- "It's got a big lifter on the front, hopefully get them over the fence, and we've got a disc on the back to break them if they don't go over the fence!"
- — Gordon Townley describes Reptirron the Second in Series 7
Reptirron was the name of a series of robots that competed in Series 4, 6, and 7 of Robot Wars. Reptirron lost in Round 1 of Series 4 to eventual runner-up Pussycat before returning to Series 6 as Reptirron the Second, falling in the first round again to another future finalist in Terrorhurtz. Reptirron the Second performed better in Series 7, reaching the second round before being flipped out of the arena by the second seed Firestorm 5.
Team Reptirron would prove to be much more successful in the Featherweight division, notably with Argh! winning the championship in Extreme 2.
Versions of Reptirron[]
Reptirron (Series 4)[]
- "It has an aluminium chassis, and a circular saw running off a chainsaw engine, which runs at up to 9,500rpm. Inside, we have two powerful 12w motors, which drive the front wheels."
- — Gordon Townley introduces Reptirron in Series 4
The original Reptirron
Reptirron in the arena
The original Reptirron was a four-wheeled robot with an aluminium chassis and a zero turning circle, clad in bronze "biscuit-tin" armour. Its weapon was a 9,500rpm cutting disc mounted on an arm, which ran off a chainsaw engine, the intention being to lower the cutting disc into other robots. The ground clearance was adjustable from 5mm to 2cm and the robot could drive up to 15mph on its two Bosch 750w electric motors rated at 12 watts. Although designed to run on four wheels, only Reptirron's front wheels were motor-powered; their size left it with a higher ground clearance at the front than the back. A major weakness lay in the front-mounted chainsaw engine, the internals for which were partially exposed. The latter aspect left Reptirron especially vulnerable against other cutting weapons, alongside the multitude of flame hazards within the arena.
- "A circular saw weapon, a zero turning circle, handy weight, ground clearance is variable from just 5mm to a vulnerable 2cm. Top speed, 15mph."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Reptirron the Second (Series 6-7)[]
- "Double trouble here from two good weapons."
- — Jonathan Pearce, introducing Reptirron the Second in Series 6
Reptirron the Second's official photo from Series 6
Reptirron the Second in the arena in Series 7
The robot was rebuilt for Series 6, and named Reptirron the Second. Its main weapons were a CO2-powered high-pressure lifter and a 4,000rpm vertical cutting disc at the back, giving it protection on both ends. It originally had the same bronze "biscuit-tin" aluminium armour of its predecessor, but also had four-wheel drive for a more controlled top speed of 10mph. The armour was replaced by clear polycarbonate and steel for Series 7. It was described as an aluminium "monocoque", meaning it had one full sheet of armour instead of sections bolted on, making it more resistant to damage. Reptirron the Second's pneumatically powered lifter was capable of effectively throwing other robots over, though it lacked the strength to allow the machine to self-right.
- "Four-wheel drive, aluminium shell, the disc's electric, the scoop's CO2, very resilient."
- — Jonathan Pearce in Series 6
The rear cutting disc of Reptirron the Second was made by Alan Gribble[1].
The Team[]
- Main article: Team Reptirron
Team Reptirron in Series 4
Gordon Townley and Thomas with Reptirron the Second
Reptirron was entered into all three of its series by Team Reptirron, alternatively known as the Kinforesters. The team was captained by driver and builder Gordon Townley, who was accompanied by his brother Stuart Townley in Series 4, Peter Seabourne off-screen in Series 6, and by Cheryl Townley in Series 6 and off-screen in 7. Uncredited young team member Thomas also had a speaking role in Series 7. Team Reptirron also won the Featherweight Championship in the second series of Extreme with Argh!. Despite this they did not compete in the Featherweight Championship of Series 7.
Qualification[]
The original Reptirron machine attended the auditions for Series 3, however it was not selected for the main competition, and did not appear in any side events filmed concurrently. Instead, Reptirron qualified for the Fourth Wars under currently unknown circumstances.
Reptirron the Second construction began immediately after Series 4 and whilst it was mostly complete by the time of Series 5, the team opted to not compete in the series as it still needed work and refinements[2]. It would instead qualify for the Sixth Wars one year later.
Reptirron the Second attended the qualifiers for the Seventh Wars, where it was drawn in a battle against Dutch champions PulverizeR, along with Robochicken and Direct Action. The ultimate winner of the battle is unknown, however, only Reptirron the Second and Robochicken qualified for the main competition.
Robot History[]
Series 4[]
- "The Reptirron team, from Gloucester, are working very hard. Looks like they're pretty busy there, it's their first Wars so I think we'll leave them to it, but they've got a nasty-looking circular saw in there which is making my skin crawl!"
- — Julia Reed
Competing in Heat B, Reptirron was drawn against returning competitors Milly-Ann Bug and nineteenth seed Pussycat.
Reptirron is slashed by Pussycat
Reptirron bursts into flames
At the start of the battle, Reptirron showed no signs of its 15mph top speeds, and was immediately charged by a head-on attack from Pussycat before it could even move. Barely twitching back and forth, Reptirron was motionless enough for Pussycat to choose its next angle of attack, a frontal slash which cut into the fuel line of Reptirron's cutting disc, causing fuel to drip all over the arena. Reptirron continued to show minimal pace as Pussycat rolled it backwards towards the CPZ of Sgt. Bash while also denting Reptirron's side armour. With a shot of Sgt. Bash's flamethrower, the fuel of Reptirron's weapon instantly caught fire, and an immobile Reptirron was left to burn in place.
- "It's all over for Reptirron and there are the flames!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Reptirron is unsuccessfully extinguished by Refbot
Reptirron is grabbed by the claw of Sgt. Bash
Reptirron, flipped and burning in defeat
Refbot closed in to douse the burning Reptirron, with Milly-Ann Bug also pushing it towards the arena wall. Refbot could not fully extinguish the flames of Reptirron, which had ended up in the CPZ where Sgt. Bash cut into the back of the machine with its pincer. Dragging it across the arena like this, Sgt. Bash placed Reptirron on the floor flipper, where it was thrown over. Inverted and still burning away, 'cease' was called to bring an end to Reptirron's Robot Wars campaign, where Refbot could finally extinguish the eliminated machine.
- Gordon Townley: "Lucky hit on the fuel tank and that was it, went up in flames!"
- Julia Reed: "Argh, cos you had your eye on the Pussycat's nice soft tyres, I remember?"
- Gordon Townley: "Yes, yes, we didn't get that far, unfortunately!"
- — Post-battle interview with Julia Reed
Series 6[]
- Philippa Forrester: "Now, Reptirron the Second, you have two weapons, don't you?"
- Gordon Townley: "Yes."
- Philippa Forrester: "Not just one, so greedy! Why so greedy at the expense of all that weight?"
- Gordon Townley: "Umm, well... last time I got hit in the opposite end of what the weapon was, so I put a powerful weapon both ends!"
- Philippa Forrester: "I like the logic, it seems to work!"
- — Interview before the first round with Philippa Forrester
After missing out on Series 5, Reptirron the Second made its first appearance in the Sixth Wars, competing in Heat I where it faced the heavyweight version of A-Kill, Sabretooth and the highly experienced Terrorhurtz.
- "Could be a dark horse."
- — Not all of Jonathan Pearce's predictions were correct
Reptirron the Second struggles to avoid the attacking A-Kill
Reptirron the Second is dragged onto the flame pit by Terrorhurtz
Much like in its Series 4 campaign, Reptirron the Second was hardly mobile from the beginning of the fight, struggling with radio reception issues. It barely edged forwards from its starting position, coasting from the floor flipper in a straight line towards the pit, largely being ignored whilst Terrorhurtz attacked A-Kill and then Sabretooth. After A-Kill turned its disc into the back and side of Reptirron the Second, it showed brief signs of mobility after being moved by Refbot, but it soon lost reception again. As a result, Reptirron the Second could avoid Terrorhurtz no longer, with one axe blow damaging its front armour, and the second embedding Terrorhurtz's axe into Reptirron the Second to drag it backwards onto the flame pit.
- "Reptirron the Second - bronze looking, but about to be blackened by the flames."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Reptirron the Second is burned
Terrorhurtz keeps its axe stuck on Reptirron the Second
Reptirron the Second is counted out
Reptirron the Second could only spin its rear blade at thin air, with its drive and lifter serving no form of defence. Whilst Sabretooth was being counted out, Shunt would back into Reptirron the Second to free it from the flame pit and Terrorhurtz's axe, but Reptirron the Second could only reverse sharply into the centre of the arena before losing motion again. Terrorhurtz would simply ignore it in favour of attacking A-Kill and the beaten Sabretooth, but Reptirron the Second would eventually move over to its final resting place at the same arena wall near the flame pit, where Refbot would close in to count it out, confirming its elimination from the Sixth Wars.
- "Reptirron the Second have been very disappointing. Was it the flame pit that burnt out the electrics, did they have a radio signals problem, I don't know. But that's the end of Reptirron the Second, gone in the heats again."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Reptirron the Second is counted out by Refbot
Series 7[]
- Jayne Middlemiss: "Tactics?"
- Gordon Townley: "Erm... Yes."
- Jayne Middlemiss: "...You've got some, good, what are they?"
- Gordon Townley: "Go after the spinner first, I think, that's going to be the most dangerous one, so get that out the way then start on the others."
- — Team Reptirron intend to target Zorro in the first round
Reptirron the Second returned in Series 7, facing veteran Aggrobot, Team Roaming Robots new robot Ripper and Team Ming's new robot Zorro in the final first-round melee of the series.
Reptirron the Second pressures Aggrobot after flipping it over
Reptirron the Second is lifted up by Aggrobot
Reptirron the Second started well, showing much more mobility in this series, although the team went back on their plans to target Zorro, leaving this knockout in the capable hands of Ripper whilst Reptirron the Second focused on Aggrobot, flipping it over while charging it across the arena. Collaboration with Ripper would prove to be key, with the larger flipper repeatedly attacking Aggrobot whilst Zorro was being counted out, Reptirron the Second itself driving aimlessly around the flame pit. Returning to the action, Reptirron the Second flipped Aggrobot over again, while being cautious not to harm Ripper, conscious of the fact a flip from Ripper could KO Reptirron the Second in one attack. With a frontal attack, Reptirron the Second attempted to flip Aggrobot again but instead rode straight up its wedge where it became stuck and was lifted up, gradually working its way free until it could corral Aggrobot back into Ripper's direction. With Ripper's own flipper disabled, Reptirron the Second still focussed on Aggrobot, driving around the arena to charge it and later flipping it over beside the flame pit. Although Aggrobot was able to complete a late lift on Ripper at the end of the battle, the three surviving machines went to a Judges' decision.
- "If it goes to a judges' decision, that may count against Ripper, although I think they've done enough anyway to go through. It's between Reptirron and Aggrobot for me, the second place."
- — Jonathan Pearce
With Ripper comfortably through, the Judges also opted to put Reptirron the Second through to the second round at Aggrobot's expense, where Reptirron the Second would meet the second seed and Commonwealth Carnage champion, Firestorm 5.
- "They have a job to flip people out of the arena because their flipper works the opposite way to what most people's do. So if we can get them in the right place I know we can get them out."
- — Gordon Townley's ironic comments about Firestorm 5 before the second round
Reptirron the Second is quickly thrown over by Firestorm 5
Reptirron the Second is axed by Shunt
The second round opened poorly for Reptirron the Second, immediately sliding up the front wedge of Firestorm 5, in the process exposing its side to the seeded machine. From this position, Firestorm 5 slid back under Reptirron the Second and shifted it around the arena before flipping it over. Reptirron the Second would attempt to self-right, but its lifter lacked the necessary force to throw the robot back over, instead offering House Robot Shunt the chance to axe the underside of its lifter. After a second attempt to self-right, Firestorm 5 pushed it further into the corner, expending gas while Shunt exited the CPZ to make space for the seeded machine.
- "A worried look on the face of Gordon Townley, the engineer by trade, because Reptirron the Second is in deadly peril here in the CPZ."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Reptirron the Second is forced deep into the CPZ
Firestorm 5 flips Reptirron the Second out of the arena
After a few more flips into the wall, Reptirron the Second was left stranded on its side with its lifter yawning open, though Firestorm 5 continued to attack until Reptirron the Second laid on its back once again. The attempts from Reptirron the Second to self-right were only becoming weaker, until eventually the weapon system broke entirely, venting large amounts of CO2 while being unable to retract the lifter while pinned on the arena side wall. From here, Firestorm 5 lifted Reptirron the Second over the wall, ending its final Robot Wars campaign out of the arena.
- "I was worried going into that one, cos it's a good robot, good flipper on it."
- — Graham Bone of Firestorm 5 compliments Reptirron the Second after defeating it
Results[]
| REPTIRRON - RESULTS | ||
| Series 4 | ||
| The Fourth Wars - UK Championship Heat, Round 1 | ||
| Heat B, Eliminator | vs. Milly-Ann Bug, Pussycat (19) | Eliminated |
| REPTIRRON THE SECOND - RESULTS | ||
| Series 6 | ||
| The Sixth Wars - UK Championship Heat, Round 1 | ||
| Heat I, Round 1 | vs. A-Kill, Sabretooth, Terrorhurtz | Eliminated |
| Series 7 | ||
| The Seventh Wars - UK Championship Heat, Round 2 | ||
| Heat P, Round 1 | vs. Aggrobot, Ripper, Zorro | Qualified |
| Heat P, Round 2 | vs. Firestorm 5 (2) | Lost |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 1
- Losses: 3
Series Record[]
Reptirron in the arena during Series 4
| Main Series | Reptirron Series Record |
|---|---|
| The First Wars | Did not enter |
| The Second Wars | Did not enter |
| The Third Wars | Failed to qualifyCitation? |
| The Fourth Wars | Heat, Round 1 |
| The Fifth Wars | Did not enter |
| The Sixth Wars | Heat, Round 1 (Reptirron the Second) |
| The Seventh Wars | Heat, Round 2 (Reptirron the Second) |
| Series 8 | Did not enter |
| Series 9 | Did not enter |
| Series 10 | Did not enter |
| Robot Wars Extreme | Appearances |
| Series 1 | Did not enter |
| Series 2 | Entered with Argh! |
Outside Robot Wars[]
Reptirron the Second made its first public appearance at a Heritage meet in Gloucester around the time of the Fifth Wars. The robot was unfinished at the time, though this was a non-competitive event and Reptirron the Second was noted as being impressive for its time[3].
Stiff Breeze, 2006 Featherweight Champion
Following the end of Robot Wars, Reptirron the Second continued to make the odd appearance on the live event circuit and fought in a few battles during the Roaming Robots Winter Tour 2004. Shortly after, it was retired from combat due to chassis fatigue.
For more information on Team Reptirron's featherweight combat career, including 2006 UK champion Stiff Breeze, see here.
Trivia[]
Official Series 7 photo
- In all three of its appearances, Reptirron lost to Grand Finalists. In Series 4 and 6, both robots that immobilised Reptirron went on to reach the Grand Final, while in Series 7, Reptirron the Second was eliminated by the second seed, a returning Grand Finalist.
- Reptirron is an anagram of Terrorpin, though the robots are unrelated.
- In Reptirron's Series 4 appearance, Stuart McDonald mispronounced its name as "Rep-tie-ron". Stefan Frank did the same as well.
References[]
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