Hybrid

Hybrids are bots that carry different weapon systems, and therefore are a mix between different Bot types.

Note that an hybrid must be clearly composed of two differently working weapon systems. A wammer isn't a rammer/wedge hybrid: it is a wammer. A spinner with 45 degree angled spinners isn't a FS/juggler hybrid : it's an angled spinner

Hybrids are generally seen as "cool builds" by the majority of the community and general hybrid opinion is positive.

Hybrids can also be built as something that adds to a certain bot type. For example, hybridizing a rammer with a hammer is a way to make your bot more effective against HS.

Naryar in particular approves of hybrids. He is often said to say "oui oui" in answer to them.

A hybrid needs to have significant weight investment in it's different weapon systems to be truly considered an hybrid. Putting a single forward razor tip on your HW HS and calling it an hybrid will merely earn you odd looks.

Hybrid Building Advice

For purposes of battle-worth, it isn't recommended to have more than two weapon systems. Even if a hybrid's greatest strength is versatility, it would be still weaker than a regular bot when taken by each of his own weapon systems.

As the only real example of hybriding in Stock AI, EMERGENCY is a rammer/flipper hybrid, although it is quite clearly a bad rammer because it deals very low damage.

There are an infinity of different hybrid types, but only a few are really good in battle.

Hybrid Synergy

• Pusher/Hammer: Quite common and decently effective. Basically, a fast hammer with a frontal weapon rack, and possibly a wedge. The tactic is to begin hammering after pinning your opponent, a thing rammers can do easily, and useful for pushers. However, they are not as maneouvrable as real rammers (because of the hammer head and the srimech that often fails) and pretty much unstable. Extremely efficient against horizontal spinners if done well. Side hammer hybrids are stronger against vertical spinners and possibly popups (again, a weapon against your greatest enemy) and wipe out the instability problem and lack of invertibility. Examples include Flying Chao's BBEANS 5 bot Vetearn Destroyer and Clickbeetle's Cheshire Cat.

• Rammer/Poker: Not simply a fast poker, but a regular rammer with several pneumatic weapons. Foolishevil's bot RoAcH (Starcore 3) is a great design to start with. These basically add some moving element to your rammer weapon rack, but also provide an additionnal weapon to a pusher, solving the issue of pushers doing low damage. Of course, your chassis is going to be big with all these motors, batteries and air tanks, so you'd better be on a weight diet for this hybrid. May be useful against horizontal spinners because you can stop the spinners with the static weapon rack and try to destroy the motors/extenders with the poking element. You can also make a downwards poker with a rammer, but say goodbye to your invertibility.

• Rammer/Horizontal spinner: One of the more battle-effective hybrids, mostly built in Stock. These can be started by adding a weapon rack to your unfinished HS, or adding a few spinners to your rammers. Horizontal spinners will be easier to fight with that, you will also be less susceptible to have all your weapons Basically adds frontal defense and more weaponry to a HS, while of course weakening the spinner. ACAMS' 2 Sinister is a notable example.

• Horizontal spinner/Sit&Spinner: One of the most common hybrids out there, built both in DSL an Stock, it either adds better drive to a HS or spinning weapons to a SnS, and in the case of the HS start makes the HS spin on itself. It basically sacrifices mobility for more weapon power. Somebody's SnSnSnS is one of the most known examples. It is sometimes indistinguishable from a regular HS.

• Rammer/Sit&Spinner: A rare build, mostly because both types don't synergize. While you can use an SnS tactic with a pure rammer, most of the time it will be horribly unefficient and you risk losing a few wheels. For a true hybrid like this, you just need to give up a few spikes/axes on your ramming weapon and make a rear "tail" with weapons on it, or put weapons all around your bot (remember not to sacrifice your entire weapon rack). This is a powerful addition to a rammer if you are fighting a wedged opponent (VS, popup), the ram's deadliest enemies.

• Hammer/Poker: This type of bot attacks by pushing opponents into a wall or corner, then hammering down the wounded opponent. These bots are more than rare, and the best example is ScootOrDie, a DSL remake of a RA1 bot. Has poor type synergy because your hammers often bites the air if your pokers push your opponent.

• Flipper/Hammer: These bot designs not only flip the opponents, but Hammer down at the same time, this can either clamp the opponent, do more damage than a normal hammer, or just fail. For examples, see Clamp.

• Flipper/VS: Possibly one of the rarest hybrids known, these bots lift opponents upwards, usually into the main weapon. NFX's BTTB bot Tribute to Tribute to Mayhem is an example.

• Flipper/HS: Another very rare hybrid. Can be done efficiently, though. One of these (Hedgehog IV) competed in BBEANS 2.

• Popup/SnS: Can be done, one prototype has been done by Naryar.

As you can find, rammers are extremely easy to hybrid and a good addition to other weapon designs.

On another side, shell spinners and bar spinners are hard to hybrid due to the sheer size of the weapons which barely leaves any space for the other weapon system to be put into good use. But any type of hybrid can be built with enough imagination and weight : just be certain to work your design very well or it risks failing horribly.