User blog:CrashBash/If Series 6 had recap segments

This is something that's kinda been on my mind for a while and I just recently decided to put it into writing. We all know that, in the early series, when robots were introduced they would often have a little recap segment so the viewers could look back on their performances in the previous series. It wasn't entirely perfect, with Series 4 really being the only series to seriously commit to that (and even then four were missed out), but aside from a bare-boned attempt in Series 5 at the beginning of each heat, they were pretty much all but removed once the weight limit went up.

I thought I'd rectify this by covering Series 6 (my favourite of the original series, as you may well know) and going through what I think would have made interesting recap commentary. For reference, I'd like to remind you of the Series 7 annihilator, which featured recaps between their arena introduction and pre-battle interview. They will be pretty much be in the style of that. Jonathan Pearce's introductions will be largely unchanged, except when something he says doesn't really fit or is completely inaccurate.

Final note, I will be doing these three heats at a time.

Raging Reality
We've seen the helmet logo of this team more. Experience - they'll need it.

(Series 4) The team have competed before with Knightmare and Spirit of Knightmare, who made steady and surprising progress in the past. Knightmare here, getting involved in close quarters with Plunderbird 4, waiting their moment and landing the killer flip. Plunderbird blundered out, but in the heat final, it was checkmate for Knightmare against Spawn of Scutter - dead after the first ram.

(Extreme 1) Spirit of Knightmare competed in the annihilator in Robot Wars: Extreme, and certainly put up a spirited performance once again. It reached the final round, but in the end was no match for Disc-O-Inferno. It certainly was a Knightmare, no wonder the Reality is Raging.

Razer
Listen to the reaction! They're back, the UK champions!

(Extreme 1) And I tell you what, it's been a dream for the Razer boys. They've won just about every event Robot Wars has to offer, including two consecutive World Championships - here easily defeating the American entry Drillzilla in the final. But they've never managed to win a UK title in three attempts.

(Series 5) But last series, they finally hit their stride! Razer there, rupturing Rick to make the semi-finals, and then squashing the hopes of S3 to make its first Grand Final. There, they flattened Firestorm before bullying Bigger Brother into submission, and at that moment, Razer had finally achieved their goal. Can anyone take their crown? I'll tell you what - they don't mean to give it up lightly!

Cyrax
Purple, pretty looking thing. I wonder if that will count?

(Series 3) I'll tell you one thing, though - this team has a grudge to settle, with the Tetanus boys. They were in Series 3 with Wild Willy, also in the purple, taking on the Tetanus team's original robot Flip Flop Fly. They were well on top, puncturing the fly's wings, or tyres in this case, looked easily set to go through...and then they just gave up! Stuck on the edge of the pit, unable to escape. The judges' declared that this counted as them being pitted and Wild Willy went wayward and out. I wonder if Tetanus 2 had better watch themselves this time...

Ruf Ruf Dougal
Oh, I can't to learn all about the doggy-dos and don'ts.

(Series 5) The last Wars for example, was a big doggy-don't for Dougal. Pitted up against the clusterbot Gemini it kept finding itself in all sorts of trouble including an explosive run in with the CO2 jets. Poor Dougal was feeling a little hot under the collar, eventually left panting and had to have a lay down. Killalot there dumping Dougal out of the arena - what have they learnt since?

Tetanus 2
Oooh....now this is a mean-looking machine...

(Series 5) We've already mentioned the team's previous machine Flip Flop Fly, but the original Tetanus competed in the last Wars and looked just as mean against former finalists 3 Stegs to Heaven. They just weren't all that reliable though. Its claw weapon snapped off and then it conked out, despite looking so strong. If they've improved the reliability, then I could see Tetanus 2 going far.

Weld-Dor 3
Back fighting for a third time in Robot Wars

(Series 4) Once upon a time Weld-Dor performed well in the World Championships and went into Series 4 with high expectations. It certainly looked strong against Sumpthing and Little Fly and resisted the early attacks well. But whilst the axe blows and blade swipes seemed minor, they gradually, ever so gradually, caught up with the Northern Irish boys, and in a surprise result, Weld-Dor was out! Can they get their mojo back this time around?

Spirit of Scorpion
Fought in Series 4, now back with an extra sting in the tail!

(Series 4) And lets face it, they'll need it. The original Scorpion was certainly pretty as a picture with the scorpion tail and chainsaw nose, but the high ground clearance and flammable shell would always leave it vulnerable to Sir Chromalot and Reactor...and the House Robots of course. And what is their secret weapon this time? His name is Sean...

Robochicken
Oh Refbot! Cry "fowl"! Surely a poultry challenge from this!?

(Series 5) But then what else was I expecting from the Robochicken boys, with their poultry-powered pecker and fowl-flipping device as they called them last year. Against the crab-like Crushtacean it was certainly a bonkers match, quite even I felt, until Sir Killalot gave Robochicken one in the eye. The team claim they're taking it seriously this time...seriously? Are you sure?

X-Terminator
We've seen it before, but this time REALLY watch out for the axe!

(Series 5) When it does get its axe going, X-Terminator can cause some real trouble to its opponents, maybe itself and even to the House Robots. All demonstrated last year against Immortalis, on top easily despite a few scares along the way. The problem last time - they had battery issues, so while, yes, they started strong against Corkscrew, they soon slowed down, ran into Shunt and the X-Terminator was terminated! What improvements have they made this time?

Mega Hurts 2
Ah, at last, Robot Wars enters the computer age!

(Series 2) This is an updated version of a robot the team fought with all the way back in Series 2. It looked the part, splendid design...but terrible driving! Straight off the edge of the King of the Castle platform and food for the House Robots!

(Series 3) The team also had Tut's Revenge in Series 3. They did no better there. Toppled by Berserk 2 and trashed by Dead Metal. This is Series 6 now, they need to show a lot more RAM if they want to succeed.

Firestorm 4
Only Razer beat this last time.

(Series 5) That alone should speak volumes about Firestorm's pedigree over the wars - twice they've reached a grand final and finished third. You see them here, easily dumping Reactor 2 out of the arena in its heat final. Then, in the semi-finals, it caused a massive shock, overpowering former runner-up Pussycat on a judges' decision. And I'll tell you what, Razer may have beaten them in the Grand Final, but they did not go down easily. Even with the flipper broken, they caused Razer some massive problems, nearly pushing it down the pit several times. It took a narrow judges' decision to take them out, and the others in this heat will need to do something special to beat that!

Chaos 2
They're back!

(Series 3) No robot has ever won more UK Championships than this machine - as I said at the start, Chaos 2 is a role model. It defeated the deadly Hypno-Disc in Series 3 to earn the title there, as well as defeat the House Robots...

(Series 4) ...and then in Series 4, George Francis got to show why he's considered one of the best drivers in Robot Wars when he outmanuvered and overpowered the vicious looking Pussycat. Two titles under their belt...

(Series 5) ...and Chaos 2 looked set for a third, but against Bigger Brother, it ran out of CO2 and couldn't self-right when flipped. The reign was over after looking so strong, but I know George Francis - he wants that title back!

Iron-Awe 2
The Grimm family are back, but they don't like fairy stories.

(Series 5) Or flying for that matter, when they fought Wheely Big Cheese in Series 5...because LOOK AT THE HEIGHT OF THAT FLIP! Flung straight out of the arena from almost the halfway point. We have never seen as big a flip as that in Robot Wars, and I wonder if they're dreading meeting Chaos 2 so early...could history repeat itself for Iron-Awe?

Mighty Mouse
Aha, we've set the traps! This is the mouse!

(Series 5) And this is its builder, Trevor Wright, a veteran of the wars but with no real success. His previous machine Velocirippa had been fast and tenacious certainly...but not very durable at all. One glancing blow on The Alien was enough to cause this dinosaur to become extinct and be buried in the pit. Will Mighty Mouse come to save the day?

Crushtacean
Ah, the Visser family are back. They made the heat final last time.

(Series 5) Lets remind ourselves how. It was a tense, tight tussle against Robochicken, certainly, pushing it into the clutches of Sir Killalot. But then, a shock, as Crushtacean managed to outmanuvere, overturn and dump down the experienced Behemoth machine. I must admit, I never saw this coming. But against Wheely Big Cheese, they were sadly outmatched by that powerful flipper. Off came the aerial, leaving Crushtacean with no control, and in the end, we got some potted crab. What have they done to improve this time? Not a whole lot, it seems...