Mammoth

This article is about the Extreme 1-2 versions of Mammoth. For other uses, see Mammoth (disambiguation).

Mammoth
Participation Information
UK Series	Extreme 1-2
Team Information
Team	Team Mammoth
Team Members	Ian Burrell Stuart Burrell (Extreme 2)
From	Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Robot Statistics
Weight	38kg
Dimensions	0.80m x 0.80m x 0.93m
Power	2 x 400W electric motors
Weapons	Cutters & spikes
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"Good effort here by Ian Burrell to build a walker. Not easy, multi-weaponed... but let's be honest, would you bet your mortgage, your car, your pencil case on that?"

— Jonathan Pearce, introducing Mammoth in Extreme 1

Mammoth was a walkerbot from Southend-on-Sea in Essex which entered two Middleweight Championships across both series of Robot Wars Extreme, although by definition, both of these Mammoth machines were Lightweight robots. The team also entered a featherweight version of Mammoth in Series 7.

Mammoth entered the Middleweight Championship of Extreme Series 1 as there was no Lightweight Championship for it to enter, while its entry into the Middleweight Championship of Extreme Series 2 was an error on the team's part, as they had listed their robot as a middleweight without realising it was eligible for the lightweight competition.

Mammoth also made prior and future appearances in different weight classes under the same name. The 46kg Mammoth entered the Walker Battles of Series 3, while the featherweight Mammoth entered Series 7.

Versions of Mammoth

Mammoth (Extreme 1)

Mammoth in Extreme 1

In Extreme Series 1, Mammoth was wedge-shaped and armed with an axe and rear saws, but appeared unstable and its legs were poorly armoured. The legs consisted of two elongated strips of metal, somewhat like a shufflebot. The wedge shape was high off the ground, and a separate wedge was used to give the Mammoth the ability to get under other robots. Like most walkers, Mammoth was extremely slow.

Mammoth (Extreme 2)

Mammoth in Extreme 2

In Extreme Series 2, it adopted a barrel-like shape and had more potent weapons (a 500mm rear saw and 300mm front cylinder cutter), but again looked unstable. It used a curved design on top, and featured hands and eyes. Though appearing to be more maneuverable than previous iterations, Mammoth's issue of extremely low speed was hardly amended in this series, still maintaining a very low top speed.

Robot History

Extreme 1

Extreme 1 was the only time where Ian Burrell competed alone, but he made a large stick man to join him in the control pod, to compensate. The Middleweight Championship in the first series of Extreme, was, like the previous ones, a straightforward melee of all of the contestants. In the melee, Mammoth was placed up against Zap of the Beef-Cake team, former champion Hard Cheese, the Edinburgh Air Cadets' future champion Typhoon, Welsh participant Genesis and the first incarnation of Doom.

Mammoth and Doom sustain damage from Typhoon

As the battle began, Mammoth slowly trundled across the arena, struggling to make contact with its competitors. However, Typhoon soon advanced on Mammoth after battering Genesis, tearing off one of Mammoth's leg supports and hindering its mobility even further. As Mammoth labored to gain purchase on the arena floor, Typhoon then did more damage to Mammoth's shell, before Mammoth was then pushed across the Arena by Doom. Typhoon then eviscerated Doom's own armor, immobilizing it while continuing to batter Mammoth. Meanwhile, Zap and Hard Cheese had both slowly ground to a halt as a result of their own encounters with the Air Cadets machine. Genesis was eventually counted out by the Refbot, and was thrown by the arena floor flipper. Mammoth and Zap were then thrown by the Floor Flipper at the same time, and subsequently eliminated from the melee, without being counted out. Mammoth and Zap were quickly followed by both Hard Cheese and Doom, who were also thrown by the Flipper (without being counted out by the Refbot), with Doom then sustaining severe damage from Matilda. After a dominating performance which saw Typhoon immobilize just about every competitor, Typhoon were crowned the winners of the Middleweight Championship.

"The woolly mammoth has gone!"

— Jonathan Pearce, as Mammoth and Zap are flipped by the flipper

Extreme 2

Philippa Forrester: "We've always seen you as quite a comedy robot, really...we've never really taken you seriously"

Ian Burrell: "You're quite wise!"

— The pre-first round interview

In the Extreme Series 2 Middleweight Championship, Mammoth was drawn up against the middleweight version of 259, Doom Too once again and a new machine from the Edinburgh Air Cadets with Typhoon Twins in the heats.

Mammoth is flipped over by 259

Mammoth and Doom Two, positioned on the Floor Flipper

Almost as soon as the battle began, Mammoth was swiftly overturned after 259 attacked Mammoth side on with its flywheel. Mammoth then took damage from one half of the Typhoon Twins, Typhoon Thunder. Mammoth was subsequently counted out by the Refbot and put on the Arena Floor Flipper by Shunt. Doom Too, which itself had also been immobilized by 259, was then put on the Flipper just as it sprang into action sending both robots flying through the air. Shunt was also knocked sideways by the motion of the Floor Flipper. Mammoth was righted as it landed from the launch, much to the delight of the Burrells. However, Mammoth was quickly caught in the pincers of Dead Metal, with the robot fruitlessly attempting to shuffle its way away from the House Robot as it cut into its exterior. Meanwhile, Typhoon Lightning had already been pushed into the Pit by 259, and Doom Too had been pushed in as well by Shunt. Mammoth joined those two, as Dead Metal soon pushed it in as well. This fight was this iteration of Mammoth's final appearance on Robot Wars.

"(bursts of laughter) How quickly can you run? Not quickly enough!"

— Jonathan Pearce, as a righted Mammoth tries to flee from Dead Metal

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 0
• Losses: 2

NOTE: Team Mammoth also collected one draw in Series 3, and one further loss in Series 7, under different machines named Mammoth

Series Record

Mammoth's mascot during Extreme 1

Main Series	Mammoth Series Record
The First Wars	Did not enter
The Second Wars	Did not enter
The Third Wars	Walker Battles with Mammoth
The Fourth Wars	Did not enter
The Fifth Wars	Did not enter
The Sixth Wars	Did not enter
The Seventh Wars	Entered with Mammoth (Featherweight)
Series 8	Did not enter
Series 9	Did not enter
Series 10	Did not enter
Robot Wars Extreme	Appearances
Series 1	Middleweight Championship
Series 2	Middleweight Championship, Round 1

Outside Robot Wars

Mammoth in the Techno Games 2002 Lightweight Sprint

Mammoth's Cycling configuration, Techno Games 2002

Mammoth's Swimming configuration, Techno Games 2002

The Extreme 2 version of Mammoth was modified to also compete in Robot Wars' sister show Techno Games 2002. As well as participating in the Lightweight Sprint event as a walker, the robot featured two other configurations for different disciplines - one with a chain-driven bicycle wheel for Cycling, and another with polystyrene pontoons and 'flappers' for Swimming. Mammoth was noted as being the first competitor to attempt a 'triathlon' of those three events, though it failed to start its Cycling run and broke down early in its Swimming heat. However, the Lightweight Sprint variation achieved a surprise run of victories to reach the overall final, including one where future champion Bumble lost radio contact just before crossing the finish line. Mammoth ultimately took the Lightweight Sprint silver medal upon finishing runner-up to Scuttle.

Trivia

• Of the fourteen walkerbots in televised Robot Wars series, this version of Mammoth was the only one to be built for the lightweight category.
• Mammoth is one of the few robots to regain mobility following a complete 10 count by Refbot, being turned upright by the Floor Flipper long after it had been inverted.
• In 2015, Stuart Burrell of Team Mammoth was asked if the team ever planned to build a heavyweight robot.

"We did look into it but we could never get the weight class rules in our favour... we were always in the same weight group not one above (paper work issues)... the only time you see us on form was the Featherweight battle."

— Stuart Burrell on YouTube

• Mammoth is one of five robots to appear in both series of Extreme and not win a battle in either series. The others are Doom, Fluffy, Sumpthing and Velocirippa.