- "Now, when you think of love, you think: candlelit dinners, skipping through poppy fields, where’s all me money gone?! But love is important in life. Without love, all those people who make those huge hippos with ‘I want to wallow in you’ written on them, would be out of a job. But fortunately for us, where there’s love, there’s also hate, and love has no place in our arena. A gentle kiss on the cheek won’t get you through to our series semi-finals; a Glasgow kiss on the nose just might!"
- — Craig Charles' introduction
Heat F of Robot Wars: The Third Wars (also referred to in recaps as Heat 6) was the sixth of sixteen heats which determined the Semi-Finalists of Robot Wars: The Third Wars. The episode featuring Heat F was originally broadcast on 14 January 2000 on BBC Two. The broadcast managed to attract 3.85 million viewers, a decrease of 2.28 million viewers when compared with the previous episode. According to BARB, this meant it ranked eighth in the top thirty highest rated BBC 2 broadcasts during 10-16 January.
Competing Robots[]
Newcomers[]
The Darke Destroyer | ||
Weight | 66.1kg | |
Dimensions | 0.67 x 1.14 x 0.76m | |
Clearance | 0.04m | |
Power | 3 x Electric Motors | |
Weapons | Blade | |
Notes | Shell is 16 Gauge Mild Steel | |
From: Hampshire | ||
Team Members: Rob Darke, Chris Darke & Neale Darke |
Gravedigger | ||
Weight | 79.8kg | |
Dimensions | 0.62 x 1.31 x 0.82m | |
Clearance | 0.02m | |
Power | 2 x Electric Motors | |
Weapons | Arm Powered by Hydraulic Ram | |
Notes | Steel Shell in a Coffin Shape | |
From: Norwich | ||
Team Members: Jonathan Chaplin, Dave Chaplin & Owen Ramsey |
Manic Mutant | ||
Weight | 79.1kg | |
Dimensions | 0.42 x 1.26 x 0.89m | |
Clearance | 0.01m | |
Power | 3 x Forklift Truck Motors | |
Weapons | Lift + Spinning Disc at Rear | |
Notes | Cost £256 | |
From: Rugby | ||
Team Members: Paul Hunt, Christopher Shawcross & Martin Jones |
Ming | ||
Weight | 80.0kg | |
Dimensions | 0.55 x 1.10 x 0.7m | |
Clearance | 0.01m | |
Power | 3 x Electric Motors | |
Weapons | Circular Saw | |
Notes | Cost £1,800 | |
From: Bath | ||
Team Members: Andrew Cotterell, Alexander Cotterell & Tim Hurdle |
Sgt. Meikle | ||
Weight | 64.8kg | |
Dimensions | 0.62 x 1.31 x 0.82m | |
Clearance | 0.01m | |
Power | 2 x Wheelchair Motors | |
Weapons | CO2 Powered Punch | |
Notes | Cost £400 | |
From: Coventry | ||
Team Members: Dean Lawrence, Scott Whittaker & Andy Beesley |
Vector | ||
Weight | 71.4kg | |
Dimensions | 0.39 x 0.88 x 0.72m | |
Clearance | 0.01m | |
Power | 4hp Hydraulic System | |
Weapons | Hydraulic Powered Arm | |
Notes | Cost £500 | |
From: Nottingham | ||
Team Members: Alan Wilson, Philip Wilson & Susannah Wilson |
Veterans[]
Mortis | ||
Weight | 79.5kg | |
Dimensions | 0.36 x 0.76 x 0.91m | |
Clearance | 0.02m | |
Power | 3 x Motors | |
Weapons | Hammer & Lifting Arm | |
Notes | Cost £30,000 | |
From: Cambridge University | ||
Team Members: Rob Knight, Arthur Chilcott & Ben Gordon |
T 2 | ||
Weight | 71.4kg | |
Dimensions | 0.52 x 0.91 x 0.72m | |
Clearance | 0.02m | |
Power | 2 x 24V Wheelchair Motors | |
Weapons | Pneumatic Lifting Mechanism | |
Notes | Can lift 13 Stone | |
From: Sussex | ||
Team Members: Rupert Weeks, Chris Weeks & Ken Frost |
Round One[]
- "Only one thing to say before we start. Let the wars begin!"
- — Craig Charles
Mortis vs Ming[]

Mortis' lifter smacks down on Ming's blade
Mortis flips over Ming
Mortis advanced towards Ming quickly and hit it with the axe, before activating the lifter and glancing the disc of Ming with it, causing sparks to fly. Ming, seemingly struggling with mobility, was lifted over by Mortis, causing the saw to detach from Ming spectacularly.
- "Oh, the blade's gone! The blade flown, there it goes!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Having defeated its opponent, Mortis turned its attention to the House Robots by going towards Matilda and hammering it. Dead Metal and Shunt came in quickly with the former clutching Mortis' rear and the latter hitting Mortis with its axe.
- "The audience loving this, the pit's loving this, and I'm loving it too, Mortis, to be honest!"
- — Jonathan Pearce enjoys the battle between Mortis and the House Robots

Mortis is axed by Shunt as it tussles with the House Robots

Mortis is shoved into the Pit by Shunt
Dead Metal then backed away which allowed Shunt to charge Mortis towards the arena wall and tip over; it self-righted, but Dead Metal and Shunt combined once more and pushed it into the Pit.
- "Ooh, lovely... lovely. Look at that. That's one of my favourite moments in the entire history of Robot Wars."
- — Jonathan Pearce as the House Robots pit Mortis
Winner: Mortis
Vector vs T 2[]
- "Well you have to admire the Mortis boys don't you? Do you? Anyway they're through. Next up Vector against T 2."
- — Jonathan Pearce

T 2 rams an immobile Vector

Vector is stabbed by the arena spikes
T 2 had the faster start, but Vector did not seem to be moving at all and was billowing large amounts of smoke. T 2 came in with a couple of slams with Vector still struggling for movement.
- "Can see the yellow lifting arm: lifts, shreds, pokes, cuts hair, drives a car, works a computer, does just about everything that arm, except move."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Vector rolled forwards, but then stopped again on a set of spikes which impaled it multiple times. T 2 eventually nudged Vector into Matilda's CPZ, but for some reason, T 2 drove away, backed onto the edge of the Pit and rolled in.

T 2 falls into the Pit

Shunt axes Vector as Dead Metal saws from the front
- "T2 flushed down the loo! And I wonder, if they go through... because, were Vector immobilised before T 2 went down? I honestly don't know."
- — Jonathan Pearce
The House Robots then closed in on Vector, Shunt axing the lifting arm and ripping off a panel. The Judges decided that T 2 had won, as Vector had been immobilised long enough to be considered out before T 2 pitted itself.
- "T for two. Two for T. Through in a spree."
- — Jonathan Pearce afterwards
Winner: T 2
The Darke Destroyer vs Sgt. Meikle[]

Sgt. Meikle axes The Darke Destroyer

The Darke Destroyer damages Sgt. Meikle
This match was slow compared to the previous two. Sgt. Meikle brought its axe down, but it was too slow and did nothing more than scrape The Darke Destroyer. When The Darke Destroyer brought its blade into play, it scratched the shell of Sgt. Meikle. Although Sgt. Meikle used the axe once more, it continued to cause little trouble. The blade of The Darke Destroyer stopped twice on impact.
- "So it obviously needs a run up on the attack, The Darke Destroyer, to get any penetrating, punishing power from that blade."
- — Jonathan Pearce

The Darke Destroyer rams Sgt. Meikle

The Darke Destroyer's blade is bent as Sgt. Meikle continues to pressure
Sgt. Meikle pushed The Darke Destroyer towards Matilda, but in doing so, overstepped its mark and went into the CPZ itself. It backed away as Matilda charged out and continued to weather the hits from Darke Destroyer's blade, while its own axe weapon was not working properly and its spike was underneath The Darke Destroyer's clearance. At the end of the fight, The Darke Destroyer's blade then folded in on itself, just before time ran out.
- "For me, The Darke Destroyer just did enough."
- — Jonathan Pearce
The Judges gave the fight to The Darke Destroyer.
Winner: The Darke Destroyer
Gravedigger vs Manic Mutant[]

Manic Mutant gets in behind Gravedigger

Manic Mutant rams Gravedigger
Manic Mutant starting brightly, getting an early glancing blow in at the side of Gravedigger before getting in behind and attempting to shove it. Gravedigger dug in though, and this forced Manic Mutant to back away.
- "Now, we'll see the pushing power of Manic Mutant, and Gravedigger actually heaving back!"
- — Jonathan Pearce as Manic Mutant gets in behind Gravedigger

Gravedigger misses the first flip

Gravedigger flips Manic Mutant
Manic Mutant then retreated in order to line up another drive towards Gravedigger and slammed into the side of it. Manic Mutant still struggled to force Gravedigger back a sufficient distance though, and backed away again. Manic Mutant drove at Gravedigger once more, but this time, the front of Gravedigger was facing it, and as a result, it shot up the front of Gravedigger's wedge. Gravedigger fired its flipping arm, but Manic Mutant wasn't in line with the Gravedigger weapon, so it missed. After repositioning slightly, Manic Mutant was now in the right position, and Gravedigger threw Manic Mutant over, immobilising it. Cease was called straight afterwards. Although, extra footage had then shown Gravedigger pushing the overturned Manic Mutant towards the Pit, and finally dumping it in. But, because of time constraints this scene was omitted.
Winner: Gravedigger
Round Two[]
- "And this, the second round line-up. Mortis against Gravedigger, and Darke Destroyer against T2"
- — Jonathan Pearce recapping the second round line-up from earlier
Mortis vs Gravedigger[]

Mortis axes Gravedigger

Mortis lifts Gravedigger into Shunt, who axes it
Mortis immediately charged at Gravedigger, catching it broadside on and axing it multiple times. Gravedigger backed away, with Mortis continuing to pressure Gravedigger, forcing it into Shunt. Mortis lifted Gravedigger up, which allowed Shunt to carve a crevasse into Gravedigger.
- "And look at that damage sustained immediately by Gravedigger!"
- — Jonathan Pearce

Gravedigger thrusts Mortis over

Mortis axes Gravedigger once again but loses some mobility
Mortis then stopped lifting Gravedigger and instead decided to push Gravedigger further into Shunt's CPZ. Shunt managed to record another axe blow on Gravedigger, before Gravedigger finally escaped. Mortis attempted to go after Gravedigger again, but skirted too close to Shunt's CPZ, with the House Robot axing it as a result. Mortis then got stuck on a set of arena spikes while Shunt lifted it up with the scoop. This allowed Gravedigger to get underneath Mortis and then thrust it over. Shunt pushed Mortis away from the CPZ, who then landed back on its tracks. Mortis and Gravedigger then clashed head on and a brief pushing match ensued. Mortis backed away after a short period, and then as it scarred Gravedigger with another axe attack, the right hand track locked up and it couldn't move freely.

Mortis' track locks up

Gravedigger turns Mortis back over

Gravedigger puts Mortis six feet under to cause a major upset
Mortis flailed away with its axe and spun around in circles, before Gravedigger wedged under and flipped Mortis over, and, before Mortis could self-right, nudged it into the Pit, prompting massive cheers from everyone in the pits. Gravedigger then attacked the House Robots, managing to partly dislodge Matilda's shell. Shunt slammed its axe into Gravedigger's shell, and the battle ended, with the fall of the second of Series 2's Semi-Finalists.
- "Well. There's the turn-up for the books. Gravedigger go through."
- — Craig Charles
The Darke Destroyer vs T 2[]
- "Nervous they may be, but they're through. Gravedigger. That's a surprise isn't it? Darke Destroyer against T 2, our second Round 2 clash."
- — Jonathan Pearce

T2 rams The Darke Destroyer

T2 shoves The Darke Destroyer into the clutches of Dead Metal
T 2 started by slamming into The Darke Destroyer before nearly continuing into Shunt's CPZ. It turned, and attacked The Darke Destroyer side on, pushing it around in circles before The Darke Destroyer broke free. T 2 continued to pursue The Darke Destroyer, pushing it into Dead Metal. Dead Metal's blade caused a shower of sparks, before it let go.
- "Clever driving - pushing The Darke Destroyer into the grip of Dead Metal."
- — Jonathan Pearce praises T 2's driving

The Darke Destroyer finds itself in between T2 and Shunt

T 2 gets too close to Dead Metal
After taking damage from Dead Metal's saw, The Darke Destroyer escaped and landed glancing blows, but was pushed back towards Shunt by T 2. T 2 drove into a flame jet and both robots escaped. Another clash caused the blade to buckle T 2's front ram, and other blows landed on the side and wheels.
- "It's very cautious. A conservative battle, this."
- — Jonathan Pearce

T 2 rams The Darke Destroyer into the side wall

T 2 stops the blade of The Darke Destroyer
T 2 pushed into The Darke Destroyer, raising its own front off the ground, but its rear-mounted wheels allowed it to push The Darke Destroyer into the side walls and almost overturn its opponent. When this failed, T 2 pulled away, only just escaped Dead Metal, and pushed The Darke Destroyer around, taking one blow that caused it to jump slightly. When cease was called, a split decision put The Darke Destroyer through, prompting some booing from the audience.
Winner: The Darke Destroyer
Round Three[]
- "It's all been quite peaceful so far, but now's the third and final round. Let's kick some bottom!"
- — Craig Charles
Gravedigger vs The Darke Destroyer[]

Darke Destroyer scratches Gravedigger's shell
The Heat Final featured two robots who were not expected to reach the stage. The two started by circling each other before The Darke Destroyer skirted up the front of Gravedigger. Gravedigger pushed The Darke Destroyer and fired its flipping arm, but The Darke Destroyer was in no position to be flipped over. The Darke Destroyer backed away with Gravedigger attempting to get underneath The Darke Destroyer once more. The Darke Destroyer then scratched Gravedigger with the blade before Gravedigger pushed The Darke Destroyer into Dead Metal, who sliced the front again.
- "Dead Metal, trying to drag The Darke Destroyer back into its CPZ, into its lair, and create more mayhem, and mechanical nuisance, and devilry."
- — Jonathan Pearce

Darke Destroyer is pinched by Dead Metal
The Darke Destroyer escaped, but continued to struggle to impose itself as Gravedigger attempted to get underneath The Darke Destroyer multiple times. Gravedigger finally managed to slide underneath the back of The Darke Destroyer and thrust it through the air, but couldn't flip it onto its back.
- "And there the lifting arm, flipping The Darke Destroyer up, but not over."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Dead Metal grabbed hold of The Darke Destroyer's blade, but wasn't close enough to inflict further damage into it with its circular saw, so released it. Gravedigger then angled underneath The Darke Destroyer and edged it towards Shunt. The two continued to jostle near the CPZ before Gravedigger forced The Darke Destroyer back once more. During the push, a spike came up from the arena floor and tossed The Darke Destroyer over.

The Darke Destroyer is flipped

The Darke Destroyer about to get sliced by Dead Metal's circular saw

The Darke Destroyer lays battered and beaten
- "This is crucial. This is a crucial moment in the heat final. Up and over, The Darke Destroyer."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Shunt axed the now immobile Darke Destroyer, while Gravedigger assaulted Sgt. Bash. Dead Metal then came in and cut into The Darke Destroyer's front yet again, before dragging it across the arena.
- "Gravedigger with a clear win, flipping Darke Destroyer. Gravedigger through to our series semi-finals!"
- — Craig Charles
Heat Winner: Gravedigger
- "They say it never rains, but it always pours, but we reign supreme, on Robot Wars!"
- — Craig Charles signs off
Special Event[]

Eye of Newt hits the 50 point tyre
Between Round 1 and Round 2 of each heat, a Special Event or Trial took place. For Heat F, it was the third Pinball Competition run, featuring Eye of Newt.
Score: 90 points
Trivia[]
- Heat F marked Mortis' poorest performance in its four-year run, losing in the second round of the heat to Gravedigger.
- In addition, the battle between T 2 and Vector was the first time the Judges intervened against a KO victory. Despite T 2 falling into the Pit, it was put through because Vector had been deemed immobile.
- During the tour of the pits at the start of the heat, Kane Aston from Team Make Robotics was briefly seen at Sgt. Meikle's workbench.
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