Sergeant Bash

"Something that could be, in sort of 2,000 years time or something, patrolling a planet, and keeping the locals in order"

- Chris Reynolds describes the inspiration for Sergeant Bash's design

Sergeant Bash (often abbreviated to Sgt. Bash, or Bash) was one of the original four House Robots from the UK game show Robot Wars. He appeared in all seven of the original UK series, as well as both series of Robot Wars Extreme and all international versions of the show. His design is perpetuated to be that of a futuristic military vehicle, and his weapons by the time of his most recent series appearance were a top-mounted flamethrower and a set of front hydraulic pincers.

Almost every time Sergeant Bash came up against a robot from Team Nemesis, his flamethrower provided entertainment for the audience and roboteers as it regularly set their robots' fur alight. Indeed, his popularity came from his ability to do so, and Sergeant Bash even took part in an exhibition battle in Series 2 which was held specifically for him to set his opponents on fire for the audience's entertainment.

Sergeant Bash did not appear in the rebooted series of Robot Wars, with James Cooper of Robo Challenge stating that they did not have the time to complete a new version of him for Series 8. He is the only House Robot from the original set of four not to return for the revived series. However, when asked about Sergeant Bash's absence in June 2016, the Official Robot Wars Facebook page responded by suggesting the possibility of additional House Robots for a second series, hinting of him possibly returning in the near future although, ultimately, he did not appear. During the airing of Series 9, BBC Two wrote on Twitter that he was "enjoying his retirement", to which Noel Sharkey replied "military robots retire early". Later, Dutch competitor THE BASH would represent the retired House Robot during the Robot Wars: World Series, and footage of Sergeant Bash in the original run of Robot Wars was shown during its introduction. "Sgt Bash isn't joining us for this series, as we only needed four for this series. However next time..."

- Official Robot Wars Facebook Page

Design
"There's more going on inside Sergeant Bash than in any of the other House Robots"

- Chris Reynolds in Series 1

Sergeant Bash's design took on a predominantly military feel, with a roughly wedge-shaped design inspired by World War II fighter planes, a green paint scheme with chevron markings resembling a sergeant's stripes, treaded tyres and a propane-fuelled flamethrower mounted on a 360 degree rotating turret. He was one of only two robots in Robot Wars to feature a flamethrower - the other being fellow House Robot Growler - a weapon which was otherwise prohibited under the technical rules. In the Sir Killalot and the House Robots video/DVD, it was stated that the inspiration for Sergeant Bash's design came from the idea of a futuristic army patrol vehicle, which was further elaborated upon in his backstory from the Robot Wars Technical Manual. "Keeping order, Sergeant Bash! Featuring a savage circular saw and a flamethrower, certain to leave all opponents...hot under the collar!"

- Jonathan Pearce commenting on the weapons in Series 1

In Series 1 and 2, Sergeant Bash initially had steel armour and was armed with two secondary weapons - a front spiked battering ram and a rear-mounted circular saw/angle grinder. In Series 3, he underwent a comprehensive redesign which saw his steel armour replaced with fibreglass, and the ram replaced with a set of hydraulic pincers similar to those used by Sir Killalot. These pincers, in turn, were replaced by a set of custom-built ones from Series 4 onwards, which allowed him to crush competitors' armour, wheels and/or weapons at a force of eight tonnes. Sergeant Bash's flamethrower was also modified to tilt downwards in later series, enabling him to reach low-bodied competitors.

Sergeant Bash's power source came from four batteries running in parallel, while he required numerous gas bottles, valves and CO2 reservoirs just to operate the flamethrower. These, combined with the flamethrower and pincers in later series, necessitated him having a long wheelbase to incorporate his complex internals. In Series 1-2, the gas bottles were positioned at the front, while the motors for Sergeant Bash's saw were located at the rear behind the flamethrower turret. The bottles were relocated to the rear for Series 3 onwards, leaving no room for the saw, so it was removed and replaced with an ornamental saw protruding from his rear panel.

Series 1
Sergeant Bash was the third House Robot to be introduced in Robot Wars history, and for this series featured the flamethrower, ramming spike and rear-mounted circular saw. His most notable moment came in Heat A, when he set fire to Irish robot Nemesis in its Arena Semi-Final against Roadblock, starting the long-term rivalry between him and the robots of Team Nemesis. However, other than this notable moment, Sergeant Bash's flamethrower made very little impact throughout the series. His circular saw, meanwhile caused impressive sparks against Elvis during its Gauntlet run, but broke on numerous occasions, such as when he attempted to attack Killertron in Heat A, with the saw blade shattering and flying off. Sergeant Bash's most notable contributions came from him using his spiked rammer, which he used to spear competitors, ram them and impede their progress in the Gauntlet, such as in Torque of the Devil's run.

Series 2
Sergeant Bash had a slow start to The Second Wars, as Heat B saw Wheelosaurus tear off the gas canister for Bash's flamethrower, while both Mace and Chaos won personal duels with the House Robot to complete their Gauntlet runs. Sergeant Bash put his flamethrower to good use in both the Gauntlet and Football in Heat D, as he targeted Milly-Ann Bug and Elvis throughout - lighting both on fire multiple times. "Ooh, hot stuff for Elvis from the Sergeant!"

- Jonathan Pearce as Sergeant Bash torches Elvis

Bash appeared in the Football trial again in Heat H, where he replaced Dead Metal as the goalkeeper and managed to set the ball on fire. He was also called upon to pit Cassius during the same heat, after Team Cassius flipped over Matilda during its Heat Final win against Loco. "Oh, magnificent! Great balls of fire!"

- Jonathan Pearce as Sergeant Bash torches the ball during the Football trial

Heat K saw Sergeant Bash appear alongside Dead Metal during King of the Castle. He managed to force Demon over the edge, but also drove off himself three times, including against Plunderbird 2, where the International Wreck Crew managed to defeat both of the House Robots.

Sergeant Bash also starred throughout the Grudge Match Special. In the "Internet Insurrection", Griffon used its lifting arm to flank the Sergeant and turn him onto his side almost immediately. The immobilised Bash did, however, play a key role in the elimination of Corporal Punishment, as the overturned house robot pinned Corporal Punishment beneath it, rendering the latter unable to move. Bash was also highlighted in the buildup to the Super Showdown, as he was shown being lifted by Berserk during its eliminator battle. Nemesis had also returned to continue its rivalry with Sergeant Bash in The Second Wars, and was torched during its Gauntlet run in Heat G, and both of them had a chance to clash again as the Inferno Insurrection was arranged as part of the Grudge Match Special, featuring Bash against Nemesis, as well Ramrombit, a "sacrificial robot" driven by George Francis. Both competitor robots were doused in flammable liquid and set alight for the entertainment of the audience. "Look at Nemesis! Oh, it's a catherine wheel Ramrombit - ah, fireworks. That's brilliant, that was absolutely brilli-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, look at that - oh terrific stuff."

- Jonathan Pearce bursts into hysterics during the Inferno Insurrection

Sergeant Bash also bore the brunt of Panic Attack during The Second Wars as its circular saw mechanism was completely dislodged during the Arena Semi-Final battle involving Whirling Dervish in Heat F. Panic Attack dealt Sergeant Bash further punishment later on in the series, when it pitted the House Robot after defeating Killertron in its Grand Final eliminator.

Series 3
Bash's redesign took place in preparation for Series 3, and his new hydraulic pincer was the way he caused most of the damage he dealt out in The Third Wars. In Heat B, he crumpled into Sumpthing and buckled part of Robocow's armour. Heat C saw Bash cut into Spike's armour when it was pushed into the CPZ by Blade, and Henry was the next robot to be damaged by Bash's claw, as its armour was sliced into after it was immobilised against Steg-O-Saw-Us in Heat G. Bash also caused damage to the back of Hypno-Disc at the end of its Heat H final against Berserk 2, bit into Crasha Gnasha in Heat O and damaged Beast of Bodmin's as its campaign ended at the Semi-Final stage. Sergeant Bash's flamethrower still saw use in The Third Wars, however. In Heat E, Miss Ile had both of its eyes burnt off, while Mammoth's hair was set alight during its Walker Battle against Anarachnid. Bash also torched Diotoir, the new robot from Team Nemesis, in its second round battle in Heat O, as well as in the International League Championship and three times in The First World Championship - a competition where Bash also set light to Hamish, the mascot on top of All Torque "Diotoir's on fire - oh, great! I'd pay my admission fee just to see this!"

- Jonathan Pearce as Diotoir is set alight by Bash in Heat O

Bash's driving came under the spotlight in Heat B, as he managed to get himself stuck on the lip of the pit during Behemoth's win against General Carnage. Sergeant Bash was also involved in a lot of scuffles with competitor robots throughout The Third Wars. In Heat B, Behemoth attempted in vain to topple Bash after it defeated Shark Attack, while The Big Cheese attacked Bash in Heat E by spearing him in the wheelguards with its lifting arm and lifting him up high into the air, causing part of his shell to fall away and his propane gas bottle to fall out. Heat J saw Excalibur axe Bash in its first round loss to Centurion, while Panic Attack also continued its rivalry with Bash from The Second Wars, but the House Robot came out on top this time, as it buckled Panic Attack's lifting forks on two occasions, during its second-round battle against Toe Cutter in Heat K and in its Semi-Final battle against Fire Storm. Griffon tried in vain to repeat its topple on Bash from The Second Wars during its Heat N battle against Daisy Chopper, and Facet was dealt damage from the Sergeant after it decided to attack Matilda in Heat O. "And Sergeant Bash is in bits and pieces!"

- Jonathan Pearce comments on the result of The Big Cheese's attack on Sergeant Bash

Bash appeared in the Pinball side event throughout the series and primarily guarded the 50 point target. He managed to deflect away pressure Dominator, Six Pac, R.O.C.S. 2 and Killerhurtz, but failed to prevent Crusader, Eye of Newt, Oblivion 2, Inquisitor 2 and Razer hitting the button. Sergeant Bash also accidentally set fellow House Robot Sir Killalot alight during Oblivion 2's run.

Series 4
"Don Weir drove it backwards onto the pincer of Sergeant Bash, and there's nowhere to go now."

- Jonathan Pearce as Medusa 2000 is damaged by Sergeant Bash

Throughout Series 4, Sergeant Bash’s flamethrower and upgraded pincers proved extremely effective. His flamethrower served in setting Attila the Drum, Reptirron, Scorpion and Diotoir alight, while the pincers also continued to be Bash's go-to choice of weapon for bodywork damage. Medusa 2000 saw its wheel crumpled in Heat A, with the back of Mazakari and part of Hammer & Tong getting damaged in Heat D and Heat J respectively. Evil Weevil 2's shell was crumpled in Heat K, and Scorpion’s lost a section of its tail in Heat M, while beaten robots in Judge Shred 2 and Aggrobot 2 were damaged further in Heat N and Heat O. Bash's claw also helped drag defeated competitors to the Floor Flipper and the pit, such as Oblivion 2, Cerberus, Bigger Brother, Spawn of Scutter, Humphrey and Steg 2. "Scorpion, designed on that dining room table to withstand any sort of charcoal grill, is being flame-torched at the top now!"

- Jonathan Pearce as Sergeant Bash roasts Scorpion

Sergeant Bash also played prominent appearances throughout the Christmas specials. In the Celebrity Special, he maintained his rivalry with Diotoir by setting fire to its fur once again in its battle against Gemini, as well as destroying Killertron’s boxing glove and torching the stuffed animals mounted on Wild Thing’s lance. Sergeant Bash also burned Scorpion’s fibreglass shell again during the Tag Team Terror tournament, and helped Dead Metal dispose of Onslaught in the Southern Annihilator final while Razer destroyed Matilda. Compared to previous and subsequent series, Sergeant Bash did not suffer as much misfortune in Series 4. However, one notable incident occurred in Heat J, when he beached himself on the edge of the pit while trying to push Bigger Brother down. This forced Sir Killalot to snatch Bigger Brother out of Bash’s pincers, allowing Shunt to come in and pit it instead. Killerhurtz also attacked the flamethrower of the House Robot in Heat I after it lost to Splinter and additionally pinned its axe onto his flamethrower in the second round of the Northern Annihilator as well. During the battle between Behemoth, Rambot and Arnold, Arnold Terminegger in Heat N, Rambot slid underneath Sgt Bash as he shot fire from his flamethrower. Bash returned for some more action in the Pinball, guarding the 50 point target again, but with limited success, as he prevented 101, Spikasaurus, Attila the Drum, Firestorm 2 and Inverterbrat from adding to their overall scores, but couldn't stop Hypno-Disc, Stinger, Spawn of Scutter, Bigger Brother, King B3, Banshee, Diotoir, Gemini and Killerhurtz hitting the target.

Extreme 1
"They want to put Bash out of business for all time, I think!"

- Jonathan Pearce as Sergeant Bash is attacked during the Flipper Frenzy

Sergeant Bash's most notable moment in Extreme Series 1 came in the Flipper Frenzy, when Bigger Brother, Chaos 2 and Thermidor 2 ganged up on the House Robot and flipped him repeatedly, which buckled his flamethrower and caused his back armour to come loose at one point. The competitor robots also attempted to flip Bash out of the arena, but he was proved too big and heavy to flip out, even with three machines involved in the attack. Bigger Brother had a second run-in with the Sergeant during its Vengeance with Comengetorix, as it charged into the House Robot's CPZ and flicked it over. Bash's claws caused problems for Hypno-Disc on more than one occasion in Extreme, as he damaged its flywheel in its All-Stars battle against Behemoth and in Round 2 of the first Annihilator. "And I think Bash is bored, oh! Baa, baa, burnt sheep!"

- Jonathan Pearce as Sergeant Bash torches Mega Morg's mascot

Sergeant Bash made use of his flamethrower in certain situations as well. Diotoir was set on fire on more than one occasion, as it was torched in the Tag Team Terror and in its Vengeance against Firestorm 3, while the Ninja Sheep mascot attached to Mega Morg was deflated in its Vengeance against Plunderbird 5. Sergeant Bash was also involved in a couple of curious incidents involving competitor robots in Extreme. In the Mayhem in Episode 1, Sumpthing attacked Bash and temporarily impaled itself onto the side of the House Robot with its spike. Sergeant Bash was also called upon to calm down King B Powerworks in its Vengeance with 101 when it went out of control. Sgt Bash grabbed hold of King B Powerworks and pitted it, but ended up driving into the pit himself soon after. "Oh, Sergeant. You were close. You're in control. They (King B Powerworks) weren't. They're in. They're out! And you're in as well, Sergeant! What a messy end to it all really."

- Jonathan Pearce as Sergeant Bash pits King B Powerworks and then himself

Series 5
"Not actually allowed to do that, Refbot, because Evolution was in no sort of trouble. Get in there and pull out a card for the Sergeant. There it is - fully deserved."

- Jonathan Pearce as Sergeant Bash illegally damages Evolution In Series 5, Sergeant Bash had a rather subdued war compared to previous series in terms of damage. The most notable use of his pincers came when he and Sir Killalot were involved in a very curious incident in a Heat G first round battle, as both robots attacked Evolution during its fight against Sabretooth. Considerable damage was caused to the fibreboard robot, and both House Robots were given a yellow card by Refbot. Sergeant Bash's pincers still proved useful for disposing of robots, as he finished off Thermidor 2 in Heat E and Tetanus in Heat I by pitting them. He also used his back-end to reverse Sir Chromalot and Spawn Again into the pit in Heat D and the Semi-Final 1 Losers Melee respectively. "In comes the flamethower. Granny's on-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Granny's on fire - oh dear, oh dear."

- Jonathan Pearce goes into hysterics as Sergeant Bash sets Granny's Revenge on fire

Sergeant Bash ended Heat G with his habitual torching of Diotoir, setting it on fire after it was immobilised against Spawn Again. Sergeant Bash's flamethrower also caused Granny's Revenge to catch fire during its fight against Axe-Awe in Heat H.

Sergeant Bash was once again involved in a scuffle with a competitor robot in The Fifth Wars, as Obsidian used its axe on the Sergeant twice during its battle against S.M.I.D.S.Y. in Heat A.

Series 6
"And now they're stuck in the beak, jaws, of Sergeant Bash. Crumpling its way through."

- Jonathan Pearce as Sergeant Bash immobilises Delldog

Sgt Bash's most decisive moment in The Sixth Wars came in the UK vs Germany Special when the House Robot immobilised Delldog with his jaw. Bash's claw not only immobilised the German robot, but also sunk so far into the shell that it became stuck, with multiple hammer blows from Mr. Psycho being needed to separate the two. Bash's pincers also suspended Inshredable above the arena floor in Heat G, and inflicted notable damage to the underside of an immobile Spin Doctor in Heat K, causing it to smoke. "Granny's Revenge 2 is about to be counted out - she's smoking already! Granny, don't smoke, it's bad for your health."

- Jonathan Pearce as the torched Granny's Revenge is counted out by Refbot

Bash's flamethrower made little impact overall, with a lack of flammable robots, although he managed to set Granny's Revenge on fire for a second war in succession in Heat K. Bash still proved useful for putting the finishing touches on robots that were counted out, as he pushed Hot Pants and Short Circuit into the pit in Heat H and dragged Bigger Brother to the floor flipper after it was immobilised in its Semi-Final battle against Terrorhurtz. Sergeant Bash also pitted 259 after it had already beaten Judge Shred 2½ in the UK vs Germany Special - something that was broadcast in the German edit of the episode only.

Bash suffered damage in Heat I, as Terrorhurtz rammed into the House Robot and caused his back armour to come loose during its Round 2 battle against Kronic 2.

Extreme 2
"Mute dominant, the Sergeant dominant, the ref's in trouble! He's trying to put out the fire! He's put out the Sergeant's fire!"

- Jonathan Pearce comments on the tussle between Sergeant Bash and Refbot

Most of Sergeant Bash's notable moments in Extreme 2 came in the New Blood Championship. In Heat A, during the battle between Mute and Mr Nasty, Sergeant Bash started to attack Refbot for unknown reasons, chasing him around the arena and shooting flames at him. While Refbot gave Sergeant Bash a yellow card and then a red card, this did not stop him from chasing Refbot around the arena and nearly pushing him into the pit. Eventually, Refbot extinguished Sergeant Bash's pilot light as he used his flamethrower again, rendering the flamethrower useless for the rest of the battle. Heat B saw Edge Hog attack and damage the Sergeant after defeating Hell's Teeth, buckling his flamethrower and knocking loose the rear armour of the House Robot. In Heat C, Bash finished off a beaten Revolution 2, by placing it onto the floor flipper where it was thrown, before he then pushed it down into the pit.

In the University Challenge battle between Infinity and Infernal Contraption, Infinity drove Infernal Contraption into Sgt Bash. The House Robot responded by attacking both opponents and proceeded to follow them into another CPZ However, a slam by Infernal Contraption's drum managed to knock Sgt Bash out, causing him to remain immobile for the rest of the battle.

In the Commonwealth Carnage battle between Firestorm 4 and Panic Attack, Firestorm 4 went for Bash after beating Panic Attack, flipping the House Robot and soon after flipping Mr. Psycho as well. However, Bash got his revenge in the final by crumpling the back of Firestorm's shell. "What a crumpling climax to the Commonwealth Carnage this is!"

- Jonathan Pearce as Sergeant Bash damages Firestorm 4

Series 7
The Seventh Wars saw Sergeant Bash make good use of his pincers on multiple occasions. "Listen to that - a crumpling and rending sound. A buckling and bending sound. A ripping and tearing sound. The only silence, is in the emptiness of the hopes of King B Powerworks."

- Jonathan Pearce as Sergeant Bash exacts his punishment on King B Powerworks

In Heat C, an immobile King B Powerworks was punished further as Sergeant Bash's claw crumpled a section of the side armour, while in Heat G, Sergeant Bash put on another exhibition of the damage his pincers could cause, as the House Robot's weapon easily pierced through the armour of Mean Streak, before it dropped the beaten robot into the pit of oblivion. The Grim Reaper also faced the wrath of the Sergeant, as he made an impression on a panel of its armour during its Semi Final battle against Storm 2. "The Sergeant, I mean, brute strength, but to be honest ladies and gentleman, the Sergeant doesn't have a lot up top. The flamethrower is flickering, but there's no one at home. Take away one of his stripes, get him down to a corporal, a private."

- Jonathan Pearce expresses his disappointment at Sergeant Bash's inability to finish off Ceros

Sergeant Bash's intervention was needed during a Heat H second round battle involving Ceros and Revolution 3. With Revolution 3 immobilised early on, Ceros decided to attack the House Robots and engaged in a one-on-one battle with Shunt, while Sergeant Bash decided to focus its attention on Revolution 3. Finally, Shunt was toppled, so Sergeant Bash decided to attack Ceros itself and quickly nullified the threat of Ceros with its claw before dragging it towards the pit. It couldn't finish it off, and Bash found itself and Ceros beached over the pit for a long period and was unable to pit Ceros.

Bash was also involved in a humorous incident in Heat M, as he pushed a washing machine that came down from the Drop Zone into the pit with a beaten Mega Morg.

Other
Sergeant Bash's pincers also proved highly effective in the international series, especially in both seasons of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors. He crumpled Paul Bunyan's spinning cross in its Season 2 Robot Rebellion battle against Snake Bite, but ended up being accidentally lifted over by Sir Killalot as the two House Robots attacked Paul Bunyan. Sergeant Bash also bit into Snookums' tail and dragged it around the arena in its battle against Ninjitsu later on in the same tournament, while in Heat H of the US Championship, he crushed and completely destroyed Tyranabot's entire crushing arm with his pincers.

Sergeant Bash appeared in only five battles in the Nickelodeon Robot Wars series. Due to the show being aimed towards a child-friendly audience, his flamethrower as well as all of the other arena fire hazards were disabled, leaving his pincers as his primary weapon.

Appearances in Merchandise

 * Sergeant Bash/Pullback
 * Sergeant Bash/Minibot
 * Sergeant Bash/RC
 * Sergeant Bash/Robot Wars: Metal Mayhem
 * Sergeant Bash/Robot Wars: Arenas of Destruction
 * Sergeant Bash/Robot Wars: Advanced Destruction
 * Sergeant Bash/Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction (GBA)
 * Sergeant Bash/Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction (PC/Xbox)

Trivia

 * Sergeant Bash is one of only two robots in the whole of Robot Wars to feature a flamethrower, the other being fellow house robot Growler.
 * Sgt Bash was the only house robot to have his name written on him.
 * Due to Matilda being deemed less of an easy target for competitors with flippers, after having her new flywheel weapon installed, Sergeant Bash was flipped by competitors in the first series of Extreme more than any other house robot.
 * Sergeant Bash was the only main house robot never to participate in a House Robot Rebellion.
 * Official Robot Wars tweets and TV listings alluded to the return of Sergeant Bash in the lead-up to the World Series, although these descriptions were actually teasing the Dutch competitor THE BASH. Regardless, Sergeant Bash was still referenced directly and shown in footage during THE BASH's introduction.
 * On the 28th of March 2017, Gabriel Stroud began a campaign known as "#BringBackBash" and asked for 50,000 likes and shares on social media to try and get the BBC and Mentorn to bring back Sergeant Bash as a house robot. Designs were drawn up on a whiteboard to show a Bash that more closely resembled a tank, with his pincer and flamethrower still present, though at the back instead featuring a spinning drum to replace the visual saw.