Changes: Wizard

Revision as of 14:47, 28 March 2019

"With its Merlin hat-shape, this machine hopes to conjure up the demons of Robot Wars. The hat lights up - so will the audience when they see its chain whips and drill bit weapons! A low ground clearance could be a problem, but I think its... hats off to this team, Craig!"

— Jonathan Pearce introduces Wizard

Wizard was a competitor robot which fought in Series 2 of Robot Wars. It reached the Arena Semi-Final stage in its heat, but lost to Cassius there after breaking down in the PPZ.

Team Wizard later entered Series 3 with The Witch which bore a similar design to Wizard and also had limited success.

Design

"In designing Wizard, Alwyn "Ozzie" Boulter's primary concern was for his robot to stay out of trouble. For that reason, he first considered a much-opted-for wedge or dome shape, before finally settling on a squat, low-profile cylinder shape. Ozzie considered this to be the optimum design to avoid getting caught by or wedged into obstacles. However, on consideration he decided that the cake tin-like shape his robot developed was too plain and uninteresting. Second thoughts gave him the idea of a wizard's hat-shape. When asked where his inspiration for this idea came from, Ozzie replied that it might have had something to do with his nickname and a certain famous wizard - from Oz!"

— The Robot Wars Technical Manual on the inspiration for Wizard's design

Wizard was a silver and black robot with a cylindrical lower body and a tall conical section designed to resemble a wizard's hat. Its weapons included a front-mounted hole saw as well as a set of chain flails with drill bit tips which could strike opponents when the robot spun, in a similar manner to a thwackbot. Wizard featured a composite wood, plastic and metal chassis, while its outer shell was made out of plastic and fabric. The robot also had three multi-coloured disco lights on its base which were intended to light the 'hat' up, as well as a loudspeaker inside the 'hat' that would play a 'wizard's voice', although this was only heard during interviews.

While Wizard's design made it compact, manoeuvrable and distinctive, and the robot had a low ground clearance of only 4mm, it suffered from numerous steering problems before and during its televised appearances:

"The robot was also rather difficult to steer, as Ozzie found out when he conducted a 15-second drive test drive half an hour before going to London to participate in the Wars, during which Wizard managed to smash just about every breakable object in his conservatory. In fact, these steering difficulties made Wizaqrd one of the most unpredictable robots. No one knew where it was going to go next, mainly because Ozzie himself didn't know! in the initial parade, Wizard went everywhere but where it was supposed to go, and it took five takes just to get the robot on to the floor of the arena."

— The Robot Wars Technical Manual notes on Wizard's control problems before its televised appearance

These control issues, combined with its poor reliability and fragile armour (especially the 'hat'), prevented Wizard from enjoying much success in its only series.

Robot History

Series 2

"Here comes Wizard! Ozzie doesn't drive, he's got no sense of direction. Young Richard Johnson's doing the driving - not too well!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Wizard gets stranded

Wizardpit — Wizard, stranded on the edge of the pit

Wizard competed in Heat H, and was the last robot in that heat to traverse the Gauntlet. It immediately took the left-hand route, but after dodging the arena spikes drove straight towards the pit, getting itself stuck on the edge in the process. Dead Metal shoved Wizard in, and proceeded to slice through the top of the 'hat' with his saw, much to Jonathan Pearce's dismay. Despite this, Wizard still managed to cover a distance of 5.4m, which was enough for it to finish fourth overall and qualify for the Trial stage.

"Oh no! Oh, that's mean! You can't destroy the hat! Foul play!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Dead Metal slices through Wizard's 'hat'

Footballburn — Matilda lifts Wizard (left) as the ball burns

In the Football Trial, Wizard faced fellow competitors Loco, Cassius, Sting and Groundhog. It played very little part in the first round as Loco swiftly scored its goal, and was immediately attacked by Matilda in the second round as it and Cassius attempted to possess the ball. Wizard drove towards Sting and ambled around in the centre of the arena while Cassius succeeded in scoring the second goal after fighting Matilda for the ball. In the third round, it was again lifted by Matilda in the opening seconds, causing its 'hat' to become dislodged, and a second time just after Sergeant Bash set the ball alight with his flamethrower. Matilda and Sergeant Bash proceeded to attack the immobilised Wizard, cutting through and setting fire to its 'hat', before the round was stopped after Matilda turned Groundhog over. Despite the attack from the House Robots, Wizard progressed to the Arena stage anyway, as the judges deemed that Sting had become immobilised first.

"They hate the hat! They think its posey!"

— Jonathan Pearce as the House Robots destroy Wizard's 'hat'

Cassiius vs wizard — Cassius pushes Wizard into the PPZ

In the Arena Semi-Finals, Wizard faced Cassius. It dodged Cassius' initial charge and backed away as the latter rammed into Dead Metal, but was quickly pushed into the PPZ and attacked by Sergeant Bash. Cassius attacked Sir Killalot and Sergeant Bash in an attempt to divert their attacks away from Wizard, but Wizard had become immobilised following Cassius' shove, and was eliminated from the Second Wars after being pinned against the wall by the House Robots.

Results

WIZARD - RESULTS
Series 2
The Second Wars - UK Championship Heat, Arena Semi-Final
Heat H, Gauntlet	5.4m (4th)	Qualified
Heat H, Trial (Football)	Still Active (4th)	Qualified
Heat H, Semi-Final	vs. Cassius (5)	Lost

Wins/Losses

Wins: 0
Losses: 1

NOTE: Wizard's successful Gauntlet and Trial runs are not included

Series Record

Series	Wizard Series Record
The First Wars	Did not enter
The Second Wars	Heat, Arena Semi-Finals
The Third Wars	Entered with The Witch
The Fourth Wars	Did not enter
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

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{robot
 |robot_name=Wizard
-|image=[[File:Wizard.JPG|200px]]
+|image=[[File:Wizard_official_image.JPG|200px]]
-|caption=Wizard
 |series=2
-|team=[[Team Wizard]]
+|team=Team Wizard
 |team_members=Ozzie Boulter<br/>Richard Johnson<br/>Susan Darby
+|from=Kettering, Northamptonshire
-|other_entries=[[The Witch]] <small>(Series 3)</small>
+|other_entries=[[The Witch]]<br/><small>(Series 3)</small>
 |weight=79.4kg
 |dimensions=0.75m x 0.75m x 1.10m
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |speed=15mph
 |power=2 x 12V batteries
+|weapons=Hole saw, side-mounted Chain Flails and Drill Bits
-|weapons=Spinning disc
 }}
+{{quote|With its Merlin hat-shape, this machine hopes to conjure up the demons of Robot Wars. The hat lights up - so will the audience when they see its chain whips and drill bit weapons! A low ground clearance could be a problem, but I think its... hats off to this team, Craig!|Jonathan Pearce introduces Wizard}}
-'''Wizard''' was a large witches' hat shaped robot. The base of the robot, which was the rim of the hat, was a full body spinner, much like later robots Warhog, Corkscrew and Typhoon would become. It lost in the arena round of the Second Wars, before entering a less successful robot named [[The Witch]].
+'''Wizard''' was a competitor robot which fought in [[Robot Wars: The Second Wars|Series 2]] of ''[[Robot Wars]]''. It reached the Arena Semi-Final stage in its heat, but lost to [[Cassius]] there after breaking down in the PPZ.
+Team Wizard later entered Series 3 with [[The Witch]] which bore a similar design to Wizard and also had limited success.
+==Design==
+{{quote|In designing Wizard, Alwyn "Ozzie" Boulter's primary concern was for his robot to stay out of trouble. For that reason, he first considered a much-opted-for wedge or dome shape, before finally settling on a squat, low-profile cylinder shape. Ozzie considered this to be the optimum design to avoid getting caught by or wedged into obstacles. However, on consideration he decided that the cake tin-like shape his robot developed was too plain and uninteresting. Second thoughts gave him the idea of a wizard's hat-shape. When asked where his inspiration for this idea came from, Ozzie replied that it might have had something to do with his nickname and a certain famous wizard - from Oz!|The [[Robot Wars Technical Manual]] on the inspiration for Wizard's design}}
+[[File:Wizard.JPG|thumb|left|Wizard in the arena during its introduction]]
+Wizard was a silver and black robot with a cylindrical lower body and a tall conical section designed to resemble a wizard's hat. Its weapons included a front-mounted hole saw as well as a set of chain flails with drill bit tips which could strike opponents when the robot spun, in a similar manner to a [[Thwackbot|thwackbot]]. Wizard featured a composite wood, plastic and metal chassis, while its outer shell was made out of plastic and fabric. The robot also had three multi-coloured disco lights on its base which were intended to light the 'hat' up, as well as a loudspeaker inside the 'hat' that would play a 'wizard's voice', although this was only heard during interviews.
+While Wizard's design made it compact, manoeuvrable and distinctive, and the robot had a low ground clearance of only 4mm, it suffered from numerous steering problems before and during its televised appearances:
+{{quote|The robot was also rather difficult to steer, as Ozzie found out when he conducted a 15-second drive test drive half an hour before going to London to participate in the Wars, during which Wizard managed to smash just about every breakable object in his conservatory. In fact, these steering difficulties made Wizaqrd one of the most unpredictable robots. No one knew where it was going to go next, mainly because Ozzie himself didn't know! in the initial parade, Wizard went everywhere but where it was supposed to go, and it took five takes just to get the robot on to the floor of the arena.|The [[Robot Wars Technical Manual]] notes on Wizard's control problems before its televised appearance}}
+These control issues, combined with its poor reliability and fragile armour (especially the 'hat'), prevented Wizard from enjoying much success in its only series.
 ==Robot History==
 ===Series 2===
+{{Quote|Here comes Wizard! Ozzie doesn't drive, he's got no sense of direction. Young Richard Johnson's doing the driving  - not too well!|[[Jonathan Pearce]] as Wizard gets stranded}}
-In the gauntlet it was pushed into the pit by Dead Metal, who then tried to saw through the hat. The football match was called off after Sgt. Bash set the ball on fire and Matilda did even more damage to the hat. It was immobilised in the semi-final after it was pushed into the PPZ by Cassius.
+[[File:Wizardpit.jpg|thumb|right|Wizard, stranded on the edge of the pit]]
+Wizard competed in Heat H, and was the last robot in that heat to traverse the Gauntlet. It immediately took the left-hand route, but after dodging the arena spikes drove straight towards the pit, getting itself stuck on the edge in the process. [[Dead Metal]] shoved Wizard in, and proceeded to slice through the top of the 'hat' with his saw, much to [[Jonathan Pearce|Jonathan Pearce's]] dismay. Despite this, Wizard still managed to cover a distance of 5.4m, which was enough for it to finish fourth overall and qualify for the Trial stage.
+{{Quote|Oh no! Oh, that's mean! You can't destroy the hat! Foul play!|Jonathan Pearce as Dead Metal slices through Wizard's 'hat'}}
+[[File:Footballburn.jpg|thumb|left|Matilda lifts Wizard (left) as the ball burns]]
+In the [[Football]] Trial, Wizard faced fellow competitors [[Loco]], [[Cassius]], [[Sting]] and [[Groundhog]]. It played very little part in the first round as Loco swiftly scored its goal, and was immediately attacked by [[Matilda]] in the second round as it and Cassius attempted to possess the ball. Wizard drove towards Sting and ambled around in the centre of the arena while Cassius succeeded in scoring the second goal after fighting Matilda for the ball. In the third round, it was again lifted by Matilda in the opening seconds, causing its 'hat' to become dislodged, and a second time just after [[Sergeant Bash]] set the ball alight with his flamethrower. Matilda and Sergeant Bash proceeded to attack the immobilised Wizard, cutting through and setting fire to its 'hat', before the round was stopped after Matilda turned Groundhog over. Despite the attack from the House Robots, Wizard progressed to the Arena stage anyway, as the judges deemed that Sting had become immobilised first.
+{{Quote|They hate the hat! They think its posey!|Jonathan Pearce as the House Robots destroy Wizard's 'hat'}}
+[[File:Cassiius_vs_wizard.jpg|thumb|right|Cassius pushes Wizard into the PPZ]]
+In the Arena Semi-Finals, Wizard faced Cassius. It dodged Cassius' initial charge and backed away as the latter rammed into Dead Metal, but was quickly pushed into the PPZ and attacked by Sergeant Bash.  Cassius attacked [[Sir Killalot]] and Sergeant Bash in an attempt to divert their attacks away from Wizard, but Wizard had become immobilised following Cassius' shove, and was eliminated from the Second Wars after being pinned against the wall by the House Robots.
 ==Results==
-{{Results Top|#3B444B|Silver|WIZARD}}
+{{Results Top|Black|Silver|WIZARD}}
 {{Show|Series 2}}
 {{Competition|The Second Wars - UK Championship|Heat, Arena Semi-Final}}
-{{Trial|Heat H, Gauntlet|Qualified}}
+{{Trial|[[Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat H|Heat H]], [[Gauntlet]]|5.4m (4th)|Qualified}}
-{{Trial|Heat H, Trial (Football)|Qualified}}
+{{Trial|[[Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat H|Heat H]], [[Trial]] ([[Football]])|Still Active (4th)|Qualified}}
-{{Battle|Heat H, Semi-Final|[[Cassius]] ''(5)''|Lost}}
+{{Battle|[[Robot Wars: The Second Wars/Heat H|Heat H, Semi-Final]]|[[Cassius]] ''(5)''|Lost}}
 |}
 ===Wins/Losses===
 *Wins: 0
 *Losses: 1
+''NOTE: Wizard's successful Gauntlet and Trial runs are not included''
 ==Series Record==
-*Series 1: Did not enter
+{{Series Record|Wizard|Did not enter|'''Heat, Arena Semi-Finals'''|Entered with [[The Witch]]}}
-*Series 2: Heat, Arena Semi-Finals
-*Series 3: Entered with [[The Witch]]
+{{Series 2 Competitors}}
-*Series 4-7: Did not enter
 [[Category:UK Series competitors]]
-[[Category:One-time Losers]]
-[[Category:Robots that debuted in Series 2]]
 [[Category:Robots from Northamptonshire]]
-[[Category:Thwackbots]]
+[[Category:Sit-and-Spin Robots]]
+[[Category:Robots with Drills]]
+[[Category:Robots that only progressed in the Gauntlet or Trials]]
+[[Category:Robots with Flails]]
+[[Category:Robots which debuted in Series 2]]
+[[Category:Robots which lost their only battle]]
+[[Category:Robots which only fought in Series 2]]