---
title: "Robot combat"
chunk: 6/11
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot_combat"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:20:55.912995+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

Flipper – Although mechanically resembling a lifter, the flipper uses much higher levels of pneumatic power to launch a lifting arm or panel upward at high acceleration similar to a catapult. An effective flipper can throw opponents end-over-end through the air, causing damage from the landing impact or, in Robot Wars, toss it completely out of the arena. Flippers use a large volume of compressed gas and often have a limited number of effective attacks before their supply runs low.
CO2-powered flippers are among the most abundant weapon types in UK heavyweight competitions. The two-time Robot Wars champion Chaos 2 used a flipping plate powerful enough to throw other robots out of the arena. Other successful Robot Wars flippers include Series 5 runner-up Bigger Brother, Series 8 champion Apollo, and Series 10 champion Eruption, among many others. Behemoth, armed with a flipping scoop, has been competing continuously since Series 2 in 1998 and finally reached joint 3rd place in Series 10 in 2017. Some British flippers have been significantly more successful in untelevised competitions, such as Ripper, Kronic, and the Iron Awe series. British flippers have also competed in China, including Vulcan (from Team Apollo) and Tánshè (TIFR runner-up, from Team Hurtz)
While most flippers operate with the flipping mechanism hinged at the machine's rear, Robot Wars' Firestorm achieved remarkable success with a front-hinged flipper, placing third in Robot Wars on three separate occasions (Series 3, 5, and 6) and never failing to advance to the series' semifinal rounds. Robot Wars Series 2 runner-up Cassius also utilized a front-hinged flipping arm.
Most American flippers utilize Nitrogen gas, though carbon dioxide was also used back in the old Battlebots, but this gas has been banned now. Team Inertia Labs has had great success in BattleBots with robots utilizing a characteristic flipping arm design. Their machines include BattleBots 4.0 superheavyweight champion Toro, BattleBots 5.0 middleweight champion T-Minus, and BattleBots 2015 semi-finalist Bronco. A similar flipping mechanism was used by 2006–2010 RoboGames superheavyweight competitor Ziggy, a machine so dominant that it has been attributed as one of several factors responsible for the retirement of the superheavyweight class. Ziggy's heavyweight successor, Ziggy Jr., competes in BattleBots under the name Lucky.
Experimental flippers have seen some success in recent seasons of BattleBots. Hydra, introduced by Team Whyachi in 2019, is able to store a huge number of powerful flips by relying on compressed hydraulic fluid rather than pneumatic gas. Blip, introduced by Team Seems Reasonable in 2021, powers its flipping plate using energy stored in a cord wound by an electric flywheel.
Stabber – Mechanically similar to the flipper is the stabber, a rare weapon type that throws or stabs opponents forward with a pneumatic spike. An effective stabber can penetrate into the opponent, damage vital inner parts. When they fail to penetrate, they throw their opponent back across the arena into walls or traps. Stabbers typically use a large volume of compressed gas, which limits the number of times they can fire their weapon in a fight. Classic BattleBots superheavyweight competitor Rammstein was a stabber.
Clamper / Grabber – Clampers and Grabbers are an example of robots oriented around controlling and grappling their opponents rather than direct damage. They make use of an arm or claw that descends from above to secure the opposing robot in place on a wedge or lifting platform. In some clampers, the entire assembly may lift and carry the opponent wherever the operator pleases: these were called grapplers. Diesector, the superheavyweight champion of BattleBots 2.0 and 5.0, combined an electric clamper with smaller hammer arms. Middleweight BattleBots 4.0 runner-up Complete Control was another successful lifting clamper. Big Nipper, a horizontal grabber/lifter, won several untelevised championships in the UK after the end of Robot Wars. Bite Force won the 2015 season of BattleBots using a grabbing arm as its only form of weaponry, though in subsequent series its design was modified into a vertical spinner on a four-wheeled chassis.
Crusher – Crushers are similar to grabbers, though they emphasize damage via one or more piercing hydraulic arms. Like flywheels, crushers can be separated into horizontal and vertical variants. Robot Wars Series 5 champion Razer was the first vertical crusher, and by far the most successful of its era. Another UK-built vertical crusher, Spectre, won the first King of Bots tournament in 2018, and has competed in BattleBots 2019 and 2023 under the name Quantum. Two-time Robot Wars Annihilator champion Kan-Opener was armed with a pair of horizontal crushing claws, one of the few examples of a successful horizontal crusher.

=== Hammers and axes ===
Swinging an overhead axe, spike, or hammer at high speed onto an opponent offers another method of attacking the vulnerable top surface. The weapon is typically driven by a pneumatic or electric actuator via a rack and pinion or direct mechanical linkage. The attack may damage the opposing robot directly or may lodge in their robot and provide a handle for dragging them toward a trap. Several successful hammerbots have been designed by UK's Team Hurtz: Battlebots 1.0 heavyweight semi-finalist Killerhurtz was armed with a spike-headed pneumatic axe, Robot Wars Series 6 grand finalist Terrorhurtz possessed a two-bladed pneumatic axe, and Battlebots 2016 quarter-finalist Beta utilized an electric hammer. Robot Wars Series 2 grand finalist Killertron was one of the earliest effective examples of an axebot, with a two-headed electrically powered pickaxe. Other successful hammerbots include Deadblow (BattleBots 1.0 middleweight runner-up), FrenZy (BattleBots 2.0 heavyweight semi-finalist), Dominator 2 (Robot Wars series 4–6 competitor), Thor (Robot Wars series 6–10 competitor), Chomp (BattleBots 2016 quarter-finalist), and Shatter! (BattleBots 2021 quarter-finalist). Chomp is a rare example of a combat robot with autonomous technology, with hardware and software integrated so that it always faces its opponent during a match.