User blog:DasQBert/Top 10 Favorite Roboteers

Everyone has their favorite lists of robots, the ones that stand out above the others in our minds. However, a topic not discussed in as much detail are the people behind them. The characters who brought these machines to life. Today I'll be counting down my Top 10 favorite roboteers from the show including the original series and reboot. Note these are based off of personality more than anything. I can't think of any roboteers I genuinely dislike, so don't take it as a negative if some of the great designers and engineers of the show are not included, I'm just going off of the personalities of these builders.

Number 10
Simon Harrison



It's amazing how much King B and Behemoth parallel each other and yet King B isn't discussed in the same light. Both had their best success in Series 2 and for one reason or another falter. Of course I do love team Behemoth, and obviously I think the whole Anthony Pritchard controversy was blown WAY out of proportion and completely misconstrued, but there's something about Simon with a bright outlook that always stuck with me. Recently on Facebook he brought up the Series 2 behind the scenes tape saying how it reminded him of why he does what he does with King B. I got to appreciate the mentality he has, he's not out for total glory he's out for fun and to entertain, and I can very much get behind that.

Number 9
Dave Lawrie



I love Team Nuts, they're all phenomenal characters. But it's the breakaway member for this recent season and the man who donned the green, Dave Lawrie, that makes my list. Never mind he made something as insane, bizarre, and downright lovable as Jellyfish, he also was on Total Wipeout which is just downright amazing. But what really made him on this list was from a Facebook post I read where he mentioned his history with bipolar depression. As someone who also struggled with it for many years it adds that extra amount of relatable and really makes me appreciate him more. He's gone past it and carried on into this goofy character (seriously a look through the behind the scenes photos on the Die Gracefully Facebook will bring a smile to your face) with great ambition and one I found very very endearing.

Number 8
Roger Plant



I was torn between putting him or Rex Garrod here, both of course are fantastic characters but as a child of Series 4 and 5 Roger made my list. There's something about the bravado and wild nature of his designs that matched him and his robot perfectly. He was a man that had a lot of talk, and could easily be seen as negative but it's easy to see he's doing it to entertain. He was a man that didn't design in the typical norms (The Mule and WBC are great testaments of this) and one that certainly made his presence known in and out of the arena.

Number 7
Craig Danby



I know this is a risky pick, but I hope readers will know what Craig was like in Series 8 is not an accurate reflection. Yes he's snarky, but the guy is also a massive goofball (fox hoodie. Need I say more?) and also works very hard behind the scenes (the reason he looks kind of disheveled in his Series 9 pic? He was working on fixing other robots for hours right before). This is a guy who has built so many robots of every class, he knows these things inside and out. He's also one of the most active builders on social media responding to many comments and creating some amazing banter, especially when people unfairly slag off his robots. He's a man who I think deserves his day in the sun and hopefully it will be soon

Number 6
John Reid



John Reid is a madman, but a wonderful madman. He's always had the competitive edge but also this charisma and never say die attitude. Considering how much he's had to put up with (constant ends with Killerhurtz, Terrorhurtz not being finished for Series 7, and Beta unable to compete in two Battlebots tournaments 13 years apart) it's always great to see him succeed. He's also a man who has a style all to his own, the somewhat see through axe bot. He loves his hammer bots, and always seems to innovate year after year. The opening quote from him saying how "robots can be built however you want" really does apply to him. He could make a wedge flipper or a drum bot but no he has a style he knows, he knows how to wrangle these crazy beasts and do it very well.

Number 5
Steve Merill



God rest your soul Steve, we will forever miss you. Of course Steve would make this list, he's one of the biggest showmen from the series. Sure Sir Chromalot never did much in its run on Robot Wars but man did Steve always make it fun. Always donned in a full suit (he gets points for commitment to that, I gotta believe it was super hot in those control pods) and lest we forget the air guitar and dancing, the man always knew how to make himself known. That's one of the beautiful things about Robot Wars, how you could play into the theatrics and no man truly exemplifies that more than Steve.

Number 4
Gary Cairns



I'll admit, watching the Series 7 run I didn't think much of Gary. Yes he was a great driver but not a character that stood out too much. Then the reboot happened, and came the very quotable line "SHE'S UP TAE SPEED NOW BOYS!" and that's what put him square on my list. Much like Craig Danby Gary is a man who's commonly active on social media (although with his wedding to his fiance and teammate Sarah coming up later this year that may minimize that a bit more) which I thoroughly enjoy, it's great to communicate directly with your favorite builders. I also love PP3D, a machine which proves Gary, much like John Reid, is a man who does not go by the norms and is not afraid to experiment. The reboot has really shown Gary at his truest now that he's the man in charge of his team, and one that is downright enjoyable to watch

Number 3
The Plunderboys: Mike Onslow and Bryan Kilburn



Okay yes it's two people but c'mon, you can't have one without the other! Mike and Bryan were the original showmen of Robot Wars, ones that weren't there for a long time but were there for a good time. Bryan Kilburn also delivered my all time favorite line from Robot Wars:

Mike: "We don't like tactics do we?"

Bryan: "No we hate small minted things!"

That line is so ridiculous coupled with the entirely straight delivery that just made me laugh so hard. Sadly we never saw the team in later wars, but Mike is still around as part of the Dystopia team so who knows, if Bryan is out there maybe we can get a rise of the Plunderboys once again.

Number 2
Gabe Stroud



I love Inside the Bot, it's hands down my favorite podcast right now. And the man behind it, behind such legendary banter is Gabe Stroud of Team Legion. Also the "never say die" attitude I've emphasized is best embodied in Gabe. Three series, over 15 years waiting and he finally won a televised fight. He also makes great looks for his robots, never settling for just a disc or a wedge flipper but instead creating these unique designs that may or may not work well. Really after listening to so many Inside the Bot episodes it's gotten kind of sweet seeing him on Robot Wars, like seeing a good friend on television since we get to see so much insight into a roboteer I honestly think is unparalleled by anyone else. So who could possibly top that?

Number 1
Kim Davies



When making this list, I knew Kim would be my number 1 and for good reason. The man raised money for charity during his winning Season 2 run which by all accounts would land him at #1 regardless but it's his presence on the show. He was a very soft spoken man, one who always appreciated his successes and accepted his failures. Panic Attack was never the flashiest or most powerful machine, but it was a very tough one to beat when Kim was at the helm. When Kim was on the show you could tell that was genuinely him, and this isn't bashing people who played characters but there's something just very sincere and heartwarming to see a roboteer that loved what he did and no matter what was always happy with being on the show.