Blade

Blade
Participation Information
UK Series	3
Team Information
Team	Team Blade
Team Members	Josh Ainslie Geoff Reid Ben Reid
From	Newbury
Robot Statistics
Weight	75.5kg
Dimensions	0.31m x 0.94m x 0.63m
Clearance	3mm-7mm (variable)
Top Speed	10mph
Power	3 x various motors
Weapons	Rotary lawnmower blades
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"All we intend to do is mash our opponents, slash and grind, with these lovely cutters. Weighs about 12 and a half stone, so beware!"

— Josh Ainslie in the team's introduction

Blade was a robot that exclusively participated in Series 3 of Robot Wars. While the weapon did not cause much damage outside of its first battle, Blade's decent pushing power and speed saw it through to the Semi-Finals, where it lost to Beast of Bodmin. It would not return for another series afterwards, much like fellow Series 3 Semi-Finalists Pitbull and Trident.

Design

"A rotary blade gives this fearsome machine its name, with added "slashers". It also contains shatterproof material, can get up to 10mph, car parts used in the building -it's a grizzly lawnmower!"

— Jonathan Pearce introduces Blade

Blade in the arena

Blade was a Y-shaped robot painted yellow and black that was two-wheel driven with a castor wheel at the rear to help with manoeuvrability. It was equipped with a rotating 42cm lawnmower blade weighing 12 and a half stone at the front. The lawnmower blade was allegedly 'borrowed' from Josh Ainslie's mother's lawnmower whilst she was on holiday, and without her knowledge.

Blade from the side

Blade cost precisely £146.52 to build. Constructed mostly from car parts, the machine was also reinforced with thick steel and shatterproof polycarbonate and could reach 10mph. Rare for a Series 3 competitor, Blade withstood an axe blow from Shunt when it was attacked during its heat final fight.

The Team

Team Blade with their robot

Blade was entered into Robot Wars by a team from Newbury. The captain was Josh Ainslie and he was joined by his friend Geoff Reid, both of them designing and building Blade together and sharing the role of speaking in interviews. Geoff's teenage son, 13-year old Ben Reid filled the third slot on the team. According to Jonathan Pearce, Ben wanted to be a police officer and his personal hero was Bruce Willis.

All three members had turns driving Blade and operating its weapon throughout the robot's campaign.

Qualification

Blade attended the auditions for The Third Wars and successfully completed them, qualifying for the series as a result.

Ahead of The Fourth Wars, the team were invited by the producers to take part in the series on account of their status as former Semi-Finalists, with the option of again entering Blade or a new robot. The name Blade's Big Bruva was pitched to the producers, serving as a successor machine to Blade, and was pencilled in as the 14th seed for the series. The name was officially printed on the seedings list included with early membership packs issued to subscribers of the Robot Wars Club and in Issue 5 of the Robot Wars Magazine, where it was described as 'bigger, but better'. However, the team would later choose to withdraw from the series due to being unhappy with the organisation of the previous series. Blade would join Trident as another Series 3 Semi-Finalist withdrawal from Series 4, the Trident team also having withdrawn for their own issues.

While Blade's Big Bruva was ultimately never finalised, intended plans, had the team built it, would have seen the robot sport a lower ground clearance, more reliable electronics and the addition of a self-righting mechanism.

Robot History

Series 3

"This is a very interesting robot - was made on kebabs, coffee, lawnmowers and windscreen wipers."

— Philippa Forrester introducing Blade

Blade competed in Heat C, where in the first round, it faced fellow newcomer Spike.

Blade rips away a decorative arm from Spike

Blade and Spike meet head on

Blade was the faster of the two, pushing against Spike and immediately ripping off part of its decorative arm at the front. Blade continued to ram into Spike, cutting and scratching its front, until Spike slowly turned around and pushed against Blade head-on. Both machines stood at a stalemate for a few seconds until Sergeant Bash came out of the CPZ and broke them up. Blade dashed away and nearly ran into Sir Killalot, before reversing into Spike and pushing it back towards Sergeant Bash and then into a flame jet.

Blade is locked tight with Spike

Blade left Sergeant Bash to attack Spike, temporarily getting stuck on the Arena Spike as Sergeant Bash buckled the side of Spike and tore off another decorative piece from its front. Blade lingered around, braking and reversing several times while Spike sluggishly moved around. The two eventually met in another front-on stalemate, Spike eventually gently pushing Blade towards the Arena wall. Matilda came out of the CPZ and broke the robots up, flicking Blade up with her tusks a bit. Spike pressed Blade against the wall again and both machines slowly moved around as the last seconds ticked down.

Blade pushes Spike down into the Pit after cease

Blade began reversing into Spike as 'cease' was called, however Blade carried on with the ramming and pushed Spike into the Pit, which Team Blade celebrated on. However, this came after time expired and the fight went to a Judges' decision with the pitting disregarded. Nevertheless, Blade won the decision unanimously.

"They've decided that even though there was some skulduggery from Blade after time elapsed, they are the unanimous winners!"

— Craig Charles announcing Blade as the winner

In the second round, Blade met veterans Agent Orange. This time Blade's opponent was more evenly matched with its speed and manoeuvrability and Blade went into the fight with its weapon not working.

"Straight in, bit of slashing and ripping, that's it really. We feel pretty confident ... ish!"

— Josh Ainslie on his tactics and confidence

Blade takes an early hit from Agent Orange

Blade ends up on its side due to the Arena Spike

Blade spun on the spot as Agent Orange closed in and attacked it. Agent Orange grappled Blade side-on with its hydraulic claw and pushed it around the arena before striking it with its axe. Blade escaped the clutches of Agent Orange and rushed towards Matilda's CPZ, soon ramming into Agent Orange from the front. As Blade moved away, it was suddenly popped by the Arena Spike and flipped on its side.

"Oh, and up goes Blade! Flipped by the Arena Spikes coming jumping out of the Arena floor and Agent Orange here, can cause damage not only to the blade, but the underside of its opponent."

— Jonathan Pearce as Blade gets caught by the Arena Spike

Matilda lifts and nearly turns over Agent Orange

Blade celebrates as Agent Orange shows little life in the remaining seconds

Agent Orange pushed Blade towards Matilda and the House Robot pushed Blade back onto its wheels. Both machines moved towards the middle of the arena, Agent Orange missing Blade with its axe several times. Blade reversed into Agent Orange and pushed it towards Matilda. Matilda used her tusks to flick and lever Agent Orange a couple of times, but did not turn it over. After the pair escaped the CPZ once again, Agent Orange appeared to be unable to move freely and Blade bumped into it a few times. Agent Orange continued to move sluggishly until 'cease' was called for the battle to go to a Judges' decision. By virtue of a split decision, Blade narrowly advanced to the Heat Final.

"The Duncanson boys I think have problems there, could be a major problem. Certainly paint and taint ripped from the side. Blade spinning a jig of delight, they think they've won it."

— Jonathan Pearce as the fight comes to an end

In the Heat Final, Blade went up against another fellow newcomer in Aggrobot, which had defeated heat favourite Razer in its previous fight.

"We just want to get it over and done with, as the lawnmower blade on there, my mum comes back from holiday tomorrow, and she wants it back!"

— Josh Ainslie

Blade fends off Shunt's axe attack

Blade crashed full speed into Aggrobot and followed up with several rams, getting to the side and out of reach from its opponent's spike weapon. Blade continued to be the more aggressive, getting to the side and rear of Aggrobot and manoeuvring it near the CPZs of Sergeant Bash and Shunt, but was unable to put it in. While near Shunt's CPZ, Blade was hit by the axe of Shunt, but the attack did not dent or damage Blade, much to the surprise of Jonathan Pearce.

"Oh, and in comes Shunt there, with the great axe going down to create damage. Let's see if did cause any - no! That's very rare."

— Jonathan Pearce as Blade resists Shunt's attack

Blade rams Aggrobot

Blade got behind Aggrobot again and rammed it into the Arena wall where Aggrobot was pinned briefly. Aggrobot freed itself but limply rolled across the Arena floor to a stop. Smoke began to come out of Aggrobot as it was now apparent that it was immobilised and Blade edged its lifeless opponent towards the Flame Pit.

"And Blade here, is the surprise of this heat, and turning up the heat now on Aggrobot. Well, the Blade boys lived on kebabs while they were making this robot and at the moment it's Aggro...oh sheesh, it's being cooked there on the spit!"

— Jonathan Pearce

Sir Killalot and Dead Metal soon closed in on Aggrobot, Sir Killalot drilling through its rear with his lance and Dead Metal slicing into its side and front wedge, Finally, Sir Killalot put Aggrobot onto the Floor Flipper where it was thrown over and Blade advanced to the Semi-Finals.

"Aggrobot malfunctioned, torched, chopped and flamed. Blade goes through to our series Semi-Finals!"

— Craig Charles

In the Semi-Finals, Blade faced a tough draw in Beast of Bodmin, the successor to the former champion Roadblock.

"Cutting a sway through the earlier heats, Blade. But, has its edge now been blunted by battle I wonder?"

— Jonathan Pearce in the Semi-Finals

Beast of Bodmin flips over Blade

Being the smaller robot, Blade was immediately scooped up by the wedge of the much bigger Beast of Bodmin. Blade got off, but got wedged again briefly and got off once more. However, Blade's high ground clearance was proving to be a disadvantage, as it was continuously riding up the wedge of Beast of Bodmin and was not able to get an attack in. Beast of Bodmin got underneath Blade again and managed to get some leverage on it, at the same time using its tail to slowly tip Blade onto its side.

"And the spinning wheel of Blade shows that it's on its side and exposed and I don't think can right itself."

— Jonathan Pearce as Blade is toppled onto its side

Blade's demise

Beast of Bodmin followed up with a bump that knocked Blade onto its back where it could not self-right. Blade was soon set upon by the House Robots, being pinned down by the lance of Sir Killalot while Dead Metal sliced into its lawnmower blade, throwing up a shower of sparks in the process. 'Cease' was soon called and Blade was eliminated from The Third Wars.

"Blade stabbed in the back and the Beast of Bodmin savages him!"

— Craig Charles

After the battle, the team inspected the damage caused to the lawnmower blade and Josh Ainslie joked that he was going to get in trouble from his mother when he would be unable to return it to the lawnmower that he 'borrowed' it from and declared that he would make it up to her by buying a new lawnmower.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 3
• Losses: 1

Series Record

Series	Blade Series Record
The First Wars	Did not enter
The Second Wars	Did not enter
The Third Wars	Semi-Finals, Round 1
The Fourth Wars	Withdrew as Blade's Big Bruva
The Fifth Wars	Did not enter
The Sixth Wars	Did not enter
The Seventh Wars	Did not enter
Series 8	Did not enter
Series 9	Did not enter
Series 10	Did not enter

Outside Robot Wars

Blade never competed at any live events outside of Robot Wars and was eventually scrapped sometime after its appearance on the show.

Sadly, Josh Ainslie passed away in March 2024.