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''Not to be confused with [[General Carnage]] or [[General Chompsalot]]''
 
{{robot
 
{{robot
 
|robot_name=The General
 
|robot_name=The General
|image=[[File:The General.png]]
+
|image=<gallery>
|caption=The General in 2016
+
The General.png|Series 8
  +
Genlarge.jpg|Series 3
|series=3, 2016
 
  +
</gallery>
 
|series=3, 8
 
|team=Team General
 
|team=Team General
 
|team_members=Tom James<br/>Haydn James<br/>Alan James
 
|team_members=Tom James<br/>Haydn James<br/>Alan James
  +
|from=Carmarthen, South Wales
 
|other_entries=[[Spartacus (Lightweight)|Spartacus]]<br/><small>(Series 2)</small>
 
|other_entries=[[Spartacus (Lightweight)|Spartacus]]<br/><small>(Series 2)</small>
  +
|stats=<gallery>
  +
The general s8 stats.png|Series 8
  +
The general s3 stats.png|Series 3
  +
</gallery>
 
|weight=110kg
 
|weight=110kg
 
|dimensions=
 
|dimensions=
 
|clearance=
 
|clearance=
|power=2 x Electric Gate 24V Motors
+
|power=Sealed lead acid batteries (24v)
  +
|drive=2x Electric Gate motors
 
|weapons=Dual spinning discs
 
|weapons=Dual spinning discs
 
|speed=15mph
 
|speed=15mph
 
}}
 
}}
  +
{{quote|Upgraded for a surprise return|[[Robot Wars: The Official Handbook]]}}
'''The General''' was a Welsh robot which competed in the [[Robot Wars: The Third Wars/Robotic Soccer|Robotic Soccer Tournament]] of [[Series 3]] of ''[[Robot Wars]]'', and later the main competition of the [[Robot Wars (2016 series)|2016 series]]. It reached the Robotic Soccer final after beating [[Spectre]], but lost to fellow Welsh robot [[Evil Weevil]] on a [[Judges]]' decision. In the 2016 series, it lost its Group Battle after [[Carbide]] ripped one of its wheels off and [[Behemoth]] left it on the Flame Pit.
 
  +
'''The General''' was a Welsh competitor on ''[[Robot Wars]]'' which initially competed in the [[Robot Wars: The Third Wars/Robotic Soccer|Robotic Soccer]] competition of [[Robot Wars: The Third Wars|Series 3]], later reappearing in the main competition of [[Robot Wars: Series 8|Series 8]] in a new form over fifteen years later.
   
 
In the former, it reached the Robotic Soccer final after beating [[Spectre]], but lost to fellow Welsh robot [[Evil Weevil]] on a [[Judges|Judges' decision]]. In Series 8, a brand-new incarnation of The General lost its Group Battle after [[Carbide]] ripped one of its wheels off, eventually losing mobility once [[Behemoth]] manoeuvred it onto the Flame Pit.
The team also entered with [[Spartacus (Lightweight)|Spartacus]] in the lightweight competition of [[Series 2]] and had planned to enter [[Hazzard]] into Series 3's Lightweight Competition, but this competition was cancelled due to a behind the scenes accident.
 
   
  +
Team General also entered [[Spartacus (Lightweight)|Spartacus]] into the [[Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Lightweight Championship|Lightweight Championship]] of [[Robot Wars: The Second Wars|Series 2]], and had planned to enter [[Hazzard]] into the [[Lightweight Championship|equivalent event]] proposed for Series 3. However, [[Robot Wars: The Third Wars/Controversy#Spike incidents|a behind-the-scenes accident]] caused the latter to be cancelled.
Before building robots, team member Haydn James originally built tractors for his own farm, with The General being built in the milking parlour.
 
   
 
==Versions of The General==
 
==Versions of The General==
 
===The General (Series 3)===
 
===The General (Series 3)===
[[File:Genlarge.jpg|130px|thumb|left|The General, top view]]
+
[[File:The general.JPG|thumb|left|The General in the arena]]
  +
The original Series 3 version of The General was an [[Invertible Robots|invertible]], four-wheel drive machine with large, tractor-style treaded tyres. Weighing 79kg, it was armed with a static front ramming blade - though a front lifter was originally conceptualised - and featured a box chassis made from welded aluminium sheeting. Powered by 12v batteries and two 24v motors, The General exhibited pushing power which was theoretically amongst the strongest in The Third Wars, as demonstrated against [[House Robots|House Robot]] [[Matilda]]. On the ramming blade, the Welsh flag was attached to represent the team's home country.<ref name="General1">http://web.archive.org/web/20020809223513/http://www.jth100.freeserve.co.uk/thegeneral.html</ref>
[[File:The general.JPG|thumb|The General in the arena.]]
 
The Series 3 version of The General weighed 79kg, and was armed with a static scoop for weaponry. The robot was [[Invertible Robots|invertible]], driven by four huge wheels, to fit with the robot's army theme. Although its lack of a weapon provides some disadvantages, its pushing power was theoretically among the strongest in the Third Wars. The General brandished the Welsh flag to represent the team's home country.
 
   
===The General (2016)===
+
===The General (Series 8)===
  +
{{quote|Farmer Haydn has designed and built his own tractors in the past and the General was built in the family’s milking parlour, with its design based on an army tank. The General is made almost exclusively from parts found around the farm – the spinning disc is taken from an old plough, and its motors are normally used to power electric gates.|Robot Wars website}}
[[File:The General 2016.jpg|thumb|left|The General in 2016]]
 
 
[[File:The General 2016.jpg|thumb|left|The General in Series 8]]
 
[[File:The General with Team.jpg|thumb|The General with its team]]
 
[[File:The General with Team.jpg|thumb|The General with its team]]
In 2016, The General made a surprise return to ''Robot Wars''. Now powered by a lead acid 24V battery, the robot is a 2-wheel drive rammer, equipped with two huge spinning discs, spinning at 500-1000rpm. The robot is armed in 2.5mm aluminium, although the team were more concerned about their exposed tyres, which [[Jonathan Pearce]] agreed with.
+
The Series 8 incarnation, completed in 2016, retained its predecessor's invertible approach and camouflage paint scheme. However, it switched to a two-wheel drive system with large tyres of a different tread type, while still boasting great ramming power with its fairly high top speed of 15mph. The General in this form was powered by a sealed lead acid 24V battery, and equipped with two large spinning discs that could spin between 500 and 1,000rpm. The robot was armoured in 2.5mm aluminium, although the team were more concerned about its exposed tyres, a notion openly emphasised by [[Jonathan Pearce]] during in-match commentary.
   
 
==Qualification==
 
==Qualification==
[[File:Thegeneral2.jpg|thumb|The General that failed to qualify for Series 4]]
+
[[File:Thegeneral2.jpg|thumb|The General with a smaller front scoop, later exchanged for the variant seen in Series 3]]
  +
The General first attended the [[Qualifiers|auditions]] for Series 3, passing weight and technical checks alongside the team's planned lightweight entry Hazzard. Both robots attended filming at Elstree Studios at different stages, though The General would not be selected to appear in the [[UK Championship|main heavyweight competition]]. Instead, it would compete in the concurrently-filmed Robotic Soccer, which took place shortly after the resumption of filming following a behind-the-scenes accident.<ref name="GeneralQualifiers">http://web.archive.org/web/20030122092140/http://www.jth100.freeserve.co.uk/news.html</ref> Difficulties with the robot's [[Failsafe|failsafes]] - themselves posing a safety hazard as a result of their 'chattering' - were resolved in [[The Pits]] with assistance from the [[Team Mace|Mace]] and [[Terror Australis]] teams.<ref name="GeneralSoccer">http://web.archive.org/web/20020815142150/http://www.jth100.freeserve.co.uk/soccer.html</ref>
For [[Series 4]], the team had added a larger blade and claw at the front of The General, and placed a toy cannon on top for decoration. However, it failed to qualify, despite beating their other hopeful qualifier '''Slicer''' in its battle.
 
  +
  +
For [[Robot Wars: The Fourth Wars|Series 4]], The General received several upgrades including improved failsafes, a lighter rear axle, and a 'mechanical' front claw for gripping opponents. A decorative toy cannon would also be added to the robot's top panel. Alongside the team's other hopeful entry for the series, [[Slicer (Series 4)|Slicer]], it took part in the qualifiers forming the live ''Robot Mayhem'' event. Both machines fought each other in a one-on-one battle held on the morning of August 3rd 2000 - the last day of the event itself. Here, The General secured a relatively dominant victory, turning Slicer over multiple times, including one instance where it left the latter on the active Flame Pit. After the first minute lapsed, Slicer became immobilised with a 'completely shattered' gearbox; the victorious General attempted to push it into the pit, but could not do so before the battle drew to a close.<ref name="SlicerS4Quali">http://web.archive.org/web/20021013093243/http://www.jth100.freeserve.co.uk/slicer.html</ref><ref name="GeneralQualifiers"/>
  +
  +
Despite earning a knockout win, The General did not take part in a second battle as had been the case with [[Dantomkia|other potential applicants]]. By the afternoon, the team were informed by series producer [[Bill Hobbins]] that neither it or Slicer had been selected to compete in the televised Fourth Wars.<ref name="GeneralQualifiers"/> As the team were not known to have attempted entries into any further series in the Classic run, they would not reappear in ''Robot Wars'' until the start of the Revival Series in 2016.
  +
  +
By contrast, the Series 8 incarnation of The General was selected to compete via an open application.
   
 
==Robot History==
 
==Robot History==
 
===Series 3===
 
===Series 3===
  +
The General competed exclusively in the Robotic Soccer competition, where it first faced [[Spectre]] in a one-on-one match.
 
[[File:SpectreGeneralFootball.jpg|thumb|left|The General dribbles the ball]]
 
[[File:SpectreGeneralFootball.jpg|thumb|left|The General dribbles the ball]]
In its first match against [[Spectre]], The General managed to get to the ball, but its scoop didn't help it very much to begin with. Spectre came in and spun around a few times and with [[Matilda]], kept taking the ball away from the The General. However The General managed to regain control and attempt to shoot. It was blocked, but then the ball went in off the rebound from Matilda.
+
The General managed to get to the ball, but its scoop didn't help it very much to begin with. [[Matilda]] kept taking the ball away from The General, whom used its scoop to shunt her from behind. However, after a brief tussle with Spectre, The General managed to regain control of the ball and dribbled it in an attempt to shoot. It was blocked, but then the ball went into the goal off the rebound from Matilda.
  +
  +
The General had qualified for the final, a four-way free-for-all against [[Evil Weevil]], [[Gnasher]] and [[Velocirippa]].
 
[[File:Gnasher Out.png|thumb|The General in the final]]
 
[[File:Gnasher Out.png|thumb|The General in the final]]
In the final, The General went up against [[Evil Weevil]], [[Velocirippa]] and [[Gnasher]]. The General was slightly too slow to get to the ball. However it finally managed to tackle Matilda and gain the ball, but lost it soon afterwards to Gnasher. The General then appeared to break down, as its batteries ran out of charge. It came back to life towards the end, but it was too little, too late and the Judges' decision went against it, going in favour of Evil Weevil.
+
The General was slightly too slow to get to the ball. However it finally managed to tackle Matilda and gain the ball, but lost it soon afterwards to Gnasher. The General then appeared to break down, as its batteries ran out of charge. It came back to life towards the end, but it was too little, too late and the judges' decision went against it, going in favour of Evil Weevil.
   
===2016 Series===
+
===Series 8===
  +
Over seventeen years after its last appearance on ''Robot Wars'', The General returned in [[Robot Wars: Series 8/Heat A|Heat A]] of Series 8. Its opening Group Battle draw put it up against fellow Classic Series veteran [[Behemoth]], [[Team Mute|Team Mute's]] new axe-wielding robot [[Bonk]], and the debuting [[Bar spinner|bar spinner]] [[Carbide]].
 
[[File:Behemoth flips the general.jpg|thumb|left|The General is flipped by Behemoth]]
 
[[File:Behemoth flips the general.jpg|thumb|left|The General is flipped by Behemoth]]
  +
[[File:Behemoth vs The General sparks.jpg|thumb|Sparks fly as The General's discs make contact with Behemoth's scoop]]
The General competed in Episode 1 fighting [[Carbide]], [[Behemoth]] and [[Bonk]] in its first round melee. The team flew the Welsh flag as they entered the arena. At the start of the battle, The General's discs clashed with Behemoth's scoop, sending sparks flying, and The General was flipped over in response. The General's exposed wheels sustained a blow from Carbide.
+
The team flew the Welsh flag as they entered the arena. At the start of the battle, The General's discs clashed with Behemoth's scoop, sending sparks flying, and The General was flipped over in response. The General's exposed wheels sustained a blow from Carbide.
 
 
{{quote|Tyres in Robot Wars, no no no no no! Not a good idea!|Jonathan Pearce, on The General's exposed tyres}}
 
{{quote|Tyres in Robot Wars, no no no no no! Not a good idea!|Jonathan Pearce, on The General's exposed tyres}}
[[File:CarbideTheGeneralwheel.jpg|thumb|The General loses a tyre to Carbide]]
+
[[File:CarbideTheGeneralwheel.jpg|thumb|left|The General loses a tyre to Carbide]]
[[File:General_Flame_pit.jpg|thumb|left|The General burns on the Flame pit]]
+
[[File:General_Flame_pit.jpg|thumb|The General burns on the Flame pit]]
 
The General fled, damaged by Carbide, but clashed with Behemoth's scoop to create more sparks, while Behemoth flipped itself over, missing The General, although Carbide launched another attack. The General attacked the side of Behemoth with its discs, and then went to attack Bonk, but this left The General unassuming of a back attack from Carbide. Hit at full strength, one of The General's tyres was ripped away, and rolled across the arena. An immobile General hobbled onto the flame pit, and sustained another blow from Carbide, which knocked The General out cold, eliminating it from the competition.
 
The General fled, damaged by Carbide, but clashed with Behemoth's scoop to create more sparks, while Behemoth flipped itself over, missing The General, although Carbide launched another attack. The General attacked the side of Behemoth with its discs, and then went to attack Bonk, but this left The General unassuming of a back attack from Carbide. Hit at full strength, one of The General's tyres was ripped away, and rolled across the arena. An immobile General hobbled onto the flame pit, and sustained another blow from Carbide, which knocked The General out cold, eliminating it from the competition.
  +
{{quote|...OH and the wheel's come off The General! Well, what did we tell you? Don't bring wheels into the arena!|Jonathan Pearce}}
   
 
==Results==
 
==Results==
 
{{Results Top|#4b5320|Lightgreen|THE GENERAL}}
 
{{Results Top|#4b5320|Lightgreen|THE GENERAL}}
 
{{Show|Series 3}}
 
{{Competition|[[Robot Wars: The Third Wars/Robotic Soccer|Robotic Soccer]]|Finalist}}
 
{{Competition|[[Robot Wars: The Third Wars/Robotic Soccer|Robotic Soccer]]|Finalist}}
 
{{Battle|Preliminary|[[Spectre]]|Won}}
 
{{Battle|Preliminary|[[Spectre]]|Won}}
 
{{Battle|Grand Final|[[Evil Weevil]], [[Gnasher]], [[Velocirippa]]|Lost}}
 
{{Battle|Grand Final|[[Evil Weevil]], [[Gnasher]], [[Velocirippa]]|Lost}}
  +
{{Show|Series 8}}
|}
 
 
{{Competition|Series 8 - UK Championship|Heat, Round 1}}
{{Results Top|Silver|Black|THE GENERAL}}
 
 
{{Battle|[[Robot Wars: Series 8/Heat A|Heat A, Group Battle]]|[[Behemoth]], [[Bonk]], [[Carbide]]|Eliminated}}
{{Show|2016 Series}}
 
{{Competition|[[Robot Wars (2016 series)|2016 Series - UK Championship]]|Round 1}}
 
{{Battle|[[Robot Wars (2016 series)/Episode 1|Episode 1, Group Battle]]|[[Carbide]], [[Behemoth]] & [[Bonk]]|Eliminated}}
 
 
|}
 
|}
   
Line 67: Line 87:
 
*Losses: 1
 
*Losses: 1
   
  +
''NOTE: Robotic Soccer matches are not included''
==Trivia==
 
*With a 17 year gap, The General holds the record for the longest time between its Robot Wars debut and its first appearance in the main competition.
 
   
 
==Series Record==
 
==Series Record==
  +
{{Series Record|The General|Did not enter|Lightweight Championship with [[Spartacus (Lightweight)|Spartacus]]|'''Robotic Soccer'''<br>Lightweight Championship with [[Hazzard]] (event cancelled)|''Failed to qualify''<br>Failed to qualify with [[Slicer (Series 4)|Slicer]]|Did not enter|Did not enter|Did not enter|'''Heat, Round 1'''}}
*Series 1: Did not enter
 
  +
*Series 2: Lightweight Championship with [[Spartacus (Lightweight)|Spartacus]]
 
  +
==Gallery==
*Series 3: Robotic Soccer only, and entered with [[Hazzard]] (event cancelled)
 
  +
<gallery>
*Series 4: Failed to qualify and also Failed to qualify with '''Slicer'''
 
  +
the general sketch.jpg|The General's sketch design
*Series 5-7: Did not enter
 
  +
GeneralTeamS3.jpg|The team in Series 3
*2016 Series: Heat, Round 1
 
  +
generalinsides.jpg|The insides of the Series 3 General
*2017 Series: Did not enter
 
  +
Thegeneralentering the arena.jpg|The General entering the arena in Series 8
  +
The General S8.jpg|The General before its Series 8 battle
  +
Thegeneralgateway.jpg|The General's team approach the arena
  +
Thegeneralaftermath.jpg|The General after the melee
  +
the general 8 arena.png|The General inverted in the arena
  +
</gallery>
  +
 
==Trivia==
 
*With a seventeen-year gap, The General holds the record for having the longest time between its ''Robot Wars'' debut, and its first appearance in the main competition.
 
*Before building robots, team member Haydn James originally built tractors for his own farm, with The General being built in the milking parlour.
  +
*The General was one of only four robots in Series 8 to not use modern lithium polymer or nickel metal hydride batteries inside the machine. The others were [[DisConstructor]], [[Kill-E-Crank-E]] and [[Sweeney Todd]], which also used lead acid batteries.
  +
*Five of The General's seven opponents were from teams who would reach the UK Championship Semi-Finals. Of those, only [[Team Mute]] did not reach at least the top eight of the main competition, with Evil Weevil being built by a member from Series 2 champions [[Panic Attack|Team Panic Attack]].
  +
*In Series 3, the statistics board misspelt team member Haydn James' name '''Hayden James'''.
  +
  +
==References==
  +
<references/>
   
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
*[http://www.robotwars.tv/competitors/week-1/the-general/ The General on the ''Robot Wars'' website]
+
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20020809223513/http://www.jth100.freeserve.co.uk/thegeneral.html The General website (Archived)]
  +
*[http://www.robotwars.tv/competitors/season-8/week-1/the-general/ The General on the ''Robot Wars'' website]
   
  +
==Navigation==
 
{{Series 3 Competitors}}
 
{{Series 3 Competitors}}
 
{{2016 Competitors}}
 
{{2016 Competitors}}
Line 88: Line 125:
 
[[Category:Robots from Wales]]
 
[[Category:Robots from Wales]]
 
[[Category:Robots that bore the Welsh flag]]
 
[[Category:Robots that bore the Welsh flag]]
[[Category:Robots that debuted in Robot Wars 2016]]
 
[[Category:Robots that debuted in Series 3]]
 
[[Category:Robots with more Losses than Wins]]
 
 
[[Category:Robots with Ramming Blades]]
 
[[Category:Robots with Ramming Blades]]
 
[[Category:Robots with alternate versions]]
 
[[Category:Robots with alternate versions]]
  +
[[Category:Robots to compete in both eras of Robot Wars]]
  +
[[Category:Robotic Soccer competitors]]
 
[[Category:Robots from Camarthenshire]]
 
[[Category:Robots which debuted in Series 3]]
 
[[Category:Robots which lost their only battle]]
  +
[[Category:Invertible Robots]]

Latest revision as of 21:01, 14 March 2024

Not to be confused with General Carnage or General Chompsalot

"Upgraded for a surprise return"
Robot Wars: The Official Handbook

The General was a Welsh competitor on Robot Wars which initially competed in the Robotic Soccer competition of Series 3, later reappearing in the main competition of Series 8 in a new form over fifteen years later.

In the former, it reached the Robotic Soccer final after beating Spectre, but lost to fellow Welsh robot Evil Weevil on a Judges' decision. In Series 8, a brand-new incarnation of The General lost its Group Battle after Carbide ripped one of its wheels off, eventually losing mobility once Behemoth manoeuvred it onto the Flame Pit.

Team General also entered Spartacus into the Lightweight Championship of Series 2, and had planned to enter Hazzard into the equivalent event proposed for Series 3. However, a behind-the-scenes accident caused the latter to be cancelled.

Versions of The General[]

The General (Series 3)[]

The general

The General in the arena

The original Series 3 version of The General was an invertible, four-wheel drive machine with large, tractor-style treaded tyres. Weighing 79kg, it was armed with a static front ramming blade - though a front lifter was originally conceptualised - and featured a box chassis made from welded aluminium sheeting. Powered by 12v batteries and two 24v motors, The General exhibited pushing power which was theoretically amongst the strongest in The Third Wars, as demonstrated against House Robot Matilda. On the ramming blade, the Welsh flag was attached to represent the team's home country.[1]

The General (Series 8)[]

"Farmer Haydn has designed and built his own tractors in the past and the General was built in the family’s milking parlour, with its design based on an army tank. The General is made almost exclusively from parts found around the farm – the spinning disc is taken from an old plough, and its motors are normally used to power electric gates."
— Robot Wars website
The General 2016

The General in Series 8

The General with Team

The General with its team

The Series 8 incarnation, completed in 2016, retained its predecessor's invertible approach and camouflage paint scheme. However, it switched to a two-wheel drive system with large tyres of a different tread type, while still boasting great ramming power with its fairly high top speed of 15mph. The General in this form was powered by a sealed lead acid 24V battery, and equipped with two large spinning discs that could spin between 500 and 1,000rpm. The robot was armoured in 2.5mm aluminium, although the team were more concerned about its exposed tyres, a notion openly emphasised by Jonathan Pearce during in-match commentary.

Qualification[]

Thegeneral2

The General with a smaller front scoop, later exchanged for the variant seen in Series 3

The General first attended the auditions for Series 3, passing weight and technical checks alongside the team's planned lightweight entry Hazzard. Both robots attended filming at Elstree Studios at different stages, though The General would not be selected to appear in the main heavyweight competition. Instead, it would compete in the concurrently-filmed Robotic Soccer, which took place shortly after the resumption of filming following a behind-the-scenes accident.[2] Difficulties with the robot's failsafes - themselves posing a safety hazard as a result of their 'chattering' - were resolved in The Pits with assistance from the Mace and Terror Australis teams.[3]

For Series 4, The General received several upgrades including improved failsafes, a lighter rear axle, and a 'mechanical' front claw for gripping opponents. A decorative toy cannon would also be added to the robot's top panel. Alongside the team's other hopeful entry for the series, Slicer, it took part in the qualifiers forming the live Robot Mayhem event. Both machines fought each other in a one-on-one battle held on the morning of August 3rd 2000 - the last day of the event itself. Here, The General secured a relatively dominant victory, turning Slicer over multiple times, including one instance where it left the latter on the active Flame Pit. After the first minute lapsed, Slicer became immobilised with a 'completely shattered' gearbox; the victorious General attempted to push it into the pit, but could not do so before the battle drew to a close.[4][2]

Despite earning a knockout win, The General did not take part in a second battle as had been the case with other potential applicants. By the afternoon, the team were informed by series producer Bill Hobbins that neither it or Slicer had been selected to compete in the televised Fourth Wars.[2] As the team were not known to have attempted entries into any further series in the Classic run, they would not reappear in Robot Wars until the start of the Revival Series in 2016.

By contrast, the Series 8 incarnation of The General was selected to compete via an open application.

Robot History[]

Series 3[]

The General competed exclusively in the Robotic Soccer competition, where it first faced Spectre in a one-on-one match.

SpectreGeneralFootball

The General dribbles the ball

The General managed to get to the ball, but its scoop didn't help it very much to begin with. Matilda kept taking the ball away from The General, whom used its scoop to shunt her from behind. However, after a brief tussle with Spectre, The General managed to regain control of the ball and dribbled it in an attempt to shoot. It was blocked, but then the ball went into the goal off the rebound from Matilda.

The General had qualified for the final, a four-way free-for-all against Evil Weevil, Gnasher and Velocirippa.

Gnasher Out

The General in the final

The General was slightly too slow to get to the ball. However it finally managed to tackle Matilda and gain the ball, but lost it soon afterwards to Gnasher. The General then appeared to break down, as its batteries ran out of charge. It came back to life towards the end, but it was too little, too late and the judges' decision went against it, going in favour of Evil Weevil.

Series 8[]

Over seventeen years after its last appearance on Robot Wars, The General returned in Heat A of Series 8. Its opening Group Battle draw put it up against fellow Classic Series veteran Behemoth, Team Mute's new axe-wielding robot Bonk, and the debuting bar spinner Carbide.

Behemoth flips the general

The General is flipped by Behemoth

Behemoth vs The General sparks

Sparks fly as The General's discs make contact with Behemoth's scoop

The team flew the Welsh flag as they entered the arena. At the start of the battle, The General's discs clashed with Behemoth's scoop, sending sparks flying, and The General was flipped over in response. The General's exposed wheels sustained a blow from Carbide.

"Tyres in Robot Wars, no no no no no! Not a good idea!"
— Jonathan Pearce, on The General's exposed tyres
CarbideTheGeneralwheel

The General loses a tyre to Carbide

General Flame pit

The General burns on the Flame pit

The General fled, damaged by Carbide, but clashed with Behemoth's scoop to create more sparks, while Behemoth flipped itself over, missing The General, although Carbide launched another attack. The General attacked the side of Behemoth with its discs, and then went to attack Bonk, but this left The General unassuming of a back attack from Carbide. Hit at full strength, one of The General's tyres was ripped away, and rolled across the arena. An immobile General hobbled onto the flame pit, and sustained another blow from Carbide, which knocked The General out cold, eliminating it from the competition.

"...OH and the wheel's come off The General! Well, what did we tell you? Don't bring wheels into the arena!"
— Jonathan Pearce

Results[]

THE GENERAL - RESULTS
Series 3
Robotic Soccer
Finalist
Preliminary vs. Spectre Won
Grand Final vs. Evil Weevil, Gnasher, Velocirippa Lost
Series 8
Series 8 - UK Championship
Heat, Round 1
Heat A, Group Battle vs. Behemoth, Bonk, Carbide Eliminated

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 0
  • Losses: 1

NOTE: Robotic Soccer matches are not included

Series Record[]

Series The General Series Record
The First Wars Did not enter
The Second Wars Lightweight Championship with Spartacus
The Third Wars Robotic Soccer
Lightweight Championship with Hazzard (event cancelled)
The Fourth Wars Failed to qualify
Failed to qualify with Slicer
The Fifth Wars Did not enter
The Sixth Wars Did not enter
The Seventh Wars Did not enter
Series 8 Heat, Round 1
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • With a seventeen-year gap, The General holds the record for having the longest time between its Robot Wars debut, and its first appearance in the main competition.
  • Before building robots, team member Haydn James originally built tractors for his own farm, with The General being built in the milking parlour.
  • The General was one of only four robots in Series 8 to not use modern lithium polymer or nickel metal hydride batteries inside the machine. The others were DisConstructor, Kill-E-Crank-E and Sweeney Todd, which also used lead acid batteries.
  • Five of The General's seven opponents were from teams who would reach the UK Championship Semi-Finals. Of those, only Team Mute did not reach at least the top eight of the main competition, with Evil Weevil being built by a member from Series 2 champions Team Panic Attack.
  • In Series 3, the statistics board misspelt team member Haydn James' name Hayden James.

References[]

External Links[]

Navigation[]