Episode 1 - Getting Started on Your First Robot // Witch Doctor Junior BattleBots Class

[@alexsalchemy]

This video is how I, an adult man, and a career mechanical engineer, got started. Excellent job narrowing down the possibilities into an actionable path forward to build a robot. This video really helps to remove a lot of the uncertainty and establish a baseline for standard practice when building a robot.

[@WababaNation]

your channel is where I came from, I love cheesecake

[@teamgetwreckedcombatrobots776]

Really happy you guys are making a series dedicated to helping out new builders. It’s always great to get more and more people into the sport. Keep up the great content!

[@WitchDoctorTV]

We love seeing new builders at local competitions! The show has inspired a lot more people to get involved 👍

[@robertdubard7959]

I have known Team Witch Doctor for about a decade, and have helped teens build and compete locally for even longer, and I can honestly say there is NO BETTER group to make this video series than Team Witch Doctor! This is excellent, awesome, and absolutely what newcomers to the sport need. Thank you, Witch Doctor, MakeMIA SendCutSend, and FingerTech! Keep up the great work!

[@BLKBRDSR71]

3:34 Butter Bot: "What is my purpose" Andrea: "You fight other bots" Butter Bot: "OH MY GOD"!

[@typhoon7914]

I’ve always wanted to make a combat robot but I didn’t have the money or knowledge to make one This video was very helpful

[@WitchDoctorTV]

It can be more affordable than most people think!

[@manebull6291]

@@WitchDoctorTVwith this knowledge I shell build my own battlebots🤣! seriously this was really helpful , also are you going to be making any videos about thwack bots because that's the type of bot I'm starting out with.

[@recaprobotics7781]

Thank you Witch Doctor, was very informative, looking forward to the rest of the series.

[@howardbartlett3419]

Awesome. Definitely recommending this series to some of my FTC students who want to get started with combat bots. I have built a few smaller weight class robots, and something like this would have helped a ton when I started out.

[@Kazner0h]

My roommates and I just started watching battlebots, and we very quickly became a "Witchdoctor household." You guys are amazing and inspiring!

[@shade01977]

This. Is the most perfect, wonderful, educational video EVER. EVERY question I've had for a couple of years has been answered. Thank you so much, sincerely. I've been routing for team Witch Doctor since I discovered Battle Bots with my late father... but I never new why. I just couldn't put my finger on it. The voodoo theme? The team colors? Now, the reason has become clear. (Of course, I have new questions now, so keep these vids coming, pretty please.)

[@dandinco7291]

My 8yr old daughter watched the most recent season of battlebots with me. You were one of her favorites along with Huge. She cried when you both lost in the tournament 😢. I followed the link and got her first bot coming. We will be watching these videos together. Thank you

[@Venaloid]

As a 28 year old man... this is awesome.

[@wornjeans6830]

This has been the single most helpful video I have found on this subject. Thanks Team Witchdoctor!

[@joshmings4419]

Im watching the Second Witch Doctor vs Minotaur battle. Congratulations on the win, holy crap!

[@rycorobotics747]

I’m planning on making a antwieght robot and this video really helped

[@tapuout101]

I think this would make a great school alternative for kids that like to build and is more active.

[@unglued9]

I am stoked to have a new place to point new builders!

[@teambadengineeringchoices1368]

You just gained a subscriber. Great job guys!

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Thanks! Glad you like it!

[@kabukiangelartz4176]

Awesome video! Can’t wait to build my own so I can be just as awesome as you guys! Cheers! 🎩 👋💀👋

[@WitchDoctorTV]

We’ll see you in the arena soon!

[@Boomistirr]

Yess! Love this vid

[@christinekahle1151]

Hey Andrea!! We miss you stay safe!

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Hope to see you soon at BattleBots!

[@dannyknicks33]

I cant tell you how helpful all these videos are!!! You do a great job at explaining everything. My son is 8 and we are getting started by buying the viper kit. Please keep the videos coming!

[@WitchDoctorTV]

So happy to hear it! 8 is the perfect age to get started. Good luck with your build, and we’ll see you in the arena soon 👍

[@erieschl]

Thank you so much, and Go Witch Doctor!!

[@makingtechsense126]

Fantastic video!

[@Shothii]

Making an Antweight named Spicy Bee based off Warhead, this really helps me out!

[@wafranken6502]

I am attending Windy City Showdown this coming March in Berwyn, Illinois with my fully metal Viper kit.

[@ramsanimation4606]

Your Awesome!!! Hoping you join BattleBots again!! :)

[@supergamerdeluxe6213]

Cant wait to get started!! Going to buy a viper kit and because we have a 1 pound plastic and 1 pound metal/ other materials I bought parts so I can make my own robot.

[@Not-Axo]

Thanks for the information! You deserve to win BattleBots

[@ricky6565]

Very informative and clearly explained video. Thank you Andrea.

[@shadowthief6471]

I live in florida too I definetly wanna try since its actually more affordable than I thought and since I live in Florida I could meet you someday Im a huge fan of Witch Docter

[@DBRYview]

So you did keep Tombstones Bar as a Trophey. That's awesome

[@Cscuile]

First time finding your channel. Thanks for your videos! They are super interesting!

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Thanks! Glad you’re enjoying them 🙂

[@ellism3366]

i just made a Viper today for my bday

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Awesome! And Happy Birthday!

[@GaladhrimArcher]

This is great! I can't wait to build a bot with my kids.

[@finnegandougherty4845]

What would be a good receiver to buy? I see a lot of them online but I don’t really know what to get

[@sonnyweston5293]

This is brilliant and now I’m able to build one with my son. Thank you

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Happy to hear you’ll be bot builders soon!

[@coasternerd_]

I’m working on a one pound vertical spinner with fire called Trailblazer. It’s frame will be 3D printed with steel flashing over it. The wedge will be made of plastic with steel flashing over it. I’m going to make sure that I have a extra frame at all times. It’s sponsor will be Vex robotics. It’s primary color will be matt black and it’s secondary color will be Bronze. (Im definitely not copying Brutus)

[@glitterbombrobo]

Love this.

[@cathlinsentz855]

Thanks so much for this series - my daughters want to build bots, but I don't have a background in, well, anything related or useful!

[@rubenkies3105]

Thanks for the vid I wil build a 1pound now

[@Gastel]

This video is amazing. Thanks for doing this.

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Glad you enjoyed it! More coming soon!

[@streetcreeperdude2188]

Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for doing this. Battlebots is my dream come true. Thing is it is like 230 dollars for the bot, radio, battery and charger together

[@EleanorPeterson]

Great video! A first-class idea + excellent execution. A bit like a kiddies' version of The Life of Marie Antoinette, really... ;-)

[@Dia1Up]

Antweights are my favorite for sure, however 150g is so acessable. As a Canadian, I had no idea that fingertech was Canadian

[@intheshell35ify]

Omg its #2!!!

[@feyisayoadepate1504]

I love it, the video really helps, please when are you starting the classes and how can i access the class

[@Mechanicalmarv]

Hey doctors, could you and rex make a video on metal properties? I reciently heard of something called "magnum?"

[@apwstarks]

Where did that kid get that awesome chassis for the egg beater bot?

[@chriscooper339]

I’ve seen flame throwers on some of the bigger builds. If I could keep it under 3lb would that be allowed on the smaller bots? Considering the armor they sent was polycarbonate, flames would soften it up a good bit for a bladed weapon to go right through

[@okeibunoreniye3467]

Nice

[@kevincloinger3328]

So do you use grip lock tie in BattleBots?

[@flymario8046]

Hi, I see so many regulations where it says Antweight are limited to 4" x 4" x 4". No antweight I have seen seems to meet that requirement. Am I reading the rules incorrectly and that antweights are supposed to be within 64" cubic inches? Thanks and love your videos.

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Which rules are you reading? I’ll take a look. I haven’t heard of that restriction yet.

[@flymario8046]

@@WitchDoctorTV Like for instance ... www.wikihow.com/Build-an-Antweight-Combat-Robot which talks about 4 x 4 x 4 but at 150grams. I guess some places mix fairy and Ant.I guess the rule for Ant is 1 Lbl max.

[@supergamerdeluxe6213]

what speed does a 1 lb robots spinner becomes lethal

[@bldjln3158]

Awesome!

[@goflyakitefilms]

Are Fleaweights also referred to as Fairyweights?

[@katerinapeklenk2016]

Fleaweights are usually the ones that weigh 75 grams. Fairyweights are the more official term for 150 gram robots.

[@thesabre8458]

Quick question- is a plasma cutter allowed? As a weapon? (;

[@loriumartinez]

No

[@Ulfhednar-o9t]

I dont know how i got here, but you earned a suscriber

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Glad you're here!

[@Ulfhednar-o9t]

@@WitchDoctorTV hello from Colombia.

[@cali.delinquent9657]

I have a dream for a tazer bot, he shoots a emp and has a saw would that be legal? Also would a rc gas powered engine be allowed?

[@manebull6291]

with this knowledge I shell build my own battlebots, also will you be doing any videos on twackbots because that's what I was thinking about getting started with?

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Thwack bots are actually a good choice for your first build. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@manebull6291]

@@WitchDoctorTV holy 🐑 ( see what I did there) you responded back to me and thinks my thwack bot is named snot rocket and I'm actually been thinking about entering him into battlebots hopefully some where in season 8 or 9, I also have another question this one is about the viper kit I found out you can also order it from the robot market place but I'm not sure on how reliable robot market place is and I was wondering have you ever order anything there before, I just need to know and thinks again 😍😋🤩.

[@williamwalls9768]

Literally the coolest girl in the world

[@soaringeagle175]

Does it matter what transmitter/receiver you use? I have a Spektrum DX-6e and an AR620 receiver and I'm wondering if I can use that in the fingertech viper or if I have to use one of their transmitters.

[@WitchDoctorTV]

If you already have a transmitter receiver combo, you can definitely use it with this kit!

[@soaringeagle175]

@@WitchDoctorTV Sweet!

[@bridieobrien3609]

I shall make battle bot!

[@Flameypig]

Does it have to be a finger tech robot?

[@BITCOIN_TO_1OOOOOOOOOOOO]

What happens if my robot catches fire at a tournament. Does a ref take care of that or do I have to handle that myself? I really wouldn't know what to do in that situation.

[@kevincuevas8877]

I think a bigger worry would be if your robot catches fire while you are building it. Learn about the different fire extinguishers and dont breathe in the magic smoke. remember to always have good ventilation when using batteries and/or combustion engines. Consider using it as another learning experience. Sometimes parts come with fire retardant or fire control systems but you should learn to save your robot if its in trouble. Flamethrowers are a new meta in some tournaments.

[@purplef0xx702]

The weight classes are slightly different in the UK with antweights being 150 grams instead of fleaweights

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Very true, I should’ve mentioned this.

[@kristophermack415]

❤❤❤❤

[@Gakkad]

Is there any cheaper options? Uk based

[@melkreis697]

Awesome! What is the name of the song that plays in the start and end of the video?

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Voodoo Groove. It was composed for our team!

[@melkreis697]

@@WitchDoctorTV Wow! That's pretty cool! And keep up with the iniciative, im loving these videos

[@molyanta9768]

You have tombstone blade??

[@eef1271]

Yes butterbot. You no longer just pass butter

[@matthewpage3382]

This looks really fun but the closest battle I could find was 3 hours away

[@SpoonedCranium]

Ah man… I would really do that class, but I’m pretty sure you guys aren’t in Quebec

[@sonnyweston5293]

Hey Andrea, my son really wants to compete in a event but we are based in the uk, I’ve ordered a viper kit with parts etc after watching this brilliant video but I’ve been researching the different weight Categories and it’s a huge jump from 150g Antweight to beetleweight which is 1.5kg and the viper kit is around 313g I understand the bots will get damaged when fighting but if I put him in the beetleweight I worried the weight differents will be far to much and will be nothing left of our bot. We are totally new to this so just wanted you’re advise please. 😊

[@hex1044]

That is what I was thinking as well. I think better armour would be the main thing, as well as better drive maybe?

[@WitchDoctorTV]

You’re right! The weight classes are different in the UK. Fighting a Viper Kit against beetle weight bots would be tough. In your case, I would say that’s it’s best to start at the 150g weight class but I don’t have a good recommendation for a kit at that weight. If you send me an email at [e-mail], I can send you a list of parts that I would recommend for that size robot. Team Monsoon and Nelly are pretty active in the smaller weight classes in the UK, so they may be able to offer more local advice. Hope this helps!

[@hex1044]

@@WitchDoctorTV I think this is a very useful website: nutsandbots.co.uk/ It is run by members of the Nuts 2 team from Robot Wars and I think a lot of UK builders use the parts here. Personally I'm going to try and start with a beetleweight as it isn't too small and fiddly.

[@chickenstriprobotics3161]

I have a bit of a question. As a builder myself, I was wondering where is a good place to find shafts for spinners and etc. as one of mine broke and I’m have trouble finding one. Thanks!

[@teambadengineeringchoices1368]

Is it the viper kit motor shaft?

[@chickenstriprobotics3161]

I use the brushless motor used for the horizontal, vertical spinner

[@drbright2073]

What do I do when I'm in an area with no events

[@rickymanzolina6471]

where are these classes?

[@that_punk_fairy]

hey i am trying to build one with a arduino anny tips?

[@callmeandoru2627]

As much as I want to get into this hobby, I lived in a place where there's no event around

[@nickferrari413]

Did everyone on team WitchDoctor/professional Battlebots have an education in electrical engineering or mechanics at the beginning

[@hudsonpollack1440]

I really want to make a robot

[@aw_dev]

Is it every week or month?

[@WitchDoctorTV]

I’m trying to post an episode about once a week. Some might take longer though depending on the content.

[@aw_dev]

@@WitchDoctorTV Okay. Thank you!

[@moldzillam261]

There are no clubs or people who make these near me

[@fredanderson5544]

i like to build a battlebot to go one on one with house bots.

[@kobipanyanouvong519]

How much is the Radio transmitter and Receiver and Lipoly Battery and Charger in USA money and where can I join make miami

[@hex1044]

It’s just the money that’s the problem :(

[@typhoon7914]

I feel you there

[@codesilvergaming]

I feel the pain. Maybe if it was $150, but I don’t think I could do $250 just yet sadly.

[@TheFuzzyCuber]

“Use common sense” Me: the one thing I don’t have (besides a knowledge, sanity, mental health, physical health, time to sleep, and a life.)

[@deadendkid1968]

So...mounting a gun on a bot isnt illegal...cool..gives me an idea...

[@kindredjavenlincuna3135]

Hi

[@Cloud_Strife1997]

is it bad i imagined a mini witch doctor when i thought about witch doctor jr

[@katerinapeklenk2016]

Probably not. ;)

[@joen0411]

$200 is a lot of money for some people. Hopefully a future video includes how to scrounge for free parts. Learn how to build a bot that way first and then if it’s something the kids actually enjoys doing, spend some money if you can.

[@WitchDoctorTV]

Scrounging for free parts is always an option, but it actually makes the build harder for a beginner. You’ll have to figure out how to put the parts together without knowing if the parts are compatible in the first place. It can definitely be done, but it can be discouraging if things don’t work. It’s also hard to repair since you probably won’t be able to find the same parts again. I’ll give it some thought and see how I can best walk a beginner through a build like this.

[@joen0411]

Thanks, I realize it makes things harder and can be discouraging but for some people $200 is impossible.

[@KoiYTPkoi-chan]

"I highly recommend starting them off w/ a wedge robot w/ no weapon" *remembers that the "wedges should be banned" gang exists*

[@WitchDoctorTV]

At the professional level, there’s a good argument for requiring weapons. However, local events are different and very welcoming to beginners who may not be ready to add a weapon yet.

[@daanbroux1783]

Why is everyone saying that 330 candian dollars is cheap? I think this series is ment for kids and i dont think they have 200 dollars to spare

[@learnerrahat5320]

If they are not doing good after getting this much resources and environment, then who would 🙄 😔 😕

[@BeefIngot]

BuildersDB is down just an fyi

[@karalefevre9021]

to expensive

[@RadarLeon]

i see an adorable pile of crap

[@jonathanf2392]

Kids..... - half of the modern battlebots fanbase - the reason why the hexbug battlebots toys are made - the reason why some bots *cough* *cough* witch doctor *cough* *cough* succeed. - don't understand why people love them that they..........

[@teamstorm5578]

What?

[@sonnyweston5293]

Are you trolling? This makes no sense what so ever.

[@jonathanf2392]

@@sonnyweston5293 well we see so many kids watch battlebots or be involved in it so can we assume they make up half of the population? Since hexbug toys are marketed for kids, and battlebots have so many kids watching, is it safe to say kids are the reason why hexbug make battlebots toys? Would witch doctor have gone 7-0 last season if they weren't a fan favorite? And what's the fucking point, it's your life, and don't complain since it's on you.

[@hex1044]

@@jonathanf2392 Why would they not have done well if they weren't a fan favourite? They chewed up Tombstone and Bronco remember?

[@sonnyweston5293]

This video has been done to help the likes of myself and my son and everyone else out there who don’t have a clue or confidence on where to even start to build their own bot. This isn’t about how good Witch Doctor is or their fanbase or hex bugs toys it’s about having a passion and wanting to inspire others to go out there and give it ago. It’s educational for kids Its really positive thing why would you want to put a negative spin on it I don’t get it.