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"It's a basic wedge-shaped robot, you can get under things, you can flip them up, with a bit of luck you can flip them out, which we hope to be able to do, get them out of the arena, as everybody with a flipper wants to get someone out of the arena, don't they?"
— Team captain David McClachlan on his machine

Leveller 2 was a competitor robot that exclusively fought in Series 7 of Robot Wars. Despite sustaining significant damage in its first round melee, it survived and reached the second round, where it lost to the then reigning champion Tornado after driving into the pit.

Design[]

"Electrically driven, wedge-shaped, with the front CO2 flipper, steel tube frame, alloy and polycarb. Fast, manoeuvrable, strong, but inexperienced."
— Jonathan Pearce sums up Leveller 2
Leveller 2

Leveller 2 enters the arena

Leveller 2 was a yellow wedge-shaped robot with a steel tube frame and armoured in alloy and polycarbonate. It was armed with a rear-hinged pneumatic flipper painted red, which also served as the robot's self-righting mechanism. Leveller 2 was fairly quick and manoeuvrable, although panels of its armour were prone to falling off, as proven against all three of its opponents.

Robot History[]

Series 7[]

"The arena's a great leveller - it'll flatten anything!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Leveller 2 enters the arena

In Leveller 2's first battle, it was drawn against Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit, Tetanus Booster and Thunderpants. However, Thunderpants was unable to even make it into the arena due to its drive belts coming loose as a result of damage sustained in its qualification battle. This left three machines remaining to compete for the two places available in Round 2.

Barber-ous vs leveler 2

Leveller 2 is thrown by Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit

Leveller 2 and Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit were the first two robots to engage, with neither robot striking a clean blow. However, Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit continued to probe and flipped Leveller 2 onto its back as it connected with a broadside hit - damaging Leveller 2's armour in the process. Leveller 2 self-righted comfortably, but Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit followed up with a rear attack which flung Leveller 2 over again. Leveller 2 righted itself for a second time, but as with its first recovery, it came under immediate pressure, as a big hit from Tetanus Booster knocked the back panel of Leveller 2 loose. Leveller 2 then managed to move away into space, while Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit had curiously come to a stop. Leveller 2 nudged Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit for a short period until it was interrupted by another attack from Tetanus Booster.

Tetanus Booster vs Leveller 2

In victory, Leveller 2 is thrown over by Tetanus Booster

"Leveller 2 sustaining real damage here. The alloy and polycarb not up to it."
— Jonathan Pearce

As Refbot began to count out Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit, Tetanus Booster attacked the rear of Leveller 2 again, damaging the loose back panel even more, before a subsequent blow threw Leveller 2 over and completely removed its back panel. Leveller 2 turned itself back over yet again, and with Mr. Psycho finishing off Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit, Leveller 2's route into the next round was confirmed.

In the second round, Leveller 2 was drawn up against the Series 6, European and International champion Tornado, which qualified from its first round battle with Ewe 2 after the pair disposed of Sawpoint 2 and Devastator.

Leveller 2 vs Tornado

Leveller 2 flips Tornado

Leveller 2 started the battle by mistiming its first flip, but it did manage to turn Tornado over at the second time of asking. Tornado drove at the rear of Leveller 2 and pushed it back towards the arena wall, before coming in with another drive - slamming Leveller 2 into the CPZ. Leveller 2 failed to move away as Sir Killalot and Shunt closed in, before it flipped Tornado wedge-side up as the number 1 seed attempted to keep Leveller 2 in the CPZ. Tornado continued to force Leveller 2 in towards Sir Killalot, before deciding to charge it across the arena floor and into the arena wall, followed by multiple rams in quick succession.

Tornado vs Leveller 2

Leveller 2 is pushed around by Tornado

Afterwards, Tornado came in with a long drive into the far CPZ, with Leveller 2 escaping after a small clash with Shunt. Tornado then activated the pit release button before continuing its pressure on Leveller 2, as it brought Sir Killalot into play again by crashing Leveller 2 into the CPZ.

"The pit is descending, and their hopes now, are just beginning to drain away. They've been mercilessly, mercilessly pursued by Tornado."
— Jonathan Pearce

Sir Killalot then lifted Leveller 2 up by one of its side handles and held it over the flame pit, before Leveller 2 crashed back down onto the arena floor. Leveller 2 tried to reply, but the reigning champion forced Leveller 2 into the troubled zones again, where Sir Killalot pressed it against the arena wall. Leveller 2 responded by trying to flip Sir Killalot, managing to knock off one set of Sir Killalot's LED eyes, before Shunt and Tornado treated Leveller 2 to multiple axe blows and rams.

Leveler 2 vs tornado

Leveller 2 drives down the pit

"This has been so plucky. Really very, very determined display by David McClachlan, driving."
— Jonathan Pearce on Leveller 2

Leveller 2 was then moved towards the pit of oblivion by Tornado, and after the two competing machines skirted on the lip of the pit, Leveller 2 drove down into the pit of oblivion, signalling the end of its Seventh Wars campaign.

Results[]

LEVELLER 2 - RESULTS
Series 7
The Seventh Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 2
Heat E, Round 1 vs. Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit, Tetanus Booster, Thunderpants Qualified
NOTE: Thunderpants broke down in the entry gate and never made it into the arena, leaving the other three robots to fight alone.
Heat E, Round 2 vs. Tornado (1) Lost

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 1
  • Losses: 1

Series Record[]

Series Leveller 2 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 Did not enter
The Sixth Wars Did not enter
The Seventh Wars Heat, Round 2
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter

NOTE: Although Leveller 2's team did not attempt to enter Series 8, Team Ballistix applied with a rebuilt version of Leveller 2 using the name Terror-Bull.

Gallery[]

Outside Robot Wars[]

Highland Fling

Highland Fling, one of the team's first robots

Before building the first Leveller, David McLachlan built a robot called Highland Fling, a blue wedge shaped robot with a black flipper, which competed in just the Bass Brewery and the second event organised by John Findlay.

M2 vs

A former version of Leveller 2, battling M2 at a live event

Prior to its appearance on Robot Wars, Leveller 2 had been competing on the live circuit, with varying degrees of success. It continued to be upgraded before filming of the Seventh Wars.

Since Robot Wars, Leveller 2 has been rebuilt several times, and has competed in several live events, particularly Roaming Robots events including the Fighting Robots UK Championships 2006 where it fell in the group stages despite beating TX-108, but in the Tag Team Championships at the same event, finished as runners-up to Merlin and Velocirippa when paired with Alien Destructor.

Leveler2mk4

Leveller 2 Mk 4, before 2013

In 2013, Leveller 2, now named Leveller 2 Mk 4.5 Evo and owned by Team Ballistix, was rebuilt to compete competitively again. When Robot Wars made its televised return in 2016, Team Ballistix redesigned the robot to become Terror-Bull, which applied for Series 8 without being selected to compete.

David McLachlan also built a featherweight that resembles Leveller 2 to replace its heavyweight counterpart. It has been sold to Ceri Jenkins.

Leveller 2 Mk 4.5 would make a surprise return in June 2023 at Extreme Robots Guildford, where it fought Weird mAlice in a head-to-head battle.[1] It would also appear at RoboRiots in Dublin, Ireland, on 7-8 October, and Robots Live! Stoke-on-Trent on 28 October. The latter saw Leveller 2 Mk4.5 being eliminated in the first round of the main competition, after getting tossed around, damaged and pitted by Series 10 champion Eruption.[2]

Robot Wars Live Events[]

Leveller 2 mk4

Leveller 2 Mk 4.5 Evo

Under the ownership of Team Ballistix, the now renamed Leveller 2 Mk4.5 Evo made its debut in the Robot Wars Live Events in the last event of 2013 in Gloucester. It fought in a 3-way melee with Beast and Rattler. After Rattler was thrown out the arena, Leveller 2 Mk4.5 Evo appeared to be gaining the upper hand on Beast flipping it over a few times, but Beast finished the stronger before throwing Leveller 2 Mk4.5 Evo out the arena.

In 2014, it made one appearance at Gloucester where it fought in a "Retro battle" along with other Robot Wars veterans in The Steel Avenger, Stinger, Schumey Too and Bulldog Breed. It started off strongly managing to flip The Steel Avenger and Schumey Too a few times but it broke down near the side of the arena and lost.

Leveller 2 Mk4 then appeared at the first Robot Wars Live Event of 2016 at Manchester. It fought in a 4-way melee against Ceros, Rattler and Kill-E-Crank-E. It managed to flip Ceros and Rattler a few times and recovered from their attacks, and despite showing signs of mobility problems, it survived until the end of the fight.

Trivia[]

Leveller 2 S7

Official Series 7 photo

  • Leveller 2's statistics board incorrectly spelt the robot's name as Leveler 2.
  • Leveller 2's team was one of five in UK Robot Wars to feature two people with the same name, the others being Team BEAST, Overkill, Red Dragon and Team 13.

References[]

Navigation[]

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