Robot Wars: The Fifth Wars/Heat L

The Fifth Wars - Heat L was the twelfth and final heat that determined which robots comepeted in the semi-finals of Robot Wars: The Fifth Wars. The episode featuring Heat L was originally broadcast in early 2002 on BBC Choice and repeated on October 4, 2002 on BBC Two.


 * The concluding heat of the Fifth Wars saw Clawed Hopper became the first Walkerbot ever to pass round 1 of the UK Championship, after beating Twister.
 * Fluffy, the winner of Series Five's Most Promising Newcomer Award, was a competitor in this heat, defeating the 23rd seed 101 and giving the second seed Pussycat a very close call.
 * It was only one of three newcomers to reach the third round of the heats in this war.
 * Both of the newcomers had been seen in Robot Wars Extreme prior to Heat L.
 * This was the last appearance of 101 which was the first seed ever to lose in the first round on a judges decision.
 * Heat L saw Terrorhurtz compete in televised competition for the first time, having appeared in video game Robot Wars: Arenas of Destruction prior to this program being shown.
 * Ming 3 was the victim of a controversial battle interrupted by an unfair interference from Matilda, which some believed was the reason for Ming Dienasty being seeded for The Seventh Wars.

Newcomers
Fluffy From London
 * Team Members: Peter Holroyd, Peter Johnson & Richard Johnson
 * Weight: 96kg
 * Dimensions: 0.20m x 1.03m x 0.66m
 * Power: 2 x 24V electric motors
 * Weapons: Double headed spinning axe
 * Strengths: Destructive weapon
 * Weaknesses: Inexperience

The Executioner From Stanground
 * Team Members: Mark Nenedich, Ian Sanford & David Sanford
 * Weight: 100kg
 * Dimensions: 0.51m x 1.32 x 0.88m
 * Power: 2 x 24V electric motors
 * Weapons: Hydraulic crushing claw
 * Strengths: Powerful weapon
 * Weaknesses: Driving ability

Veterans
101 (seeded 23rd) From Kettering
 * Team Members: Mike Franklin, Amy Franklin & Steve Bickle
 * Weight: 97kg
 * Dimensions: 0.26m x 1.01m x 0.82m
 * Power: 2 x 800W electric motors
 * Weapons: Autonomous CO2 powered spike
 * Strengths: Agile & violent
 * Weaknesses: Traction control

Clawed Hopper From Horn's Cross
 * Team Members: Andrew Hughes, Joshua Hughes & Nick Clement
 * Weight: 200kg
 * Dimensions: 0.78m x 1.30m x 0.83m
 * Power: 5 Electric motors
 * Weapons: Steel claws and spinning drums
 * Strengths: Weight advantage
 * Weaknesses: Slow & sluggish

Ming 3 From Somerset
 * Team Members: Andrew Cotterell, Alexander Cotterell & Oliver Cotterell
 * Weight: 100kg
 * Dimensions: 0.80m x 1.33m x 0.77m
 * Power: 2 x 12V motors
 * Weapons: Crushing arm
 * Strengths: Powerful weaponry
 * Weaknesses: Exposed tyres

Pussycat (seeded 2nd) From Gloucester
 * Team Members: David Gribble, Robert Bettington & Alan Gribble
 * Weight: 97kg
 * Dimensions: 0.97m x 0.56m x 0.74m
 * Power: 2 x Electric motors
 * Weapons: Spinning blade
 * Strengths: Always lands on its feet
 * Weaknesses: Exposed tyres

Terrorhurtz From Oxford
 * Team Members: John Reid, Dominic Parkinson & Rebecca Reaston-Brown
 * Weight: 97kg
 * Dimensions: 0.52m x 1.31m x 1.00m
 * Power: 2 x 24V electric motors
 * Weapons: Double-headed axe
 * Strengths: Experienced competitors
 * Weaknesses: Robot new to competition

Twister From Cowcliffe
 * Team Members: Stuart Ford, Chris O'Connell & Graham Kershaw
 * Weight: 100kg
 * Dimensions: 0.42m x 1.32m x 0.83m
 * Power: 2 x 750W electric motors
 * Weapons: Spikes, flywheel and flipper
 * Strengths: Multi-weaponry
 * Weaknesses: Untested in competition

Pussycat (2) vs The Executioner
"Pussycat, the second seeds for Robot Wars. That is a measure of the task ahead for The Executioner"

- Jonathan Pearce

The Executioner grappled onto Pussycat's blade from the start with its crusher, which stopped the weapon of Pussycat from spinning. The Executioner dragged Pussycat across the arena floor, until letting it go. Pussycat's blade then grazed The Executioner as it came in for the attack. Pussycat, rather unwisely, drove onto the flame pit, but managed to hit the rear of The Executioner and chase it towards Dead Metal. The pair of competitors charged at each other, which appeared to impair The Executioner's mobility. It then spun towards Matilda's CPZ, and the house robot's flywheel snapped off the tip of The Executioner's crusher. "The pit release button has been depressed by Pussycat, and the The Executioner's team feeling mighty depressed"

- Jonathan Pearce

Pussycat eventually tipped the immobilised Executioner into the pit of oblivion.

Winner: Pussycat

Terrorhurtz vs Ming 3
The two combatants initially circled each other, until Terrorhurtz's fearsome axe slammed down onto the side of Ming 3. Terrorhurtz managed to attack in a similar manner several times more, but wasn't causing much visible damage. Terrorhurtz started to chase Ming 3 around the arena, until it drove onto Ming 3's wedge. Ming 3's vertical crusher clamped onto Terrorhurtz, but didn't successfully puncture it. Ming 3 gripped one of Terrohurtz's side skirts, but as it tried to drag the robot of Team Hurtz onto the flame pit, Matilda came in and slammed into the back of Ming 3 with her flywheel, causing major damage, despite not being anywhere near a CPZ. Terrorhurtz was beached on Ming's wedge, but was freed by the Refbot and was still mobile, unlike Ming 3. As time expired, Matilda whacked Ming again, causing more damage. "Naughty Matilda, naughty Matilda!"

- Craig Charles

The judges decision was based on the battle up until the house robot intervention.

Winner: Terrorhurtz "I can only apologise for Matilda's behaviour. She's been given a red card, and has been sternly told off!"

- Craig Charles informing the Cotterells of Matilda's "punishment"

Clawed Hopper vs Twister
Alongside Dead Metal in this fight, was Matilda, despite the events of the previous battle. "Look at Twister, chasing off after Clawed Hopper, not knowing quite what to do with it"

- Jonathan Pearce

Twister circled and avoided Clawed Hopper from the activate signal, until trying to drill the side of the walkerbot. Clawed Hopper pushed Twister aside, and surprisingly, this was all that was required to leave Twister immobile. "Er, Twister? You're not exactly whipping up a storm. Are we to see a walker going through to reward all the ingenuity?"

- Jonathan Pearce willing the walkerbot to win

The Refbot counted Twister out of the Fifth Wars, leaving Dead Metal to slice through its armour and leave it on the flame pit. Matilda bashed into the side of Twister with her flywheel, while Clawed Hopper activated the pit. The house robots pushed Twister towards the pit, but backed away to allow Clawed Hopper to finish the job. "By the time Halley's Comet next passes the earth, they'll be in the pit"

- Jonathan Pearce

Eventually, Clawed Hopper nudged Twister into the pit and cease was called.

Winner: Clawed Hopper

101 (23) vs Fluffy
101 charged at Fluffy, but the newcomers managed to escape, and get the spinning hammer up to speed. When it did, 101 came in again, and had its right-hand track shredded by the blade of Fluffy, severely impairing the seeded robot's mobility. Fluffy's blade caused damage to the front armour of 101, and eventually the remains of the track fell off. "That has certainly, has rendered 101, almost, almost immobile"

- Jonathan Pearce

Fluffy attacked again, tearing into the side panel of 101. "The time is nigh for a machine which cost a pound and a penny, to put together as they used to say, hence the name, 101"

- Jonathan Pearce reading the last rites to the former semi-finalist

Fluffy began buckling a side panel and one of the front spikes as the time ran out, leaving the judges with an easy decision to make.

Winner: Fluffy "You might be fluffy by name, but you're certainly not Fluffy by nature!"

- Craig Charles with the Fluffy team

Pussycat (2) vs Clawed Hopper


Pussycat, the overwhelming favourite for this battle, drove around, and buried its blade into the rear of Clawed Hopper. It then hit the front end of the walking machine. Pussycat backed away and went in for another onslaught, which severed the chain holding together the spinning drum on the side of Clawed Hopper, resulting in the weapon falling off. Pussycat spent the remainder of the fight hitting its foe with the spinning disc, causing more damage, but both robots were still fully mobile at the end. "That was a war of attrition, and definitely one for the judges"

- Craig Charles' appraisal

Winner: Pussycat

Terrorhurtz vs Fluffy


As soon as the activate command was sounded, Terrorhurtz drove at Fluffy, and got underneath it with its wedged sides, rather than the pole, nicknamed the "Fluffy-launch device". Terrorhurtz slammed the top of Fluffy three times, but was unable to prevent Fluffy getting away. Terrorhurtz axed again, but missed. This turned out to be costly, as Fluffy turned, ripped off the side panel of Terrorhurtz with its blade, and left the CO2, to leak out of Terrorhurtz. Another attack ripped some internals from Terrorhurtz, and it was immobilised. "Terrorhurtz are discombobulated!"

- Jonathan Pearce

Sir Killalot ensured that Terrorhurtz was thrown by the floor flipper, before Shunt drove into the pit while pushing Terrorhurtz in.

Winner: Fluffy "Terrorhurtz knows it really hurts! Fluffy does its stuff, Fluffy goes through!"

- Craig Charles

Pussycat (2) vs Fluffy
The two bumped into each other in the opening seconds. Pussycat went in on the attack again, wedging itself underneath Fluffy. After circling each other for a little while, getting their spinning weapons up to speed, Fluffy turned and the horizontal and vertical blades came into contact. "That was no tickling! The Pussycat blade is gone!"

- Jonathan Pearce

The impact completely snapped off the spinning disc of Pussycat, as well as one of its caster wheels. "It was blade against blade, and Pussycat were no match!"

- Jonathan Pearce

Pussycat then got stuck on a flame vent, but after it got away, it became evident that the battle had turned on its head, since Fluffy had broken down. Fluffy was counted out, allowing Pussycat to qualify for the series semi-finals. Fluffy was then carried to the floor flipper by Sir Killalot, prior to being pitted by Dead Metal.

Heat Winner: Pussycat "How unlucky can you get? Pussycat uses up all of their nine lives, and goes through to the series semi-finals!"

- Craig Charles