Robot Wars: The Third Wars/Pinball Competition

Pinball Competition
The Series 3 Pinball arena
Structure Information
Number of Competing Robots	10
Format	Obstacle course
History
UK Series	3
Winner(s)	Razer

"...and what better way to relax than the return of that old arcade favourite, our Pinball Warrior Championship... Relaxing? You get more rest at a Meat Loaf concert!"

— Craig Charles introduces the Pinball Competition in Series 3, Heat A

The Pinball Competition of Robot Wars: The Third Wars (also referred to as Pinball Warrior, the Pinball Warrior Championship or simply Pinball) was a side event held throughout Robot Wars: The Third Wars, based on the Pinball Trial from the Second Wars. Competing robots were required to knock down objects, hit targets or clear certain obstacles in order to score as many points as possible within the time limit. The robot with the highest score by the end of the competition would be declared the winner.

Razer eventually won the competition, which had been led for the most part by Dominator.

Arena

• One stack of 5-point barrels
• A 50-point target
• The 75-point target
• The multiball release
• Swinging car doors
• The Sphere
• The see-saw ramp
• The bricks

1/8

The Pinball arena featured the following obstacles and targets, each with varying degrees of difficulty and offering a certain amount of points depending on their difficulty:

• Two stacks of barrels; one with nine barrels, the other seven (5 points per barrel knocked over)
• A see-saw ramp (20 points if successfully driven over)
• Two 50-point and one 75-point targets, each made out of a car tyre. 50-point targets guarded by Shunt and Sergeant Bash, with either Dead Metal or Matilda guarding the 75-point target.
• A multiball release, consisting of a car bumper that would release several balls when pressed (10 points when released, 5 points each for every ball that falls into the Pit)
• Swinging car doors (25 points)
• A large sphere (25 points if pushed into the Pit)

Additionally, Sir Killalot had complete freedom of the arena, posing another obstacle for competitors. Two pits were featured in the arena, which as in the main competition would result in instant elimination for competitors which drove into them. A stack of bricks was also located near one of the Pits, although no points were scored through knocking them down or into the Pit.

Runs

Dominator (Heat A)

Dominator opens the multiball release with a stray barrel

Dominator started by driving towards the left-hand set of barrels, swerving into them and knocking over 5. Dominator drove around the edge of the see-saw, then drove around the see-saw, driving into Sgt. Bash's side. Sgt. Bash turned and pushed Dominator against the see-saw. Sergeant Bash reversed, but before Dominator could get away, Sir Killalot pushed the end of the see-saw using his lance, pinning Dominator down. Sir Killalot let go and reversed, and Dominator drove away, swerving around, hitting one of the barrels it had knocked over earlier, and knocking it over to the multi-ball release, releasing the balls.

"Oh look at that, it's released the mulit-ball! ... Magnificent stuff!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Dominator opens the multi-ball release with a barrel

Sir Killalot pins Dominator against the wall and pinches the front

As Dominator turned, it swerved around Sgt. Bash, clipping his target. However, when Dominator tried to get away, it drove into the back of Sgt. Bash. It managed to get around him, but as it drove down the arena, Sir Killalot drove at its side and bulldozed it against the multi-ball release, with Dead Metal also blocking its escape. The two House Robots kept Dominator trapped, until Sir Killalot reversed, and Dead Metal turned Dominator away from the corner and let it go. Dominator was caught on one of Dead Metal's claws, and Sir Killalot bulldozed it into the bottom arena wall, but as he did so, he pushed it against the 75 point target. Dominator tried to get free, but Sir Killalot blocked it and cut through the front armour with his claw.

"Oh dear, dear, dear! Imagine having your rear end pinched by Killalot! Ooh, now there's a thought!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Killalot cuts through Dominator's front

Dominator is caught in the corner by the House Robots

Eventually, Sir Killalot reversed, and Dominator turned away. It drove into the frame of the car doors, then reversed to try and drive through them, but drove back into the frame. It tried to turn to drive through the middle and hit the doors, but appeared to be having control problems, as it couldn't turn. After a couple of failed attempts to turn, it reversed to try again, but this time drove into the other side of the frame. It reversed, backing into the frame again, then drove into the arena wall. It reversed, turned and tried to drive at Shunt's target, but Shunt was ready, charging at Dominator, ramming it into the corner and axing Dominator's top repeatedly. Shunt kept Dominator pinned in the corner, lifting it up and down with his scoop and axing it, and Dead Metal also came over to help trap Dominator, and cut into the top with his saw.

"Dominator, trying to get to the 50 points. Couldn't get in there, and the House Robots now exacting revenge! Dead Metal and also Shunt. Damage limitation exercises for the Dominator team, after picking up good points."

— Jonathan Pearce as the House Robots trap Dominator in the corner

The House Robots kept Dominator trapped until time ran out, and Dominator had scored an impressive 160 points, setting a high standard for the other competitors to beat.

"Not a bad run at all at the Pinball"

— Jonathan Pearce as time runs out

Score: 160 points

Crusader (Heat D)

Crusader's flipper becomes caught under the 50 point target

Crusader started as Dominator had, turning at the left-hand set of barrels and driving into them, knocking over 5. Crusader turned away, reversed, then drove past the see-saw. Crusader stopped as Sir Killalot was in its way, then reversed to the top of the arena. It tried to drive up the see-saw, but missed its charge and drove at the corner of the see-saw. Sir Killalot pushed at Crusader's side, forcing it away from the see-saw. Crusader turned, and when Sir Killalot reversed, Crusader drove back at the barrels, but only managed to knock one more over. It drove down the arena, driving around Sgt. Bash, bumping into the see-saw as it did so. As Crusader drove past, Sergeant Bash drove to the edge of his zone and blasted his flamethrower, but this left his target unguarded, and Crusader swerved around Sgt. Bash and hit the target, earning another 50 points. However, as it did so, its flipper became caught under the target, leaving Crusader stuck.

"What's happened here though? I think Crusader's impaled itself on the tyre! Oh dear, that's a major shame! Deflating problems for the Crusader team."

— Jonathan Pearce as Crusader's flipper becomes caught under the target

Crusader hits the multiball release

Sergeant Bash pushed against Crusader's side, and Crusader fired its flipper, and after some more pushing from Sergeant Bash, Crusader was freed. Sgt. Bash reversed, and Crusader drove back at the 50 point target, which was already illuminated. Crusader reversed to the bottom of the arena, slamming into the multi-ball release, but before it could get away, Sir Killalot drove towards it, blocking its escape. Crusader drove into Sir Killalot, reversed, and quickly drove around Sir Killalot, only to drive into Sgt. Bash's side. Sergeant Bash tried to reverse away, but Crusader pushed against it, forcing Sergeant Bash against the see-saw.

"Takes on Sgt. Bash at this stage? You want to get away from there!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Crusader rams into Sgt. Bash

Crusader drives into the Pit

Crusader reversed, nearly backing into Sir Killalot, but turned and drove across the arena, but drove along the edge of the Pit, nearly falling in. Crusader was able to stop itself, reverse and turn away before it could fall in. Crusader reversed up to the top of the arena, and turned, aiming for the other set of barrels, but it turned too far and drove into the arena wall. Crusader reversed, stopping short of the Pit, and turned to face the barrels, but turned just a little too far, leaving it on the edge of the Pit, and as it drove forwards, it fell into the Pit, ending the run, with disappointingly few points.

"Driving insanely here, what's gone on? The lights are flickering on, but there's no-one at home in this team! Goodness me, that's terrible driving boys! And I don't think it's a very healthy score."

— Jonathan Pearce as Crusader nearly drives into one Pit, then drives into the top one

Score: 90 points

Eye of Newt (Heat F)

"Let's see if we can discover a spellbinding performance."

— Jonathan Pearce at the beginning of Eye of Newt's Pinball run

Eye of Newt knocks over the barrels

Like the two competitors before it, Eye of Newt started by turning and driving at the left-hand set of barrels. Eye of Newt drove through the barrels, knocking over 4 of them, then reversed and started spinning, knocking over another two. Eye of Newt turned around a barrel, trying to knock it over, but failed, and as it did so, Sir Killalot came over, driving onto its front wedge. Eye of Newt pushed back against Sir Killalot, forcing him past the see-saw, then reversed out from under him. After being lifted up by an Arena Spike, Eye of Newt reversed, pushing a barrel, but drove into the arena wall. Eye of Newt drove up the arena, past Sir Killalot and through the barrels, which were already knocked over. It knocked a barrel away as it drove into the arena centre, whilst Sir Killalot drove over the see-saw, pushing a barrel as he did so. Eye of Newt drove towards the other set of barrels, but as it drove by the Pit it stopped, and drove away, driving into the side of the see-saw.

"Will they try and score easy points with the barrels? They need to get moving here, time is ticking away!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Eye of Newt reverses away from the barrels

Sir Killalot pins Eye of Newt against the wall

Eye of Newt paused, and Sir Killalot drove into it, still pushing a barrel. Sir Killalot bulldozed Eye of Newt up the arena along the see-saw. Eye on Newt had a chance to get away, and tried to drive onto the see-saw, but got stuck, and Sir Killalot pushed it against the arena wall, pinning it against a barrel. Sir Killalot reversed, but Eye of Newt failed to get away, reversing a little, then driving against a barrel.

"Need a magic wand up there really, don't they? Need to disappear fast from Killalot, that's for certain! Use your disappearing act boys! Not enough points being scored early on here!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Killalot pushes Eye of Newt against the wall

Eye of Newt hits the 50 point target

Sergeant Bash pushed the see-saw before Eye of Newt could reverse up it, and Eye of Newt reversed. It turned, but was stuck on the edge of the see-saw. Sir Killalot pushed it off, and Eye of Newt drove into the side of Sgt. Bash, who was at the edge of his zone. Eye of Newt turned, but missed its run at the 50 point target, driving into the arena wall. Sir Killalot closed in, and Eye of Newt reversed, then turned into the 50 point target. In the last few seconds, Sir Killalot got his lance under Eye of Newt and pinned it against the arena wall.

"This is too ponderous. Go on, get moving, get moving! There's 50 points available, go on! Ah, bad steering, bad steering. Eye of Newt, blind as a bat it would seem."

— Jonathan Pearce as Eye of Newt misses the 50 point target

Eye of Newt gets caught under the multiball release

Sir Killalot closed in, and Eye of Newt reversed, then turned into the 50 point target. In the last few seconds, Sir Killalot got his lance under Eye of Newt and pinned it against the arena wall. He reversed, and Eye of Newt made a last charge down the arena for the multi-ball release in the last few seconds, but missed, driving into the wall, and getting caught under the multi-ball release without hitting the target.

"But time ticking away, and this isn't a particularly good score so far. Come on, one last dash towards the multi-ball! Oh, just missed! Times gonna beat them - it has!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Eye of Newt misses its last charge

Dead Metal drove over and pushed Eye of Newt free just after time ran out. Dead Metal then backed into the multi-ball release, scattering the balls, but it was after "Cease" was called, and as this was done by a House Robot it wouldn't have counted anyway, meaning Eye of Newt had done no better than Crusader.

"Oh, and Dead Metal showing them how it should have been done. Not a great score for the wizards."

— Jonathan Pearce as Eye of Newt's run ends

Score: 90 points

Six Pac (Heat G)

Six Pac drives over the see-saw

Once again, Six Pac's first move was to turn at the left-hand set of barrels, driving at the edge of the set of barrels, knocking over two. Six Pac turned around and drove through the barrels again, this time knocking over 4. Six Pac tried driving away, but drove into the side of the see-saw, and Sir Killalot came over. Six Pac reversed, turned, then quickly reversed away from Sir Killalot. After turning around, Six Pac drove down the arena, past the see-saw, then drove towards the multi-ball release. After a pause, Six Pac drove into the multi-ball release, scattering the balls. Six Pac turned around, but before it could drive at another target, Sir Killalot reversed into its side, pushing it against Matilda. Six Pac reversed away, turned around, and drove up the arena, past Sergeant Bash's zone. The spikes raised as Six Pac drove over them, but this did not stop Six Pac, as it reached the left-hand set of barrels, and tried to knock over the two barrels it had not toppled earlier. It pushed them, but could not topple them, and drove onto the edge of the see-saw. Six Pac stopped, turned around, and drove over the see-saw.

"Steady scoring by Six Pac ... that's the first robot to achieve the ramp, in the Pinball challenge. Look at this, that's good speed, up and over, can get up to 8 miles an hour, Six Pac. ... I tell you, this is a very good run by Six Pac here."

— Jonathan Pearce as SixPac tries to knock the remaining barrels over, then drives over the ramp

Six Pac fails to hit the 75 point target

Six Pac drove straight into Matilda, who pushed Six Pac back to the multi-ball release, but as she let go and reversed, she reversed to the edge of her zone, leaving the 75 point target open. Six Pac drove at the target, but suddenly stopped moving in front of the target. This pause allowed Matilda to drive between Six Pac and the target and flip the target out of the arena.

"Points here on the target, go on, go on! Oh, what an opportunity missed! The 75 point target was there to be had!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Six Pac fails to hit the 75 point target

Shunt pushes Six Pac

Matilda blocked Six Pac with her tusks, and Sir Killalot reversed into Six Pac to pin it against Matilda. Six Pac was able to drive over Matilda's tusks, but Matilda pushed it into the side of the car doors frame, with the help of Sir Killalot. Six Pac rode up on Matilda's side, and reversed off. Six Pac drove at the 50 point target, and Shunt failed to stop it from hitting the target. However, Six Pac appeared to have some control problems whilst trying to get away, turning around, and Shunt pushed against its side. Six Pac tried to drive away, but only moved a tiny bit before stopping. It managed to turn away from Shunt, and drove around to the car doors, driving through them to earn more points. Six Pac drove across the arena to Sgt. Bash's zone, but Sergeant Bash blocked it, so Six Pac reversed away. Six Pac reversed into Matilda's side, and Sir Killalot came over, pinning Six Pac against Matilda.

"This is tremendous stuff, very impressive, and Killalot knows it and comes in for revenge! Crashing Six Pac onto the shell of Matilda. Talk about between a rock and a hard place, between Matilda and Killalot!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Killalot pins Six Pac against Matilda

Six Pac tried to get away from Sir Killalot, but his lance blocked it, and Sir Killalot pushed Six Pac against the bottom arena wall, and though Six Pac managed to push Sir Killalot back, time ran out. Six Pac had managed a good score, but had not managed to overtake Dominator at the top of the leaderboard.

"But that was good stuff from Six Pac! All the way through; decisive steering, ... 135 points, and that's a great score! Well done!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Six Pac's run comes to the end

Score: 135 points

Killerhurtz (Heat I)

"A Robot Wars veteran, quick at sixteen miles an hour. The axe weapon shouldn't really be a factor here, the 83 kilos might be, to push away Killalot."

— Jonathan Pearce introduces Killerhurtz in the Pinball

Killerhurtz, having knocked over the left hand set of barrels

Strangely, Killerhurtz did not move at the start. Its front wheels were turning, but the robot did not move away for a few seconds, until Sir Killalot closed in, and Killerhurtz darted away. As usual, it turned and hit the left-hand set of barrels, knocking over four of them.

"Par for the course would be to take on the barrels. Par for the course would be... to take on anything! To move! Uhh, we've had activate boys! Oh! Little bits slow, but anyway we've got barrels tumbling. Maybe it was a little bit of a tactic to suck Killalot in! Doubt it."

— Jonathan Pearce as Killerhurtz dosen't move at first, then gets away from Sir Killalot

Killerhurtz hits the multiball release

Killerhurtz reversed, then knocked over another barrel as it sped down the arena, but slammed into Sergeant Bash. Killerhurtz turned and drove around the House Robot, then charged into the multi-ball release. Wasting no time, Killerhurtz reversed, then charged at the bottom arena wall, but did not hit the target, driving into the arena wall beside it, though the target still illuminated as Killerhurtz hit the arena wall beside it.

"Spinning away here, Killerhurtz, madly, as if control is a bit of a problem."

— Jonathan Pearce as Killerhurtz reversed away from the wall, having failed to hit the target

Shunt gets under Killerhurtz

Killerhurtz reversed, then drove over to the car doors, driving through them to gain another 25 points. However, as it did so, it turned and drove into the side of the frame. Killerhurtz reversed and managed to turn out from the car doors frame, but then drove into the corner of the arena. Killerhurtz reversed, turning to face Shunt's target, and charged, but Shunt was ready for it, and pushed it against the wall, lifting it up with his scoop. Shunt pushed Killerhurtz down to the bottom of the arena, pinning it against the wall and lifting it onto its side. Shunt lowered the scoop, but Killerhurtz became caught on one of the spikes on top of Shunt's scoop.

"Disappointing this so far, from the Killerhurtz team. Very experienced at Robot Wars, and they know what it's like to feel the axe blade of Shunt."

— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt gets under Killerhurtz

Shunt almost reverses into the pit

Shunt reversed, pulling Killerhurtz with it. He lifted his scoop to try and shake Killerhurtz free, then fired his axe, but Killerhurtz was still caught. Shunt axed Killerhurtz and reversed, dragging Killerhurtz with it and nearly backing into the pit as he did so, before pushing Killerhurtz against the arena wall, which knocked it free of the top. Killerhurtz reversed, backing to the edge of Dead Metal's zone, and sped away as Dead Metal tried to grab it. However, Killerhurtz drove straight into Shunt's front, and Shunt pinned Killerhurtz in the corner. Shunt reversed a little, but Killerhurtz drove back into him, so Shunt pinned Killerhurtz against the wall, lifting it with his scoop.

"If they can get back through that car door, they'd be into the freedom of the middle of the arena to score points, but they've been penned in here, into the Corner Patrol Zone."

— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt pins Killerhurtz against the wall again

Time ran out, and a run that started promisingly had ended with a disappointingly low total, leaving Killerhurtz bottom of the leaderboard.

"And that's a very disappointing run for Killerhurtz. That really was the highlight, the multi-ball release. But apart from that, a sluggish start. Through the doors, yes, to score points, but much needed because the rest of the run was barren! And once the House Robots came in, Shunt in particular, they knew they were in trouble!"

— Jonathan Pearce reviews the highlights after Killerhurtz's run

Score: 60 points

ROCS 2 (Heat K)

ROCS 2 knocks over the barrels

ROCS 2 started slowly, reversing against the top arena wall, before turning to face the left-hand set of barrels, but it turned too far, and when it tried to drive into the barrels, it drove into the top arena wall. ROCS 2 reversed, but instead of turning, it drove forwards, then reversed. It drove forwards a little, then turned and drove into the barrels, to finally earn some points.

"Rocking and rolling, err no, not quite. Cross of St. George proudly borne atop, but ah, come on boys, it is now time to rock and roll! Uh, you won't get any points for taking on Killalot, but points scored nonetheless there!"

— Jonathan Pearce as ROCS 2 slowly gets to the barrels

Sir Killalot blocks the 50 point target

ROCS 2 knocked over 5 of the barrels as it drove into the stack of barrels, reversed, and drove back into the barrels to try and knock over a couple more. ROCS 2 turned around, pushing a couple of barrels, but did not manage to turn them over. Sir Killalot closed in, and ROCS 2 reversed away, its rear wedge tipping over one more barrel, and pushing another away.

"Needs more speed. The barrels are already down, well one is standing, you might another 5 points if you can topple that, but Killalot you see, you've given him too much time to come in."

— Jonathan Pearce as ROCS 2 fails to move away from the barrels

ROCS 2 drove at Sergeant Bash's zone, driving under Sergeant Bash, but Sgt. Bash reversed against the button to prevent ROCS 2 hitting the target. ROCS 2 could not push the House Robot, and Sir Killalot got behind ROCS 2, pushing it with his lance and pushing a barrel against it.

"Control seems to be a problem here. Meanwhile Bash guards the tyre target, which would have got you 50 points. You're gonna have to veer away from that now Colin and Karl. Bash is blocking one route, Killalot the other, so which way?"

— Jonathan Pearce as ROCS 2 finds itself between Sgt. Bash and Sir Killalot

ROCS 2 is lifted up by the Floor Spikes as it goes for the barrels.

ROCS 2 reversed away from the target, then tried driving at it, but Sir Killalot blocked the way with his lance and one of the barrels. ROCS 2 reversed across the arena to the other set of barrels, but drove onto the Arena Spikes, which lifted it up. As it drove off the Spikes and tried to line up a drive at the barrels, Sir Killalot closed in, pushing ROCS 2 through the barrels, but only two of them fell over.

"Cheap points to be gained with the other barrels, that's a good decision, but ooh, flipped up by the spike in the arena floor! Killalot closing in - he's behind you! Down go more barrels, it's hardly a barrel of laughs for the Sievers family so far!"

— Jonathan Pearce as ROCS 2 tries to reach the barrels

Sir Killalot held off, and ROCS 2 moved forwards, pushing one of the overturned barrels, but before it could try and push over any more barrels, Sir Killalot pushed it against the bottom arena wall. Time ran out, and ROCS 2 had scored a pitiful 35 points, well below previous bottom place Killerhurtz.

"Have they made the best of what they've got, I wonder? Which wasn't a great deal, let's be honest. Now, I make that 35 points. Oh, disappointment for them."

— Jonathan Pearce as ROCS 2's run ends

Score: 35 points

Oblivion 2 (Heat L)

"Dominator, 160 points, Six Pac, the only worthy challenger really. Until Oblivion 2, perhaps."

— Jonathan Pearce looks at the leaderboard before Oblivion 2's run

Oblivion 2 knocks over the barrels

Oblivion 2 rams Sergeant Bash as it goes for the 50 point target

Oblivion 2 got off to a quick start, turning to the left-hand set of barrels, driving behind them and giving them a little push, causing four of them to fall of the stack and fall over. Oblivion 2 pushed through the barrels, causing one of them to fall over, and pushing another one, but not turning it over. Oblivion 2 reversed, then drove down the arena, but as it drove over the arena spikes, the middle of them raised a little, causing Oblivion 2 to turn. Oblivion 2 stopped and reversed back to correct its path, but the spikes lifted up, lifting Oblivion 2 up, and when they dropped, Oblivion 2 drove into the arena wall. Oblivion 2 turned away from the wall and drove around a barrel it had scattered, then drove at Sergeant Bash's zone. Oblivion 2 drove straight at Sgt. Bash, pushing him back, then Sergeant Bash pushed back against Oblivion 2 with his front pincer. Oblivion 2 reversed, drove into Sgt. Bash's side, then backed into his target, earning another 50 points. Sir Killalot came over, pushing Oblivion 2 against Sergeant Bash. Sergeant Bash reversed, and Oblivion 2 moved forwards, but suddenly stopped just outside of Dead Metal's zone due to a cable coming loose from one of the speed controllers.

"And I think Oblivion 2, is out of this, they're immobilised! They've gone, and now they're just fodder for the House Robots; Killalot, Dead Metal. And Oblivion 2, what a disappointment. They were picking up points steadily, not spectacularly."

— Jonathan Pearce as Oblivion 2 stops moving

Sir Killalot pushes the immobile Oblivion 2 after being set on fire

Sir Killalot pushed it to Dead Metal, who grabbed it in his claws. Sir Killalot pushed Oblivion 2, then Dead Metal pushed it out of his zone. Dead Metal let go of Oblivion 2, but Oblivion 2 was still immobile, so could not get away. Sir Killalot started pushing Oblivion 2, pushing it against Dead Metal. Sir Killalot pushed the two of them together, forcing Dead Metal back against his target, but this naturally did not count to Oblivion 2's score. Sir Killalot reversed, and Dead Metal pushed the immobile Oblivion 2 by a stack of bricks and left it there. Dead Metal turned around and backed into Oblivion with his rear spike, knocking over some of the bricks, which were not worth any points. Three House Robots surrounded Oblivion 2, but as Sir Killalot and Sergeant Bash came into attack, Sergeant Bash fired his flamethrower, catching Sir Killalot, and causing his internals to catch light.

"Oh, in comes Bash, look what Bash has done to Killalot! The flamethrower has caught Killalot’s brain alight it seems!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Sgt. Bash sets fire to his fellow House Robot

The House Robots left Oblivion 2 as Sir Killalot drove to the side of the arena so the fire could be put out. Oblivion 2's breakdown had prematurely ended a run that started promisingly.

"Oblivion 2, not much better. Heading for oblivion in the Robot Wars history books."

— Jonathan Pearce reviews the first nine Pinball competitors, reaching Oblivion 2

Score: 75 points

Inquisitor Mk 2 (Heat N)

Sir Killalot pins Inquisitor Mk 2 in the corner

Inquisitor Mk 2 made the usual start, turning to the left-hand set of barrels, and slowly drove at them and gave the front of the stack a light nudge, but failed to knock any over, and turned away. Inquisitor Mk 2 turned away from the barrels as Sir Killalot drove towards it, drove towards Sir Killalot, then turned around. Inquisitor Mk 2 hit the side of the barrels, nudging them but still failing to knock any over, then drove behind the barrels, turning into them and knocking a couple over, though one bounced and landed upright.

"A tentative little nudge, and not even a barrel knocked down! Well that's a terrible start! Every, EVERY robot in Pinball has managed to knock barrels down! About 10, maybe 15 points scored."

— Jonathan Pearce as Inquisitor Mk 2 initially fails to knock barrels over

Sir Killalot pushes Inquisitor off the see-saw

However, as it pushed the bottom barrel, Sir Killalot was waiting, blocking the barrel with his lance, preventing it from being knocked over. Inquisitor Mk 2 drove forwards, but Sir Killalot blocked its path, and as Inquisitor Mk 2 tried to turn, Sir Killalot bulldozed it into the top corner of the arena. Sir Killalot reversed, backing into the barrels and knocking a couple of them over, which did not count to Inquisitor Mk 2's score. Inquisitor reversed, turned around, then drove at the see-saw, but as it tried to drive up the ramp, Sir Killalot pushed against its side with his lance, pushing it askew, then nearly knocking it off the see-saw.

"Inquisitor comes up and over the ramp. Now this will be points scored... ooh, Killalot nudging it away! They've got to get up and over that ramp very quickly! On the spikes, this is a terrible run!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Killalot pushes Inquisitor Mk 2 off the see-saw

Inquisitor turned and drove off the see-saw, then drove into the barrels with a tentative nudge, knocking off a barrel. As it did so, it drove onto the spikes, which lifted Inquisitor off the floor. As the lowered, Inquisitor turned, but turned to far, and it drove onto the corner of the see-saw, and it became caught. Inquisitor Mk 2 reversed, but backed over the spikes, which lifted its front up.

"Well they've got a little activating wheel which can raise the bodywork clear of the ground and the arena spikes, but not much power it would seem! Top speed: 6 miles an hour!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Inquisitor Mk 2 struggles to get off of the spikes

Inquisitor hits the 50 point target

The spikes lowered, and Inquisitor Mk 2 drove towards Sergeant Bash's zone. Inquisitor pushed against the side of Sgt. Bash, pushing him against the wall. Sgt. Bash blocked the target, but then reversed, allowing Inquisitor Mk 2 to hit it. Sir Killalot pinned Inquisitor Mk 2 against the wall, pushing it against Sgt. Bash. Sir Killalot quickly reversed, but Inquisitor managed to get out from under the House Robot using its lifter and reversed. It turned back against the target, which did not earn any points as it had already been hit. Despite this, Inquisitor Mk 2 turned and hit it again, before turning away from the button and driving at Sir Killalot.

"Now which way for Inquisitor? Oh, not back at the target, you can't score the same target twice!"

— Jonathan Pearce questions Inquisitor Mk 2's driving as it drives back into the target

Inquistor opens the multiball release

Inquisitor Mk 2 overturns Matilda

Sir Killalot reversed, and as Inquisitor Mk 2 tried to drive at Matilda, Sir Killalot pushed it against Sgt. Bash with his lance. Inquisitor Mk 2 pushed Sgt. Bash against the wall, got its lifter under the side and lifted the House Robot up a little as he tried to get away. Inquisitor lowered Sgt. Bash, then turned into the multi-ball release, opening it and scattering the balls. Inquisitor reversed, straight into Sir Killalot, who pushed it against the multiball release, pinning it there. Sir Killalot eventually reversed, and with seconds remaining, Inquisitor Mk 2 drove at Matilda, getting underneath her. Cease was called, but Inquisitor did not stop lifting Matilda, managing to turn her onto her side.

"Time is ticking away, Matilda... ooh this looks like fun! In underneath Matilda, after the cease was called! Is that a pleasant experience? Well, I'm not too sure"

— Jonathan Pearce as Inquisitor Mk 2 gets under Matilda and turns her over

Despite this successful attack on a House Robot, Inquisitor Mk 2 had scored a disappointing 70 points.

"Slow and steady scoring, and I make it 70 points notched up by the Inquisitor team. Middle of the road sort of a run for them. Trouble is, they didn't get going at the start, and they know how costly that mistake has now been!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Inquisitor Mk 2's run ends

Score: 70 points

Razer (Heat O)

"Just look at the Razer team, brilliant! ... We all know Razer, weighing in at 79.2 kilos and there that great crushing arm! And their main tactic, they tell us: to have fun!"

— Jonathan Pearce introduces Razer, noting the team's costumes

Razer knocks over the left hand set of barrels

Razer started quickly, turning at the left-hand set of barrels and driving through them, knocking over five of them. Razer smoothly turned around, then turned through the scattered barrels, knocking over another one.

"Smashing, crashing into the barrels, early points, at least 25 30 picked up there!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Razer knocks over the barrels

Razer gets around Sgt. Bash and hits the 50 point target

As Sir Killalot drove towards it, Razer drove out of the CPZ, but drove onto the edge of the see-saw. Razer turned off it, but Sir Killalot drove at it, and Sergeant Bash fired his flamethrower at it. Razer reversed, then approached Sergeant. Razer stopped as Sgt. Bash fired his flamethrower at it, drove into Sgt. Bash's front, but then reversed. Razer turned around, then reversed past Sgt. Bash, waiting by the see-saw. When Sergeant Bash moved forwards, Razer tried to reach his target. Sgt. Bash reversed against Razer to try and block the target, but Razer did not turn away, and when Sgt. Bash moved forwards, Razer hit the target.

"Trying to get round the back of Bash! 50 points scored there by Razer. This is a good run early on, you know!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Razer hits the 50 point targets

Razer backs into the multiball release

Razer reversed out of Sgt. Bash's zone, then turned to face Dead Metal. Razer drove to the edge of his zone, but held back, turning away, then turning back to face Dead Metal and pausing again. Before Dead Metal could block it, Razer darted forwards and hit the 75 point target. Dead Metal got his arms around Razer and pushed it out of his zone, with Razer gripping onto one of his arms with its crusher. Razer let go, and after initially driving at Sgt. Bash's target, which was already lit, Razer reversed into the multiball release.

"This is a very good run, and Dominator at long last could be challenged here!"

— Jonathan Pearce after Razer opened the mutliball release

Razer reversed to the side of the multiball release, and Dead Metal drove at it, grabbing it in his arms. Dead Metal soon let go, and Razer drove up the arena to the other set of barrels; by this point, the sphere was discovered to have gone in the top-right Pit, earning Razer more points. Razer drove through the barrels, knocking over three, then turned to push over the rest, knocking over another one and pushing one of them down the arena, ramming it into the bottom-right Pit, where it fell over.

"Intelligent driving, the sphere's in the Pit! I didn't notice that earlier on. The barrels knocked down as well, this is a splendid run by Razer!"

— Jonathan Pearce after Razer knocks over the barrels

Razer drives through the car doors

Razer drove around the pit into the bricks, which were not worth any points, then reversed. Razer drove at the car doors, but drove into the frame. Razer reversed to try again, and though Sir Killalot reversed into it, Razer drove forwards to open the car doors.

"Now the car door swings! They've virtually completed the whole arena here! What a marvellous run by Razer, that's splendid! They loved it, so did the crowd!"

— Jonathan Pearce at the end of the run, then reviewing the scores

As Razer drove into the bottom corner, time ran out, with Razer having overtaken Dominator's score.

"Old egghead, driving magnificently. New leaders, 210 points, that's phenomenal in the Pinball challenge! Wonderful!"

— Jonathan Pearce reviews Razer's score after Razer's run

Score: 210 points

Mortis (Heat P)

"But Mortis can kill over even Razer if it true to pedigree. With that axe and lifting arm, and quite heavy too, to dodge the House Robots."

— Jonathan Pearce introduces Mortis to the Pinball

Mortis knocks over the right hand set of barrels

Mortis started, unlike the other competitors, by going for the right-hand set of barrels instead of the left hand set. Mortis drove behind the barrels, then turned to try and knock them over, but turned too far and missed. Mortis reversed for another try, then nudged the barrels, causing three of them to fall over.

"Ah, taking those barrels first! Well, this is an unusual route, an unusual tactic."

— Jonathan Pearce as Mortis knocks over the right hand set of barrels

As it did so, Sir Killalot pushed the sphere towards Mortis, and it hit one of the overturned barrels and rolled into the Pit. However, as Sir Killalot pushed it, this did not count. Mortis turned to the side of the stack of barrels and drove into them, knocking over another one. Mortis turned to try and knock over the remaining barrels, but as it pushed them, it did not knock them over, and Sir Killalot was in its way. Mortis backed away from Sir Killalot, then turned into two of the barrels that were still upright, pushing them and knocking one of them over.

"Mortis needs to get out beyond the barrels, changing direction to try and dodge Killalot. Veering away from the barrels!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Mortis is cornered by Sir Killalot

Mortis opens the multiball release

Mortis swerved and drove down the arena, hitting the multiball release and scattering the balls, hitting the multiball release with its axe as it did so. Mortis reversed, but Sir Killalot drove at it. Mortis managed to turn around Sir Killalot, and quickly drove up the arena, driving at the other set of barrels and knocking over 5 of them. Mortis reversed and turned around, then tried to drive over the see-saw, but Sir Killalot, bulldozing a barrel against the see-saw, knocking it askew and causing Mortis to fall off the side, meaning Mortis had not completed the see-saw and didn't earn the points. As Sir Killalot reversed, Mortis got under one of his tracks and fired its axe at his claw.

"Now up and over the ramp. This is a very, very unusual route. I don't think that'll count, they didn't complete the ramp. Taking on Killalot, that won't score you anything. Get you in trouble, I should think!"

— Jonathan Pearce questions Mortis' tactics

Mortis fails to drive up the see-saw

Mortis turned around and drove at the remains of the left-hand set of barrels, but did not knock over any remaining barrels. It tried to drive up the see-saw, but the end had been pushed by the Arena Spikes, and as Mortis tried to drive onto it, the spikes raised, lifting Mortis and the edge of the see-saw. The spikes lowered and Mortis tried again, but was not lined up properly, and drove over the corner. Mortis reversed to turn and try again, but turned too far and drove into the wall. Mortis abandoned the see-saw, reversing into the barrels, then driving down the arena.

"Mortis, time is ticking down on you, to close on that huge 210 points scored by Razer! Will it go up and over the ramp again? They've lost their way Mortis, after that bright opening!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Mortis fails to drive up the see-saw, and abandons it

Mortis gets stuck with one track hanging over the Pit

As it did so, it was driving erratically, turning back and forth instead of driving in a straight line. Mortis drove around the Pit and tried to drive at the car doors, but it drove too close to the Pit, and the end of its tracks were hanging over the edge.

"Through the car door, more points to be score, but if they back too far in – oh, they nearly went into the Pit! They've got themselves between a rock and a hard place, here! Mortis trying to get traction with the great tank tracks! Now edging towards the door, but Rob's got himself into a real pickle here!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Mortis gets itself stuck on the edge of the Pit

Mortis tried turning away, but as it turned around, one of its tracks was left fully hanging over the edge. Time ran out, and despite starting well, Mortis was near the bottom of the leaderboard.

"Came to an end prematurely really! Good run from them, but not good enough! ... But only 60 points scored for Mortis, big disappointment for them, down towards the bottom!"

— Jonathan Pearce at the end of Mortis' run, then after reviewing the highlights

Score: 60 points

Leaderboard

1) Razer (210 points)
2) Dominator (160)
3) Six Pac (135)
4) Crusader (90)
=) Eye of Newt (90)
6) Oblivion 2 (75)
7) Inquisitor (70)
8) Killerhurtz (60)
=) Mortis (60)
10) ROCS 2 (35)

Trivia

Razer grabs hold of Sir Killalot, in a moment only televised in recaps

The Series 3 Pinball Trophy. Note that the front of the trophy says Pinball Wizard

• Velocirippa was originally due to compete in the Pinball, but a behind-the-scenes incident caused filming to be delayed, and it was moved to the Robotic Soccer.

"We turned up for the Pinball tournament only to be told that we had been cancelled as filming had been delayed. As you can imagine I was none too pleased and kicked up a fuss, Mary-Jane took pity on me and negotiated a place in the soccer tournament to be filmed that day."

— Original Velocirippa website

• Eventual winners Razer were originally due to enter the Robotic Soccer tournament instead, but the same behind-the-scenes incident caused its match to be cancelled, and it was moved into the Pinball Competition.

"Prior to filming, we were asked to take part in one of the 'games' which would be separate from the Knockout competition. We thought it was a great chance to have some fun and show off Razer's versatility. Originally we were to take part in the Soccer event. Unfortunately, due to an accident in the studios, filming was rescheduled and the games suffered as a result. We had dressed up for the games and it was very disappointing to be told 'That's it, sorry'. However, towards the end of the filming of the Pinball, the production crew found there was still time for a few extra runs and we were asked to take part."

— The Razer website

• ROCS 2's score of just 35 points was the lowest ever score in Pinball.
• During Razer's run, Razer attacked Sir Killalot, but this moment was cut from the televised edit of Heat O, though brief clips of its attack were included in recaps later in the series

"Despite our treating the whole thing as fun, we somehow managed to hit two of the high scoring arena side targets, built up a score of 210...and took the lead! We had asked the House Roboteers to tip us over at the end of our run so we could show off our new self-righting mechanism. We positioned ourselves near Sir Killalot so he could flip us, but he'd become wedged on an arena hazard. Ian and Simon decided that we needed to do something silly to finish our run and attacked Sir K from the rear. Razer bit down on his behind and then lifted itself off the ground, clinging on like some mad robotic terrier. Unfortunately only about 5 seconds of this was ever televised for whatever reason. Mortis were last to go in the Pinball but failed to beat our score and we were declared winners!"

— The Razer website

• Eye of Newt and SixPac were the only teams in this competition not to appear in any other series of Robot Wars.
• The trophy for this competition referred to the event under the alternate name Pinball Wizard. This detail can be seen in Razer's award card (as shown in its victory montage in Heat P), which includes a photo of the trophy itself.