- "This started off as a joke, and then became a serious competitor, eventually fighting James Underwood's Defiant for the Lightweight Face-Off title. Who could have guessed..."
- — Team Delta's summary of The Ominous Brick of Havoc on their website[1]
The Ominous Brick of Havoc (sometimes shortened to Brick of Havoc) was a lightweight robot from the US 1997 Robot Wars. The robot was built by Team Delta and was initially built as a joke it ended up being hugely successful, getting to the final losing to Defiant, coming second in the whole competition as well as being one of the finalists of the lightweight melee, again losing to Defiant.
Design[]
The Ominous Brick of Havoc being built
As the name suggests, the robot was designed to appear like a brick, it was made entirely out of wood and featured the same drive system as the team's previous middleweight, Agamemnon, the wheels were from a lawnmower and could reach speeds of 25mph. The robot was armed with three spikes at the front.
Robot History[]
1997 US Championship[]
The Ominous Brick of Havoc received a BYE and moved straight into the Winner's Bracket second round, here it fought Razor Back. Through a head-on collision, Razor Back immediately launched The Ominous Brick of Havoc into the air near the center. The Ominous Brick of Havoc proceeded to career into the right-most flippers and wall sections. Razor Back, while slow to pressure its opponent, also crashed into the wall, just as Team Delta's orange machine impaled itself on the plywood barrier.[2][3]
Razor Back shuttled back, forth and across the arena, then parked near the center as The Ominous Brick of Havoc remained motionless in the bottom-right corner. After over a minute, it was decided to unstick The Ominous Brick of Havoc from the wall, after which Razor Back began moving again in a more erratic fashion.[2][3]
According to Andrew Lindsey, the initial collision had loosened an internal component inside Bob Schneeveis' machine, resulting in the aforementioned control problems. As a consequence, Razor Back veered into the path of the top-right flipper, which instantly caught and pressed it against the wall on the other side. Razor Back became immobilized as a result.[2][3]
With The Ominous Brick of Havoc also becoming stuck a second time, the match went to a Judges' decision. Despite its more prolonged immobility - and Razor Back having initiated the opening attack - The Ominous Brick of Havoc was deemed to have won on points.[2][3]
In the Quarter Finals, The Ominous Brick of Havoc faced Mouser. Both competitors immediately rammed each other at high speed; The Ominous Brick of Havoc got its front blade underneath and began pushing Mouser back and forth across the arena. Mouser repeatedly fired its top flap, but could not prevent itself from being steered into the lower-right corner. While trying to escape, Fon Davis' machine was hit multiple times by the nearby flipper, as The Ominous Brick of Havoc tried to push it again from the side. The contact only caused Team Delta's entry to ride up the sloped shell of Mouser; Mouser flicked The Ominous Brick of Havoc off with its flap as the two robots headed for the upper-right corner.[4]
There, The Ominous Brick of Havoc pinned Mouser against the wall. Both robots separated; several moments passed as The Ominous Brick of Havoc drove past Cambot, then into the right-hand side of Mouser. The right-front ramming spike of The Ominous Brick of Havoc became lodged in Mouser's shell, allowing it to drag and push Mouser back and forth into the lower-right flipper. Mouser tried to push The Ominous Brick of Havoc into the upper spike trap, but could not do so before a separation was ordered by the Judges. Cambot closed in just as the 'deadly embrace' was broken by Robot Wars crewmembers.[4]
On the restart, Mouser briefly got its front sawblade under the side of The Ominous Brick of Havoc. The pink machine then bumped into Cambot, only to be rammed again by The Ominous Brick of Havoc at the start of the final two minutes. More bumping and shoving ensued, at which point Mouser appeared unable to avoid the wall or the flipper in the upper-left corner. The Ominous Brick of Havoc, missing its next ram, careered into the wall, then up alongside Mouser's shell as it drove away. Mouser became lodged in the wall, but was briefly freed by a further ram from The Ominous Brick of Havoc. However, this caused both robots to stick together again; Mouser fired its pneumatic flap repeatedly at reduced travel, as they squirmed and eventually pulled away from each other.[4]
As the battle entered the final minute, The Ominous Brick of Havoc jabbed its spikes under Mouser once again, before riding on top of its shell with its next drive. By this point, Mouser was left with noticeable mobility issues, only able to turn on its right-hand drive. Both competitors dodged the descending spike trap, with Mouser turning into and unable to get away from the surrounding wall. The Ominous Brick of Havoc, having hesitated during this moment, pushed Mouser into the wall behind the upper-right flipper, though Mouser briefly responded by pushing The Ominous Brick of Havoc into the flipper paddle. Team Delta's machine finished the match by driving up and getting beached on Mouser's shell. Both robots survived to a Judges' decision, which ruled The Ominous Brick of Havoc the winner on points.[4]
Cooks gets underneath Brick of Havoc
In the Semi Finals, The Ominous Brick of Havoc faced Cooks. Both robots twice rammed each other in the opening moments, with Cooks being able to get underneath The Ominous Brick of Havoc on the second collision. The Ominous Brick of Havoc spent the next few seconds trying to dodge its opponent, though Paul Bell's machine caught up and rammed it from the front-right corner. A drive past The Ominous Brick of Havoc resulted in Cooks driving into the upper-left flipper and Cambot, after which another head-to-head collision ensued. The Ominous Brick of Havoc next attempted to push Cooks from the side, only for Cooks to push it into Cambot and the left wall bumper.[5][6]
More tentative pushing followed, with The Ominous Brick of Havoc jamming its front spears under Cooks' rightmost skirts. The two competitors separated, after which the Team Delta entry drove head-on into the upper-left flipper. The Ominous Brick of Havoc turned, then collided with Cooks once again, forcing it back into the opposite flipper with its spears. Further rams by The Ominous Brick of Havoc followed, until Cooks eventually broke free and began pressuring it again. Cooks scooped up and pushed The Ominous Brick of Havoc again, the two robots separating just as the lower spike trap descended.[5][6]
Cooks followed its opponent towards the left wall, smashing into it and the upper-left flipper with one minute remaining. Sluggishly, it turned into Cambot to avoid a charging Ominous Brick of Havoc. After this, it took a side-on ram from The Ominous Brick of Havoc, only to jam its 'spatula' under the wall surrounding the upper spike trap. Cooks remained stuck as it was pinned by both the trap and The Ominous Brick of Havoc; the match was eventually paused to allow for an unstick.[5][6]
The final twenty seconds saw Cooks repeatedly pushing The Ominous Brick of Havoc, while ultimately pinning it against the lower-right corner. Despite the strong performance of Paul Bell's machine, the resulting Judges' decision deemed The Ominous Brick of Havoc to have won on points.[5][6]
Defiant flips Brick of Havoc out of the arena
In the lightweight final, The Ominous Brick of Havoc faced Defiant. Both robots met in the center; Defiant turned right, allowing The Ominous Brick of Havoc to spear and dent it from the left-hand side with its front blades. Defiant, circling around, flicked The Ominous Brick of Havoc into the lower-right corner, where both robots drove into the nearby flipper. A ram from Defiant caused it to be speared again by The Ominous Brick of Havoc, as both competitors engaged in a back-and-forth pushing match.[7][8]
Defiant, getting the upper hand, thrust The Ominous Brick of Havoc off the floor, before continuing to chase it once both competitors were separated. James Underwood's machine, dodging a spike trap, shoved The Ominous Brick of Havoc from the side and flung it onto the upper wall. Team Delta's entry was beached on the 'curb' for several seconds, sustaining blows from a nearby flipper before managing to slip back onto the floor. Defiant rushed in, throwing and lifting The Ominous Brick of Havoc several more times before the latter found itself near the arena doors.[7][8]
The Ominous Brick of Havoc drove into the flipper nearby; Defiant flipped it onto the 'curb', where it was wedged in place and unable to escape. Defiant, parading across the arena, emerged as the 1997 Lightweight Face-Off champion.[7][8]
The Ominous Brick of Havoc wasn't finished yet as it competed in the lightweight melee where it faced Mouser and Cooks again as well as Gator, Finagler, Razor Back, Scrappy and Ziggy. Mouser immediately drove into the side of a wheelieing Gator, which turned into and immobilized Razor Back with an early ram. Finagler turned into the upper-left corner past The Ominous Brick of Havoc, then got trapped by the upper spike, while Cooks pushed Scrappy from the side and engaged in a duel with the slow-starting Ziggy. Cooks proceeded to immobilize Gator by ramming it, only to be rammed by Mouser as it backed out of the ensuing pile-up.[9][10]
Mouser and The Ominous Brick of Havoc became trapped behind the upper-left flipper, while Cooks pushed the immobile Gator with Scrappy nearby. The pink Fon Davis machine soon escaped, bumping into Finagler and in turn getting pushed aside by Cooks. Cooks charged back into Ziggy; sparks flew as Ziggy's abrasive disc began cutting into the shell of Paul Bell's machine. Mouser nudged the immobile Razor Back and Gator, the latter still with an active cutting saw. Near the left wall, Scrappy briefly dragged Finagler back before the two robots separated, and the latter was nudged from the right-hand side by Mouser. Cooks found itself behind the upper-left flipper, before proceeding to push Mouser, Gator and Scrappy on each side of the arena.[9][10]
Ziggy, having kept out of the action, smashed into the side of Finagler, only to get pinned by the upper spike trap. Jonathan Ridder's machine kept pushing Finagler with its rear wedge shape, resulting in the latter being steered towards and riding up Mouser's dome-shaped shell. Finagler drove off just as Fon Davis' machine fired its pneumatic flap. A few seconds later, Cooks drove underneath Mouser, which in turn flicked Gator up with its side-facing weapon. The former two proceeded to attack Scrappy and the immobile Razor Back respectively. More sparks flew as Ziggy again attacked Cooks' shell, then weathered a head-to-head collision with the lumbering Finagler. A four-robot pile-up, involving Ziggy, Mouser, Scrappy and Cooks, developed soon after.[9][10]
Mouser and Ziggy separated, allowing Cooks to push Scrappy across the inner perimeter. Finagler briefly fell afoul of the upper spike trap, while Mouser kept attacking Gator as Cooks again pressured Ziggy. Scrappy wedged underneath the passive Ominous Brick of Havoc, itself suffering from control issues, just as Ziggy again hit Cooks' bodyshell. Cooks rammed the former two competitors, while Finagler and The Ominous Brick of Havoc took turns at attacking Ziggy from the sides. The latter dug its front spears under Ziggy, after which Scrappy, Finagler and Cooks all closed in. Cooks pushed Scrappy aside, then helped The Ominous Brick of Havoc push Mouser into the left wall. The red and pink machines became stuck together, as all four of their active opponents again piled into each other.[9][10]
A pin by the upper spike trap caused Finagler to be flipped over. Meanwhile, Cooks wedged Scrappy in place by the upper-right corner, as Ziggy tentatively approached Jack Buffington's machine with its rear wedge shape. At that point, the Melee was paused to allow for multiple unsticks; Cooks from Scrappy, The Ominous Brick of Havoc from Mouser, and Gator from Razor Back. Through its ram, The Ominous Brick of Havoc had directly hit one of Mouser's internal components, leaving Fon Davis' machine immobile upon the match restarting.[9][10]
Cooks and Scrappy again teamed up against Ziggy, controlling the latter towards the lower spike trap. Scrappy was then pushed by Paul Bell's machine, which nudged Ziggy again as Finagler slowly closed in. Cooks sped around to push Ziggy from the back, brushing the side of Finagler as it did so. While Finagler again had a few close calls with the spike trap, Scrappy scooped under and pushed Ziggy into the lower-right flipper. Meanwhile, Cooks performed the same attack with The Ominous Brick of Havoc on the opposite side of the arena, only to speed directly into the lower spike trap.[9][10]
Scrappy pushed Ziggy along the trap 'curb', at which point both robots broke free and Cooks rammed it from the left-hand side. Contact with Scrappy's armor caused the large abrasive saw on Ziggy to stall, rendering it inoperable as it attempted to attack the former from the back. The final minute saw Cooks continuing to push Scrappy and Ziggy around, and Finagler starting its own duel with Scrappy. The Ominous Brick of Havoc kept clear, only to be pushed into the upper-right flipper by Cooks. After Scrappy wedged underneath Ziggy again, Cooks finished the Melee by ramming the pair once again. Finagler parked by the trio just as the end bell rang. The five robots still mobile - Cooks, Finagler, Scrappy, The Ominous Brick of Havoc and Ziggy - were all selected to compete in the Final.[9][10]
In the lightweight melee final, The Ominous Brick of Havoc along with its fellow qualifiers faced Defiant and Pretty Hate Machine. Ziggy, unable to use its cutting disc, immediately turned wedge-first into The Ominous Brick of Havoc. Defiant and Cooks rammed and pushed each other, the pair soon being joined and pinned against the lower-right flipper by The Ominous Brick of Havoc. Pretty Hate Machine slowly approached Ziggy, which drove into the side of Christian Carlberg's walker as Finagler closed in. Defiant, recovering, tossed Scrappy end-over-end, before using its flipper to flick The Ominous Brick of Havoc and Ziggy away. Finagler controlled Pretty Hate Machine into the upper-left flipper, while Cooks teamed up with Defiant to nearly turn Ziggy completely over.[11][12]
Following an encounter with the lower-left flipper, The Ominous Brick of Havoc turned into Scrappy and stopped. Defiant closed in to flip the Team Delta entry over, though not without being sandwiched against it by a push from Cooks. Cooks next tried to steer the newly-crowned Lightweight Face-Off champion into the left wall, but not without both robots being pushed together by The Ominous Brick of Havoc. Near the inner perimeter, Ziggy rammed and pushed Scrappy into the retreating Cooks, which in turn pushed Steven Schware's machine several times across the arena. Defiant flipped Finagler, only to be forced away from it by an aggressive Ominous Brick of Havoc. This, however, allowed it the opportunity to flick and pin the latter against the lower-left flipper. As Ziggy closed in, Defiant threw The Ominous Brick of Havoc on top of the flipper.[11][12]
Defiant flips both Finagler and The Ominous Brick of Havoc
The Ominous Brick of Havoc remained stuck for some time, and struggled to drive away from the wall while Ziggy pressured it further. Defiant nudged Cooks, helping Paul Bell's machine to break free from Scrappy, before proceeding to lift and flick Ziggy around with more flipper attacks. Following a brief interruption by Cooks, it eventually threw Ziggy onto its back, with Jonathan Ridder's machine being left unable to self-right. Elsewhere, Cooks wedged itself underneath Pretty Hate Machine, which ripped part of the former's lifting 'spatula' off with its saws. Defiant continued attacking Scrappy and a retreating Cooks, with Cooks bumping and chasing it in response.[11][12]
Cooks rammed Pretty Hate Machine again, while Defiant lifted Finagler and The Ominous Brick of Havoc simultaneously against the upper-left flipper. James Underwood's machine next turned Scrappy back upright, then wedged it under the lower wall. The Ominous Brick of Havoc lunged at Defiant, only to spear itself into the wall. Cooks and Finagler each rammed Pretty Hate Machine again, as Defiant lifted and helped the Team Delta machine break free. The Ominous Brick of Havoc's reprieve was not to last, as a collision with Scrappy allowed Defiant to hoist it against the wall once more.[11][12]
Scrappy drove under, turned and reversed away from The Ominous Brick of Havoc, passing Finagler as it did so. At that point, Defiant collected and flipped it against the wall. Wedged between the floor, 'curb' and sponsor banners, Scrappy was eliminated as a result. Defiant reengaged in battle with The Ominous Brick of Havoc and Cooks, which pinned it with a forceful ram. Finagler, meanwhile, bumped into the lower wall and got itself caught by the spike trap, as The Ominous Brick of Havoc rammed an increasingly sluggish Pretty Hate Machine.[11][12]
After several moments, Cooks and Defiant were both separated by a ram from The Ominous Brick of Havoc. Defiant turned The Ominous Brick of Havoc over, and proceeded to stack it against the lower-right wall with a second flip. Again, James Underwood's machine engaged in a head-to-head duel with Cooks, but encountered problems as it wedged itself into the upper wall. In the center of the arena, Pretty Hate Machine appeared to be completely immobile alongside the upturned Ziggy, where Finagler also remained stationary for some time as the Melee entered its final minute.[11][12]
Cooks pushed The Ominous Brick of Havoc into the lower-left corner, at which point the Melee was briefly paused to allow Defiant to be freed. With Finagler driving around in the lower-left corner, the remaining four machines battled on and met each other as Defiant found itself unable to breach Cooks' ground clearance. Upon separating, Defiant and Cooks rammed Finagler simultaneously, the former carrying it on its low box-shaped body. Another ram by Cooks left it stuck underneath Finagler, as Defiant proceeded to chase, ram and lift The Ominous Brick of Havoc against the left wall.[11][12]
Defiant struggled to keep lifting its red-painted opponent, as the CO2 supply in its weapon appeared to have greatly depleted. However, it kept controlling The Ominous Brick of Havoc into the walls and other already-defeated competitors. With less than thirty seconds remaining, the bell rang, signalling the abrupt end of the Melee Final.[11][12] The Ominous Brick of Havoc would lose to Defiant once again.
Results[]
| THE OMINOUS BRICK OF HAVOC - RESULTS | ||
| 1997 US Championship | ||
| Lightweight Face-Off Runner-up | ||
| Round 1 | vs. No opponent | Bye |
| Round 2 | vs. Razor Back | Won |
| Quarter-Final | vs. Mouser | Won |
| Semi-Final | vs. Cooks | Won |
| Final | vs. Defiant | Lost |
| Lightweight Melee Final | ||
| Melee | vs. Mouser, Gator, Cooks, Ziggy, Finagler, Razor Back, Scrappy | Qualified |
| Melee Final | vs. Defiant, Pretty Hate Machine, Cooks, Ziggy, Finagler, Razor Back, Scrappy | Lost |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 4
- Losses: 2
Series Record[]
1994-1997 US Competitions[]
| Events | Alexander Event Record |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Did not enter |
| 1995 | Did not enter |
| 1996 | Entered with Agamemnon |
| 1997 | Lightweight Runner-up (Face-Off) Lightweight Melee, Final Entered with Alexander |
UK Series[]
| Series | Alexander Series Record |
|---|---|
| The First Wars | Did not enter |
| The Second Wars | Did not enter |
| The Third Wars | Did not enter |
| The Fourth Wars | War of Independence with The Mangulator |
| The Fifth Wars | Did not enter |
| The Sixth Wars | Did not enter |
| The Seventh Wars | Did not enter |
| Series 8 | Did not enter |
| Series 9 | Did not enter |
| Series 10 | Did not enter |
US Series[]
| US Series | Alexander Series Record |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | Did not enter |
| Season 2 | Entered with Wowot |
| Nickelodeon | Did not enter |
The UK and US Series records are reflective of team captain Dan Danknick only.
Honours[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.teamdelta.com/ax/axaug.htm#brick
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 'Robot Wars 1997 Lightweight match: Ominous Brick of Havoc versus Razorback', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded April 16 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 'MATCH: THE OMINOUS BRICK OF HAVOC VS RAZOR BACK', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 'Robot Wars 1997 Lightweight match: Mouser versus Ominous Brick of Havoc', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded April 20 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 'Robot Wars 1997 Lightweight match: Ominous Brick of Havoc versus Cooks', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 7 2021
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 'MATCH: THE OMINOUS BRICK OF HAVOC VS COOKS', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 'Robot Wars 1997 Lightweight finals: The Defiant versus The Ominous Brick of Havoc', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded 9 May 2021
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 'MATCH: THE DEFIANT VS THE OMINOUS BRICK OF HAVOC', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 'Robot Wars 1997 Lightweight Melee 2', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 11 2021
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 'LIGHTWEIGHT MELEE ROUND 2', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 'Robot Wars 1997 Final Lightweight Melee', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 11 2021
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 'LIGHTWEIGHT MELEE ROUND 3', Team Spike website (archived)
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