The two new faces of Robot Wars
- "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
Heat A of Robot Wars: The Second Wars was the first of twelve heats which determined the Semi-Finalists of Robot Wars: The Second Wars. The episode featuring Heat A was originally broadcast on November 6, 1998 on BBC Two.
- 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 | Specifications |
|---|---|
 |
Weight: 54.4kg |
| Dimensions: 0.70 x 0.70 x 0.40m | |
| Speed: 12mph | |
| Turning Circle 0m | |
| Ground Clearance: 20mm | |
| Power: 2 x 12V batteries | |
| Weapons: Multiple spinning weapons | |
| Notes: Bolted dexion frame chassis with aluminium shell | |
| From: Sutton in Surrey Team Members: Eric Hodgins, Daniel Bushnell & Martin Beckett | |
| Demolition Demon | Specifications |
|---|---|
 |
Weight: 67.9kg |
| Dimensions: 1.50 x 0.88 x 0.35m | |
| Speed: 8mph | |
| Turning Circle 0m | |
| Ground Clearance: 5mm | |
| Power: 3 x 12V batteries | |
| Weapons: Circular saw and spike | |
| Notes: Wheelchair motors donated by Dorest County Council | |
| From: Thomas Hardye School, Dorchester Team Members: Peter Harrison, Theo Mauger & Adrian South | |
| Panda Monium | Specifications |
|---|---|
 |
Weight: 84.1kg |
| Dimensions: 1.55 x 0.70 x 0.40cm | |
| Speed: 8mph | |
| Turning Circle 0m | |
| Ground Clearance: 40mm | |
| Power: 2 x Sinclair C5 motors | |
| Weapons: Lifting spike and fixed spikes | |
| Notes: Imported wheels from French hypermarket | |
| From: Burgess Hill, West Sussex Team Members: Pete Collier & Chris Loader | |
| Piece De Resistance | Specifications |
|---|---|
 |
Weight: 57.0kg |
| Dimensions: 1.25 x 0.75 x 0.65m | |
| Speed: 5mph | |
| Turning Circle 1.2m | |
| Ground Clearance: 12mm | |
| Power: 2 x 12V batteries | |
| Weapons: Front lifting shovel/spikes | |
| Notes: Chassis formerly a microwave oven and uses 5 x 12V mini motors | |
| From: Ossett, Yorkshire Team Members: Colin Scott, Bryan Newcombe & Julie Scott | |
| Victor | Specifications |
|---|---|
 |
Weight: 85.1kg |
| Dimensions: 1.50 x 0.55 x 0.50m | |
| Speed: 5mph | |
| Turning Circle 0m | |
| Ground Clearance: 5mm | |
| Power: 2 x 12V batteries | |
| Weapons: 21" Lawnmower blade and interchangeable flail | |
| Notes: Interchangeable weapons powered by motorbike starter motor | |
| From: East Molesey, Surrey Team Members: Gareth Goddard, Ken Goddard & Guy Pickett | |
Veterans
| Napalm | Specifications |
|---|---|
 |
Weight: 84.1kg |
| Dimensions: 2.00 x 1.00 x 1.25m | |
| Speed: 15mph | |
| Turning Circle 0m | |
| Ground Clearance: 5mm | |
| Power: 2 x 12V batteries | |
| Weapons: Stainless steel rear mandibles and 16" chainsaw | |
| Notes: Previously entered Robot Wars with Detonator | |
| From: Dartford Girls Grammar School Team Members: David Crosby, Claire Greenaway & Rebecca Glenn | |
Gauntlet
| Left route: Sir Killalot and two pits.
Centre route: Brick wall, ramp and Sergeant Bash
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | Competing Robot | Report | Distance | |
| 1 |  |
Demolition Demon | 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.
|
Completed |
| 2 |  |
Victor | 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. | Completed |
| 3 |  |
Panda Monium | 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.
|
Completed |
| 4 |  |
Napalm | 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. | 7.5m |
| 5 |  |
Piece De Resistance |
I've got the shovel to lift the bricks out of the way."
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. |
3.8m |
| 6 |  |
Caliban | 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.
|
0.2m |
| Eliminated: Caliban | ||||
Trial (Skittles)
|
Competing order: 1. Napalm 2. Panda Monium 3. VIctor 4. Demolition Demon 5. Piece De Resistance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | Competing Robot | Report | Result | |
| 1 |  |
Demolition Demon | 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. | 20 barrels |
| 2 |  |
Napalm | 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. | 9 barrels |
| 3 |  |
Panda Monium | 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. | 9 barrels |
| 4 |  |
Victor | 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. | 4 barrels |
| 5 |  |
Piece De Resistance | 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. | 0 barrels |
| 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
Heat Winner: Napalm
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