Episode 4
Episode 3
Episode 2
Episode 1
This episode featured the return of Apollo and Carbide. If you don't remember, Apollo were last year's champions and Carbide were the worthy runners-up.
This episode was all about manufacturing a grudge match between Carbide and Apollo, so much so, that all of the other robots were complete non-entities.
I didn't like how Apollo and Carbide were in the same heat. In the old wars, the champion and runners-up were kept apart for as long as possible, to ensure an explosive grand final. I think the same should have been done here. But that's enough talking.
LET THE WARS BEGIN
Battle 1
Apollo Vs Coyote Vs Rusty vs Ms Nightshade
We all know Apollo. It was last year's winner with its immensely powerful flipper that can toss robots six feet into the air.
Apollo was fighting the untested flipperbot Rusty and the more curious Ms Nightshade and Coyote.
Ms Nightshade had an inventive design. Standing at one metre high, they looked like an unopened rosebud, until it was time for them to bloom, which would send their petals or axes slamming down. Despite this novel design, Ms Nightshade looked unstable and was completely untested. The team wanted to be completely surprised by their own robot, which sounds silly. As Dara O'Briain said "you're supposed to surprise us, not yourselves."
Lastly, there was the dual-weaponed Coyote which had a crushing jaw that could clamp with a ton of force. Its secondary weapon was a chainsaw tail.
3...2...1 Activate
In this battle, Apollo fully proved why they were the champions. They began strongly by flipping Rusty across the arena. Meanwhile, Coyote took a ponderous glance at Ms Nightshade, before Apollo flipped Rusty again, sending some of their armour panelling off too. Rusty's own flipper was flimsy and no match for Apollo's. They tried flipping the champion, but missed and flipped themselves over. They were out. This was when Apollo went after Ms Nightshade and toppled it.. The rose-bud machine had no scrimech and they were out. This was a foolish mistake on their part.
This meant meant that Apollo and Coyote were through, despite the latter having done very little. However, Apollo weren't finished there. They flipped Coyote over, damaging their chainsaw tail and then Dead Metal tore into Coyote.
Battle 2
Carbide Vs Crackers 'N' Smash Vs Trolley Rage Vs Meggamouse
Carbide, last year's runners up were armed with a spinning bar that weighed 23kg and spun at 250 mph. With this fearsome weapon, they threatened to leave behind a trail of destruction.
Crackers 'N' Smash were a cluster bot. This is to say, there were two smaller robots, which operated as one team. Crackers was armed with a lifter and Smash, a spinning drum.
Trolley Rage was a robot that had been made out of scrap metal, including an old shopping trolley. They were armed with an axe and ramming spikes.
Lastly, there was Meggamouse who had a lifter. They also had a little clusterbot, shaped like a wedge of cheese to help them.
Just like Apollo dominated their group battle, Carbide dominated theirs.
Their first victim was Trolley Rage, which was absolutely battered. Its armour was buckled and the electricals were ripped out. It could not recover from this onslaught and were sent crashing out.
After this Carbide turned its attention to Crackers, which is where we saw the sparks start flying. However, the clusterbots managed to escape. This allowed Carbide to start attacking Meggamouse.
Meggamouse could not survive the attack. Their armour was broken, their flipper was sheared off and a wheel was sent into oblivion. It was a shame for Meggamouse as they began strongly, ramming into Crackers, but they were no match for Carbide who were through to the next round. Joining them were Crackers 'N' Smash, but more by luck than judgement.
Head to heads
Apollo Vs Carbide
The first head to head was the one that everyone has been waiting for. The rematch. Apollo vs Carbide. Both machines have been heavily upgraded since the last wars, so who knew what way this was going to go.
Apollo immediately tried taking the lead. I say try, because they messed up. They tried to flip Carbide, but they missed. This mistake was all Carbide needed to inflict devastating punishment and it was brutal.
Carbide tore away Apollo's armour pannelling and buckled their flipper. Apollo couldn't recover. They couldn't escape. One last assault from Carbide was enough to immobilise the reigning champions.
Crackers 'N' Smash Vs Coyote
Both robots entered the arena completely weaponless. Coyote's chainsaw tail was too badly damaged after their group battle with Apollo and Crackers 'N' Smash couldn't get their weaponry going after their encounter with Carbide.
Instead, both robots went for different tactics. Coyote began strongly, pushing Smash across the arena and into the claws of Dead Metal. They then went for the pit release. However, instead of the pit being lowered, the house robots went rogue.
This diversion was all Crackers 'N' Smash needed to regroup and gang up against Coyote. Crackers sent the house robots rogue again, leading to Matilda hitting Coyote with her flywheel. This was enough to immobilise Coyote.
Apollo Vs Coyote
Apollo entered this fight looking like a beaten machine. Their flipper was still buckled and their armour scarred. However, Coyote wasn't much better, as they were badly damaged from Matilda's attack.
However, if Apollo looked beaten, they certainly didn't act like it. They came racing out of the traps, flipping Coyote halfway across the arena. And then they flipped them again. With just two flips, Coyote were immobilised. However, Apollo weren't finished there. They flipped Coyote out of the arena and then tried flipping Sir Killalot and failed. The reason for this suicidal decision was because Sir Killalot is the only house robot that they haven't flipped.
Carbide Vs Crackers 'N' Smash
For this battle, Crackers 'N' Smash took a massive risk. They removed their weaponry to make themselves less of a target for Carbide. This worked about as well as bringing a wooden robot into the arena.
Carbide drove onto the low Crackers and used this as a perch to hit Smash. Once the clusterbots had escaped, Carbide slammed into them again. Its spinning bar bashed across the top of the smaller machines and the sparks flew. it was like a fireworks display.
And then one final attack sent Crackers spinning into the arena wall, breaking part of it. For safety reasons, the fight had to be stopped and the arena repaired. Usually, after the arena was repaired, the fight would resume as usual, but Crackers 'N' Smash tactically resigned to spare their machines anymore damage.
Carbide vs Coyote
Carbide were the top of the league table and Coyote was at the bottom. Their crushing jaw was no match for Carbide's spinning bar and their chainsaw tail was out of action. They needed a miracle to win. Instead they received a battering.
Carbide slammed into Coyote sending them spinning away. And then Carbide slammed into them again, sending them into the clutches of Sir Killalot, who roasted them over the flame pit. One more attack was enough to immobilise them. They were a buckled mess and they were out.
Apollo vs Crackers 'N' Smash
Even in Apollo's damaged condition, Crackers 'N' Smash were the massive underdogs.
The clusterbots began well. Crackers managed to get in and underneath Apollo, but they couldn't flip them. In revenge, Apollo flipped them into the clutches of Dead Metal who immobilised Crackers.
Apollo then had to finish off Smash. They flipped it around the arena, but worringly, could not immobilise them. The decision went to the judges who unsurprisingly awarded it to Apollo. This meant that the heat final would be a grudge match between Apollo and Carbide.
Apollo Vs Carbide
Although Apollo looked like they had recovered since their first fight with Carbide, this was not the case. Their flipper was still buckled and unable to flip Carbide.
Carbide took full advantage of this by destroying Apollo. The spinning hammer tore off Apollo's armour panelling and bent its chassis. As for the flipper, Carbide unleashed a furious attack and the sparks flew again. Apollo were left a broken mess and Carbide were through to the final.
They join Aftershock, Eruption, Concussion and Ironside 3 in the final. We have one flipper and four very different spinners. The sixth spot will be filled up by a runner-up of the judges' choosing. Their options are Sabretooth, Cherub, Thor, Pulsar and Apollo. I think they'll pick Apollo, so I'm not going to count the champions, down and out, just yet.
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