Top 10 Best IRL Bots of 2012

[MassimoV]

    I’ve been looking around the forum and decided, some great IRL bots have been made this year.   And I was wondering which the best is.  I’ve looked around and found my favorites.  Now this list is completely opinion based and I might have forgotten one of another so if you think differently, you can try making your own list.  I really liked some of the bots built.  One of my rules is not to include a builder twice to allow more variety.  So now off to the fun part, I give you: THE BEST IRL BOTS OF 2012!

10. Sudden Impact-Scrapyard24c

     A newcomer this year who’s been showing real building potential.  I particularly liked this one mostly cause it was exactly like something you would see in an earlier season of BattleBots.  Now a 4wd SnS with the wheels in that orientation is not the best functionally but aesthetically, it looks really cool.  I also remembered watch the Sudden Impact truck race when I was little so maybe it’s also nostalgic for me.  Scrapyard has been playing a lot of Minecraft recently but I know he’ll be back to building eventually.

9. Spitfire-090901

     Despite 090901 spending a lot of time in the junkyard, he can still build really well. I also have the same respect for Mr. AS, but we’re not talking about stock here.  This one I really admired for a couple of reasons.  First it was a flame bot which are awesome.  The wheel guards were also very cool. The back DSL bar back worked well and the top symbol fit with the bot and its general air to it.  If the ram plates weren’t there and maybe had a sponsor logo or two, it might even have been ranked hire; it’s still an awesome robot.

8. Remove Before Flight-D-Lark

      Now, D-Lark just came back but this was too awesome not to mention.  I always love when bots have eyes on their skin. It harkens back to DSC’s robots (who isn’t on the list as he hasn’t built since 2011). I think a dirt layer was added too giving it a worn look to it.  The shape of it was pretty cool and it had the 09 wheel guards with spikes as a plus.  The only thing I would chance is maybe use an aluminum skirt instead of a DSL bar as a flipper which looks a little awkward.  Still, it‘s pretty great and I hope D-Lark sticks around to build more IRL and more in general.

7. Tony Terror-Plazmic Inferno

      For most of 2012 Plazmic’s building would be, well, boring.  That all changed with Terror Tony.  Terror Tony’s skin was awesome.  The black and yellow flame looked awesome and so did the face on the front.  The dual T-Minus arms was also a good idea.  They might have been lower than the bot but the video he posted proved it didn’t affect its performance.  Since Terror Tony, Plazmic has been putting more effort into the skins and the bot designs in general to this day.  He’s been building great and will probably make the 2013 list if he keeps it up.

6. AggroCat 2-Thyrus

      How could I forget this bot?  It’s an iconic bot from one of the fathers of IRL building.  The back motor guards look like some Nordic armor and the S3 wheels were a great choice for this one.  I think he used a burst hinge for the flippers though. I can’t really blame him though; you can’t get 6 BSGs in there without being sloppy.  I would probably call it the best St. Agro style flipper built to date.  I really hope Thyrus keeps building cause he is really good at it.

5.  Super Cell-Click Beetle

      What better way to start the upper half of the chart with the exalted one himself, Click Beetle.  Super Cell is one of the first bots with those motor overhead and drive below bar kind of set ups.  It might have been the first one to do so and make it look very awesome, at least in the HW category where the weapon motor is inside the chassis.  The skin is awesome as you would expect the tail on top look really cool.  Not to mention the storm skirts and let me tell you that working with storm skirts is only less annoying than working with tornado wedges. Click managed to use them perfectly.  He hasn’t been on since last year but he’ll be back and just as awesome as ever.

4. Osiris-Classicus

      Classicus has a building style which I’ve only seen resembled in Domanating and Unreal (who aren’t appearing because Dom doesn’t build IRL and all of Unreal’s bots are gone).  This style is perfectly shown in Osiris.  First, the bot’s an IRL SHW; those are hard to come by.  The skinning on the components is fantastic.  The idea of a 4-way hammer is really cool. And that Dominator 2 component on top really just completes the bot.  Classicus took a hiatus after Osiris was revealed but he’s said he’s going to build more which is pleasing to all of us.

3. Capital Punishment-Virus Bomb

      This guy needs more comments.  He is a DSL virtuoso.  And that shows in this SHW VS.  All the intricate work done on the disc support is really nice. The sloped back is cool cause you never do see that shape. The weapon setup is also pretty killer. It’s not a huge disc or bar, almost a grinder of sorts.  The Overkill wheels are a great choice as they really fit with the bot.  I really hope Virus Bomb continuous to make strong IRL bots.

2.  Drakina-NFX

      Wow, a lot of effort went into this one. All the extender work on the eyes, the mouth, the body, and the tail.  It was based on one of NFX old CADs which I can’t find because his imageshack account committed suicide.  The jaw with fire coming out is amazing. He even went out of the way to add some teeth.  The wheel guards were ingenious too.  The hex plate with the angled skirt is brilliant.  Drakina will be in Live Designs AI so everyone can have it. NFX has been busy at university but he’s too good of a member so he’ll build more. Special Note: Shout out for his Iron Oxide showing that stock IRL can be cool too.

Before I announce my winner, I want to show some other good ones as honorable mentions:

•Electric Boogaloo Clone- SKBT

SKBT is very underrated.  He can design one mean bot.  My favorite is this unnamed EB-esque bot. Cool disc, cool plow, I love.

•Clever Heist-Jack Daniels

This is Jack’s only bot this year, but boy is it good.  The inward facing wheels are cool.  The undercutting backlash disc is done well and the screw edging is neat.

•Electric Ray-Badnik96

Badnik’s bots have a lot of personality.  This one’s was cute.  The small size, the deep blue, the eyes, and the TDD saw make for a cool bot and the tail is nice too.

•Crocodile Rock-Conraaa

A great builder this Conraaa guy is.  I really like the atmosphere this bot gives off.  The smirk, the texture, and the drum set up. Cool bot.

•Viper 2-Fotepx

It’s too bad that Fotepx’s DSL broke he’s a good builder.  I really like the blue hypno teeth, very clean.

•Crasp Drone 2-Craaig

A Craaig VS with some MS Paint skills, enough has been said.

And finally…

1.Sludge Bomb 2-Scrap Daddy

     You can’t beat Scrap Daddy.  He’s the new king.  The last 3 bots were on cause they’re intricacy, but this combines both simplistic design with some complexity.  You see the bot and think, “12 wheels!” And yeah, 12 wheels is right.  I have never seen anything like it.  The flipper arm is cool too and how it use extenders below to give the illusion of a pneumatic flipper.  The chassis is open allowing for a sweet skin.  The way he skinned the front wedge was brilliant.  This maybe my second favorite IRL bot ever (Thunderhead by Clickbeetle is first).  Thus, it earns my favorite IRL bot of 2012.

I hope you enjoyed the review.  Feel free to share your opinions and make your own if you want. Thanks for reading!

[090901]

Why would I add sponsor decals to a robot that is skinned from a World War 2 fighter plane?

[MassimoV]

Cause it would look cool. It's still pretty awesome.

[Squirrel_Monkey]

Nothing from me?

[madman3]

Good list. I disagree with some and I think Virus Bomb had the best but whatever.

[Sylandro]

Good job! But, where is BOW?

[GoldenFox93]

No Arsonist? Ah well. There's some pretty awesome designs in there, so let's see what else I can come up to match them...

[ty4er]

sadface


i disagree with some of these but i guess its an ok list

[Tweedy]

Thanks ! 
I'll be starting to build a lot more now my exams are over I just need to find some inspiration !

[MassimoV]

Nothing from me?

There's only so much I could add on the list.

sadface


i disagree with some of these but i guess its an ok list

See above.

Good job! But, where is BOW?

It's not that great.

No Arsonist? Ah well. There's some pretty awesome designs in there, so let's see what else I can come up to match them...

Thought that was 2011, oh well.

[Conraaa]

Honourable Mention? I can live with that.

[090901]

The shape of it was pretty cool and it had the 09 wheel guards with spikes as a plus.

I'm trademarking these things now.

[GoldenFox93]

No Arsonist? Ah well. There's some pretty awesome designs in there, so let's see what else I can come up to match them...

Thought that was 2011, oh well.

Actually, I've just checked, and I made it in August 2012.

[Mr. AS]

tbh i think drakina > sludge bomb, but apart from that i think its pretty accurate.

No Arsonist?

arsonist is unrealistic

[GoldenFox93]

No Arsonist?

arsonist is unrealistic

Well, only really with the flamethrower if you look at it on the inside- on the outside it looks OK, and the DSL3 replica of Alcoholic Stepfather uses the same system. It's only really for increasing the burnination it can deal, and even then, the other two internal ones are easily removable if it's that much of a problem.

[Badnik96]

Yay for honorable mention!

Yeah Electric Ray is definitely the best thing I've made this past year.

[090901]

Well, only really with the flamethrower if you look at it on the inside- on the outside it looks OK, and the DSL3 replica of Alcoholic Stepfather uses the same system. It's only really for increasing the burnination it can deal, and even then, the other two internal ones are easily removable if it's that much of a problem.

Are you done trying to prove the point that your robot is better than everybody else's robots?

[Tweedy]

Well, only really with the flamethrower if you look at it on the inside- on the outside it looks OK, and the DSL3 replica of Alcoholic Stepfather uses the same system. It's only really for increasing the burnination it can deal, and even then, the other two internal ones are easily removable if it's that much of a problem.

Are you done trying to prove the point that your robot is better than everybody else's robots?

He's not, he's just trying to explain something. No reason to jump on him like that man.

[cephalopod]

Awesome to see CD2 making an Honorable Mention. Probably my favourite thing I've built in years.

[GoldenFox93]

Well, only really with the flamethrower if you look at it on the inside- on the outside it looks OK, and the DSL3 replica of Alcoholic Stepfather uses the same system. It's only really for increasing the burnination it can deal, and even then, the other two internal ones are easily removable if it's that much of a problem.

Are you done trying to prove the point that your robot is better than everybody else's robots?

He's not, he's just trying to explain something. No reason to jump on him like that man.

Indeed. That wasn't my intention at all, and I apologise if I came off that way- all I did was explain why I went with that particular system, and how it could easily be changed if need be.
 
 
Thanks for that by the way, Plazmic.