- "We are a group of students working full time for CCL during our gap year. As CCL is an "Investor in People" it was decided that, as a training exercise, we could have some funds to build a Robot for Robot Wars which would teach us a lot about engineering and project management etc. The Necromancer was born! We plan to enter the Necromancer in Robot Wars this year (2000) and then when we finish our gap year, we will hand the project over to next years gap year students, so that they can modify the Necromancer for Robot Wars 2001 and enter it again."
- — The Necromancer website[2]
The Necromancer (also referred to simply as Necromancer) was a competitor robot which attempted to enter Robot Wars: The Fourth Wars. Its only qualifier battle ended in a draw against Robochicken, which it ultimately lost on an audience vote. The Necromancer was also intended to compete in The Fifth Wars, but it is currently unknown whether the robot attempted to enter or how it failed to qualify if it did.[2]
The robot was built and entered by gap-year students working for Cambridge Consultants Limited, who sponsored the robot as well as providing funds and equipment for its construction.[2]
The Necromancer never appeared on television, although team captain Gary Ewer later competed as part of the Infernal Contraption team, becoming team captain during its appearance in Series 8.
Design[]
The original sketch for The Necromancer
The Necromancer before it was completed
The Necromancer was a silvery-grey box wedge-shaped robot armed with an electric lifting arm. The lifter itself was quoted by the team as capable of lifting an adult person. A rough design drawing indicated that the front end of the robot was intended to feature additional graphics or paintwork, depicting the titular 'necromancer' inspiring its name.[3]
Other features included a steel box-section chassis, glassfibre composite armour with a stainless steel outer layer, and a two-wheel drive system with Bridgestone go-kart tyres. Power for The Necromancer came from a pair of Hawker Odyssey (Genesis) 12V, 16Ah batteries, as well as three 750W Bosch motors - two for the drivetrain and the third for the lifter.[3]
Etymology[]
The robot's name is derived from 'necromancer', a type of magician who can supposedly communicate with the dead.
Qualification[]
The Necromancer in The Pits before its qualifier
To potentially secure a place in the televised Fourth Wars, The Necromancer attended the Robot Mayhem live event serving as the official series qualifiers. Here, it fought Robochicken, but encountered problems before it was even due to enter the arena. During last-minute preparations the night before, the belt powering its lifting arm snapped, and the team could not obtain a spare in time. As such, The Necromancer competed without a working weapon.[4]
The Necromancer also suffered numerous control issues in the arena due to radio interference, causing it to ram the side walls and buckle parts of its front end. Even with these setbacks, The Necromancer performed strongly, easily getting underneath Robochicken and pushing it across the arena for much of the battle. Towards the end, however, the 3mm steel feeder wedge of The Necromancer bent downwards, causing it to catch and pin the robot on the wooden arena floor. Shunt was used to free The Necromancer so that it could return to The Pits with minimal delay.[4]
The Necromancer, with its buckled lifter and damaged wedge
- "In the last few seconds of the battle we could not move and this was why - the 3mm steel wedge had bent, and was digging into the floor! To get the robot out of the arena the stage crew had to use the house robot, Shunt, to ram it off, as it would not drive out!"
- — The Necromancer website
As both competitors lasted the full duration, the battle initially went to an audience vote, which ruled in Robochicken's favour. The subsequent Judges' decision, however, declared a draw, though The Necromancer ultimately failed to qualify for The Fourth Wars regardless.[4][5]
Series Record[]
| Main Series | The Necromancer Series Record |
|---|---|
| The First Wars | Did not enter |
| The Second Wars | Did not enter |
| The Third Wars | Did not enter |
| The Fourth Wars | Failed to qualify |
| The Fifth Wars | Failed to qualify with Gahra |
| The Sixth Wars | Entered with Infernal Contraption |
| The Seventh Wars | Entered with Infernal Contraption |
| Series 8 | Entered with Infernal Contraption |
| Series 9 | Did not enter |
| Series 10 | Unused reserve with Infernal Contraption |
| Robot Wars Extreme | Appearances |
| Series 1 | Did not enter |
| Series 2 | Entered with Infernal Contraption |
NOTE: This Series Record reflects the attendance of team captain Gary Ewer only.
Outside Robot Wars[]
The Necromancer fighting Mortis before the qualifiers
Sometime before its Series 4 qualification attempt, The Necromancer fought Mortis in an informal test battle.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 'The Necromancer Team', The Necromancer website
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 'The Sponsors', The Necromancer website
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 'The Robot', The Necromancer website
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 'Robotwars: The Necromancer vs Robochicken', The Necromancer website
- ↑ 'Live and Flipping!', Robot Wars Magazine, Issue 6, pp.20-21