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Battlebots Metal Mechanics Reviews
| Deadblow (version 1) One of the first toys in the range that is also a kit. It really does feel like you're assembing a combat robot because not only are the parts made of metal, but there's even a motor to power the weapon and it requires batteries. Of course, it's a lot safer, easier and less expensive to build than the real thing generally is, and that only makes it more fun. The weapon is relatively fast, but not as fast as the real robot's weapon, which racked up 112 hits in a single match. The wheels also have the wrong color for the tires, but that may have been down to time. Deadblow (version 2) Compared to version 1, not much has changed. Now, there's a rubber extension you can screw onto the weapon head to give it the ability to flip opponents, though it's not even able to right itself so don't expect any miracles here. There's also the anti-wedge skirts from its Season 3.0 matches, but instead of being hinged, they're screwed onto the modified chassis. Some versions of this and the other kits available at the time had stickers to mimic battle damage seen on the show. The nameplate stickers are also updated to note that these are from the BattleBots TV show, though I'm sure anyone seeing the logo on the box would understand. https://battlebots.fandom.com/wiki/Deadblow/Metal_Mechanics?so=search |
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Overkill Overkill's rather simple design allowed it to become a toy too, though it lacks the torque-reaction function of the real robot. At least the blade is pretty flexible and clearly resembles the real robot's weapon of the time. The other downside is that the blade doesn't go as far back as it did in real life. Instead, there's a rubber pully in the slot for the weapon and it forces the weapon to bounce off and slam forward, mimicing the real robot's weapon. The wheels are also quite large, but don't expect the same amount of durability. https://battlebots.fandom.com/wiki/OverKill/Metal_Mechanics?so=search |
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Ronin As a Quarter and Semi-Finalist, Ronin had quite a bit of merchandise, and was one of the four original Road Champs Metal Mechanics kits. Unfortunately, unlike the other kits in the range, there's serious drawbacks with this kit. The treads are much too stiff to allow movement and the instructions show the sticker being put on the blade after the blade is installed when it should be beforehand. The weapon does at least give a reasonable speed and somewhat mimics the real robot's ability to pivot, but isn't going to be that effective during a match. https://battlebots.fandom.com/wiki/Ronin/Metal_Mechanics?so=search |
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Backlash (version 1) It was only natural to have the former champ be a buildable kit by Road Champs, and it's faithfully replicated. What kind of irks me though is the weapon teeth are thick enough to get caught on the pully that powers the weapon, leaving the disc to temporary stop as it gets up to speed. It still features the iconic wheel hubs, though there's an axle running through where the wedge connects to the rest of the body, making it feel a bit unrealistic. Moving the toy on carpet doesn't help much either as the wedge tends to be open. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Backlash (version 2) Much like the re-release of the Deadblow kit, the Backlash kit was re-released with slight changes that coincided with the real robot's changes for Season 3.0. The disc spins much more smoothly, but still uses the same configuration for the chassis and the new wheels don't seem to be on the ground all that well. https://battlebots.fandom.com/wiki/Backlash/Metal_Mechanics?so=search |
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Tazbot A late additon to the range, likely replacing Ronin as a result, Tazbot was one of the more unique robots in the toy range to get a kit made. It's a bit tricky to assemble though as the chassis doesn't seem to fit smoothly into place. I have no idea how they got the axles to be angled like the real robot, but it worked. Mine came with stickers for battle damage, but the turret is a big letdown. It only moves up and down without any movement of the turret itself and moving the turret manually isn't necessarily all that easy either. The weapon also doesn't stay on all that well and the range of motion is far less than real life. https://battlebots.fandom.com/wiki/Tazbot/Metal_Mechanics?so=search |
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Mauler 5150 A robot that always had potential for success, but never really found it outside the toy line. Much like Tazbot, it's the only robot of its kind to become a kit, but is also quite a letdown. The weapon hardly spins, and will have even less freedom with the stickers applied, especially when they begin to peel off. The handle certainly makes it easier to play with in a battle, but it has very little chance at doing anything meaningful. https://battlebots.fandom.com/wiki/Mauler/Metal_Mechanics?so=search |