Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat A

"The peace has been shattered, diplomacy failed. The robots are back - it's all out war and the battle lines have been drawn. So prime your weapons and evict the faint-hearted, as we put the scrap back into metal!"

— Jonathan Pearce

The Second Wars - Heat A was one of twelve heats which determined the Semi-Finalists of Robot Wars: The Second Wars.

The two new faces of Robot Wars

• Craig Charles appeared as host for the first time.
• Heat A featured the first appearance of Sir Killalot. Piece De Resistance was the main victim of Sir Killalot, as it was hoisted over the wall in the Gauntlet by the huge House Robot, and later was carried around by the House Robot after failing in the Trial.
• This heat saw the debut of the full body spinner in Caliban. However, it was unable to use it, and was not seen in combat either.
• Heat A contained only one veteran robot - Napalm - who went on to win the heat.
• The battle between Napalm and Panda Monium is ranked equal 16th in the Shortest Battles in UK Robot Wars.
• The heat final between Napalm and Demolition Demon was the first judges decision that was unpopular with the audience.
• Caliban's run in the Gauntlet was the worst recorded in Robot Wars.

Competing Robots

Newcomers

Caliban
From Sutton in Surrey

• Team Members: Eric Hodgins, Daniel Bushnell, Martin Beckett
• Weight: 54.4kg
• Dimensions: 70 x 70 x 40cm
• Ground Clearance: 20mm
• Power: 2 x 12v batteries
• Weapons: Multiple spinning weapons

Demolition Demon
From the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester

• Team Members: Peter Harrison, Theo Maliger and Adrian South
• Weight: 67.9kg
• Dimensions: 150 x 88 x 35cm
• Ground Clearance: 5mm
• Power: 3 x 12v batteries
• Weapons: Circular saw and spike

Panda Monium
From Burgess Hill in West Sussex

• Team Members: Pete Collier, Chris Loader
• Weight: 84.1kg
• Dimensions: 155 x 70 x 40cm
• Ground Clearance: 40mm
• Power: 2 x Sinclair C5 motors
• Weapons: Lifting spike and fixed spikes

Piece De Resistance
From Ossett in Yorkshire

• Team Members: Colin Scott, Bryan Newcombe and Julie Scott
• Weight: 57.0kg
• Dimensions: 125 x 75 x 65cm
• Ground Clearance: 12mm
• Power: 2 x 12v batteries
• Weapons: Front lifting shovel/spikes

Victor
From East Molesey in Surrey

• Team Members: Gareth Goddard, Ken Goddard and Guy Pickett
• Weight: 85.1kg
• Dimensions: 150 x 55 x 50cm
• Ground Clearance: 5mm
• Power: 2 x 12V batteries
• Weapons: 21" Lawnmower blade and interchangeable flail

Veterans

Napalm, Winner of Heat A

Napalm
From Dartford Girls Grammar School

• Team Members: David Crosby, Claire Greenaway and Rebecca Glenn
• Weight: 84.1kg
• Dimensions: 200 x 100 x 125cm
• Ground Clearance: 5mm
• Power: 2 x 12V batteries
• Weapons: Rear mandibles and chainsaw

Gauntlet

Configuration

• Left route: Sir Killalot and two pits.
• Centre route: Brick wall, ramp and Sergeant Bash
• Right route: Ramrig, flame pit and Matilda

Competitor runs

Demolition Demon darts past Matilda

Sir Killalot harasses Napalm. Note the red object in the corner is the chainsaw dislodging

Killalot lifts Piece de Resistance over the bricks

1. Demolition Demon - Completed - Demolition Demon was quite slow to start and went for the house robot route. It hit Sir Killalot, then backed away and managed to move around the house robot's side. Demolition Demon then charged into Matilda and was blocked.

"That's a horrible sight, isn't it?"

— Jonathan Pearce - Matilda's rear end takes up most of the camera

Demolition Demon shouldered Matilda to the side and drove straight past Sergeant Bash into the end zone.

2. Victor - Completed - Victor went straight for the middle, and pushed straight through the bricks, its V-shape allowing it to break through. Victor's large wheels helped to get over most of the bricks, but it got caught and stranded on the middle of the pile. Sir Killalot came in to attack it, but actually pushed it off the brick and onto the ramp. Victor quickly drove across the ramp and straight through to the end zone.

3. Panda Monium - Completed - Panda Monium went for the ramrig route, but quickly got stuck in the circular saws. The ramrig moved back and it managed to drive further down the course, only to be caught again by the ramrig. After it was released it drove quickly around the flame pit and, not giving any house robots a chance to catch it, reached the endzone.

"And they're through with the power of Thor's hammer!"

— Jonathan Pearce and an unusual reference

4. Napalm - 7.5m - Napalm charged straight down the middle route, and demolished the wall, but got stuck on top of the bricks. Sir Killalot arrived, and Napalm continued to try and get over the ramp. Sir Killalot lifted it up, and broke the chainsaw off in the process. Napalm was then pushed by the house robot forwards onto the tank tracks, moving it much further down the course before cease was called.

5. Piece De Resistance - 3.8m

Philippa Forrester: "You've got toy tricycle wheels. Will you be able to get over the bricks on your toy tricycle wheels?"

Colin Scott: "Yes, because I've got the shovel to lift the bricks out of the way."

— Wishful thinking

Piece De Resistance went straight for the middle route, but was too slow and weak to knock down any of the bricks. It tried again, and managed to damage the wall, but Sir Killalot and Matilda came up behind it, and Sir Killalot grabbed the robot. It let Piece De Resistance go, but Matilda pulled it away with her tusks. Sir Killalot then came back and used his claw and pincer to pick the robot up and drop it over the side of the brick wall as cease was called.

Sir Killerlot are coming to push Caliban

6. Caliban - 0.2m - Caliban chose to take on Sir Killalot's route, but had steering problems early on. It drove straight into a pyramid, and couldn't get the robot to go in the right direction. Sir Killalot closed in, while Caliban spun their flail and knocked off a checkpoint from the wall. Killalot pushed it back towards the wall and tipped them over, before pushing them right to the wall. Although this wasn't made apparent on the program, Caliban's flail cut Sir Killalot's hydraulics on his arm. This was not only the worst run of the show but the worst run in the entire history of The Gauntlet.

"Wham, bam, thank-you Caliban."

— Jonathan Pearce

Eliminated: Caliban

Trial (Skittles)

Napalm breaks the lines

Victor slices through a barrel

Sir Killalot plucks Piece De Resistance from the floor

1. Demolition Demon - 20 Barrels - Demolition Demon charged straight into the barrels, and knocked several down before repeating this several times at different points on the triangle. It managed to knock over the largest amount of barrels, but in retaliation the house robots attacked Demolition Demon until well after cease had been called. 20 Barrels was enough to put them first on the leaderboard.

"Demolition Demon, certainly ruffling the feathers of the House Robots! And they seem to have gone berserk! They're angry! They want revenge!"

— Jonathan Pearce

=2. Napalm - 9 Barrels - Napalm charged straight down the side of the triangle clipping and knocking over some barrels. It then moved back and charged into the middle of the triangle. Napalm didn't have the power to push in very far, but because it was inside the triangle, Matilda and Sergeant Bash were unable to attack. Cease was called, and Napalm had managed to knock nine barrels down.

David Crosby: "Whilst we're in that triangle, the House Robots can't touch us."

Jonathan Pearce: "You wanna bet?"

— A clip of Dartford Girls Grammar's interview, followed by footage of Bash closing in on Napalm

=2. Panda Monium - 9 Barrels - Panda Monium charged straight into the middle of the triangle. Its speed meant it knocked down several barrels, but it didn't have the power to go further into the triangle. Panda Monium moved back, and charged into the barrels again. On the third attempt it was attacked by Matilda, and her chainsaw managed to cut straight through the armour on the robot. Matilda pushed it away from the barrels, but then cease was called.

4. Victor - 4 Barrels - Victor went straight down the middle of the triangle, but didn't have enough power to push through many of the barrels. It managed to knock another barrel down, but couldn't move. The house robots couldn't attack because Victor was inside the triangle, and remained there until the clock ran out.

"They don't seem to have enough movement now to get away. Cutting through the barrells like cheese, but no more tumbling to the ground. Only four barrels from Victor."

— Jonathan Pearce

5. Piece De Resistance - 0 Barrels

"Turbo-charged? Oh yeah? Let's see what power behind Piece De Resistance, with that snowplough raised...here we go...no power, that's snow joke."

— Jonathan Pearce

Piece De Resistance moved straight towards the barrels at the front but it didn't have the power to knock any of them over. It was attacked by the house robots and flipped by Matilda as the time ran out. When the team were being interviewed afterwards, Sir Killalot was holding Piece De Resistance over the flame pit.

"It was a bit like Finland in the Eurovision song contest!"

— Craig Charles

Eliminated: Piece De Resistance

Arena

Semi-Finals

Napalm vs. Panda Monium

Matilda flicks Panda Monium over

The two robots charged at each other, missed, then Panda Mounium turned around to attack again. Both robots drew apart, and Panda Monium started to spin around. Napalm slowly turned towards its opponent, and Panda Monium charged at Napalm again. The lifting spike glanced off the front armour of Napalm and Panda Monium drove into the PPZ. It tried to back away, but Matilda immobilised it by flipping it over.

"Thats dangerous driving, because Matilda's tusks are in the PPZ! And its all over! That was Panda Monium!"

— Jonathan Pearce

Winner: Napalm

Victor vs. Demolition Demon

Bash and Killalot close in on both robots

Victor had changed its weapon to a flail for this fight. Demolition Demon drove straight into and under Victor at the start, the flail doing nothing to damage Demolition Demon. Victor was pushed into the PPZ where it was hit by Matilda, and tried to escape but was pushed back in the PPZ by Demolition Demon. It finally got out of the PPZ, but then immediately stopped in the centre of the arena. Demolition Demon hit Victor with its spinning disc, which shattered over the arena floor.

"Look at the grinding disc of Demolition Demon - shattered, just like some old sad LP no longer in the charts!"

— Jonathan Pearce

Demolition Demon pushed Victor around, and it soon became clear that Victor was immobilised. Matilda and Sir Killalot attacked Victor, but Sergeant Bash harassed Demolition Demon. Shunt then axed and flipped Demolition Demon right before cease was called, but it had already qualified for the next round.

Winner: Demolition Demon

Final

Napalm vs. Demolition Demon

Napalm's mandibles strike

Both charged forward and passed each other, before meeting head to head. In pushing power, Napalm was the stronger, and it shoved Demolition Demon over the flame pit. Demolition Demon used its wedge to push Napalm into the PPZ, and Dead Metal pounced, seizing Napalm in its claws. Napalm pushed through Matilda and over the flames to escape the PPZ. Both robots then fought near the spikes, before being bounced by them. Demolition Demon pushed Napalm into the PPZ, but Napalm attacked with its pronged weapon. The two robots continued fighting, and as they neared the PPZ, Dead Metal and Matilda charged forward, but both competitors dodged. As Napalm spun, part of its side armour dislodged.

Napalm on Demolition Demon's wedge

"And the girls have lost their petticoat!"

— Jonathan Pearce

Demolition Demon used its wedge, but only succeeded in breaking off the piece of dangling mesh. It then pushed Napalm into Shunt, who axed the large wedge. As the timer began to tick down, Napalm drove on top of Demolition Demon, but the disc was not in a position to damage Napalm's exposed internals, and it managed to escape. In the dying seconds, Demolition Demon rammed Napalm, but could not push the larger robot. Cease was called.

"It goes to the judges, and there's hardly a lick of paint - a smear of oil between the two teams."

— Jonathan Pearce

Napalm was announced as the winner.

Jonathan Pearce: "The girls delighted, the boys despondent, and the crowd don't like it."

Craig Charles: "Well the judges say, although you sustained a lot of damage, it was given to you by the House Robots and that you were far more aggressive than Demolition Demon!"

— The announcement

Winner: Napalm