Unique weapons

Unique Weapons
MouseTrap, a UK Series competitor armed with a unique 'trap' weapon

Throughout all iterations of Robot Wars, there were certain robots armed with unique weapons which did not easily fit into any specific category. Unique weapons may still function in a similar manner to conventional lifting, flipping, gripping, overhead or spinning types; combine elements of more than one of these types; or otherwise be far removed from those established categories in design and function.

Famous and successful examples of unique weapons include the trap mechanism of Series 4 Semi-Finalist MouseTrap, the Meltybrain drive system of joint Series 10 third-place finisher Nuts 2, and the 'smothering shell' of Series 3 middleweight competitor Tentoumushi.

Definition

A unique weapon is considered as such if it does not fit into a single weapon category. The trap mechanism of MouseTrap, for example, functioned in the same way as a hammer (Series 4) or bladed axe (Series 5/Extreme 1). However, its shape and dimensions also allowed the weapon to act as a clamping jaw, which MouseTrap used to great effect as the trap held opponents in place while it pushed and dragged them around the arena.

CAD render of Loki, a Series 9-10 applicant designed with a four-bar flipper; no flippers of this type would appear in televised Robot Wars series

Other weapons of this kind may simply combine elements from existing types. One such example not seen in televised Robot Wars series is the four-bar flipper, wielded by 1997 US Lightweight champion Defiant. Though closer in appearance to four-bar lifters (e.g. BioHazard, Storm 2), they generally feature a more powerful pneumatic system comparable to conventional front or rear-hinged flippers. The design and motion of the four-bar mechanism combines elements of both front-hinged (the linkages) and rear-hinged types (the main arm).

Additionally, there may be unique weapons that do not fit into any category whatsoever. Examples include the 'smothering shell' of Tentoumushi or the 'wagglers' featured on Darke Destroyer 2.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Roboteers can often use the custom weapons to fit in with the design of their robot, for both effectiveness and entertainment. MouseTrap's trap weapon and Bucky the Robot's snapping teeth added to their respective themes, the former also proving to be reasonably effective throughout its performances in Series 4-5.
• Creating a new type of weapon grants a robot an element of surprise.

Disadvantages

• It is very difficult to predict whether a unique weapon will be effective in combat without any predecessors to compare it with. As a likely result, the majority of weapons listed below proved to be largely ineffective in practice.
• Other robots which attempt to have unique weapons can have their armament outlawed depending on certain rules and regulations in place for any given series. For example, Double Jeopardy attempted to enter Series 10 with a tethered air cannon weapon, but the producers declined the robot's application due to potential safety concerns.

List of Robots with Unique Weapons

Robots are listed in alphabetical order.

DESKTOP MODE ONLY: Robots which are not heavyweight entries are listed with a green background. House Robots are listed with a gold background. Robots from the 1994-1997 US competitions are listed with a purple background.

Robot	Weapon	Picture	Series Appearances with Unique weapon	Description	Advantages	Disadvantages
8645T	Combination axe/flipper arm		Series 5, 7	The flipper and axe were attached to the same ram, so that when the weapon fired, the axe would lower as the flipper raised.	Protected the front and back of the robot at the same time. The weapons offered good leverage to one another, and the flipper could be reasonably effective. The axe head could be used to pin down and control opponents in a similar manner to a crusher.	It did not allow 8645T to self-right from any position other than on its back.
Axios	Wedged 'tongue'.		Series 3	Fired out forwards from within the robot's front wedge shape through a twin rack mechanism; supplemented by a lance on an overhead arm.	Intended to 'push' opponents away from the front end; would have offered defence capabilities through its thick construction. Fast-acting.	No damage output; mechanism exposed and vulnerable to being caught or damaged in the fired position.
Badger	Clawed wheel spokes		1997 US Championship	Each of the robot’s wheels featured five hollow spokes with clawed tips. Similarly to the sawblade wheels of the Series 4 Saw Point and Series 6 Demolition Man, these would allow Badger to damage opponents as it drove over the top of them.	Large diameter; use of existing drive motors ensured simplicity compared to regular spinning weapons. Invertible design allowed the wheels to perform their damaging function in either orientation.	Compromised the robot’s traction on the arena floor, especially with the absence of tyre treads. Large size also increased its ground clearance, making Badger vulnerable against wedges and lifters. The shape of the wheel spokes also allowed them to catch low-height hazards such as the arena flippers.
Big Brother	Morningstar mace		Series 3	The morningstar functioned as an overhead flail, which would whip back and forth.	Fast attack rate.	Had a very short range and was largely ineffective at causing damage. In addition, the mace was prone to falling off and could be snagged by opponents.
Binky	Nose axe and Battle sled		Series 3	Binky's battle sled was a large wedge scoop attached to a frame. The frame, itself attached to Binky's turret body, was capable of rotating around so that Binky's battle sled had a 360 degree range.	Provided a good deal of protection when facing an opponent, as it kept robots at least three feet away from its chassis and internals.	Was very slow in moving around, often required torque from the actual robot to get underneath opponents properly. Taking up a good deal of Binky's 78kg weight, often the body rotated and the battle sled remained still whenever the weapon was used.
Blendie	Foam dart launcher		1995 US Championship	A sacrificial robot created for an exhibition match organised for Blender Magazine. Concealed within the front end, the twin dart launcher was intended to provide the robot’s only means of attack against The Mulcher.	Fast-firing.	Very limited capacity and damage potential. Each dart could only be fired once per battle had the weapon been used. Contravened bans on projectile weapons in Robot Wars rulesets.
Broadsword	Medieval broadsword		Extreme 2	The sword was a long blade made out of car springs. It was similar to a spear, but had bladed edges, and could damage opponents by swinging the side of the blade into them.	Protected it from spinners, it held off Typhoon for most of their Extreme 2 Middleweight battle.	Was long and unwieldy, struggled to hit low robots and had minimal effect on them if the attack connected.
Bucky the Robot	Snapping jaw		Series 10	Bucky the Robot was inspired by chattering teeth; its jaw used a pneumatic system and a top row of teeth to snap down on opponents. Team Tomco designed their weapon like this to work like a 'flipper in reverse', with instant downward force. Classed as a crusher by Robot Wars: The Official Handbook and described as a Biter Bot in its televised appearance.	Applied a large amount of force onto the top of robots. Could allow the robot to self-right if it was flipped directly onto its back. The two middle teeth proved effective in grabbing hold of opponents by 'biting' through exposed gaps, e.g. Vulture's wedge.	The weapon's position led to many of Bucky the Robot's components being left exposed. It could not re-right the robot from most positions, or if the pneumatics system ran low on CO2. Wedge was too steep to allow weapon to 'bite' consistently.
Cronos	Crusher/rear-hinged flipper		Series 4	Consisted of a vertical crusher and a rear-hinged flipper mounted together on the same arm. The leverage from the crusher raised the rear wedge, which was supposedly capable of lifting a double-decker bus. Functioned similarly to 8645T, the Series 7 version of Robochicken and the Series 5 version of Sir Chromalot.	Armed both the front and back of the robot at the same time. Useful when attacked by multiple robots.	Ineffective at self-righting.
Daisy	Heavy overhead "Skipping rope"		Series 3	Described as a "skipping rope", Daisy's weapon consisted of a thick metal blade which swung over the robot to strike opponents. Very little is known about the weapon, as it, and Daisy, were never seen in action.	The weapon appeared to be able to strike opponents from both the front and back. Its design would have allowed it to act as a srimech.	Potential reliability issues, although it is unknown whether this was the reason Daisy withdrew. Had a limited attack range and would have struggled against large opponents, such as its would-be opponent, Aggrobot.
Darke Destroyer 2	Spring-loaded "wagglers"		Series 4	The "wagglers" were two spring-loaded, sharp pieces of metal that would be fired when they came into contact with another robot, with the intention of slicing through an opponent's armour.	Could be fired at an exceptionally fast rate, useful for scoring aggression points.	Were very weak, and caused minimal damage.
Death Warmed Up	'Earthquake saw' & pneumatic trident		Series 3	The front-mounted 'earthquake saw' was a stock hedge trimmer, mounted vertically and intended to cut into opponents. The rear-mounted 'trident' operated similarly to a conventional axe or hammer, but with three spiked tips resembling the spear type.	Dual functionality; both weapons could serve as a battering ram and clamp respectively. 'Trident' had a wider range than conventional overhead weapons.	Very limited damage potential; the placement of the 'earthquake saw' meant that it could not reach lower opponents.
Defiant	Four-bar flipper		1997 US Championship	Similar in appearance to the electric lifter on BioHazard, this pneumatic-powered arm, fitted with a 'flat metal scoop', thrust forward at a maximum pressure of 150psi. The four-bar linkages operated similarly to later front-hinged flippers, allowing the main arm to travel forwards as well as upwards.	Fast and powerful; capable of lifting and throwing other lightweights around with ease. 'Heat exchange' with the robot's drive motors allowed for increased expansion rate and efficiency.	Unproven self-righting capabilities in its 1997 campaign. The flat shape of the flipper blade could cause the robot to jam itself under the side wall, requiring an unstick.
Dome	Pneumatic trebuchet		Series 5	The "trebuchet" was a variant of conventional overhead weapons. At the end of the forward-firing main arm was a smaller free-swinging arm, itself fitted with an unpowered circular-shaped disc. When activated, the disc was flung behind and over the main arm, the motion being comparable to the 'sling' of full-sized trebuchets.	Fast-acting; the flailing motion of the disc could allow it to potentially strike opponents with more inertia and a higher reach.	Had limited damage potential; unpredictable swinging could make it less accurate than conventional axes/hammers. Did not prove powerful enough to act as a srimech during the robot's only televised battle. The disc arm could easily be ripped off by conventional spinning weapons.
Dragbot	Movable Spikes On Wedge		Extreme Warriors Season 2	The spikes could catch opponents and pull them over the wedge towards the robot's rear-mounted cutting disc.	Helped to keep an opponent trapped on the wedge, potentially capable of damaging wheels or tracks.	The spikes were not very effective and also could not help the robot self-right as opposed to regular flippers.
Fast Eddie	Mousetraps		1995 US Championship	Rows of off-the-shelf mousetraps placed along the front and back of its pyramid-shaped body; three at the front, four at the back.	Fast-firing; would activate upon contact with opponents. Allowed the robot to attack from both ends.	Very small size and limited damage output. Did not appear to have any means of retracting, rendering them useless after the first attack. Nullified by a high ground clearance which made the robot vulnerable against wedge shapes and lifters.
Havoc	Zinc mace		Series 2	Interchangeable with a flipping/lifting arm and a battering ram, the mace was a spiked ball attached to a rod on the top of Havoc by a chain, allowing it to move freely.	Large attack radius.	Ineffective at inflicting damage.
Heavy Metal	Rotating arm		Series 9	A 360-degree articulating arm with interchangeable weapon tips. The arm could be modified to operate in various different configurations, such as a clamp, a lifter, a thwackbot and a spinning weapon, depending on which opponents Heavy Metal faced.	Could have been effective at side-stranding opponents. The arm could also double as a self-righting mechanism.	Slow, with a rotational speed of 10rpm. Was rather easily damaged in its group battle, thus left it ineffective during the remainder of its heat.
House Robot (1994)	180-degree ‘flipper’		1994 US Championship	A ring-shaped arm hinged from both of the robot's sides. The 'flipper' blade appeared to be made out of a flexible material, allowing it to scoop up and throw lighter competitors onto their backs.	Very effective at its intended purpose. Could also be used to thwack competitors from above or the sides.	Side hinges could easily be damaged or broken entirely. Less effective at lifting heavyweight or middleweight competitors. Unproven self-righting capabilities.
Little Nipper	Twin mousetraps		Extreme 1	Wielded two mousetraps which each resembled an actual mousetrap. They were intended to bludgeon down on its Antweight Melee opponents whenever they came into range.	Fast, very effective at flipping opponents over in a similar manner to front-hinged flippers. Could double as ramming wedges when in the fired position.	Ineffective as bludgeoners, retracted very slowly.
Marvin	Spiked arm with chains		1996 US Championship	The centrally-hinged lifting beam - moving similarly to a see-saw - was fitted with a spike at the front and a set of chains at the back. Each weapon was intended to be utilised in tandem with ramming, sit-and-spin or possible entanglement strategies.	The whole weapon provided attack and defence from both ends.	Limited damage potential. The swinging motion of the main arm hampered the accuracy of chain attacks; the arm's design and power would not have allowed for self-righting capabilities.
MouseTrap	Trap mechanism		Series 4-5	The weapon was designed to resemble the actual mechanism of a conventional mousetrap. Functioned as a pneumatic, chain-driven overhead weapon, with a heavy bar, and then a guillotine blade in Series 5, as the impacting part of the weapon. Reached a Series Semi-Final and recorded four wins, including a victory over the seeded Evil Weevil, with this weapon.	Was effective as a trapping mechanism; MouseTrap could easily drag robots across the arena once it had slammed the trap down.	Could not function as a srimech. Both the weapon and the chain used to power it were vulnerable to getting damaged, as shown in its battles against Stinger and S3 respectively.
Ms Nightshade	Spikes/'petals'		Series 9	The robot's weapon consisted of six pneumatic 'petals' with top-mounted spikes, which could act as axes and/or hammers. The 'petals' could also double as a sit-and-spin weapon when fully opened, and the team claimed that they could enable Ms Nightshade to climb out of the pit. Referred to as a spikebot on television.	Fast-acting, gave the robot protection from most sides.	Untested before the robot's first fight; not very damaging. Were unable to act as self-righting mechanisms. Fragile; several were bent out of alignment after the robot was flipped by Apollo during its Group Battle.
Nuts	Rotating ring		Series 8	A large metal ring surrounding the main robot, capable of rotating independently on a longitudinal axis through a separate electric motor. Equipped with two chain flails functioning as a conventional sit-and-spin weapon.	Enabled lifting and self-righting capabilities; allowed Nuts to comply with the active weapons rule. Offered protection from all sides.	Was mostly a secondary component to the main chain flails; limited damage potential compared to separately-powered spinners. Variable ground clearance; left Nuts more vulnerable against wedges, flippers and lifting weapons. Fragile; ring was removed by Carbide and Terrorhurtz during its Head to Head rounds.
Nuts 2	Meltybrain spinner		Series 10	An LED/motion detection-based drive system, working in tandem with the main robot's interchangeable rings and chain flails.	Significantly more damaging than traditional sit-and-spin designs; less expensive and more reliable than conventional spinners through not requiring as many moving parts. Flexible design through the implementation of interchangeable rings/flails. Considered an active weapon under the Robot Wars rules unlike most other sit-and-spin designs.	Effectiveness reduced by the main robot's limited traction on the arena floor; could be nullified by malfunctions or direct damage to the drivetrain and/or rings.
Piranha	Spiked Titanium Blade		Extreme 2	The weapon was a large swinging serrated blade functioning similarly to an axe or hammer.	Was fast-acting in the first few swings.	Not very powerful or damaging. Speed and power decreased significantly after the first few swings. Untested - and unproven - self-righting capabilities according to the robot's statsboard.
Recyclopse	Steel wedge tongue		Series 1	Fired forwards from the base with a reach of over 90cm. A conventional front-hinged flipper - the first of its kind - was integrated into the mechanism, for throwing other robots which had driven or become stuck on the tongue. Grand Finalist with this weaponry.	Very fast-acting; effective at breaching high ground clearances.	Limited effectiveness as a weapon compared to the flipper within. Nullified by robots with lower ground clearances.
Red Scorpion/ The Scorpion	'Stinger' tail 'Needle point' jaws (1997)		1996-1997 US Championships	Both incarnations featured an overhead swinging 'tail' with a spiked tip, used to strike opponents caught within the small horizontal front claws. The 1997 incarnation (The Scorpion) featured a sturdier tail assembly with a larger 'stinger' and an integrated rear lifter. A double spring mechanism gave the 'stinger' more articulation and a higher reach, along with greater inertia as the whole weapon swung down. The jaws of the 1997 incarnation also operated differently to conventional horizontal types. Rather than grabbing and crushing, these jaws were initially set in a closed position, forming a 'needle point' to spear opponents' armour. Once this was achieved, the jaws would open outwards and 'tear wide' the affected armour section.	The tail was fast-acting and could allow both incarnations to demonstrate sustained aggression. Greater damage output was achieved by the 'stinger' of the 1997 incarnation. The Scorpion's jaws in 1997 dealt significant damage to the armour of both of its Heavyweight Face-Off opponents.	The 1996 tail offered limited damage output; neither incarnation of this weapon offered self-righting capabilities. The tall reach of the tail gave both incarnations a high centre of gravity, making them more susceptible to getting toppled over. Range of the front claws was limited by their small size; those on the 1996 iteration had limited damage potential. Both weapons could be incapacitated if the main internal combustion engine and/or hydraulic system was disabled.
Revolution 2	36" vertical blades		Series 6, Extreme 2	Six extremely large vertical blades attached to a spinning drum mechanism. The robot could run inverted, and its blades were upgraded to be much thicker in Extreme 2.	Offered a large range of attack, with high speeds of 200mph.	The blades would halt upon contact with other robots, and no individual blade was particularly heavy.
Rhino	Halon extinguishers		1997 US Championship	As a method of disabling internal combustion engines, two Halon extinguishers were placed within the front of Rhino's chassis. Jets of Halon gas - as used in fire suppression systems at the time of competing - would be fired through a nozzle within the front ramming blade. The jets would form clouds to 'flood' and inhibit the engine's combustion.	Succeeded in 'smothering' the engine of and immobilising The Scorpion. Did not compromise the robot's invertible design or ramming/sit-and-spin capabilities.	Limited gas supply; required precise targeting and Rhino to be within close range of internal combustion systems. Virtually useless against robots with electrically-powered drive and weapon systems.
Roach	Trapping frames		1996 US Championship	A large featherweight walkerbot, Roach was equipped with side frames and panels which could drop down on opponents using a winch system. The panels themselves were covered with sheets of blue tarpaulin, intended to act as entanglement devices similar to the 1994-1996 mousetrap hazards.	The robot's dimensions guaranteed a large attack area from either side.	Effectiveness of these devices was never properly demonstrated, as Roach itself suffered recurring mobility and radio interference issues in each of its battles. Tarpaulin sheets were fragile and mostly removed ahead of its Featherweight Melee battle.
Roter Ochse	'Demolition Hammer'		Series 2	The weapon operated like a jackhammer, with the intention of denting and buckling other robots' armour. Strong enough to damage the arena side wall, but not seen in action in televised highlights of Roter Ochse's Super Heavyweight qualifier.	Proved very powerful and destructive.	Only worked on slow or immobile opponents. Mounted high, likely too high for it to hit most low-profile robots.
Satoru Special IV	Horizontal pickaxes		1997 US Championship	The front corners of the machine were equipped with two horizontally-mounted turntables, each with a large pickaxe. The turntables themselves were operated independently using their own servomotors and belt drives.	Wide range; allowed the robot to strike from both sides, doubling the damage potential of a regular axe weapon. Could also function as grabbing arms once they surrounded or hooked onto opponents.	Ineffective and highly fragile in combat; it was not uncommon for the robot to fight with only one axe in later battles. Both mechanisms were exposed and especially vulnerable against spinning weapons such as the spiked hammers of Vicious-1.
Sir Chromalot	Combined axe/flipper		Series 5, Extreme 1	The flipper's gas bottle was mounted on the arm itself, and had a spike attached to the rear end which acted like an axe when the arm was raised. It functioned akin to 8645T and Robochicken.	Ability to attack from the front and back at the same time.	Inaccurate, prevented Sir Chromalot from self-righting after being flipped by Firestorm 3.
Snickers	Side knife		1995 US Championship	The original 1995 incarnation featured a small 'side knife', presumably for inflicting damage through sit-and-spin attacks.	Simple and easy to add to the main body; took a very small amount of the robot's overall weight.	Limited attack area and damage potential; builder Grayson DuRaine retrospectively described the weapon as 'completely useless'.
Spiny Norman	Hedge trimmer		1997 US Championship	The 1997 incarnation featured an electric hedge trimmer as an active weapon, mounted horizontally at the front. Rather than cause major damage, the weapon was primarily intended to function as a battering ram.	Aided with the robot's ramming attacks.	Very limited damage potential.
Sting	Whipping tail		Series 2-3	Dubbed as a 'scorpion tail' in Series 2, consisted of an articulated assembly of steel sections designed to 'whip' back and forth using a flywheel-based mechanism. Initially fitted with narrow spikes in Series 2, later redesigned for Series 3 with a larger spiked head.	Easy to use multiple times in quick succession, capable of chipping tougher materials such as titanium in the original narrow spike configuration.	Ineffective at causing significant damage (especially in later series), narrow attack range, limited accuracy depending on the angle of the 'head' as it struck.
TallyWhacker	Hydraulic flail		1997 US Championship	Bladed metal flail attached to the end of a hydraulic arm, similar in function to a regular axe or hammer weapon. When extended, the arm could be used for sit-and-spin tactics. The entire robot's systems were powered by a 4.5hp Tecumseh snowblower engine.	Fast-acting. Capable of snagging exposed gaps in opponents' armour, hooking and damaging any internals within.	Limited damage output in most circumstances. The flail itself posed an entanglement risk, particularly on the overhead spike hazards.
Tentoumushi	'Smothering Shell'		Series 3	Consisted of an electric arm with a plastic sandpit lid, itself concealing a small cutting disc. The shell was used to grab hold of opponents, allowing Tentoumushi to either use its disc to damage them or drag them around the arena while keeping them trapped underneath. Used to great effect in both the Middleweight Melee and the Series 3 War of Independence.	Could easily control an opponent by trapping it with the 'smothering shell'. Offered an effective weapons synergy with the disc. Very effective at restricting airflow to and disabling internal combustion engines.	Was necessarily fragile.
The Mulcher	Lawnmower		1995 US Championship	An entire 'gas-powered' lawnmower, positioned at a 45-degree angle and encased in a Kevlar composite shell. The blade was held above the arena floor, damaging any robot caught within the shell's front opening.	Highly damaging; capable of destroying smaller objects in demonstrations.	Posed major safety concerns due to its potential to fling shrapnel out of the arena; disqualified from the main Heavyweight Face-Off competition on this basis.
The Sentinel	Spiked club on a modified Hanix excavator arm		Series 2	Intended to push, block and pin robots against the wall or arena floor when they attempted to pass it, as well as to cause damage to their armour, and steer them into other House Robots or a nearby pit. Mounted on a turret that could turn 180 degrees, later 360 degrees in the Semi-Finals, with the arm and club able to lift and lower independently of each other.	Capable of stopping competitors from moving; was shown to damage, immobilise and even lift robots on occasions. The turret allowed for a wide range of attack from each of The Sentinel's designated positions, especially in the Semi-Final Gauntlet stages.	The club could not be used outside of The Sentinel's positions, as the machine's tracks were purposely enclosed. Required a human operator inside the arena. Both the arm and the club could also be damaged.
The Spider	Rotating spikes		Extreme 1	Two cross-shaped blades at each end of a horizontal shaft, allowing the spikes to spin vertically together.	Covered both sides of The Spider's front using only a single mechanism.	The blades were comparatively lightweight. Both the weapon motor and chain were also exposed, potentially leaving these components vulnerable to damage.
Thor (1995)	Titanium spiked hammer/flipper		1995 US Championship, 1995 UK Open (hammer)	Serrated titanium arm with downward facing spikes and U-shaped hooks resembling one end of a spanner. An optional angled plate attachment - seen in later 1995 US battles - enabled it to be converted to a ramming blade or lifter. Hydraulically powered along with the rest of the robot, the system rated at 210 bar or approximately 2,000-2,500psi.	Highly damaging; capable of immobilising opponents of its era with ease. Fast-acting and had unlimited usage through the onboard hydraulic system. Had a greater attack area than conventional axes/hammers due to the extra spikes integrated into the arm. Optional angled blade allowed extra strategic flexibility.	Limited reach; accuracy was also limited by the robot's car steering system. The force of the weapon often caused the robot to violently throw itself back and forth off the arena floor. Could be incapacitated if the hydraulic system was damaged in any way. No self-righting capabilities unless flipped onto its front with the weapon retracted.
Toecutter	Spring-loaded blade		Series 3	The blade was a 5kg blade attached to a clay pigeon trap mechanism, which when fired was intended to slice through an opponent's armour.	Was very fast and could be fired in rapid succession.	Did not prove very powerful or damaging, had a short attack reach. Low-profiled robots could avoid the blade entirely.
Twister (Dutch)	Spinning Triangle		Dutch Series 2, Series 7	Armed with a triangular spinner with blunted vertices that acted as hammers. The entire outer triangle was thick enough to cause damage. The weapon was mounted at a 45-degree angle in Dutch Series 2 and horizontally in UK Series 7. Due to its unusual shape, Twister's weapon cannot accurately be classified as a flywheel or a conventional bar spinner.	The weapon was well-designed, with much of its weight away from the central axis. It was highly capable of damaging and immobilising opponents, especially in the 45-degree configuration.	The 45-degree orientation left the robot precariously off-balance. The horizontal configuration left the space in between the vertices exposed - if that was the point of impact the triangle would glance harmlessly off the opponent and be left unable to spin up.
Up & Over	Box trap		1996 US Championship	The back of the robot featured an open 'box', intended to trap opponents thrown into it by its front lifting scoop.	Would have potentially allowed for instantaneous pins under the 1996 competition rules.	Never demonstrated in combat; Up & Over frequently toppled forwards whenever it attempted to lift opponents with the scoop. It is unclear whether Up & Over would have been able to separate from opponents dropped into the 'box' itself.