- "Now this one can beetle about!"
- — Jonathan Pearce as The Stag entered the Arena in Series 6
The Stag was a heavyweight robot which competed in Series 6 and 7 of Robot Wars, built by Team Bodge-it. It lost in Round 1 in both of its appearances. The Stag also had a featherweight equivalents Staglet, and Whipper.
Design[]
- "The aluminium shell, home-made speed controllers, hydraulic pincers, crushing at those 7 tonnes, a rear spike, oh and don't forget the chicken on the back!"
- — Jonathan Pearce sums up The Stag in Series 6
The Stag in Series 6
The Stag was invertible, two-wheel driven robot, designed to resemble a stag beetle. Like the insect, The Stag had horizontally mounted hydraulic pincers for weaponry, which could crush with 7 tonnes of pressure. A rear spike also provided additional weaponry. The Stag had an aluminium shell and home-made speed controllers, but the wheels were exposed, even after being reinforced with polycarbonate in Series 7.
The robot was largely unchanged between Series 6 and 7, although the robot's eyes used a different design in Series 7, along with additional paint on its front wedge. The Series 6 version of The Stag also dragged a novelty rubber chicken at the rear of the machine.
Etymology[]
The robot is named after the stag beetle. The robot's working name was Mr Hyde, but this was changed shortly before the Series 5 qualifiers[1].
The Team[]
- Main article: Team Bodge-it
Team Bodge-it in Series 6
Team Bodge-it in Series 7
The Stag was entered into Series 6 and 7 by Team Bodge-it, a three-man team based in Newcastle, Staffordshire. The team was captained by Terry Martin, who was joined by David Martin and Mark Pepper. Team Bodge-it also competed in the Featherweight Championship during Series 7 with Staglet and Whipper. Mark Pepper wore "hi-tech headgear" in all of The Stag's competition appearances, adding personality to the team's image.
Qualification[]
The Stag at the time of the Series 5 qualifiers
The Stag had previously failed to qualify in the Fifth Wars. At the Series 5 qualifiers, it first fought Mega Hurts. The Stag tried to grab Mega Hurts sides, but despite scratching along the side, pulling off its decorative stickers and denting the armour, it could not pierce the stainless steel armour, and The Stag lost the tooth from one of its claws. The Stag was eventually named the winner of the battle[2].
The Stag then fought Lambsy. Lambsy's flipper was not working, but Lambsy managed to get under The Stag and pushed it around the arena. The Stag also pushed Lambsy's sheep mascot onto the Flame Pit. Both robots survived to the end, and the fight was declared a draw.
- "It was a tense affair with a lot at stake. We pushed each other around the arena, but without our flipper it was going to be tough. We battled on and nearly managed to get Stag into the pit after carrying him around on our back for a short while. But all to no avail. Cease was called and without any judges in attendance, Craig called on the crowd for some help. After lots of singing and chanting by the crowd Craig declared it a draw. --- The Stag team afterwards said that they felt we had won ... Nice chaps!!!."
- — Lambsy website[3]
Finally, The Stag fought and beat Mute. Despite this performance, The Stag failed to qualify.
- "Unfortunately, we found out today that we did not make the final selection that will compete in the next filming of Robot Wars. We aren't sure why but we aren't that disheartened."
- — Team Bodge-it website on failing to qualify for Series 5[4]
The Stag in its Series 6 qualifier
The Stag fought Shell Shock, Scrap Dragon and Gyrobot at the Series 6 qualifiers. The Stag started by chasing after Shell Shock, and soon caught up with it. As The Stag grabbed hold of Shell Shock, Shell Shock broke down, and The Stag let go to reverse for a charge. Scrap Dragon rammed into the side of The Stag with its front lifter raised, but The Stag ignored this and rammed the immobile Shell Shock up the arena. Gyrobot got its spinning body up to speed and charged at The Stag, slamming into its back. The Stag reversed and turned to face Gyrobot, but drove around Gyrobot, down to the bottom of the arena, getting behind Scrap Dragon, which drove away up the arena. The Stag reversed up the arena after Scrap Dragon, then slammed into Shell Shock with its rear spike. Gyrobot drove into the side of The Stag, but The Stag got away unharmed. The Stag reversed into Scrap Dragon's side with its rear spike, pushing it around in a circle. The Stag drove away for another charge, then backed into Scrap Dragon again, pushing past it, and drove across the arena. Gyrobot hit the side of Scrap Dragon, which drove away, but drove straight into The Stag, which tried to grab it, and Gyrobot slammed into Scrap Dragon, immobilising it. Gyrobot hit The Stag's side, but The Stag drove around, got under Gyrobot, grabbed hold of it and pushed it up the arena, before eventually pushing it onto the Flame Pit, where Gyrobot became stuck. This left The Stag as the winner, so it automatically qualifying for the series.
Official Series 7 photo
The Stag also qualified for Series 7 under currently unknown circumstances.
Robot History[]
Series 6[]
The Stag first appeared in Heat E of the Sixth Wars. It faced off against the 9th seed and semi-finalist Wild Thing 2, as well as fellow newcomers Vader and UFO in its first round battle.
The Stag breaks through Wild Thing's armour
The Stag has the tread ripped from its wheel
The Stag started well, gripping Wild Thing 2 and forcing it backwards while prising its claws underneath a layer of Wild Thing 2's armour. Wild Thing 2 retreated, and The Stag tried to attack UFO, but just as it got hold of it, Vader inflicted severe damage to The Stag, ripping off the rubber covering from one of its wheels. Vader then came in with another attack, which separated The Stag and UFO, and buckled The Stag's right claw. Wild Thing 2 then rode up the back of The Stag, causing damage to its shell and forcing it into Sir Killalot's CPZ. The Stag tried to move away from danger, but because of its now limited movement due to the damage caused by Vader it was only able to move around in circles.
- "I think the chicken's come off. Did I see the chicken of The Stag, there, had come off? Well, I mean, that's it then, isn't it, really? It's powerless now."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Sir Killalot clutches The Stag's chicken
The Stag is pitted by UFO
Sir Killalot then picked The Stag up, causing its mascot chicken to fall off, before spinning it around and placing it back onto the arena floor. With The Stag still restricted in its mobility, Refbot counted it out, which left Sir Killalot and Sgt. Bash able to inflict further damage to the beaten machine. Sir Killalot opted to lift The Stag's mascot chicken by its neck, while The Stag continued to furiously spin around, before UFO decided to force The Stag down into the Pit of Oblivion just before cease was called.
Series 7[]
The Stag returned in the Seventh Wars, and turned up in Heat C, where it competed against Scorpion, Team Vader once again and their new robot IG-88, and newcomer Tomahawk as it looked to progress to the second round.
The Stag grabs the side of Scorpion
IG-88 attacks The Stag
The Stag charged into the centre of the arena after activate was called, but was immediately pushed backwards by Scorpion. The Stag spun around to move away from Scorpion, before clutching it with its claws. Scorpion worked its way free from The Stag's grasp, with IG-88 then crashing into the rear-end of a reversing The Stag with its bi-rotational axe. The Stag chased down Scorpion once more, before turning towards IG-88, where it sustained a full-frontal slam from IG-88, which threw The Stag up into the air and slightly warped one of its claws.
The Stag drives into the Pit
The Stag then made its way to the pit release button, successfully activating it at the second time of asking, before pushing Scorpion once more, as it was attacking the immobile Tomahawk. Scorpion and IG-88 then focused their attention on The Stag, and another strong attack from IG-88 threw The Stag upside down. The Stag responded by sliding underneath IG-88 and edging it backwards, before IG-88 came back onto the attack. Suddenly, in a bizarre turn of events, with IG-88 on the offensive, The Stag tried to retreat, but only succeeded in backing itself into the Pit of Oblivion.
- "Oh, what's happened to The Stag?! It's reversed straight into the Pit of Oblivion! And we know that stag beetles can't self-right!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
This saw The Stag eliminated from the Seventh Wars along with Tomahawk.
Results[]
| THE STAG - RESULTS | ||
| Series 6 | ||
| The Sixth Wars - UK Championship Heat, Round 1 | ||
| Heat E, Round 1 | vs. Vader, UFO, Wild Thing (9) | Eliminated |
| Series 7 | ||
| The Seventh Wars - UK Championship Heat, Round 1 | ||
| Heat C, Round 1 | vs. Scorpion, IG-88, Tomahawk | Eliminated |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 2
Series Record[]
| Series | The Stag 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 | Failed to qualify |
| The Sixth Wars | Heat, Round 1 |
| The Seventh Wars | Heat, Round 1 Featherweight Championship with Staglet and Whipper |
| Series 8 | Did not enter |
| Series 9 | Did not enter |
| Series 10 | Did not enter |
Gallery[]
Outside Robot Wars[]
The Stag at as BeetleBot in Techno Games
The Stag also competed in the 2003 series of Techno Games as BeetleBot, working with Brutal Beetle in the football competition. They lost to Savage Toaster and Ickle Toaster 1-0 in the first round.
The Stag at the 2002 Debenham Robot Rumble
The Stag would compete at various live events around the time of the original run of Robot Wars, and would earn a surprising amount of success. At the Debenham Robot Rumble in 2002, The Stag would make it all the way the finals of the second day of the competition, beating out Bulldog Breed 3, Ming 3 and Judge Shred 2½ before losing to Dominator 2.[5] It would take part in the Newark Kit Car show later on in the year.[6] At the 2003 Robot Crusade, The Stag once again advanced to the finals, only losing out to eventual champion Mute.[7]
The empty shell of The Stag, sold on eBay in 2011
The Stag on display at Welsh Comic Con in 2014
After Robot Wars ended, The Stag fought at the Cosford Robot Crusade in 2004, but would lose in the first round to drop into a Loser's Melee, and would be a eliminated from the competition following a destructive loss to X-Terminator.[8] The team then retired from robot combat and The Stag remained in their possession. Due to David Martin losing interest in robot combat, he would sell The Stag's empty shell without electronics on eBay in 2011.
- "It's not really something i'm interested in anymore but I thought it was shame to let it go to the skip. So I thought I would let it go to someone that could use it."
- — David Martin on selling The Stag.[9]
The Stag at RoboNerd in September 2022
The Stag was sold on to James Baker of Team GlitterBomb and it has since been used as a static display for events mostly held in Wales, with one such event being at a Welsh Comic Con event in 2014 alongside other robots under Baker's ownership such as The Mule, Wheely Big Cheese and GlitterBomb. When not in use, The Stag is stored in a storage display in Wrexham.
Team GlitterBomb brought The Stag's empty shell to RoboNerd 2022 as a static display along with Wheely Big Cheese, GlitterBomb 2, the shell of Plunderbird 6 and the original Plunderbird 1 shell.
Trivia[]
The Stag with the rubber chicken on the back in Series 6
- In both of The Stag's battles, one of its opponents that defeated it was from Team Vader.
- In both of The Stag's appearances, it appeared in the second first round melee.
- Both of The Stag's battles featured Sgt. Bash as one of the House Robots.
- Both of The Stag's battles involved it ending up in the pit.
- The Stag was the only robot from Heat E of Series 6 not to win a battle.
- During Series 6 and 7, Jonathan Pearce repeatedly called the robot 'The Stag Beetle' rather than The Stag for unknown reasons.
References[]
- ↑ Team Bodge-it website - The Stag News Archive (archived)
- ↑ Team Bodge-it website - Robot Wars Manchester Live Event 2001 (archived)
- ↑ Lambsy Website, Series 5 - Qualification (Archived)
- ↑ Team Bodge-it website - The Stag News Archive (archived)
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20021112085329/http://mysite.freeserve.com/stagrobot/Robot_Wars/RR2002event.htm
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20021112090417/http://mysite.freeserve.com/stagrobot/Robot_Wars/RoamingRobot2002.htm
- ↑ The Stag's page on the Robots Crusade website
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1JieWVwOHw
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOfi-HWQXro
External Links[]
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