History of NHRL 2018-19
NHRL was founded in 2018 by Austin McChord and Ryan Sasloe, with the goal of gathering a large following of fans on the internet.
Timeline
2018
December 8, 2018
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 13
- No bracket available
- Winner: Silent Spring
The first NHRL event is held at 50 Day Street, utilizing a single 3lb cage. Two traditions are established right off the bat: Brett the Brick is a motorized, painted cinderblock with a mounted GoPro, and Silent Spring wins the event.
2019
January 13, 2019
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 20
- No bracket available
- Winner: Squishy
March 9, 2019
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 10
- No bracket available
- Winner: Mondo Bizarro
- 12lb Sportsman
- Number of participating bots: 2
- No bracket available
- Grudge matches only
Our first time with bigger bots! We have our first 12lb Sportsmen fight in a couple of grudge matches: Unnamed Flame versus Woody.
April 1, 2019
NHRL unveils a revolutionary new robot that is guaranteed to disrupt the painting industry.
May 10, 2019
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 13
- No bracket available
- Winner: Silent Spring
August 10, 2019
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 22
- No bracket available
- Winner: Tiny Huge
September 28, 2019
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 26
- Bracket
- Winner: Silent Spring
- 12lb Sportsman
- Number of participating bots: 8
- Bracket
- Winner: Tusken Raider
Our first 12lb sportsman bracket tournament! Jamison Go sweeps the event with his third Golden Dumpster for Silent Spring and a Dumpster for Tusken Raider. With 34 competing bots, this is our biggest event so far.
November 23, 2019
Weight classes:
This event was called "The Turkey Tumble."
2020
January 18, 2020
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 27
- Bracket
- Winner: Silent Spring
For the first time, we declare the end-of-year event in December to be our finals. The top 4 bots from each event that have not already qualified are eligible to fight in our December event.
March 11, 2020
The WHO declares that COVID-19 is officially a global pandemic. There is no robot fighting for several months. Austin and Saz find ways to amuse themselves anyway.
July 18, 2020
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 18
- No bracket available
- Winner: Shreddit Bro
- 12lb Sportsman
- Number of participating bots: 3
- Grudge matches only
NHRL returns with a weekend doubleheader! Two events across two days. Shreddit Bro defeats Silent X in the final to win its first dumpster for the Saturday event. We also get some 12lb Sportsman action, with P12, Keystone Light, and Torquedo fighting for bragging rights.
This is also the first appearance of Brett's current form, with a custom steel frame instead of a cinderblock. Too many 3lb bots proved to be able to damage a cinderblock!
July 19, 2020
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 18
- Bracket
- Winner: Shreddit Bro
- 12lb Sportsman
- Number of participating bots: 3
- Grudge matches only
Shreddit Bro sweeps the weekend, defeating Nitro Hornet to earn its second Dumpster!
September 19, 2020
Weight classes:
Billy becomes our first winning bot not from the East Coast! NHRL is becoming more of a national event; in fact, an East Coast bot will not win NHRL for the rest of the year.
November 21, 2020
Weight classes:
Our biggest event to date, with almost double the number of the next-largest 3lb bracket we've fought!
December 6, 2020
Weight classes:
Our first finals event! Only the 19 best bots fight. Droopy becomes the first non-wheeled bot to win an NHRL event.
2021
February 6, 2021
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 34
- Bracket
- Winner: Shreddit Bro
- 12lb
- Number of participating bots: 4
- Bracket
- Winner: Kitten Mittens
- 12lb Sportsman
- 30lb
So many firsts!
- Our first event at our new, larger, dedicated facility at 165 Water St.
- Our first 12lb full-combat and 30lb fights, in our brand-new 256-square-foot arena.
- Debut of Fluffy, our 300lb+ house bot patrolling the 30lb arena.
- Two 3lb cages, to allow for less downtime between fights.
- Debut of Bert, Brett's long-lost twin brother, patrolling the new 3lb arena.
- Video of the last few 3lb matches were not saved, and are lost to history.
March 20, 2021
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- 12lb
- Number of participating bots: 6
- No bracket available
- Winner: Caulk
- 30lb
- Number of participating bots: 7
- Bracket
- Winner: Stop Hitting Yourself
A multibot wins for the first time at NHRL, as Caulk, a collection of 3lb bots fighting in the 12lb class, shocks everyone by winning the Dumpster.
Also, Brett is turned off in a match for the first time, as Judge's Dream launches Fragment into Brett's power switch. Fragment wins $1000 and the match; however, Fragment's driver graciously forfeited the match, giving Judge's Dream the win.
May 15, 2021
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 67
- Bracket
- Winner: Silent Spring
- 12lb
- 30lb
- Number of participating bots: 6
- Bracket
- Winner: Other Disko
July 24-25, 2021
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- 12lb
- Number of participating bots: 16
- Bracket
- Winner: Hot Leaf Juice
- 12lb Sportsman
- 30lb
Our first-ever event spread out across two days (the weekend of July 18-19, 2020 was two events in two days), with a record 111 bots fighting across 4 weight classes!
September 18, 2021
Weight classes:
- 3lb
- Number of participating bots: 58
- Bracket
- Winner: Project LiftOff
- 12lb
- 30lb
- Number of participating bots: 5
- Bracket
- Winner: Emulsifier
Project LiftOff, who has been fighting at NHRL since the first event in December 2018, becomes the first meltybrain to win a Dumpster!
