Ironside3, (spelt on the TV show as Ironside 3), is a heavyweight robot from Team Outlaw which competed in Series 8 of Robot Wars. It reached the Head to Head stage in its qualifying episode, but was unable to progress after failing to score enough points to secure a place in the Heat Final.
Although Ironside3 is the third member of the Ironside series of robots, it is the first heavyweight. The original Ironside was an octagonal, two-wheeled featherweight, while Ironside 2, also a featherweight, was originally armed with a spinning disc, allowing the robot to be invertible, before the weaponry was adapted to become a spinning bar, like the weapon of Ironside3. The robot was built within a month.
Design
Ironside 3 with Team Outlaw
Ironside3 is similar in design to 6 Million Dollar Mouse, armed with a one metre 35kg spinning bar, which spins at 1500rpm for devastating damage. Besides its spinning bar, Ironside3 is also armed with a srimech bar, lifting the robot sideways, similar to the srimech of Hypno-Disc and 13 Black, although with a more triangular shape. However, the srimech is extremely slow, and failed to right the robot in its only opportunity.
The robot is made from 5mm HARDOX steel, and is unpainted, keeping the traditional 'HARDOX brown', with the robot's name painted on top.
Ironside3 entered its first battle completely untested.
- "Nothing can damage us, we're worried about the mechanism falling apart when we hit something!"
- — Trevor Wright
Robot History
Series 8
Ironside3 rips a panel from Chompalot
Ironside3 appeared in Episode 5 where it faced Chompalot, Pulsar in its first round melee, as well as the team's third battle with Thermidor 2. Ironside3 was dominant in the battle, getting its spinner up to speed, and immobilising Thermidor 2 in a single blow, quickly avenging the Heat Final loss by Mighty Mouse to the lobster. Ironside3 also struck the back of Pulsar with its bar, also immobilising another robot on one side. Ironside3 turned its efforts to the only fully mobile robot, Chompalot, ripping a panel from the side of it and bending its chassis. The pit release button was pressed by Ironside3, which kept its distance until cease was called. Ironside3 was put through to the next round, alongside Chompalot.
Ironside3 takes out Beast's tyre
Ironside3 deflects off the immobile Beast
Ironside3 first fought Beast in the head-to-head stage, having tightened the drive belt for its spinning bar to allow for an even faster spin-up. Ironside3 had a relatively easy time in the battle, fleeing from Beast in order to spin up its weapon, before immobilising Beast on one side within three blows. It then landed an accurate blow to Beast's mobile tyre, fully immobilising the machine. Ironside3 landed two more blows, and then celebrated its win by spinning on the spot.
In its next head-to-head, Ironside3 fought Gabriel. Team Outlaw talked to Professor Noel Sharkey about how to deal with such an awkward design, which had applied a battleaxe in order to jam the spinning bar of Ironside3.
- "We're not sure what the wheels are made of, in which case, we're not sure whether we'll go straight through it, or if we'll crack it!"
- — Adam Lewis
Ironside3 slams into Gabriel
After gaining full speed on its weapon, Ironside3 launched a series of attacks onto Gabriel, removing tyre tread from its wheels, and throwing it into Sir Killalot. Ironside3's next attack bent the pole on which Gabriel's battleaxe was positioned, and another blow caused recoil damage.
- "That mighty, destructive power of Ironside3's spinning bar doesn't seem to be causing that much trouble, because of the... the wobbliness of Gabriel!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
The bar spinner throws Gabriel
Ironside3 inflicts further damage
Ironside3 caused more damage to Gabriel's wheels, and threw it over, back into Sir Killalot. Ironside3 launched Gabriel through the air, and onto the flame pit, having broken one of its torque limiters over the course of the battle, meaning Gabriel could not attack in retaliation. After three final blows, cease was called. Ironside3 won the resulting Judges' decision unanimously, but was awarded only 2 points as it had failed to score a knockout.
- "That looked like it went pretty seamlessly for you guys!"
- — Angela Scanlon
The spinners collide, Ironside3 comes off worse
Ironside3 is gripped by Sir Killalot
Ironside3 went into its match against the reinstated Pulsar with five points, second to Gabriel's 6 points, meaning a victory would be necessary for Ironside3 to progress. The two spinners collided in the centre of the arena, and Ironside3 was thrown over by Pulsar's drum. Ironside3's srimech was extremely slow in activation, and Pulsar damaged the top of Ironside3, and pushed it into Sir Killalot. Ironside3's srimech was fully extended when it was grabbed by Sir Killalot, which ironically dropped Ironside3 back onto its wheels. Ironside3 had lost the removable link that powered its weapon, but still seemingly had the advantage, as Pulsar had stopped moving on one side when both competitors collided. Ironside3 pushed a now completely immobile Pulsar into the pit, but drove itself down in the process.
- "Slowly, slowly, inch by inch, oh they've taken themselves out!"
- — Jonathan Pearce on Ironside3's bad driving
Both robots are pitted
The Judges were called upon to make a decision, and they ruled that because Ironside3 had been immobile for over ten seconds towards the beginning of the fight, the victory would be awarded to Pulsar via knockout. This meant that Ironside3 did not have enough points to progress to the Heat Final.
- "They didn't really give us a fair chance to actually self-right... we happened to land on our wheels, and nobody called cease, so we carried on, but that's the way it goes, I suppose!"
- — Trevor Wright
Results
| IRONSIDE3 - RESULTS | ||
| Series 8 | ||
| Series 8 - UK Championship Round 2, Third Place | ||
| Episode 5, Group Battle | vs. Chompalot, Pulsar, Thermidor 2 | Qualified |
| Episode 5, Head-to-Heads | vs. Beast | Won via KO (3 points) |
| Episode 5, Head-to-Heads | vs. Gabriel | Won via Judges' decision (2 points) |
| Episode 5, Head-to-Heads | vs. Pulsar | Lost (0 points) |
Wins/Losses
- Wins: 3
- Losses: 1
Series Record
Team Outlaw enter the arena in Series 8
| Main Series | Ironside3 Series Record |
|---|---|
| The First Wars | Did not enter |
| The Second Wars | Did not enter |
| The Third Wars | Robotic Soccer with Velocirippa |
| The Fourth Wars | Entered with Velocirippa |
| The Fifth Wars | Entered with Velocirippa |
| The Sixth Wars | Entered with Mighty Mouse Withdrew Velocirippa |
| The Seventh Wars | Entered with Mighty Mouse Entered with Velocirippa |
| Series 8 | Heat Round 2, Third Place |
| Series 9 | Did not enter |
| Series 10 | Entered with Velocirippa |
| Robot Wars Extreme | Appearances |
| Series 1 | Entered with Mighty Mouse and Velocirippa |
| Series 2 | Did not enter |
Outside Robot Wars
Although Ironside3 has yet to compete outside of Robot Wars, only appearing as a static display at Robots Live! events, the featherweight Ironside fought exclusively at live events. Ironside 2, having competed in featherweight competitions across the country, competed in the UK Featherweight Championship in 2014, where its spinning disc was swapped for a spinning bar. Team Outlaw most commonly participate in live heavyweight combat with Meggamouse.
External Links
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