Robot Wars Extreme: Series 2/All-Stars/Heat A

Heat A of the Extreme Series 2 All-Stars Championship was the first heat of the second All-Stars Championship. The first heat would determine the first of the two robots to go through to the All-Stars Grand-Final, which would be broadcast at the end of the second heat. The episode featuring Heat A was originally broadcast in late 2002 on BBC Choice and repeated on May 9, 2003 on BBC Two.


 * The battle between S3, Bigger Brother and Firestorm 4 contains several interesting facts.
 * It is ranked equal 12th in the Shortest Battles in UK Robot Wars, placing both S3 vs Bigger Brother encounters on the list.
 * It was a grudge match between Bigger Brother and S3 from Series 5. Ironically, Bigger Brother succeeded in doing what it failed to do then.
 * S3 was thrown out of the arena, making it the 25th occurrence. Interestingly, the 24th occurrence was also against S3 but by Firestorm.
 * It was the last appearance of S3.
 * Had Tornado won against Bigger Brother, it would have had two potential grudge matches against Firestorm and Razer. It also became the second reigning champion to fall to Bigger Brother.

Competing Robots
Terrorhurtz From Oxford, Oxfordshire
 * Weight: 99kg
 * Dimensions: 0.50m x 1.25m x 1.05m
 * Power: 2 x 1000W electric motors
 * Weapons: Double headed axe
 * Strengths: Strong armour
 * Weaknesses: Unpredictable spasms
 * Team Members: John Reid, Nicholas Lynch & James Lynch

Dantomkia From Chertsey, Surrey
 * Weight: 100kg
 * Dimensions: 0.36m x 1.20m x 0.80m
 * Power: 2 x 750W motors
 * Weapons: Powerful flipper
 * Strengths: Very agile
 * Weaknesses: Nervous driver
 * Team Members: Michael Lambert, Daniel Lambert & Stephen Gadsby

Tornado From Sawtry, Cambridgeshire
 * Weight: 99kg
 * Dimensions: 0.25m x 0.85m x 0.75m
 * Power: 2 x 750W electric motors
 * Weapons: Interchangeable
 * Strengths: Interchangeable weaponry
 * Weaknesses: Unreliable drive train
 * Team Members: Andrew Marchant, David Gamble & Bryan Moss

Firestorm 4 From Langley Moor, Durham
 * Weight: 100kg
 * Dimensions: 0.36m x 1.10m x 0.83m
 * Power: Electric motors
 * Weapons: Pneumatic flipper
 * Strengths: Excellent manouverability
 * Weaknesses: 2 Wheel drive
 * Team Members: Graham Bone & Hazel Heslop

Bigger Brother From Brighton, East Sussex
 * Weight: 96kg
 * Dimensions: 0.50m x 0.73m x 0.93m
 * Power: 2 x 750W electric motors
 * Weapons: Spiked CO2 gas ram flipper
 * Strengths: Indestructable
 * Weaknesses: None!
 * Team Members: Joe Watts, Ian Watts & Ellie Watts

S3 From Donisthorpe, Leicestershire
 * Weight: 98kg
 * Dimensions: 0.75m x 0.95m x 1.25m
 * Power: 2 x 750W electric motors
 * Weapons: Steel disc
 * Strengths: Destructive weaponry
 * Weaknesses: Aluminium armour
 * Team Members: Dave Barker, Pete Allsop & Ian Pritchard

Terrorhurtz vs Dantomkia vs Tornado
From the start it was apparant that Tornado, equipped for this fight with its scoop, and Dantomkia were ganging up on Terrorhurtz. Tornado shoved Terrorhurtz into the Disc of Doom button, and Dantomkia tried and failed to flip it over. Dantomkia then shoved Terrorhurtz to the other end of the arena flipping it after a delay, but failing to get it out of the arena. Without much effort, Terrorhurtz got itself off the arena wall, but landed on Dantomkia's flipper, and was thrown once again, this time balencing precariously on the arena wall, but eventually bounced down again. Terrorhurtz momentarily fought back landing some ineffective axe blows to Tornado, but Tornado fought back, and pushed Terrohurtz back. Meanwhile, Dantomkia then pressed the pit release button, returning to try and flip Terrorhurtz again. The axe mechanism on Terrorhurtz appeared to have stopped being effective after this, only capable of very slow, weak axe blows. The combined effort of Dantomkia and Tornado pushed Terrorhurtz into Shunt,who axed through the top of the machine. Shunt then flipped Terrorhurtz over, and pushed it into the centre of the arena. With its damaged axe mechanism, Terrorhurtz was unable to self right, and was effortlessly pitted by Dantomkia. Meanwhile, Sergeant Bash attacked Tornado, and crumpled the side, but this made no bearing on the outcome.

Qualifiers: Dantomkia & Tornado

Firestorm 4 vs Bigger Brother vs S3
Having lost to both of these robots before, S3 included an anti-flipper plate, in the hope that flippers would fail to get underneath S3 and be driven onto the disc; however this proved ineffective, perhaps even making it easier for flippers to get underneath it. The battle began with Bigger Brother flipping over S3 from behind, but being pushed away by Firestorm. S3 then got stuck on its side, leaving Bigger Brother enough time to push it to the side of the arena and flip it out. Firestorm then charged at Bigger Brother and overturned it, but it self-righted, only to be thrown over again. "Over in a trice, which was nice"

- Jonathan Pearce, on S3

Qualifiers: Firestorm 4 & Bigger Brother

Dantomkia vs Firestorm 4
"Flipping brilliant!"

- Craig Charles, post battle

Both sides commented on how evenly matched the two machines were, but this proved wrong as Dantomkia began easily the stronger, nearly throwing Dantomkia over in seconds, before pushing it towards Sergeant Bash. Dantomkia was then overturned, but self-righted instantly, before being flipped again, once again righted. The third flip proved more troublesome, and Dantomkia was punished for its hesitency by Sergeant Bash, who tried to grip the arm with his jaws, but failed to do so.

Eventually Dantomkia self-righted, and escaped, meanwhile Firestorm turned on Sergeant Bash temporarily, before returning to Dantomkia, who it overturned yet again, but once again Dantomkia self-righted, and came in on the attack, overturning Firestorm, who also self-righted effortlessly. Firestorm retaliated, flipping Dantomkia over twice, and pushing it into Shunt's CPZ, the House Robot attacking the top of Dantomkia.

Firestorm shoved Dantomkia up against the arena wall, and it self righted, however this was the last move of the machine, as it broke down after this, and they were attacked by Shunt, who Firestorm then tried to flip. Refbot came in and counted out Dantomkia. Firestorm then came in and dumped Dantomkia in the pit. It turned out in the end that the batteries had failed. Winner: Firestorm 4

Tornado vs Bigger Brother
"The other thing I say to the UK Champions is, what happens if Tornado is flipped? What uses is that scoop then?"

- Jonathan Pearce foreshadows

Tornado, again using its charity scoop, was immediately under pressure from Bigger Brother, who a number of times tried, but failed to flip Tornado. During one attack, Bigger Brother strayed too close to Sir Killalot, who pushed Bigger Brother into the angle grinders, but Bigger Brother escaped, only to be slammed back again by Tornado, who was suddenly had the upper hand. Tornado eventually let Bigger Brother go, but was immediately left to rue their error as Bigger Brother flipped Tornado over, leaving the scoop useless and a perfect gap for a flipper to exploit. Tornado, sensing their weakness, ran for the pit release. Tornado then tried pushing Bigger Brother, but failed to make any ground. Bigger Brother again flicked Tornado into the air, but did not re-right it. Tornado continued pushing, but Bigger Brother was equal to it, and in fact pushed back. Tornado retreated, and very nearly drove into the pit, but reversed just in time; however in its haste to attack, it got itself caught trapped between Bigger Brother's decending flipper and its shell, lifting all of Tornado's wheels off the ground, and allowing Bigger Brother to push Tornado towards the pit and in. Winner: Bigger Brother

Firestorm 4 vs Bigger Brother
Firestorm 4 immediately got stuck under the disc of doom, freed itself but got stuck again, however this proved a good thing as Bigger Brother ran up on the disc, which is slightly above floor level, and onto the wedge of Firestorm, being thrown onto its back in the process, but Bigger Brother easily self-righted. After riding on Firestorm's wedge, Bigger Brother bounced down and went on the attack, flicking Firestorm into the air, but not flipping it over. The two robots spent a lot of time pushing one another, before Firestorm flipped Bigger Brother onto its back by the arena wall, but once again Bigger Brother recovered. Bigger Brother missed an oppertunity, as Firestorm was wedged under the angle grinders, leaving the sides a sitting duck, but Firestorm spun away before Bigger Brother could take advantage. Firestorm once again went on the offensive, this time pusshing Bigger Brother across the arena and slammed it into the opposite wall. Sergeant Bash attempted to crush the side of Bigger Brother, as the two robots had strayed into a CPZ, but failed to and Firestorm carried Bigger Brother away on its wedge.



Firestorm then pressed the pit release button, and Firestorm shoved Bigger Brother agains the corner of the arena, just failing to overturn it before the arrival of Sergeant Bash and Shunt, who axed the top of Bigger Brother. The two robots escaped, and met again in the centre of the arena. Bigger Brother this time went on the attack, as Firestorm's flipper appeared to have wedged open. Firestorm retaliated, and flipped over Bigger Brother, who had run out of CO2, and Firestorm pushed it into the pit.

Winner: Firestorm 4