When a bot is designed, the creator can usually tell what kind of bots it will fare well against, and which it'll struggle. Those which have the most versatile design will be the ones that team captains take a lot of interest in and care of, as Area51Escapee recalls:

Barrier was created to be my "team leader" bot, as I always knew he'd probably have the best shot at winning something with him more than anyone. That's why I tried to make him as tough against all kinds of opponents as I could.

If any builder could rest on his laurels, it is Area51Escapee, but the hunger to design and compete gnaws away at designers like him, which is why latterday bots like Barrier come about, even if without any one particular source of influence.

Just before Vengeance began, I knew I wanted to start over on a clean slate with some new bot designs. So I started to build Barrier. I pretty much winged the design and just started to make gradually as I went along. Eventually, I ended up with a good design that I thought would be really good. Barrier had no plan whatsoever, it was just gradually put together... However, I don't think the result could have turned out any better.

It seemed that it couldn't have. A menacing bot with lifting forks, a wide and stable base, and hinged skirting. While Barrier wasn't the first bot to avail itself of hinged wedge skirting, once people got a look at Barrier, they realized the enormous potential for them, a trend that continues to this day in the Custom Fantasy Leagues, largely because of this bot.



This was a bot that had the look of a champion. Unfortunately, getting a championship title was easier said than done. After winning three of the four titles in one tournament, everyone was designing bots and creating strategies tailored to stop Team Gemini cold.

After the Defiance season, I was in a bit of a slump and Barrier was the only bot that seemed to still have the championship attitude...having beat all kinds of opponents (spinners, thwackers, lifters, rammers). Some of my bots have had success but were probably fairly lucky in draws and who they fought to get far while Barrier as dealt with almost every single major opponent in the middleweight CFL. The only bot he ever had trouble with was Shockwave.

Shockwave, the clamp and lifting pride of Team Fire-And-Ice would prove to be a force to be reckoned with. Over the courses of Advance Robot Combat Vengeance and Annihilation, plus Fantasy Robot Rumble: Naturally Assumed Destruction, the two middleweight Titans fought three times, each time Shockwave winning by a split decision. Finally, in Fantasy Robot Rumble: Combat Lagoon, Barrier finally turned the tables and beat Shockwave. But the redemption had to remain short-lived until the tournament was over.

Some of the competitors that time around were insane. Especially Unlimited Limits, who I thought could end up becoming the new Shockwave... AMP was a good competitor and probably a highly anticipated fight. However, Barrier was made for a bot design like AMP, so I knew I mostly just had to sustain his blows and toss him about and I would be ok.

Despite almost forfeiting completely out of the tournament, which the team's other three bots did, Barrier was able to taste the sweet, succulent juice of championship. For Area51Escapee, this was an incredible relief.

I felt that a weight was lifted from my shoulders. I know that sounds a bit strong, but the truth is I felt almost cursed from winning a title since my season in Defiance. Barrier not only broke that curse for me, but he also completed my champion squad of having a champ in each class, which was also completed by Team Animal Cruelty that very same season. After that, I felt very satisfied to what Barrier accomplished and his purpose has been served.

A bot that had little, yet significant evolution in its design, Barrier helped rejuvenate Area51Escapee's spirits both in the sport, and as a designer. Though currently retired, Area51Escapee believes the current design will be able to take on whatever the future holds.

Barrier has been fully evolved in my mind. If I ever use him again, he'll stay pretty much the same. Once I have a design that I feel I am completely satisfied with, I would stick to them like that.

As a realistic design, Barrier has further pushed the passion for new bots for Team Gemini, like Sunshine and Striker, though this bot's legacy won't soon be forgotten.

Barrier was just one of those bots that lived on in CFL history. What I am more interested in seeing is what future bots can achieve greatness...only time will tell.

With such an awesome design and incredible story, Barrier would certainly be the pride of Team Gemini, or so one would think.

I don't like to make one bot the pride of my team because a lot of them have great significance. Reflector Shield and Celestial Slayer were the big guys from the early days on my team while Barrier is the pride from my later generation lineup. However, bots like Solar Smash, King Draco, Wrath of Draco, Neptune, and Mercenary are all just as important to me.

Barrier is among the standards for greatness of design, versatility of strategical possibilities, and dominance in the arena. Great bots to come will have Barrier as one of the markers for their designers to keep in mind as a source of both inspiration to build upon, and dread to have to face in the arena.

That's the thing about Barrier, whoever you are, he'll put up a fight.