Po Feng

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破锋 (romanticized as Po Feng, alternatively known as Broken Edge) was a Chinese competitor robot which fought in Season 2 of King of Bots. A multibot entered by Team Pro-fun, the builders of successful featherweight Calabash Bros, it was selected by a celebrity in the opening episode, but endured a destructive and dramatic loss against Cracked Sword at the start of its season run. Nevertheless, Po Feng recovered by winning a four-way rumble over Twin Panthers, Fat-Head Fish and Pot of Love to successfully join Tao Shen's team, a team which Po Feng soon became the captain of. Po Feng first battled under this team in a head-to-head against Drift, but lost on a Judges' decision.

Po Feng was not the first heavyweight machine built by Team Pro-fun, as Wang Jiaqing had previously competed in Season 1 with Residual Wind, and team captain Hong Jing had previously finished as the runners-up in the Chinese TV show Clash Bots with Toxic Fangs.

Design

Po Feng KOB 2 stats — Statistics card for Po Feng

Po Feng was a three-part multibot, featuring a set of robots with completely different forms of armament. The main robot was an orange and black, two-wheel drive machine armed with a powerful asymmetrical vertical spinner. Po Feng also featured a large plough-like front end for optimal defence, and was designed to run inverted through a set of castors on top of its weapon mount. The robot's large wheels were completely exposed, but its powerful spinner and experienced team makes Po Feng a highly regarded machine.

Po Feng helicopter — Po Feng's helicopter

Accompanying the main robot were a two-wheeled minibot with a low static plough, used to breach opponents' ground clearances, and a modified remote-control helicopter equipped with a flamethrower. Both of these were painted orange and silver, and white and yellow respectively.

Robot History

King of Bots 2 (Season 2)

Po Feng debuted in Episode 1 of Season 2, where it was the third robot to be selected by Huang Jian Xiang for the opening rounds. Appearing in the third set of one-on-one battles, it was drawn to face a horizontal spinner in the form of Cracked Sword.

Broken Blades vs Po Feng 1 — Po Feng takes its first hit from Cracked Sword

Broken Blades vs Po Feng 2 — Po Feng is attacked by Cracked Sword again

Immediately, the main part of Po Feng sped across the arena in pursuit of Cracked Sword, sliding past the blue corner and charging towards its opponent. However, the bar spinner of Broke Blades clipped Po Feng’s side, sending it spinning on one side into the red corner. Po Feng slammed into the spikes before flipping over next to the grinders, its own spinner making contact with the floor in the process. The main robot spun round and hopped over the circular saws, while its minibot briefly got underneath Cracked Sword before driving over one of the flame jets. Po Feng’s helicopter also attempted to pressure Cracked Sword, but could not inflict a meaningful attack.

Broken Blades vs Po Feng 3 — Cracked Sword sends Po Feng into the grinders

Struggling to get itself moving away from the grinders, the main part of Po Feng took two more hits from Cracked Sword, the second throwing it off-balance and shredding its right tire. Po Feng attempted to gyro-dance its way back into the upright position; however, its left axle sheared, causing the affected wheel to fall off and the robot to suddenly become immobilized completely. Smoke briefly poured from within Po Feng’s weapon mount before Cracked Sword came in for another blow. The force of this attack caused Po Feng to recoil into a nearby grinder, which threw the main robot upwards and back upright.

Broken Blades vs Po Feng minibot — Po Feng's minibot is driven over by Cracked Sword, having lost a wheel

Broken Blades vs Po Feng copter — Po Feng's helicopter attempts a last-ditch attack on Cracked Sword

While this happened, Po Feng’s minibot had also lost full mobility, resting near the blue corner on one wheel. Replays later showed the minibot to have had a wheel ripped off by Cracked Sword, and to have been driven over by its dark green opponent. With two parts now incapacitated – to the disappointment of Huang Jian Xiang – Po Feng’s helicopter attempted to swoop down and blast flames at Cracked Sword, although these attacks were unsuccessful. Ironically, the main part of Po Feng caught fire as it was being counted out, with the entire multibot subsequently being eliminated by knockout. As a result of its defeat, Po Feng would not join Jian Xiang’s team at this stage of the competition.

"What a great fight tonight! Congratulation for Cracked Sword Lee! Although we have lost the first melee and entered to be determined, we are still working and waiting for the fight in the next round. Come on, team Pro-fun!"

— Team Pro-fun Facebook page^[1]

In the Redemption Round, Po Feng was required to win a four-way rumble against Fat-Head Fish, Pot of Love and Twin Panthers outright in order to join a celebrity team of its choosing.

Po Feng vs Pot of Love — Po Feng turns Pot of Love over

Po Feng vs Fat-Head Fish — Po Feng immobilizes Fat-Head Fish

Po Feng spun up its vertical blade at the start of the battle, while its minibot swarmed the arena, but Po Feng generally kept out of the action until Twin Panthers and Fat-Head Fish disabled the shell spinner on Pot of Love. Here, Po Feng crept in to overturn the weaponless Pot of Love in a single attack, securing an instant knockout. The main body of Po Feng and its minibot then turned their attention to Fat-Head Fish, with a blow from Po Feng's vertical spinner throwing sparks off Fat-Head Fish's wedge, and despite the lack of visible damage, this attack was enough to KO Fat-Head Fish.

Po Feng vs Twin Panthers — Po Feng hits the side of Twin Panthers

Twin Panthers vs Po Feng — Twin Panthers swings into Po Feng and loses mobility

With only two robots still active, Po Feng drove into the back of Twin Panthers, and quickly landed a side-on attack, with Twin Panthers mainly running away and losing one side of drive to the second attack. The larger half of Twin Panthers did turn its wedge into Po Feng in a hard slam, moving only on one wheel, but this would prove to be its final attack, as it suddenly lost mobility altogether. The wedge-shaped minibot of Po Feng slid under the back of Twin Panthers, but this was ultimately not needed, as Po Feng had already won by KO, later joining the team of Tao Shen.

In the next round, Po Feng's captain Hong Jing was nominated to become the captain of Tao Shen's team, although the team were unsuccessful in their attempts to defeat Zhu Zheng Ting's seemingly stronger lineup. Although Po Feng had the opportunity to face Two BBQ and Switch in a one-versus-two matchup, it did not enter this risky battle, and Tao Shen's team were soundly defeated by Zhu Zheng Ting, losing Pixel Hunter from the team in the process.

Po Feng's first battle under Tao Shen's team was a captain-against-captain fight against Drift of Emma Dumont's team.

Drift vs Po Feng 1 — Po Feng starts the battle at an initial deficit

Drift vs Po Feng 2 — Po Feng is guided into the Grinder mount

Both robots circled around each other in the center of the arena, with the first contact seeing Po Feng drive over Drift's wedge. Drift kept up the pressure, bumping into Po Feng, while taking only a slight knock from the opponent's spinner afterwards. Drift then drove under Po Feng, and managed to drag it a slight distance across the arena until the robots separated. Drift then made evasive maneuvers, baiting out an approach from Po Feng while running over the wedge-shaped minibot. Po Feng again drove over the top of Drift, and was corraled into the Grinder mount by Drift, causing its spinner to throw sparks off the arena surface.

Drift vs Po Feng 3 — Po Feng ramps over the arena saws

Drift vs Po Feng 4 — Drift lifts Po Feng into the corner wall

Po Feng recovered, and attempted to utilize the flamethrower of its drone, but the main robot simply drove over the top of Drift again. Driving capably, Drift circled around Po Feng again, exposing its wedge and luring it into the same Grinder mount as before. After two more head-to-head collisions, Drift made a slight mistake in driving over the arena saws, but Po Feng made the same error on a larger scale, ramping over the already-raised saws to throw itself over entirely, landing on its vertical spinner and coming to a rest inverted. Drift capitalized on its inverted foe, pushing it into a corner while firing its lifter, although Po Feng successfully used the wedge shape of Drift to self-right.

Drift vs Po Feng 5 — Po Feng delivers its first attack of the fight

Drift vs Po Feng 6 — Po Feng falls onto its front end

Drift wedged under Po Feng briefly, but then suffered its first direct attack of the match, with Po Feng delivering a side-on hit to Drift, tossing it into the air but without causing visible damage. Po Feng followed this up by hitting the front of Drift, but when Drift fell back onto its wheels, it wedged straight back under the front of Po Feng and caused it to fall over. Although Po Feng attempted to self-right using its gyroscopic forces, Drift did not let up, and pushed it into the arena wall, using its lifter to momentarily strand Po Feng against the wall.

Drift vs Po Feng 7 — Po Feng self-rights using its spinner and the Grinder

Drift vs Po Feng 8 — Po Feng fails to find a late advantage

Po Feng was still attempting to self-right using its spinner, driving in circles, eventually doing so by bringing its vertical spinner into the Grinder, somersaulting Po Feng back onto its wheels - Drift, meanwhile, was briefly raised by the floor flipper. Nevertheless, Drift drove Po Feng back into the arena wall, and the two robots then separated. Meeting again in the center of the arena, Po Feng grazed the side of Drift with its spinner, ripping away loose parts, but Drift otherwise kept its front end towards Po Feng, and negated its attacks for the final ten seconds of the match. The battle was sent to a Judges' decision, and Po Feng ultimately lost the decision to Drift, to the disadvantage of Tao Shen.

Results

PO FENG - RESULTS
King of Bots (Season 2)
Main Championship Part of Tao Shen's team
Head-to-Head	vs. Cracked Sword	Lost
Redemption Round	vs. Fat-Head Fish, Pot of Love, Twin Panthers	Won
Head-to-Head	vs. Drift	Lost

Wins/Losses

Wins: 1
Losses: 2

Series Record

Series	Po Feng Series Record
Season 1	Entered with Residual Wind (Wang Jiaqing)
Season 1.5	Did not enter
Season 2	Part of team, one win

NOTE: Team Pro-fun also entered the 2019 Opening Battle with Calabash Bros.

Outside King of Bots

The main part of Po Feng bears a striking resemblance to Team Pro-fun's previous heavyweight vertical spinner, Toxic Fangs, which competed in fellow Chinese robot combat show Clash Bots. Toxic Fangs enjoyed a very successful run on this show, collecting wins over competitors such as Flame T Rex, AU Thumper and eventual champion Dark Wolf, and ultimately finishing second overall to the latter.

Trivia

Po Feng was the only robot to be nominated as a team captain in Season 2 without boasting any head-to-head victories at that stage of the competition.

References

↑ Facebook post by Team Pro-fun

External Links

Team Pro-fun Combat Robots Facebook page

[1] Facebook post by Team Pro-fun

[1]