On Guard was a competitor robot which attempted to enter Series 5 of Robot Wars. Known to have fought a qualifier battle also involving Razer, Gravedigger, an early incarnation of Lightning and one other unknown machine, it did not qualify for the televised series.[1]
Design[]
On Guard was a tall wedge-shaped robot with a flat front end, large eyes and a brown paint scheme with flame patterns on the sides and rear. Its main weapon was a front lifter mounted in between the eyes.[1]
By the time of the Series 5 qualifiers, the robot was clad in mild steel armour, which contributed to it being 5kg overweight. To address this issue, its team captain intended to replace the mild steel with aluminium when interviewed by Craig Charles following its melee.[1]
Etymology[]
The robot's name is likely to be a play on the French phrase 'En garde', an exclamation used in fencing to warn participants to take a defensive stance in battle.
NOTE: The spelling "On Guard" was provided by an audience member who witnessed its qualifier battle live in person, meaning it has not been explicitly confirmed that the spelling is indeed "On Guard" rather than "En Garde".
Qualification[]
On Guard (left) in The Pits prior to the six-way battle
On Guard during the Series 5 qualifiers
For its attempted qualification into Series 5, On Guard took part in the London Arena stage of the 2001 Live Event tour. There, it fought a melee against Razer, Gravedigger, Lightning, Shunt and an as-yet unconfirmed sixth robot[2], engaging in battle against Gravedigger and Lightning at various moments.
On Guard (centre, background) fights Gravedigger and Lightning
One robot fell down the pit according to Lightning's Laurie Calvert, but it is not known who. However, it can be assumed this was not Lightning, Razer or Shunt as they are not mentioned by name.[3]
Though the outcome of the melee remains unknown, and the aforementioned weight issues were planned to be rectified, On Guard was not selected to compete in the televised show.
Series Record[]
| Series | On Guard 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 | Did not enter |
| The Seventh Wars | Did not enter |
| Series 8 | Did not enter |
| Series 9 | Did not enter |
| Series 10 | Did not enter |