Robot Wars: The First Wars/Heat B

The First Wars - Heat B was one of six heats which determined the Grand Finalists of Robot Wars: The First Wars. The episode featuring Heat B was originally broadcast on February 27, 1998 on BBC Two.


 * More famous competitors debuted in Heat B, including Team Cassius, Mortis and Dartford Girls Grammar.
 * Recyclopse debuted in this heat, bringing the forward-hinged flipper into robot combat. This was used to great effect by Recyclopse, as it managed to flip Matilda in the Trial, the first attack on a House Robot.
 * The battle between Recyclopse and Scrapper set the original Shortest Battle Record at fifteen seconds. It is currently ranked equal 6th.
 * The heat final between Mortis and Recyclopse is one of the most notable battles of Series 1 - Mortis lost the decision, and the team vehemently opposed the decision.
 * This heat featured four teams that would reach the semi-finals of Series 2.

Competing robots
Detonator From Dartford Girls Grammer School
 * Team Members: David Crosby, Vicky Allgood, Claire Greenaway
 * Weight: 52.5kg
 * Dimensions: 125 x 90 x 45 cm
 * Speed: 4mph
 * Turning circle: Zero
 * Ground clearance: 2.5cm
 * Power: Petrol lawnmower engine
 * Weapons: Steel spikes

Leighbot From Leigh City Technology College
 * Team Members: Robin Williams, Eileen Hobbs, Tony Schofield, Chris Maylon
 * Weight: 69kg
 * Dimensions: 160 x 35 x 70 cm
 * Speed: 3mph
 * Turning circle: Zero
 * Ground clearance: 4cm
 * Power: 2 x 24V wheelchair motors
 * Weapons: Rear angle grinder & extendable lance

Mortis From Cambridge University
 * Team Members: Rob Knight, Chris Sorsby, Arthur Chillcot
 * Weight: 78.4kg
 * Dimensions: 135 x 78 x 38 cm
 * Speed: 9mph
 * Turning circle: Zero
 * Ground clearance: 5cm
 * Power: 2 x 12V wheelchair motors
 * Weapons: Japanese axe blade

Recyclopse From Mickfield, near Stowmarket
 * Team Members: Rex Garrod, Simon West
 * Weight: 79.5kg
 * Dimensions: 90 x 90 x 45 cm
 * Speed: 4mph
 * Turning circle: 1.5m
 * Ground clearance: Zero
 * Power: 24V industrial motor
 * Weapons: Pneumatic steel tongue-flipper

Scrapper From London
 * Team Members: Mike Smith, Mike Rickard, Ken Toogood, Alvin Orton, Charles Lavery
 * Weight: 76.5kg
 * Dimensions: 110 x 80 x 50 cm
 * Speed: 10mph
 * Turning circle: Zero
 * Ground clearance: Variable (Max 10cm)
 * Power: Variable 12V/24V motors
 * Weapons: 7" & 9" saw blades

Uglybot From Gillingham
 * Team Members: Paul Shearwood, Colin Faulkner
 * Weight: 71.9kg
 * Dimensions: 160 x 100 x 80 cm
 * Speed: 7mph
 * Turning circle: Zero
 * Ground clearance: 8cm
 * Power: 2 x Electric wheelchair motors
 * Weapons: 7" cutting disc

Gauntlet
1. Recyclopse - Completed - Recyclopse darted out, waiting for Shunt to approach, then drove quickly around it. It charged into the left route, using its tongue to push against Bash until the House Robot retreated. Recyclopse wasted no time and charged into the end zone, pushing Matilda out of the way.



2. Leighbot - Completed - Leighbot was the first machine to run the Gauntlet in Heat B. It struggled to drive onto the first ramp, but managed to begin its ascent. Sergeant Bash briefly obstructed its path by preventing the ramp from lowering, but eventually relented to allow Leighbot to continue. Under pressure from Bash's flames and ram, Leighbot reached the second ramp where smoke was clouding. Leighbot extended its lifting arm and activated a small fan to blow the smoke aside, giving its drivers a clear vision to the endzone, only battered briefly by the pendulum weapon.

=3. Mortis - 7.40m - Mortis started strongly, charging past Shunt and ramming Bash askew. However, this attack damaged its steering, and it was unable to continue. Shunt then trapped it from behind, using its axe to pin it in place. Matilda joined its fellow House Robots in boxing Mortis in, preventing it from escaping from any direction. As Rob Knight looked on in dismay, even at one point shouting to the house robots to let Mortis out, Sergeant Bash shrouded Mortis in flames and cease was called. "We're not going to let you go anywhere- we don't have to!"

- Jonathan Pearce speaking on behalf of Sergeant Bash

=3. Scrapper - 7.40m - Scrapper tried to take on the ramp, but was unable to push its way up the incline. Abandoning this with Shunt closing in, Scrapper reversed its way through the maze on the right hand side. Spinning around, Scrapper attempted to drive in, but was closed in on both sides by Shunt and Sergeant Bash. Shunt rammed Scrapper into the side wall as cease was called. "He's into the sheep's pen. This could be lambs to the slaughter, because Bash and Shunt are closing in! And it could be roast lamb at that! If the torch comes out - and it does! Lamb kebab!"

- Jonathan Pearce as Bash bathes the trapped Scrapper in flame

5. Detonator - 7.00m - Detonator got one of its spikes impaled on the turntable and could not pull away. Shunt and Bash closed in, and freed it from the turntable, but Detonator then ran into the walls. It was battered by Shunt several times, and managed to get a burst of distance into the maze in the moments before the cease was called. "Poor old David looks about 74...75...76."

- Jonathan Pearce, as David Crosby grows more agitated at Detonator's predicament

6. Uglybot - 1.65m - Uglybot turned prematurely in the turntable, and upon exiting the turntable, promptly pinned itself in place. Shunt charged in, using its rear plow to knock Uglybot onto its side. Although Uglybot pulled away from the turntable, Shunt would not relent and it was unable to escape. Eventually, Uglybot was knocked into the turntable and knocked half of it askew.

Eliminated: Uglybot

Trial (British Bulldog)
The five robots lined up against the four house robots. On the activate, all but Detonator charged forward. Scrapper and Leighbot collided, with Scrapper impeding both machines' progress. Recyclopse ran into the far left pyramid and broke down. Mortis, meanwhile, charged spectacularly through the ranks and was the first to the end. "What a run through by Mortis!...that was stunning!"

- Jonathan Pearce

Leighbot separated from Scrapper, but was halted by Dead Metal. Meanwhile, Sergeant Bash detached itself from the House Robots line to go and attack Detonator, who had not moved off the starting position, and Matilda closed in on the immobile Recyclopse. Mortis then re-entered the fray and diverted the attentions of Shunt and Matilda. Taking advantage of this, Scrapper reversed away, dodged Matilda and reversed across the finish line. "Now Scrapper, making its move - strangely backwards - but it's through backwards! Strange, but through nonetheless."

- Jonathan Pearce

Leighbot was being pushed around by Shunt, but was the only remaining mobile robot. Shunt relented, and slowly but surely, Leighbot crossed the line. At this point, Recyclopse was being attacked by Matilda and Shunt. Mortis, continuing its harassment, rammed Matilda onto Recyclopse's tongue, and the flipper fired, tossing Matilda onto her side. Meanwhile, Bash was ramming Detonator around the start zone, and cease was called. "You! You! You hurt one of my pets!"

- Jeremy Clarkson to Rex Garrod

It was later revealed that Detonator's batteries had failed, which had gone unnoticed over the din of its petrol engine.

1. Mortis 2. Scrapper 3. Leighbot 4. Recyclopse 5. Detonator

Eliminated: Detonator

Recyclopse vs Scrapper
"You stick your tongue out at me and I'll wink at you!"

- Jonathan Pearce

Recyclopse drove forward, and Scrapper moved tentatively in a random pattern as it usually did. Scrapper mistimed a charge and swerved away from Recyclopse before it could make contact with the saw blades. Scrapper spun into an attack, but Recyclopse charged its exposed side and flipped it over by ramming it.

Winner: Recyclopse

Mortis vs Leighbot
Each robot moved forward, and Mortis rammed Leighbot's side. Leighbot stabbed its weapon into midair, and Mortis retaliated with its swift axe. "Look at that Japanese blade! Thrusting down! Leighbot - pepper-pot! You could pour pepper through that Leighbot machine now!"

- Jonathan Pearce

Mortis relented long enough to attack Leighbot broadside, hammering it with its axe a number of times. Mortis then withdrew, driving into a CPZ in the process, but driving out to strike Leighbot who pursued. Matilda attacked, but retreated immediately. Mortis then reversed under Leighbot and used the tanto blade on the axe to flip Leighbot onto its back, ending the match.

Winner: Mortis

Mortis vs Recyclopse
Prior to the final, Mortis' mainshaft for the axe broke, leaving Mortis' main weapon useless. The team altered Mortis so it would act as a battering ram, but this left it dramatically inferior in terms of weaponry in the final. "We don't know how successful it's going to be. I guess it's just a case of suck it and see."

- Arthur Chilcott

Both robots jumped into action, but neither attacked the other during the opening moments. Mortis dodged Recyclopse's charge, and Recyclopse's eye shone blinding light at the cameras. Recyclopse and Mortis' chase drifted close to Matilda's CPZ, and the house robot pounced towards Recyclopse. Matilda pushed it away, but did not attack further. Meanwhile, Mortis had been impaled on the spikes in Matilda's CPZ. "And that is poor driving, and that is poor steering. And that will count against the boys from Cambridge."

- Jonathan Pearce

Mortis was sliced by Matilda and bumped by the spikes, but it escaped. It rammed Recyclopse from the rear and drove beneath it, piggybacking it around the arena, and dropping it. The two then rammed each other, head-on, and Mortis got beneath and rammed Recyclopse into the side wall. However, Shunt pushed Mortis onto the sidebars where it became stuck, meanwhile Recyclopse tried to escape from the wedge of Mortis and managed to move forward, but remained stuck ontop of its opponent and cease was called. The match went to the judges, which went to Recyclopse. This was popular in the pits, but Random Violence Technologies strongly disagreed. "They're not working - we're working. We pushed them out, we had all the attacks, and we think we should've won."

- Chris Sorsby

Winner: Recyclopse