Tantrum

Tantrum was a red boxed shaped robot from Series 2 of Robot Wars. It had 8 wheels, with 6 front wheels in a pyramid configuration, similar to Trident. Its weapons were a sharpened steel flail, 25mm in diameter, that spun at 1000RPM, and a spring loaded rear ramming bumper. Tantrum cost 500 pounds and 200 hours to construct.

For Series 3, it re-entered as T2 (Tantrum 2, but it was stylised as T II), a similar robot with a rounded front that vaguely resembled an Old Western Locomotive but with a tank-steering mechanism and a cowcatcher as its lifter which the team claimed could lift 300lbs, although the figure stated on the statistics board was 13 stone (or 182lbs). It was described by Philippa Forrester as "Thomas the Tank Engine with a punk-rocker haircut". It was capable of travelling at 15mph.

The team also revised T2, painted it orange with black spots, gave it an axe and renamed it T2 R Special, however it failed to qualify for the Fourth Wars, after a defeat at the hands of future semi-finalist Tornado (a team that the Tantrum team was good friends with).

Series 2
Tantrum competed in Heat B. Tantrum was quick in the Gauntlet. It sped through the barrels, up the see-saw and past Sergeant Bash to complete the course in the fastest time. However, in the Tug-of-War Trial, it did not have enough grip or power and was pulled into the Pit by Dead Metal in 16.15 seconds, just two seconds behind Wheelosaurus, eliminating it from the competition.

"Tantalising, teetering, tottering, toppling, toppling, Tantrum... totalled!"

- Jonathan Pearce as Dead Metal pulled Tantrum into the pit in the Trials

At the end of the series, the team was nominated for the Sportsmanship award, but lost out to Plunderbird 2.

Series 3
In its first round, T2 faced Vector, which never got going. Having immobilised Vector by shoving it into the wall, T2 reversed away from Matilda, but reversed too far and drove into the pit. However, the judges ruled that Vector had been immobile long enough to be considered out before T2 drove into the pit, therefore T2 progressed into the next round instead. "Lets be honest, Vector didn't do anything-I think that's key. See I think Vector was immobilised right from the start, therefore T2 should go through."

- Jonathan Pearce's opinion

In the next round, it faced Darke Destroyer, but the team were forced to enter without a weapon. The robots charged each other several times, as well as both steering into CPZs at some point. Darke Destroyer's blades scuffed the front of T2, inflicting slight damage, whilst T2 pushed Darke Destroyer into side walls. The split 2-1 decision put Darke Destroyer through. "It came through mainly on aggression, on the fact that their weapon was much more aggressive - and we did talk before, about you not having any weapons."

- Philippa Forrester

Results

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Wins/Losses

 * Wins: 1
 * Losses: 2

Series Record

 * Series 1: Did not enter
 * Series 2: Heat, Trial
 * Series 3: Heat, Round 2
 * Series 4: Failed to qualify as T2 R Special
 * Series 5-7: Did not enter

Trivia

 * Interestingly, team member Chris Weeks used to build pine beds which always collapsed.

Outside Robot Wars
The Team entered Techno Games 2002 with a robot called Smash N' Grab, which competed in the Assault Course and in the football competition as Celestial Terror's team mate but they lost in round 1. It beat Quadsey in round 1 of the Assault Course but lost to Big Bro in round 2.

After retiring from Robot Wars, team member Rupert Weeks set up his own online robotics shop called Gadgetnet, which sold robot kits and toys.

Links

 * The Tantrum Website (archived)
 * Gadgetnet, Rupert Weeks online shop (archived)