 All battle/event/episode write-ups must be written in the past tense.
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- "The team that brought us Skarab last time around walk like Egyptians again! Rameses the Second, with an unusual high-density industrial polyethelene shell which could clog up chainsaws. And then there's always that spring-loaded arm, to bring the opposition a winter of discontent!"
- — Jonathan Pearce introduces Rameses II
Rameses II (pronounced Rameses the Second) was the Series 2 entry to Robot Wars from Team Isis. It progressed past the Gauntlet and the Trial, but was defeated by Mortis in the Arena semi-final.
Design[]
- "It's an improvement over the robot we had in the last wars in that we've gone from wheels to tracks, which means we'd have got no ground clearance problems anymore. We've also improved the hammer mechanism, which is very similar to the one that we had in the last war. We've also now got very thick plastic armour, which is very, very light, but very hard to cut if you're set up to cut steel, which is what the robots around here all seem to be set up to cut."
- — Chris Crosskey
Rameses II armed with Killertron's mace in Joust
Rameses II navigating the ramp
Rameses II was similar in design to its predecessor Skarab. It was a tracked box-shaped robot, which was designed to have a high ground clearance, so that it would not get stuck like its predecessor. Its ground clearance was listed as "N/A". It was armoured in high density industrial polyethylene, designed to stop chainsaws, and was among the few robots prior to the reboot to use HDPE armour. Its weapon was a spring-loaded hammer weapon, reused from its predecessor Skarab. The hammer could also have a mace attached to it, which was lent to the team by the Killertron team in Series 1. Also like its predecessor, it had a very low top speed of just 3mph, being powered by a 12VAh battery. The robot continued the Egyptian theme started with Skarab as it was named after the famous Egyptian pharaoh. The robot cost £1,500 to build.
- "All it's electronics were exposed at the back and it's weapon was the hammer mechanism off last year's Scarab. In one round it used a mace which got the camera on Matilda. It had tracks and so 0 ground clearance (go figure) and had a surprising amount of pushing force."
- — Oliver Steeples on Rameses II[1]
Etymology[]
Rameses II was named after the historical Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, 3rd ruler of the 19th Dynasty, also known for being portrayed as the villain in adaptations of the Biblical story of the Exodus, such as 1956's The Ten Commadments and the 1998 animated film The Prince of Egypt.
The Team[]
Rameses II was the second robot entered by Team Isis from Abingdon in Oxfordshire. The team captain was Chris Crosskey, and the robot was driven by Peter Kyberd. Jonathan Attias and Robin Cox, who had been in the Skarab team, did not return.
Chris Crosskey designed and built analogue synthesisers, and developed parts for computers[2].
Robot History[]
Series 2[]
Rameses II breaks through the bricks
In the Gauntlet, Rameses II took the centre route and slowly pushed through the bricks, almost overturning itself as it used the hammer to move them out of the way. It then went over the ramp into Matilda where its progress was halted, as the House Robot almost tipped it over. Rameses II landed its own blow on Matilda's chainsaw, and it had done enough to go through.
- "We were only about 4 foot short of the finish, but Matilda was in the way and you've just got to keep keep keep hitting the House Robots to get them out of your way, which she did, which was a shame for here as we smashed up her chainsaw again! We thought we'd lost the hammer rewind at one stage, but that was me having the master cut-out turned on! But beyond that, a succesful run!"
- — Peter Kyberd on Robot Wars Revealed
Rameses II is flipped by Matilda
The team fitted a mace (borrowed from Killertron as it had been on their predecessor Skarab) onto the hammer for the Joust Trial, and it was pushed back and turned onto its side by Matilda, but its hammer arm blocked the 'bridge' so that Matilda could not go any further.
In the Arena Semi-Final, Rameses II had an unlucky draw against the second seed, Mortis.
- Philippa Forrester: "I tell you what, have you seen that Mortis team over there? They're sitting around with their feet up!"
- Chris Crosskey: "Yeah, well we're quietly confident as well - quietly confident we're going home in a bucket!"
- Philippa Forrester: "Oh no, don't say that!"
- — Pre-battle interview, only shown in Robot Wars Revealed
Rameses II is raised by the floor spike
Sir Killalot holds Rameses II
Although the second seed launched a series of axe attacks, Rameses II's box shape prevented it from taking damage, as the tanto blade did not make contact with the top armour. Rameses II pushed Mortis back into a PPZ, where Shunt attacked. However, Rameses II's advantage was lost when an arena floor spike pushed it up and its grip on the arena floor was lost. Matilda cornered Rameses II in the PPZ and it was unable to escape, allowing Sir Killalot to come in and raise it from the ground. Rameses II was placed sideways on the flame pit, and cease was called, as it had no way of recovering. This eliminated Rameses II from the competition.
- Craig Charles: "It was a bit scary when Killalot picked you up and dangled you over the fire and barbecued you like a burger."
- Team Isis: "Well, we are flameproof, no worries about the fire."
- — The team defend Rameses II's durability
Results[]
| RAMESES II - RESULTS | ||
| Series 2 | ||
| The Second Wars - UK Championship Heat, Arena Semi-Final | ||
| Heat C, Gauntlet | 10.9m (3rd) | Qualified |
| Heat C, Trial (Joust) | 5.0m (4th) | Qualified |
| Heat C, Semi-Final | vs. Mortis (2) | Lost |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 1
NOTE: Rameses II's successful Gauntlet and Trial runs are not included
Series Record[]
| Series | Rameses II Series Record |
|---|---|
| The First Wars | Entered with Skarab |
| The Second Wars | Heat, Arena Semi-Final Super Heavyweight Championship with Rumble (Jonathan Attias) |
| The Third Wars | Not selected as Thutmoses III |
| The Fourth Wars | Did not enter |
| 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[]
Outside Robot Wars[]
Rameses II was in attendance for the Rover Model Show in Oxford alongside fellow Team Isis machine Rumble, as well as Killerhurtz and ORAC.
Rameses II in the pits during Series 3
Trivia[]
- Rameses II was possibly the first competitor in Robot Wars to use high-density polyethylene (HDPE) armour, many years before this became commonly accepted in robotic combat.
- Chris Crosskey intended to enter the following series with Thutmoses III,[3] but the team were not seen on the show again after Series 2. It is unclear whether Thutmoses III failed to qualify or whether it was completed, as Crosskey noted that the other team members were not available[4], but a modified version of Rameses II was spotted at the filming of Series 3 possibly as a reserve. Crosskey can also be seen in the background of some shots during Series 3, including watching the monitors in the background of Berserk 2's first-round post-fight interview.
- Rameses II is one of the first robot to appear in Series 2 - whilst it didn't appear until Heat C, its battle against Mortis was the first clip shown in the introduction for Heat A.