- "Imagine finding a rat this big in your house!"
- — Eric Corton (translated from Dutch)
Rat was a large competitor robot that fought in the first series of Dutch Robot Wars. It lost its first round battle to Bamm Bamm in its heat, then was eliminated in the Losers' Melee despite flipping The Lethal Swan over.
The team mascot was a toy rat, similar to 'Verminator' which sat on top of UK middleweight competitor Hard Cheese.
Design[]
Rat without whiskers
Official image of Rat
As its name suggested, Rat was a large silver robot shaped like the rodent, with two outside wheels at the rear and a 'head' with 'eyes', spiked 'ears' and decorative metal 'whiskers'. The upper body - made from steel - also doubled as a pneumatic flipper, which was claimed to have a lifting force of around 400kg (880lbs according to Mech+ subtitles) when operational. While powerful, Rat's weapon possessed an inherent weakness in that it left the robot's internals exposed when raised. Additionally, while aggressive and potent, the robot as a whole also suffered from poor turning and reliability problems, affecting its performance in its only series.
Qualification[]
Rat successfully applied for Dutch Series 1 through attending the Eindhoven rehearsals in June 2001. The robot was virtually complete, save for the absence of whiskers and a rear panel, and the addition of a temporary baseplate which was omitted from the finished incarnation. In this form, Rat undertook driving tests in the enclosed test area, a clip of which was aired in Robot Wars: The Kick-Off.
Robot History[]
Dutch Series 1[]
In Heat A, Rat's first round battle saw it fighting against Bamm Bamm.
Rat clamps and pushes Bamm Bamm across the arena
Bamm Bamm and Rat up in flames
It started by driving round in circles and raising its flipper, which it used to lift and clamp Bamm Bamm by its club. Rat pushed Bamm Bamm against an angle grinder, with both robots appearing to be stuck close to the Flame Pit. Refbot came in to separate both robots, but Rat pushed Bamm Bamm over the Flame Pit, setting its club on fire and shoving it towards the Pit release button as parts of the club dropped into Rat's exposed internals. Both robots continued burning as Refbot separated them, and Bamm Bamm hammered Rat with its now-exposed axe as Rat struggled to move. The battle went to a Judge's decision, which despite Rat's aggression ruled in favour of Bamm Bamm.
- "I love how this thing looks, I'd let these guys have a go at my car too!"
- — Eric Corton praises Rat in defeat (translated from Dutch)
In the Losers' Melee, Rat faced Lizzard and The Lethal Swan.
- "Looks like a zoo in here!"
- — Eric Corton (translated from Dutch)
Rat duels with Lizzard and The Lethal Swan
Rat and Lizzard team up to overturn The Lethal Swan
It teamed up with Lizzard to attack and push The Lethal Swan around, before the three machines drove around each other for some time. Eventually, Rat used its flipper to turn The Lethal Swan onto its side as Lizzard pushed it, also causing both of Lizzard's eyes to fall off. While the House Robots attacked The Lethal Swan and dragged it to the Floor Flipper, however, Rat suddenly broke down, and was speared by Sir Killalot's lance while Refbot counted it out. Sir Killalot carried Rat over the Flame Pit and attempted to drop it on the Floor Flipper, but 'cease' was called before Rat could be flipped. This eliminated Rat from the first Dutch series.
Results[]
| RAT - RESULTS | ||
| Series 1 | ||
| Dutch Championship Heat, Round 1 | ||
| Heat A, Round 1 | vs. Bamm Bamm | Lost |
| Heat A, Losers Melee | vs. Lizzard, The Lethal Swan | Lost |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 2
Series Record[]
| Dutch Series | Rat Series Record |
|---|---|
| Series 1 | Heat, Round 1 |
| Series 2 | Did not enter |
Trivia[]
- Rat was the only robot in Heat A of Dutch Series 1 whose team would not return for Series 2, and also the only robot in that heat that was never seen in any other series of Robot Wars.
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