Robot Wars: The Third Wars/Semi-Final 1

The Third Wars - Semi-Final 1 was one of two semi-finals to determine the Grand Finalists of Series 3, out of eight semi-finalists. The eight robots were paired off in Round 1, with the four victors pairing off in Round 2.


 * Of the six battles in this semi-final, all but one were won by immobilisations by flipping. The one judge's decision in this semi-final went in favour of Firestorm, who had spent the entire battle trying to do just that.
 * This match sustained two rivalries - Chaos 2's defeat of Mace 2 meant that the pair were 1-1, whilst Firestorm and Panic Attack fought for the first of five times.
 * Mace 2's defeat of Big Brother meant that Mace 2 progressed beyond the stage it did in Series 2 - the only returning semi-finalist to do so.
 * Panic Attack was defeated by Firestorm, making it the only reigning champion to lose at this stage - Chaos 2 lost at the same stage in Series 5, but only after winning two championships.
 * Chaos 2's battle with Trident is ranked equal ninth in the Shortest Battles in UK Robot Wars.

Competing Robots
Semi-Final 1 had three newcomers and five veterans. This is contrary to Semi-Final 2, which featured five newcomers and three veterans.

Newcomers

 * Big Brother - Winner of Heat D
 * Pitbull - Winner of Heat B
 * Trident - Winner of Heat P

Veterans

 * Chaos 2 - Winner of Heat E
 * Firestorm - Winner of Heat O
 * Mace 2 - Winner of Heat A
 * Panic Attack - Winner of Heat K
 * Thing 2 - Winner of Heat N

Firestorm vs Pitbull
Phil Botting was unable to attend the Semi-Finals, so Ivan Bundulis was joined by Charlie Binns from Suicidal Tendencies. Meanwhile, Graham and Alex donned Diotoir fur cup pieces, as part of a pact with Team Nemesis.

Pitbull darted across the arena, whilst Firestorm evaded. Pitbull quickly recovered and attacked Firestorm, clamping the wedge between its jaws and pushing it around the arena. It continued pushing around, but with Firestorm not immobile and the pit raised, it could not do anything with it. It kept its hold on Firestorm and continued to drive around, until it drove over an arena spike and was tossed up and down. "Pitbull being rock 'n' rolled here by the arena spike, and still managing to hold on to Firestorm with those gnashing teeth!"

- Jonathan Pearce

Bouncing Pitbull did not do anything, so the arena spikes changed the amplitude and frequency of their attacks, jiggling Pitbull until Firestorm wriggled free. Both Firestorm and Pitbull sped away from CPZs to escape Killalot and Matilda, before meeting again near the flame pit. Firestorm rammed Pitbull, but the jaws deflected the wedge into the teeth of Pitbull. Firestorm attempted once more, and got beneath the clearance of Pitbull, but was unable to drive its wedge beneath. However, Pitbull drove over the same arena spike and, without the weight of Firestorm to anchor it down, was flipped over. "P.T.O! Please Turn Over! And can the barrel shaped Pitbull now rolly-polly up and over? How ironic it was - Behemoth was beaten by Pitbull because Behemoth was knocked up and over by an arena spike, and the same fate has befallen Pitbull now."

- Jonathan Pearce

The four house robots closed in, with Dead Metal slicing into Pitbull. Pitbull's jaws clamped onto Dead Metal's pincer, but Killalot stucks his lance in and carried Pitbull over the flame pit, ignoring the cease. Pitbull was roasted and then Killalot spun, but Pitbull's jaws kept hold of Killalot's lance. Killalot instead rested Pitbull on the ground, and Pitbull attacked Killalot, breaking the hydraulic arm. The cease was called again.

Winner: Firestorm

Panic Attack vs Thing 2


Neither robot was able to get beneath the other's ground clearance, and the opening clashes only resulted in one of Thing 2's bauble detaching. Panic Attack drove into Matilda's CPZ, but quickly escaped, leading Thing 2 around the arena. Thing 2 slammed Panic Attack into Dead Metal, but Panic Attack's low body meant it evaded Dead Metal's pincers. Panic Attack heaved itself free of the House Robot and led Thing 2 around the arena. Thing 2 caught and pushed Panic Attack, slamming it into a side wall near Matilda's CPZ. Panic Attack reversed away and pushed Thing 2, getting a corner beneath its clearance. However, before Thing 2 could act, the floor spikes bounced Panic Attack, therefore knocking Thing 2 onto its wedged front, where it could not move. "Thing 2 up and over! The wheels spin aimlessly. Acta est fabula...uh, exactly. No idea"

- Jonathan Pearce demonstrating his ignorance of the Latin language

The House Robots closed in on Thing 2, and Dead Metal sliced through the tires and lifting spike. Cease was called. "Thing is now thing of the past! The reigning champion Panic Attack goes through!"

- Craig Charles

Winner: Panic Attack

Big Brother vs Mace 2


Big Brother was the quicker off the starting position, but Mace 2 got beneath Big Brother and tried to flip it. Big Brother fell off the arm and darted away, pursued by Mace 2. The two robots came together and locked into a side-by-side deadlock, spinning around in circles. The robots broke apart when Big Brother stopped, and Mace 2 attempted to lift it, but was once again unsuccessful. Big Brother drove into Dead Metal, but managed to escape. "A question here of the lifting arm against the flail, which has been largely ineffective. Looks good, but ineffective."

- Jonathan Pearce

Big Brother moved on the offensive, using its rounded wedge shape to get beneath Mace 2 and push it around the arena. Mace 2 escaped and moved on the offensive, but its low clearance caused its arm to jam against the arena floor flipper, and it was forced to reverse. By now, Big Brother had repositioned itself and attacked again, pushing Mace 2 around. Mace 2 escaped and Big Brother darted forward, mistiming its charge and almost crashing into Bash. Mace 2 seized the opportunity and pushed Big Brother against the side wall, using the barrier to pin Big Brother in place whilst lifting it onto its end, where it rested against Bash. Big Brother did not fall on its back because of the flail, but could not move and was considered immobilised. Dead Metal sliced into Big Brother several times, and cease was called. "There will be no judges' decision this time, for or against Big Brother!"

- Jonathan Pearce

Winner: Mace 2

Chaos 2 vs Trident
Chaos 2 immediately got underneath Trident and attempted to flip it. This first attempt only tossed the rear part of Trident; the wheels remained on the ground. Chaos 2 and Trident then lined up again, and Trident's axe struck the ground uselessly. Chaos 2 attacked with more success, throwing Trident up and onto its back. "Oh, again! And over goes Trident! This is the most powerful flipper in Robot Wars at the moment."

- Jonathan Pearce

Chaos 2 then flipped Trident onto the flame pit, and the House Robots closed in. "We've waited for this. Shiny, gleaming after 350 hours of work - how long will it take us to destroy you?"

- Jonathan Pearce

Trident was slashed by Dead Metal and axed by Shunt, but did not suffer anywhere near as much damage as in the Heat Final. Regardless, it was eliminated and Chaos 2 put through.

Winner: Chaos 2

Firestorm vs Panic Attack
"I think we're going to be testing our self-righter."

- Kim Davis

Firestorm pushed Panic Attack into Sergeant Bash's CPZ at the start, and Panic Attack was seized by the House Robot's pincers. Firestorm lifted Panic Attack, causing Bash to release it, but Panic Attack was not flipped and managed to escape the CPZ. "A flash of reds and yellows out there, splendidly coloured."

- Jonathan Pearce

Panic Attack reversed over Firestorm's wedge, dodging the flipper, but scraping the armour plate on the lifting arm, bending it out of place. Panic Attack mistakenly drove into Bash, but a distraction from Firestorm managed to allow Panic Attack to escape. Firestorm then wedged beneath Panic Attack, but failed to flip it, driving out instead. Panic Attack drove into Shunt's CPZ, but managed to dodge behind the House Robot and get out again. However, as Panic Attack drove out, an arena spike bounced it up onto one side. Firestorm immediately rushed around and caught enough of Panic Attack on its wedge to push it against the side wall and flip it against it. However, Panic Attack used its srimech to land back on its wheels. Panic Attack then drove into Sir Killalot's CPZ, harassed by Firestorm. "Kim Davis is doing everything he possibly can to drive Panic Attack into the troubled zones here!"

- Jonathan Pearce

Panic Attack was pushed out by Killalot, and after maneuvering, reversed Firestorm into the CPZ. However, it turned side on in the process, and exposed itself to Killalot's attack. After dodging out of Killalot's way, the two briefly ran into Bash. Finally, Panic Attack got beneath Firestorm, but the wedge shape of Firestorm meant that there was nowhere for Panic Attack's claws to negotiate, and Firestorm merely slid of the reigning champion's forks. As the timer starting counting down, both robots drove around clumsily, crashing into walls and House Robots. The judges were called on to make a decision, and the reigning champions fell, with Firestorm taking victory.

Winner: Firestorm

Mace 2 vs Chaos 2
"Mace 2, Chaos 2, what a battle. Its happened before, its a grudge match. A re-match!"

- Jonathan Pearce

Chaos 2 kicked off the grudge match by attacking Mace 2, flipping it forward. However, Mace's flail construct prevented Mace from being flipped so easily. The two robots drove around and around, and eventually met head-on. Mace 2's lifting arm was beneath Chaos 2's flipper, so Chaos 2 retreated instead of attacking. Chaos 2 mistimed an attack on Mace 2, allowing Mace to get its arm beneath Chaos 2 and push it around the arena. However, when Mace 2 lifted Chaos 2, the narrow weapon was not in a convenient position to flip it over, and Chaos 2 just fell off the weapon. Chaos 2 then attacked Mace from the rear and flipped, with Mace's still-open lifting arm being the only thing saving it from being thrown head over heels onto its back. Finally, Chaos 2 attacked Mace 2 front-on, with more flipper under Mace's clearance, and threw Mace 2 fully onto its back. "Star light, star bright! The star of Mace is out of sight!"

- Jonathan Pearce

Chaos 2 attempted to flip Mace 2 again, but either Mace was too heavy or Chaos 2 was low on gas, because Chaos 2 nearly toppled itself. Bash and Dead Metal came in, but Sir Killalot trumped them both by simply lifting Mace 2 into the air. It placed Mace 2 on the floor flipper and hurled it back onto its wheels. Mace darted away, but was caught by Dead Metal. Despite everything, Mace 2 lifted Dead Metal into the air, preventing the saw from slicing into Mace's body.

Winner: Chaos 2 "Well, Clint Eastwood was the fastest of all the quick-draws, but we're good, bad and ugly, on Robot Wars!"

- Craig Charles's sign-off