The Master

The Master
Participation Information
UK Series	1995 UK Open Competition
US 1994-1997 Events	1994-1996
Team Information
Team	Team Sinister
Team Members	Mark Setrakian Peter Abrahamson Robert Orr Paul Rivera
From	North Hollywood, California
Other Entries	Gigan (1995-1996, Peter Abrahamson) Nezumi (1996, Robert Orr) Snake (1997, Mark Setrakian) The Rat (1997, Robert Orr)
Robot Statistics
Drive	DC servo motors
Weapons	Interchangeable (Circular saw/ lifting 'tail'/ thwacking blade)
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"No one really knew yet what was going to be the best winning formula, so people were trying all kinds of different stuff. I decided I wanted my robot to be very weapon-oriented. So I looked in the McMaster Carr catalog and found the most tripped-out looking thing I could find, which was a gas-powered cut-off saw, like what firemen use to cut a car in half."

— Mark Setrakian on his thought process behind designing The Master

The Master was a Californian heavyweight robot which competed in every US Robot Wars competition between 1994 and 1996, alongside the 1995 Robot Wars UK Open Competition in London, England.

Built by Mark Setrakian, The Master had several revolutionary features for its time, including an axlebot design and, later on, the presence of interchangeable weapon modules. In 1994, it used a circular saw to cause major damage in its Heavyweight Face-Off run, but was eliminated by The Beetle prior to the final rounds. The Master's innovations would still be recognized, however, as it would receive the 'Best Design' award for that year.

The Master returned for the 1995 event with significant improvements to its design and form. Now invertible and adopting its modular design elements, it went on to win the Heavyweight Face-Off outright over Thor, and reach the final of the concurrent Heavyweight Melee tournament. For the second year running, The Master would claim the 'Best Design' award in addition to its championship triumph. The Master later secured a repeat win against Thor in the 1995 UK Open, in a battle extensively featured in Heat D of Robot Wars: The First Wars, plus the Robot Wars: The First Great War and American Robot Wars Final 1996 VHS releases.

While entering the 1996 US event as the defending champion, The Master could not replicate its earlier success in the Heavyweight Face-Off. It would suffer a shock defeat against Tazz - the original incarnation of BattleBots stalwart Tazbot - in the second round, abruptly ending its title defense at that stage. The Master also fought a Grudge Match against Red Scorpion, which it lost, and reached the Heavyweight Melee Final despite losing its sawblade in the preliminary rounds. All four of The Master's battles that year would be covered in the official American Robot Wars 1996 VHS, showcasing highlights of the 1996 event.

For the 1997 competition, Mark Setrakian originally planned to redesign The Master 'from the ground up'. A reference to The Master also appeared in the official souvenir programme for the event; however, it would end up not competing. Instead, Setrakian opted to design, build and enter the walker Snake into the heavyweight class that year.

Design

"The Master really is these two huge steel spheres. Inside the spheres are motors, batteries, speed controllers, a radio - everything it takes to drive the thing is contained in [these]. And then, the weapons, like this saw here, attach onto the thing from the front or the back."

— Mark Setrakian explains The Master's design, American Robot Wars 1996

The Master (with lifter) before its UK Open battle against Thor

The Master's core design was a two-wheel drive axlebot built around a pair of steel spheres. Each sphere was quoted by Team Sinister as being repurposed from 'industrial floats', containing much of the robot's internals and electronics. The 1994 iteration also debuted the robot's signature weapon - a '4hp circular saw', powered by an internal combustion engine resting directly on top of the axle. Though highly effective in combat, the 'cut-off blades' used were prone to breaking and often required replacement in later events. To prevent the saw from touching the concrete arena floor, a 'blade guard' could be fitted to the front. This comprised of a pair of large triangular plates, which could also double as ramming blades or narrow wedges, but had the effect of reducing the saw's forward reach. The back of The Master was supported by a narrow tail section with a small castor wheel at the tip.

For 1995, The Master adopted its more familiar 'modular' design, with the front wedges being discarded and the entire circular saw assembly now being attached directly to the axle from the front. The latter enabled the robot to be fully invertible for the first time, as well as the saw itself to be placed in either a vertical or horizontal orientation to suit different opponents. On top of this, this change allowed extra weapon modules to be installed or swapped over at the front or back. Among the new additions included:

The Master with its Lexan 'whip', as used in the 1995 US Heavyweight Melee championship

• An electric lifting arm with piercing spikes at the tip, claimed by Team Sinister to be capable of lifting 500lbs. Operated via a linear actuator (sometimes quoted to be a lead-screw mechanism) and fitted with an extra armor panel on top.
• A Lexan 'whip' measuring six feet in length, used for the Heavyweight Melee event. Fitted with two chains and nunchuck-style blades to inflict damage; the attachments are described by the Team Sinister website as simply a 'heavy gauge spiked chain'.

In its regular setup, The Master was often equipped with the saw at one end (usually facing forwards) and the lifter (often the 'tail' weapon) at the other. Both weapon assemblies would freely swing from the axle itself, which provided the sole point of articulation for all of The Master's modules. Even as the saw would be lifted upwards by torque and collisions, the tip of the lifter would remain level with the arena floor at all times.

The Master's modular design allowed for the weapons to be easily replaced, removed or relocated in between battles. For example, without the 'tail' lifter in place, the saw would be allowed to swing freely in either direction, depending on the torque applied during sudden forward or reverse moments. This single-weapon configuration essentially allowed The Master to function as a torque reaction thwackbot. Despite the 180-degree range provided by this setup, only the bottom of The Master's saw assembly was supported by a front castor, again to prevent the disc from striking the arena floor while upright.

According to an interview filmed ahead of the 1995 competition, The Master's internals for that year incorporated 'high-voltage DC servo motors' with 'tachometer feedback' capability.

For the 1995 UK Open and 1996 US competitions, a large triangular-shaped 'sword' was added to The Master's weapon arsenal, seeing occasional use during battles. Made from 1/4-inch plate steel, the blade could be used to push opponents around - as with the original 1994 incarnation's front wedges - or swung overhead in the same manner as the circular saw. The 1995 UK Open also introduced a redesigned 'whip' weapon, now with a twin-forked appearance and interlocking chains.

The 'sword' was among the upgrades present in the 1996 iteration, which also benefited from an enlarged saw and an updated lifter. According to Andrew Lindsey, the sawblade could also be exchanged for a mace, though this went unused. A swinging hammer would also be designed and used in The Master's subsequent appearances on BattleBots (see Outside Robot Wars).

Robot History

1994 US Championship

The Master was one of sixteen robots attending the inaugural US Robot Wars competition on 20 August 1994, taking place at the Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. Competing exclusively in the Heavyweight Face-Off, it first met TMZ in the opening round.

"This is The Master. In my opinion [sic], the best robot at Robot Wars 1994. His first battle was against us, and were we suprised [sic] when we heard the gas motor start up We were so busy, we never saw the thing before. We had major technical problems all day with communications and I was at the point where I didn't care if he cut our robot in half."

— Team Minus Zero website on The Master

The Master charges into TMZ

The Master drives into TMZ's side

Going into this battle, TMZ suffered from radio interference issues, hampering its mobility from the start. The Master tentatively approached TMZ from the other side of the arena, before driving into its side and pushing it against the side wall. There, it pinned TMZ multiple times, smoking as its saw began cutting into its opponent's composite shell. The Master backed out and turned away, allowing TMZ a chance to drive away and slowly reach the arena center. There, The Master resumed its earlier onslaught, nudging TMZ back as the latter spun around and crept towards the hazards. At some point, it pinned TMZ against the wall once more, continuing to inflict damage until TMZ became fully immobilized. The Master turned, drove away and spun triumphantly, having scored its first victory in its robot combat career. According to Team Minus Zero, its saw left one-inch gashes in TMZ's shell, while also coming close to rupturing its CO₂ canister at one point.

In the second round, The Master fought The Beetle, entered by Caleb Chung. For this battle - dubbed by Discovery Channel's Next Step as the 'most spectacular one-on-one of the day' - the front 'blade guard' was removed, allowing the saw to become its opponent's first point of contact. This marked one of the very first instances of a robot demonstrating interchangeability between weapon and armor configurations.

Early on, The Master capitalized on The Beetle's excursion into the mousetrap hazards, sparks flying as it grazed the latter's front-right corner. It held its ground as The Beetle proceeded to spin around and thwack it several times with its 'pincer arm', lightly buckling the pincers themselves. A series of head-to-head exchanges followed, with The Master getting pushed around and thwacked further. This lead to The Beetle hooking and starting to push it back under one of the mousetraps. Smoke and more sparks flew as The Master began cutting into The Beetle's pincers, prompting The Beetle to back out.

Sparks fly as The Master attacks The Beetle with its saw

The Master later found itself being pinned front-first against an arena flipper by The Beetle. The attack pitched it forwards, causing the saw to dig into the concrete arena floor as the whole robot was being pushed. As well as sending a large plume of dust into the air, The Master left a 15-inch slice in the floor at approximately two inches deep. The Beetle spun to the right, allowing The Master to back out in a clockwise arch. Both competitors continued to spar in head-to-head attacks; The Master repeatedly cut into The Beetle's pincers and plywood front, while The Beetle kept using the pincers themselves to push it backwards and sideways. One exchange - involving The Beetle hooking directly under The Master's saw - sent even larger and more sustained volleys of sparks flying across the arena center.

While dodging The Beetle's next push, The Master spun under a descending mousetrap, cutting the net apart with its saw. As it backed away, it ended up pushing The Beetle back against the flipper paddle nearby. Once both competitors separated, they entered a tentative phase, with The Master briefly colliding with Cambot. The Master, however, twitched and suddenly stopped moving while reversing, allowing The Beetle to slowly push it with its flat back panel. The Master's saw dug into the panel, sending more blue smoke into the air. Even as The Beetle thwacked it with its pincers, The Master remained stationary. In one last 'embrace', The Master cut into The Beetle's front end yet again, while it was being steered slowly into the flipper and the side wall behind. The Beetle pinned it upwards against an Atari Jaguar banner, where both competitors remained for the rest of the match. The Master was eliminated from the Heavyweight Face-Off at that stage; according to Team Minus Zero, one of The Beetle's rams was sufficient to cause terminal drivetrain damage. It would not leave the 1994 event empty-handed, however, as it received the inaugural 'Best Design' award.

1995 US Championship

Following a raft of updates - including invertible drive and additional weapon modules - The Master returned for the 1995 competition. In the Heavyweight Face-Off, it initially fought newcomer Painful Wedgie in the first round; the first occasion where it combined its saw with its newly-introduced electric lifter.

The Master turns and hooks Painful Wedgie on its side

Both robots tentatively met in the center. The Master spun around to get its lifter into position, before following the slower Painful Wedgie towards the upper-left corner. Bumping and nudging the AIAA entry forward, it proceeded to simultaneously lift and push Painful Wedgie against the wall. With Painful Wedgie now on its side, The Master hooked it by its front-right frame, dragging and lifting it even higher off the arena floor. The Master paraded its helpless opponent around amidst cheers and camera flashes, cementing a very quick and dominant victory for Mark Setrakian and Team Sinister.

Next to face The Master was Mauler 95, a heavyweight successor to 1994 Melee champion South Bay Mauler. The Master again entered with its lifter and saw, with the saw being mounted horizontally to attack the sides of the Tilford family entry.

The Master's first blow on Mauler 95

The Master shreds the sides of Mauler 95

The Master, during another tentative start, approached and slammed into Mauler 95 during the opening moments. Smoke and dust flew as its saw hit the top of Mauler 95, leading to further exchanges between the weapons of both competitors. The Master kept slicing the armor and disc for Mauler 95's flail spinner, before proceeding to hook, lift and briefly push it backwards with the lifting 'tail'. It soon retreated to the corner, turning around to get its saw facing Mauler 95 again. On the approach, The Master changed tactics, instead scooping and lifting Mauler 95 twice more. Through its earlier exchanges, a piece from its saw engine had become dislodged through Mauler 95’s counter-attacks.

While backing up for another attack, The Master accidentally reversed blade-first into the arena flippers. With the saw already shaking around, it nevertheless proceeded to lift Mauler 95 again, this time against the mousetrap on the other side, as the latter was struck by the Ball of Doom. As Mauler 95 landed back on its wheels, The Master backed into the wall and the flipper nearby. Further bumps against Mauler 95, the wall and the floor eventually led to the saw breaking off entirely. The Master, undeterred, pushed, hoisted and began pinning Mauler 95 against the other side of the mousetrap. With the rear castor mounted sideways, however, it began experiencing problems keeping the lifter level with the floor, just before it hoisted Mauler 95 upwards once again.

The Master kept ramming Mauler 95 after this, while also revving its saw engine up until it completely stalled. By this point, the event hosts reserved doubts about Mauler 95's mobility, prompting The Master to hook and lift it twice more during the final minute. Both robots were still deemed mobile as the five-minute timer expired; nevertheless, The Master once again emerged as the resounding winner.

"Tomorrow, we're going up against Thor. Now... Thor's a fairly straightforward robot. It's extremely powerful, which is very scary."

— Mark Setrakian, weighing up tactics against Thor

Securing its place in the Final, The Master faced Schilling Robotics' Thor for a chance to claim the overall 1995 Heavyweight Face-Off title. In an official highlights video released for the 1995 event, Mark Setrakian outlined his team's tactics, which were to avoid Thor's powerful hammer, get around the side and potentially cut its hydraulic lines. The Master thus entered the battle with both its saw and lifter as before, the saw reverting to its vertical orientation. This match also marked the first documented occasion where Setrakian would 'surf' on The Master, standing on top of its lifter plate while driving the robot into its starting position.

The Master's blade is destroyed after impacting Thor

The Master immediately drove saw-first towards and around the right-hand side of Thor, dodging its opponent's initial hammer swings. However, it was promptly hooked by Thor - whose hammer was modified with an angled lifting/ramming lip - and took a direct hit to its left wheel. The Master, unable to slice Thor from the front, retreated to line up an attack on its left-rear corner. This lead to it smashing into Thor's hammer as it descended, leaving the saw severely damaged. Missing a substantial part of its outer surface, the saw collapsed and buckled sideways when it next rammed Thor from the left-hand side.

With its most damaging weapon out of action, The Master dodged the Ball of Doom and prepared to confront Thor with its lifter. Resisting Thor's next hammer attack, it scooped up and began pushing the former back, but was unable to gain further purchase as Thor violently shook itself free. A back-and-forth tussle resulted in The Master desperately trying to remain underneath Thor, which had the effect of bringing Thor into the path of the Ball of Doom. While spinning, The Master encountered major mobility problems, as motor damage caused it to suddenly lose drive in its left wheel hub. Now partially immobilized, it kept circling around, briefly pinning Thor between itself and the nearby mousetrap.

The Master stabs the side of Thor, rupturing its hydraulic reservoir

The Master shoves a smoking Thor across the arena

The Master's mobility continued to decrease, as the two competitors nudged each other again in the center of the arena. The Ball of Doom drifted gently into its other wheel hub; undeterred, The Master kept spinning, twice turning its lifter into the right-hand side of Thor. The second swipe caused both robots to lock together; Thor's hammer slowly descended, and smoke began pouring from the back of Tyler Schilling and Andy Lyons' machine. In driving its lifter spikes into Thor's side, The Master had successfully pierced a 'weak spot' in its chassis, and - as a consequence - punctured its hydraulic reservoir.

"In '95, The Master faced the awesome Thor in the Heavyweight Face-Off Finals. And though his saw was smashed, he still knocked Thor out."

— Paul Vallis, American Robot Wars 1996

The crowd erupted into applause, as The Master began pushing Thor back on its remaining wheel hub. The Master steered its helpless opponent into the opposite wall and mousetrap, holding it in place until it was declared victorious. Through this dramatic turnaround, it emerged as the 1995 Heavyweight Face-Off co-champion, sharing its honor with Blendo.

Off the back of its triumph, The Master later returned to action in the first Heavyweight Melee tournament. Switching to its Lexan 'whip', it fought Creeping Death and Namreko 2000 in the first round.

The match began with all three robots clashing in the center. The Master twice thwacked Namreko 2000 from the top, and once from the side, but struggled to push Mike Okerman and Curtis Nemeth's machine as they fought in the corner. In between several excursions into the arena flippers, it kept striking Namreko 2000, which eventually lost drive on one side. The Master headed back into the center to start another series of overhead and sit-and-spin attacks, though it would miss most of its strikes while bumping into Namreko 2000 again. A further collision with Namreko 2000 resulted in the latter becoming completely immobilized. With Creeping Death also immobile, The Master proceeded to whack Namreko 2000 several more times until it was declared the winner.

In the Heavyweight Melee Final, The Master faced Thor again, alongside Spirit of Frank and Merrimac. The quartet were joined by recently-crowned middleweight champion La Machine, which had been entered at the last minute to prove its capabilities against its larger and heavier opponents.

The Master's chains get snagged on the arena flipper

The Master, starting next to Spirit of Frank, collided with, pushed and landed its first blow on Kua Patten's axlebot. Both were soon scooped up by La Machine, though The Master was able to ride up the latter's wedge shape to escape. In response, The Master attempted to strike La Machine, as the latter converged with Thor and Merrimac. After retreating to the other side of the arena, it twice thwacked Thor with the 'whip', which was followed by a sit-and-spin attack. In retaliation, Thor drove The Master backwards into the corner, resulting in The Master being forced up between the wall and a nearby arena flipper. During the same push, the 'whip' chains were pushed under and eventually snagged around the flipper paddle itself. The Master was unable to escape, and played no further part in the battle. The battle - along with the 1995 Heavyweight Melee championship - was ultimately won by La Machine.

As well as its Face-Off crown, The Master claimed its second 'Best Design' award for 1995, on behalf of builder Mark Setrakian.

1995 UK Open

In November 1995, The Master was invited alongside La Machine and Thor to compete in the 1995 UK Open Competition - a taped pilot and proof-of-concept for the UK Robot Wars TV series. There, it participated in various combat and non-combat events, clips of which would be showcased in the home video release Robot Wars: The First Great War.

The Master fights the clusterbot Grunt

The Master slams down on Grunt, while pinning La Machine against the wall

One clip showed The Master - wielding its brand-new sword weapon - thwacking the top of the second-generation La Machine. Both heavyweights would also participate in a melee against future Series 1 stock robot Grunt, itself competing as a two-part clusterbot. Highlighted clips indicate that The Master lunged at and thwacked the Grunt segments multiple times, though one of the Grunts responded by pinning it against the side wall at one point. Both competitors would also occasionally be scooped up by La Machine at various moments. Ironically, The Master briefly pinned La Machine off the floor against the side wall, while simultaneously being scooped up by and slamming down on a Grunt segment.

"The British robots were severely punished by their American cousins. British robot Grunt takes a pounding from the American heavyweight The Master."

— Craig Charles, over clips of The Master's duels with Grunt, Robot Wars: The First Great War

The Master attacks an unidentified rabbit-themed opponent

The Master thwacks The Mouse with its triangular sword

Another clip would see The Master flip and thwack an unidentified featherweight-sized opponent with a rabbit theme, as Derek Foxwell's The Mouse closed in. The Master was also seen to thwack The Mouse itself in a clip shown prior to this. According to Mat Irvine in Issue 1 of Robot Wars: The Official Magazine, the duo would also fight a head-to-head battle between themselves. Despite switching to its circular saw, The Master was reportedly unable to inflict meaningful damage to The Mouse's steeply-angled sides.

"The Mouse was unarmed and could inflict little damage itself, but the steep sides of the bodywork had the advantage that they were almost impossible to hit straight on. I can recall the mighty saw of The Master taking quite a few swipes at The Mouse, only to see it skid harmlessly off the sides."

— Mat Irvine on The Master's head-to-head against The Mouse

The Master and La Machine would also team up for a Soccer event, serving as a prototype for the televised Football and Robotic Soccer Trials seen in earlier UK series. Sporting a modified version of its flexible 'whip' weapon, it would assist the Impact Media entry in challenging Grunt once again.

"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 The Master and La Machine's 'soccer' match, Robot Wars: The First Great War

The Master is sandwiched between La Machine and the "House Mouse", as the Soccer goal starts to topple

A dominant performance by the US duo would involve The Master driving over one of the Grunt segments, while simultaneously pinning it between itself and La Machine. While La Machine scored goals for the American team, the match devolved into chaos, as the former began ramming The Master and The Mouse (serving as "House Robot" and "referee") while bringing the entire goal down. In a moment not shown in The First Great War, La Machine reportedly pushed every other robot - including The Master - into the goal; the attack impressing BBC and Mentorn staff in attendance.

"And now it's time to strap yourselves in and cry mercy, as we leave you with the ultimate robotic confrontation!"

— Craig Charles introduces the 1995 UK 'Heavyweight Final', Robot Wars: The First Great War

By far The Master's most-publicized event from the UK Open was a head-to-head battle against Thor, marking the third time that both robots had met each other in combat. As well as concluding The First Great War and the Club-exclusive American Robot Wars Final 1996 VHS in its entirety (the latter with original audio and commentary from Dominik Diamond), a condensed edit of this fight would be televised in Heat D of The First Wars, with commentary by Jonathan Pearce. American Robot Wars Final 1996 labels this battle as the 'Heavyweight Final', though the exact order in which the UK Open events took place remains largely unknown.

"We'll revisit the 1995 UK Robot Wars Championships in London, featuring two of the most powerful robots in the world today! The Master, built by Mark Setrakian, and Thor, designed by Schilling Robotics, both from America. What a night it was!"

— Jonathan Pearce introduces highlights of the 1995 UK Open "Final" (Series 1, Heat D)

The Master 'carves' through Thor's shell

Reverting to its saw and lifter combo, a tentative start by both robots saw The Master shuffling and turning around to get its lifter facing an approaching Thor. Neither competitor attacked each other immediately as they each tried to size each other up. The Master briefly turned its saw towards the tip of Thor's hammer, but no damage was inflicted at this point, as it proceeded to drive into its opponent's left side panel. Keeping its saw pointed at Thor, it drove around and shuffled further, the cautious display being sustained throughout the first thirty seconds.

"Here comes the saw, and that's the first hit! And he's carving into it, now! Oh, they're locked in a deadly embrace!"

— Dominik Diamond as The Master begins slicing into Thor (original audio, American Robot Wars Final 1996)

Then, The Master suddenly lunged at the right-hand side of Thor, riding over and 'carving' into its Kevlar shell multiple times. Similarly to their US Face-Off clash, both competitors found themselves in a 'deadly embrace', with The Master being dragged along by Thor as it began striking and sending sparks flying from the latter's hammer arm. The Master backed out, but missed its next charge, before again reversing into Thor with its lifter raised. By this point, the effects of The Master's cutting attacks became evident, as Thor began releasing smoke and leaking hydraulic fluid over the arena floor.

"And Thor will be severely damaged, and severely limited after that! I think I can see hydraulic fluid already pumping out - OH, comes back down, though, with the hammer blow, onto the top of the saw! There's also already been bludg- AND THERE IS THE HYDRAULIC FLUID! Pouring out and SPLATTERING! The floor of the arena's GETTING SKIDDY AND SLIPPERY!"

— Jonathan Pearce notices the damage dished to Thor's hydraulics (Series 1, Heat D)

The Master continues grinding its disc down against Thor

The Master survived a hammer attack to one of its wheel hubs, before charging into and starting to cut into the front-right of Thor's shell. A chunk of Kevlar was sent flying as Mark Setrakian's machine pushed Thor backwards, while its saw was again hammered by Thor's arm. The Master quickly backed up and drove its saw into Thor's front bumper; however, this caused the whole robot to jump up and become stuck on top of Thor itself. As it was being pushed back, The Master again dug into Thor's shell, sending splinters and hydraulic fluid flying everywhere. Another weapon-on-weapon collision followed; The Master tanked further hits to its main axle as it pressured Thor backwards into the left-most corner. By this time, the saw had lost most of the fibers for its outer rim.

The Master attacks an ailing Thor's exposed wheel

As Thor attempted to drive away, The Master kept chasing it towards the center of the arena. As the battle reached one minute and 30 seconds, The Master once again cut behind Thor's arm, sending sparks and another Kevlar chunk flying while pushing the Schilling Robotics machine backwards in a half-circle. A final series of attacks inflicted terminal damage to Thor's weapon system, with the hammer arm suddenly dropping down. The Master, grinding its saw down even further, resisted Thor's last attempt to push back, while targeting its front-right wheel.

The Master, minus much of its saw, begins its victory celebrations

When The Master backed away, it became evident that Thor had been completely immobilized. Despite having lost much of its saw, The Master began shuffling, thwacking its lifter against the floor, and spinning triumphantly, emerging as the decisive winner.

"AND Thor doesn't seem to have too much left to offer except vital engine blood and guts and gore! And he's out of it! And The Master... is surely one of the most powerful robots in the world, and for me, the star of the 1995 UK London Robot Wars!"

— Jonathan Pearce as The Master defeats Thor once again (Series 1, Heat D)

According to Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, the victory over Thor allowed The Master to secure a place in the overall UK Open Final, facing La Machine yet again. Greg Munson elaborates that, during the initial moments, The Master succeeded in getting underneath and pinning La Machine, though it is unclear which weapons it was using for this battle. However, La Machine eventually broke free, and The Master ultimately lost after getting collected and pushed out of the arena boundaries.

1996 US Championship

Returning for 1996 as the defending US Face-Off champion, an upgraded Master was among the heavyweights to initially benefit from a first-round bye in that year's tournament. It would thus begin its Face-Off run in the second round, where it faced newcomer Tazz, built by Donald Hutson. Footage of The Master's appearances in this event would be included in the American Robot Wars 1996 and American Robot Wars Final 1996 VHS releases. Its fight against Tazz was the first to be highlighted in the former; a brief highlights clip was also broadcast in Heat D of The First Wars.

"Mark had been working right up to the last minute before departure to RobotWars, completing the latest modules for The Master. This time The Master was equipped with a larger and more powerful saw than in previous years, a modified version of the tail/lift, and a new attachment - the sword. As before, The Master entered the ring for its matches with the saw/lift combination. And as before, Mark rode The Master into the ring for his match. However, this year he was the man to beat, and the competition had not been idle."

— Robert Orr, Team Sinister website

The Master clashes with Tazz

A tentative start saw both competitors slowly approach each other, dodging the mousetrap and Ball of Doom hazards as they collided head-on. The Master drove into the front of Tazz, digging its sawblade behind its opponent's exposed right tire. Later on, the two robots separated and exchanged further blows. The Master tried to cut Tazz's lifting/thwacking arm from the front. In response, Tazz swung its turret arm around, smashing into The Master's right wheel hub. Electrical sparks flashed from within The Master, as the movements in its saw mechanism caused wires powering the newly-upgraded weapon to sever. The Master swung its saw back down, only causing minor damage to Tazz in the process.

Again, The Master targeted Tazz's wheels, smashing down on the floor. More weapon-on-weapon attacks were exchanged, during which The Master was pushed back across the arena and almost turned over by Tazz. Sparks and smoke flew as The Master struck down on Tazz's turret three more times. In doing so, however, it left itself vulnerable to getting scooped up and pushed into the wall; Tazz's charge briefly caused both robots to get pinned by the nearby flipper.

The Master is pinned down by Tazz's weapon

Later on, The Master lost all functionality in its saw, forcing it to go on the defensive. Again, its ground clearance was breached by Tazz, which proceeded to grapple and pin The Master down using its own arm. The Master, unable to escape, was pushed and dragged between one of the arena flippers. In a major upset, The Master was held for a full thirty seconds and counted out, ending its Heavyweight Face-Off title defense at this early stage.

"Here again, The Master's saw has broken down. And Tazz, using its massive braking power, manages to pin him for thirty seconds which knocks The Master out of the competition... in the first round!"

— Paul Vallis, as The Master's Face-Off title defense comes to an abrupt end, American Robot Wars 1996

To make up for its early elimination, The Master fought a 'Grudge Match' against a second newcomer - Red Scorpion, which had been defeated by Punjar in the first round. As in the previous battle, it fought with the saw and lifter.

"The Master and the Red Scorpion had both been humiliated in the opening rounds, and both wanted to show they were made of tougher stuff!"

— Paul Vallis

The Master is seized in Red Scorpion’s claws

The Master began by attacking Red Scorpion's tail 'skid' with its sawblade. However, Red Scorpion responded by briefly grasping its right wheel hub with its claws and spiked 'tail'. Following a tentative standoff, a smoking Master was again clutched by Red Scorpion. While pushing Red Scorpion back, it sent Ray Washburn's machine into a spin while careering into the wall bumper nearby.

Sparks flew as The Master's saw grazed the front of Red Scorpion. The Master backed into the wall; while Red Scorpion rammed and hooked it, it sent more sparks flying upon cutting into its tail 'skid' once again. The Master next attempted to lift Red Scorpion from the front. This proved to be a costly mistake, however, as Red Scorpion again grasped and hammered its right wheel hub. The Master struggled to direct its saw into Red Scorpion's right tire, and found itself pinned against the arena doors for several seconds.

"The Master soon wished he hadn't bothered as the Red Scorpion pinned him."

— Paul Vallis

The Master was pushed further against the doors themselves, until blows from the nearby arena flipper appeared to immobilize Red Scorpion entirely. Regardless of Red Scorpion's predicament, Michael Meehan confirmed that it had been counted out after being pinned for the required 30 seconds. Though Red Scorpion did not appear to demonstrate much mobility at this point, Team Sinister and American Robot Wars 1996 both confirmed The Master to have lost the fight in this way.

"The size of Red Scorpion did not bode well for The Master, he was unavoidably entrapped by the Scorpion's pincers, and was defeated."

— Team Sinister website on Red Scorpion's win over The Master

The Master, as in the previous year, also competed in the Heavyweight Melee tournament. Its first-round battle - featured in VHS releases and Series 1, Heat D - involved it battling La Machine once again, alongside DooMore, Vlad the Impaler and newly-crowned Face-Off champion BioHazard.

For this battle, The Master was only equipped with its saw, the first time it would battle in this configuration since its debut year. Mark Setrakian stood on top of the saw engine as he rode it into the arena during pre-match preparations. In American Robot Wars 1996, emphasis was placed on The Master's need to win this Melee, as it was claimed to be looking for redemption following its losses to Tazz and Red Scorpion.

"Again, The Master had a lot to prove having been beaten twice - this was his last chance."

— Paul Vallis, as The Master begins to flail its saw around in its Heavyweight Melee qualifier

The Master hung back during the opening moments, turning around to line up a possible overhead attack. It would ultimately start attacking DooMore and Vlad the Impaler in this fashion. These swings also caused the saw to dig into the floor, kicking up dust and eventually resulting in the castor beneath the weapon being broken off. The Master slammed into the front of Vlad the Impaler; sparks flew as it cut into the right lifting fork of Gage Cauchois and Gregg Walker's machine. Its aggressive swings briefly deterred both of its opponents from approaching it. Regardless, The Master kept duelling with Vlad the Impaler, which lifted and hooked it by one of the wheel hubs.

The Master's saw drags itself across the arena

La Machine shovelled BioHazard towards the duo, with The Master again slicing into the arena floor in its attempt to escape. The Master took this chance to unpin itself from the mousetrap, just before DooMore rejoined the fray. Backing up towards the nearby arena flipper, it swung its blade onto the top of Vlad the Impaler once again. At this point, the entire circular saw began detaching from its supporting arm; the bolts holding in place having not been tightened sufficiently before the match began. Following another violent lunge at Vlad the Impaler, The Master's saw broke off entirely, briefly dragging itself across the arena under its own power.

"With The Master crippled, it came down to a game of tag between La Machine and BioHazard, with nothing being allowed to get in the way."

— Paul Vallis

The Master, now weaponless, kept moving regardless, weathering rams from DooMore and BioHazard respectively. Four of the five machines - including The Master itself - converged in the corner; it and Vlad the Impaler were simultaneously propped up against the wall by a relentless La Machine. The Master would again be bulldozed, this time into an arena flipper, but escaped. Moments later, it became involved in another pile-up, where it drove over BioHazard after the latter was turned over in the upper-left corner. The Master was in turn pressured by Vlad the Impaler, which struggled to lift it before it was also overturned by La Machine.

The Master (top) outlasts the overturned BioHazard as all five robots gather in the corner

Escaping from the corner, The Master next attempted to whack DooMore with the remains of its weapon arm. However, the large gap in DooMore's frame resulted in one of its wheels getting caught by Scott LaValley's entry. Both robots were pushed around in circles by La Machine, before a thrust from DooMore's spike caused them to separate. La Machine proceeded to shove The Master into a corner, before pushing DooMore at high speed into a flipper and over the right-hand wall bumper.

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

— Paul Vallis

The Master, having survived through an encounter with one of the mousetraps, was flipped by La Machine's very next ram. Having showed very limited movement prior to this moment, it became fully immobilized after getting caught behind a nearby flipper. La Machine pressed The Master - and the flipper paddle - against the wall, on its way to a dominant and popular victory.

Though it had been eliminated from the battle, The Master was later chosen to qualify for the Heavyweight Melee Final alongside La Machine and DooMore. The three competitors fought a twelve-way rumble to decide the 1996 Heavyweight Melee champion. Other opponents included South Bay Mauler, Tazz, Punjar, Nemesis, Killbborg, Red Scorpion, Merrimac, Gutrip and Marvin. In place of the damaged saw, The Master would utilize its sword for the first time on US turf.

"The Master is back with a new weapon... a blade."

— Paul Vallis as the Heavyweight Melee Final begins

The Master (bottom-left) pins South Bay Mauler during an early pile-up

Immediately, The Master charged at South Bay Mauler, tapping it with the sword while weathering blows from the latter's spinning flails. In the pile-up that ensued, it continued to pin the Tilford family machine against DooMore and Merrimac, with La Machine and Punjar also getting involved. When all six robots eventually separated, The Master and Punjar teamed up in a bid to eliminate the defending Melee champion.

"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

The Master drags La Machine with its sword, with Punjar (top-right) providing assistance

When La Machine accidentally backed over The Master's sword, The Master proceeded to drag it backwards into the upper-left corner, with Punjar also helping by pushing both robots simultaneously. The ensemble steered towards and over the arena flipper, where La Machine became stuck. The Master, however, also found itself in trouble, as its axle straddled over the flipper paddle itself. It was caught by the wheel by an approaching DooMore; both would remain stuck with La Machine, which was left pinned for over a minute and a half.

Eventually, The Master began pushing La Machine off the flipper, with both of its wheels gripping the arena floor. While succeeding, both robots remained stuck together, until rams from Merrimac and Tazz freed La Machine and allowed it to continue fighting. The Master finally separated from DooMore, but briefly stopped, tanking repeated blows from the upper-left flipper. It swung its sword feebly at DooMore's vulnerable internals, after which it appeared to lose mobility entirely. This would not stop DooMore from slamming into one of The Master's wheel hubs later on, or Punjar from dragging and pushing The Master away from the upper-left corner.

An ailing Master is carried across the arena by Punjar

The Master eventually regained functionality in one of its drive motors, but could not avoid getting pushed and carried across the arena by Punjar. As a result, it was delivered into South Bay Mauler's flails again, before the three competitors became involved in another pile-up alongside DooMore, Merrimac and Nemesis. After it and Punjar were rammed by La Machine, The Master was finally able to pull itself free from the box-wedge shape of Ramiro Mallari's entry. At that point, The Master and Punjar would find themselves being pushed across the inner perimeter by Nemesis. The Master drove over the front of Nemesis to escape, before thwacking the top of Punjar while it was being pushed by Killbborg.

Following another encounter with the upper-left flipper, The Master was again scooped up by Punjar, and was left motionless after driving its sword underneath an equally-static DooMore. Aside from a later flip by La Machine, The Master played no further part in the Final; the match and 1996 Heavyweight Melee championship were ultimately won by La Machine on an audience vote. With its planned 1997 rebuild not materializing, this marked The Master's final appearance in the US Robot Wars competitions.

Results

Wins/Losses

• 1994-1997 US Wins: 5
• 1994-1997 US Losses: 5
• 1995 UK Open Wins: 2
• 1995 UK Open Losses: 2
• Total Wins: 7
• Total Losses: 7

NOTE: The Master's 1995 UK Open record is based on highlights and information released in official UK Robot Wars media, and is thus incomplete. Its Robotic Soccer victory in the former, plus its first-round bye in the 1996 Heavyweight Face-Off, are also omitted from the Wins tally.

Series Record

Events	The Master Event Record
1994	Heavyweight Face-Off, Round 2
1995	Heavyweight Co-Champion (Face-Off) Heavyweight Melee, Final Entered with Gigan (Peter Abrahamson)
1996	Heavyweight Face-Off, Round 2 Heavyweight Melee, Final Entered with Gigan (Peter Abrahamson) Entered with Nezumi (Robert Orr)
1997	Entered with Snake (Mark Setrakian) Entered with The Rat (Robert Orr)

The Master also fought in the 1995 UK Open Competition.

Outside Robot Wars

Initially, The Master was set aside as Mark Setrakian focused on early BattleBots events with Snake and a second super heavyweight walker, Mechadon. In Season 2.0 of the Comedy Central series, filmed in November 2000, it made a surprise return as a middleweight entry. Alongside the familiar saw and lifter, a new hammer module was added to its interchangeable weapon selection. The Master initially benefited from a forfeit by The Emasculator, before winning two televised fights to reach the semi-finals of the main division. These were both via judges' decisions against Subject to Change Without Reason (36-9) and Blade Runner (28-17) respectively. The Master was intended to fight El Diablo for a place in the overall middleweight final, but was forced to forfeit the match due to a burnt-out motor.^Citation?

The Master in BattleBots Season 2.0

The Master in BattleBots Season 2.0 with its spiked lifter

The Master in BattleBots Season 2.0 with its hammer

The Master in BattleBots Season 5.0

After a two-year hiatus, The Master returned once again in Season 5.0. Its Season 2.0 performance granted it a seeded position, enabling it to automatically bypass the preliminary rounds and begin its run in the Round of 32. There, The Master won its first fight of the season against Jack Rabbit, on a close 24-21 judges' decision. Progressing to the Round of 16, it then found itself being impaled on the spikestrips by Ankle Biter, having lost its saw and one of its tire treads in the earlier stages. The Master was counted out and eliminated, in what would turn out to be its last competition battle.

Even following the cancellation of the Comedy Central show, Mark Setrakian continues to be involved with BattleBots to this day. After serving as one of the Judges for the unaired 2009 Championships, he created the Axis series of robots for the rebooted ABC and Discovery seasons. Fitted with independently-articulating claws, three iterations of Axis have been built to date, all functioning as animated display stands for the Giant Nut trophy. In addition, Setrakian was invited to reprise his 2009 role as a guest Judge for the first two episodes of the 2018 Discovery season, joining full-time Judge Derek Young and recurring judge Naomi Kyle. The first three battles of the season all resulted in Judges' decisions, in favor of Bite Force, DUCK! and HUGE respectively, allowing Setrakian to decide the victors for close, albeit unanimous, battles.

Mark Setrakian also formed his own robot combat show, the one-off series Robot Combat League, which premiered in early 2013 on the US network SyFy. Unlike most other shows of its kind, Robot Combat League involved a tournament between humanoid-style machines weighing over 1,000lbs each, fighting in a manner not too dissimilar to those in the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots game. Twelve robots were specially created for the show by Setrakian and a team from his company Spectral Motion, which included hydraulic and pneumatic systems to operate the articulated torsos and limbs.

In October 2022, Mark Setrakian showcased a new walking robot - Stalker - during filming for BattleBots World Championship VII. Weighing a total of 77lbs, Stalker is capable of full articulation and multi-directional movement through its five-legged design, serving as a prototype demonstrating possibilities for future walking designs. Upon the conclusion of filming, Setrakian was formally inducted into the BattleBots Hall of Fame alongside Robot Wars creator Marc Thorpe, also receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions towards the American show.

Trivia

• Robot Wars competitors such as Sumpthing and Xenomorph bore very similar designs to The Master, potentially taking design cues from it.
• For pioneering the axlebot design and popularizing the concept of interchangeable weapons, The Master was inducted into The Combat Robot Hall of Fame in 2011.

External Links

• The Master (BattleBots)