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Ramming blades (also known as ploughs or battering rams) are a general term for static blade weapons which are used to ram, scoop or push opponents, but otherwise do not fall into any other category of weapon.

These weapons initially became a common staple in the original 1994-1997 US Robot Wars competitions, and were first pioneered by 1994 lightweight competitor Slow-Mo. Scoop-type variations found particular success during this era with competitors such as La Machine and Agamemnon in 1996, and Wedge of Doom in 1997.

Ramming blades also became commonplace in televised Robot Wars series as early as Series 1, where robots such as Bugs and Full Metal Anorak used blades to target tyres and pierce weak armour. Although two robots in the first two series - Bodyhammer and Napalm - achieved success with ramming blades, they quickly became obsolete and were used as secondary or tertiary weapons on other competitors such as Killerhurtz and The Steel Avenger.

Shunt utilised a rear plough in all of his iterations, and Sergeant Bash used a ramming blade before being upgraded with pincers. The Sentinel also operated as one giant moving blade, as the arm ended with various blades to pin or pierce competitors. Fellow House Robot Refbot was also equipped with static plough- and scoop-like blades to help him free other robots if they became locked together or stranded on the arena walls.

Definition[]

There is no single definition of ramming blade, as the weapon itself can take a number of different shapes and sizes. The basic concept of a ramming blade is to cause damage to opponents by driving directly into them. Skillful drivers use their weapons to aim at certain areas for damage, but in most cases, the ramming blade is simply an auxiliary weapon which is used for extra damage and pushing capabilities. Ramming blades are typically arrow-shaped blades mounted at the robot's front, however some can exist in the form of scoops, such as the weapon of Scutter's Revenge. These types of ramming blade focus more on lifting an opponent up to push and drag them around the arena or into specific hazards.

Advantages and Disadvantages[]

Advantages

Scutter's revenge vs zeus

Scutter's Revenge pushes Zeus into the pit

Mortis battering ram

Mortis in Series 1, with its axe converted into a ramming blade

  • Ramming blades could be used to good effect with exploiting exposed or vulnerable areas of other robots. The best example would be The Steel Avenger's attack on King B Powerworks during their Extreme 1 Mayhem, when the impact of The Steel Avenger's blade sheared King B Powerworks' wheel off, ultimately resulting in the former winning on a Judges' decision.
  • Ramming blades in the shape of scoops are very effective at pushing other robots, especially when combined with powerful drive systems. This was best shown during Scutter's Revenge's run in Series 3, as its scoop-like blade allowed it to push opponents around the arena and into hazards with ease.
  • A ramming blade often drastically lowers the robot's ground clearance, which prevents opponents from getting underneath them. For example, Robopig was unable to get underneath Napalm's plough during their Series 3 battle; instead, the former simply drove up the plough, resulting in Robopig getting stuck on its rear panel and subsequently losing the battle.
  • Many ramming blades - especially plough-shaped ones - are ideal for separating other robots. Refbot's bulldozer ploughs were specifically intended to separate two robots which became locked together in combat or to help free competitors which became stuck on the arena walls.
  • They can be incorporated into invertible designs, as proven by Eye of Newt, later versions of Scorpion and many others.
  • In the event of the robot's main weapon breaking or malfunctioning, a ramming blade can easily be substituted, using parts from the original weapon on a case-by-case basis. This notably happened to Mortis and Bodyhammer in Series 1, where their respective axe and hammer weapons were converted into ramming blades following various mechanical and reliability issues.

Disadvantages

Berserk 2 vs ally gator

Berserk 2 lifts Ally Gator, which was unable to self-right through being equipped with static ramming blades

  • As more advanced and powerful weapons became commonplace in robot combat, ramming blades or battering rams became very uncommon, as they gradually became less effective with each subsequent series of Robot Wars. Many robots with these weapons often failed to qualify or lost easily in later series, as they were either considered uninteresting by the producers or proved ineffective in battle.
  • Ramming blades, as with all static weapons, were prohibited from Series 7 onwards unless paired with an active weapon of any kind.
  • Many ramming blades often have a narrow attack range, which can easily be avoided by most opponents. This proved problematic for robots like Sergeant Bash, who after two series with a front ramming blade, adopted pincers for the remainder of his appearances on the show.
  • Robots equipped with a ramming blade as their primary weapon often lacked a self-righting mechanism; if they were not invertible, this could easily result in a knock-out loss. This was best shown in Ally Gator's Series 3 fight with Berserk 2, where Ally Gator's effective use of its front spikes was negated once the latter turned it over.

List of Robots with Ramming Blades[]

Robots are listed in alphabetical order.

DESKTOP MODE ONLY: Robots which are not heavyweight entries are listed with a green background. House Robots are listed with a gold background. Robots from the 1994-1997 US competitions are listed with a purple background.

Robot Series Appearances with Ramming Blades Notes Image
Agamemnon 1996 US Championship 1996 Middleweight Face-Off and Melee Champion. Front of the robot incorporated a wedge-like ramming scoop; both of its active weapons could be removed for it to function as a simple rammer.
Agamennon
All Torque Series 3 Interchangeable angled plough or scoop; the former was used in tandem with static claws.
All Torque 2
Ally Gator Series 3 Pair of front ramming spikes attached to the wedge; robot also featured serrated spike strips on top to catch opponents which drove over it.
Ally gator
Alpha Series 7 Antweight; final machine from Team MAD to compete in the Classic Series, before their return with Series 8 champion Apollo.
Alpha
Anty Geddon Extreme 2 Antweight.
AntyGeddon1
Bodyhammer Series 1 After the Cold Fusion Team encountered reliability problems with Bodyhammer's hammer, they converted it into a ramming spike for the Arena battles, in a similar manner to the modifications carried out to Mortis earlier on in Series 1. Reached the Series 1 Grand Final in this configuration.
Bodyhammer s1 spike final
Boy Howdy 1995 US Championship
Boy howdy
Bugs Series 1 Featherweight. First televised UK robot to enter with a ramming blade as its primary weapon.
Bugs
Cerberus Series 3-4 Cerberus' hard circular saw was removed for safety reasons in Series 3, leaving it with its claws and tail as its only weapon. In Series 4, similarly, its head was removed for weight, leaving it with the tail and claws, in addition to a ramming half-crusher.
Cerberus
Crippler Series 3 Fitted with a front scoop and rear ramp panel in addition to an axe.
Crippler
Dantomkia Series 6-8, Extreme 2 The Series 4 version of Dantomkia (Dantomkia 1.0) had no moving weapons and failed to qualify, but it did fight in many live competitions. The version that did qualify retained the spike wedges but had a flipper as its main weaponry.
Dantomkia no background
Delldog Series 6 In the UK vs Germany, Delldog's weapon broke. Delldog was forced to use only its dead full body spinner as a ramming blade. It still managed to defeat Dynamite in this way.
Delldog
Demon Duck Series 2 Super Heavyweight Finalist.
Demon Duck
Eye of Newt Series 3 Pinball Competition only.
Eye of Newt hi qual
Full Metal Anorak Series 1 Middleweight. Blade designed specifically for targeting and slicing the bottom of tyres.
Full Metal Anorak
Havoc Series 2 Interchangeable with a flipping/lifting arm and mace. Used once during Havoc's Sumo run.
HavocS2Sumo
Hercules 1997 US Championship An optional static 'hammer' could be attached to the back of the lifting arm, functioning as a battering ram. Devised and used purely in an attempt to counter Blendo.[1][2]
Hercvsblendo

Hercules battles Blendo with its static 'hammer' and alternative lifter lip

Killerhurtz Series 2-4 Pioneered the combination of ramming blade and axe, later used by the likes of The Steel Avenger.
Killerhurtz
La Machine 1996-1997 US Championships,
1995 UK Open
Scoop blade of heavyweight incarnations was formed out of a set of angled panels, integrated into the front of an enlarged aluminium shell. Paired with a pneumatic ram for 1997. 1996 Heavyweight Melee Champion; Heavyweight Face-Off runner-up in 1996 and 1997.[3][4][5]
Lamachine97
Lorena 1996 US Championship Featherweight. Designed to share the same base chassis and internals as Yo Mama!; shell incorporated a large gap between the scoop-type blade and the main chassis.[6]
Lorena
Mad Dog (US) 1996 US Championship Featherweight. Scoop blade was integrated into the robot's symmetrical wedge shape.[7]
Mad dog us96
Mortis Series 1 Only used during Mortis' Heat Final against Recyclopse, after its axe mechanism broke before the battle. The blade essentially consisted of Mortis' axe head attached to the front, and technically made it the first competitor to use this type of weapon.
Mortis battering ram
Napalm Series 2-3, 5, Extreme 1 A large plough made out of titanium (Series 2-3, 5) or reinforced steel (Extreme 1, original version); the original version also featured twin spikes on top of the plough. Series 2 Semi-Finalist.
Napalm S2 Crop
Nemesis (1996) 1996 US Championship Narrow triangular wedge at the front. 1996 Heavyweight Melee Finalist.[8]
Nemesis1996
Onslaught Series 2 Stainless steel front scoop with a wedge-like profile, initially a static weapon in Onslaught's debut series. Weapon was upgraded into a lifting scoop for Series 3 onward.
Onslaught S2 Crop
Plunderbird Series 2-5, Extreme 1 Full-width front blades used to breach opponents' ground clearances; often combined with a variety of active weapons including a piercing claw in later incarnations. Series 2 Semi-Finalist as Plunderbird 2.
Plunderbird 2 Technical Manual
Punjar 1996-1997 US Championships Originally had a shorter front wedge to compliment an overhead flail spinner, with which it reached the 1996 Heavyweight Face-Off Quarter-Finals and Heavyweight Melee Final.[9] An enlarged 'curved ramp' panel was attached to the front for 1997, becoming the robot's primary weapon.[10]
Originalpunjar
Punjar RWUSA97
Rampage Series 2
Rampage
Red 2 1996-1997 US Championships 1996 Featherweight Face-Off runner-up. Small side blades and hooks providing extra defence for its wedge-shaped chassis.[11][12]
Red 2
Refbot Series 4-7,
Extreme 1-2,
US Seasons 1-2, Nickelodeon,
Dutch Series 1-2,
German Series
Front bulldozer plough and twin rear scoops used primarily to separate competitor robots if they became locked together.
Refbot Before Series 4
Rhino (1997) 1997 US Championship Spiked 'ramming points' at each end of the robot's diamond-shaped chassis, designed with the intention of piercing or inflicting shock damage. The front 'point' also incorporated the nozzle for its unusual Halon extinguisher weapon.[13][14]
Rhino1997
RoboDoc Series 2 Spiked blade which could also be used as a lifter.
Robo Doc Crop
Rosie the Riveter US Season 1-2, Nickelodeon Used front and rear ramming blades in Season 1, before using ramming blades only at the rear of Rosie the Riveter 2 in later appearances to make way for a front wedge and saw.
Rosie the Riveter 1
S.P.S. #1 1995 US Championship Lightweight, armed with a single serrated ramming fork.
Sps1
Sabotage 1997 US Championship Featherweight. A static double-ended blade was attached horizontally to the front, used in tandem with a small overhead spinning blade.[15]
Sabotage
Schumey Series 2-3 Known as Schumey Too in the Third Wars.
Schumey Too

Schumey Too

Scorpion Series 6-7, Extreme 1 Used ramming blades alongside a lifter in Extreme 1, then used front-mounted ramming blades on a wedge in Series 6-7 while the primary disc weapon was housed at the rear in all three cases.
Scorpion 2
Scutter's Revenge Series 3 Series 3 Semi-Finalist. Relied on its pushing power, along with the scoop-shaped blade, to win battles.
Scutter's Revenge Crop
Sergeant Bash Series 1-2 Later replaced with a set of front pincers.
Sergeant bash in series 1
Short Circuit Series 6 Rear weapon complimenting the front cutting blade.
Short Circuit
Shunt Series 1-10,
Extreme 1-2,
US Seasons 1-2, Nickelodeon,
Dutch Series 1-2,
German Series
Bulldozing plough, used alongside a pneumatic axe and ramming, later lifting scoop.
Shunt
Slomo 1994-1997 US Championships Pioneer of ramming blades as the original 1994 lightweight incarnation Slow-Mo. Slow-Mow's blade consisted of a front "cowcatcher" made from 1/8-inch hardened steel; team member Marc Bloch also described the attachment as a 'flipping wedge'.[16] Later featherweight/super lightweight incarnations utilised a front scoop blade, including 1996 Featherweight Melee finalist Slomo 3.
Slow-Mo1

Slow-Mo (1994)

Slomo 3

Slomo 3 (1996)

Sonic Series 3 Second robot defeated by Chaos 2.
Sonic
Speed Bump 1996 US Championship 1996 Lightweight Melee Champion. Very shallow ramming wedges at either end.[17]
Speed bump
Spikasaurus Series 4 Featured a 'bull bar' and a curved scoop, both of which were intended to be interchangeable with the robot's ramming spears. Only the 'bull bar' would be seen in combat, fitted to the rear and used in tandem with one set of spears.
Spikasaurus arena
Spiked Master II 1996 US Championship Featherweight weighing only 5lbs. A spatula-like scoop blade was added to the front, complimenting the robot's original set of spikes.[18]
Spiked master
Steel Sandwich Extreme 2 Originally equipped with a static front wedge and ramming spikes; the spikes were removed for Series 7. Extreme 2 Middleweight Championship Finalist with both weapons.
Steel Sandwich
T 2 Series 3 Controversially eliminated after its ramming blades failed to cause enough damage to offset The Darke Destroyer's more aggressive spinner.
T2 arena
The Landshark 1997 US Championship Front 'vertical blade' and rear tail.[19]
Thelandshark
The Sentinel Series 2 Spiked ramming blades on a 'club', itself mounted on a modified Hanix[20] excavator arm.
SentinelSemiA
The Steel Avenger Series 3-5, 7, Extreme 1-2 Large pointed arrow-shaped plough, built into the front of the robot. Succeeded in tearing off an opponent's wheel. Series 4 and Series 7 Heat Finalist; Extreme 1 Tag Team Terror co-runner up alongside Suicidal Tendencies. Won the 'Best Engineered' award in Series 4.
Steelavenger ex1 official image-removebg
TKO 1997 US Championship Featherweight. Steel 'ramming points' attached to the robot's wedge-shaped surfaces.[21]
Tko
Wedge of Doom 1997 US Championship The second iteration featured a taller and more compact shell with a steeper scoop blade, made out of aluminium, galvanised steel and Lexan.[22][23][24] 1997 Featherweight Face-Off and Melee Champion in this form.
Wedgeofdoom 97
X7 1997 US Championship Lightweight clusterbot entered by Robot Action League. The invertible segment X4 was armed with a front 'pushing bar' and rear spiked blade to disrupt and 'corral' opponents into X3's lifting arm.[25][26] 1997 Lightweight Face-Off Semi-Finalist.
X7
Yo Mama! 1996 US Championship Featherweight, utilising the same base chassis and internals as Lorena.[27]
Yomama

Trivia[]

References[]

  1. 'Hercules 1997 - Battle 3', RobotCombat.com
  2. 'Hercules 1 - Robot Design & Build page', RobotCombat.com
  3. 'LA MACHINE', Team Spike website (archived)
  4. 'Robot Wars 1997 Interview: Greg Munsen with La Machine', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded 25 April 2021
  5. 'LA MACHINE' [1997], Team Spike website (archived)
  6. 'LORENA', Team Spike website (archived)
  7. 'MAD DOG', Team Spike website (archived)
  8. 'NEMESIS', Team Spike website (archived)
  9. 'PUNGAR', Team Spike website (archived)
  10. 'PUNJAR', Team Spike website (archived)
  11. 'RED 2' [1996], Team Spike website (archived)
  12. 'RED 2' [1997], Team Spike website (archived)
  13. 'Team Rhino: about our robot', Team Rhino website (archived)
  14. 'RHINO', Team Spike website (archived)
  15. 'SABOTAGE', Team Spike website (archived)
  16. 'Robot Wars '94: The Story of Slow-Mo', Marc Bloch, reproduced on the Klaas Langhout website (archived)
  17. 'SPEED BUMP', Team Spike website (archived)
  18. 'THE SPIKED MASTER', Team Spike website (archived)
  19. 'THE LANDSHARK', Team Spike website (archived)
  20. Robot Wars Revealed, Episode 8, 05:06
  21. 'TKO', Team Spike website (archived)
  22. 'The 1997 Wedge of Doom's Design', Wedge of Doom/Nolex website (archived)
  23. 'March Status', Wedge of Doom/Nolex website (archived)
  24. 'July-August Status', Wedge of Doom/Nolex website (archived)
  25. 'Robot Wars 1997 Interview: Mike Winter and team with The X7 and Doughboy', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 1 2021
  26. 'X7', Team Spike website (archived)
  27. 'YO MAMA', Team Spike website (archived)

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