The Grand Final of Robot Wars: The First Wars was the final six robot melee battle which decided the Grand Champion of Robot Wars: The First Wars. The Grand Final was broadcast at the end of the episode featuring Heat F of the First Wars, on March 27, 1998 on BBC Two.
- The Grand Final of Series 1 was the only one to feature a featherweight machine and a middleweight machine.
- Of the six competitors, four of them would make Grand Finals in future - Roadblock, Team Cassius, Team Chaos and Team Cold Fusion.
- The Grand Final was one of only two UK battles to whittle down from six competitors to only two - the other being the Middleweight Melee of Extreme 1.
- This battle was the only one in history not to feature any House Robots.
- Of the six competitors, only two featured a moving weapon (Recyclopse and Roadblock, with Bodyhammer still using its spike rather than the hammer). Neither used their respective weapons once during the battle.
- This was the final appearance of T.R.A.C.I.E., and marked the retirement of Recyclopse, Robot the Bruce and Cunning Plan, who were replaced in Series 2.
Competing robots
- Roadblock - Winner of Heat A
- Recyclopse - Winner of Heat B
- Robot The Bruce - Winner of Heat C
- Cunning Plan - Winner of Heat D
- Bodyhammer - Winner of Heat E
- T.R.A.C.I.E. - Winner of Heat F
Grand Final
Roadblock vs Recyclopse vs Robot The Bruce vs Cunning Plan vs Bodyhammer vs T.R.A.C.I.E.
- "Now, this is it. This is what the whole series has been leading up to. An orgy - a six-way orgy - of death and destruction."
- — Jeremy Clarkson
All six robots leaped off the mark, entering into a swirling maelstrom of metal and engineering. T.R.A.C.I.E. speared Recyclopse, and Roadblock joined the attack, slipping its wedge beneath Recyclopse. Meanwhile, Bodyhammer slammed into the minuscule Cunning Plan and shunted it around. T.R.A.C.I.E. and Recyclopse drove off to one side, away from Roadblock, but it was unclear who was dragging or pushing who. Recyclopse managed to pull away after it and T.R.A.C.I.E. slammed into an arena wall. The six robots all converged into T.R.A.C.I.E.'s starting position, but no one landed a successful attack on another. During the fray, however, T.R.A.C.I.E. attacked Roadblock and drove up and onto Cunning Plan. This effectively immobilised both robots, as T.R.A.C.I.E.'s wheels were suspended off the ground, and Cunning Plan was pinned in place by T.R.A.C.I.E.'s weight.
- "And T.R.A.C.I.E.'s up, on Cunning Plan! And both of them are out, immobilised!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Now, with four remaining, Roadblock targeted Recyclopse, whilst Robot the Bruce and Bodyhammer bashed into each other. The three other robots all got beneath Recyclopse's ground clearance, but it came to rest on Roadblock's wedge. Bodyhammer and Robot the Bruce slammed together, but Roadblock was being the main offender, pushing Recyclopse around, despite its attempts to escape.
- "Rex Garrod needs to get his tongue back in in every sense of the word!"
- — Jonathan Pearce as Recyclopse fires its tongue desperately
All of a sudden, it became clear that Recyclopse's drive chain had fallen off, and it was now immobile. Roadblock scooped Bodyhammer aside, and ran at Robot the Bruce, achieving immediately what Cruella and Wedgehog had failed to do - tipped the box on its side. This left only two robots left, and Roadblock charged at Bodyhammer, who scuttled away. Roadblock wedged beneath it and pushed it around, before cease was called.
- "It's over, it goes to the judges! And the arena on its feet, a standing ovation!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Roadblock was announced as the First Wars Grand Champion, on a judges decision, the first of five Grand Finals to be settled that way.
First Wars Grand Champion: Roadblock
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