Max Damage

Max Damage
Participation Information
UK Series	3
Team Information
Team	The Cunningham Clan
Team Members	Darren Cunningham Daniel Cunningham Charlotte Cunningham
From	London
Robot Statistics
Weight	77.2kg
Dimensions	0.76m x 1.35m x 0.84m
Clearance	4cm
Power	2x wheelchair motors
Weapons	Chainsaw & 2x rear saws
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"In Max Damage, we're "Warring With Dinosaurs"!"

— Jonathan Pearce introduces Max Damage, making a pun on the TV series Walking with Dinosaurs

Max Damage was a robot that competed exclusively in Series 3 of Robot Wars. In its only battle in the main competition, it lost to Agent Orange as it failed to move and was therefore immediately immobilised. This was due to the team not having inserted its removable link, and therefore isolating the battery circuit, before the battle.

Design

Max Damage in the arena

Max Damage was a green box-shaped robot with a head like that of a Triceratops. It was armed with a chainsaw positioned just underneath the dinosaur's head, with two counter-rotating circular saw blades at the back. It was armoured in 6mm thick fibreglass, used car radiator coolers, and was powered by two wheelchair motors. The robot took one hundred days to build and contained many parts salvaged from Dockland scrapyards.

Qualification

Max Damage successfully qualified for The Third Wars after going through the auditions, its innovative design was perhaps also a factor for its qualification.

Max Damage is known to have made a qualification attempt for The Fourth Wars, attending the 30 July 2000 session of Robot Mayhem. It was originally scheduled to fight The Steel Avenger during the 1pm show but was replaced by Rotraktor, with John Willoughby citing possible technical issues. Further information on Max Damage's Robot Mayhem appearance is unavailable, and the robot ultimately did not qualify for The Fourth Wars.

Robot History

Series 3

"The first robot ever built by the Cunningham family. Car radiator coolers and wheelchair motors used. The body shell's 6mm thick fiberglass. It took a hundred days to build, but what sort of damage can it inflict?"

— Jonathan Pearce

Max Damage sits still as Agent Orange makes its way across the arena floor

Agent Orange attacks the lifeless Max Damage

Max Damage was drawn against Agent Orange, the successor to Spin Doctor in its first and only battle. It failed to start due to its removable link not being inserted before the battle. Having not moved at all, it was axed a few times by Agent Orange, who then proceeded to gradually push it towards the Pit, at first having some trouble due to its rounded bodywork sliding off its claw.

"It's Agent Orange doing all the pushing and shunting. You're going towards the Pit, Max Damage. Max Damage?! Are you sure, a name like that? Minimum fuss, you're out. That's the most pathetic display we've seen on Robot Wars! Shambolic!"

— Jonathan Pearce on Max Damage's poor performance

Max Damage is pitted by Agent Orange

Dead Metal slices into the pitted Max Damage

Eventually, within a minute of the battle starting, Agent Orange was able to push Max Damage head-first into the Pit, eliminating it from the competition. Also, once Max Damage was in the pit, Dead Metal closed in and attacked it, cutting into its bodywork from the edge of the Pit.

"In comes Dead Metal to give them a little reminder that they were here. After all, they'll be home before the postcards. Let's be honest. A battle scar perhaps. A hundred days and nights it took them to build, Max Damage. Time wasted. Well I hope they've had some fun being here. They've been fun competitors. Oh. It looks as if they... At least they can see something funny about it all."

— Jonathan Pearce

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 0
• Losses: 1

Series Record

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

Gallery

The Cunningham Clan and their robot

The rear of Max Damage

Max Damage without its shell

Trivia

• Although Daniel Cunningham was present in the team's introduction, he was not present in the control pod.
• Max Damage was one of the few robots to lose in the first round of Series 3 without ever leaving its starting area, alongside Vector and Plunderstorm. This also occurred to Panzer in a Heat Final.
• In 2016, when BBC news reported the return of Robot Wars, Max Damage was included amongst pictures of classic competitors.
• In 2016, Australian news outlet "news.com.au" (owned by NewsCorp Australia) profiled the return of Robot Wars. Along with several UK champions, Max Damage (along with the Series 3 versions of Aggrobot and Diotoir) was singled out as one of Robot Wars' memorable and colourful designs.