This is Fighting Robots (Season 1.5)/Episode 4

This is Fighting Robots title card

"*Some contestants journey [sic] will come to an end as the Team Managers have a difficult decision to make. Battles are getting more and more intense and the managers begin unleashing their best bots!*"
— Official Mech+ programme description for *This is Fighting Robots*, Episode 4

**Episode 4 of *This is Fighting Robots*** originally aired on May 4th, 2018. It concluded the first stage of the **Freestyle Combat** round, while commencing the second, both allowing robots to earn points for their celebrity team managers. All four managers were at a relatively even standing at the start of this episode, with three having scored at least one victory.

A subtitled English version premiered on Mech+ on December 9 2022, livestreamed alongside Episode 1 of *Robot Wars: Battle of the Stars*.

## Competing robots

* Anchor and Shield
* Chronos
* Earth Mover
* EarthShaker
* Firefox
* Polar Opposite
* Sandstorm
* Slash Boy
* Sledgehammer
* Snow Leopard
* Spectre
* Stealth
* Switch
* Vulcan
* White Tiger Guardian
* Xiake
* Zen Oh

*NOTE: The conclusion to a battle between Blue and Ninja, with Bonfire and Griffin Mk II, was revealed at the start of the episode.*

## Freestyle Combat

### Rules

Following on from the previous episode, the **Freestyle Combat** rounds involved the celebrity managers selecting a robot to enter the arena for battles, in the hope of scoring as many points against their opposition as possible. One 'start-up' manager would automatically be entered to fight; the rest having the choice to accept the challenge and battle against them, or not to enter themselves. In the event that no other managers chose to fight, the 'start-up' manager would automatically earn one point for their team.

Head-to-head and three/four-way melees were possible under this format, each of which would have one winner decided by knockout or a Judges' decision. The victorious robot would score one point for their associated manager. Due to the reduced number of robots available in the second round, many battles from that stage would be run as head-to-heads.

Following the conclusion of the first round, the managers' scores would be reset, and the winning manager assigned as the initial 'start-up' for the second. Elimination requirements (see below) would remain the same.

In the second round, only one 'strategizing pause' or 'technical break' was allowed per manager, allowing them to discuss strategies with their roboteers in a five-minute window. Additionally, managers other than the 'start-up' were given a short time limit on whether to join the battle, and were required to put themselves forward in unison at this stage.

## Round 1

### Blue vs Bonfire vs Griffin Mk II vs Ninja

*Main article: This is Fighting Robots (Season 1.5)/Episode 3*
Concluding the Round 1 battle which mainly took place in the previous episode, the winner of the Judges' decision was revealed to be Blue, earning Zheng Shuang's third point of the first Freestyle round.

**Winner: Blue (Zheng Shuang, 1 point)**

### Standings

This victory also enabled Shuang to win the 'first half' of the Freestyle Combat stage outright, with the final points standings being as follows:

 **4th** | **Wu Chun** | 0

### Eliminations

Under the Freestyle Combat rules, second, third and fourth-placed managers were also required to eliminate robots from their teams at this point in the competition.

"*Seeing all of them coming out, without winning even one game but still cheering for each other, I really feel we are a family. Although we lost every fight, we are still in good spirit, cheering each other on, I should say we have already won half of the games.*"
— Wu Chun reflects on his association with the Red team (Mech+ subtitles)

Of these, Wu Chun expressed intense disappointment about the Red team not being able to win any of the first-round bouts, considering the elimination process a 'strike' to himself. Zhang Yishan considered the process 'unacceptable', feeling that it was 'cruel' to eliminate any of his team members at this stage.

Chun added that his team had started to feel like a 'family' thus far, a sentiment backed by the captain of White Tiger Guardian. In response to his statement, a number of Red team roboteers clapped and pledged Chun to 'cheer up'. However, Chun remained highly apologetic to the Bonfire, Mr Hippo and Eater teams, as their eliminations were confirmed. Similarly, Yishan thanked and bowed to his roboteers for supporting the Blue team's campaign, also apologizing to Fango and Griffin Mk II's teams after they had been eliminated.

Prior to Sa Beining announcing his decision, Golden Hoops was expected to be eliminated by various roboteers, including its own captain, the builder of Red River Hong, and Shrederator Tiger Claw's Brian Nave. The former two considered the self-inflicted damage from its Freestyle round, along with a general lack of aggression and assertiveness in battle.

However, despite its strong performance in the preliminary group battles, Beining controversially opted to drop Saber II from his line-up. Excalibur team captain Xuan Yuan Wen Chen was among those disagreeing with the decision, which was made to allow the similarly-armed EarthShaker to fight for the first time.

"*I was very shocked that day, you know. I wonder which one is stronger, or which one is weaker? Maybe he has his own ideal, but the people in this industry don't get it.* "
— Xuan Yuan Wen Chen, on his surprise at Saber II's elimination

The robots eliminated by the end of the first Freestyle round were as follows:

## Round 2

### Setup, First 'Start-up' Manager

As winner of the first Freestyle round, Zheng Shuang was automatically assigned as the 'start-up' manager for the first fight of Round 2. Immediately, Shuang requested to take a 'technical break', as did Wu Chun, to the initial amusement of co-presenter Wang Cong. Sa Beining - having reminded Shuang on the 'one break' limit - was himself growing apprehensive, jokingly interrupting the process to request a 'bathroom' break of his own. The Yellow team manager noted to Zhang Yishan that Shuang still had 'trump cards' which were yet to fight. Among the machines Beining mentioned included Sandstorm, Spectre and the as-yet "unknown" Vulcan.

"*Follow, follow if White Tiger appears.*"
— Zheng Jianfeng, mentioning White Tiger Guardian as one of Wu Chun's strongest hopes

Red team roboteers including Liu Kunfeng and Zheng Jianfeng advised Chun on which robots to send into battle, the latter recommending the vertical spinner White Tiger Guardian. However, Chun was unable to select a 'start-up' robot before the end of the allotted time.

Similar discussions took place between Shuang and the Green team members. Alan Young agreed to enter Vulcan first, with Shuang also proposing a challenge against Two BBQ in the second battle. Grant Cooper recommended against the latter, highlighting that the Green team had only four robots still available, compared to five on the remaining sides. The Green team thus elected to take advantage of a potential break by not fighting Two BBQ at all.

### Firefox vs Vulcan vs Zen Oh

#### Robot Draws

Shuang committed to selecting Vulcan as her 'start-up' machine, marking its combat debut in this series. Zhang Yishan and Sa Beining felt that the British axe bot ranked highly among their estimations of competing robots, believing it to be positioned '7 or 8' or in 'the top 3' respectively. Wu Chun also considered Vulcan 'very hard' for his roster to beat, while Shuang remained convinced that it was the best axe or hammer-wielding robot in the competition.

"*So, we always work as a family. My sister's there in Vulcan, and so, hopefully, we'll cheer you on, we'll keep going, and fingers crossed for the win. Good luck!*"
— Grant Cooper, sending his best wishes to sister Sam, driver of Vulcan

Grant Cooper wished his sister Sam - Vulcan's driver - good fortune, before the remaining managers were prompted on the revised 'opt-in' rules by Wang Cong. Zhang Yishan commented on the tougher nature of the later stage; if he, Beining and Chun all chose to abstain, he highlighted the possibility of Vulcan automatically winning while being left unscathed.

Sa Beining, deep in thought, was still inconclusive upon responding to Cong's request. Ultimately, he chose to abstain while Wu Chun and Zhang Yishan formed a three-way draw. Beining insisted to David that he was doing this to give the Yellow team a break, following their consistent first round appearances. Others, including the Golden Hoops team, favorably noted that this decision was likely made to preserve his remaining robots, ahead of later battles.

"*[Vulcan] is the best, and if any of our robots battles with them, it'll be a hard time.*"
— Sa Beining, on his decision to not challenge Vulcan

Of the remaining entries, Wu Chun chose Firefox, noting CK Robotics Club's championship-winning success in Indian competitions. Meanwhile, Zhang Yishan confidently nominated Zen Oh, a selection pleasing members of Team REC following the Portugeuse machine's destructive performance in the preliminaries.

"*I think that is a good choice. I can't say that it is the best, but it is a good choice in the same way.*"
— Guilherme Ferreira on Zen Oh's selection to battle Vulcan

#### Combat

"*When I saw them prepare it, I felt [its] power. Wu Zun thinks the same way. That will be a tough fight! So we two will join to beat it.*"
— Zhang Yishan reveals his and Wu Chun's plan to team up against Vulcan (Mech+ subtitles)

Before the battle began, Vulcan impressed Sa Beining, Zhang Yishan and Wu Chun during test movements, especially through its pneumatically-adjustable ground clearance. Realizing the potential power of Zheng Shuang's entry, the latter two made a pact to form a 2v1 strategy against it. Discussing their tactics from outside the arena, Chun and Yishan agreed to immobilize Vulcan first before battling each other with their representing robots. Both the Zen Oh and Firefox teams were instructed to avoid each other's machines until this occurred, in order to scupper a potentially dominant performance from the experienced UK competitor.

Immediately, Vulcan darted towards and pursued Zen Oh across the arena, eventually deflecting it a few times and trying to axe the Portuguese machine’s top. However, it missed, sparks flying as its axe head struck the floor; CO2 vented copiously from Vulcan as it continued deflecting and pushing Zen Oh across the arena. During this time, it finally axed the top of Zen Oh, albeit without causing any major damage, and shepherded Zen Oh towards a sluggish Firefox.

As an aghast Zhang Yishan watched on, Zen Oh turned sharply, hitting the side of Firefox. The attack resulted in Firefox’s front-left wheel being ripped off and the Indian machine almost overturning - a maneuver which Wu Chun immediately felt regretful for. Firefox’s rear-left wheel collapsed as it tried to maneuver across the arena, resulting in it becoming immobilized. Vulcan buffeted Zen Oh away once more before being lifted by the battle rings.

Despite their earlier coming-together, Zen Oh turned round and proceeded to hit Firefox one more time, throwing the Foxic-style machine upside-down into the wall.

**Xiao Cang**: "*Firefox was demolished! It is an unexpected disaster!*"
**Wang Tao**: "*Zen Oh knocks down Firefox by accident.*"
— The aftermath as Zen Oh eliminates Firefox (Mech+ subtitles, edited)

Shorting out - and with an entire drive motor and gearbox resting on the floor - Firefox was finally eliminated via knockout. CK Robotics Club were left especially crestfallen by this turn of events, along with Chun and Yishan as their strategy lay in tatters.

"*Vulcan chases after Zen Oh, and Zen Oh has no way to hide. Vulcan moves quickly with strong fighting power. Finally realize why it's called "Vulcan". It's so powerful.*"
— Wang Tao as Vulcan continues to pressure Zen Oh into the wall spikes

From that point, Vulcan continued its initial assault, deflecting and pushing Zen Oh into the corner as it again missed an axe blow. Pinning Zen Oh against the wall, it prevented the Portuguese machine from getting its bar spinner up to speed while trying to axe it twice more, before continuing to maneuver it into the center of the arena. Zen Oh’s spinner began rotating again, allowing it to knock Vulcan onto the circular saws.

The British machine escaped undamaged, however, and proceeded to ram Zen Oh head-on, deflecting Zen Oh into the air. This impact appeared to disable Zen Oh’s spinner entirely, allowing Vulcan to pin it against the spikes again while repeatedly axing its top panel. Vulcan’s attacks - impressing Sa Beining - immobilized Zen Oh completely, enabling the Team Robots Live! machine to emerge victorious and score Zheng Shuang's first point in this round.

Amidst elation from Shuang - and to applause from the audience and other roboteers - Vulcan celebrated its win by spinning and throwing itself into a victory dance using its axe. Following the battle, Sam Cooper’s driving was praised by her brother Grant. Meanwhile, Sa Beining expressed relief at having chosen not to enter the melee, as Chun and Yishan reconciled over their defeats. Chun admitted later on that he was left 'scared' by Vulcan's speed and relentless overhead attacks.

"*So, Sam did brilliantly in that last battle. They kept perfect control over the most dangerous robot in the arena, and kept on it all the way. So, absolutely brilliant performance, and we look forward to seeing them go further through the competition. Well done, really good!*"
— Grant Cooper (Team Spectre) congratulates his sister Sam following Vulcan’s victory

**Winner: Vulcan (Zheng Shuang, 1 point)**

### Slash Boy vs Snow Leopard vs Xiake

#### 'Start-up' Manager Draw

"*I suggest we change the title of this show into "This is Fighting Zheng Shuang".*"
— Sa Beining

With Zheng Shuang continuing her dominant form, Sa Beining light-heartedly suggested that he, Zhang Yishan and Wu Chun form an 'alliance' to fight against her successful team. Beining, already conceding defeat, was reminded by Wang Cong that "second place is very important, too", at which point the second 'start-up' decision process began.

Shuang asked Beining - himself taking written notes - on the number of robots left on his roster, to no avail. After a moment's hesitation, she nominated Yishan, who chose Snow Leopard as his representative machine. Beining commented on the unproven nature of the Kazakhstan entrant, which Yishan admitted was picked based on its limited damage potential.

"*Since I'm starting, everyone will pick one that's able to specifically suppress mine. They will pick the robot to defeat me, so I might as well find one of the robots in my team, that, relatively speaking, can't do too much damage.*"
— Zhang Yishan

Though confident about facing Snow Leopard, Chun was concerned about Shuang's potential entry into this match. It was at this point when Shuang revealed that she had already made a decision, while Yishan monologued about his changed stance over "winning and losing" since the start of the series.

"*During the 20 and more years before I entered this show, I have never been a person that cared much about winning and losing. After I entered this show... I started to care a lot about winning. Because it is very cruel to send your teammate home with your own hands.*"
— Zhang Yishan (Mech+ subtitles, edited)

Once Cong finished her countdown, Chun and Beining jointly rose up to Yishan's challenge. Chun's conviction was proven by Shuang choosing to abstain, consistent with the strategy established between her and the Green team roboteers. Beining refused to be confident with Shuang's absence, however, revealing to Wang Cong his objective to conserve as many of his robots as possible.

In response to Snow Leopard, Slash Boy (Beining) and Xiake (Chun) were selected as opponents. Beining recollected confidence in the former's team, having been informed by its driver that Slash Boy was the "best" horizontal bar spinner in the competition. Xiake's selection, however, prompted anguish from both Beining and Yishan. Chiyung Jinlun's track record and victory over Megabyte in *King of Bots* were addressed, along with unanimous optimism from Red team members surrounding their potential first victory in this stage.

#### Combat

Xiake and Snow Leopard immediately targeted one another, and sparks flew when Xiake's drum collided with the front forks of Snow Leopard. This caused the Kazakh team to flee, but Snow Leopard drove straight into the bar spinner of Slash Boy. This halted its progress, and Xiake bulldozed its way past Slash Boy to strike the exposed wheels of Snow Leopard, ripping one of them away. Snow Leopard was driven into the arena wall, and became immobilized, eliminating it from the battle.

Xiake and Slash Boy fought on, but even though Snow Leopard had already been eliminated, its manager Zhang Yishan was still able to activate the floor ejector. When Xiake drove over the ejector board, Yishan activated it, allowing him to turn the drum spinner over. This proved to be critical, as Xiake's drum no longer made contact with Slash Boy, for its solid wedge protruded further outwards, and Xiake's drum also sub-optimally spun downwards. Nevertheless, after a brief period of inactivity, Xiake drove across the arena and slammed into Slash Boy's bar spinner, ramming it into a wall. Either as a result of this attack, or beforehand, a chain slipped from Slash Boy's weapon, rendering the bar spinner useless.

The inverted Xiake rammed Slash Boy into a mace, although both robots were struck by the hazard. Slash Boy fled from the pursuing Xiake, and drove over the electric saws, causing sparks to fly. In the final ten seconds of the battle, Xiake caught Slash Boy side-on, and forcefully drove the latter into an arena corner. This was deemed to be an instantaneous knockout onscreen, giving Xiake victory and awarding Wu Chun's jubilant team their very first Freestyle point.

"*It is very smart. It knows when to back out and when to attack. It can always find the best opportunity to fight his opponent. He is the God of war.*"
— Wu Chun praises Xiake's methodological approach to arena combat

**Winner: Xiake (Wu Chun, 1 point)**

### EarthShaker vs Polar Opposite vs Stealth vs Switch

#### 'Start-up' Manager Draw

Though Wu Chun was victorious in the previous battle, the responsibility to select the next 'start-up' was placed on Zhang Yishan. Sa Beining suggested that he choose Zheng Shuang, opining that she hadn't "sent out her best robots yet". Shuang agreed, and quickly chose South Korean undercutter Stealth as her 'start-up' machine.

"*I chose Stealth because I think its overall ability in my team is a little low, but the advantage is its agility.*"
— Zheng Shuang, explaining her reasoning behind picking Stealth

The remaining three managers all chose to join in, making up a four-way melee also involving EarthShaker (Beining), Switch (Yishan) and Polar Opposite (Chun). Beining aimed to use EarthShaker's flipper to counter Stealth, while Yishan grew confident that the yellow UK hammer bot would secure him his first Round 2 victory. Polar Opposite's team and multibot design were observed by Chun to "collaborate well" in combat, with its interchangeable vertical spinners also being considered advantageous over the horizontal type Stealth employed.

#### Combat

All four competitors were initially hesitant to attack each other, until EarthShaker launched Switch into the air after the yellow UK machine drove up its flipper. Throwing itself upside-down, Switch was flipped again by EarthShaker while Positive Charge - the turquoise half of Polar Opposite - hit the side of Stealth. Negative Charge proceeded to get underneath and briefly push Switch backwards, although Switch threw itself off with its hammer.

Meanwhile, Stealth attacked the front of EarthShaker, shaking violently as its ground clearance was breached. Switch drove up Negative Charge's wedge, and was pushed onto one of the floor ejectors by the orange multibot. The flipper threw both machines off-balance, with Switch firing its hammer at Negative Charge as the latter shoved it into its twin, Positive Charge. All five robots converged in the center of the arena, with EarthShaker throwing Switch over as the British machine pushed Negative Charge back.

Again, Switch self-righted flamboyantly; nearby, both halves of Polar Opposite proceeded to gang up on Stealth. Positive Charge then pushed EarthShaker sideways, which threw Switch over yet again as the latter sustained a side-on blow from Stealth’s spinner. As Switch self-righted and retreated, Stealth - along with the Polar Opposite segements - pursued after EarthShaker. A split-second after being rammed by Positive Charge, Stealth tore EarthShaker’s left wheel off, immobilizing it, to Sa Beining's anguish.

"*I didn't realize my opponents had discovered EarthShaker's weakest point.*"
— Sa Beining, as EarthShaker loses a wheel to Stealth's spinner

Polar Opposite resumed its duel with Switch, only for Stealth to hit both parts and cause Positive Charge to flip over. As it made repeated collisions with Stealth’s spinner, Negative Charge was deflected underneath Switch, allowing Negative Charge to ram the British entry into the walls. As Switch escaped over the fire pit, Negative Charge again drove into Stealth’s spinner, sparks flying as it deflected and manoeuvred the South Korean machine into the spikes.

Negative Charge continued its onslaught on Switch, pushing and carrying it into the maces and spikes, while Stealth clipped the battle rings. Stealth attacked Negative Charge again, causing Switch to be thrown off the orange multibot and allowing it to escape, albeit with its front wheels suspended off the floor. Negative Charge slammed head-on into Stealth twice more, before Stealth landed one last hit on Switch near the fire pit jets.

Time ran out, with the three remaining competitors surviving to a Judges’ decision. The decision ruled in favor of Stealth, earning Zheng Shuang her second point in the second Freestyle round, and her fifth in total.

Polar Opposite's performance, particularly that of Negative Charge, was also highly praised, the latter being driven by Liu Kunfeng’s son. Wu Chun personally congratulated the latter shortly after the decision was announced.

"*Though we didn't win the first place, the second place is an encouragement for us.*"
— Wu Chun, buoyed by Polar Opposite's runner-up finish

**Winner: Stealth (Zheng Shuang, 1 point)**

### Sledgehammer vs Two BBQ

"*Mr. Sa is so eager to score and picks his best robot, Two BBQ.*"
— Wang Tao

This head-to-head battle was one of two shown as part of a highlights montage, with very little content shown.

'Start-up' manager Sa Beining opted for Two BBQ in an attempt to score a much-needed point for the Yellow team. All-women Tsinghua University entry Sledgehammer charged in and struck the top of Two BBQ with its hammer, earning an initial advantage on aggression. However, Two BBQ successfully spun up its bar spinner and threw Sledgehammer over in a front-on attack. Sledgehammer could not self-right in response, and Two BBQ emerged victorious via knockout.

"*Game is over. Zhang Yishan's team has only Anchor and Shield left.*"
— Wang Tao

**Winner: Two BBQ (Sa Beining, 1 point)**

### Anchor and Shield vs Earth Mover

By this point in the Freestyle Combat stage, Anchor and Shield - the successor to *King of Bots* competitor Chinese Aegis - was the only robot remaining on Zhang Yishan's team.

In the second fight relegated to the montage, Earth Mover initially sped towards Anchor and Shield as the latter drove straight into the arena wall, halting the momentum of its full-body spinner. Anchor and Shield then drove directly onto Earth Mover's lifter, but later delivered a large blow to the front of the ACE team machine. On another hit, Anchor and Shield sent Earth Mover reeling into a nearby mace. Earth Mover became immobilized upon contact with the mace, allowing Anchor and Shield to salvage a knockout win for Zhang Yishan.

**Winner: Anchor and Shield (Zhang Yishan, 1 point)**

### Chronos vs Sandstorm

#### 'Start-up' Manager Draw

"*This round is essential. I'll need to get the second place. How we decide strategies for later is very important.*"
— Wu Chun

For the first time, all team managers had scored a point in the Freestyle stages. Only Zheng Shuang (Sandstorm and Spectre), Wu Chun (White Tiger Guardian) and Sa Beining (Chronos) had robots left to fight, forcing Zhang Yishan out of the final two battles.

Chun, who was given the choice to fight either Shuang or Beining's machines, considered this battle "essential" to potentially taking the runner-up place on the leaderboard. Beining highlighted to Chun the potential of Shuang defeating both of them in a potential three-way melee. Therefore, a head-to-head was considered more beneficial in terms of points-scoring opportunities for both managers.

"*Wu Zun, if we three fight one another, she will defeat both you and me. But if we fight 1 on 1, it's more likely to score, whether for you or for me.*"
— Sa Beining discusses the benefits of a head-to-head matchup with Wu Chun (Mech+ subtitles)

Beining recommended Chun to select Shuang as the next 'start-up', and for the pair to opt out to give the latter a free point - in effect, securing Shuang's overall victory. This would theoretically allow Beining and Chun to compete for the runner-up spot, their chances of doing so increasing from "30%" to "50%".

"*I sincerely suggest that we let Zheng Shuang win the first place. We just fight 1 on 1... mixed fight has so much uncertainty.*"
— Sa Beining (Mech+ subtitles, edited)

Chun, however, revealed that he felt "upset in my heart" upon hearing this suggestion. Zheng Jianfeng believed that Beining was using this tactic to compromise the Red team's performance, for the sake of improving the Yellow team's own standings. Beining kept persuading Chun to select Shuang until the final seconds of the deciding process.

"*I should pick Zheng Shuang for the sake of the game, but I will pick Mr. Sa for my own sake.*"
— Wu Chun foils Sa Beining's plan

Upon being prompted by Wang Cong, Chun rejected this plan, selecting Beining as 'start-up' manager. The decision was met with appraisal from Red team roboteers, while an annoyed Beining advised Shuang not to select him based on her being absent from Chun's previous victory.

When Beining insisted that Shuang's rejection would secure him an automatic point, Chun questioned whether Beining would "necessarily win" through this method. Chun initially committed himself to the battle upon being asked by Zhang Yishan, stating his preference to fight in a three-way melee. Irritated by this, Beining attempted to persuade Chun to follow through with his "1 on 1" idea. Chun, again, rejected Beining's proposal, on the basis that Chronos would not be a suitable match for his last remaining robot - White Tiger Guardian. This response was praised by Team Xiake captain Zheng Jianfeng, who considered Chun to have a firm, but kind and "level-headed" attitude in this scenario.

"*Since I know Mr. Sa's robot is Chronos. If my White Tiger Guardian fights that, White Tiger will suffer. If I lose, I will have the same points as Mr. Sa. That way I believe is the best choice.*"
— Wu Chun

Chronos' place in the arena was then confirmed, while Chun stated his need to consider "everyone's reasonings" before deciding to commit to this crucial stage.

In a surprise twist, Shuang joined the battle, Chun advising her to use her "strongest" robot while deciding to opt out himself. This lead to confusion and amusement among roboteers and other managers. Chun explained that this was to set up a potential loss for Beining. Should White Tiger Guardian win the following fight against either of Shuang's machines, he would thus be able to leapfrog Beining into second place.

Of her two robot choices, Shuang nominated Sandstorm. Though remembering that Chronos was invertible and had a 360-degree attack reach, she considered Sandstorm to be faster; a notion supported by both robots' prior encounter in the preliminary group battles. Regarding Spectre, Chun was surprised and concerned that it was not selected at this stage. Beining, conversely, was relieved, noting that the Team Relentless machine could not directly perform "lethal" attacks.

#### Combat

Immediately, Sandstorm approached Chronos as the American machine retreated towards the wall spikes. Yellow team captain Sa Beining activated a floor flipper to lift and block Sandstorm, but Sandstorm drove around the flipper to deflect and push Chronos into another set of spikes. Following this, the British machine continued to ram, chase and throw Chronos off-balance, until it drove at high speed into a set of battle rings raised by Beining.

As an anxious Zheng Shaung watched on, Sandstorm recovered from its spin to ram and deflect a spinning Chronos several more times, before inadvertently driving in between the electric saws while trying to flip the American rim spinner over. Chronos darted away, getting its rim spinner up to full speed as Sandstorm continued giving chase. The two machines circled around each other for some time before driving head-on into each others' weapons - the collision with Sandstorm's lifting wedge launched Chronos several feet into the air. Seconds later, Sandstorm caused Chronos to recoil into the wall spikes with another ram.

Following this, Sandstorm deflected Chronos away a few more times, and proceeded to ram underneath it close to the corner. Chronos skittered into the spikes as a result, and struggled to drive away before Sandstorm propped it up against the wall using its lifter. For some time, Chronos remained stranded on the wall, and quickly got its spinning weapon up to speed in an attempt to shake itself off. However, it was almost counted out while doing so - with one second to go before it was due to be eliminated, Chronos finally freed itself, to the delight of Team Ghetto Logic Robotics and Sa Beining.

Sandstorm immediately raised its lifter to keep Chronos on its side, but to no avail as the American machine landed on its wheels. In the closing stages, Sandstorm continued to chase and knock Chronos off-balance, before deflecting and ramming it into the spinning maces. Sandstorm pursued and slammed into Chronos one last time as time ran out, with both robots surviving to a Judges’ decision.

"*It feels like finishing a marathon. This is a long-lasting battle.*"
— Sa Beining, upon the conclusion to an even and unpredictable fight

Before the decision was announced, Wang Cong praised Sa Beining for his operation of the arena hazards, while also remarking on him having been nominated as 'start-up' the most times. Following a match where both competitors put on "world-class" attacks, Zheng Shuang and Sandstorm were revealed as the winners. An elated Shuang thus scored her third point of this round, comfortably securing her place at the top of the Round 2 standings.

**Winner: Sandstorm (Zheng Shuang, 1 point)**

### Spectre vs White Tiger Guardian

#### 'Start-up' Manager Draw

As Sa Beining had run out of available robots, the match was a straightforward head-to-head between Wu Chun and Zheng Shuang's remaining machines. This would give Chun a final chance to secure second overall in this stage. Accompanied by footage of Spectre destroying a ride-on car in the test arena, Grant Cooper anticipated an easy win for his team's hydraulic crusher. Fellow Green team roboteer John Mladenik similarly complimented the "wonderful piece of engineering" behind the *King of Bots* Season 1 champion. Meanwhile, the White Tiger Guardian team dreaded the match-up contemplated by Zheng Jianfeng earlier in this episode.

As an apparent ploy to boost the Red team's score, Chun briefly addressed the possibility of Shuang withdrawing and still winning the entire round. Sa Beining pointed out to Wang Cong that he would only consider letting Shuang fight if she decided to become the final 'start-up' manager. Cong reminded Beining that this would automatically put Shuang at an advantage. Beining was adamant at not letting Chun become the 'start-up', feeling that letting him control the arena hazards would be "too dangerous". Thus, he chose Shuang, to Chun's exasperation.

**Wu Chun**: "*Let's not fight. You let me bump once. Gently bump once! I'll be the second place. You still win the first place.*"
**Zheng Shuang**: "*No, I was wrong. If I had known earlier, I would've fought more fiercely. I was too lenient. I should've been more violent.*"
**Wu Chun**: "*So you want to be violent?*"
**Zheng Shuang**: "*[in English] Of course.*"
— Zheng Shuang refuses Wu Chun's offer for a joint "mercy" strategy

Chun unsuccessfully attempted to convince Shuang to agree on a less "violent" strategy between the two robots. Sa Beining laughed at the prospect of Chun defeating Shuang, confident that he would be able to maintain second place should the more apprehensive Chun lose. This exchange was followed by a brief interview with Earth Mover's team captain, who requested White Tiger Guardian to "preserve its whole body".

"*Zheng Shuang's Shadowhunter is very powerful, but everything is possible. Our last round of the match is starting soon. The two participants, please get ready.*"
— Wang Cong announces the start of Spectre vs White Tiger Guardian (Mech+ subtitles)

#### Combat

*NOTE: The televised edit of this battle showed the events of the fight in a different order to the genuine battle. This write-up depicts the battle as it was filmed, rather than the edit aired by Youku and Mech+.*

At the start of the battle, Spectre charged straight out of its start zone, and drove under White Tiger Guardian. In the process, however, it turned into its opponent's spinning blade, throwing sparks across the arena. Another attack from White Tiger Guardian threw more sparks and loosened one of Spectre's drive belts, which fell to the arena floor.

On a direct hit to Spectre's front, White Tiger Guardian threw the former onto its back, also buckling its front wedge. Although White Tiger Guardian had damaged Spectre, it also lost the use of its spinning weapon. Spectre was able to quickly self-right, ramming into the front of White Tiger Guardian, in a collision which launched both robots off the floor.

"*It's actually damaged the front wedge on the robot, and it had folded under the front. We thought it would be an easy fight, and it turned out to be the hardest one yet.*"
— Grant Cooper of Team Spectre

With its wedge broken, Spectre rammed into White Tiger Guardian again, but could no longer breach its ground clearance. White Tiger Guardian, with no weapon, drove away from Spectre and became trapped on the ram rods in the floor, also driving onto the arena saws, where sparks were thrown from White Tiger Guardian's surface, in spite of minimal pressure from Spectre. Although Spectre then tentatively rammed the front of White Tiger Guardian, the wedges of the Chinese robot were lower, briefly breaching Spectre.

Still with its spinner powered down, White Tiger Guardian drove into the spikes on the arena wall, where Spectre pinned it in place. However, because Spectre's wedge was so heavily damaged, it could not drive under White Tiger Guardian, leaving Spectre unable to use its weapon on the pinned robot. After missing with its crushes, Spectre backed away, but White Tiger Guardian only backed itself further into the corner. There, Spectre again attempted to crush, but failed to do so. When released, White Tiger Guardian drove straight into the mace on the side of the arena, where Spectre prevented it from escaping.

Spectre held its ground, chasing White Tiger Guardian around the arena, which was making no offensive efforts while its spinner was no longer operating. The Team Robo Challenge machine drove into the side of White Tiger Guardian, and flared its self-righting mechanism while pushing its opponent around in circles. Spectre also collided with the battle rings, while White Tiger Guardian was clipped by an ejection board. From behind the arena enclosure, Wu Chun encouraged the White Tiger Guardian team to survive; he, along with a number of Red team roboteers, were convinced that a victory for their side was in reach.

However, in the final moments of the match, White Tiger Guardian made a critical mistake and drove into a mace, which flung the robot directly onto the wedge of Spectre.

"*Yeah, we got him!*"
— Grant Cooper as Spectre finally clamps White Tiger Guardian

Seizing its opportunity, Spectre bit down onto the flat top of White Tiger Guardian, causing significant internal damage. Sparks flew from the inside of White Tiger Guardian after this attack, while Spectre also rammed White Tiger Guardian back into the mace. Spectre continued to hold White Tiger Guardian in the center of the arena, as more sparks flew, and drove it into the electric saws. White Tiger Guardian initially appeared to be immobilized by this attack, but after a period of inactivity, White Tiger Guardian made a final movement to show its competitiveness, as time expired on the match.

The battle went to a Judges' decision, the climatic moments exciting the audience along with Wu Chun, Zhang Yishan and Sa Beining. Such was the performance of White Tiger Guardian - surviving against the then-reigning *King of Bots* champion - that Wu Chun lead a rapturous response in support of his machine, involving several roboteers and audience members. This prompted a humorous cutaway where Sa Beining tried to imitate a music conductor, to Yishan's initial confusion.

"*White Tiger still has chances, right? Go, White Tiger! Go, White Tiger! White Tiger! White Tiger!*"
— Wu Chun leads celebrations in support of White Tiger Guardian

Though the match was addressed by Wang Cong as a "stalemate", the episode ended on a cliffhanger before the Judges' decision could be announced. The winner of this battle was revealed in Episode 5, which was Spectre, adding a fourth and final point to Zheng Shuang's tally.

**Winner: Spectre (Zheng Shuang, 1 point)**

## References

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/Mech\_Plus/status/1600496303473135622
2. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/8gtpo3/this\_is\_fighting\_robots\_episode\_4\_discussion/dyf2kyy/

## Trivia

* This was the second consecutive episode of the series to end on a cliffhanger before a Judges' decision, this being the conclusion to Spectre vs White Tiger Guardian.
* A scoring error is present in the onscreen graphics displayed prior to Chronos vs Sandstorm. Despite winning the previous Freestyle match with Anchor and Shield, Zhang Yishan is listed to have scored '0' points on the graphic itself. The in-arena points board correctly displays '1' point under Yishan's official photo, affirming Anchor and Shield's victory prior to this moment.