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The Havoc Rundown: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Hunter Bro Studios
The ultimate podcast for all things combat robotics.From underground grudge matches to world-stage championships, The Havoc Rundown covers the full spectrum of competitive robot combat. Hosted by seasoned event staffers and builders, we break down fights, preview major events, and dig deep into the engineering, chaos, and creativity that fuel the sport.We interview builders, organizers, innovators, and legends from every corner of the combat robotics world. Whether you're a veteran of the pits or just discovered bots hit harder than your favorite sports team—this is your front-row seat to
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- 2 days ago1h 27m
S3E20: Small Bots, Big Ambitions: NEXT Robotics & C.A.R.L.
This week on The Havoc Rundown, we're joined by the team behind NEXT Robotics and the Connecticut Antweight Robotics League (C.A.R.L.) to talk about bringing combat robotics to more builders, more venues, and more communities!Joining us are NEXT Robotics founder Ryan Seif, Vice Head Coach Marshall Linn, and coaches Leon Van Wyk and Justin Sicherman.We dive into how NEXT Robotics got started, the creation of C.A.R.L., and what it takes to organize combat robotics competitions. We also look back at Attack of the Ants, their October 17 event at NHRL's House of Havoc, to discuss the challenges of running a tournament and what they learned along the way.From antweights and fairyweights to traveling competitions and introducing the next generation of builders to the sport, we explore where NEXT Robotics is headed and what the future could hold.Plus, Ryan puts everyone on the spot with another round of icebreaker questions, including the all-important debate over Connecticut pizza! 🍕We also open up the Havoc Listener Mailbag to answer questions from the combat robotics community about future events, robot designs, and getting new builders into the arena.Joining Justin Hunter for this episode are Ryan Hunter, Tony Baker, Thomas Carroll, and special guest co-host Brenton Barber!🔗 Check out NEXT Robotics & C.A.R.L.:NEXT Robotics:https://www.nextrobotics.info/Connecticut Antweight Robotics League:https://www.connecticutantweightroboticsleague.com/Upcoming C.A.R.L. Events:https://www.connecticutantweightroboticsleague.com/event-list🔥 Follow The Havoc Rundown:Website: https://havocrundown.comMerch Store: https://havocrundown.com/storeFind our socials and join our Discord through our website!A huge thank-you to Ryan, Marshall, Leon, and Justin for joining us and sharing the work they're doing to grow combat robotics!
- 2 weeks ago1h 37m
S3E19: Inside Midwest Robot Combat with Emily Baumgartner, Mike Hall & Luke Larzelere
What does it take to connect combat robotics events across an entire region, bring together dozens of builders and event organizers, and turn individual competitions into one massive championship season?This week on The Havoc Rundown, we're diving into the Midwest Robot Combat Association (MRCA) with three of the people helping make it all happen: Emily Baumgartner, Mike Hall, and Luke Larzelere!We explore how MRCA got its start, how each of our guests became involved in the organization, and how a collection of independent events across the Midwest became a connected competitive league.We also get into the mechanics behind MRCA's unique Elo ranking system, how fights from different venues and tournament formats contribute to the standings, and what it takes to qualify for the annual championship. From the responsibilities of the MRCA board to the event organizers keeping the arenas running, we take a look at the work happening behind the scenes.Of course, we couldn't have three accomplished builders on without talking robots!We discuss Emily's recent success with Larg, Mike's experiences with robots including Confidently Incorrect and Imposter Syndrome, and Luke's incredible NHRL championship run with Chaunacops. Luke also breaks down some of the changes he made to the robot and the strategy behind surviving some of the toughest opponents in the sport.We also cover MRCA's relationship with organizations like Robot Smashing League, the atmosphere of the MRCA Finals, the possibility of future crossover events, and what expanding the league might look like.And because it's The Havoc Rundown, Ryan kicks everything off with an icebreaker that quickly veers from robot engineering into Midwest goodbyes, hot dish recipes, and the never-ending debate over whether it's called soda or pop.We wrap things up with our listener mailbag, featuring questions from the community about everything from bringing beetleweights back to Chicago to favorite MRCA robots and the future of the organization.A huge thank you to Emily, Mike, and Luke for joining us and sharing their experiences, and to the entire MRCA board, event organizers, volunteers, and competitors who continue to grow combat robotics throughout the Midwest.Midwest Robot Combat AssociationWebsite, rankings, events, and rules:https://midwestrobotcombat.com/MRCA Finals Eligibility Rankings:https://midwestrobotcombat.com/finals-eligible2026 MRCA Season FinalsNovember 7, 2026 | Waukesha, Wisconsinhttps://www.robotcombatevents.com/events/10689Robot Combat EventsFind competitions, register your robots, and discover events near you:https://www.robotcombatevents.com/Robot Smashing League (RSL)https://robotsmashingleague.com/National Havoc Robot League (NHRL)https://www.nhrl.io/Website:https://havocrundown.com/enYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@TheHavocRundownVisit our website for more combat robotics coverage, event information, robot statistics, builder profiles, and episodes of The Havoc Rundown.Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for our listener mailbag and continues to support the show. Whether you're a longtime competitor, a first-time builder, or someone who just loves watching robots tear each other apart, we're glad you're here.
- Oct 9, 20261h 42m
S3E18: Building Texas Robot Combat with Peter Garnache
This week on The Havoc Rundown, we sit down with Peter Garnache to talk about the resurgence and rapid growth of Texas Robot Combat, how TRC has developed into a major regional hub for builders, and what goes into creating events that can serve everyone from first-time competitors to experienced builders chasing bigger stages.We get into TRC’s return after the pandemic, its relationship with REV Robotics, the growth from smaller one-pound events into larger competitions featuring beetleweights, Test & Tune events, and the organization’s expanding connection to national competition through partnerships like the NHRL XP program.From there, we dig into Peter’s own path through combat robotics. He talks about building and competing, helping revive the Texas scene, competing at NHRL and internationally, and the different builder cultures and robot archetypes he has seen from region to region. Peter’s experience stretches across just about every side of the sport, including organizing events, engineering, BattleBots, and championship-level competition.We also spend time on Repeat Robotics, the company Peter founded to turn lessons learned in the pits into motors, electronics, kits, and other components for builders. We talk about product development, the new Open PLANT platform, where Repeat could go next, and the challenge of making products that are both useful to experienced competitors and approachable for people building their first robot. And, of course, we wrap things up with listener questions covering TRC’s future, Repeat Robotics products, bigger robot components, regional combat robotics culture, and some wonderfully important questions about Peter’s height.Learn more about Texas Robot Combat:https://texasrobotcombat.com/Check out Repeat Robotics:https://repeat-robotics.com/The Havoc Rundown:https://havocrundown.comFollow the show, join our Discord, and keep up with future interviews and everything happening around the combat robotics community.
- Sep 25, 20261h 25m
S3E17: BattleBots: From Conception to Pro-League with Co-Founder Greg Munson
On this episode of The Havoc Rundown, we are joined by BattleBots co-founder and executive producer Greg Munson for a deep dive into the history of BattleBots from its earliest beginnings to the present day.Greg takes us back to his first experiences in robot combat, the creation of La Machine, the early events that helped shape the sport, and the founding of BattleBots alongside Trey Roski. From there, we trace the journey through the Comedy Central era, the years away from television, BattleBots IQ, the return on ABC, the Discovery years, and the move to a permanent home in Las Vegas.We also get into the evolution of the sport itself, including changes in robot technology, judging, rules, the rise of the modern meta, builder culture, and the constant balance between creating a fair competition and producing a great show.Then we bring the conversation into the present with the BattleBots Pro League powered by Bright Data. Greg talks about the group-stage format, moving directly to YouTube, what BattleBots has learned from fan feedback, and what he hopes comes next for the sport, including future Pro League seasons, World Championship VIII, and new ideas for the future of robot combat.A huge thank you to Greg Munson for joining us and giving us such an open look at more than 25 years of BattleBots history.We also want to thank our listener mailbag contributorsKeep up with everything The Havoc Rundown at HavocRundown.com, watch us on YouTube, follow us on Facebook, join the community on Discord, and check out our merch at HavocRundown.com/store.
- Sep 10, 20261h 48m
S3E16: Team Spectra: Combat Robotics’ New Superteam
We’re joined by the crew behind one of the newest and most exciting teams in combat robotics to talk about how Spectra went from a group of friends, rivals, and ridiculously talented builders to an official team with its sights set on Pro Tour and the future of team-based competition. We get into how the roster came together, what everyone brings to the team, how they share knowledge and resources across the country, the incredible branding and social media push behind Spectra, and what happens when the people wearing the same jersey eventually have to fight each other. Then we put the team through Five in Focus, dive into your community Mailbag questions, and somewhere along the way things descend into exactly the kind of chaos you would expect from getting this many combat robot builders into one conversation.If Team Spectra has been taking over your feed lately, this is your chance to meet the people behind the robots, the team, and the brand.Follow Team Spectra Robotics:Website: https://www.team-spectra.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/team.spectra.robotics/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TeamSpectraRoboticsKeep up with The Havoc Rundown:Website: https://havocrundown.com/enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHavocRundownNew episodes, clips, community posts, merch, and plenty more combat robotics chaos are always on the way.
- Aug 27, 20261h 47m
S3E15: SCAR: Building the Next Generation of Combat Robotics with Martin Mason
On this episode of The Havoc Rundown, we sit down with Professor Martin Mason, captain of BattleBots’ MaDCatTer and a driving force behind Southern California Attack Robotics, better known as SCAR.Martin takes us through the story of SCAR, from its grassroots beginnings to a growing Southern California combat robotics community running events across multiple weight classes and helping introduce students and new builders to the sport. We also dive into Martin’s work at Mt. San Antonio College, using combat robotics and rocketry as real-world engineering education, the evolution of MaDCatTer, building successful teams, and why failure and iteration are such important parts of learning.Plus, we get the story behind Martin’s larger-than-life BattleBots personality, some professional wrestling talk, and a packed listener mailbag.Find episodes, merch, and everything Havoc Rundown at havocrundown.com.
- Aug 13, 20261h 15m
S3E14- Global (Australia)- Going Down Under With Phil Curry
On this episode of The Havoc Rundown, we’re heading back around the world for a look at Australian combat robotics with Phil Curry of Hyperfocus3d Robotics.Phil joins us to talk about how he got started in the sport, the story behind robots like Leo, Meo, and Heo, Australia’s thriving 150g scene, the challenges of traveling and sourcing parts, and what makes the combat robotics community down under stand out. We also get into building alongside his daughter, competing in different weight classes, what he has learned from international builders, and where he would like to see Australian robot combat go in the future.Plus, Ryan brings an Australian-themed Game Corner, we put Phil through Five in Focus, and the Listener Mailbag dives into everything from Australian antweights to robot names, axolotls, and creepy crawlies.Check out Hyperfocus3d Robotics on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586608551856For episodes, merch, community links, and everything Havoc Rundown:https://havocrundown.com/en
- Aug 7, 202648 min
Rundown Roundtable: Battlebots Pro League Kickoff
BattleBots is back, and there is a LOT to talk about.Justin, Ryan, Thomas, Tony, and Chey sit down for a Rundown Roundtable covering the opening round of the new BattleBots Pro League, including our thoughts on the new YouTube format, production and editing changes, tap-out buttons, the faster tournament structure, and how this new era compares to the Discovery days.Then we get into the robots.- Has Tombstone finally been surpassed by the modern heavyweight meta?- Is Manta the bot to beat?- How did Switchback become one of the most improved robots in the field?- Are The Twins proof that heavyweight multibots can actually work?- What happens when Witch Doctor takes on an AI-assisted Orbitron?Plus, we talk Magnitude, Malice, End Game, HUGE, HyperShock, Copperhead, Jackpot, Minotaur, Bloodsport, Teratops, Valkyrie, Golden Fury, Death Roll, Disarray, Cobalt and plenty more from the opening episodes.We also dig into how rapidly combat robotics is evolving, why some veteran machines are suddenly struggling against newer designs, and what BattleBots could do to make the Pro League presentation even better as the season continues.⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This episode discusses results from the first four episodes of BattleBots Pro League.🌐 Havoc Rundown:https://havocrundown.com/en▶️ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@TheHavocRundownListen, subscribe, and let us know which bot you think is taking the Pro League crown. 🤖💥
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About The Havoc Rundown
The ultimate podcast for all things combat robotics.From underground grudge matches to world-stage championships, The Havoc Rundown covers the full spectrum of competitive robot combat. Hosted by seasoned event staffers and builders, we break down fights, preview major events, and dig deep into the engineering, chaos, and creativity that fuel the sport.We interview builders, organizers, innovators, and legends from every corner of the combat robotics world. Whether you're a veteran of the pits or just discovered bots hit harder than your favorite sports team—this is your front-row seat to
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