- "The Dome has been a disaster, the aliens must've made a wrong turning but one phenomenon that's definitely not gonna disappoint in the Year 2000 is Robot Wars 4. Yes, folks, we know you've missed the mayhem. We know you've craved the carnage, and you Madam! Yes you! We know your life's been sad and empty without robots being ripped to shreds. Well the long wait is finally over because the Wars are back and we're bigger, we're badder, and we're downright more brutal than ever!"
- — Craig Charles' introduction
Heat A of Robot Wars: The Fourth Wars was the first of sixteen heats which determined the semi-finalists of Robot Wars: The Fourth Wars. The episode featuring Heat A was originally broadcast on September 22, 2000 on BBC Two. The broadcast managed to attract 4.05 million viewers, a decrease of 530,000 viewers when compared with the previous episode. According to BARB, this meant it ranked third in the top thirty highest rated BBC 2 broadcasts during 18-24 September, behind only Gardeners World and Top of the Pops 2.
Competing Robots
Edit
NewcomersEdit
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|---|---|---|
| Atomic | ||
| Weight | 80.0kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.45 x 1.00 x 0.90m | |
| Clearance | 0.02m | |
| Power | Electric motors | |
| Weapons | Flipper blade | |
| Notes | Total cost of robot £1000 | |
| From: Worcester | ||
| Team Members: Stephen Bebb, David Bebb & Paul Francis | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Attila the Drum | ||
| Weight | 74.4kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.50 x 1.30 x 0.90m | |
| Clearance | 0.02m | |
| Power | 24V motors | |
| Weapons | Mace and pickaxe | |
| Notes | Fully floating electronics | |
| From: Southampton | ||
| Team Members: Berny Ryder, Tony Knapp, Ayse Knapp | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indefatigable | ||
| Weight | 78.5kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.50 x 1.50 x 0.75m | |
| Clearance | 0.07m | |
| Power | Electric powered motors | |
| Weapons | 2 lifting spikes | |
| Notes | Aluminium body from old truck | |
| From: St. George's in Shropshire | ||
| Team Members: Brian Oliver, Richard Pitman & Daniel Lloyd | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Medusa 2000 | ||
| Weight | 75.4kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.30 x 0.90 x 0.60m | |
| Clearance | 0.05m | |
| Power | Electric powered motors | |
| Weapons | Rear rotating blade | |
| Notes | Fluorescent orange and brown | |
| From: Manchester | ||
| Team Members: Don Weir, Graham Baron & Michael Baron | ||
VeteransEdit
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chaos 2 (seeded 1st) | ||
| Weight | 79.4kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.38 x 0.90 x 0.71m | |
| Clearance | 0.01m | |
| Power | Electric powered motors | |
| Weapons | High powered gas flipper | |
| Notes | Cost £250 to make | |
| From: Ipswich | ||
| Team Members: George Francis, Ian Swann & Richard Swann | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| King B3 (seeded 17th) | ||
| Weight | 77.3kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.25 x 1.00 x 0.80m | |
| Clearance | 0.05m | |
| Power | Electric powered motors | |
| Weapons | Lifting, flipping spikes | |
| Notes | 99.9% Simon's own money | |
| From: Hornchurch | ||
| Team Members: Simon Harrison, Tony Sharp & Grant Hornsby | ||
EliminatorsEdit
Chaos 2 (1) vs Indefatigable vs AtomicEdit
Indefatigable is turned over
Atomic gets a face full of camera
Chaos 2 instantly charged at Atomic, with the yellow machine missing an attempted attack. Chaos 2 darted at the side of Atomic, missing with a flip, before reversing away and into Indefatigable as Atomic gave chase. Chaos 2 and Atomic remained close, with Indefatigable then getting involved by reversing into Atomic. Indefatigable moved away again, as Chaos 2 charged at Atomic again, flipping it onto its side.
- "In goes Chaos 2! And up goes Atomic, on its side!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Atomic righted itself as Chaos 2 hunted down Indefatigable and flipped it on its side. Chaos 2 lined up Atomic - who seemed to have broken down - and flipped it against the arena wall twice and then over.
- "Oh yes! I am the boss of the arena! Do not take me on! I am the champion! I'll have you later on in the series, and this is what I can do to you, don't ever, EVER forget it!"
- — Jonathan Pearce, thinking what George Francis would say
Chaos 2 throws Atomic over
Indefatigable is flipped out of the arena
Indefatigable, however, was unable to self-right and was being attacked by Sergeant Bash. Matilda closed in on Atomic, but it was clear which robot was to be eliminated. To seal the victory and end the battle, Chaos 2 flipped Indefatigable out of the arena.
- "Can't gain anything from this, George Francis, except sheer delight! Oh, out goes Indefatigable! Not in the arena anymore, Indefatigable, over and out!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Qualified: Chaos 2 and Atomic
King B3 (17) vs Attila the Drum vs Medusa 2000Edit
King B3 drives over Medusa.
King B3 slammed into Medusa 2000 and pushed it around as Attila the Drum began spinning. Medusa 2000 drove underneath King B3, but the smaller machine simply bounced over. King B3 spun and charged at both Attila the Drum and Medusa 2000, with Attila the Drum knocking King B3 off the latter.
King B3 slams the Drum into the side grinders
- "The tyres have caught on fire! Will it a be a tyre-funeral pyre for Attila?"
- — Jonathan Pearce
King B3 then rammed Attila the Drum, piercing its opponent with its spikes and ramming the axlebot into the arena wall. Sergeant Bash set Attila the Drum's furry wheels alight, but Attila the Drum was able to escape. Attila the Drum spun on the spot, but King B3 was able to stop the spinning with another charge. Time ran out, and the judges eliminated Attila the Drum, putting Medusa 2000 through with King B3.
Qualified: King B3 and Medusa 2000
Semi-FinalsEdit
Chaos 2 attempts to launch Medusa 2000 from the arena
Chaos 2 (1) vs Medusa 2000Edit
After a failed initial flip, Chaos 2 was able to toss Medusa 2000 over towards the arena wall. Chaos 2 attempted to replicate the charge and flip that had tossed Fire Storm out of the arena, but Medusa 2000 remained in the arena and bounced along the arena wall.
- "Medusa 2000 has a 5cm ground clearance, which may not seem like a lot to you or I... Oh! But in Robot Wars, it's a chasm! Chaos 2 already has Medusa 2000 on the back foot already, and very nearly out of the arena!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Medusa 2000 drove up onto Chaos 2's flipper and was turned onto its side, where it was pinned temporarily, but Chaos 2 nudged it back onto its wheels, wedge side up. Chaos 2 got underneath once more, thrusting Medusa 2000 over, and then tried to flip Medusa 2000 out of the arena for a second time. Once again, it managed to stay in, falling back down into Dead Metal's CPZ. Dead Metal nudged Medusa 2000 against the arena wall, as Chaos 2 came in on a charge, keeping Medusa 2000 in the CPZ.
Medusa's tyres are destroyed.
- "Medusa 2000 hopelessly outclassed at this level."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Medusa 2000 retreated, and backed into Sergeant Bash's CPZ, who crumpled one of Medusa's tyres. Shunt then joined in, axing Medusa 2000 a few times before Chaos 2 pushed it onto the floor flipper. Sergeant Bash crumpled Medusa 2000's tire, which fell off, and Sir Killalot picked Medusa 2000 up and pushed it into the pit.
- "I think it should be re-tyred, so to speak, from the arena, that is..."
- — Jonathan Pearce, as Sir Killalot picks up Medusa 2000
Winner: Chaos 2
King B3 (17) vs AtomicEdit
Atomic flips and pins King B3
King B3 started off dodging Atomic, before slamming into its flipper. Both robots pushed each other, with King B3 the more successful at pushing and able to avoid Atomic's flipper. Both robots edged into Dead Metal's CPZ, with King B3 then ramming Atomic from behind as the two evaded the House Robot.
- "Don't go in there; why would you?"
- — Jonathan Pearce as the two robots narrowly avoid Dead Metal
Atomic loses its flipper
King B3 pushed Atomic into the arena wall, driving over the front of its opponent. Atomic chased King B3 down and finally got a clean flip in. Atomic then clamped the flipping blade down onto King B3, using it to shovel King B3 into Sir Killalot. As King B3 attempted to escape, Atomic tried to keep the pressure on King B3 by pushing it back towards the CPZ. However, the attack missed and the flipper clipped the arena wall, snapping the flipper in half and leaving Atomic weaponless.
- "And off comes the flipping blade of Atomic! Slam, into the arena wall; buckled and bent and broke!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
King B3 is pitted by Sir Killalot
Atomic restrained King B3 against the wall, but the broken remnants of the flipper could not get purchase beneath its opponent. However, smoke began pouring from King B3 and it became evident that once again fire had proven to be King B3's undoing. The right drives gave out and Sir Killalot seized it, dropping the 17th seed into the Pit of Oblivion.
Winner: Atomic
FinalEdit
Chaos 2 (1) vs AtomicEdit
Chaos 2 dispatches Atomic
Chaos 2 rammed into Atomic from the activate, with Atomic firing but missing with its own flipper. Chaos 2 slipped underneath Atomic threw it onto its back. Chaos 2 gave Atomic no respite, tossing it over and over from its back to its wheels, which noticeably shook in the frame from the impacts. Chaos 2 threw Atomic against the arena wall, but was unable to repeat its success from against Indefatigable.
- "The top speed (of Atomic) is 15mph, the current speed is about minus 10..."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Sir Killalot crumples Atomic
It became evident, during a brief respite where Atomic landed on its wheels, that Atomic was not capable of moving. Chaos 2 flipped Atomic over Sir Killalot into his CPZ, and the House Robot sliced into the chassis with its claw.
- "Goodness me, look at that - just slicing through metal. It's grizzly to watch. Ooh, crumpling. I was going to say creasing, but it's sort of folding, destroying, buckling, absolutely wrecking..."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Sir Killalot damages Atomic
Sir Killalot dragged the beaten machine onto the floor flipper, which sent Atomic flying. Chaos 2 made some final flips, but the battle was won and Chaos 2 was through to the semi-finals.
- "Chaos 2, to me, seems stronger than ever stronger, speedier than ever before, and deadlier than ever before. What a machine."
- — Jonathan Pearce
The remains of Atomic.
Heat Winner: Chaos 2
- "Some strange things happen, behind closed doors, but nothing as wicked, as Robot Wars!"
- — Craig Charles' sign-off
TrialsEdit
101 scatters the barrels
Spawn of Scutter is defeated
Shunt almost immediately pushed Firestorm 2 off
During the Fourth Wars, alongside the main competition, a Pinball Warrior Tournament and Sumo Basho Competition were also held. Unlike the similar competitions of the Third Wars, these trials featured successful qualifiers for Series 4. In between the first and second rounds of each heat, a Pinball run took place, and two sumo attempts took place in between Round 2 and the Heat Final in each of the first eight heats. For Heat A, the Pinball featured 101 and the Sumo featured Spawn of Scutter and Firestorm 2.
Pinball Warrior Tournament - 101Edit
Score: 125 points
Sumo BashoEdit
- Spawn of Scutter - 8.03 seconds
- Firestorm - 4.21 seconds
Trivia Edit
- Heat A of Series 4 was the first time that two seeded machines were placed in a heat.
- Heat A was the only heat in the Fourth Wars where the two seeds were the only veterans in the heat.
- Heat A brought forward the restructured heats, with two three-way eliminators, rather than four one-on-one matches.
- Heat A featured the second Out of the Arena flip, by Chaos 2 against Indefatigable.
- Heat A also featured the first time that two robots fought another twice in one heat (Chaos 2 against Atomic).
- By virtue of 101's pinball run, this was the third time that King Buxton and Team 101 appeared in the same episode.
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