Mortis

"The most feared and technically advanced robot of the first three wars."

- Robot Wars: The Ultimate Guide

Mortis was a tank-like robot running on tracks at 9mph (these were later protected by injection-moulded pads) that competed in the first four wars. Its weapons were a diamond-tipped Tanto axe blade that could hit three times in one second, and according to the team, could strike with the force of a .38 Magnum at point blank range. This was later complemented by a lifting arm that could comfortably lift 100 kilograms, also capable of self-righting it when flipped. Mortis is known for being one of the most expensive robots in the wars, costing around £50,000 to build (£30,000 in Series 3, in which an estimation according to Philippa Forrester 200% more complicated), with virtually all of its components custom built. Despite this, Mortis never really performed as well as it should have done, only reaching the series semi-finals once (in Series 2), partially due to an infamous lack of reliability. However, the robot did end its Robot Wars career on a high by winning the War of Independence in Series 4. Mortis retired after this victory, but would later be revised with wheels and a more reliable srimech. However, the revisions were too late, and it failed to qualify for Series 7.

Mortis was known for being technologically advanced due to the huge amount of money spent on it (over the four series it competed in, Mortis cost around £100,000 to build and upgrade). In every series it competed in, aerospace-grade materials were used throughout- it was originally armoured in carbon fibre, kevlar and laminated titanium through Series 1-3, but for Series 4 its armour was coated with Silicon Carbide, (which, when used as an abrasive, is almost as hard as diamond) which effectively made it diamond-coated. Like Firestorm in later wars, Mortis remained the same shape and design throughout the wars, gradually being improved with features like more powerful motors, a faster axe mechanism, the lifting arm and, so the team said, "better reliability".

Mortis was a highly renowned competitor, and many less successful machines used a similar axe/flipper combination. These included: Vercingetorix, Hydra, Oblark, Comengetorix, Ripper and Hydrotech.

In September of 2009, Mortis, stripped of its motors and electronics, was given away to Team Bud. Team Bud is working on restoring Mortis, along with its fellow Random Violence Technology robots Minotaur and Maelstrom (since renamed "RigorMortis") to working condition, and plans to bring it to events for exhibition and demonstrations.

Mortis was also originally scheduled to make an appearance in the first series of Robot Wars Extreme, it was due to fight Axe Awe in a Wild Card Warrior battle, but Panic Attack took Mortis' place in the last minute.

Mortis's name is a variation of the Latin word for Death.

Appearances in Merchandise

 * Mortis/Robot Wars: Arenas of Destruction
 * Mortis/Robot Wars: Advanced Destruction

Controversy
Of all the competing robots, especially within the first few series, Mortis was one of the most fancied to win by the producers. Every defeat the machine took, even against a higher ranking machine (such as Steg 2 who, at the time it defeated Mortis, was the reigning fourth place), was considered a shock. After falling in the heat final of Series 1, Mortis returned to Series 2 as the firm favourite, and was even awarded the second seed, ahead of not only Bodyhammer, the actual runner-up of Series 1, but also Cassius, from the team who had beaten Mortis last year. Mortis was so highly fancied to win that it was involved in one of the most controversial incidents in Robot Wars history.

Mortis predictably cleared its heat and the gauntlet run in the semi-finals, which allowed it to progress to the pinball trial. However, as it started, Mortis' track broke on an arena spike before it could gain any points. This would have put it out, but the producers insisted that a re-run should be staged, as the roboteers had been told that the spikes would not be used.

Rob Knight did not believe it would be fair to the other teams and refused to drive Mortis. Instead, team-mate Ben Impey took over, and under his controls, Mortis performed rather badly, spending most of its time attacking the ramp and knocking over only one set of barrels and bricks. In total, it only scored 35 points, which would have put it in last place and eliminated it anyway. However, Mortis was instead given a score of 100 points, putting it in third place and controversially eliminating Napalm. This put Mortis through against Panic Attack, but the team, no longer in the fighting spirit after the dubious qualification, didn't put up much of a fight and Mortis was pushed into the pit very quickly. In the Grudge Match Special at the end of the series, the producers' explanation for a grudge match between Napalm and Mortis was that the Mortis team had demanded another go, not the producers. This made Mortis somewhat disliked.

Rivalries
In its time on Robot Wars, Mortis became very unpopular in the pits, due to the vast amount of money that had been spent on the robot, which many believed to be against the spirit of Robot Wars, the team's perceived cockiness, and the way the producers favoured them. As a result, it amassed a number of very real rivalries over the years.

Rex Garrod
Mortis' heat final during Series 1 went down in history as the first controverisal judge's decision. Mortis' devestating axe machanism had broken, and the axe was converted into a battering ram. Nevertheless, the battle was controlled by Mortis, despite the unanimous vote of confidence in favour of Recyclopse in the pits; however the judges voted in favour of Team Cassius, to the indignation of the Mortis team.

Their shot at vengeance came in the first Judgement Day battle. During this battle, Cassius was axed by Mortis; however Mortis had lost a track, and was left stranded by the pit. Rex Garrod, in a display of appaling driving, drove himself straight into the pit, although the Mortis team tried to call a rematch, the result stood. Rex Garrod retired after the next series, so the grudge was never settled beyond the 1-1 score.

Panic Attack
Mortis faced Panic Attack twice, first of all during the semi-finals of Series 2, after Mortis had controversially eliminated Napalm. Rob Knight, and the Mortis team at large, had lost their competitive edge after the unfair elimination of Napalm, and this, combined with the inexperienced Ben Impey at the controls, meant that, with the aid of Matilda, Panic Attack managed to pit Mortis to secure a shock elimination and a place in the Grand Final.

The rematch occurred in the semi-finals of the War of Independence. The battle was a very close, tight one, with Panic Attack and Mortis both controlling stages. Ultimately, a point split the two machines on the judges' decision that was to come, but it was Mortis who came out on top, and it went on to win the competition.

Napalm
Mortis' grudge with Napalm spawned from the controversial moment during the first semi-final of Series 2, when Mortis was gifted Napalm's place in the competition after a poor run at the Pinball, not to mention the fact Mortis had been given two tries. The unfair elimination of the Napalm team left the girls in tears.

Napalm's opportunity for vengeance came during the second Judgement Day battle. Mortis was clearly the stronger robot throughout, hammering Napalm mercilessly until eventually Napalm backed itself into the pit.

Ming
"Well, we were here in the last wars and we were up against Mortis. We didn't really have a good crack at it, we didn't do very well, to cut a long story short, we lost. Arthur (Chillcot) said to us: "I don't mean to be rude, but I don't know why they put people like you against guys like us" So I thought right, that's it, I'm going to come back and I'm going to show 'em who's the best."

- Andrew Cotterell

Mortis made itself another enemy in Ming. After the first incarnation of the machine was soundly beaten by Mortis, Arthur Chillcot made a remark to Andrew Cotterell that caused him to design Ming 2 with which he could defeat Mortis. Sadly however, the two machines never got to fight one another again.

Series 1
Mortis managed to complete the Gauntlet and the Trial without much trouble. Up against Leighbot, it punched several holes in the robot and damaged Leighbot's weapon, before managing to flip it over. After this fight, the axe mechanism had broken so its weaponry system was modified to act as a battering ram instead, with the axe shaft sealed and its axe blade protruding from the front wedge. When fighting against Recyclopse in the Heat Final, it was very aggressive but caused very little damage, and at one point, accidentally drove onto the arena spikes, being lifted up whilst Matilda attacked it with her chainsaw. After escaping, both robots pushed each other around the arena, with Recyclopse coming close to being flipped over at one point. However, both eventually ended up getting stuck on the arena railings, with Recyclopse hung up in the corner whilst Shunt attacked Mortis from below. The match ended and the judges controversially awarded the win to Recyclopse, much to the dismay of the livid Mortis team.

Series 2
This was Mortis's best series, seeded number 2, higher than all other grand finalists, even Cassius, who actually defeated it in the previous wars, because Mortis was expected to do so well. It got in a fight with Shunt and Matilda in the Gauntlet, smashing Matilda's camera with its new Tanto Blade. It crossed the line then went back to continue its attack, only to be caught by Shunt and Matilda, and pushed backwards into the pit. It survived the Joust convincingly, by using its Tanto Blade to hook onto Matilda's chassis and use its tracks to maintain good grip on the platform, preventing her from pushing it off. It then met Rameses The Second in the arena semi-final. Mortis was the favourite, but Rameses The Second surprisingly managed to push it into the PPZ. Mortis escaped, but Sir Killalot got hold of Rameses The Second with its lance, and scorched it over the flame pit, before dropping it back down onto its side, where it was unable to move. Mortis went through to face Oblivion in the heat final. It was by far on top here, whacking Oblivion repeatedly with its Tanto Blade, putting several holes in it and causing massive damage to its top plate. It tried to push it down the pit, but Oblivion held on to a judges decision, which put Mortis into the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, Mortis completed the Gauntlet despite getting ambushed by Shunt and landing on its back at one point. This was also huge controversy as it tried to self right, but it landed on it's side, whereas cease was called for other robots in this position, Mortis was allowed to finish. Its next trial was hugely controversial in the Pinball. Mortis started, but the spikes came up from the floor and broke one of its tracks, preventing it from moving. This meant it went out with 0 points. However Rob Knight was angered as he'd been told the spikes were not to be used in the pinball. So, the production team let Mortis have another go. Rob considered this act unfair, so he refused to control Mortis. With Ben Impey driving, Mortis managed to only score 35 points, meaning it would go out anyway. But, when the scoreboard came up, Mortis had been put down as having 100 points, thus Napalm went out instead. So Mortis faced newcomers Panic Attack in the next round, but Rob, still considering the dubious qualification unfair, refused to drive, so Ben Impey drove again. This, along with the lack of the will to win, was one factor in its downfall, as Panic Attack, with help from Matilda, lifted it up from the side and swept it into the pit for a surprise win, thus ending Mortis' most successful run.

Mortis returned at the end of the Series in the two Judgement Day Grudge Matches. First it went up against Cassius, as Mortis was beaten by Rex Garrod's Recyclopse in Series 1. Mortis tried to hit Cassius with its axe but missed, it then did hit Cassius causing some damage. However, Mortis then lost mobility in one of its tracks and was stranded near the pit. Cassius took a run up to push Mortis in the pit, but missed and drove down itself. Mortis was then pushed down as well. Then in a comedic moment, Cassius using its flipping ram to push Mortis out of the pit. Mortis' next Grudge Match was against Napalm, as the Napalm team wanted revenge for their earlier elimination in the Pinball Trials. Mortis started strongly, hacking away at Napalm's armour with its Tanto Blade, doing minor damage to Napalm's wedged front and knocking off one of its rams. Napalm reversed to prepare for another attack (and hopefully to lure Mortis near the hazards), but accidentally drove near the pit, with its wheels hanging over the edge. After holding on for a brief moment the weight of its own weaponry caused it to overbalance and fall backwards into the Precipice, leaving Mortis with a second Judgement Day win. In celebration of its victory, Mortis once again went after the house robots, causing damage before Sir Killalot eventually hooked onto one of its tracks with its lance and flipping it over, also breaking the track in question.

Series 3
Mortis' return prompted good-natured booing from the audience and the pits. It had been given a makeover since Series 2, with a faster axe, new green armour, and a long lifting arm that could lift 100kg and self-right it when flipped. In Round 1, it quickly overturned, using its brand new lifting arm, the very sluggish Ming The Merciless in the first round, causing its spinning blade to detach and fly across the arena. It also attacked Matilda, before being ganged up on by all the House Robots and eventually pitted by Shunt. With one victory under its belt, Mortis faced Gravedigger, starting well by damaging its front wedge with its Tanto Blade. After being flipped sideways into Shunt by Gravedigger, it recovered and began a pushing match with the coffin-shaped machine, but soon afterwards, one of its tracks broke, rendering it only able to drive around in circles, and therefore leaving it vulnerable. It was turned over again by Gravedigger, and then as it tried to self-right, was pushed into the Pit, resulting in the shock elimination of the Series 2 Semi-Finalist. Mortis came 9th in the Pinball with a score of 60.

Mortis then entered the First World Championship and represented England. In the first round it came up against Terror Australis from Australia. Terror Australis didn't move and Mortis axed repeatedly and used its lifting arm to pull off one of its armour panels before cease was called, giving them the win. In the next round it came up against fellow English team Behemoth. Its luck ran out here, as Behemoth got under it from the front and turned it over. Mortis tried to self-right with its lifting arm, but Behemoth held it down with its shovel, pushing it towards the edge of the pit. Behemoth reversed, seemingly to let Mortis self-right again, but as it was attempting to so, Behemoth turned around, knocking Mortis off balance and causing it to topple sideways into the pit.

Mortis also faced Terror Australis again a special event called "The Ashes", which, like its cricketing counterpart, placed an English robot against an Australian robot. The Terror Australis team, using a repainted Nemesis borrowed from the Diotoir team after their own robot irreparably broke down, tried to attack Mortis with its spikes, but Mortis landed some axe blows, before eventually lifting Terror Australis up and pushing it against the arena wall, turning it over and immobilising it. Whilst the House Robots attacked and eventually pitted the immobilised Terror Australis, Mortis could be seen in the background lifting up Shunt from underneath its shovel, pushing it around the arena.

Series 4
Mortis returned for the Fourth Wars as the 23rd seed more or less the same as in the last wars, except that the armour had been treated with Silicon Carbide, which when used as an abrasive, is almost as hard as diamond. This, in effect made Mortis diamond-coated. Its first battle was against Iron Awe and Mazakari.

Mortis started by trying to hit Iron Awe with its axe, not doing much damage for the time being. Mortis then used its lifting arm to turn Mazakari over. Mortis then managed to get underneath Mazakari, wedging its arm into the black machine's framework. With Mazakari in tow, Mortis dragged Mazakari to Iron Awe, so that it could attack Mazakari's exposed chassis. Eventually the House Robots twinned up on Iron Awe and Mazakari with Sergeant Bash and Shunt causing damage to Mazakari. The match went to a judges' decision which eliminated Mazakari, taking Mortis through to fight Crusader 2. Mortis landed a huge number of blows on Crusader 2, and the brave newcomer was axed and cut into by the House Robots, allowing Mortis to move onto the Heat Finals. There, Mortis faced Steg 2, and was careful to avoid the flipper. However, the lifing arm of Mortis became jammed open, and Steg 2 flipped it over, landing on its front wedge with its arm stuck open, being unable to self-right. Finally, Steg 2 pushed Mortis into the descending pit, ending yet another hopeful run for Mortis.

Mortis did end its Robot Wars career on a high, winning the War of Independence special. It started by easily beating Ghetto-Bot, piercing holes into its chassis with its axe and pushing it over the Flame Pit, setting it on fire from the inside doing so. After the House Robots moved in for the kill, Mortis teamed up with Shunt to axe the remains of Ghetto-Bot, before taking a moment to attack Sir Killalot, manoeuvring between his weaponry and hitting him in the head repeatedly with its Tanto Blade. It then moved into a grudge match against Panic Attack in the second round. Even though Panic Attack was aggressive in this fight, at one point pushing Mortis into Sir Killalot, who picked it up with its claw and lifted it into the air, Mortis was able to win on a tight judges' decision, aggressively causing a lot of external damage to the Welsh competitor with its axe, even hacking off its flashing light at one point. Finally, it defeated the US robot frenZy to win the title, bowling it over from the start and foiling each attempt to self-right, whilst simultaneously hammering it with its Tanto blade. Eventually, frenZy's axe broke down and left it unable to self-right, allowing Mortis to attack its underside with its Tanto blade, before turning it over to the House Robots. This turned out to be Mortis' final televised appearance on Robot Wars.

Results

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Wins/Losses

 * Wins: 13
 * Losses: 5

Series Record

 * Series 1: Heat Final
 * Series 2: Semi-Finals, Arena
 * Series 3: Heat, Round 2
 * Series 4: Heat Final
 * Series 5-6: Did not enter
 * Series 7: Failed to qualify

Trivia

 * Mortis is one of nine UK Series Competitors to have fought in Battlebots, going to Battlebots 99 in Las Vegas and came back with the "Most Aggressive Robot" award. It returned for Season 2.0 and reached the last 16, losing out to Nightmare.
 * Mortis is one of 23 robots to have completed The Gauntlet, and, along with Dreadnaut, Nemesis and Roadblock, is one of four robots to have completed it twice.
 * Mortis is one of only fifteen robots whose final appearance on the show was a win.
 * Mortis was profiled in Robot Wars: The Ultimate Guide.
 * Mortis, which cost £100,000 to build and upgrade, only recorded one more heat final and two more victories (from two more fights) than 101 which cost under £5 to build.
 * Mortis was nominated for the Best Engineered Award in Series 2 after winning in Series 1, but lost to The Mule. Along with Nemesis and Chaos 2, Mortis is one of only three robots to be nominated for the award it held the previous year, and then not win it.
 * Mortis was one of four robots to fight in both Series 1 and 4. Coincidentally, the War of Independence was the final appearance of another, Detonator, as well as Mortis.
 * Mortis was also originally scheduled to make an appearance in the first series of Robot Wars Extreme, it was due to fight Axe Awe in a Wild Card Warrior battle, but Panic Attack took Mortis' place in the last minute.
 * Mortis was the only seeded Semi-Finalist of Series 2 not to make the Grand Final.
 * In Robot Wars: Arenas of Destruction, whenever Mortis appears in a tournament, it will always be Seeded Number One. This may be down to how many of its statistics, including its weight, cost, armour and power, are much higher than any of the other replicas.
 * Mortis was the first UK robot to attempt to self right with an axe.
 * Mortis was intended to have a lifting mechanism for Series 2; however the mechanism broke days before the filming and so it was delayed until Series 3. The mechanism is visible on Mortis during Arthur Chillcot's talking pieces during the Robot Builder's Guide, released as part of The First Great War.