Roobarb

Roobarb was a robot that competed in Series 6 and 7 of Robot Wars, as well as the New Blood Championship in the second series of Robot Wars Extreme. It was eliminated in the first round in Series 6, and the second round in Series 7, but reached the Heat Final in its New Blood Heat, losing to Mute.

Roobarb previously failed to qualify for Series 5 after losing in its qualifier battle to M2, who also didn't compete in Series 5.

Design
"Oh way out, man, it's got holograms"

- Jonathan Pearce as Roobarb enters Series 6

Roobarb was a steep wedge-shaped robot armed with a low pressure pneumatic flipper equipped with two ramming spikes at the top and a square flipping plate, which gave it a passing resemblance to Bigger Brother. It featured a steel frame with polycarbonate armour backed with "laser holograph etching panels": essentially a form of shiny, holographic wrapping paper, and a top speed of 15mph. However, Roobarb had a 3cm ground clearance and an unreliable flipper in Series 6, although the flipper was upgraded in subsequent series to be more powerful and reliable.

Series 6
"The wrapping paper does tear, leaving them vunerable to spinners. Mind you, I always like my rhubarb well-shredded..."

- Jonathan Pearce on Roobarb's odd choice of armour

Roobarb drew two spinners in the first round of Series 6: Shredder and the number 7 seeds S3. Also competing were fellow newcomers Armadrillo. At the beginning of the battle, Roobarb ran into Armadrillo, before ramming into the seeded S3. However, it appeared to be unable to flip S3, and was cut into by S3's spinning weapon and rammed into the arena side wall. Left in the hands of Sir Killalot, Roobarb broke down completely, counted out by the Refbot before being grappled again by house robot Sir Killalot and pitted, being eliminated from the competition.

Extreme 2
Roobarb participated in the New Blood Competition of Extreme Series 2, it was in the first battle of the first heat, and went up against Terror Turtle and Mute in its first round match. "Embracing the nerves here, the Roobarb team."

- Philippa Forrester

Roobarb started brilliantly, as it flipped Terror Turtle over after about just ten seconds of fighting leaving it immobilised as Terror Turtle couldn't self-right. It was then flipped into Dead Metal's CPZ by Mute, but Roobarb swiftly self-righted. It then tried to flip Terror Turtle out of the arena, but failed to do so, as its flipper was only low pressure. Roobarb pressurised Mute, forcing it to drive uncontrollably into the pit, but Terror Turtle was already immobilised for thirty seconds and eliminated, nonetheless, Roobarb was definitely through to the next round. Roobarb faced Maximus in round two of the heat, flipping it over with ease. Maximus self righted however. Roobarb managed to flip its opponent again, and tried desperately to flip it out of the arena while it had the chance, but failed to do so. After several attempts at trying to flip it out, Roobarb accidentally eased Maximus back onto its wheels. Roobarb got Maximus into the CPZ, where the house robots later immobilised the limping Maximus machine, so Roobarb was through to the heat final, where it faced Mute again. "Roobarb couldn't finish them off. Will that be a telling factor, the lack of finishing power?"

- Jonathan Pearce looks back at Roobarb's inability to flip out Maximus

In this battle, Roobarb was flipped straight into Shunt at the start of this match, but self-righted well. Roobarb was then very nearly flipped out of the arena, but self-righted using the top of the arena wall to lever it off. "Brilliant recovery! That is the finest recovery we've seen on Robot Wars! They're out, they're going out, they're going out! No, they're not, they're bouncing back! That was brilliant!"

- Jonathan Pearce on Roobarb's near-brush with defeat

This allowed Roobarb to escape and then come back onto the attack. Roobarb then flipped Mute, but Mute self-righted. Roobarb then pressed the disc button, but was pushed across the arena by Mute, who'd now used up all of the power in its flipper. It was then pushed into Sergeant Bash and Shunt by Mute. But then Roobarb forced Mute onto the flame pit at the end, where Mute finally lay immobilised, but survived long enough for a judges' decision. The judges awarded the win to Mute, eliminating Roobarb from the competition.

Series 7
Roobarb fought in the first broadcast heat of the Seventh Wars, and was drawn up against Dutch entry Twister, the wooden machine Brutus Maximus and the number 9 seeds Pussycat. Roobarb and Pussycat barely made contact with each other, and attacked the other two robots for most of the fight. After a few tentative exchanges with Twister, Roobarb was pushed by Brutus Maximus. Roobarb then flipped Twister, and then later flipped Brutus Maximus, the latter three times in quick succession. The fourth flip from Roobarb dislodged one of Brutus Maximus' wheels. As a bruised and battered Brutus Maximus was later counted out, the battle ended with both Pussycat and Roobarb all over Twister with flips and blade attacks, the battle went to a judges' decision for the remaining three machines, with Roobarb going through with Pussycat. "You can hear the armour creaking and being pulled!"

- Jonathan Pearce as Tiberius crushes Roobarb

In the second round of the heat, Roobarb went up against the much more experienced Tiberius 3 machine. In this battle, Roobarb missed one flip, and from then on it was all over for Roobarb. Tiberius 3 seized Roobarb with its crushing beak, pierced down to the internals, and raised it high into the air. "I don't think it'll be dumping Roobarb into a bowl of custard. Its going to be into the pit of doom and gloom."

- Jonathan Pearce

Tiberius 3 then suddenly dropped Roobarb, but Roobarb had stopped working properly, and Tiberius 3 pushed it over to the pit release button, activated it, and pushed Roobarb down into the pit of oblivion, eliminating Roobarb from the competition.

Results

 * }

Wins/Losses

 * Wins: 3
 * Losses: 3

Series Record

 * Series 1-4: Did not enter
 * Series 5: Failed to qualify
 * Series 6: Heat, Round 1
 * Series 7: Heat, Round 2
 * 2016-17 Series: Failed to qualify

Outside Robot Wars
An earlier version of Roobarb also competed at the 2001 Dutch Robo Games as Silver Fish, featuring a rounded wedge shape and a flatter flipper than the version seen in Series 6-7 and Extreme 2.