Phantasm (also known as Phantasm 1) was a competitor robot from Missouri, USA, which competed in Nickelodeon Robot Wars. Fighting exclusively in the US Championship, it finished fourth and last place overall after losing both of its battles to Probophobia and Ninjitsu respectively, having suffered weight issues before competing.
Design
Phantasm with its original armor and weapon set-up
Phantasm was a large, two-wheel drive, box-shaped robot with aluminum plate armor, equipped with six triangular-shaped ramming spikes at the front. The spikes were hinged in groups of three on either side of the robot’s front, and were intended to get underneath opponents as well as potentially flipping them over.
Phantasm's statistics board, featuring an official image with its armor and weapons intact
Originally, Phantasm was equipped with a front flipper and two spiked rear hammers in addition to the spikes, as well as additional armor panels on the top which gave it a boxy double-wedge profile. However, when Team S.S.S.L. arrived at Shepperton Studios for filming, they discovered that the robot weighed 156kg (approximately 344lbs) – 56kg over the Series 5-7 heavyweight limit and 2kg over the original Super Heavyweight limit. In order to compete, the team removed several armor panels and all of Phantasm's weapons aside from its spikes, reducing the robot's weight to 212lbs (approximately 96.2kg), but leaving it without an active weapon or a self-righting mechanism. In spite of these changes, Phantasm's statistics board for the Nickelodeon series still stated that it was armed with a flipper in addition to the ramming spikes.
Robot History
Nickelodeon
Phantasm is lifted by Probophobia
Smoke pours from Phantasm, shortly before its immobilization
Phantasm competed solely in the US Championship, where it faced US Season 2 Heat Finalist Probophobia in its eliminator. In the opening moments, it dodged Probophobia’s initial charge and drove across the center of the arena, but was rammed side-on by Probophobia, which promptly lifted Phantasm off the floor, but not onto its side. Phantasm was nudged aside before breaking free, shuffling back and forth across the arena. It eventually spun around over the closed pit, at which point copious amounts of smoke started pouring from its left-hand side. Phantasm became immobilized as a result, and was promptly counted out by Refbot; Dead Metal sliced through its front before Sir Killalot picked it up and threw it onto the Drop Zone square. Sparks flew as Dead Metal continued to cause damage to Phantasm’s front, all while pushing it towards the Floor Flipper, which threw Phantasm onto its back.
Phantasm sustains heavy damage from Ninjitsu
While it was eliminated from the US Championship, Phantasm fought again in the Bonus Battle, where it faced Ninjitsu in a playoff to determine third and fourth places in the competition. Starting in the reverse position, it backed across the arena before driving forwards, sustaining two blows from Ninjitsu as it reversed into the latter’s spinning square. Despite having a metal bar ripped off of its chassis, Phantasm slowly pushed Ninjitsu sideways, only to sustain more damage as Ninjitsu hit its side and rear panels once more. Undeterred, it pushed Ninjitsu back, before breaking free, turning round and ramming Ninjisu head-on using its spikes.
Phantasm has sports equipment dropped onto it following its elimination
Phantasm sustained more hits to its armor and chassis from Ninjitsu, which bent its left-rear wheel and caused the right-rear one to lock up against Phantasm’s damaged chassis. Immobilized, Phantasm was counted out, but not without Ninjitsu tearing more gashes out of its armor. Sir Killalot pushed Phantasm onto the Floor Flipper, which threw it across the arena once again, then carried it to the Drop Zone, where an assortment of sports equipment was dropped on Phantasm. With this, Phantasm lost the Bonus Battle, and finished fourth in the Nickelodeon US Championship.
- "I wonder if they’re trying to hint [Kristina Williams] should take up another hobby. Well, don’t pay attention to them, Kristina – you come back any time you want!"
- — Stefan Frank as Phantasm has sports equipment dropped onto it
Results
| PHANTASM - RESULTS | ||
| Nickelodeon Robot Wars | ||
| US Championship Fourth Place | ||
| Eliminator | vs. Probophobia | Lost |
| Playoff | vs. Ninjitsu | Lost |
Wins/Losses
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 2
Series Record
| Series | Phantasm Series Record |
|---|---|
| Nickelodeon | Fourth Place |
Trivia
- When Phantasm was being introduced into the arena, it was incorrectly billed by the announcer as coming from Ballwin, Montana, when it actually came from Missouri.
- Both of Phantasm's defeats involved it being thrown by the Floor Flipper after being counted out.
External Links
Team Phantasm Website (Archived)
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