- "Welcome to the second semi-final. Already through to the Grand Final, the might and muscle, drive and determination for a tight tussle, the cutting blade of X-Terminator! Joining them, the reigning champions Tornado with a similarly relentless style all push and shove, durable and powerful!"
- — Jonathan Pearce's introduction
Semi-Final 2 of Robot Wars: The Seventh Wars was the second of two Semi-Finals which determined the Grand Finalists of Robot Wars: The Seventh Wars. The eight competing semi-finalists were paired off in Round 1, with the four victors pairing off in Round 2 to decide which two robots would progress to the Grand Final. The episode featuring Semi-Final 2 was broadcast on 29 February 2004 on Five.
Competing robots[]
Newcomers[]
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|---|---|---|
| Storm 2 (seeded 16th, winner of Heat I) | ||
| Weight | 100kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.67 x 0.78 x 0.68m | |
| Power | 2 x Electric motors | |
| Weapons | Lifting arm | |
| Strengths | Unrivalled speed | |
| Weaknesses | Often hard to control | |
| From: Ipswich, Suffolk | ||
| Team Members: Ed Hoppitt, Tim Bence & Meral Kolac | ||
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|---|---|---|
| M2 (winner of Heat A) | ||
| Weight | 99kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.46 x 1.00 x 0.65m | |
| Power | 2 x Electric motors | |
| Weapons | Flipper | |
| Strengths | Fast & agile | |
| Weaknesses | Nervous driver | |
| From: Totton, Hampshire | ||
| Team Members: Jackie Cooper & Paul Cooper | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mute (winner of Heat L) | ||
| Weight | 96kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.26 x 0.96 x 0.67m | |
| Power | 4HP electric motor | |
| Weapons | Front & rear flippers | |
| Strengths | Tough armour | |
| Weaknesses | Vulnerable to pits | |
| From: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire | ||
| Team Members: Adam Emmett, Daniel Emmett & Jeremy Honcox | ||
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|---|---|---|
| Typhoon 2 (winner of Heat O) | ||
| Weight | 98kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.68 x 1.00 x 1.00m | |
| Power | Petrol driven engine | |
| Weapons | Four rotating blades | |
| Strengths | Agility & devastating weapon | |
| Weaknesses | Unstable at low speeds | |
| From: Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Team Members: F.O. Peter J. Bennett, Cpl. Gary Cairns & Sgt. Graeme Horne | ||
Veterans[]
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Firestorm 5 (seeded 2nd, winner of Heat P) | ||
| Weight | 94kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.33 x 1.10 x 0.93m | |
| Power | 3KW electric motor | |
| Weapons | Flipper | |
| Strengths | Fast & manoeuvrable | |
| Weaknesses | 2 Wheel drive only | |
| From: Langley Moor, County Durham | ||
| Team Members: Graham Bone & Hazel Heslop | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Thermidor 2 (seeded 14th, winner of Heat J) | ||
| Weight | 95kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.34 x 1.07 x 1.08m | |
| Power | 2 x 750W electric motors | |
| Weapons | CO2 powered flipper | |
| Strengths | Quick & strong | |
| Weaknesses | Limited gas supply | |
| From: Norwich | ||
| Team Members: David Harding & Ian Harvey | ||
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|---|---|---|
| The Grim Reaper (winner of Heat B) | ||
| Weight | 99kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.25 x 0.66 x 0.88m | |
| Power | 24V electric motor | |
| Weapons | Flipper | |
| Strengths | Very quick | |
| Weaknesses | None - almost invincible | |
| From: Bogner Regis, West Sussex | ||
| Team Members: Simon Smith, Gary Smith, Charlie Smith and 'Death' | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Atomic (winner of Heat G) | ||
| Weight | 99kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.41 x 0.93 x 0.79m | |
| Power | 750W electric motor | |
| Weapons | High pressure flipper & spike | |
| Strengths | Speed and reliability | |
| Weaknesses | Lacks experience | |
| From: Arley, Worcestershire | ||
| Team Members: Stephen Bebb, David Bebb & Paul Francis | ||
Round 1[]
Firestorm 5 (2) vs Mute[]
Mute boisterously attempts to self-right
Both robots were facing the other to begin with. On the sound of activate, both drove forwards, with Mute driving straight over the top of Firestorm 5, and off the other side. Firestorm 5 fired its flipper, but it was too late to flip Mute. Mute drove towards an angle grinder, where Firestorm 5 could sneak up on Mute, slip under the side, and flip Mute, which tumbled back onto its wheels again afterwards. Firestorm 5 instantly followed this up, getting underneath the front of Mute, and flipping it again.
- "Firestorm 5, relentless, pressurising."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Firestorm 5 dominates the early proceedings
Firestorm 5 flips out Mute. Note that Mute's flipper is also open
This left Mute inverted, where it was subject to its own typical self-righting antics, throwing itself into Sergeant Bash, which was mysteriously in the centre of the arena. Mute made another attempt at self-righting, as Firestorm 5 drew near, firing its flipper with no robot on top of it. Mute made a full somersault, landing on top of Firestorm 5, before then doing another full flip in a self-righting attempt, still unable to land on its wheels.
- "Mute hopping away, expending CO2 all the while here. Little bit of inexperience showing perhaps. Oh it looks dramatic, it looks lovely doesn't it?"
- — Jonathan Pearce describes Mute's self-righting antics
Mute falls out of the arena
As Mute made another full somersault, Firestorm 5 pushed it towards the arena side wall. In this situation, Mute could potentially throw itself out of the arena when attempting to self-right, so it remained idle. Firestorm 5 got underneath Mute from the rear, and flipped it, trying to get it out of the arena. The Mute team felt that Mute was heading out of the arena through this flip, so they activated Mute's own flipper, flinging Mute straight into the safety barrier out of the arena, and out of the competition.
- "I think Mute was knocked into unconsciousness, but is knocked out of the arena anyway!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Winner: Firestorm 5
Thermidor 2 (14) vs Typhoon 2[]
A single blow from Typhoon 2 immobilises Thermidor 2
Thermidor 2 is finished off by the Drop Zone
Typhoon 2 employed its usual tactic of avoiding its opponent to get its spinning weapon up to full speed as Thermidor 2 tried to pursue it. Thermidor 2 chased its opponent into a corner so Typhoon 2 finally went on the attack, immobilising Thermidor 2 with a single blow.
- "You can feel the effect of Typhoon 2's slam from up here, and I think that is done for Thermidor 2. That is immensely powerful!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Typhoon 2 attacked a few more times but Thermidor was long dead and was attacked by the house robots before Refbot counted it out. To finish the battle Thermidor 2 was thrown by the floor flipper and placed on the Drop Zone, where a washing machine was dropped onto it.
Winner: Typhoon 2
Storm 2 (16) vs The Grim Reaper[]
Storm 2 lifts The Grim Reaper.
The Grim Reaper drove in a curvy fashion at the start of the battle, with Storm 2 making minimal movement until the team saw an opportunity for Storm 2 to get underneath The Grim Reaper from the side of it, after which Storm 2 rammed The Grim Reaper into the arena wall near Sgt. Bash's CPZ. The Grim Reaper got stuck on top of Storm 2, firing its flipper to try and shake itself off, but Storm 2 maintained The Grim Reaper in the same position. Storm 2 then pressed The Grim Reaper against an angle grinder, lifting The Grim Reaper using its own lifting arm.
Shunt axes The Grim Reaper
Sergeant Bash flickered its flamethrower, sending bursts of flame towards The Grim Reaper, which was still being pressed against an angle grinder. The Grim Reaper eventually freed itself from the top of Storm 2, where it drove around Refbot in an effort to evade Storm 2, before coming back in for an attack. However, The Grim Reaper could not get underneath Storm 2, and so drove away again. The two robots tentatively touched each other, before Storm 2 finally got underneath The Grim Reaper again, pushing The Grim Reaper towards another arena wall, buffeting it upwards. The Grim Reaper tried to get underneath the wedge of Storm 2, but only drove straight up Storm 2, which drove The Grim Reaper all the way into an empty CPZ at the opposite side of the two robots' former location. This slam caused The Grim Reaper to jump off the ground again.
- "You can't outrun the Reaper says the logo on the side of the green machine, and Storm 2 is furious."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Storm 2 surges The Grim Reaper across the arena floor
Sgt. Bash cuts through The Grim Reaper's frame
The Grim Reaper tried to flee again, but Sgt. Bash was in the main arena, moving towards the empty CPZ so it could occupy said corner, but Sgt. Bash only obstructed The Grim Reaper. Storm 2 used this as an opportunity to get underneath The Grim Reaper again. Storm 2 raised its lifting arm, raising The Grim Reaper from the ground as Storm 2 slammed it into the pit release. The Grim Reaper did nothing more than flee from Storm 2, but as Storm 2 was the faster robot, Storm 2 caught up, while the pit descended.
Storm 2 slams The Grim Reaper into the arena wall
- "The Grim Reaper is scuttling, the pit is descending. The time is draining out for The Grim Reaper."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Storm 2 continues to dominate
Storm 2 was underneath The Grim Reaper once again, using its lifting arm to hoist The Grim Reaper. The Grim Reaper merely spun on the spot, as Storm 2 got underneath it once again, where they reversed to push The Grim Reaper towards Shunt. The Grim Reaper fired its flipper with no other robot on top of it, as Shunt axed The Grim Reaper. While Storm 2 lingered, The Grim Reaper finally got underneath Storm 2, but their flip did not overturn Storm 2. Storm 2 quickly got back into the runnings, as they reversed to push The Grim Reaper towards Sergeant Bash.
The Grim Reaper is slammed into the pit release button
- "I think the Grim Reaper is doing splendidly well to hold on here."
- — Jonathan Pearce
On a separate charge, Storm 2 slammed The Grim Reaper into the angle grinder it utilised at the start of the battle, knocking the top plating off of the angle grinder itself. Storm 2 pushed The Grim Reaper around in a circle, and then into an arena wall. Sergeant Bash spat flames at The Grim Reaper, with Storm 2 preventing The Grim Reaper from escaping as Sgt. Bash clamped The Grim Reaper with its claw. Sgt. Bash crumpled the frame of The Grim Reaper before it escaped.
On an attack, The Grim Reaper drove up the wedge of Storm 2 again, which tried to push The Grim Reaper into the pit, but Storm 2 did not succeed in doing so. Storm 2, on a slower ram, pressed The Grim Reaper against another arena side wall, still bringing The Grim Reaper off the ground. The Grim Reaper drove into Shunt's CPZ, with Shunt itself missing The Grim Reaper and axing the arena floor. Shunt hit its target on a second attempt, but inflicted no visible damage.
- "It's dramatic stuff, isn't it?"
- — Jonathan Pearce as The Grim Reaper refuses to submit to Storm 2
Storm 2 slams The Grim Reaper into an angle grinder, knocking the armour plating from it.
The Grim Reaper drove up Storm 2 once more, getting stuck on top of Storm 2, which momentarily remained idle, before ramming The Grim Reaper into the arena wall powerfully, causing The Grim Reaper to jump. Storm 2 immediately followed up this attack by pushing The Grim Reaper into Shunt's CPZ, which again missed with its axe attack. From a standstill, Storm 2 used its lifting armour to flip The Grim Reaper onto its rear armour plating. The Grim Reaper fired its flipper to try and self-right, but The Grim Reaper did not topple down. On a second flip, The Grim Reaper started bringing itself down, but Storm 2 kept it on its back by pressing against it, while the exhaust pipe decoration fell off of Shunt.
Storm 2 holds The Grim Reaper in place with its lifter as Shunt watches on without his exhaust pipe.
- "And Shunt without the exhaust pipe is rather a horrible thought..."
- — Jonathan Pearce
The Grim Reaper again tried to self-right, but could not. On a final flip, The Grim Reaper toppled down with some aid from a push of Shunt. The Grim Reaper tried to stay away from Storm 2 as the remaining seconds of the battle passed by. Storm 2 made one last assault in the battle by slamming The Grim Reaper into an arena wall, before The Grim Reaper parked over a flame jet, which burnt The Grim Reaper for a few seconds, before it drove off as cease was called. The Judges had no trouble in declaring Storm 2 the winner of the battle.
- "You have got some robot, haven't you?"
- — Craig Charles to the Storm 2 team after the judges' decision
Winner: Storm 2
Atomic vs M2[]
Atomic throws M2 over early on
The fight began with both robots trying to get around the side of each other, so that they could flip each other. After persistence, Atomic rammed into M2, and seconds afterwards, M2 ran at Atomic, getting caught on Atomic's flipper, and was flipped itself. M2 rolled over, and went back to playing somewhat of an evasive game, also firing its flipper when not even close to its target. M2 then chose to run directly at the front of Atomic, but Atomic was lower, and got a flip on M2. The flip was quite slow, and Atomic came close to toppling over after this flip, but M2 was rolled over once again.
- "M2 look dodgy, and they are playing "cat and mouse." Come on, chase us, chase us!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
M2 reverted to its former tactic of trying to get a side flip on Atomic, missing each time, before repeatedly spinning around in a circle. Atomic drove towards M2, but this time ran up M2's flipper, rather than getting underneath. Both robots fired their flippers, and neither robot was flipped. M2 went straight for another charge at Atomic right after this, but balanced backwards, and went up Atomic's flipper. Once again, Atomic flipped M2, with M2 this time staying inverted, and needed to self-right. M2 appeared to be reverting to its original tactic once again, but was caught by Atomic. Curiously, despite M2 staying on Atomic's flipper for a lengthy while, Atomic did not flip M2. M2 fired its own flipper to escape.
M2 nearly gets Atomic out
- "This is very tactical stuff out there. Very tight and tense."
- — Jonathan Pearce
M2 ran at Atomic frontally, and got underneath. M2 flipped Atomic, merely being lifted, as Atomic did not leave M2's flipper, but M2 kept driving Atomic towards the arena side wall, where they flipped once more, in an effort to get Atomic out of the arena. This attempt failed, with Atomic landing back on M2's flipper. M2 once again flipped, but was not close enough to the arena wall to flip Atomic out.
- "M2 flips Atomic! That's closer! That's more dangerous! That's CPZ territory, corner patrol zone territory!"
- — Jonathan Pearce as M2 tumbles Atomic into the CPZ
Sergeant Bash came into the CPZ, and Atomic used this opportunity to escape, while M2 simply drove into the wall.
Sgt Bash blocks M2
Atomic flips out M2, for its record breaking fourth consecutive Out of the Arena flip.
As M2 was leaving the CPZ, Atomic got around the rear of M2, but failed to flip it. As the fight drew back into the centre, M2 looked to be hobbling, and Atomic overturned M2, and drove it into Sergeant Bash's CPZ. While M2 was inverted, Sergeant Bash tried to pierce M2, but a fire of M2's flipper got itself out of the way, and self-righted on its second flip. M2 fled, but Atomic caught up, and got a large flip on M2, throwing it into the arena side wall, and over.
- "They are rattled, aren't they, M2? And Atomic are closing in! and Atomic now for me and are on top! and Atomic has M2 on the side wall, and M2 bounces, and rocks and rolls, and dashes away."
- — Jonathan Pearce
M2 self-righted, but Atomic was behind it, and made an attempt to flip M2 out of the arena. However, M2 was not on Atomic's flipper, and M2 fled again while Atomic was left open. M2 looked to be driving towards the pit release, but Atomic was faster, and flipped M2 once more. M2 tried to self-right, but failed on this occasion. Atomic then took M2 to the arena side wall, still inverted, where Atomic was finally able to roll M2 over the wall in the last out of the arena flip of the main tournament.
- "M2 perilous, Atomic has them in there. They need to get their blade down, there and now flip, that's it, M2 gone!"
- — Jonathan Pearce as M2 are flipped out of the arena
Winner: Atomic
Round 2[]
Firestorm 5 (2) vs Storm 2 (16)[]
Firestorm 5 gets underneath Storm 2
Both robots started quickly but neither was able to launch a solid attack for a while, until Storm 2 finally got underneath Firestorm 5 and pushed it into the arena wall. Firestorm 5 got its wedge underneath Storm 2 a few times, but Storm 2 escaped before it could be flipped. Storm 2 pushed Firestorm 5 towards the CPZ and then into the pit release button, and Firestorm 5 nearly drove into the opening pit. Firestorm 5 then drove over the side of Storm 2 and into an arena angle grinder, bending the front strip enabling it to get underneath Storm 2, but then it quickly escaped.
Storm 2 rams Firestorm 5 against the arena wall
- "Storm 2 suddenly look menacing and they're on top I would say."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Firestorm 5 continued to be aggressive, but found it hard to get underneath Storm 2, now that the front strip had been bent, so it could only drive up the front of its opponent instead. Firestorm 5 continued to drive up the front of its opponent and Storm 2 was able to push it around the arena, nearly pitting it on one occasion, before finally pushing it into the pit of oblivion.
Storm 2 pits Firestorm 5
- "Storm 2 again the push, Firestorm 5 gone! No Grand Final this time for Graham and Hazel! A wedding day to look forward to, but no grand final day on Robot Wars. Storm 2 through!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Winner: Storm 2
Typhoon 2 vs Atomic[]
- "Storm 2 through to the Grand Final. Who will join them? Atomic or Typhoon 2?"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Atomic almost flips Typhoon 2 over
Atomic crucially mistimes a flip
Before Typhoon 2 was able to get its weapon up to speed, Atomic saw the danger and immediately attempted to flip it, but Typhoon 2 did not turn over. Atomic tried once more to flip Typhoon 2 but it hit the arena angle grinder instead and flipped itself onto its back, with the flipper jammed open. Atomic tried to self-right but the CO2 was escaping from the robot without activating the flipper, leaving Atomic stranded.
- "There's been an Atomic implosion of some sort."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Typhoon 2 charged up its weapon and slammed Atomic; the impact sending its opponent flying into the arena wall. This closed Atomic's flipper but it was no longer functioning properly and could not self-right.
Typhoon 2 hits Atomic
- "I think we could be looking at a potential champion here... Not him. Paul Francis beaten. Atomic beaten. Typhoon 2's gonna take some stopping."
- — Jonathan Pearce as the Refbot counts out Atomic
Typhoon 2 charged up and slammed Atomic twice more, causing major damage before Refbot eventually counted Atomic out. Finally, Atomic was thrown by the floor flipper and pitted by Sir Killalot.
- "What a battle. Atomic meltdown. The Typhoon roars, all the way into the Grand Final!"
- — Craig Charles
Winner: Typhoon 2
- "Atomic meltdown, the Typhoon roars, into the Grand Final, of Robot Wars!"
- — Craig Charles' sign-off
Trivia[]
- This semi-final featured four newcomers, the second most in UK Robot Wars history, and the most since the Third Wars. However, of these four newcomers only M2 had never competed in any form of the show before as the other three all featured in Extreme Series 2. Only one of the four veterans had reached the semi-finals the previous year and only two had been semi-finalists in any of the previous series.
- The four veterans were drawn against the four newcomers in the first round. From these battles, two of the newcomers made it to the second round, both of which eventually qualified for the Grand Final. This was the first time since the Third Wars that two newcomers had qualified from a semi-final.
- This was Firestorm's fifth appearance in the semi-finals, this made it the most for any robot in Robot Wars history.
- This episode featured the only UK instance of a fight between two front-hinged flippers in Firestorm 5 and Mute.
[]
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