Robot Wars
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
<HEADER>So what's all this about?</HEADER>
<TEXT><P>Robot Wars is a clever idea, branching from 2 other clever ideas. The first being "Fighting is fun but can be disastrous in Human Life." The second being "I bet my robot could beat your robot in a fight". (The first is being common Human Sense and the second being slurred in a drunken argument in a public house that's a bar to all the Americans). Thus Robot Wars was created, you build a robot, you fight and you (hopefully) win. To go into slightly more detail, you spend at least 2 months building a remote controlled robot, enter it into some knockout heats (if you get through you go on to the National Robot Wars final broadcaster on BBC TV)) and then see how far you get! On each program there are eight robots, it's a knockout so only one will triumph to win that program. The first 8 will then battle it out to be reduced to 4, then 2 and then 1 robot goes through to the series semi-final, progress on to a final to decide a winner. The winner is then crowned "UK Robot Wars champion of (which ever year).</P></TEXT>
<HEADER>The Fights!</HEADER>
<TEXT><P>Fighting is what Robot Wars is, so it would be helpful to know how upon which to win, and (of course) how to lose.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>The Pit:</B>If you push your opponent into the pit then, unless you lose or they get out then you win. To accomplish this you must have stronger force, speed and wheel grip. Slamming into them at a high velocity is also a good tactic. Although do be careful with driving, and be prepared to break. An opponent with fast reflexes can move away and send you crashing into the pit. To help even more a ramming spike or other weapon that holds them in a grip is also useful.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Imobilisation:</B>This is when on robot has a mechanical failure and ceases to move. Sometimes with a very complex robots engines can fail or batteries can blow. Some robots have tank-tracks instead of wheels so if one is cut the robot cases to move. At this point the house robots (see below) will come and demolish the failing machine.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Disqualification</B>If at the end of the fight the judges find that one robot has broken the many rules of robot wars then the robot is disqualified from play. For example a circular saw cannot be rigid because it could shatter, so if a blade snaps or shatters then the robot may be disqualified for breaking the rules</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Driving into the Corner Patrol Zones (CPZ S)</B>The CPZS or Corner Patrol Zones are situated in the corners of the arena. When a robot drives (or is pushed) into on of these, then the PARTICUALR house robot guarding the particular CPZ has the right to trash the unfortunate robot</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Judge's Dissuasion:</B>If a match is finished leaving no clear winner, a set time, the 3 Judges intervene. They mark each robot on is damage, aggression, damage sustained, aggression, speed and other elements of robot wars. They then pick the robot with the most points awarded and vote on who is the winner.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Flipping:</B>This humorous phenomena occurs when a robot is flipped upside down, preventing it from propelling itself. Some Robots are built like an up side down cake, having wheels on the top and bottom so they cannot be flipped. Some robots have special 'Self-righting Mechanisms', which enables them to re-flip themselves over the correct way round!</P></TEXT>
<HEADER>Weaponry</HEADER>
<TEXT><P>Virtually all robots have some sort of weapon, without one your robot is as good as a saturated cardboard box. So, below is a list of Robotic Weapons</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Circular Saws:</B>The Circular Saw is one of the most commonly used weapons, it inflicts light gashes and scratches to a medium-armoured robot. This is not a very destructive weapon, but is usually used as a backup to the main. Robots that make good use of this include the house robot Shunt and the robot wars 1 winner, RoadBlock. Although in the 3rd war some circular saws have either shattered or had to be removed. If they shatter during a match the offending robot is likely to be disqualified.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Axes:</B>Axes are can be used effectively as a main weapon. The robots axe is either a massive slow pick axe which shifts from one side to the other (like Killertron), or it is a small axe which rapidly hits the target at about 60 chops per minute (like Mortis). The large axes make large dents, while the smaller ones inflict small gashes and dents very rapidly. Robots the make good use of this technique include Mortis, Killertron, Killerhurz, and the house the robot, Dead Metal.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Flippers and Wedges:</B>These robots are specially designed to get underneath the robot with a wedge shape. Sometimes an additional flipper is used to lift the opposition of the ground and flip the over. The good example of this technique was the Robot Road Block, which won the 1st Robot War. It was a wedge shape, which, due to its lack of speed relied on its opponent driving up the wedge, and falling over. The first effective wedge and flipper was Cassius, constructed with a high speed and wedge shaped body it had a pneumatic flipper which got it into the 2nd War Final. This weapon was also used spectacularly when Cassius itself was flipped. He used his own flipper to bring himself back upright. This idea was copied widely in the 3rd War. </P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Razors:</B>My personal favourite weapon in the whole history of robot wars. This weapon is on of the most powerful ever. It has only ever been used once by the Razor. It is a huge pneumatic Razor, immensely powerful, causing devastating damage to the bodywork of a robot. Razor itself is my personal favourite, but never getting into a semi-final means that the best of this robot is still to come! (This was due, on both occasions, to immobilisation.)</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Flails:</B>These weapons are usually rapidly spun chains, which are weak, providing little or no damage to the opponent robot. Only on robot has successfully mastered some sort of flail, and that is Hypnodisc. On its first match the powerful rotating disc actually battered one of Matilda's tusks off! It went on to the series semi-final.</P></TEXT>
<HEADER>House Robots</HEADER>
<TEXT><P>The House Robots are a set of very powerful robots designed by the Robot Wars team themselves. They are robots, which cannot win a match or game. Their purpose is to provide a good show for the audience and to patrol the arena as an obstacle. They patrol the corner patrol zones and have the right to destroy any robot, which drives into their path. They have a range of strengths and weapons to tackle any robot. They are: MATILDA a flipping robot with to tusks exactly for this purpose. SERGENT BASH a robot with a 360 degree turning flame-thrower. It also has a pincing weapon at the nose. SHUNT a robot with a moveable circular saw for light destruction DEAD METAL As hose robot with a powerful axe to inflict large amounts of damage to the offending robot. SIR. KILLERLOT this new robot was introduced in the 2nd war. It is the most powerful house robot in the gang with a lance and pincer weapon, capable of picking immobilised robots up to kill! All house robots are also fitted with special cameras so that the TV audience can see the view from on of the robots in the battle.</P></TEXT>
<HEADER>More Information</HEDER>
<TEXT><P>For additional info go to <LINK HREF="http://www.robot wars.co.uk"/>Robot Wars UK</LINK> and <LINK HREF="http://www.robotwars.com"/>Robot Wars USA</LINK></P></TEXT>
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</GUIDE
<TEXT><P>Robot Wars is a clever idea, branching from 2 other clever ideas. The first being "Fighting is fun but can be disastrous in Human Life." The second being "I bet my robot could beat your robot in a fight". (The first is being common Human Sense and the second being slurred in a drunken argument in a public house that's a bar to all the Americans). Thus Robot Wars was created, you build a robot, you fight and you (hopefully) win. To go into slightly more detail, you spend at least 2 months building a remote controlled robot, enter it into some knockout heats (if you get through you go on to the National Robot Wars final broadcaster on BBC TV)) and then see how far you get! On each program there are eight robots, it's a knockout so only one will triumph to win that program. The first 8 will then battle it out to be reduced to 4, then 2 and then 1 robot goes through to the series semi-final, progress on to a final to decide a winner. The winner is then crowned "UK Robot Wars champion of (which ever year).</P></TEXT>
<HEADER>The Fights!</HEADER>
<TEXT><P>Fighting is what Robot Wars is, so it would be helpful to know how upon which to win, and (of course) how to lose.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>The Pit:</B>If you push your opponent into the pit then, unless you lose or they get out then you win. To accomplish this you must have stronger force, speed and wheel grip. Slamming into them at a high velocity is also a good tactic. Although do be careful with driving, and be prepared to break. An opponent with fast reflexes can move away and send you crashing into the pit. To help even more a ramming spike or other weapon that holds them in a grip is also useful.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Imobilisation:</B>This is when on robot has a mechanical failure and ceases to move. Sometimes with a very complex robots engines can fail or batteries can blow. Some robots have tank-tracks instead of wheels so if one is cut the robot cases to move. At this point the house robots (see below) will come and demolish the failing machine.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Disqualification</B>If at the end of the fight the judges find that one robot has broken the many rules of robot wars then the robot is disqualified from play. For example a circular saw cannot be rigid because it could shatter, so if a blade snaps or shatters then the robot may be disqualified for breaking the rules</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Driving into the Corner Patrol Zones (CPZ S)</B>The CPZS or Corner Patrol Zones are situated in the corners of the arena. When a robot drives (or is pushed) into on of these, then the PARTICUALR house robot guarding the particular CPZ has the right to trash the unfortunate robot</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Judge's Dissuasion:</B>If a match is finished leaving no clear winner, a set time, the 3 Judges intervene. They mark each robot on is damage, aggression, damage sustained, aggression, speed and other elements of robot wars. They then pick the robot with the most points awarded and vote on who is the winner.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Flipping:</B>This humorous phenomena occurs when a robot is flipped upside down, preventing it from propelling itself. Some Robots are built like an up side down cake, having wheels on the top and bottom so they cannot be flipped. Some robots have special 'Self-righting Mechanisms', which enables them to re-flip themselves over the correct way round!</P></TEXT>
<HEADER>Weaponry</HEADER>
<TEXT><P>Virtually all robots have some sort of weapon, without one your robot is as good as a saturated cardboard box. So, below is a list of Robotic Weapons</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Circular Saws:</B>The Circular Saw is one of the most commonly used weapons, it inflicts light gashes and scratches to a medium-armoured robot. This is not a very destructive weapon, but is usually used as a backup to the main. Robots that make good use of this include the house robot Shunt and the robot wars 1 winner, RoadBlock. Although in the 3rd war some circular saws have either shattered or had to be removed. If they shatter during a match the offending robot is likely to be disqualified.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Axes:</B>Axes are can be used effectively as a main weapon. The robots axe is either a massive slow pick axe which shifts from one side to the other (like Killertron), or it is a small axe which rapidly hits the target at about 60 chops per minute (like Mortis). The large axes make large dents, while the smaller ones inflict small gashes and dents very rapidly. Robots the make good use of this technique include Mortis, Killertron, Killerhurz, and the house the robot, Dead Metal.</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Flippers and Wedges:</B>These robots are specially designed to get underneath the robot with a wedge shape. Sometimes an additional flipper is used to lift the opposition of the ground and flip the over. The good example of this technique was the Robot Road Block, which won the 1st Robot War. It was a wedge shape, which, due to its lack of speed relied on its opponent driving up the wedge, and falling over. The first effective wedge and flipper was Cassius, constructed with a high speed and wedge shaped body it had a pneumatic flipper which got it into the 2nd War Final. This weapon was also used spectacularly when Cassius itself was flipped. He used his own flipper to bring himself back upright. This idea was copied widely in the 3rd War. </P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Razors:</B>My personal favourite weapon in the whole history of robot wars. This weapon is on of the most powerful ever. It has only ever been used once by the Razor. It is a huge pneumatic Razor, immensely powerful, causing devastating damage to the bodywork of a robot. Razor itself is my personal favourite, but never getting into a semi-final means that the best of this robot is still to come! (This was due, on both occasions, to immobilisation.)</P></TEXT>
<TEXT><P><B>Flails:</B>These weapons are usually rapidly spun chains, which are weak, providing little or no damage to the opponent robot. Only on robot has successfully mastered some sort of flail, and that is Hypnodisc. On its first match the powerful rotating disc actually battered one of Matilda's tusks off! It went on to the series semi-final.</P></TEXT>
<HEADER>House Robots</HEADER>
<TEXT><P>The House Robots are a set of very powerful robots designed by the Robot Wars team themselves. They are robots, which cannot win a match or game. Their purpose is to provide a good show for the audience and to patrol the arena as an obstacle. They patrol the corner patrol zones and have the right to destroy any robot, which drives into their path. They have a range of strengths and weapons to tackle any robot. They are: MATILDA a flipping robot with to tusks exactly for this purpose. SERGENT BASH a robot with a 360 degree turning flame-thrower. It also has a pincing weapon at the nose. SHUNT a robot with a moveable circular saw for light destruction DEAD METAL As hose robot with a powerful axe to inflict large amounts of damage to the offending robot. SIR. KILLERLOT this new robot was introduced in the 2nd war. It is the most powerful house robot in the gang with a lance and pincer weapon, capable of picking immobilised robots up to kill! All house robots are also fitted with special cameras so that the TV audience can see the view from on of the robots in the battle.</P></TEXT>
<HEADER>More Information</HEDER>
<TEXT><P>For additional info go to <LINK HREF="http://www.robot wars.co.uk"/>Robot Wars UK</LINK> and <LINK HREF="http://www.robotwars.com"/>Robot Wars USA</LINK></P></TEXT>
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