Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat K

Heat K of Robot Wars: The Second Wars was the eleventh of twelve heats which determined the Semi-Finalists of Robot Wars: The Second Wars. The episode featuring Heat K was originally broadcast on February 5, 1999 on BBC Two. The broadcast made three Robot Wars ratings records; firstly, it managed to attract 6.13 million viewers, making it the first to not only top six million viewers, but also managed to beat the previous record holder, Heat C, by 180,000 viewers. According to BARB, the episode also became the first to top the thirty highest rated weekly programmes on BBC 2, during 1-7 February.

Competing RobotsEdit

NewcomersEdit

	Demon
	Weight	71.9kg
	Dimensions	1.6 x 0.8 x 0.5m
	Speed	2mph
	Turning Circle	0m
	Ground Clearance	10mm
	Power	2 x 12V batteries
	Weapons	10mm steel spikes
	Notes	Wheelchair motors. Aluminium shell and 2 wheel drive
From: Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire
Team Members: Dave Clutterbuck, Joanne Russell & Nick Adams

	Enzyme
	Weight	78.6kg
	Dimensions	1.26 x 0.74 x 0.42m
	Speed	6mph
	Turning Circle	0m
	Ground Clearance	15mm
	Power	2 x 12V batteries
	Weapons	100kg forklift
	Notes	Took 7 months to build and cost £100. Chassis and motors from wheelchair
From: Eastbourne
Team Members: Murray Ballard, John Ballard, Andrew Wilkins & Angus Duncan

	Mega Hurts
	Weight	71.8kg
	Dimensions	1.15 x 0.6 x 0.63m
	Speed	4mph
	Turning Circle	0m
	Ground Clearance	40mm
	Power	2 x 12V batteries
	Weapons	Keyboard disguised lift
	Notes	4 x drive motors salvaged from Ford Fiesta windscreen wipers
From: Preston
Team Members: Dave Lund, Tony Lund & Gordon Keeling

	Phoenix
	Weight	78.6kg
	Dimensions	1.24 x 0.74 x 0.4m
	Speed	15mph
	Turning Circle	0m
	Ground Clearance	112mm
	Power	2 x 12V batteries
	Weapons	Tungsten tipped blades
	Notes	Industrial motors 140A, 800W. Took 2-3 months to build. Cost £500
From: Elstead in Surrey
Team Members: David Croft, J.P. Abgrall & Charles Lavery

	The Mule
	Weight	80.1kg
	Dimensions	1.05 x 0.77 x 0.47m
	Speed	8mph
	Turning Circle	0m
	Ground Clearance	0-100mm (Variable)
	Power	Unknown
	Weapons	3 x Kicking Legs and forklift
	Notes	Lawnmower wheels and motors. Took 4 months to build at a cost of £400
From: Langport in Somerset
Team Members: Roger Plant

VeteransEdit

	Plunderbird 2
	Weight	81.3kg
	Dimensions	0.9 x 1.1 x 0.37m
	Speed	10mph
	Turning Circle	0m
	Ground Clearance	20mm
	Power	2 x 12V batteries
	Weapons	Pneumatic steel screw ram
	Notes	Fought in the First Wars with Plunderbird 1
From: Borden in Hampshire
Team Members: Mike Onslow, Bryan Kilburn & Ken Burt

GauntletEdit

Left route: The Sentinel, Matilda and one pit. Centre route: Spikes, static ramp, sphere, and Sir Killalot Right route: Ramrig, flame pit, pendulum and Sergeant Bash. Competing order: 1. Demon 2. Enzyme 3. Phoenix 4. The Mule 5. Mega Hurts 6. Plunderbird 2
Ranking	Competing Robot		Report	Distance
1		The Mule	The Mule took the Sentinel route in the Gauntlet, and managed to get Matilda to turn the wrong way. Then it attempted to flip Matilda. It failed, retreated and was briefly caught on the arena spikes. It then moved forwards again, dodging the Sentinel by moving between the arm and the machine itself, and then manoeuvring around Matilda. It completed the course to qualify first for the trial round.	Completed
2		Mega Hurts	Mega Hurts took the ramrig route in the Gauntlet, but got trapped by the ramrig half-way down, due to the robot's width. Eventually it managed to break free, before moving around Sergeant Bash and the pendulum. Then Sir Killalot blocked its way, managing to trap it against the wall. As Killalot moved away it managed to get around Matilda and reach the end zone.	Completed
3		Demon	Demon avoided the sphere in the gauntlet and was forced into the Sentinel's route. Matilda, held them onto the left side, next to the pit and the Sentinel. Demon tried to push past Matilda, and ended up almost falling in the pit. Sir Killalot arrived and tried to block them, but Demon managed to slip past and reach the end of the course.	Completed
4		Enzyme	Enzyme started quickly and immediately chose to take on the Sentinel. It managed to dodge the Sentinel's arm, whilst a piece of the Sentinel fell off and rolled into the pit. Enzyme was then pushed on to the edge of the pit by Matilda, where it got stuck and was then pushed in by Matilda.	10.5m
5		Plunderbird 2	Plunderbird 2 took the Sentinel route, and was immediately knocked upwards by the arena spike, but got away after the spike hit it a second time. It moved past the Sentinel quickly, but when it encountered Matilda, Plunderbird 2 drove straight into the pit. This still placed them further along the course than Phoenix however. This prompted the other teams to call Mike, Bryan and Ken "chickens" when they arrived in the pits, as they deliberately chose to avoid the House Robot.	10.5m
6		Phoenix	Phoenix went for the middle route in the Gauntlet, and after some shaky steering, it managed to get up the ramp. After pushing through the barrels it fell off the ramp, and temporarily became stuck on the side. It was then freed by Sir Killalot, who pushed the large ball onto Phoenix. Phoenix then turned around and charged into Sir Killalot spike first, only to become trapped by the House Robot. Then one of its tyres got caught by Sir Killalot's jaws, and suffered minor damage. Phoenix travelled far, but not far enough and was eliminated.	8.9m
Eliminated: Phoenix

Trial (King of the Castle)Edit

Competing order: 1. Demon 2. Enzyme 3. The Mule 4. Mega Hurts 5. Plunderbird 2
Ranking	Competing Robot		Report	Result
1		Plunderbird 2	Plunderbird 2 made several attempts to get underneath Dead Metal and push it off the podium, and on the third attempt managed to push the House Robot off the side. Then Sergeant Bash tried to respond, but mistimed his charge and clipped Plunderbird 2 before driving off the podium next to Dead Metal.	Victorious
2		Enzyme	Enzyme stayed on the spot in the middle to defend its place against Sergeant Bash and Dead Metal. Dead Metal moved forwards first, but Enzyme stayed side-on so Dead Metal could not get a grip on the robot. When Sergeant Bash arrived, both House Robots were too close to each other to get a good push on Enzyme, and they lasted until the timer ran out.	Survived
3		The Mule	Dead Metal and Sergeant Bash both attacked The Mule right at the start. The Mule held off Dead Metal, using its forklift to negate the blade, and pushed him right back to the edge of the podium. Then The Mule moved back towards the centre and hit Sergeant Bash's blade; using its forklift and legs it managed to survive all the attacks and stay in the centre until the timer ran out.	Survived
4		Demon	Both House Robots attacked Demon straight away, with Dead Metal grabbing and cutting into Demon as it slowly moved it towards the edge. Once it got close enough to the edge, Sergeant Bash charged in, taking both itself and Demon off after 27.47 seconds.	27.47 seconds
5		Mega Hurts	Dead Metal and Sergeant Bash both charged into Mega Hurts at the start as it spun slowly around in circles. Neither House Robot was able to push Mega Hurts off straight away because they were pushing from opposite directions; then Mega Hurts drove onto the edge of the podium and got itself stuck. Dead Metal and Sergeant Bash drove forwards and knocked it off, with both of them falling off in the process.	22.20 seconds
Eliminated: Mega Hurts

ArenaEdit

Semi-FinalsEdit

The Mule vs DemonEdit

At first neither robot could get underneath the other. The Mule managed to lift Demon up, but then tried to push Demon into the PPZ. However Demon managed to push The Mule into the PPZ where it was attacked by the house robots. Sir Killalot wedged himself on top of Demon around the time it became immobilised and was later the cause of the breakdown. As The Mule had been pinned by the House Robots, and therefore had not made any significant movement, the judges were called to make a decision. They ruled that The Mule was still mobile and Demon was not, putting The Mule through.

Winner: The Mule

Plunderbird 2 vs EnzymeEdit

Both robots charged at each other at the start, with Plunderbird 2 managing to get underneath Enzyme. It then tried to push it, but Enzyme drove off the wedge. Plunderbird 2 managed to get underneath Enzyme again, and quickly pushed it into the PPZ. Sergeant Bash attacked with his saw while Plunderbird 2 stopped Enzyme from escaping. The other House Robots came in and pushed both competitors to the back of the PPZ, however they escaped. Plunderbird 2 then tried to push Sir Killalot, but decided to try and push Enzyme instead. Cease was called, and the judges decided that Plunderbird 2 had won the fight.

Winner: Plunderbird 2

FinalEdit

Plunderbird 2 vs The MuleEdit

Plunderbird 2 got beneath The Mule straight at the start and pushed it back towards the PPZ. The Mule escaped and tried to use it's lifter, but missed Plunderbird. The Mule tried to push Plunderbird onto the spikes, but they got away and once again tried to push the Mule back into the PPZ. The Mule's low ground clearance meant that it was scraping along the floor and was hard for Plunderbird to push around, however they kept doing this going near to the pit and the PPZ again. The Mule slipped around Plunderbird 2, who had strayed inside the PPZ themselves and were axed by Shunt. Both robots sped to the middle of the arena, and cease was called just as Plunderbird 2 got underneath The Mule again. The Judges decided that Plunderbird 2 had been more active throughout the fight.

Heat Winner: Plunderbird 2

Trivia Edit

• Of all the robots to be eliminated at the Gauntlet, Phoenix's run was the furthest.
• This was the first episode to feature more than one judges decision - in fact, all three battles went to the judges.