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- "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 Thor from Series 8 onwards. Both Terrorhurtz and Thor are also the most successful, reaching the Grand Final and placing fourth 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
Terrorhurtz drags Reptirron the Second onto the Flame Pit in Series 6
- 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 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, and Thor punched holes through M.R. Speed Squared's armour and hacked off Shockwave's scoop in their Series 8 Head-to-Heads.
- 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.
- As with spiked axes, the leverage offered by a bladed axe can allow robots equipped with them to drag and push opponents around if the axe head becomes embedded in them. Both Terrorhurtz and The Steel Avenger demonstrated this tactic at various moments across both of the show's runs.
Disadvantages
Terrorhurtz's axe was no help in its 19-second loss to Tornado
Thor vents CO2 as its pneumatics system malfunctions against TR2
Thor's CO2 billows out following a direct hit from Magnetar
- 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 present in 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 and 9, 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.
- Pneumatic axes may have their mechanisms exposed to attacks from crushers, or vertical spinners if upside-down. This was most notably shown in Thor's battle with Magnetar in Series 10, where a well-timed attack from Magnetar ruptured Thor's CO2 supply.
- The shaft of a bladed axe may often get damaged or even bent. This was best shown by Thor in Series 9, where Jason Marston had to turn the shaft around to try and bend it the right way, however he did note that continued attempts at this would cause the axe to break due to metal fatigue.
- The effects of metal fatigue were vividly demonstrated by TMHWK's axe arm during the first episode of Robot Wars: World Series, which bent and snapped in half in its Head-to-Head following attacks from Terrorhurtz and Matilda.
- In some cases, a bladed axe head can cause the wielder and its opponent to become stuck together, requiring separation if the axe is embedded in an opponent and cannot retract on its own. In both of its encounters with Vulture in Series 10, Terrorhurtz was unable to separate itself from the former, requiring the House Robots to prise both competitors apart. Unsuccessful attempts to retract an axe can also use up a limited CO2 supply, reducing the effectiveness of the axe once the robots are separated.
List of Robots with Bladed Axes
Robots are listed alphabetically. Robots which are not heavyweight entries are listed with a green background. House Robots are listed with a yellow background.
Apocalypse
Glitterbomb in Series 8
Killerhurtz, the UK pioneer of the bladed axe
Shunt as he appeared in Series 1
Terrorhurtz in Series 10
Thor in Series 10
Twice Heat Finalist The Steel Avenger
TMHWK
| Robot | Series Appearances with Bladed axes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apocalypse | Series 10 | Used in tandem with a pair of horizontal grabbing arms, also referred to as 'horizontal axes'. |
| 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 8-9 | 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 | Weapon was later replaxed by a spiked pickaxe, and then the more famous 'diamond-edged' axe. |
| Storm Force | Series 5 | |
| Terrorhurtz | Series 5-10, 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 8-10 | 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. Five interchangeable heads in Series 10, some of which are referred to as 'hammers' on the official Robot Wars website. |
| Tiger Cat | US Season 1 | |
| Tomahawk | Series 7, 9-10 | Rebuilt and renamed TMHWK in Series 9. Features three interchangeable axe heads in Series 9, and gains another axe head in Series 10's International Special. |
| Trolley Rage | Series 9 | |
| Undertaker | Series 3 | |
| Weld-Dor | Series 3 | Competed in the First World Championship. |
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