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"Now, take my mother: I love her, ‘cause she’s a full-on Scouser. In fact, she’s the only one ever to get nicked for shoplifting on Supermarket Sweep. But that doesn’t mean we don’t fight. And the same with my wife: a vicar didn’t marry us, we had to find a referee. But the point is: not all violence is about hatred. And, here on Robot Wars, all our competing robots are part of one big happy family. Exactly: it’s gonna be carnage!"
— Craig Charles' introduction

Heat G of Robot Wars: The Fourth Wars (also referred to in recaps as Heat 7) was the seventh of sixteen heats which determined the semi-finalists of Robot Wars: The Fourth Wars. The episode featuring Heat G was originally broadcast on 10 November 2000 on BBC Two. The broadcast managed to attract 3.38 million viewers, a decrease of 70,000 viewers when compared with the previous episode. According to BARB, this meant it ranked joint-eighteenth in the top thirty highest rated BBC 2 broadcasts during 6-12 November, along with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Competing Robots[]

Newcomers[]

Kronicthewedgehog-Series 4
Kronic the Wedgehog
Weight 78.2kg
Dimensions 0.50 x 1.00 x 0.80m
Clearance 0.01m
Power 2 x Electric motors
Weapons Pneumatic flipper and spike
Notes Contains bubble wrap in body
From: Seaton, Devon
Team Members: Dave Lang, John Lang & Mike Gardner
Warhog 4
War Hog
Weight 79.6kg
Dimensions 0.43 x 0.80 x 0.80m
Clearance 0.02m
Power Car motors
Weapons Spinning wheel at 500rpm
Notes Steel plate and aluminium body
From: Hull
Team Members: Colin Hare, Paul Stephenson & Mark Chalmers

Veterans[]

Gravedigger 2
Gravedigger (seeded 13th)
Weight 75.7kg
Dimensions 0.45 x 1.10 x 0.80m
Clearance 0.08m
Power 2 x 750W motors
Weapons Hydraulic ram operated arm
Notes Aluminium plated body
From: Norwich
Team Members: Jon Chaplin, Dave Chaplin & Owen Ramsey
Dreadnaught XP-1
Dreadnaut XP1 (seeded 29th)
Weight 77.6kg
Dimensions 0.45 x 1.15 x 0.90m
Clearance 0.01m
Power 2 x Wheelchair motors
Weapons Lifting forks
Notes Shell is fibreglass
From: Nuneaton, Warwickshire
Team Members: Ken Feltwell, Dave Vowles & Faye Vowles
Thermidor2
Thermidor 2
Weight 79.9kg
Dimensions 0.32 x 1.30 x 0.70m
Clearance 0.05m
Power Electric motor powered
Weapons Lobster claws and flipper
Notes Has two wheels from small car
From: Norwich
Team Members: David Harding, Ian Harvey & Eli Kirkpatrick
Darkedestroyer2
Darke Destroyer 2
Weight 77.3kg
Dimensions 0.60 x 1.25 x 0.80m
Clearance 0.04m
Power Golf caddy motor powered
Weapons Axes, bulldozer and spikes
Notes Steel, aluminium and wood body
From: Romsey, Hampshire
Team Members: Rob Darke, Chris Darke & George Murrell

Eliminators[]

"On today's card, Craig, old friends like the Darke Destroyer 2, the number 29 seeds Dreadnaut XP-1 in their fourth wars and newcomers Warhog but in the first battle, the number 13 seeds Gravedigger against veterans Thermidor 2 and the new boys Kronic the Wedgehog."
— Jonathan Pearce reviewing the "intrepid battlers" in the heat

Gravedigger (13) vs Kronic the Wedgehog vs Thermidor 2[]

Thermidor2 vs gravedigger vs kronic

Gravedigger slides under Thermidor 2

Gravedigger vs thermidor 2 vs kronic 1

Gravedigger tries to get underneath Kronic the Wedgehog, attacking Thermidor 2 in convoy

Before the fight, Gravedigger conceded that their flipper wasn't working. Thermidor 2 and Kronic the Wedgehog met in the centre of the arena and both fired their flippers simultaneously, with Kronic the Wedgehog gaining enough purchase to lift Thermidor 2 up by one of its claws.

"And at the moment, the Wedgehog on the attack on the lobster."
— Jonathan Pearce
Gravedigger vs kronic

Kronic mistimes a flip and is wedged by Gravedigger

Thermidorclaw2

Thermidor 2 is de-clawed

Gravedigger ran its wedge underneath Kronic the Wedgehog, but to no avail. Kronic the Wedgehog was then able to shove Thermidor 2 towards the arena wall near Shunt's CPZ. Thermidor 2 spun away and tried to flip Kronic the Wedgehog again, but its large claws got in the way. After a little bit of avoiding each other, Kronic the Wedgehog stopped on top of the pit of oblivion, which had dropped slightly.

"There's the descending pit - you don't want to stay there too long, Kronic."
— Jonathan Pearce
KronicLiftsGravedigger

Gravedigger is lifted onto the arena wall by Kronic the Wedgehog

Gravedigger flipped

Thermidor 2 provides Gravedigger with its last rites

A combined attack from Thermidor 2 and Gravedigger moved Kronic the Wedgehog off the pit which hadn't descended any further. The robots met in the centre of the arena again and Kronic the Wedghog was almost flipped onto its side by Thermidor 2 but survived. Kronic the Wedgehog then shoved Thermidor 2 into the arena wall again and buckled the right claw.

"Oh, one of the claws has gone!"
— Jonathan Pearce after Kronic's attack
Gravedigger4

Gravedigger is thrown by Sir Killalot

Following this, Kronic the Wedgehog lifted the front of Gravedigger onto the arena side wall before it was flipped over by Thermidor 2.

"And Gravedigger's on its side! Gravedigger, the seeded robot, in major, major trouble here!"
— Jonathan Pearce

Sir Killalot moved in and picked Gravedigger up, spinning it around and throwing it across the arena, where it landed on its wheels. Gravedigger then proceeded to race towards Thermidor 2 and Kronic the Wedgehog who were still battling next to Matilda. Cease was called and the seeded Gravedigger was eliminated.

Qualified: Kronic the Wedgehog & Thermidor 2

Dreadnaut XP1 (29) vs War Hog vs Darke Destroyer 2[]

Warhog vs dreadnaut vs darkedestroyer

Darke Destroyer 2 charges towards War Hog

Darkedestroyer2wagglers

Darke Destroyer 2 attacks Dreadnaut

War Hog spun its weapon up to speed as Darke Destroyer 2 slammed into Dreadnaut XP1. War Hog slowly moved towards Dreadnaut XP1 and hit it full on at the front. War Hog moved away as Darke Destroyer 2 pushed Dreadnaut XP1 around in circles. War Hog then moved in again and hit Dreadnaut XP1 for a second time, ripping bits of it shell away.

"Look at that! Shattering off the side of Dreadnaut XP1."
— Jonathan Pearce
Warhog1

War Hog is thrown through the air

Dreadnaut2

The damage to Dreadnaut XP1's front end and forks

Darke Destroyer 2 moved in towards War Hog and was thrown away by the sheer power of the spinner. War Hog was now sat idle, but was still spinning. Dreadnaut XP1 drove into War Hog, with the impact spinning Dreadnaut XP1 away and buckling its front claws, as well as throwing War Hog high into the air.

"Oh, crash! Like dodgems in a fairground, off Dreadnaut."
— Jonathan Pearce
Warhog sir killalot

An immobile War Hog attempts to ward off Sir Killalot

Warhog fire

War Hog catches fire

Darke Destroyer 2 then moved in to shove Dreadnaut XP1 while War Hog sat spinning, but still showing no signs of movement by the arena wall. The House Robots moved in, and after some attacks, Dead Metal caused a side panel to fall loose.

"Ahh, Dead Metal with the blade. Ooh, go on, a slice or two, carve him up!"
— Jonathan Pearce

Shunt then positioned War Hog on the floor flipper, but Darke Destroyer 2 pushed it off. As Shunt tried to push War Hog again, Sir Killalot picked up Dreadnaut XP1 and spun it around, causing it to lose its shell.

Warhog dead

Dead Metal drags War Hog over to the floor flipper

Dreadnaut4

Sir Killalot attacks Dreadnaut XP1

"What's Killalot doing, he's taken on Dreadnaut! Now that is bang out of order, Killalot! Dreadnaut was okay, still in the fight. The House Robot should not have taken him on, and they've deshelled the Dreadnaut!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Killalot attacks the victorious Dreadnaut

Darke Destroyer 2 poked Dreadnaut XP1 one last time before 'Cease' was called and War Hog was eliminated.

Qualified: Dreadnaut XP1 & Darke Destroyer 2

Semi-Finals[]

Kronic the Wedgehog vs Darke Destroyer 2[]

Darke destroyer vs kronic

Drake Destroyer 2 rams and attacks Kronic with its wagglers

Kronic overturns

Kronic the Wedgehog overturns Darke Destroyer 2

The two robots began the battle circling each other, with Darke Destroyer 2 barging into Kronic the Wedgehog head on. Kronic the Wedgehog responded by lifting Darke Destroyer 2 up, but not over. Darke Destroyer 2 then shoved Kronic the Wedgehog across the arena floor and began to use its 'waggling blades', but they were no use. Kronic the Wedgehog eventually spun away from Darke Destroyer 2 and was able to immediately place its flipper underneath Darke Destroyer 2, toppling it over.

"And there goes the flipping arm of Kronic the Wedgehog, and Darke Destroyer 2 is over, and possibly out."
— Jonathan Pearce
Darke destroyer vs house robots

Shunt decimates Darke Destroyer 2 as Dead Metal slices off the tyre

Sir Killalot pits Darke Destroyer 2

Darke Destroyer 2, pitted by Sir Killalot

It was unable to self-right, so the House Robots closed in for the kill, with Dead Metal and Shunt causing damage. Dead Metal put Darke Destroyer 2 on the flipper, which only flung it a short distance. Sir Killalot grabbed hold of the veteran of the previous series, almost snapping through its frame, and dropped it into the open pit.

"They're about to go. They lost in Series 3, to Gravedigger, in the heat. And they're gonna lose here today to Kronic the Wedgehog. Into the pit. Darke Destroyer 2 beaten."
— Jonathan Pearce

Winner: Kronic the Wedgehog

Dreadnaut XP1 (29) vs Thermidor 2[]

Thermidor close oota

Thermidor 2 throws Dreadnaut XP1 against the arena wall

MatildaDreadnaut

Matilda slices through Dreadnaut XP1

Thermidor 2 made its way forward and immediately gave Dreadnaut XP1 a little flip, flicking Dreadnaut XP1's front into the air. This was followed by a bigger flip, which sent Dreadnaut XP1 flying over onto its back.

"Like a beetle thrown on its back."
— Jonathan Pearce

The House Robots closed in. Matilda sliced through Dreadnaut XP1's fibreglass shell and one of its tyres with the chainsaw, and Dead Metal dragged it to the flipper, which chucked it a fair distance.

"Like a cannonball across the arena"
— Jonathan Pearce on Dreadnaut XP1 being flipped by the arena flipper
Thermidor vs dreadnaut flamepit

Dreadnaut is cooked on the flame pit by Sir Killalot

Dreadnaut pit s4

Dreadnaut is pitted by Dead Metal

Dreadnaut XP1 was now righted and tried to move away, but the House Robots continued to attack it, with Shunt firing its axe into the body and Sir Killalot snipping the front and carrying it to the flame pit. Sir Killalot then dislodged the body shell after further punishment from Shunt.

"How much work has gone into Dreadnaut, for naught? It's just being bent and buckled."
— Jonathan Pearce

Dead Metal finally pushed it into the pit, and the 29th Seed was eliminated.

Winner: Thermidor 2

Final[]

"And the heat final, Craig. Kronic the Wedgehog against Thermidor 2. Two surprise finalists in this heat. It's gonna be some old tussle out there now."
— Jonathan Pearce

Kronic the Wedgehog vs Thermidor 2[]

Kronic vs thermidor2

Thermidor 2 flips through Kronic's flipper

Kronic flips thermidor

Kronic gets a flip on Thermidor 2

Before the fight, the Thermidor 2 team were concerned that its flipper wouldn't work. Its claws had also broken, and it was being put back together just beforehand. Julia Reed's interview was cut short.

"Of course he knew what he was doing Jules. It's a screwdriver and a screw. It's a bit of metal. It's not brain surgery, Jules... women in the pits"
— Jonathan Pearce on Julia Reed's asking Eli Kirkpatrick if he knew what he was doing

Both robots started cautiously, ambling around each other, before Kronic the Wedgehog tried an attack with its flipper but missed. Kronic the Wedgehog fired its flipper again, with Thermidor 2 showing that their flipper was working as well by flicking Kronic the Wedgehog up.

"And the flipper of Thermidor 2 is working!"
— Jonathan Pearce
Kronic vs thermidor2 vs shunt

Kronic rams Thermidor 2 into the axe of Shunt

Kronic flipper

Kronic the Wedgehog loses its flipper

Kronic the Wedgehog then lifted Thermidor 2 up by one of its claws, before Thermidor 2 fired its weapon, which penetrated Kronic the Wedgehog's flipper, causing both robots to be momentarily locked together. Kronic the Wedgehog lifted Thermidor 2 again and pushed it into Shunt's CPZ. Thermidor 2 escaped and responded by charging at Kronic the Wedgehog, which caused its flipper to come off, which meant that Kronic the Wedgehog was now weaponless and exposed.

"So all they can do now, I think, is buffet the Thermidor towards a pit, towards an arena spike, towards one of the House Robots."
— Jonathan Pearce
Kronic vs house robots

Kronic loses mobility and is ganged up on by the House Robots

Kronic pitted

Kronic the Wedgehog is pitted

Kronic the Wedgehog managed to force Thermidor 2 around the arena for a short period, before Thermidor 2 came back onto the attack and flipped it up, but not over. Kronic the Wedgehog then seemed to lose power on one side.

"The Wedgehog was spinning but not moving, and I think they were immobilised, I think they lost control, they did, in come the House Robots!"
— Jonathan Pearce

The House Robots closed in, with Dead Metal slicing into its side and Shunt axing down. Dead Metal then left Kronic the Wedgehog precariously balanced over the pit, before Sir Killalot nudged the beaten robot down.

Heat Winner: Thermidor 2

"Beware competitors who've got glass jaws, we don't throw* our punches, on Robot Wars!"
— Craig Charles' sign-off

*Perhaps mistakenly, Craig Charles said "Throw our punches", as opposed to "Pull our punches" - meaning to hold back.

Trials[]

BiggerBrotherPinball

Bigger Brother scores 50 points

PanicAttackSumo

Panic Attack and Shunt fall off the ring

BehemothSumo

Shunt is beached on Behemoth's scoop

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 G, the Pinball featured Bigger Brother and the Sumo featured Panic Attack and Behemoth.

Pinball Warrior Tournament - Bigger Brother[]

Score: 180 points

Sumo Basho[]

  • Panic Attack - Victorious in 21.15 seconds
  • Behemoth - 60 seconds (survived)

Trivia[]

  • This heat was one of many poor appearances of seeds. Neither Gravedigger nor Dreadnaut XP-1 appeared to have functioning weapons, and both fell with little effort to Thermidor 2. Also, the three best performers from the previous series fell in the Eliminators and the Semi-Finals.
  • All four machines from this heat that returned for The Fifth Wars (Thermidor 2, Kronic 2, Warhog and Gravedigger) lost in the first round of that war.
  • This heat saw the potential for a grudge match between Gravedigger and Darke Destroyer 2, who fought each other in the heat final of Heat F of the Third Wars. However, both robots lost to Kronic the Wedgehog, prior to the heat final. It is believed by some that Darke Destroyer 2 specifically asked to be in Gravedigger's heat because of this, evidenced by its lack of seeding.
  • For unknown reasons, the opening titles recap did not feature any clips from Heat E.

Navigation[]

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