20mph - the wedge shape ensured that La Machine was able to perform its intended tactics effortlessly, even against opponents from the weight class above. However, the use of custom relays instead of speed controllers made precise controlling especially difficult; in order for La Machine to turn, each corresponding drive motor had to be rapidly switched on and off. To prevent overheating, the drive motors were rewound at a local speciality shop; small holes incorporated into the shell's sides; and a custom cooling fan was built by Cauchois. Before battles, PAM cooking spray was applied directly to the wedge surface, further reducing opponents' adhesion and ability to drive off of it.

According to Trey Roski, the 1995 La Machine cost 'around $600' to build and weighed approximately 80lbs - the maximum allowed for middleweight competitors at the time.

"As you can see, it's just a real, heavy, simple... robot. And the key points are speed and maneuverability... and the wedge shape! It's probably one of the most simplest robots here."

— Greg Munson summarizes La Machine's 1996 design, American Robot Wars 1996

La Machine's 1996 drive unit

Following the outstanding success of the 1995 incarnation, La Machine received substantial updates for its transition into the heavyweight class. The most noticeable was a larger welded aluminum shell, redesigned to be taller and to include a cut-off wedge profile at the back. At the front, a set of angled plates formed a rudimentary scoop blade, with which La Machine would flip opponents at a greater force. Within the scoop was a narrow front-hinged panel, though its exact purpose is unknown.

Internally, the robot retained its two-wheel drive layout, including the starter motors. To maximize durability during heavy impacts, a set of 'rubber bumpers' lined the inner drive module, on which the outer shell rested. This arrangement - also used by Vlad the Impaler - allowed for La Machine's internals to be 'cushioned', and thus be protected from abrupt shocks. La Machine's internal plates and battery box - made of wood with steel reinforcements - were conversely prone to cracking over time.

La Machine's 1997 ram mechanism

The third incarnation of La Machine, prepared for the 1997 event, was an evolutionary update of the 1996 heavyweight. While maintaining a hybrid aluminum/wood construction - now incorporating thicker materials and improved construction techniques for the battery box - the robot underwent further mechanical and aesthetic revisions. Updates to the drive system included the addition of a Vantec speed controller, a 6:1 chain reduction and four custom 4-pole motors. Each motor was designed to draw as much as 100 amps, with La Machine only requiring 60 amps to run at its optimal state. The whole drive unit was initially intended to run at 36 volts through three onboard batteries. As this setup pushed La Machine over the weight limit, one battery was removed, giving a finalized output of 24 volts.

The aluminum shell incorporated a smoother scoop without the access hatch, along with a rounded top extension housing a CO₂-powered pneumatic ram. Utilizing the same technology originally developed for Scott LaValley's 1995-1996 heavyweight DooMore, the front-firing ram was intended to actively flip and potentially spear through opponents lifted by the scoop. To maximize the weapon's power, it would initially be held in the retracted position by a solenoid, while a secondary chamber pressurized directly behind the piston. This enabled La Machine to fire its weapon at its maximum pressure - up to 700psi - once the solenoid was released. While La Machine's design and weaponry would continue to pose threats for opponents without a srimech, the 1997 updates did not mitigate the robot's own lack of self-righting capabilities.

Etymology

According to Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, Greg Munson named La Machine after a guitar he made himself out of scrap materials.

The Team

La Machine's core team line-up originally consisted of cousins Greg Munson and Trey Roski of media design firm Impact Media Group, along with Munson's neighbor Gage Cauchois, a lamp maker by trade. Through his friendships with Mark Setrakian and Peter Abrahamson - who attended the same high school as him - Munson had previously attended the 1994 competition as a spectator with his girlfriend, and was recommended by Abrahamson to build a robot himself for the then-upcoming 1995 event. Following initial discussions, spurred on by a VHS recording of Next Step's segment on the 1994 event, Cauchois and Roski both agreed to join the team, as La Machine's builder and driver respectively.

The core team line-up remained unchanged until spring 1996, when Gage Cauchois declined to participate in the European Tour with La Machine. Cauchois, concerned over travel arrangements and disagreeing with Marc Thorpe's proposals for the show format, left the team to co-build Vlad the Impaler, while being paid by Greg Munson and Trey Roski in return for his role in La Machine's 1995 campaign. From that point on, Munson and Roski would captain La Machine for the rest of its Robot Wars career.

To prepare the robot for the 1997 event, the La Machine team moved their operations from San Francisco to Novato, sharing the same workshop facilities as Scott LaValley. While both teams continued to operate and enter their own robots separately, Trey Roski invested in an 'industrial-grade milling machine' for the workshop, through a combined sponsorship fund of $25,000. In return, LaValley assisted Roski and Greg Munson with installing La Machine's pneumatic ram for this event.

In a section highlighting La Machine's statistics and records, the first Robot Wars Club newsletter makes reference to a fourth team member, "Gar Munson". This likely refers to Gar Moss, a fellow cousin of Greg Munson and co-founder of Impact Media Group.

Robot History

1995 US Championship

In its original form, La Machine first debuted in the middleweight category at the Second Annual Robot Wars, taking place on August 19-20 1995. Amidst scepticism surrounding its simple design and lack of obvious weapon, it began its run in the Middleweight Face-Off, fighting Boy Howdy in the opening round.

"People were almost laughing behind our backs. One of the teams from, I think, UC Berkeley, had this crazy gas-powered machine with all kinds of motors, and they were giving us these sympathetic looks. Like, "Oh, you poor guys ..." But this thing hauled ass and Trey drove it brilliantly … with such gusto and personality, it came through better than most people. His driving techniques were really expressed in the robot. It gave the robot a personality."

— Greg Munson

La Machine rams Boy Howdy

La Machine immediately darted across the arena, scooping and pushing its red and silver opponent into the wall. A quick spin followed, giving Boy Howdy the chance to tentatively nudge La Machine. La Machine immediately responded, pushing and tipping Boy Howdy onto its side - fourteen seconds after the match officially started. Content with this swift win, it spun and weaved its way out of the corner, performing a further victory spin before returning to its starting position.

In the second round, La Machine faced Al Kindle's Dawn Patrol.

La Machine strands Dawn Patrol on its side

Similarly to the previous fight, it rushed towards and rammed Dawn Patrol, briefly throwing it upwards and to the left-hand side. La Machine, backing up, shoved Dawn Patrol into the upper-right corner, tipping it against the side wall after only nine seconds of combat. With its opponent trapped between the wall and an arena flipper, La Machine was quickly declared victorious once again.

La Machine advanced to the Middleweight Face-Off Final, where it challenged defending class champion The X-1 for the overall title.

In the opening seconds, it overshot its initial charge at The X-1, slamming into the arena wall. La Machine immediately backed up and spun around, delivering the Robot Action League machine into another wall. This, however, was not enough to turn The X-1 completely over; when La Machine lined up its next attack, it ended up driving alongside and getting boxed in between the flipper and mousetrap by The X-1. Tentative nudges were exchanged between both competitors, until La Machine started ramming and pinning The X-1 against a mousetrap. This was not without La Machine getting swatted by the same mousetrap net, during another tentative phase.

La Machine kept breaching The X-1's ground clearance, pushing it into the upper flipper, the left wall and the Ball of Doom in the process. Another pin against the mousetrap was performed, followed by a second shove into the left wall. La Machine kept harrying The X-1, this time into the upper mousetrap and wall, where both robots became trapped by the flipper paddle. La Machine shuffled and rammed The X-1 further; Mike Winter's machine was beginning to suffer noticeable drive issues by the time it was released. After heading into the center, and dodging a swing from the Ball of Doom, La Machine forced The X-1 under the descending upper mousetrap. It kept 'toying' with The X-1 as the latter became completely immobilized, shoving it into the Ball of Doom and mousetrap once more. After a few more shoves, The X-1 regained some of its speed, but was now immobile on one side.

La Machine barrelled The X-1 around towards the center, then across the perimeter of the lower mousetrap. While pushing it into the upper flipper again, it briefly drove into Cambot, at which point strobe lights began flashing to mark the end of the match. Backing away from the scene, La Machine drove around and under the flipper paddle itself, smashing into the mousetrap frame as it reversed. With The X-1 deemed immobile, it was declared the match winner and champion of the 1995 Middleweight Face-Off; a moment celebrated with another spin near the arena center.

Fresh from its maiden title win, La Machine next participated in the inaugural Middleweight Melee, facing The X-1, Boy Howdy and Dawn Patrol once again. The four robots competed alongside Satoru Special 2, Scorpion and Have a Nice Day for a chance to earn outright victory.

La Machine charged at Have a Nice Day almost immediately, only to miss and smash into the wall. Bumping into Boy Howdy, it proceeded to team up with Jess Jackson's entry in scooping Dawn Patrol up from both sides. In doing so, La Machine pushed the much smaller Boy Howdy sideways, throwing the latter onto its side as in their prior Face-Off encounter. After boxing Dawn Patrol and the upturned Boy Howdy against a mousetrap, it charged into Satoru Special 2 and an immobile Scorpion. The momentum of La Machine's charge allowed it to get underneath and momentarily tip James Straus' machine on its side.

"La Machine took no time to single me out and flip me in the corner like a pancake..."

— James Straus recollects La Machine’s knockout flip on Satoru Special 2, American Robot Wars 1996

La Machine flips Satoru Special 2 out of contention

Following this attempted flip, La Machine kept ramming Satoru Special 2, Dawn Patrol and The X-1 in rapid succession. More bumping ensued, before it finally toppled Satoru Special 2 over by ramming it into the side of Dawn Patrol. Leaving Satoru Special 2 trapped in the corner, La Machine headed into the center to gauge its next attack. It proceeded to ram Dawn Patrol and a re-righted Boy Howdy, while the two competitors were engaged in their own scrap between themselves. This exchange appeared to stun Dawn Patrol, which was unable to drive out of the corner for several seconds.

La Machine was next seen pushing Have a Nice Day into a mousetrap, before collecting and shoving Boy Howdy into the wall. It and The X-1 briefly ganged up on the retreating Dawn Patrol, which was soon hooked, lifted and pinned against a mousetrap by The X-1's pneumatic lifter. La Machine, after briefly nudging both competitors, forced Scorpion against the wall, before running blade-to-blade alongside Boy Howdy. Both competitors exchanged further rams between themselves, with La Machine briefly driving into Cambot once again. La Machine gained an advantage once more, however, by pushing Boy Howdy sideways into the lower mousetrap. This was followed by a tentative phase, where it spun in the center, then checked in on The X-1 and Dawn Patrol - still locked together - as well as the seemingly immobile Have a Nice Day. Gathering its position and momentum, La Machine plowed into all three opponents, before giving Have a Nice Day a second ram and shoving it into an arena flipper with a third.

Almost immediately after, La Machine scooped up and turned Boy Howdy onto its right-hand side; it and the still-pinned X-1 were the only competitors showing signs of movement. After gently brushing under the Ball of Doom, it attempted to separate The X-1 and Dawn Patrol with another series of rams, all while colliding with the mousetraps, walls and flippers. This proved fruitless, as did a cursory nudge on Have a Nice Day. With the crowd starting to chant its name, La Machine finally forced The X-1 and Dawn Patrol apart. La Machine gave The X-1 a few more shoves directly next to Cambot, and was soon declared the winner of the 1995 Middleweight Melee. Clips from this match - particularly La Machine's attacks on Satoru Special 2 and Have a Nice Day - would be briefly highlighted in American Robot Wars 1996, emphasizing its dominant display and growing status as an audience favorite.

"In Robot Wars '95, La Machine tore its middleweight opponents to pieces... and was a hit with the crowd!"

— Paul Vallis, as La Machine receives a standing ovation for its Middleweight Melee victory, American Robot Wars 1996

The Middleweight Melee would not be La Machine's last appearance in the competition. As a result of its performances and popularity, an audience vote overwhelmingly supported its possible inclusion in the very last match of the event - the Heavyweight Melee Final.

"And the audience wanted La Machine to come into The Rumble … it was a little bit like the hockey team from the 1980s Olympics, they started chanting, "La! Machine! La! Machine!" They loved the robot. Trey heard this, comes and gets me, and says, "We got to get the robot into the ring.""

— Greg Munson, on the audience demanding La Machine to appear in the Heavyweight Melee Final

Following discussions between the team and Marc Thorpe, La Machine's entry was approved, moments before the Melee was due to start. American Robot Wars 1996 alternatively states that the Impact Media Group team were invited to compete by the Robot Wars organizers, purely through the outcomes of its middleweight run.

"I said, "You guys will get creamed, you'll get destroyed." They said, "We don't care." So I ran through the crowd to the [PA] announcer and told them to hold on. It was all very dramatic. And the announcer said, "Ladies and gentlemen! We have a new contestant!" The audience jumped out of their seats."

— Marc Thorpe, on La Machine's last-minute entry

Among La Machine's opponents for this fight were the recent Heavyweight Face-Off co-champion and runner-up - The Master and Thor - plus the multi-sided lifter Merrimac and axlebot Spirit of Frank.

Trey Roski: "We've been asked by the upper competition - The Master and Thor - to go up against the heavyweights. The middleweight class is now gonna take - "

Greg Munson: "- exhibit a little back and compete. And hopefully we'll do well!"

— The Impact Media team are interviewed ahead of the Heavyweight Melee Final

La Machine rams Thor across the arena

Another shove by La Machine traps Thor on an arena flipper

As soon as 'Action' was called, La Machine was swatted by an arena flipper close to its starting position. Regardless, it soon began darting around an idling Merrimac, before ramming and flipping Spirit of Frank. La Machine drove under The Master during the same charge, though Mark Setrakian's entry quickly drove over the top to escape. A four-way battle soon developed between La Machine, The Master, Merrimac and Thor; La Machine biffed the Schilling Robotics machine while surviving a blow from its hydraulic hammer weapon. More rams to Thor's sides followed, even as the latter pushed and trapped The Master against an arena flipper.

La Machine continued to attack Thor, shoving it into the wall and against Merrimac. It proceeded to shove Thor around in a half-circle, into Cambot and the wall on the other side of the arena in tandem with Merrimac - the latter moment also being highlighted in American Robot Wars 1996. Another push allowed La Machine to trap Thor on top of an arena flipper, and to ram the latter as it used its hammer to escape. It continued to pressure Thor as it began leaking hydraulic fluid and smoking, and was ultimately the only robot still mobile at the end of the full five minutes. La Machine finished the match by parking in the center of the arena and performing another victory spin, having won the 1995 Heavyweight Melee Championship in dominant fashion.

1995 UK Open

In November 1995, La Machine was invited alongside The Master and Thor to participate in the 1995 UK Open Competition - a taped pilot and proof-of-concept for the UK Robot Wars TV series. This event marked the first time that it would appear outside the United States, as well as the first time it fought in the enlarged heavyweight form later seen at the 1996 competition.

La Machine throws Grunt into the air

La Machine slams Grunt out of the arena

La Machine spins in the UK Open arena, accompanied by a rabbit-themed featherweight

La Machine participated in various combat and non-combat events, highlights from which would be showcased in the home video release Robot Wars: The First Great War. Clips from the video showed it duelling with The Master - which hammered La Machine with its newly-introduced sword weapon - and future Stock Robot Grunt, in both head-to-head and melee scenarios. La Machine was seen throwing Grunt upwards with a ram, before pushing it out of the arena boundaries - the first time such an attack had been documented in any Robot Wars media.

"British triumphs were few and far between. This is America's La Machine, celebrating another victory over the Brits."

— Craig Charles on La Machine's duel with Grunt, Robot Wars: The First Great War

Of clips showcasing La Machine's victory spins, one showed it in the arena alongside an unidentified rabbit-themed featherweight, entered by future Technical Consultant Derek Foxwell. Further details of the battle itself are otherwise unknown.

La Machine is pinned by both The Master and Grunt

La Machine scores in the Soccer match, but not without causing the goal to topple

La Machine and The Master also fought Grunt in a three-way melee; the latter represented by a two-part clusterbot variant. Though it scooped up both of its opponents on various occasions, it was briefly seen being pinned close to the side wall by The Master, while both competitors were pressured by one of the Grunt segments.

"The American robots even turned the gentle sport of soccer into absolute carnage. But while the British were left licking their wounds, the Americans turned their attention to fighting each other!"

— Craig Charles on La Machine and The Master's 'soccer' match, Robot Wars: The First Great War

All three competitors would later participate in a Soccer event, serving as a prototype for the televised Football and Robotic Soccer Trials. Here, La Machine helped pin and nearly turn one of the Grunt segments over against The Master, before proceeding to score goals for the American team. Soon, the Soccer match devolved into chaos, as La Machine began ramming its compatriot and The Mouse (serving as "House Robot" and "referee"), while simultaneously bringing the entire goal down. According to Greg Munson, it also pushed every other robot into the goal during a separate moment. Despite La Machine impressing Mentorn staff and BBC executives in attendance in the process, this moment would not be included in the First Great War highlights.

According to Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, La Machine's performances were enough for it to reach the overall UK Open Final, where it faced The Master once again. Greg Munson elaborates that, during the initial moments, La Machine's ground clearance was breached, allowing The Master to pin it for some time. Eventually, La Machine broke free, ultimately winning the battle by collecting and pushing The Master out of bounds.

1996 European Tour

The UK Open was not La Machine's only venture beyond American soil. In spring 1996, it and DooMore were chosen to participate in the European Tour, promoting the original Robot Wars concept to prospective German audiences. The tour combined a music rave show with 'performance art' elements, one of which involved head-to-head battles between the two heavyweights. Though it is claimed that the European Tour travelled to as many as eleven different German cities, the official US Robot Wars website states that it visited seven throughout May of that year, including Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Essen and Stuttgart.

La Machine itself would be heavily involved in all of the known 20-minute shows. In addition to the battles against DooMore, it was to participate in a segment where it fought a 'swarm' of modified remote controlled cars. This segment was replaced ahead of the opening Frankfurt leg by a 'balloon hunt', where La Machine was tasked with popping a set of 'large white balloons' which had been placed in the main performing stage. The 'balloon hunt' is known to have been staged at both the Frankfurt and Hamburg legs.

Details of La Machine's battles with DooMore vary between sources. As the European Tour stage did not incorporate a dedicated combat arena, both competitors were restricted to circling around and exchanging 'gentle theatrical jabs' with each other due to safety limitations. In a section highlighting La Machine's statistics and records, the first Robot Wars Club newsletter suggests that it won fourteen battles over the course of the tour. A reference to the tour in American Robot Wars 1996 also suggests that La Machine claimed an unbeaten winning streak, during highlights of its clash against DooMore in the 1996 US Heavyweight Face-Off. However, Trey Roski would later claim that both robots fought around 30 battles in total, of which La Machine only lost one.

1996 US Championship

Following its European excursions, the heavyweight La Machine made its US debut at the 1996 competition. Initially, it was among the competitors to receive a first-round bye in the Heavyweight Face-Off, allowing it to start its run in the second round. There, La Machine fought overhead flail spinner South Bay Mauler; a match highlighted in both American Robot Wars 1996 and Heat D of The First Wars.

"Here, we have the South Bay Mauler preparing to do battle with... La Machine!"

— Paul Vallis at the start of La Machine’s Face-Off against South Bay Mauler

La Machine launches South Bay Mauler with its first ram

La Machine plowed into South Bay Mauler in the opening seconds. The collision launched the Tilford family's entry an alleged four feet into the air, while also coming close to flipping it over. After both robots separated, La Machine continued to pressure South Bay Mauler by bumping, then scooping it up into the lower mousetrap. The front panel concealed within La Machine's scoop popped open during this impact, and would open out further as the match progressed. Nevertheless, it kept ramming South Bay Mauler while the latter was pinned by the mousetrap net, though South Bay Mauler eventually broke free.

La Machine (left) and South Bay Mauler (right) fight on in the arena

La Machine wasted no time in ramming South Bay Mauler again, managing to stop its opponent's spinning flails with another nudge. While being tapped by the arena flipper, it proceeded to deflect, then push South Bay Mauler under the mousetrap again, the hazard's net snagging and briefly lifting South Bay Mauler off the arena floor. La Machine rushed in to push and ram South Bay Mauler a few more times, then slam and pin it into the corner.

"South Bay Mauler was also overpowered by La Machine..."

— Paul Vallis

In moments not highlighted in American Robot Wars 1996, La Machine kept shoving South Bay Mauler into the walls and hazards, but was unable to pin it in place. This onslaught was maintained into the closing seconds, where it flicked and pushed the latter back with several more rams. The five-minute match ended in rapturous applause and another jubilant spin from La Machine, as an audience vote was cast. Chants of La Machine's name filled the arena in support while Greg Munson inspected it for damage; he, Trey Roski and La Machine emerged as the resounding winners once again.

La Machine’s Quarter-Final match was against a newcomer - Tazz, built by Donald Hutson.

"In Round 2, Tazz was almost reduced to scrap metal by La Machine..."

— Paul Vallis

La Machine slams and scalps Tazz

As in its previous fight, it charged at Tazz straight away, but missed its first ram. La Machine quickly recomposed itself, nudging and shoving an otherwise hesitant Tazz into the wall. Backing out, it rammed Tazz into the arena doors, causing them to flex on impact. While retreating into the center, however, La Machine drove into the flipper and mousetrap hazards nearby. Worse still, it was thwacked from the side by a recovering Tazz, which pushed it into the arena doors.

La Machine lured Tazz across the arena, until the latter was caught by another flipper paddle. Turning around, it proceeded to ram Donald Hutson's machine back into the flipper, then scoop and push it against the hazards on the lower perimeter. The second shove - against the lower-left flipper - was forceful enough to dislodge the armor protecting Tazz's turret. Not content with damaging Tazz, La Machine, rammed and turned it on its side against the upper wall. With Tazz struggling to self-right, it backed out and began spinning in celebration.

In the Face-Off Semi-Finals, La Machine fought fellow European Tour competitor DooMore.

La Machine shoves DooMore into the mousetrap

In the opening seconds, both robots violently rammed each other, with La Machine flicking DooMore upwards. La Machine gave chase, only to hit the left wall bumper while DooMore dodged its next ram. Recovering, it pushed DooMore from the back, before turning around to get its scoop facing Scott LaValley's machine. From that moment, La Machine pinned DooMore against the upper and lower-right walls, then the arena doors. Both competitors were swatted by the arena flippers in the process.

"DooMore has met La Machine in battle many times, especially on the '96 Robot Wars European Tour. But up to now he's never won... and today is no exception."

— Paul Vallis

With DooMore struggling to escape from the corner, La Machine helped push it clear, before spending the next few moments darting past the mousetraps. It next proceeded to pin DooMore against the upper-left flipper, before releasing and luring it across the arena. Another high-speed ram followed, which allowed La Machine to scoop up and push DooMore into the upper mousetrap. The momentum of this push caused DooMore to topple onto its side against the mousetrap net, where it became entangled and officially immobilized. La Machine spun around in celebration of another dominant knockout victory.

"The Face-Off Heavyweight Final was expected to be a walkover for La Machine in many people's view."

— Paul Vallis

Having secured its place in the Face-Off Final, La Machine squared off against Carlo Bertocchini's BioHazard for the 1996 championship crown.

La Machine is lifted by BioHazard

Both robots approached each other in the opening seconds, with La Machine swerving to the right to avoid BioHazard's initial charge and push it from the left-hand side. This attack, however, could not negate BioHazard's 'anti-intrusion devices', which allowed it to break free from La Machine’s stronghold. La Machine followed BioHazard towards the lower mousetrap, only to be tricked into driving directly underneath the hazard. Moments later, it was lifted up from the front, and held in the air for several seconds. Ironically, La Machine was spared from an instantaneous pin, when BioHazard's attempt to flip it resulted in it being pushed back, lowered down on its opponent's four-bar lifter and freed.

"Within a minute, BioHazard had La Machine at its mercy, but he made a big mistake and tried to turn La Machine over onto its back. Instead, La Machine escaped and a game of cat and mouse ensued."

— Paul Vallis

A short, but evenly-fought pushing match followed. After both competitors spent a few moments avoiding each other and the hazards, La Machine rammed BioHazard from the front, with the latter unable to lift it a second time. La Machine got caught by a mousetrap during this exchange, but recovered to ram and push BioHazard around from the side. On this occasion, however, it could not gain any purchase, and its continuous spinning left it vulnerable to a lift from the right-rear corner.

A damaged La Machine is pinned off the floor by BioHazard

La Machine retaliated with another shove, the two robots driving side-by-side across the arena center. Another tentative moment followed, before it was again rammed and lifted at the front by BioHazard. The collision, combined with BioHazard's previous attacks, was enough to split La Machine's chassis and battery box open. At that point, the chassis completely fell apart, leaving La Machine beached on its own batteries and pieces of its damaged internal plates. In Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, it was suggested that the screws for the battery box - likely fatigued from previous events - had not been properly secured or checked for existing damage prior to the fight.

"La Machine was dead. And all BioHazard had to do was gently lift him up."

— Paul Vallis

La Machine was rendered helpless as BioHazard approached, lifted it from the left side, and held it in the air for a 30-second pin. Through performing and sustaining this attack, BioHazard was soon declared the 1996 Heavyweight Face-Off champion, with La Machine settling for the runner-up position. After the match, Greg Munson pushed La Machine - and its fragmented panels - back to the arena exit, awaiting repair.

On the same day as its Face-Off defeat, La Machine was scheduled to defend its Heavyweight Melee crown. In the lead-up to the event, Greg Munson and his girlfriend began rebuilding the battery box, while various builders assisted the Impact Media team in carrying out other repairs. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports cites Gigan's Peter Abrahamson as replacing one of the motor pins, while Tim Jenison - representing sponsor NewTek - was tasked with rewriring the whole robot.

This essential maintenance was completed in time for La Machine's first-round fight, which involved it facing BioHazard once again. Joining the duo were two more of its previous opponents - The Master and DooMore – alongside Gage Cauchois' Vlad the Impaler. The match itself would be the second of La Machine's 1996 battles to be highlighted in Heat D of The First Wars.

La Machine headed straight towards DooMore, despite BioHazard's attempt to intercept its charge. In retaliation, it shoved BioHazard through a flipper and into one of the mousetraps, while BioHazard lifted DooMore up. This ultimately led La Machine to deliver Carlo Bertocchini's machine into the scrap between Vlad the Impaler and The Master, which was attempting to attack with its circular saw. After The Master's weapon detached, La Machine lured DooMore past it, only to be lifted and momentarily pinned by Vlad the Impaler.

La Machine gets underneath Vlad the Impaler

Four of the five machines converged in the corner; La Machine propped The Master and Vlad the Impaler up against the wall simultaneously. It next teamed up with DooMore to pressure BioHazard, and in turn disrupt the latter's attempts to turn Vlad the Impaler over. La Machine next bulldozed the weaponless Master into an arena flipper, before throwing DooMore upwards with another high-speed ram. After pushing Scott LaValley's entry backwards towards The Master, it pushed the former and BioHazard back simultaneously. The trio became entangled in an already-flexed flipper; La Machine broke free to push BioHazard towards the arena center, only to career into one of the mousetraps as BioHazard backed off its scoop blade.

La Machine pressures Vlad the Impaler after turning BioHazard over

La Machine immediately slammed into BioHazard's side again, pushing it over Vlad the Impaler's forks. With Vlad the Impaler proceeding to attack the Face-Off champion, it shifted focus on ramming DooMore against the wall. Another four-robot pile-up soon developed, as a recovering BioHazard pushed Vlad the Impaler up against La Machine's scoop. La Machine collided with DooMore in the process, allowing Vlad the Impaler to escape. The force of one of La Machine's rams caused BioHazard's arm to partially jam open; the latter also stopped moving and began smoking during this moment. La Machine took advantage by pushing and turning BioHazard over into the upper-left corner, where it was unable to self-right.

"La Machine grabbed its chance and caught BioHazard and slammed him into a corner, where he was trapped upside down. Now, La Machine was intent on demolishing everyone else. Vlad the Impaler goes up and over."

— Paul Vallis

La Machine throws DooMore into the bumper mechanism

Having avenged its Face-Off loss, it next pushed DooMore aside while the latter speared BioHazard's baseplate, before flipping Vlad the Impaler over with another shove. La Machine then pushed DooMore and The Master around in circles; the latter having caught one of its wheels in DooMore's exposed frame. For some time, it kept ramming its remaining opponents and the long-eliminated Vlad the Impaler.

"DooMore, doomed.... and poor old The Master brushed aside."

— Paul Vallis

After steering DooMore into an arena flipper, La Machine proceeded to push and forcefully flip it over the wall bumper on the right-hand side. This eliminated DooMore instantly, as it was unable to self-right and lay trapped within the bumper mechanism.

"The ultimate winner here, La Machine, dumping that one [DooMore] over the edge."

— Jonathan Pearce, commenting on La Machine throwing DooMore into the bumper mechanism (Series 1, Heat D)

La Machine next flipped The Master over, shortly before Mark Setrakian's entry became immobilized as well. Once this occurred, it pressed The Master - and the flipper paddle - against the wall, before spinning triumphantly to another rapturous applause.

La Machine attacks BioHazard one more time

"Having got the victory spin out of the way, La Machine gives BioHazard a health check... just to show who's boss!"

— Paul Vallis

Not content with this dominant win, La Machine smashed into BioHazard one last time, flipping it onto the left wall. It kept pressuring and pushing BioHazard for some time, at one point holding it against the arena doors. La Machine spun once more, having cemented yet another Melee victory.

The Heavyweight Melee Final saw La Machine face eleven different opponents for the 1996 championship title. Alongside The Master and DooMore - which were both reinstated to progress alongside it - it was challenged by South Bay Mauler, Tazz, Punjar, Nemesis, Killbborg, Red Scorpion, Merrimac, Gutrip and Marvin.

La Machine (center) pins DooMore against South Bay Mauler and The Master during an early pile-up

La Machine is pinned and controlled by The Master and Punjar

During the early moments, La Machine entered scraps with Killbborg and DooMore, wedging the latter against South Bay Mauler as a pile-up developed in the center of the arena. In turn, it was bumped by Tazz, and subject to an attempted lift and pin by Merrimac. La Machine proceeded to shovel DooMore, Nemesis, Merrimac and Marvin in quick succession, only to accidentally drive up and get high-centered on The Master's newly-equipped sword. It was soon dragged and pushed around by Mark Setrakian's machine, in tandem with Punjar; both steered La Machine towards and on top of the upper-left flipper.

"Watch The Master get its blade under La Machine. And with Pungar [sic] pushing, they trap La Machine on the flipper... and pin him!"

— Paul Vallis as The Master and Punjar try to eliminate La Machine

Through its opponents' efforts, La Machine remained stuck for over a minute and a half, taking further hits from South Bay Mauler's flails in the process. Unusually, however, it would not be eliminated from the fight at that point; nor would The Master and DooMore, which also got stuck on the flipper and locked together. Eventually, The Master started pushing La Machine off the flipper, though La Machine remained wedged on its sword blade. A nudge from Tazz - which was pushing Merrimac - helped drop it back onto the arena floor, allowing it to resume fighting.

"...but he's only stuck for a minute. And La Machine gets its revenge on Pungar [sic]..."

— Paul Vallis comments on La Machine's recovery

La Machine quickly broke free, resuming its earlier onslaught. First, it pushed Nemesis into the same flipper it was trapped by, then shoved and flipped Punjar over the right-hand wall bumper, temporarily rendering Ramiro Mallari's machine out of play. Upon reversing, La Machine turned and scooped DooMore into the upper-right flipper, before tipping Merrimac up onto its side against South Bay Mauler.

""Munch" gets the La Machine treatment!"

— Paul Vallis, over a close-up shot of Merrimac being forcibly scooped up by La Machine

Though unable to completely flip the Industrial Light & Magic representative, it kept ramming the latter and South Bay Mauler. This was before La Machine scooped Tazz up, pushing it into the lower mousetrap and South Bay Mauler in quick succession.

"And now it's Tazz's turn!"

— Paul Vallis as La Machine turns Tazz on its head

The collision was enough to flip Donald Hutson's machine over once again, where it was left spinning around and unable to self-right. La Machine then resumed its ramming attacks on Merrimac. Both robots exchanged further rams between each other and Nemesis, after which La Machine drove around the breakdancing Tazz and rammed the spinning South Bay Mauler yet again.

With over three minutes completed, La Machine followed and pressed Nemesis against the upper-right flipper. After this, it continued pressuring DooMore, Nemesis and Killbborg, ramming the latter into the corner where Red Scorpion now lay completely immobile. Another shove on DooMore followed, sending Scott LaValley's machine into into the lower mousetrap. La Machine next collected and rammed Nemesis into the upper-left corner, while Chris Harriman's machine was in the process of joining the scrap between Punjar, The Master and South Bay Mauler. La Machine and Nemesis teamed up to ram the helpless Tazz alongside Merrimac, only for both to be pushed and speared from the sides by Killbborg. Unfazed by this, La Machine next separated DooMore and a partially-immobile Gutrip with another forceful ram.

La Machine would continue attacking DooMore, attempting to push it away from a pile-up also involving Merrimac, South Bay Mauler, Punjar (still carrying The Master) and Nemesis. It then turned its attention towards ramming Punjar and The Master, but without separating them. La Machine darted around to push South Bay Mauler up against the lower-left flipper. Following a few tentative moments, it pushed Nemesis into the lower-left corner, then South Bay Mauler into the lower mousetrap, the right side wall and the lower-right flipper respectively. In the process, La Machine shrugged off a cursory ram from Merrimac.

La Machine rammed Nemesis again, before the two robots and South Bay Mauler joined in yet another pile-up. La Machine proceeded to ram Tazz and Punjar, pushing the latter into the lower-left flipper despite pressure from a re-righted Tazz. In the process, it capitalized on a strategic error by Nemesis, collecting and almost turning it over against the upper-right flipper while it was driving towards the left-hand side of the arena.

Six machines - La Machine, South Bay Mauler, Punjar, Killbborg, Nemesis and Tazz - then piled into each other. La Machine was in turn speared from the right-hand side by Tazz's arm, before both competitors pulled free. Again, it proceeded to roll Tazz over, before joining another pile-up opposite the arena doors. La Machine was briefly boxed in behind Nemesis, which reversed to let it back out. From that point, La Machine engaged in another pushing match, this time with South Bay Mauler, before pushing DooMore into the lower-left corner as another pile-up developed in front of the lower mousetrap.

La Machine rammed South Bay Mauler and Nemesis again in quick succession, but appeared to lose power as it spun around in circles. More tentative nudging took place between the remaining competitors; a stalemate was reached with Punjar, whose flails rattled over the top of La Machine's shell. La Machine proceeded to turn The Master over with another ram, before Michael Meehan announced that the Judges were considering ending the match on a tie. Spinning triumphantly, La Machine was again attacked by Punjar regardless, taking more hits from the latter's flails and getting scooped up from the front. Meehan reiterated that a tie had been provisionally called, and instructed all robots which were still mobile to gather in the center of the arena. An audience vote was subsequently cast, deciding the winner out of the surviving competitors.

La Machine survives to - and wins - the audience vote

"And finally, the audience gets to judge who has won."

— Paul Vallis as the Heavyweight Melee Final reaches its conclusion

As soon as the arena doors were opened and roboteers began entering the arena, the crowd immediately began chanting La Machine's name. Needless to say, La Machine was declared the winner of the match, earning it its second Heavyweight Melee championship in as many years. In a ceremony shown in American Robot Wars 1996, Marc Thorpe praised La Machine as "one tough robot" as he handed the trophy to Trey Roski and his teammates.

Cameraman: "Did you think you guys were gonna come back after the individual competition?"

Greg Munson: "It was real tough. We burned out a motor, our whole battery case... just died, fell on the ground... just split, and just cracked. And then... all the guys from Robot Wars got together. They gave us... drill press, they gave us pins, they gave us glue... everyone just came together, helped get La Machine back together. We went out there... and, uh... we did well!"

Trey Roski: "La Machine... sole survivor!"

— The La Machine team are interviewed following their Heavyweight Melee triumph, American Robot Wars 1996

1997 US Championship

Following substantial updates to its drive and shell - along with the addition of the pneumatic ram weapon - La Machine returned for the 1997 competition. Participating in both main championships once again, it was drawn to fight newcomer Ankle Biter in the first round of that year's Heavyweight Face-Off.

La Machine topples Ankle Biter over

From the outset, the partially-complete Ankle Biter suffered severe mobility issues as a result of a malfunctioning control system. La Machine, closing in from the left-hand side of the arena, backed up against a nearby flipper and bulldozed Ankle Biter into the wall. The ram turned John McKenzie's entry over, which was unable to self-right. La Machine spun around in triumph, before pinning Ankle Biter against the same wall as its victory was confirmed.

In the second round, La Machine faced Kill-O-Amp, a new heavyweight entry captained by Curt Meyers.

This battle ended just as quickly as the first. La Machine immediately collected the slower-starting Kill-O-Amp, before flipping it over with a sudden second charge. Again, it spun triumphantly before returning to its starting position, as Kill-O-Amp lay on its back.

La Machine advanced to the Quarter-Finals, where it fought a rematch against Donald Hutson and the redesigned Tazbot.

La Machine is lifted by Tazbot

Immediately, it scooped under Tazbot and pushed it into the lower-left flipper. In response, Tazbot swung its arm and hooked La Machine from the front-left corner while this happened. La Machine was thus lifted upwards, but was brought back down to the floor as its opponent began overbalancing against the 'curb'. La Machine lured Tazbot across the arena, before shoving it into and briefly tipping it over against the 'curb' and wall on the other side. It kept ramming Tazbot, this time into the left-most walls, until the latter toppled over in the lower-left corner.

La Machine topples Tazbot

A moment passed, before La Machine approached and prepared to push the inverted Tazbot again while it struggled to self-right. It rammed the flailing Tazbot twice more, at one point causing its lifting arm to get caught in one of the bumper mechanisms. La Machine proceeded to pierce a hole in Tazbot's baseplate with its ram, before Tazbot kicked itself back upright through the movement in its left wheel.

La Machine, however, was unrelenting, pushing Tazbot up against the wall again before heading back across the arena. Such was the damage it inflicted through its rams, that Tazbot's wheels now struggled to maintain contact with the arena floor. With around thirty seconds remaining, La Machine approached Tazbot again, only to get speared by Tazbot's swinging arm. Regardless, it pushed its opponent back into the corner, and deployed its ram once again. La Machine finished the battle by ramming Tazbot several more times, which was enough to immobilize Donald Hutson's machine. It would ultimately win the match on a Judges' decision.

In the Semi-Finals, La Machine fought a second rematch against Scott LaValley and his tracked entry DooAll, themselves having been reinstated via the Loser's Bracket.

La Machine rams an upside-down DooAll

La Machine immediately flipped DooAll over with its first charge, nullifying its front snowplow. From there, it chased, rammed and eventually pushed the latter into the right-most walls, though not without DooAll attempting to ram La Machine head-on in response. Undaunted, La Machine continued to push DooAll around in circles and into the lower spike trap, after which it momentarily backed out. More collisions were enough to immobilize DooAll entirely; La Machine's knockout win was met by a chorus of audience members chanting its name.

The Face-Off Final brought another rematch; as in the previous year, La Machine squared off against an updated BioHazard for the overall 1997 title.

La Machine is toppled by BioHazard in the 1997 Heavyweight Face-Off Final

La Machine immediately dodged BioHazard's charge across the center of the arena, bumping into the 'curb' under the upper spike. This proved to be a critical mistake, however, as BioHazard proceeded to turn into and drive underneath it from the back as it reversed. La Machine was instantly pushed into the spike, before BioHazard turned it over from the left-hand side - eight seconds after the match started. Smoke poured from around La Machine as it lay on its side, and was ultimately declared runner-up of the Heavyweight Face-Off once again.

Later at the same event, La Machine began its second defense of the Heavyweight Melee title, challenging Badger, Gut Rip, TallyWhacker and The Mauler in its first-round battle.

La Machine rams TallyWhacker

La Machine bulldozes Gut Rip and Mauler

In the opening moments, it collected TallyWhacker and pushed it around in circles, moments before the Distraction Laboratories entry was immobilized by The Mauler's flails. La Machine next concentrated on ramming Badger into the upper-left flipper, then pushed the now-eliminated TallyWhacker across the arena. It then separated Gut Rip and The Mauler with a violent slam, the force of which was enough to flip Gut Rip completely over. With Bob Schneeveis' machine unable to self-right, La Machine pushed it into the upper-left flipper and wall bumper.

La Machine rams The Mauler across the arena

La Machine similarly bulldozed The Mauler and Badger apart, steering and scooping the latter up against the bumper on the opposite side. In doing so, it took damage from Badger's clawed wheel spokes, which tore its top panel upwards from the front-right corner. La Machine backed out, before teaming up with Badger to ram the otherwise-passive Mauler. These attacks slowed The Mauler's flails down to a crawl, eliminating the danger present to La Machine as it collected and almost threw it over with a ram. La Machine followed up with a second ram and push into the left-side wall bumper, but was again unable to turn The Mauler over. Finally, it threw the Tilford family entry onto its side against the wall, eliminating it from contention.

La Machine rams Badger

Once The Mauler was displaced, La Machine resumed its earlier pushing attacks on Badger. These culminated in it sending James Bloeman's machine over the left wall bumper, where the latter got stuck in the hazard mechanism and was unable to escape. The audience began chanting La Machine's name as it once again emerged as the clear winner. eventually sending it over the left bumper.

La Machine was among the eight surviving robots advancing into the final rounds. Originally, it was planned that the 'Final' would involve all eight machines fighting at once, though this would be changed at the last minute following the discovery that fellow qualifiers Vlad the Impaler and DooAll were set up on the same radio frequency. Thus, the 'Final' would be split into two four-way battles; La Machine's match would see it facing BioHazard and DooAll again, alongside newcomer Hercules.

In a resumption of their Face-Off grudge, La Machine duelled with BioHazard in the early moments, but could not breach its ground clearance. Speeding over its opponent's side skirts and flat chassis, it was again driven underneath, pinned and turned over against the side wall. La Machine, on the verge of being eliminated early, was spared, when BioHazard reversed and dragged it back onto its wheels in its attempt to perform the knockout move. A three-way scrap involving La Machine, BioHazard and DooAll developed, with La Machine also pushing Hercules aside as it tried to approach Carlo Bertocchini's machine.

La Machine drove around the side of its three opponents, but could not find a suitable opportunity to attack before BioHazard pushed it close to both of the spike traps. It would again be lifted by BioHazard, prompting a short chase before DooAll sparred with BioHazard once more. La Machine and BioHazard briefly teamed up by delivering Hercules into the arena hazards. Upon pushing Jim Smentowski's machine into a wall bumper, it chased and attempted to ram BioHazard at high speed, only to slam into the wall. Recovering, La Machine drove behind BioHazard and attempted to push it into the upper-left flipper. In doing so, however, it oversteered and again rode up over BioHazard's back skirt.

La Machine is turned over by BioHazard once again

BioHazard backed La Machine towards the spike trap, but La Machine escaped, ramming Hercules as it backed across the arena center. It exchanged more rams with Hercules and BioHazard, pushing the latter in circles by the left-hand side. Both robots lifted and carried Hercules into the upper wall. A few seconds later, La Machine was pushed, lifted and paraded across the arena by BioHazard, which breached its ground clearance from the front. A sideways push toppled La Machine opposite the arena doors, where it was again unable to self-right. Eliminated from the fight, it would ultimately relinquish its Heavyweight Melee title to BioHazard and elected co-champion Blendo.

Results

Wins/Losses

• 1994-1997 Wins (Middleweight): 5
• 1994-1997 Losses (Middleweight): 0
• 1994-1997 Wins (Heavyweight): 10
• 1994-1997 Losses (Heavyweight): 3
• 1995 UK Open Wins: 3
• 1995 UK Open Losses: 0
• Total Wins: 18
• Total Losses: 3

NOTE: La Machine's 1995 UK Open record is incomplete. Its records from the 1996 European Tour are not included. La Machine's Robotic Soccer victory in the 1995 UK Open, plus its first-round bye in the 1996 Heavyweight Face-Off, are also omitted from the Wins tally.

Series Record

Events	La Machine Event Record
1994	Did not enter
1995	Middleweight Champion (Face-Off & Melee) Heavyweight Melee Champion
1996	Heavyweight Runner-up (Face-Off) Heavyweight Melee Champion
1997	Heavyweight Runner-up (Face-Off) Heavyweight Melee, Final

La Machine also fought in the 1995 UK Open Competition.

Outside Robot Wars

The 1997 Robot Wars competition proved to be La Machine's last, as legal disputes between Marc Thorpe and Profile Records prevented the 1998 event from taking place. In an effort to keep the events going, Trey Roski provided support for Thorpe on multiple occasions, at one point attempting to purchase the Robot Wars trademark on the latter's behalf. The purchase was to have been made at an October 1998 court hearing concerning the dispute, but was deferred, then abandoned outright as the existing joint venture with Profile was reiterated to be 'binding'.

Amidst uncertainty and the US builder community's growing dissatisfaction with Profile's involvement, Greg Munson and Trey Roski hosted the unofficial Underground Robot Street Fight meetup in February 1999. Taking place at a highway overpass in Marin County, California, the informal event allowed builders such as Munson, Roski, Scott LaValley and Jim Smentowski to show off and perform exhibition matches with their robots. La Machine, appearing virtually similar to its 1997 incarnation, took part in a number of matches against DooAll, S.L.A.M. and Voltarc, at one point getting lifted by the electric arm of Stephen Felk's machine.

Attending alongside La Machine was a second robot built by Trey Roski and Greg Munson - Ginsu, an invertible box-shaped machine running on a set of four cutting discs. Ginsu, which had first been showcased at a 1998 SORC meeting, demonstrated its unusual locomotion by climbing up the nearby embankment, cutting through the concrete sidewalk in the process.

The following month, Munson and Roski announced the launch of BattleBots, which ran its inaugural event at Long Beach on August 14-15 1999. BattleBots would go on to organize further events in the US for robots across different weight classes. This would result in the creation of a televised series of the same name, aired in three runs by Comedy Central (2000-2002), ABC (2015-2016) and Discovery (2018-present) respectively.

La Machine (BattleBots Season 3.0, 2001)

Ginsu (BattleBots Season 3.0, 2001)

Minus its shell, La Machine was adapted for use as a "camerabot" at Long Beach 1999, essentially fulfilling a similar role to the 1994-1997 Cambot. The fully-assembled robot would later make a single televised appearance in Season 3.0 of the Comedy Central run, fighting an exhibition match against Jay Leno's Chinkilla, Team Coolrobots' Dreadnought and a later incarnation of Ginsu. Both La Machine and Ginsu, however, lost the fight to Chinkilla on a controversial 23-22 judges' decision.

Ginsu, meanwhile, made frequent appearances in earlier BattleBots events, beginning with an exhibition match at Long Beach 1999 - winning over Agrippa and Ronin. During its career, its design took advantage of a modular chassis construction, allowing it to adopt different shapes and additional sawblades on a case-by-case basis. At Las Vegas 1999 and in Season 1.0, Ginsu fought in the main superheavyweight championships, reaching the top 8 in the latter via World Peace's forfeit. From then, it would be limited to exhibition matches once again, including the aforementioned Season 3.0 melee and a JavaOne 2007 battle against Sewer Snake.

La Machine's shell in February 2023

La Machine's shell next to Nightmare at BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon.

Ginsu ShowBot (BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon)

In November 2021, Greg Munson confirmed that he still owned La Machine's original 1995 shell. A photo of the shell was posted to Reddit in early February 2023, prior to its display alongside the 1997 shell at the BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon live shows. That same month, another photo of the 1995 shell was taken by David Rush of Team Malice. The Destruct-A-Thon shows also lead to the creation of a ShowBot based on Ginsu's original design, built with assistance from modern-era BattleBots competitor Hal Rucker.

Trivia

• La Machine was featured heavily during the 2018 season of BattleBots as the last competitor listed of the 56 robots, leading to speculation and rumour surrounding its return. However, the tongue-in-cheek image was used only to replace the actual 56th competitor, Raven, which never participated in a battle.
  • La Machine even appeared in the official BattleBots colouring book in place of Raven.
• A more concrete reference to La Machine would be seen in the 2022/2023 season BattleBots: World Championship VII and the concurrently-filmed spinoff BattleBots: Champions II. Alongside banners displaying heavyweight champions from past televised BattleBots seasons, a banner was displayed for the original 1995 middleweight incarnation, complete with an early iteration of the circular Robot Wars logo.
• According to the first Robot Wars Club newsletter, La Machine was said to have fought 33 battles by 1998 with a 31-2 winning streak. Its tally included its fights in the US competitions, the 1995 UK Open (though only one was listed compared to the multiple events it was documented to have actually participated in) and the 1996 European Tour.
• La Machine's pioneering wedge design and successes in the 1995-1997 US Robot Wars competitions ensured its induction as an inaugural member of The Combat Robot Hall of Fame in 2003.

See Also

• La Machine (BattleBots)

External Links

• La Machine page on the Impact Media Group website (archived January 17 1999)
• La Machine (1995) on the official US Robot Wars website (archived May 2 1997)
• La Machine (1996) on the official US Robot Wars website (archived May 2 1997)