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. It was two-wheel driven and equipped with a rotating 42cm lawnmower blade 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 with Aggrobot.

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. 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 weapons 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 similar 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 is locked tight with Spike

Blade was the faster of the two, immediately ripping part of Spike's decoration from the front. Blade continued to ram Spike, although eventually Spike started pushing back, until Sergeant Bash broke them up. Blade then pushed Spike into Bash, who attacked the underside of Spike with its pincers, dislodging another piece of bodywork. Blade and Spike then spun around each other, then again colliding at a stalemate with a push. Eventually, Matilda came in to break them up, but the deadlock was only broken a few seconds from the end.

Blade pushes Spike down into the Pit after cease

In one final push, Blade heaved Spike across the arena and pushed it into the pit, but this KO came after 'cease' had already been called, and the battle advanced to a Judges' decision with the pitting disregarded. Nevertheless, Blade won the Judges' 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 fought Agent Orange, the successor to Spin Doctor.

"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

Matilda lifts and nearly turns over Agent Orange

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

The two started the battle by dodging each other, then pushing against one another, Agent Orange doing the early pushing. Blade was then flipped by the arena spike and Agent Orange pushed it into Matilda's CPZ, who rushed out to attack Blade and inadvertently righted it. Blade then pushed Agent Orange back into Matilda, who failed to overturn the robot. Blade once again pushed back, as Agent Orange ground to a halt, then moving very slowly.

Cease was called at the end of five minutes, and the close battle was sent to a Judges' decision. By virtue of a split decision, Blade narrowly advanced to the Heat Final.

In the Heat Final, Blade was placed up against fellow newcomer Aggrobot, who had defeated heat favourite Razer in the 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

In this battle, the two robots met in the centre of the arena, and Blade pushed Aggrobot all around the arena, even withstanding an axe blow from Shunt.

"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

Aggrobot got itself wedged on the arena side wall, but was freed, and then broke down in the centre of the arena. Blade then rammed Aggrobot onto the flame pit and left the immobile machine to the House Robots.

Blade rams Aggrobot

"And Blade here, is the surprise of this heat, and turning up the heat now on Aggrobot!"

— Jonathan Pearce

Sir Killalot lifted Aggrobot up, and Dead Metal attacked its tongue. Killalot then put Aggrobot onto the arena flipper and it was thrown over. With this victory, Blade qualified for the series semi-finals.

In the semi-finals, Blade was drawn against 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

Blade's demise

From the start, Beast of Bodmin was the stronger robot, getting underneath Blade multiple times, but failing to flip it, until finally it succeeded in turning Blade onto its side, and then reversing into it to put it onto its back. Blade was then attacked by the House Robots, Dead Metal in particular throwing up a lot of sparks with its circular saw after slicing into the lawnmower blade. Cease was soon called and Blade was eliminated from The Third Wars. The damage caused to the blade left Josh Ainslie unable to return it to the lawnmower that he 'borrowed' it from.

"Blade stabbed in the back!"

— Craig Charles

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.