- "The killer, Sater!"
- — Bridget Maasland in the Grand Final
Sater was a robot from the first series of Dutch Robot Wars. It managed to win its heat over Sniper and earn a place in the Grand Final, where it was eliminated by Botwork and Bamm Bamm. Throughout their appearances, Team Sater dressed in yellow worksuits, and wore red devil horns.
Design
Sater in the pits
Sater was a yellow, roughly box-shaped robot, equipped with a pneumatic flipping arm with a small rear wedge. It was based on a Satyr, with illuminating plastic red horns and broom bristles for hair. Its high-voltage motors and comparatively light weight of 75kg made it one of the fastest robots in Dutch Robot Wars; so fast that it was equipped with brakes. Sater's flipper was never used to lift another robot, only activating once in its Heat Final, instead relying on its brute force to win fights. Regardless of the flipper's functionality, Sater had no self-righting mechanism.
Sater's statistics board listed its strength as 'onverwoestbaarheid', which translates to 'indestructibility'.
Robot History
Dutch Series 1
In its first-round battle, Sater was drawn against one of the only robots in the series to have prior experience in the Robot Wars Arena, NEAT Machine.
- "Optimal!"
- — Team Sater describe their robot before its first battle
Sater is axed by the immobile NEAT Machine
Sater started the battle with its rear wedge facing forwards, and backed into NEAT Machine, but was pushed backwards, and seemingly lost all mobility. In the process of pushing the motionless Sater backwards, NEAT Machine also stopped moving, leaving both robots inactive within the opening seconds of the bout. However, Sater suddenly regained sluggish movement, reversing backwards, and driving straight under the axe of NEAT Machine which spiked the top of Sater. Although Sater had returned to a standstill under NEAT Machine's axe, and only displayed limited-at-best movement afterwards, the completely immobile NEAT Machine was counted out by Refbot, allowing Sater to win by knockout.
In Round 2, Sater faced another robot with an axe, Pathetica.
Sater rams the immobile Pathetica
Sater was the quicker robot in the opening stages and approached Pathetica, but just like its previous bout, drove straight in front of the axe to sustain a blow. In retaliation, Sater bumped the back end of Pathetica, and broadsided it, holding it in place. Sater then drove to the front corner of Pathetica, and rotated its opponent slightly, before driving away. Sater crashed back into the front of Pathetica, and skirted around the pit release. Sater was then rammed by Pathetica, but the impact of the collision instead caused Pathetica to break down, causing Sater to happen upon another knockout victory. Sater drove under the side of Pathetica using its lifting arm, but could not use its weapon, and Sater remained in place until Pathetica was counted out by Refbot.
Sater progressed to the Heat Final, where it faced Sniper.
Sater rams into Sniper, briefly raising its lifter
Sater is trapped on the flame pit by Sniper
Sater made the first move, and drove towards the pensive Sniper, but was slightly dented when Sniper turned straight into the side of Sater. While Sniper went to press the pit release button, Sater caught up and rammed the back of Sniper, then made a clean getaway. On its next charge, Sater drove straight at the flipper of Sniper and raised its lifting arm, but did not travel up the opposing wedge, causing Sniper to fire at thin air and jam its flipper open for the next few stages, also offering Sater another opportunity to ram its opponent. Sniper was lingering over the flame pit after closing its flipper, so Sater came in with a ram, but held itself over the fire. Sniper capitalised on this, and circled around Sater to prevent its escape. Having been positioned on the flame pit for a long period, Sater was visibly burning when Refbot freed it from the flame pit, but it still drove towards Sniper for one last attack before 'cease' was called.
- "Sater, burn in Hell!"
- — Rob Kamphues, referencing Sater being stuck on the flame pit
The battle was sent to a fairly close decision by the Jury, but Sater was awarded the victory, and it progressed to the Grand Final. In the first round of the Grand Final, Sater fought in a melee against Botwork and Bamm Bamm.
Sater is struck by Bamm Bamm
Sater became immediately involved, approaching Bamm Bamm which missed Sater with its hammer blow, and circled around straight into Botwork on the same drive, charging head-first into the spinning disc, causing one of the decorative red brush-heads to fall off Sater's lid. Sater then drove under Bamm Bamm, but was unable to use its lifter, and Bamm Bamm fired its hammer in the vicinity of Sater. Defensively, Sater pressed the pit release button, and drove back into Bamm Bamm, but was directly hit by the hammer. Sater drove past the pit, drawing dangerously near to it, and then charged straight into a roaming Sir Killalot, which caused Sater's other brush-head to fall off.
Sater's lifter is buckled by Botwork
Rejoining the action, Sater pushed Bamm Bamm backwards, almost into the disc of Botwork, before then driving into the side of Botwork, sustaining a glancing blow from the spinner. Sater remained in place, and this allowed Botwork to target its lifting arm, bending the weaponry with repeated spinner hits - Sater's side armour was also visibly torn up. Time started to elapse on the battle, and Sater was slow in its escape from Botwork, trundling away until 'cease' was called. The battle was sent to a decision by the Jury, but the damage sustained by Sater throughout the battle led to its elimination at this stage.
Results
| SATER - RESULTS | ||
| Series 1 | ||
| Dutch Championship Grand Final, Round 1 | ||
| Heat E, Round 1 | vs. NEAT Machine | Won |
| Heat E, Semi-Final | vs. Pathetica | Won |
| Heat E, Final | vs. Sniper | Won |
| Grand Final, Round 1 | vs. Bamm Bamm, Botwork | Eliminated |
Wins/Losses
- Wins: 3
- Losses: 1
Series Record
| Dutch Series | Sater Series Record |
|---|---|
| Series 1 | Grand Final, Round 1 |
| Series 2 | Did not enter |
Outside Robot Wars
Sater was later upgraded to become Sater 2, which competed at the FRA World Championship 2004.
Trivia
- At 75kg, Sater was the lightest robot in the first series of Dutch Robot Wars, and indeed, the lightest robot in either series of Dutch Robot Wars, being 1kg lighter than Bluemax.
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