Banana Runt was a heavyweight combat robot armed with a lifter with long forks, which competed in RoboGames 2023. The machine had four-wheel drive, a square-ish footprint and a yellow-white colour scheme. Banana Runt was built by Team Food Fight and served as a live event counterpart to BattleBots competitor Big Dill, though it lacked the vertical spinner used on later versions of that robot.
Robot History[]
RoboGames 2023[]
Banana Runt first faced King Crab. Both machines were aggressive, though Banana Runt achieved multiple lifts and even a suplex across the first half of the fight. The two robots continued to jab and tussle. However, King Crab was unable to reach far enough beyond Banana Runt's forks to lift it effectively, and the yellow machine was able to parry away the attacks. The fight ended with the two robots locked together, King Crab holding Banana Runt in the corner of the arena and tapping it with the clamp arm. Despite this final attack, Banana Runt had been on top for most of the fight and was awarded the win by judges' decision.
Banana Runt's second fight was against Manta. The match started with a strong box rush by Banana Runt, though it was unable to stay on their opponent, who span and delivered a blow. Manta continued to attack Banana Runt, catching it on a corner at one point and tossing it into the air. Despite running in weapon first, Banana Runt was unable to get under its opponent's drum soon had its forks bent crooked. Soon after, it was rolled against the arena wall, from which it narrowly escaped a count out only to be popped into the air again my Manta. This attack saw Banana Runt shed a drive belt, limiting it to mobility only on its left side. As Manta built up an onslaught, it through Banana Runt's left wheel gaurd into the lights and attacked the now-exposed wheels, shortly before knocking off its other wheelguard and finally immobilising it completely.
Knocked into the loser's bracket, Banana Runt faced Team Fast Electric Robots' other heavyweight, Whomper. The two machines jousted, trying to get passed each other's forks - Whomper proved to have the greater reach and they were able to turn Banana Runt over repeatedly. As the first minute closed out, Banana Runt managed to reverse an attempted pin, catching Whomper's lifter in its own, raising Whomper above itself and parading it in front of the audience. Banana Runt appeared to gain confidence across the second minute, but Whomper again got the better of it, turning it over, lifting it and dropping it on top of the arena wall. Banana Runt slipped back onto the arena floor but had now lost a drive belt, giving Whomper the clear advantage in maneuverability as it continued to attack, closing the fight with a final toss and ram into the wall. The win by judges' decision was awarded to Whomper, knocking Banana Runt out of the competition.
Combat Record[]
| Event | Opponent(s) | Round | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| BANANA RUNT | |||
| RoboGames 2023 Round of 32 | |||
| 250 lb Combat | King Crab | Round of 32 | Won (JD) |
| Manta | Round of 16 | Lost (KO) | |
| Whomper | Losers Round 1 | Lost (JD) | |
- Wins: 1
- Losses: 2