- "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
Bladed axes are a type of overhead weapon found in Robot Wars. The first robot to feature this weapon was House Robot Shunt in Series 1, who would earn fame for his diamond-edged (later titanium) axe in later series.
The first competitor robot to feature a bladed axe was Killerhurtz in Series 2, although it was later replaced with its more famous spiked axe. Other notable robots with this weapon type include its successor, Terrorhurtz, The Steel Avenger, and the Series 8 version of Thor. Both Terrorhurtz and Thor are also the most successful, reaching the Grand Final in Series 6 and 8 respectively.
Definition
Tomahawk's bladed axe in Series 7
Bladed axes typically feature an axe head with a blade featuring a much larger surface area than a spiked axe, which aim to provide a larger area of attack. They are specialised to chop, pound, bend, hack and shake components and armour loose rather than pierce through them, and are among some of the most common types seen in everyday usage - for example, fireaxes which are used to chop wood. Bladed axes come in various shapes and sizes, from fireaxe-style chopping blades, as originally used by Killerhurtz, to curved blades with a spiked tip, as seen on The Steel Avenger, and even double-headed blades as used by Terrorhurtz and the Series 3 competitor Shell Shock.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
Thor pierces M.R. Speed Squared's armour
The Steel Avenger scored over Shredder Evolution by striking and dragging it with its axe
- Alongside hammers, bladed axes are more readily available than most other types of weapons, as they can be collected from any hardware or DIY store.
- With their large surface area, bladed axes are the most effective type of overhead weapons for use as a self-righting mechanism, provided that there is sufficient power behind the axe to achieve this. Terrorhurtz and the Series 8 Thor demonstrated this capability quite effectively several times.
- A powerful bladed axe can serve as an efficient cross between a spiked axe and a hammer, being able to cause both external and internal damage with equal efficiency. Terrorhurtz demonstrated this effectively in its Series 6 Semi-Final fight against Spawn Again, as did Thor in the 2016 series, the latter puncturing holes through M.R. Speed Squared's armour and hacking off Shockwave's scoop during their respective Head-to-Head battles.
- Successful axe blows always score well on control and aggression, and bladed axes tend to show more aggression than their spiked counterparts. This is perhaps best shown in The Steel Avenger's victory over Shredder Evolution in Series 7, and in Thor's victory over Shockwave in their Head to Head battle in Series 8.
Disadvantages
Terrorhurtz's axe was no help in its 19-second loss to Tornado
Thor vents CO2 as its pneumatics system malfunctions against TR2
- Bladed axes were initially less effective as a knock-out weapon than a spiked axe, as they did not put out the kinetic energy into a point needed to damage vital components in the same way that spiked axes could, and required a lot more power to do so. Shunt and Terrorhurtz were the only two robots to immobilise another with a bladed axe in the original series of Robot Wars, and it was not until the show's hiatus that other robots with bladed axes became more effective over time.
- A bladed axe largely specialises in knocking internal components loose, and is not as effective at causing visible damage as its spiked counterpart. As a result, it can become ineffective against robots with strong armour and chassis. Terrorhurtz and The Steel Avenger were unable to cause any damage to Tornado and Storm 2, respectively.
- Most bladed axes only functioned in one specific direction - usually forwards - compounding the accuracy issues regarding this and all other overhead weapon types. Terrorhurtz's axe is a notable exception, as it was designed to be double-headed in order to strike from both the front and back of the machine.
- If pneumatically-powered, bladed axes can also fail to self-right if the weapon is low on CO2, or if the pneumatics system is damaged or malfunctioning. This was especially apparent in the defeats of Terrorhurtz, Glitterbomb and Thor throughout Series 8, with all of them not being able to self-right at various stages due to problems with their pneumatics systems or their CO2 supplies freezing in cold temperatures.
List of Robots with Bladed Axes
Robots are listed alphabetically. Robots which are not heavyweights are listed with a green background.
Glitterbomb in Series 8
Killerhurtz, the UK pioneer of the bladed axe
Ivanhoe
Shunt as he appeared in Series 8
Terrorhurtz
The Series 9 version of Thor
Twice Heat Finalist The Steel Avenger
TMHWK
| Robot | Series Appearances with Bladed axes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8645T | Series 5, 7 | Combined with a rear-hinged flipper, set on the back of a flipper. |
| Comengetorix | Series 6 | The robot only used a bladed axe in Series 6, using a spiked axe in Extreme 1. |
| Crippler | Series 3 | |
| Glitterbomb | Series 8 | Uses the axe mechanism from Edge Hog. Returned for Series 9 with twin axes, but was withdrawn. |
| Hydrotec | German Series | |
| Ivanhoe | Series 2 | UK Heat Finalist |
| Killerhurtz | Series 2 | Pioneer of the bladed axe, although replaced with a spiked axe in subsequent appearances. |
| Mechadroid | US Season 2 | A double-headed axe using both bladed and spiked pick heads. |
| Oblivion | Series 3-4 | |
| Pathetica | Dutch Series 1 | |
| Pressure | Extreme Series 2 | |
| Project One | Dutch Series 1 | |
| Sgt. Meikle | Series 3 | |
| Shell Shock | Series 3 | |
| Shunt | Series 1, Series 3-9, Extreme 1-2, US Season 1-2, Nickelodeon, Dutch Series 1-2, German Series | A 'diamond-edged' axe in later series, combining elements of spiked and bladed types. Made out of titanium for Series 8. |
| Storm Force | Series 5 | |
| Terrorhurtz | Series 5-9, Extreme 2 | Most famous and deadly of bladed axes. Only double-sided axe that was capable of striking opponents in front of and behind the robot. Series 6 Grand Finalist. |
| The Steel Avenger | Series 3-5, 7, Extreme 1-2 | Only featured a bladed axe during one of its battles in Series 3, the other featuring a pick. Series 4 and 7 Heat Finalist, runners-up in Extreme 2 Tag Team Terror, paired with Lightning. |
| Thor | Series 8-9 | Replaced the hammer used in Series 6 and 7. Interchangeable axe heads include a pointed head and a Mjölnir-inspired head. Series 8 Grand Finalist. |
| Tiger Cat | US Season 1 | |
| Tomahawk | Series 7, 9 | Rebuilt and renamed TMHWK in Series 9. Features three interchangeable axe heads in Series 9. |
| Undertaker | Series 3 | |
| Weld-Dor | Series 3 | Competed in the First World Championship |
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