Raging Knightmare

"It does have high powered weaponry and is built for aggression"

- Jonathan Pearce

Raging Knightmare was the last and most successful of a series of robots built by Team Knightmare. It was a low box-shaped robot with the same low pressure flipper mechanism as its predecessor, capable of throwing robots out of the arena. Although it could self-right, Raging Knightmare was fully invertible as well. However, on full CO2, the machine could only flip 30 times and had lightweight body armour. It reached the semi-finals of Series 7, losing to Tornado. Along the way, it defeated Spawn Again, flipping it out as an act of revenge for Knightmare's loss in Series 4 to Spawn of Scutter.

Raging Knightmare was sold to friends of Team Knightmare; Alan Young of Team BlazerBotics, who rebuilt the robot internally to compete in the main circuit again. Coincidentally, it was reverted to the name of the team's original robot, Knightmare.

Series 7
In the first round of the Seventh Wars, Raging Knightmare was drawn up against Topbot, R.O.C.S. and The Executioner. In the battle, Raging Knightmare took a few seconds to enter the fray before pushing into R.O.C.S and Topbot, who had just lost its flywheel thanks to an attack from The Executioner. It then left the other 3 robots and pressed the pit release button. It then got the flipper under The Executioner but didn't flip it because the flipper wasn't working. Without a working weapon, Raging Knightmare put pressure on Topbot, who almost fell down the pit and was right next to Growler's CPZ. Raging Knightmare then steered around R.O.C.S, crushing The Executioner with its beak. Raging Knightmare wedged under R.O.C.S, setting The Executioner free. It then pushed Topbot into the CPZ with Mr. Psycho and the house robot fired his hammer and lost his head in the process. Raging Knightmare stayed out of trouble while R.O.C.S and The Executioner fought. The Executioner broke down as Mr. Psycho started hitting it with his hammer. Raging Knightmare spent the rest of the battle pushing Topbot around the arena, and due to this aggression, went through to the next round.

In the second round of the heat, Raging Knightmare was placed up against Revenge of Trouble & Strife. In this battle, Raging Knightmare charged at Revenge of Trouble of Strife and bounced off the spinning disc. They circled each other and then Revenge of Trouble of Strife left its back open, leaving Raging Knightmare to flip its opponent. Revenge of Trouble of Strife self righted immediately and then flipped Raging Knightmare on its back. Raging Knightmare self righted and then flipped Revenge of Trouble of Strife into the air but not onto its back. Revenge of Trouble of Strife drove away and near the closed pit. Raging Knightmare came towards it. Revenge of Trouble of Strife flipped Raging Knightmare before it could flip it. Once again, Raging Knightmare self righted and got underneath Revenge of Trouble of Strife but mistimed its flip and flipped thin air. It then bashed off Revenge of Trouble of Strife spinning body. Raging Knightmare again failed a flip on its opponent. It tried again but only very slightly flipping Revenge of Trouble of Strife. It mistimed another flip, leaving itself open but luckily was not flipped. It then tried again but only succeeded in teetering Revenge of Trouble of Strife. Revenge of Trouble of Strife drove away and Raging Knightmare pursued it, bouncing off the 25 kg disc on Revenge of Trouble of Strife. It then got underneath Revenge of Trouble of Strife but flipped too late as the disc pushed Raging Knightmare away. Sir Killalot chased Revenge of Trouble of Strife out the CPZ and near an arena wall. Raging Knightmare flipped again, once again slightly teetering Revenge of Trouble of Strife. After another failed flip attempt, Raging Knightmare pressed the pit release button. It then manage to flip Revenge of Trouble and Strife on its back but then, Revenge of Trouble of Strife began smoking and broke down. Raging Knightmare gave a few pushes against its opponent but didn't dare re-righting it. CO2 began venting away from Revenge of Trouble of Strife as it was lying on its back due to rupture in the system. Raging Knightmare pushed it near the pit and flipped the rather tricky opponent down the pit, qualifying for the heat final.

This heat final was a vengeance match between Team Scutterbots and Team Knightmare against Spawn Again, whose Series 4 machines had fought each other in the Heat Final. In this battle, both robots charged at each other but Raging Knightmare got the first flip, completely throwing Spawn Again on its back, almost toppling itself had it not been for the spikes on the back of the robot. Spawn Again self righted straight away and forced Raging Knightmare into a wall. Raging Knightmare tried to flip Spawn Again but flipped itself on its back. Spawn Again followed up with another flip but then the flipping mechanism exploded, disabling the flipper and rendering it useless as the lifter blew out. Raging Knightmare, knowing that the odds were now against Spawn Again, self righted and chased the seeded machine down the arena. Hastily, Spawn Again attempted to press the pit release button, but skewered its broken flipping arm in the arena wall, stopping the machine and leaving it open for a flip out the arena by Raging Knightmare. Raging Knightmare nudged it a few times, postitioning its flip. A first attempt only slightly lifted the still immobilised Spawn Again. The second attempt freed Spawn Again but left it on its back, and because of the explosion earlier, left it no way to self right. Raging Knightmare pushed the virtually beaten adversary nearer the side wall and flipped Spawn Again onto the arena wall. Spawn Again balanced on the wall so Raging Knightmare flipped it again, gaining vengeance for Series 4 by flipping Spawn Again out the arena, putting Raging Knightmare through to the semi-finals.

Unfortunately for Raging Knightmare, it was drawn against reigning champions Tornado in the first round of the Semi-Finals. In the battle, Raging Knightmare cautiously went for Tornado but this proved to be a mistake, leaving its side open and was pushed around a bit before getting slammed into an arena wall near a CPZ. Outclassed in power and driving skill, Raging Knightmare tried to self right but kept getting slammed into the arena walls by Tornado. Eventually, it self righted but not before Shunt came into the CPZ and axed Tornado. Raging Knightmare then flipped Shunt on its side and escaped the CPZ. Dead Metal tried to re-right Shunt while Raging Knightmare attempted to flip Tornado but overturned itself. Tornado then pushed Raging Knightmare into a CPZ, smashing it a few times with brute force. Raging Knightmare looked to as if it had broken down, so Tornado pressed the pit release and dumped Raging Knightmare into the pit, ending Team Knightmare's only Semi-Final appearance and best performance.

Raging Knightmare also returned for the annihilator at the end of the series, here, it was placed up against Ewe 2, Kan-Opener, Flippa, Robochicken and Ripper. Raging Knightmare qualified from the first round when Robochicken was counted out, having been flipped early on in the fight and not self-righting due to a breakdown. Raging Knightmare still had time in this round to take part in a three way battle with Kan-Opener and Ripper, as both Ewe 2 and Flippa were unable to move themselves. Ripper flipped Raging Knightmare over a few times, but managed to self-right each time. Eventually however, cease was called and Raging Knightmare was put through to the second round of the annihilator. "Definitely still alive is Raging Knightmare!"

- Jonathan Pearce, as Raging Knightmare self-rights, whilst commenting on the inactivity of the others

At the start of the second round, Flippa never entered the arena, due to a broken aerial, which meant that Raging Knightmare, along with the other three competitors, automatically qualified for the third round, which was started straight away. In this battle, Raging Knightmare was flipped several times by Ripper and Ewe 2, but went through when Ewe 2 was flipped onto its side. Raging Knightmare very nearly lost near the end of the fight when Kan-Opener pushed it into the pit, but scraped through because Kan-Opener was unable to drop it down before Ewe 2 was counted out, as it was stuck to Raging Knightmare. Raging Knightmare's luck was out in the fourth round. After having been repeatedly flipped by Ripper, Kan-Opener pushed it down the pit.

Results

 * }

Wins/Losses

 * Wins: 5
 * Losses: 2

Series Record

 * Series 1-3: Did not enter
 * Series 4: Entered with Knightmare
 * Series 5: Failed to qualify with Spirit of Knightmare
 * Series 6: Entered with Raging Reality
 * Series 7: Semi-Finals, Round 1

Robot Wars Live Events
Raging Knightmare, under its new name Raging MORG, made its debut at the new Robot Wars live events at the Robot Wars UK Championship event held at Newport in July 2013. Here it met Thor in the heats and lost as it's aluminium armour was no match for its opponents axe, it was battered, damaged and pitted. The Knightmare part of the name is being kept by Alan for a future machine.

Outside Robot Wars
Raging Knightmare, fighting under the name Knightmare, has fought in several robot competitions since Robot Wars finished, notably defeating Tornado by flipping it out of the arena in one battle, as revenge for its Series 7 loss.

Knightmare's flipper was replaced by one with a much wider blade, but still used many of the same basic internal components.

Team BlazerBotics sold Knightmare in 2011, with the new owner intending to restore and rebuild it, also reverting its name to Raging Reality, the predecessor of Raging Knightmare. However, the basic shell of the robot was sold on again in 2013 over eBay to Ceri R Jenkins for just over £50, with the money raised being donated to a local Animal Rescue Centre. The once again renamed Raging Morg is now being rebuilt internally to running condition.