Robot Wars Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Robot Wars Wiki
For the Series 5 competitor, see Storm Force.

"Storm {noun} pl Storms 1. a violent weather system 2. a metaphoric reference suggesting violence and destruction. 3. to storm {verb} to carry out an act with great speed 4. Your worst nightmare in the arena"
— Storm 2 website[2]

Storm 2 (also styled as Storm II and Storm2) was a heavyweight robot that competed in Series 7 and 8 of Robot Wars, alongside the second series of Robot Wars Extreme. It enjoyed great success, earning the title of UK runner-up in the Seventh Wars, and became a World Champion in the same series.

Making its debut in the New Blood Championship in the second series of Extreme, Storm 2 went on to win that tournament and ultimately qualified for The Seventh Wars as the sixteenth seed. In Series 7, Storm 2 memorably threw Steel Avenger out of the arena in the Heat Final using nothing but a high speed impact with the arena wall, and reached the Grand Final by defeating the second seed Firestorm 5. Storm 2 then eliminated the reigning champion Tornado, before losing the title bout to Typhoon 2 on a close judges' decision, finishing as the runner-up. Storm 2 also fought in The Third World Championship, representing England. It defeated Tornado in the qualifiers once more, and won the title of World Champion by defeating the Netherlands' Tough as Nails and Sri Lanka's Supernova in consecutive battles.

Storm 2 returned for Series 8 twelve years later and reached the Heat Final, defeating future champion Eruption in the process and even avenging a former loss to Team Typhoon's driver Gary Cairns by eliminating his new robot PP3D, but Storm 2 was flipped out of the arena by the series champion Apollo to fall shy of the Grand Final.

Design[]

"The way to damage someone internally isn't to wave a bit of metal about on the end of an arm, it isn't to spin up bits of metal as fast as you can on a disk and chase after someone. The answer is to use the robot as the weapon. If you don't have to worry about carrying a complex weapons system you can concentrate your strength into one small package. It would allow a tiny yet robust chassis, it would need to contain motors capable of propelling the chassis at high speed. It would need all the weight that you would usually allow for a weapon to be diverted into the structure of the machine - if it crashed into something stronger than it was.... it could all be over in the blink of an eye... Hence Storm II was conceived as a somewhat radical concept. A robot without a weapon. Well, it depends on how you look at it - you could argue its all one bit weapon, a lot like a full body spinner. We coined the phrase "Full Body Hammer" because that's exactly what it is."
— Team Storm on the concept behind Storm 2[1]
Storm2 ext2 pits

Storm 2 in The Pits for Extreme 2

Storm 2 extreme 2 official image

Official image of Storm 2 for Extreme 2

Storm 2 was a small invertible box-shaped robot with a front wedge, six-wheel drive and removable spring-loaded side skirts to prevent it from being flipped. It was designed to win in a simple and effective way, being reliable, strong and sturdy and initially being built without any weapons besides its wedge and a pair of small rear spikes. Instead, Storm 2 relied mainly on its powerful drive system, consisting of two Lynch LEM-130 motors[3] theoretically producing close to 18hp and offering a high top speed of 23mph. Delivering a force of 4 kilojoules[1], Storm 2's rams were sufficient to cause major internal damage or flip opponents over upon impact with the arena wall. This lead to the robot being frequently described as a 'full-body hammer' by the team, Jonathan Pearce and the robot's statistics boards, when referring to the damage potential offered by its drive system. In its original incarnation, the side armour and front wedge consisted of 6mm and 3mm-thick titanium respectively.[4]

"Since we took part in Robot Wars Extreme... we were informed by Mentorn that we needed to put an active weapon on the robot because we were 'boring'. We havn't yet heard anyone describe Storm II as boring, however to ensure that we complied with the rules we set about doing what we could to Storm II......."
— Team Storm on the changes required for Storm 2 in Series 7[3]
Storm II Arena

The Series 7 Storm 2 in the arena, without its side skirts

Storm2 offical s7

Official Storm 2 photo for Series 7

For Series 7, Team Storm were asked to add an active weapon to Storm 2 in order for it to remain eligible to compete, with the team installing an electric four-bar lifting arm similar to BattleBots champion BioHazard. To accommodate the new weapon, weight savings of up to almost 16kg were required, though Storm 2 still featured an MIG welded steel chassis and 6-12mm titanium armour throughout.[3] The robot was also repainted from dark grey to black and grey with purple skirts, with its name written on the top, side and bottom panels. Storm 2's drive system was the most powerful featured on a competitor robot at the time of Extreme 2/Series 7, and its ground clearance was milled down to the extent that it can push a piece of paper along the floor- this was used to great effect against opponents such as Firestorm 5. Even with the lifting arm, Storm 2 still relied on its immense drive power and speed as its primary method of attack in Series 7, at one point proving powerful enough to throw Steel Avenger out of the arena through brute force alone during their Heat Final battle.

According to its Series 7 statistics board, Storm 2 was designed to accommodate interchangeable weapons for this series, though ultimately only the four-bar lifter was actually completed and used. This was confirmed by Ed Hoppitt in a March 2004 post on the Fighting Robots Association (FRA) forum, which stated that the lifter was one of a number of weapon 'modules' being worked on by Team Storm at the time.[5] In a Robot Wars Club newsletter article outlining the Series 7 seeds, these additional modules were said to include ones for spinner and axe-type weapons.[6]

"After Series 7 Storm2 appeared as many robots do on the Live Events circuit in the UK, something in some ways more demanding than Robot Wars, as you find yourself doing 8 fights in a weekend. The high-power LEM motors that Storm2 ran were fine for running one event in a year (filming) but reliability issues crept up and the motors were expensive."
— Team Storm explains the speed differential between the Series 7 and Series 8 incarnations of Storm 2
Storm2 chassis

The chassis of Storm 2

180px-Storm 2now

Storm 2 over the live events period, with a front-hinged lifter

Between the end of Series 7 and the announcement of Series 8, Storm 2 made frequent appearances at live events, with varying degrees of success. Following reliability and cost issues with its original LEM motors, Team Storm decided to swap these motors with less powerful Magmotors to suit the more demanding schedules of these events.[7] These helped reduce the robot's maintenance costs, but greatly reduced its top speed and presented their own overheating issues during its return to televised combat.[8] Team captain Ed Hoppitt stated that Storm 2 would no longer be able to throw robots out of the arena, as it had done in Series 7, following this modification.Citation?

Team Storm

Team Storm with Storm 2, equipped with its spinning disc

Storm 2 later returned to compete in Series 8, with Team Storm performing many modifications to it while at the same time working on their BattleBots competitor, Photon Storm. It now sported revised armour plating (now a mix of titanium and 'extra-high-hardness protective steel' according to the official Robot Wars website), a new black, white, red and grey colour scheme and Magmotors for its drive system as used in live events. A complete set of interchangeable weapons was also introduced for the first time, including the four-bar lifting arm, a front-hinged flipping arm allowing the robot to self-right, and a vertical spinning disc which, rather than causing substantial amounts of damage, was to function as a 'kinetic energy flipper'.[9][10] Though prominently seen in official trailers for Series 8, the two-toothed disc was the only one of these weapons not to be used on the show.

"Storm 2 runs a live telemetry system during battles that shows the robot's performance and allows the team to make real-time strategy decisions as well as analyse battle results. Storm 2 is estimated to have cost £25,000 to build."
Robot Wars: Build Your Own Robot on Storm 2 in Series 8

Changes to Storm 2's internals also included a unique telemetry system, sending important data such as the robot's temperature to Tim Bence in the control booth during battles, as well as the use of dry ice while being worked on in The Pits to prevent its internal components from overheating.[11] The team could then analyse the robot's performance after a fight on a PC that remained in The Pits.

Storm2 skirt

Storm 2's side skirt

Storm2 S8

Storm 2 enters the arena in Series 8

As of 2016, Storm 2's chassis weighed 32kg and was plated in 3mm armour, contributing to its heavy weight in proportion to its compact size. By contrast, Tornado, despite being larger, was marginally lighter due to its 1mm thick armour plating. Team Storm's web address is also featured on Storm 2's sides, and at live events only, a statement proclaiming its status as the incumbent Robot Wars World Champion.

The Team[]

Storm2 with team

Team Storm with their robot in Series 8

The captain of Team Storm was Ed Hoppitt, an IT consultant, who was the main designer and builder of Storm 2. Despite not having a background in engineering, Ed was able to carry his skills over from his job and use them to good effect. The other static team member was Tim Bence, who would alternate driving roles with Ed between battles in Extreme 2 and Series 7 until he became the robot's static driver for Series 8. In Extreme 2, Andrew Rayner was the third team member, and drove Storm 2 in its battle against ICU, but was not present on the team following this series. Instead, Meral Bence took his place for Series 7 and 8. At the time of Series 7, Meral used her maiden name, Kolac, and was the fiancee of Tim Bence. The pair then married during Robot Wars' 12-year hiatus from TV. Meral worked at the same company Tim worked at as a project manager and was responsible for the artwork of Storm 2.

Qualification[]

Storm

The original Storm

Storm1S

Storm, with lifting scoop equipped

The original Storm machine, armed with an interchangeable crusher or lifter, was built in time for The Fifth Wars. As a newcomer, it was required to attend the qualifiers in order to secure a place in the televised series. Storm was thus present for the Newcastle leg of the 2001 Live Event tour, but ultimately did not compete in a qualifier battle.[12] Ed Hoppitt would instead appear in Series 5 as part of the Suicidal Tendencies team.

"We did try entering Storm into Series 5 but our naivety and lack of preparedness meant we never made it into the arena for our audition. That was one of the reasons I went along to Extreme 2, wasn't about to let that impact us a second time. From the winning streak Storm 2 had from then on, it was time well invested as we learnt loads that we fed back into the design and how we approached filming."
— Ed Hoppitt on the qualification of Storm

The team did not intend to enter The Sixth Wars; indeed, Storm 2 (originally under the working title Project:2) was planned to enter an upcoming season of BattleBots to be held in San Francisco.[1] When BattleBots was cancelled by Comedy Central, Team Storm ultimately applied for the Extreme 2 New Blood Championship using Storm 2, although a misunderstanding initially lead Mentorn to believe that they were applying with the original version instead.

"There was something slightly ironic about entering a robot called Storm II to the competition - and due to a mix-up with our application Mentorn thought that we were entering the original Storm robot to the show (with the hydralics [sic]) when we arrived with Storm II (a robot with no weapon) they didn't quite know what to do. Storm II's life was almost cut short until Bill Hobbins intervened and agreed to give us our shot..."
— Team Storm website[13]

By winning the New Blood Championship, Storm 2 gained automatic entry into Series 7, later being awarded the sixteenth seed, but was required to add an active weapon to the robot in order to remain eligible.

When Robot Wars returned in 2016, Team Storm were given advanced notice about the eighth series of the show, and qualified via their online application, but Ed Hoppitt claims that Storm 2 did not enter Series 9 or 10 in order to make time for upgrades to the machine.

Robot History[]

Extreme 2[]

Storm 2 made its first appearance in Heat C of the New Blood Championship, a tournament where newcomers would fight for automatic qualification into Series 7. In its first round battle, it faced Series 6 competitor Revolution 2 and Direct Action.

"Storm 2, we were laughing at its lack of weaponry, but I tell you what it’s shifting in that arena!"
Jonathan Pearce comments on Storm 2’s impressive turn of speed
Storm II vs Direct Action

Storm 2 drives Direct Action across the arena

Storm pit 1

Storm 2 nearly pits itself

Storm 2 immediately charged into Direct Action, causing sparks to fly from its front wedge, before slamming it into the wall close to Mr. Psycho’s CPZ. The impact flipped Direct Action over and left it vulnerable to Mr. Psycho as it spun around and failed to escape the CPZ. It took a blow from Revolution 2’s blades and rammed into Direct Action again, before turning into the CPZ and sending Revolution 2 spinning after another high speed slam. Storm 2 continued to hit, deflect and push Direct Action into the walls and Sir Killalot, withstanding a hammer blow from Mr. Psycho in the process, before attempting to pit Direct Action. It nearly drove itself into the pit in doing so, before Direct Action spun around and toppled in itself.

"There was one hairy moment where all the audience gasped as Storm II travelled a little too close to the pit, however everything was under control and soon Direct Action vanished into the pit and cease was called."
— Storm 2 website[14]

In the second round, Storm 2 was drawn against Chopper.

NewBloodCRound2.2

Storm 2 throws Chopper over in one hit

It lunged straight towards Chopper, getting underneath it and spinning around a few times, before pushing Chopper towards an empty CPZ and ramming it into the wall at high speed. The force of the impact threw Chopper over, leaving it unable to self-right. Storm 2 went through as Chopper was counted out and thrown twice by the Floor Flipper, before being left on the Flame Pit and pushed into the pit by Shunt.

"Chopper, comes a cropper! Storm 2, they go storming on!"
Craig Charles

In the Heat Final, Storm 2 faced former Series 6 competitor ICU.

Storm II vs ICU

Storm 2's killer charge on ICU

It approached ICU as the latter charged towards – and over – its front wedge, the impact causing ICU’s eyes and aerial to fall off as it bounced over Storm 2. Storm 2 pushed the now-immobile ICU towards the Floor Flipper, with Ed Hoppitt urging for ICU to be flipped over while it was counted out by Refbot.

"Oh, stop it, Mr. Hoppitt!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Ed Hoppitt calls for ICU to be flipped by the Floor Flipper

ICU was hammered by Mr. Psycho and dragged by its axe by Growler, before finally being thrown across the arena by the Floor Flipper, having a load of balls dropped onto it, and dumped into the pit by Growler. This put Storm 2 through to the New Blood Grand Final after a very convincing run.

"We described the robot originally as a "full body hammer" because literally the power of it, it is its own weapon, the same way that a full body spinner is its own weapon."
— Andrew Rayner explains Storm 2's lack of weapons after the Heat Final

In the New Blood Grand Final, Storm 2 was drawn against Thor in its eliminator, another former Series 6 competitor.

NewBloodFinalRound1

Storm 2 slams Thor against the side wall

Thor vs Storm 2

Storm 2 nearly pits Thor

Both robots started by dodging each other’s initial attacks, with Storm 2 darting across the arena as Thor swung its hammer. Eventually, Storm 2 bashed Thor into a CPZ as Mr. Psycho approached, allowing him to hammer Thor’s top panel before it escaped. Storm 2 then got underneath Thor and rammed it into the pit release button, rupturing its CO2 system as it attempted to pit it. Thor backed away to escape, but its hammer was disabled following Storm 2’s shove, leaving it vulnerable as Storm 2 again slammed it into the wall and eased it towards the pit for the second time. After a few seconds where it left Thor half-suspended over the edge, Thor escaped again, before Storm 2 rammed it against the wall once more and continued to get under and push it around the arena. In the closing seconds, Storm 2 began smoking as its wheels slipped trying to push Thor again, and was pushed into Sgt. Bash’s CPZ by Thor as ‘cease’ was called. The judges were called to make a decision, which went unanimously in favour of Storm 2.

In the final, Storm 2 faced the twin flippers of Mute, for the right to win the championship, and entry into the Seventh Wars.

Mute vs storm 2

Storm 2 and Mute clash

Storm II vs Mute

Storm 2 smokes as it pushes Mute

As before, both robots darted and circled around each other before Storm 2 pushed Mute against the wall and briefly got wedged under the Floor Spinner. This allowed Mute to briefly get under Storm 2’s sides, with both robots continuing to hit and circle round each other as they drove into Dead Metal’s CPZ. Storm 2 attempted to ram Mute from the front, but got itself wedged between Mute and the wall in doing so, though Mute pushed it away trying to flip it. More nudging and circling ensued, with Storm 2’s wheels beginning to smoke copiously again as it struggled to gain the traction needed to push Mute around from the front and sides. Storm 2 drove into an angle grinder before sliding into Dead Metal as it pushed Mute again, only to escape and keep pushing Mute, its wheels continuing to smoke as Mute’s front wedge breached its own.

NewBloodFinalFinal

Storm 2 runs inverted as the seconds tick down

Eventually, Storm 2 drove into Dead Metal and backed onto Mute’s front flipper, and was thrown through the air before pushing Mute again a few more times. Another flip from Mute left Storm 2 on its back as the battle drew to a close, with Storm 2 ramming Mute with its rear spikes before driving into Dead Metal’s CPZ and an angle grinder as time ran out. The battle went to a close judges’ decision, which Storm 2 won by just one point. This victory earned Storm 2 the New Blood Championship, and automatic entry into the Seventh Wars.

Series 7[]

"What a fairy story it would be, if these, the New Blood Champions could make it all the way..."
— Jonathan Pearce

As the sixteenth seed, Storm 2 was placed in Heat I, and was set to face Rhino, a new machine from veterans Team Reactor, newcomer Mayhem and Series 6 Heat Finalist Supernova in its first-round battle. Having had little testing since the addition of its lifting arm, and placed within what was considered by roboteers to be the ‘Heat of Doom’, Team Storm expressed unease about how well Storm 2 would perform in the battle.

"It was a very sombre car that returned from Nottingham back to Ipswich after qualifying, mulling over the news of who we were going to fight. Shredder we felt we could deal with, but Supernova was an unknown quantity - just how much damage could that disk dish out, and just how much could Storm II take ? We simply didn't know!"
— Ed Hoppitt on Storm 2's draw in Heat I[15]
Rhino lifts Storm 2

After initially ramming Rhino, Storm 2 is lifted by Team Reactor's new machine

Storm 2 vs Rhino

Storm 2 pressures Rhino again

These concerns were immediately disproven in the opening seconds as Storm 2 dodged Supernova and pushed Rhino around, slamming it into the wall. The four robots came together as Supernova’s disc sent Mayhem spinning into Storm 2, before Storm 2 again attacked Rhino, nearly getting flipped over by its flipping snout before shoving it around again. It pushed Rhino into the wall and Matilda’s CPZ, where Rhino escaped after Matilda tore one of the wall panels off with her flywheel.

Storm2pushesSupernovaintoSirK

Storm 2, in the process of pushing Supernova into Sir Killalot

Storm 2 Supernova melee

Storm 2 slams Supernova into the arena wall

Storm 2 and Supernova proceeded to gang up on Rhino, with Rhino lifting Storm 2 in retaliation, before Storm 2 rammed Supernova into Sir Killalot’s side, tearing one of his tracks apart. Another high-speed ram left Supernova pinned against the arena wall, leaving it with mobility problems as Matilda came to free it. Supernova was counted out by Refbot, allowing Storm 2 and a now barely-moving Rhino to progress to the second round.

There, Storm 2 faced fellow New Blood competitors Team S.Tek, and their new robot Trax.

Storm 2 vs Trax

Storm 2 lifts Trax against the wall

It immediately drove around and rammed Trax around the arena, smashing it into an angle grinder and lifting it before sending it hurtling into an empty CPZ. Trax escaped, sliding across the arena on its tracks, before Storm 2 got underneath it again and lifted it against the wall. Both robots separated, before Storm 2 rammed Trax into the wall again and forcefully dislodged the pit release button from its mount while activating it.

"You’re only supposed to touch it! Down goes the pit. They’ve destroyed our pit release mechanism!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Storm 2 dislodges the pit release tyre
Storm 2 Trax 2

Storm 2 crashes Trax against the arena wall

Storm 2 continued to get under and push Trax around the arena, careering it onto the Flame Pit at one point and withdrawing as Trax reversed into Mr. Psycho’s CPZ. It capitalised on Trax’s mistake by shoving it back into Mr. Psycho, before attempting to push it into the pit as the battle reached its climax. Trax drove and slid around the pit to avoid Storm 2 as ‘cease’ was called.

"We did have one moment to put Trax in the pit, but given the way they were sliding we decided they were being so unpredictable in the arena we would play safe - after all we believed that we'd done enough to get through."
— Ed Hoppitt explains the end of the battle on the Storm 2 website [16]

With Trax surviving to the end, the battle went to a judges’ decision, which went in favour of Storm 2.

In the Heat Final, Storm 2 faced seasoned Robot Wars veteran Steel Avenger, a team which lived locally to Team Storm.

"We knew that this was going to be the robot's last Wars...we didn’t want it going home in too many pieces, we didn’t have the heart to, really..."
— Meral Bence on Storm 2 facing Steel Avenger[17]
Steel avenger vs storm 2

Storm 2 rams Steel Avenger around

Steel Avenger Storm 2 1

Storm 2 drives Steel Avenger across...

Both robots circled each other in the opening seconds, with Steel Avenger briefly getting its axe stuck in the arena floor trying to strike Storm 2. This allowed Storm 2 to get under it and ram it against the wall as before, nearly toppling Steel Avenger over, before Storm 2 drove away and pushed Refbot along the arena floor. Storm 2 continued dodging Steel Avenger’s axe blows and getting underneath it, eventually pushing it into Growler, although Steel Avenger escaped, crashing into the wall as it did so. More circling and ramming ensued, before Storm 2 steered Steel Avenger around in circles and into Growler again, and caught it side-on as it pushed it towards an empty CPZ. It slammed Steel Avenger against the wall at full speed, the impact throwing Steel Avenger over and out of the arena.

Storm II OotA

...and out of the arena

"We didn't know what to make of the situation... we jumped around in the box going wild, having accomplished something no-one else had ever done, delivered enough kinetic energy with our robot to another robot through speed alone to launch them out of the arena!"
— Ed Hoppitt on Team Storm's reaction to throwing Steel Avenger over the wall[18]

As a result of this extraordinary victory, Storm 2 advanced to the Semi Finals. In the first round of its Semi-Final, Storm 2 faced The Grim Reaper. In spite of a recent rule change that series prohibiting the use of defensive add-ons, Storm 2 was equipped with its side skirts to prevent it from being flipped.

Grim reaper vs Storm 2

Storm 2 lifts The Grim Reaper

Storm 2 Grim Reaper 1

Storm 2 slams The Grim Reaper into the pit release button

Repeating its earlier tactics, it slammed The Grim Reaper into an angle grinder before lifting it and pinning it there before The Grim Reaper escaped. The Grim Reaper attempted to flip Storm 2, but could not breach its ground clearance, and was repeatedly rammed into the walls by Storm 2, with Storm 2 lifting it again as both robots smashed into the pit release button. Again, Storm 2 continued to get under, push and lift The Grim Reaper as both robots were attacked by Shunt, before The Grim Reaper briefly flicked Storm 2 onto its side.

Sgt bash grips grim reaper

Storm 2 drives The Grim Reaper into Sgt. Bash

Storm 2 vs grim reaper s7 semi final 2

Storm 2 holds The Grim Reaper at a precarious position

Storm 2 backed into The Grim Reaper before ramming it into the same angle grinder as before, knocking the grinder’s top panel off on impact. It circled The Grim Reaper near Sgt. Bash’s CPZ before slamming it into the wall near the arena gates and nudging it into Sgt. Bash, who crushed through part of The Grim Reaper’s rear panel with his pincers. Storm 2 continued to push The Grim Reaper around the arena and slam it into the walls, before lifting it onto its back and leaving it vulnerable to axe attacks from Shunt. It pinned The Grim Reaper there before Shunt nudged the latter back onto its wheels, and slammed The Grim Reaper into the wall once more as the battle drew to a close. The judges were called to make a decision and voted in Storm 2’s favour.

In the second round, Storm 2 faced three-time Grand Finalist Firestorm 5, the second seed of the Seventh Wars, and winner of the Commonwealth Carnage.

Firestorm 5 under Storm 2

Storm 2 is flipped aside

Firestorm Storm

Storm 2 pressures Firestorm 5 against an angle grinder

Both robots darted around and got underneath each other in the opening stages, before Storm 2 rammed Firestorm 5 against the wall. Storm 2 launched over the top of Firestorm 5’s wedge before both robots dodged each other’s charges once again, and Firestorm 5 steered Storm 2 close to the wall. Even so, Storm 2 retaliated by getting under Firestorm 5 and positioning itself to push it from the rear, inching the veterans towards Matilda’s CPZ. Firestorm 5 backed away, only for Storm 2 to catch and drive it into the pit release button and Growler with its rear spikes.

Storm II pits Firestorm

Storm 2 steers Firestorm 5 into the pit

Storm 2 lingered near Growler as Firestorm 5 charged in, only to pin Firestorm 5 against an angle grinder and push it across the arena as Firestorm 5 continued to ride up Storm 2’s front wedge. It eased Firestorm 5 towards the pit, and continued to ram, nudge and spin its opponent around as it struggled to drive under, its front blade having been bent following Storm 2's attacks. Storm 2 finished Firestorm 5 off by steering it side-on into the pit, eliminating the former three-time Grand Finalist. Storm 2 thus secured its place in the Grand Final with this commanding performance, without once using its lifting arm.

"A turn up for the books, the sixteenth seed beats the second seed! Storm 2, through to the Grand Final!!!!"
— Craig Charles announces Storm 2's impressive victory

In its Grand Final Eliminator, Storm 2 faced the reigning champion, and fellow pushing robot, Tornado, entered by good 'friends, colleagues and mentors' of Team Storm.[19]

Storm 2 vs tornado

Storm 2 slams Tornado into the arena wall

It started by dodging Tornado’s initial attacks and getting underneath it, before steering it towards an angle grinder. The two robots rammed into each other scoop-to-scoop, with Tornado pushing Storm 2 back into the angle grinder before riding over Storm 2 and being lifted as Storm 2 escaped. They continued to nudge and circle round each other until Storm 2 lifted Tornado again, this time onto its back and leaving Tornado’s scoop inverted and unable to gain any purchase on Storm 2. This allowed Storm 2 to smash Tornado into Cassius Chrome’s CPZ and the wall in rapid succession, before momentarily launching Tornado into the air as both robots collided in the centre of the arena.

Tornado Pit Controversy

Storm 2 traps Tornado on the pit square

Again, Storm 2 manoeuvred Tornado round and continued slamming it into the walls, angle grinders and CPZs, sending Tornado hurtling along the side of the arena on impact at various points. Somewhat inexplicably, Refbot pressed the pit release button just as Storm 2 pushed Tornado over the pit panel, trapping Tornado in place as it began to descend. Seconds after it had lowered - for a short distance according to the televised battle - the pit was raised to allow Tornado to continue fighting. Though Team Storm initially believed they had secured an instant knockout win,[19] Storm 2 fought on, continuing to get underneath and push Tornado around the arena until ‘cease’ was called. The subsequent judges’ decision went in favour of Storm 2, enabling it to advance to the final.

There, it faced the Edinburgh Air Cadets and their heavyweight, Typhoon 2, for the right to earn the title of Robot Wars champion.

7thWarsGrandFinal1

Storm 2 lifts Typhoon 2

In the opening moments, Storm 2 chased Typhoon 2 around the arena as the latter got its full-body spinner up to speed, before slamming wedge-first into the spinner, causing sparks to fly and Typhoon 2 to launch into the air. It continued to follow Typhoon 2 as it got its weapon spinning again, but was deflected by Typhoon 2’s second hit, and continued to make chase as Typhoon 2 struck the arena wall and its wedge, sending more sparks flying. Another collision send Typhoon 2 recoiling into the wall, stopping its weapon, and allowing Storm 2 to get underneath Typhoon 2 and lift it close to a flame jet, but unable to topple it.

7thWarsGrandFinal2

Typhoon 2 damages the arena wall for a second time

Storm 2 continued to chase Typhoon 2 as the latter drove into Matilda’s CPZ, its spinner unable to spin up properly after the collision with the wall, before ramming and lifting it near the wall. Another chase ensued, before Typhoon 2 drove into the wall again, tearing apart one of the polycarbonate sheets with its spinner and causing the battle to be stopped immediately while repairs to the wall were carried out.

"Storm 2, on top before the 'cease', according to the judges - and again, and pursuing Typhoon 2! Typhoon 2 take-off!"
— Jonathan Pearce as the Grand Final resumes
Typhoon2deflection

Typhoon 2 is recoiled into the air

Once the repairs were completed, the battle was restarted, with Typhoon 2 being allowed to spin up again before ‘activate’ was called. Even so, Storm 2 immediately rammed the spinning Typhoon 2 several times, sending sparks flying and at one point launching Typhoon 2 airborne. It stopped Typhoon 2’s spinner and pushed it into Matilda, before ramming it at high speed towards an empty CPZ, with Typhoon 2 catching the edge of the pit square and rolling into the pit release button.

Typhoon 2 Storm 2 3

Storm 2 pushes Typhoon 2 up against the arena wall

A few more slams from Storm 2 saw Typhoon 2 nearly pitted and having its weapon seemingly disabled, before Storm 2 proceeded to push it into the CPZs. In the closing seconds, Storm 2 lost one of its wedge panels as it kept pushing and chasing Typhoon 2 around, but managed to force one of Typhoon 2's drive chains to come loose in doing so. The chain in particular had been previously dislodged during the latter's battle against X-Terminator.[20] 'Cease' was called, and the battle once again went to a judges' decision as the two battle-weary robots drove round and spun in victory.

"Oh what's happened to Storm 2, they've taken some damage on the front! Where on earth did that happen? That is major damage, major damage to Storm 2! Has the Grand Final turned again?! What a twister this was!"
— Jonathan Pearce reacts as Storm 2's panel falls off in the closing stages
Panel

Craig Charles hands the team the dislodged wedge panel in the post battle interview

Despite Storm 2 being more aggressive and controlled throughout the battle, the decision ultimately went in favour of Typhoon 2 on account of its dislodged wedge panel, much to the dismay of Team Storm, the audience and even the judges themselves. Team Typhoon captain Gary Cairns was also in disbelief, feeling even long after the broadcast that Storm 2 would have won the decision had the panel not fallen off.[20] Needless to say, Storm 2 was declared the runner-up of the Seventh Wars under highly controversial circumstances.

The Third World Championship[]

Storm 2 was one of five robots to receive automatic qualification for The Third World Championship, as the highest-ranking English robot in Series 7. In its first round battle, it faced Tornado again as well as German shufflebot Ansgar 3.

Tornado Storm 2 Ansgar 3

Storm 2 and Tornado push Ansgar 3 together

Both Storm 2 and Tornado began by ganging up on Ansgar 3, with Storm 2 pushing Refbot out of the way before slamming Ansgar 3 into a CPZ, where Growler came in and rammed Ansgar 3 as it struggled to escape. The two British robots pinned Ansgar 3 against the wall and steered it onto the Flame Pit, where it became immobilised and caught fire as Storm 2 pushed Tornado into Growler. Storm 2 pushed the smoking Ansgar 3 towards the pit, and shoved it fully in with Tornado’s assistance, before Tornado got under Storm 2 and proceeded to push it around the arena, pinning it against the wall and angle grinders in the process.

Storm II vs. Tornado vs

Storm 2 nearly sends Tornado flying out of the arena

Storm 2 responded by steering away and ramming Tornado close to a CPZ, only to be pushed into Dead Metal’s pincers by Tornado and having part of its top armour cut into by his saw. It recovered to lift Tornado as it rammed it against the wall, nearly sending Tornado out of the arena in the process and again leaving it inverted. Storm 2 continued to ram and lift Tornado around as ‘cease’ was called, and won the subsequent judges’ decision.

"The judges never fail to surprise me!"
— Craig Charles, believing Tornado had won

In the second round, Storm 2 was drawn against Dutch representative – and Series 7 Semi-Finalist – Tough as Nails.

Storm 2 Tough as Nails Mr Psycho 1

Storm 2 puts Tough as Nails into Mr. Psycho's range

It immediately drove into Tough as Nails’ crushing jaws and rammed it into an empty CPZ, with Tough as Nails suffering a hammer blow from Mr. Psycho as it escaped. Storm 2 continued pushing and slamming Tough as Nails into the walls, dislodging one of its tyres in the process, before Tough as Nails pressed the pit release button and grabbed Storm 2 again.

"The Storm is too strong… and they are blowing Tough as Nails across this arena floor. That is not Tough as Nails in reverse. That is Storm 2, with gale force power!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Storm 2 pushes and drags Tough as Nails around in the clutches of its crusher
Tanstorm2wc3

Storm 2 pushes Tough as Nails towards the pit

Storm 2 took advantage of its drive power to drag Tough as Nails with it and slam it into Sir Killalot, continuing to push it and drag it around the arena until it inched the Dutch machine towards the pit. Tough as Nails crept sideways over the edge as Storm 2 pushed it half-way over, before being completely suspended as it attempted to reverse and drag Storm 2 over the edge. Ultimately, Storm 2 escaped as Tough as Nails let go of it and dropped into the pit, and celebrated its victory by nudging its opponent’s dislodged tyre in as well, qualifying for the final comfortably.

In the World Championship final, Storm 2 faced Sri Lankan representative Supernova, the second encounter between the two in Series 7.

Storm 2 Supernova drive

Storm 2 pushes Supernova towards the arena wall

It chased Supernova around the arena in the opening stages, before colliding with its disc and pushing it against the wall. Storm 2 dodged another charge from Supernova before slamming head-on into the disc a few more times and pushing it against the centre entry gate, where Supernova spun upon the recoil of its disc. It tipped Supernova onto its side, where the gyroscopic forces of Supernova’s disc carried it towards the gate and caused it to get itself stuck there. Supernova attempted to free itself using its disc, but ended up digging into the arena floor, and was left stranded. Shunt left his CPZ and lifted Storm 2 onto an angle grinder, presuming that Supernova was about to be eliminated.

Shunt storm 2 angle grinder

Shunt pushes Storm 2 onto an angle grinder

Storm 2 Supernova 2

Supernova hits the inverted Storm 2 in the closing stages

Instead of being counted out, however, Supernova was freed by Refbot and proceeded to dislodge Storm 2 from the angle grinder before the two robots resumed battle. Storm 2 continued to batter Supernova until the end, losing the panel for its lifting arm and getting pinned against the wall by Cassius Chrome as time ran out. The battle went to the judges, who ruled that Supernova should have been counted out after getting stuck on the entry gate, and therefore eliminated via knockout. As a result, they gave victory – and the Third World Championship – to Storm 2 after a confusing and particularly controversial finish.

It was subsequently revealed after the battle that Refbot's counter had malfunctioned while trying to count out Supernova. Inferring that they had won, Team Storm and the House Roboteers initially allowed Storm 2 and Shunt to fight together and in turn resulting in Storm 2 getting stacked on the angle grinder.[21] However, Ed Hoppitt stated on an FRA forum post that the producers decided to continue the battle in order to obtain more footage, with Supernova being freed as a result.[21] The inverted Storm 2 subsequently weathered more blows from Supernova which removed two of its front panels and lead to it becoming immobilised; however, these attacks were not shown on television.[22]

Series 8[]

Returning for the Revival Series following Robot Wars' twelve-year hiatus, Storm 2 next appeared in Heat D of Series 8, complete with a revised appearance, drivetrain and weaponry. The incumbent World Champion was drawn against fellow Classic Series veterans Terror Turtle and Sabretooth, alongside newcomer Eruption, in its Group Battle.

Storm2 vs Terror Turtle

Storm 2 pushes Terror Turtle towards a CPZ

Storm2 Celebration

Storm 2 and Eruption celebrate

For this battle, Storm 2 was equipped with its front-hinged flipping arm, to allow it to self-right in case it was flipped over by Eruption. This first battle was relatively quiet for Storm 2. It immediately targeted Terror Turtle and pushed it around the arena into various CPZs and the wall with relative ease, whilst Eruption flipped Sabretooth over. Off-screen, Storm 2 was flipped by Eruption, but self-righted, and helped Eruption to pin Terror Turtle in the arena corner. Eventually, Eruption pushed Terror Turtle towards one of the lowered wall sections and threw it out of the arena, allowing it and Storm 2 through to the next round.

"You basically ran around a lot, and let [Eruption] do most of the damage!"
Dara Ó Briain criticises Storm 2's involvement

In the second round, Storm 2 faced Eruption again in its first Head to Head battle. Ed Hoppitt went in with the expectation that Eruption's front wedge would prove hard to breach, based on past experiences between the two robots on the live circuit.

Storm2 vs Eruption

Storm 2's ground clearance proves too low for Eruption

Storm 2 vs Eruption

Storm 2 pushes Eruption across the arena

However, Storm 2 quickly got underneath Eruption and pushed it, but was momentarily caught by Sir Killalot and steered onto the Flame Pit. Quickly recovering, Storm 2's ground clearance was too low for Eruption to breach, and it easily pushed Eruption around the arena, and over the Floor Flipper, which tossed Storm 2's opponent through the air. Storm 2 pushed Eruption towards Sir Killalot, and held it in place, but not without being flipped by Eruption. Storm 2 held Eruption against the arena wall, still winning the battle of ground clearances, but in the final twenty seconds of the fight, condensed on the TV edit, Storm 2 lost mobility near the pit release button, and was flipped twice by Eruption. Nevertheless, Storm 2 was not counted out, and it narrowly survived to a Judges' decision.

Eruption flips storm 2

Storm 2 is flipped late into the battle

Eruption vs Storm2

Storm 2 pins Eruption against the wall but loses mobility

"My aim was to try and get them towards one of the House Robot corners and then try and flip them, but most of the time, had them on top and just rode them into a corner, and it was to a House Robot when it got there!"
— Tim Bence on Storm 2's lack of weapon use

The resulting judges' decision was a split decision in favour of Storm 2, awarding it two points, based on its more dominant performance up until the end.

"That was a battle that was hard to call, until about 20 seconds to go, Storm 2 was leading comfortably and then last minute, there was some action from Eruption's flippers and I think that made a huge difference, but in the end, we feel the right team won."
Professor Sethu Vijayakumar

In its next Head to Head, Storm 2 fought another newcomer Apollo, and as before kept its front-hinged flipping arm as a srimech.

Storm2 floor flipper

Storm 2 is thrown by the floor flipper

Apollo Near Pit

Storm 2 almost pushes Apollo into the pit

Storm 2's low ground clearance once again proved important, stopping Apollo from getting underneath, although when Apollo found an opportunity, Storm 2 was flipped by Apollo, and pushed onto the floor flipper, launching it further. Storm 2 could not self-right until Apollo eventually left it alone, but after doing so, Storm 2 became stuck on the raised pit due to its extremely low ground clearance, exposing it to another flip from Apollo. At this stage, Apollo lost a drive chain, so Storm 2 opened the pit, although it held back while Apollo flipped Dead Metal. Taking another flip, Storm 2 self-righted and pushed Apollo into Matilda's CPZ, but this just gave Apollo another chance to flip a House Robot. However, at this point Apollo lost drive on one side, giving Storm 2 the chance to spend a large portion of the fight pushing Apollo around. It nearly pushed Apollo into the pit in the closing stages, but Apollo spun away and survived to the judges' decision. Despite Storm 2's late onslaught, the judges' decision went unanimously in favour of Apollo.

Storm2 vs PP3D

Storm 2 and PP3D collide

Storm 2 vs pp3d 2

Storm 2's ARMOX side is bent

In order to qualify for the Heat Final, Storm 2 needed to defeat PP3D, built by Gary Cairns, driver of the robot that defeated Storm 2 in the Seventh Wars Grand Final. This time, it swapped its front-hinged arm for the four-bar lifter, intending to overturn PP3D and prevent its undercutter flywheel from reaching it. And had the side skirts taken off.

Storm2 spiked

Storm 2 is impaled on a spike

Storm2 Pit

Storm 2 wins by opening the pit

When the battle started, Storm 2 charged straight for PP3D, buffeting it into the air three times, gradually bringing it towards Shunt, which landed an axe blow. However, PP3D also hit Storm 2 in the process, bending a Titanium side panel away from the main body. Both robots continued to clash with each other, damaging both machines, although one particularly strong attack knocked Storm 2 onto the arena spikes, which held it in place. However, an even contest had come to a sudden halt, as PP3D lost mobility on one of its wheels, directly on top of the pit. Storm 2 pressed the pit release button, and PP3D descended, awarding Storm 2 the necessary three points to put it in the Heat Final, on a total of five points - the same amount as Apollo.

Storm2 vs Apollo

Storm 2 is flipped straight after Shunt

Storm2 trenched

Storm 2 is thrown out of the arena

Storm 2 and Apollo faced off for a second time in the Heat Final. Once again, it was equipped with its front-hinged arm, though it did not operate during the fight. Starting tentatively, Storm 2 managed to slip under Apollo and push it towards Shunt, though as before, this provided Team MAD yet another chance to flip a House Robot. Storm 2 opened the pit, and pushed Apollo towards it, but was flipped over. Fleeing, Storm 2 was launched far across the arena, into the wall, although this righted Storm 2. Matilda nudged Storm 2 from behind, so it moved to the centre of the arena. At this stage, Apollo flipped Storm 2 against an arena trench, and a second flip threw Storm 2 out of the arena. This was the only time Storm 2 lost via knockout.

Although Storm 2 was defeated, it remained in contention for a wildcard, alongside Behemoth, Thor, Dantomkia and Gabriel, for a potential reinstatement and place in the Grand Final. However, Thor was chosen to be reinstated, and Storm 2 was fully eliminated from Series 8.

Results[]

STORM 2 - RESULTS
Extreme Series 2
New Blood Championship
Champion
Heat C, Round 1 vs. Direct Action, Revolution 2 Qualified
Heat C, Round 2 vs. Chopper Won
Heat C, Final vs. ICU Won
Grand Final, Eliminator vs. Thor Won
Grand Final vs. Mute Won
Series 7
The Seventh Wars - UK Championship
16th Seed, Runner-Up
Heat I, Round 1 vs. Mayhem, Rhino, Supernova Qualified
Heat I, Round 2 vs. Trax Won
Heat I, Final vs. Steel Avenger Won
Semi-Final 2, Round 1 vs. The Grim Reaper Won
Semi-Final 2, Round 2 vs. Firestorm 5 (2) Won
Grand Final, Eliminator vs. Tornado (1) Won
Grand Final vs. Typhoon 2 Lost
The Third World Championship
Representing UK, Champion
Heat vs. Ansgar 3 (GER), Tornado (UK) Won
Semi-Final vs. Tough as Nails (NED) Won
Final vs. Supernova (SRI) Won
Series 8
Series 8 - UK Championship
Heat Final
Heat D, Group Battle vs. Eruption, Sabretooth, Terror Turtle Qualified
Heat D, Head-to-Heads vs. Eruption Won via Judges' decision (2 points)
Heat D, Head-to-Heads vs. Apollo Lost (0 points)
Heat D, Head-to-Heads vs. PP3D Won via KO (3 points)
Heat D, Heat Final vs. Apollo Lost

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 17
  • Losses: 3

Series Record[]

Main Series Storm 2 Series Record
The First Wars Did not enter
The Second Wars Did not enter
The Third Wars Did not enter
The Fourth Wars Did not enter
The Fifth Wars Withdrew from qualifiers
The Sixth Wars Did not enter
The Seventh Wars Runner-up
World Champion
Withdrew with Storm Vortex
Series 8 Heat Final
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter
Robot Wars Extreme Appearances
Series 1 Did not enter
Series 2 New Blood Champion

NOTE: Ed Hoppitt competed in Series 5 as part of the Suicidal Tendencies team.

Gallery[]

Outside Robot Wars[]

Storm Scoop and Crusher

Storm at a live event armed with a scoop and the grabbing jaw

Storm vs grim reaper

Storm lifts The Grim Reaper at Dutch Robot Games 2001

The original Storm was a compact invertible box-shaped robot with four wheels and a front-mounted crusher/lifter, similar in concept to Draven. Though first intended to compete in Robot Wars (see Qualification), it did not appear in televised combat, instead taking part in various live events such as the 2001 Debenham Robot Rumble and Dutch Robot Games in 2001, the latter while equipped with an electric lifter[23] where it initially fought a practice match against Tornado before competing in the UK bracket, where it defeated The Grim Reaper and lost to Tiberius 2.

Storm 2 was also active in 2002 prior to and surrounding its Robot Wars debut. One of these appearances included the Robot Roadshow 2002 in Worthing, where the weaponless Storm 2 once again faced Mute outside of Robot Wars.

DRG Storm II

Storm 2 at the Dutch Robot Games in 2003

DRG Tim Bence

Storm 2 with Tim Bence at the event

Between Extreme 2 and Series 7, Storm 2 competed at the Dutch Robot Games in 2003[24]. It won its opening melee over Das Gepäck and Sater 2, but its second-round melee against Tornado and Edge Hog saw it pitted, with the battle being won by Edge Hog. Regardless, Storm 2 still won a non-competition head-to-head over Tornado with a prompt pitting.

Ickle Toaster (Storm 2)

Storm 2 as "Ickle Toaster" in Techno Games

Ickle TOaster with armour

Ickle Toaster with its armour panels on

Like many other robots, Storm 2 also competed in Techno Games 2003 as Ickle Toaster in the Football and Sumo events. It fought Storm Chaser in the Sumo and won but broke the wall off the dojo and sent itself off in the slam that won it the match, leading to Storm Chaser winning. It worked with Savage Toaster in the Football but its speed sent a ball into the audience and team withdrew. Both matches went unaired but Team Storm received and uploaded the video of Ickle Toaster beating Storm Chaser.

Events73

Storm 2 on display with Tornado at a Roaming Robots event in 2004

StormII2014

Storm 2 in the pits at Burgess Hill 2014

Storm 2 has since competed several times at live events on the UK and international circuits, notably finishing runner-up in the 2006 FRA UK Heavyweight Championship to Turbulence.[25] It was during this period that the robot gained the interchangeable lifting/self-righting arms seen in Series 8, and eventually switched to the less powerful Magmotor drive system. However, Storm 2 would enjoy less success in later domestic appearances, including first-round defeats in the 2011 FRA UK Championship[26] and Annihilator (finishing sixth overall), along with a further loss in the International Challenge match to Tough as Nails at the same event.[27] This run of misfortune was somewhat remedied by runner-up finishes in the 2011 and 2012 Robots Live! Teams Championships, partnered with Team Tilly All-Stars and Team Mighty Reds respectively.[28]

In 2008, Storm 2 competed at RoboGames in San Francisco, California, an appearance which was partially televised in the ninth series of The Gadget Show.[29] Though managing to immobilise horizontal spinner Eugene in the first round of the 220lb (heavyweight) tournament,[30] it suffered a battery fire while being prepared for its second match against Sewer Snake. Following a swift response from Team PlumbCrazy captain Matt Maxham - who helped Team Storm remove the smoking battery pack before taking it outside - Storm 2 was able to fight on, though it would lose to Sewer Snake on a judges' decision. A broken gearbox would later force Storm 2 to forfeit from the losers' bracket - ironically, before a rematch against Eugene - eliminating the UK machine from the tournament.[31] Ed Hoppitt returned for the 2017 edition as a spectator, before competing in 2018 with King Buxton 20 as part of Simon Harrison's team.

Forceten

Force X (Force 10), Team Storm's first featherweight

The team also had two featherweights, one being Storm Vortex, which withdrew from the Robot Wars Featherweight Championship, and Force 10, the first featherweight to use Bosch 35w motors and with a claw powered by the type of linear actuators that the likes of Suicidal Tendencies used, both of which competed outside of Robot Wars.

Photon Storm

Ed Hoppitt and his team with Photon Storm

During Robot Wars' hiatus, Team Storm also bought Tiberius 4, which they renamed simply to Tiberius, continuing to fight with it competitively while focusing on Storm 2's continuous development. They, alongside Andrew Marchant and Alan Young, competed in the 2016 series of BattleBots with a rebuilt and redesigned Tiberius, now named Photon Storm. In the first round, it fought well against Brazilian entry Minotaur, crushing the top of the robot, but was eventually immobilised by a strong blow from the drum spinner. Photon Storm was damaged significantly, and was not given a wildcard, eliminating it from the tournament.

Following their appearance in Series 8, Team Storm began work on updating Storm 2's design for future events. Ideas for further improvements included a redesigned rear end,[32] shock mounts for the armour panels[33] (used in tandem with a single wraparound titanium piece for the wedge and sides[34]), as well as a liquid-cooled drive system to address overheating issues while restoring the robot's power and speed.[35]

Storm2fourbar2021

Storm 2 in its more traditional setup at RoboNerd 2021

Storm2vert2021

Storm 2's vertical spinner configuration, on a second chassis

Storm 2, Photon Storm, Storm Vortex and the original Storm machine all made appearances at RoboNerd on 4 September 2021. Ed Hoppitt and Tim Bence were also present, with two separate chassis being on display for Storm 2's four-bar lifter and vertical spinner setups. A month later, Team Storm appeared at the Robots Live! Crawley event, during which a chassis for Storm 2 was tested in the arena with an uprated LEM130-based drive system.[36][37]

Trivia[]

Robot_Wars_Teaser_Trailer_3_-_BBC_Two

Robot Wars Teaser Trailer 3 - BBC Two

Teaser trailer for Series 8, featuring Storm 2

  • Storm 2's participation in Series 8 was first confirmed through a teaser trailer released on June 25th, 2016. In it, Team Storm admire their machine to the theme of Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful", displaying the robot's new spinning disc, before playing clips of the robot in the arena.
  • Storm 2 was the only robot in the history of the show to be seeded in its début UK Championship.
    • Team Storm were also one of only three teams to be seeded despite having never won a battle in the main series, the others being Killerhurtz and Stinger in Series 4.
  • Storm 2's combined attack with Supernova on Sir Killalot (Series 7, Heat I) led to the most expensive repairs for a House Robot ever.
  • Storm 2 was actually built for Season 6.0 of Comedy Central's BattleBots but was entered into the New Blood Championship after BattleBots was cancelled.
  • Ed Hoppitt and Tim Bence would alternate driving during Extreme 2 and Series 7.
  • Storm 2's only losses on Robot Wars were against the eventual champion of the series.
  • In 2016, Storm 2 started styling its name as Storm2, because social media hashtags (which were not a factor during the show's original run) required the name to have no spaces.
  • Over the 16 years that the robot has existed, the total build costs were around £20,000 including the costs of Storm 2's previous versions and evolutions, an investment of around £500 per team member per year.
  • All of Storm 2's combat losses were to the eventual champion of the series. Only Storm 2 and Mace share this similarity while losing to two different champions.
  • Along with Krab-Bot, Razer, 101, Tornado, Behemoth, and Manta, Storm 2 is one of only seven robots to finish in the top four of a World Championship and the top eight of a domestic championship.
  • In 2007, Storm 2 received an Honorable Mention in The Combat Robot Hall of Fame, in recognition of its 'unbeatable speed and ramming power' during its Series 7 run.[38]
  • Out of the twenty battles Storm 2 fought in, only one saw it lose by knockout.

Honours[]


References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Team Storm website (archived)
  2. Team Storm website (archived)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Team Storm website (archived)
  4. Team Storm website (archived)
  5. https://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/threads/5929-woot-a-load-of-spoilers-reviewed-anyway-yay-type-thing?p=300055&viewfull=1#post300055M
  6. 'The Seventh Wars Seeds', Robot Wars Club Newsletter, Volume 4, Issue 3 (2003), p.13
  7. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/photos/a.465013406920118/1159700827451369
  8. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/posts/4346236292131124
  9. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/videos/1075522235869229
  10. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/photos/a.465013406920118/1084973264924126
  11. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/videos/1072822796139173
  12. 'Tornado - Robot Diary - Series 5 and Extreme', Team Tornado website
  13. Team Storm website (archived)
  14. Team Storm website (archived)
  15. Team Storm website (archived)
  16. Team Storm website (archived)
  17. Team Storm website (archived)
  18. Team Storm website (archived)
  19. 19.0 19.1 Team Storm website (archived)
  20. 20.0 20.1 Gary Cairns' Reddit post on Typhoon 2 and the Series 7 Grand Final
  21. 21.0 21.1 https://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/threads/6007-spoilers-can-we-stick-the-review-in-this-thread-pl?p=301992&viewfull=1#post301992
  22. https://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/threads/6007-spoilers-can-we-stick-the-review-in-this-thread-pl?p=301937&viewfull=1#post301937
  23. Team Storm website - list of event reports from 2001-2002 (archived)
  24. https://web.archive.org/web/20060128030110/http://www.dutchrobotgames.nl/cgi-bin/pda
  25. https://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/content/303-fighting-robots-association-heavyweight-championships-2006
  26. https://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/content/87-fighting-robots-association-heavyweight-championship-2011
  27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn79AiLmgbo
  28. https://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/content/219-storm-2
  29. The Gadget Show, Series 9, Episode 5
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDP9fR7YAH0
  31. 'Tournament Tree - RoboGames Combat Class - 2008', Team Run Amok website
  32. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/photos/a.465013406920118/1249497451805039
  33. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/posts/1258260340928750
  34. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/photos/a.465013406920118/1251971844890933
  35. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/photos/a.465013406920118/1259426124145505
  36. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/posts/4484909834930435
  37. https://www.facebook.com/TeamStormUK/videos/871343657076508/
  38. The Combat Robot Hall of Fame ®, Team Run Amok website

External Links[]

See Also[]

Navigation[]

Advertisement