Overhead weapons

Overhead Weapons have featured strongly in all facets and time periods of robotic combat, ranging from Killertron's very first axe in Series 1, all the way up to modern day Terrorhurtz and its enormously powerful axe. These weapons have a range of effects. Spiked Axes or Picks are meant to pierce robot armour. Bladed Axes are an extension of the Spiked Axe, meant for chopping at opponents. Hammers are also a well-known form of overhead weapon, dealing blows to opponents. There have also been several unique overhead weapons.

Overhead Weapons have frequently been combined in efficient combinations with Lifting Weapons. Mortis, Iron Awe 2.1 and Hydra are the best examples or overhead/lifting weapon combinations.

Spiked Axe/Pick
The Spiked Axe was one of the first weapons seen in Robot Wars UK, wielded by the mighty Killertron. Other well known wielders of Spiked Axes include Dominator 2 and Kat 3, as well as Mortis' famous "tanto blade". The purpose of spiked axes were to pierce holes in opponent's armour, either to hit vitals, act as a way of pulling robots around or over (Dominator 2 and Killertron were masters of this technique), or merely to fill opponents with holes, often called pepper-potting. Advantages of spiked axes are that they tend to be quite powerful, as all the power is concentrated on one spike. Also, the benefits of using a spiked axe can sway a judges decision; pepper-potting frequently racked up lots of points of damage, the key benefit in judges decisions.

However, in the later stages of robot combat, spiked axes became very disadvantaged against tough robot armour. The best example of this was Kat 3 failing to damage Bulldog Breed in the heat final of Series 7.

Robots with spiked axes
Robots are listed alphabetically. Robots that are not heavyweight are listed with a green background.

Bladed Axes
"We hated it [Killerhurtz's spiked axe]. We decided to add this broad blade axe so it wouldn't get stuck, it would just keep digging at them..."

- John Reid after defeating Panic Attack

The purpose of bladed axes was far different to spiked axes. Bladed axes were meant for an onslaught of chopping and slamming attacks, much favoured in particular by Terrorhurtz.

Advantages of bladed axes were that they could deal great amounts of damage. Terrorhurtz's axe was the only weapon to immobilise Bigger Brother and Panic Attack.

Robots with bladed axes
Robots are listed alphabetically. Robots that are not heavyweight are listed with a green background.

Hammers
Hammers came in many forms, from small hammers such as Hydra's, up to the large sledgehammer of Bondi-Titch. Hammers worked in the same way as bladed axes, made to hammer the insides to dislodge or damage robot interiors. However, hammers have large surface ares, which can severely limit their damage potential.

Robots with hammers
Robots are listed alphabetically. Robots that are not heavyweight are listed with a green background.