BattleBots Team Ghost Raptor: It’s Better to Burn Out Than Fade Away

With the announcement of the Round of 32, the 2022 BattleBots season is officially over for Onshape-sponsored Team Ghost Raptor. While the team went 0 for 2 this year, they did put up some good fights and may have had what BattleBots narrator Chris Rose described as “the moment of the season.”  

I’ve been a BattleBots fan for a long time, since the early days when my old friend Dan Bovinich (Ditto Dan) and his bot F5 competed in Season 3. After years of watching on TV, I was fortunate this past year to attend some of the matches in person and spend some time with the team behind the scenes in Las Vegas.  

Even though I already knew what happened, I had to bite my tongue and keep it a secret for months. Now that it’s all over, I’d like to share some of my thoughts from the first part of the season.

One Close Call & One Big Toss 

Ghost Raptor held its own in the first match against Glitch in a well-driven, low damage dance around the arena that eventually went to the judges for a decision. To my surprise, Glitch was declared the winner by the slimmest of margins. 

I’ve watched that battle several times, and I still think Ghost Raptor was more aggressive throughout the fight. A tough loss for sure. 

The second match was something special – at least for Team Cobalt and the folks in the audience. 

The fight started off with both bots getting in some nice licks. Ghost Raptor team captain and driver Chuck Pitzer then managed to push Cobalt into the screws and it looked like he might be able to deliver some real damage. But somehow Cobalt managed to get free and turned the tables on Ghost Raptor, eventually getting underneath the bot and driving it clear across the arena and into the opposite wall.  

The result was a disaster for Ghost Raptor, but one of jubilation for the audience. Not because Cobalt was the winner, but rather due to the carnage they had just witnessed. 

Chuck’s reaction, too, was a priceless, wry little grin that clearly conveyed, “Well, whatta ya gonna do?” 

BattleBots: Even Better Live

The whole experience was something I’ll remember for a long time. I’ve been lucky in my career to see some great things, but even luckier to meet some great people. 

Thank you again Chuck, Anouk Wipprecht, and Sabri Sansoy for your hospitality, for appearing on the Innovator’s Insider podcast, and for supporting our Women Who CAD Onshape User Group. The fights were terrific, but the time I got to spend with all of you was the highlight.

Want to know more about my BattleBots experience? Why don’t you sign up to join us for a User Group meeting where you can hear from me first-hand, and get some Onshape tips and tricks, too?