User blog comment:SpaceManiac888/Rusty Spanner and Golden Wrench of the Decade (2010s)/@comment-24393094-20191213200816

Rusty Spanner:

3: The execution of the Head-to-Heads: Throughout the reboot era, there were some brilliant concepts. These included the 10-robot rumble, removing style as a judges' decision criteria, Rogue House Robot, to name a few. There were also a couple of awful ideas that made their way on to television, the Fog of War of course being the most notable. But, to be fair, the Fog of War was mainly harmless for the most part. I feel the Head-to-Heads sadly was the main concept that, while great on paper, was flawed considerably. Great to see robots getting multiple chances to prove themselves, but what made Series 8 and especially 9 problematic was that the machine were just getting too much damage between fights, making them crippled for the next one. Heat 4 of Series 9 was especially compromised because of the damage the spinners were inflicting on one another. The only times where I felt Head-to-Heads were actually compelling include Heat 4 of Series 8 and the Series 8 Grand Final, since there was tension throughout and the robots for the most part could competently fight each other. Glad that in Series 10, this format was scrapped but all robots got the chance to compete in two battles... makes judging them on the Arena Forums much easier too!

2: Wanted: Robots, and lots of them: Now, one could say that quality is better than quantity in Robot Wars. Perhaps Series 3 in particular from too many clunkers. But here's the thing; while I was not expecting Robot Wars to have sixteen heats again, I was hoping for more than forty robots per series. The fact we actually go to see fewer machines overtime was pretty sad to see, especially when you consider all the exciting hopefuls that never got a second of airtime. CrashBash also mentioned another issue regarding the number of machines present; because there were so machines to begin with, hardly any newcomers got to debut for Series 10. As he quite rightly mentions, Robot Wars needed newcomers for it to thrive. And speaking of which...

1: BBC: It seems a cope out, but hear me out on this one. On the one hand, the BBC deserves a Golden Wrench honourable mention for actually deciding to bring back Robot Wars in the first place. But, and this may be echoed by some, did the BBC actually give the show a chance? I already mentioned the lack of heats and robots, but there are also other issues where responsibility lies straight on the BBC. For example, Series 8 was broadcast during the 2016 Olympics, meaning that instead of viewing an excellent Heat 4, most people decided to watch Tom Daley dive into a green pool. Series 9 I felt was rushed, and it showed, with some robots, like Ms. Nightshade, competing without having ever been tested beforehand. Finally, according to various fans, many casual fans that grew up watching the classics had NO idea that a reboot actually took place, let alone three new Robot Wars. Henceforth, Robot Wars never really stood a chance, and it is a massive shame that BBC decided to axe it in favour of more tennis.

Golden Wrench:

3: Robot Wars actually came back: Of course this deserves a spot, although not the top step of the podium. This is because even if Robot Wars came back, it does not mean the reboot will be a success. Luckily it was, due to various factors, including...

2: Nostalgia and the new All-Stars: Part of what made the reboot very enjoyable to me (compared to other reboots), is that not only was there the nostalgia factor, but also an influx of new faces that helped make it great. While Razer's appearance was merely a cameo, the fact that Behemoth, Terrorhurtz, Thor and other preboot names proved they could still hang in there made things that much enjoyable. But of course, it was the new golden generation that really made reboot Robot Wars stand out... Apollo, Carbide, Eruption, Nuts 2, RAPID, Concussion, Shockwave/Aftershock and Pulsar/Magnetar are just some that made up the All-Stars of the reboot. And they all stood out like their preboot counterparts, and while they probably won't be talked about as much as the preboot machines, they and the upgraded veterans deserve major credit for making the reboot unforgettable.

1: The wonderful Series 10: And to top it off, why not discuss arguably one of the best series of Robot Wars ever. Series 10 had everything going for it: excellent battles, huge surprises, great new concepts (10 Robot Rumble in particular), compelling narratives (particularly for Eruption, Behemoth and Nuts 2), and, of course, one of the best Grand Finals of all-time. If Robot Wars was going to end, and never comes back, Series 10 was the perfect conclusion to one of my favourite television shows that I starting watching as a child, and still do at age 20. While the UK "vs" the World was a bit pathetic, it still brought us back Tough as Nails and Diotoir, so I cannot be too negative towards it. Henceforth, Series 10 was the best part of the reboot Robot Wars, and of Robot Wars during this decade.