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Not to be confused with Belgian robot Brutus, or New Blood Competitor Maximus.

"Oh, look at the blades, but is that a wooden frame I see?"
Jonathan Pearce in Series 6

Brutus Maximus was a heavyweight robot which competed in Series 6 and 7 of Robot Wars. Brutus Maximus was knocked out in the first round of both wars, mostly due to its frailty and vulnerability to flippers, axes and crushing arms to name but a few.

Design[]

"Oh wouldn't it be nice? Wooden? Are you sure!?"
— Jonathan Pearce, shocked by Brutus Maximus' armour of choice
Brutus Maximus Arena

Brutus Maximus in the arena in Series 6

Brutus Maximus S7

Brutus Maximus enters the arena in Series 7

Brutus Maximus was a large box-shaped robot. It was armed with three rotating saws at the rear and had a steep front wedge for pushing. The robot was invertible due to its enormous bicycle wheels, and was four-wheel driven, powered by a petrol engine. Brutus Maximus was also made entirely out of wood, a very unusual and rare choice in armour, which was very easily destroyed in combat. Despite the robot's frail armour and vulnerable bicycle wheels, the robot was deceptively durable, remaining mobile in both of its fights for a reasonably long time. In Series 7, the robot's wedge read Brutus Maximus II.

Qualification[]

Brutus Maximus was built to enter the Fifth Wars, but it failed to qualify for the series.

Brutus

Brutus Maximus in the pits at the Series 6 Qualifiers

In the qualifiers for Series 6, Brutus Maximus fought Anarchy, Ruf Ruf Dougal, and Mr Nasty. Brutus Maximus shredded the fur of Ruf Ruf Dougal, and all four robots qualified.

There was a notable incident in its qualifier for Series 7. Brutus Maximus was fighting Mean Streak as well as Constrictor and a robot that failed to qualify named Retirebot. Brutus Maximus immobilised Mean Streak by means of a net. As these weapons were illegal in the original show's run, the battle was immediately awarded to Mean Streak, who went on to qualify for the main competition as well as Constrictor. Brutus Maximus, however, qualified on a discretionary place regardless.

Robot History[]

Series 6[]

Brutus Maximus' first appearance came in the opening heat of the Sixth Wars as it went up against reigning champion, two time world champion and first seed Razer, along with Team Knightmare's new robot Raging Reality and fellow newcomer W.A.S.P. in its first round melee.

Razer vs Brutus Maximus

Brutus Maximus is crushed by Razer

Brutus Maximus started the battle tentatively, reversing into W.A.S.P., before being caught by Razer, which crushed down between two of Brutus Maximus' wheels. Brutus Maximus managed to retreat after this punishment, before attempting to force Razer backwards, with the number 1 seed now focusing its attacks on Raging Reality. Razer then turned its attention back towards Brutus Maximus, bringing its crushing arm down onto Brutus Maximus once more, before Raging Reality came in and inverted Brutus Maximus with a flip. Brutus Maximus was now struggling for movement, and Razer took the opportunity to pull away Brutus Maximus' side armour, dislodging one of Brutus Maximus' bicycle wheels in the process.

Brutus Maximus OotA

Brutus Maximus is flipped out of the arena

As Razer tried to peel itself away from Brutus Maximus, Raging Reality came in with another flip, which saw the aforementioned wheel bounce away and veer off into the pit of oblivion. Sir Killalot then placed Brutus Maximus over the flame pit, before Refbot counted out the Ljustinas' machine.

"Coming into the arena with wood and bicycle wheels and petrol driven - what were they thinking about!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Brutus Maximus is counted out by Refbot

Brutus Maximus' misery was then compounded as Raging Reality propped it up against the arena wall before lifting it over the arena wall and out of the warzone, eliminating it from the competition.

Series 7[]

Jayne Middlemiss: "So you've got a wooden robot?"
Joe Ljustina: "We've got a wooden robot yes."
Jayne Middlemiss: "I've got a wooden robot everyone!"
— Jayne Middlemiss announces to the world

In the Seventh Wars, Brutus Maximus competed in Heat A for the second series in a row, where it went up against New Blood heat finalist Roobarb, Dutch grand finalist, Twister and the ninth seed Pussycat in the first round of the heat.

Brutus Maximus Twister

Brutus Maximus sustains notable damage from Twister

Brutus Maximus vs Twister

Brutus Maximus is sandwiched between its foes

Brutus Maximus held back in the opening moments before reversing across the arena floor and clipping Pussycat with its rear saws. Brutus Maximus was then chased by Pussycat, with the veterans cutting Brutus Maximus with its spinning disc. Brutus Maximus then came in with a drive on Roobarb, forcing it back against an angle grinder, before Twister attacked Brutus Maximus' rear-end, shattering some of its protective covering and damaging one of its saws. Brutus Maximus tried to respond, and reversed into Twister, but after this collision, followed by one involving Roobarb, Brutus Maximus' entire rack of saw blades dropped off.

"I think Brutus Maximus, here, is losing pieces, as we were told it might, as the battle is waged! It is littering the warzone arena!"
— Jonathan Pearce
RoobarbFlipsBrutus

Brutus Maximus is flipped by Roobarb

Brutus Maximus loses a wheel

Brutus Maximus loses a wheel for a second series in a row

Brutus Maximus then continued to tussle with Roobarb, first, coming in with a strong drive which slammed Roobarb against the arena wall, before its opponent responded with a flip which inverted Brutus Maximus. Roobarb continued to exert itself onto Brutus Maximus, and performed four consecutive flips. Eventually, the punishment became too much for Brutus Maximus; after losing one of its bicycle wheels from another flip from Roobarb and being forced in towards Shunt, which axed it, Brutus Maximus came to a stop. With time ticking down, Refbot came over and counted Brutus Maximus out, and it was eliminated from the competition along with Twister.

Results[]

BRUTUS MAXIMUS - RESULTS
Series 6
The Sixth Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 1
Heat A, Round 1 vs. Raging Reality, Razer (1), W.A.S.P. Eliminated
Series 7
The Seventh Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 1
Heat A, Round 1 vs. Pussycat (9), Roobarb, Twister Eliminated

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 0
  • Losses: 2

Series Record[]

Brutusmaximus s6 arena back

Brutus Maximus in the arena during Series 6

Series Brutus Maximus Series Record
The First Wars Did not enter
The Second Wars Did not enter
The Third Wars Did not enter
The Fourth Wars Did not enter
The Fifth Wars Failed to qualify
The Sixth Wars Heat, Round 1
The Seventh Wars Heat, Round 1
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter

Trivia[]

Brutus Maximus S7

Official Series 7 photo

  • Both halves of the "Brutus Maximus" name have been used by other robots. Maximus was a competitor in the New Blood Championship, while Brutus is a Belgian robot that was not chosen to compete in Series 8 of Robot Wars.
  • In both of its appearances in the main competition, Brutus Maximus lost one of its bicycle wheels mid-battle and got counted out by Refbot.
  • Both of Brutus Maximus' battles featured Sgt. Bash as one of the House Robots.
  • Also, due to Heats A and E being swapped around in Series 7, Brutus Maximus also ended up competing in Heat A in both appearances, going up against the seed for the heat in its only battle.
  • Both of the seeds that Brutus Maximus faced fought each other in Series 4 and Extreme being meeting again in Series 8, fought and lost to Tornado, fought Firestorm, Chaos 2 and Diotoir and had or would become All-Stars champions.
  • Brutus Maximus was the first robot to be introduced in the main competition of the Sixth Wars and the first robot to be eliminated from that series.
    • It was also the only robot in Series 6 to be introduced only by its hometown (i.e. it was said to be 'from Bradford' and not 'from Bradford in West Yorkshire').
  • In Series 6, Brutus Maximus featured the phrase "XIV Legio" on its front, which referenced Legio XIV Gemina. Anglicised as "The Twinned Fourteenth Legion", this was a legion of the Imperial Roman army overseen by Julius Caesar in 57 BC.
    • Brutus Maximus sported a white rose on its underside during Series 7, referencing the White Rose of York. It also featured a Union Jack and the phrase "Where is Caesar the Gnome".

Navigation[]

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