Black and Blue

Black and Blue
Black and Blue
Participation Information
UK Series	7
Team Information
Team	Team Mousetrap
Team Members	Stan Launchbury Jason Launchbury
Robot Statistics
Weight	99kg
Dimensions	0.13m x 0.47m x 0.65m
Power	2 x 1KW electric motors
Weapons	Spinning drums
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"A new robot and a clusterbot too, that means double trouble!"

— Jonathan Pearce introduces Black and Blue

Black and Blue was a clusterbot built by Team Mousetrap, and their entry for Series 7 of Robot Wars. It was eliminated in the first round in its only appearance, after one half was immobilised by Daisy-Cutter and the other was pitted by Firestorm 5.

The robot's name was derived from the expression 'beaten black and blue'.

Design

Black and Blue was a clusterbot consisting of a pair of identical two-wheeled, invertible box-shaped robots named Black and Blue. Each half was armed with a 20kg, 6000rpm spinning drum, and as their names implied were painted black and blue respectively. While Black and Blue's drums had plenty of destructive potential, both halves were considerably smaller than their opponents and had a high ground clearance, which Firestorm 5 easily exploited during the robot's only battle.

Robot History

Series 7

Firestorm 5 flips Blue and Bamm Bamm together

Black and Blue competed in Heat P, and faced newcomers Daisy-Cutter, former Dutch Grand Finalist Bamm Bamm and the second seed Firestorm 5 in its first round battle. Both halves separated almost immediately and attempted to attack Firestorm 5, with Black being thrown over by the latter's flipper. Blue was then simultaneously axed by Bamm Bamm and flipped by Firestorm 5, with Bamm Bamm also being flipped over at the same time. Black continued to be flipped around by Firestorm 5, with Blue getting wedged against an angle grinder and both halves lingering close to the wall as Daisy-Cutter slammed into Black, immobilising it.

"Look, it looks a minnow, doesn't it? Altogether, Black and Blue weighs 99 kilos. Altogether though... don't forget that. There they are... two little 'uns, against the spinning machine that is Daisy-Cutter..."

— Jonathan Pearce observes Black and Blue's small size as they sustain attacks from Firestorm 5 and Daisy Cutter

Blue and Daisy-Cutter proceeded to hit each other with their spinning weapons, with Blue appearing to lose mobility as well before Firestorm 5 got underneath and gingerly pushed it into the pit. With one half officially pitted and the other immobilised, Black and Blue was eliminated from the Seventh Wars, along with Bamm Bamm.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 0
• Losses: 1

Series Record

Main Series	Black and Blue Series Record
The First Wars	Did not enter
The Second Wars	Did not enter
The Third Wars	Entered with Triterobot
The Fourth Wars	Entered with Mousetrap
The Fifth Wars	Entered with Mousetrap
The Sixth Wars	Failed to qualify with Mutant Mousetrap
The Seventh Wars	Heat, Round 1
Series 8	Did not enter
Series 9	Did not enter
Series 10	Entered with Mousetrap
Robot Wars Extreme	Appearances
Series 1	Did not enter
Series 2	Did not enter

Trivia

• Black and Blue was one of only four heavyweight clusterbots to appear in any version of the original Robot Wars. The others were Gemini, Psycho Chicken and √3.
• Black and Blue is one of only three clusterbots to never win a battle, the others being the antweight Legion and the 2016 series version of Terror Turtle.
  • Prior to 2016, Black and Blue is the only clusterbot not to at least survive to a judges' decision.
• Both halves of Black and Blue share a slight resemblance to the American robot Death Drum.
• When considering Mousetrap's previous series performance, Black and Blue was one of two former UK Semi-Finalists to enter Series 7 unseeded, along with King B Powerworks. Both teams had failed to qualify for Series 6.