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"Will the kitty get its claws into something this time?"
Jonathan Pearce in Series 6

Kat 3, alternatively Kat3, was a heavyweight robot which competed in Series 5, 6 and 7 of Robot Wars, also appearing in Series 2 of Robot Wars Extreme, Season 2 of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors, and the one-off series, Nickelodeon Robot Wars.

The successor to Kater Killer, Kat 3 enjoyed more success by reaching the Heat Final in the Fifth Wars after defeating the seeded Mini Morg and being defeated by former champion Panic Attack. While Kat 3 lost to Barber-Ous 2 in the second round of the Sixth Wars, Kat 3 and its team were presented with the Sportsmanship Award. Kat 3 reached its second Heat Final in Series 7 where it lost to the seeded Bulldog Breed, and also placed in the top four of the All-Stars.

Design[]

Kat 3 s5 arena

Kat 3 in Series 5

Kat 3 was a wedge-shaped robot, painted orange with black tiger stripes to match the team's outfits. Its weapon was a pneumatic axe powered by a 2Kg CO2 fire extinguisher with a 2 kg dry powder extinguisher buffer tank, and it used the same drive motors as its predecessor, Kater Killer.[1]

"Go-Kart wheels, a great big axe, two 800 watt motors and experience at the controls from the former KaterKiller team, 16 mph top speed, too big a ground clearance - could be a cat flipped up onto a hot tin roof!"
— Jonathan Pearce sums up Kat 3 in Series 5
Kat 3 Pits

Series 5 version in the pits for the Nickelodeon series

In Series 5, Extreme Warriors and Nickelodeon Robot Wars, Kat 3 was a double wedge running on two go-kart wheels, sourced by Keith Williams' mother from a the local go-kart track, to drive up to 16mph with an gas-powered overhead swinging axe. The robot was powered by two Yuasa 12v/12AH batteries and had Vantec RDFR 32 speed controllers. This version of the machine cost roughly £1,000 to build, had a mixture of aluminium and polycarbonate for the bodywork, and the chassis was 1 inch steel box section.[2] It lacked a baseplate, which was significant against Panic Attack, so the robot was changed for Series 6.

Kat3 EX2

Kat 3 in Extreme 2

"Keith spent another year in the garage, this time he decided it was time to spent some money and purchase a new ram, regulator and batteries. His mum went back to the go-cart track and charmed some new tyres out of them, it was just a case of putting it all together ..."
— Team KaterKiller website on the upgrades to Kat 3[3]

The robot was now similar in design to Dominator 2, but had more of a conventional wedge shape (compared to the double-V shape of Dominator 2). The motors were more powerful, going from 2 800 Watt motors to 1,000 Watt motors, but was slower than the previous version at 10mpH.

"The bot is run from two 1,000 watt motors on 24 volts, through a Vantex speed controller, while the weapon is a pneumatically powered axe running off low-pressure carbon-dioxide regulated from a high pressure tank, with two 12-volt batteries giving 24 volts ... The shell is 10mm thick polycarbonate with a 12mm polycarbonate base the whole axe mechanism is mounted on an aluminium channel which runs the full length of the robot, which also mounts the motors and the axles for the wheels, so the whole thing is mounted on a central back-bone."
— Keith Williams, interviewed at the time of Extreme 2 in Robot Wars: The Official Magazine[4]

While Dominator 2 was an inspiration of sorts for Kat 3, it was mainly the self-righting aspect of Dominator 2 that inspired Keith Williams to go with the newer design of Kat 3. Keith also wanted to improve the axe from the previous version. Kat 3 did not self-right like Dominator 2 as Keith tried to avoid making Kat 3 too similar in design and the self-righting was also down the overall shape of the robot.[5]

Kat3

Kat 3 in the pits during Series 7

Kat 3 S7

Front view of Kat 3 in Series 7

For Series 7, the wedge was more pointed, had a lower ground clearance, an improved aluminium body and a polycarbonate base mounted on a central spine, and the axe was upgraded to strike 50 times per battle. The axe was quite powerful, capable of breaking pieces off Cassius Chrome and noticeably puncturing Bigger Brother's armour.

"Has an aluminium body and polycarbonate base, with all the weaponry mounted on a central spine. Strong armour, but has been as mean as a kitten in mittens in the past!"
— Jonathan Pearce in Series 7

Qualification[]

Kat 3 fought and lost to Fluffy in the Series 5 qualifiers. The two teams had fought at the Series 4 qualifiers with their previous entries, Charybdis and Kater Killer. Kat 3 received a discretionary place to qualify, despite receiving severe damage.

"One thing that nearly put an end to us before we got onto television this year was when we had to fight Fluffy in the try outs. ... they gave us a good thrashing - thanks lads. Keith had to spend all weekend getting us back into shape."
— Team KaterKiller website[6]
Kat3S6Qualifiers

Kat 3 at the Series 6 qualifiers

Kat 3 took on Woden, Granny's Revenge 2, and future champion Typhoon 2 at the Series 6 qualifiers.

"Four robots entered. One left. Unfortunately we lost after disabling two of our competitors and having a GREAT battle with Kat3. We inflicted massive damage to Kat3 but ultimately they were victorious with a cracking shot to our main relays with their nasty axe!"
— Team Woden website[7]

Woden started strongly, quickly flipping over Granny's Revenge and Typhoon 2, but Kat 3 managed to immobilised Woden with its axe, thereby winning the qualifier and qualifying for for Series 6.

Kat3 in trailer

Kat 3 arriving at the Series 7 qualifiers

"Georje had a marvelous time firing the axe, we put several large holes in Woden and managed to tear the body shell of Typhoon - a clear win for us and a guaranteed place in Series 6!"
— Team KaterKiller website[8]

At the Series 7 qualifiers, Kat 3 fought Revenge of Trouble & Strife, who it had previously fought in Series 6, along with an unknown spinner. The result of the battle is unknown, but both Kat 3 and Revenge of Trouble & Strife qualified.

Robot History[]

Series 5[]

"After another total rebuilt {sic}, this time with a huge chopper! We were quietly confident about our chances this year ..."
— Team KaterKiller website[9]

Kat 3 started well in its first battle against the 19th seed Mini Morg.

Mini Morg vs Kat 3

Kat 3 pushes Mini Morg back

Both robots started the fight tentatively with them both dodging each other's attacks. Kat 3 missed with its axe as Mini Morg rammed it. Mini Morg then used its small rear axe, but it didn't cause much damage. Mini Morg began to look sluggish and Kat 3 pulled it around the arena with its axe.

"Kat 3 comes in to see if Mini Morg is "The Weakest Link"."
— Jonathan Pearce makes reference to the picture of Anne Robinson on the front of the Mini Morg machine
MiniMorgKat3S5

Kat 3 pits Mini Morg

Mini Morg was then pushed towards Sir Killalot and almost flipped over. Mini Morg escaped, but Kat 3 pursued and rammed Mini Morg. Kat 3 then activated the pit and quickly pushed Mini Morg into it.

"And Mini Morg goes into the pit, and the kittens jump about with glee."
— Jonathan Pearce

In the second round, Kat 3 fought Major Tom, built from a bumper car.

"The battle of the silly head-gear!"
Philippa Forrester before the battle, speaking of the Major Tom team's crowns, and Team KaterKiller's furry ears.
Kat 3 vs Major Tom

Kat 3 pierces the bumper car

Kat 3 was initially the less assertive, sustaining slams from Major Tom, while Kat 3 mostly missed with its axe. However, Kat 3 landed a blow on the back end of the bumper car, piercing it.

"...swishing down like an old cat-of-nine tails, but without the brutal effect."
— Jonathan Pearce as Kat 3's axe swings down
Major Tom Kat 3 1

Kat 3 sustains damage to its back end

Major Tom pushed Kat 3 into the pit release button, causing damage to the back of Kat 3, but then Major Tom reversed directly into the back of the descending pit, awarding the win to Kat 3 instantaneously. Team KaterKiller were uncontrollably laughing in the post-battle interview, and the battle was later named as the funniest battle ever in Robot Wars: The Ultimate Guide.

Kat 3 then fought former champion and 6th seed Panic Attack in the Heat Final.

"Don't think this is gonna go on the offensive weaponry, could well go on the best defensive robot. Kat 3, out they come, previously known as the KaterKiller team. They've never been beyond Round 1"
— Jonathan Pearce as the robots enter the arena for the Heat Final
Kat 3 vs Panic Attack

Kat 3 axes Panic Attack to try and rock free

The former champions immediately got underneath, and because Kat 3 had no baseplate, the robot got stuck on Panic Attack's forks.

"And for Kat 3 here now, great danger, because I don't think they can get off those prongs. Kim Davies knows exactly what he's doing."
— Jonathan Pearce
Panicattackkat

Kat 3 is pitted by Panic Attack

This allowed the sixth seeds to steer it around the arena endlessly, and Kat 3 could do no damage with their axe. Eventually, it got shoved into the pit button, and Panic Attack pushed it towards the pit. It held on momentarily, but finally went down.

"Not the greatest of fights but we are dead pleased with our performance and the power of the chopper! In fact we made deeper marks in Panic Attack's cover than Shunt had!"
— Team KaterKiller website[10]

US Season 2[]

Series 5's version of Kat 3 also competed in Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors, during the International Championship in Season 2. It had an unlucky draw in the first round as it was drawn against two time World Champion and recent Series 5 champion, Razer.

"They've got a good machine, but the axe they've got is no match for this [Razer's crusher]!"
— Confidence from Simon Scott before the battle
Kat vs razer

Razer crushes Kat 3's wheel

Razer almost immediately attacked Kat 3's wheels, but at first did not succeed in getting hold of the wheels or any bit of armour. Kat 3 fired its axe but failed to get any effective hits. Razer came back in for another attack on Kat 3's wheels, this time getting a firm grip. Razer crushed the wheels a few times before backing away. Kat 3 turned in an attempted get away from Razer's crushing claw, however Razer slammed into Kat 3, getting it onto Razer's front wedge. Razer then crushed the front of the stranded Kat 3. Kat 3 slammed its axe down but this achieved nothing.

"Poor Kat 3, flailing about with their axe but they cannot connect!"
— Stefan Frank
Razer vs Kat3

Razer drops the immobile Kat 3 in the pit

Razer backed away before attacking the main body of Kat 3 however it didn't penetrate the armour, so it went back to attacking its wheel again. A few more attacks eventually rendered Kat 3 immobile. Refbot began counting Kat 3 out whilst Razer pushed it around and Sgt. Bash pressed the pit release button. Razer finished the battle off by pushing Kat 3 into the pit.

"Well that was a cat-astrophe."
— Keith Williams after the battle

Nickelodeon[]

In Nickelodeon Robot Wars, Team KaterKiller were joined by Team EyeEye's Ian Inglis, and Kat 3 was driven by Jade Spaven. Kat 3 fought alongside Bigger Brother in the International Tag Team Terror competition against fellow British machines Ming 3 and Rick.

"The other UK team is Bigger Brother, with an amazing flipping arm, and Kat 3, boasting an axe that's supposed to be more powerful than Shunt's! We'll see..."
— Stefan Frank introduces the Tag Team pairing
Kat3vsrick NICKRW

Kat 3 axes Rick, causing minor damage

Rick vs Kat3

Kat 3 is turned over by Rick

Kat 3 went out first, with Rick fighting first for the other team. As the battle started, Rick turned to try and use its spinning disc on Kat 3, but it did not appear to be working. Kat 3 struck the top of Rick with its axe, but caused no visible damage. Rick then attempted to use its flipper, but only lifted Kat 3 up slightly. Kat 3 missed with its next axe strike, and Rick then managed to overturn it. As Kat 3 tried unsuccessfully to right itself, Ming 3 drove out without a tag, grabbed hold of Kat 3's wheel-guard and dragged it away from Bigger Brother, who had also come out of its CPZ.

"And now the rules have gone out the window! They're supposed to tag up but they're all in on the action now!"
Stefan Frank
Ming III & Rick vs Bigger Brother & Kat 3

Kat 3 helps to keep Rick's wedge off the ground

BB

Kat 3 tries to help its teammate as Bigger Brother is nearly flipped out of the arena

Bigger Brother tried to flip Kat 3 over, before turning on Ming 3, trying to flip it out of the arena. It was unable to, so it flipped Ming 3 over instead. Ming 3 quickly self-righted and grabbed hold of Bigger Brother. Teammate Bigger Brother managed to escape and was finally able to right Kat 3, who got its axe stuck in Bigger Brother's flipper. Bigger Brother escaped and tried to throw Ming 3 out of the arena again, with no success. It pushed Ming 3 into the pit release button, only to be overturned itself by Rick, who nearly managed to flip Bigger Brother out of the arena just as cease was called. The judges were called on to make a decision, and chose Ming 3 and Rick, eliminating Bigger Brother and Kat 3.

Following this loss, Kat 3 and Bigger Brother had a chance to redeem themselves in the third-place play-off, where they were to fight American team Zanzara and Run Away. However, technical problems forced Kat 3 to withdraw before the battle began, forcing Bigger Brother to fight alone. Bigger Brother was ultimately able to defeat Zanzara in a head-to-head battle after Run Away was also forced to withdraw, leaving the British team to take third place.

Series 6[]

"The robot's strengths "Girl Power", the weaknesses "Driver Control"."
— Jonathan Pearce reviews Kat 3's stats

In the first round, Kat 3 was drawn up against newcomer Spin Doctor, along with veterans Revenge of Trouble & Strife and Bulldog Breed.

Bulldog Breed vs ROTAS

Kat 3's axe becomes locked in its opening melee

It tried to hit Revenge of Trouble & Strife with its axe, but after that the weapon remained in the fired position. Because this removed Kat 3's offence and self-righting mechanism, it resorted to evasive tactics, which were successful, as Bulldog Breed flipped and immobilised both Spin Doctor and Revenge of Trouble & Strife. After this, Kat 3 was flipped over and immobilised by Bulldog Breed, then was pitted by the dog, but it still qualified as the last to be defeated.

Bulldog Breed vs Kat3 S6

Kat 3 is overturned by Bulldog Breed but safely qualifies

"We fire the axe once and then it stopped working - later Keith found out a relay had gone (probably the cheapest part on the machine and it broke!!). We did our best though and pushed people around but Bulldog Breed were on top form and managed to get one out of the arena and two of us in the pit, but we had done enough to get us through."
— Team KaterKiller website[11]

Kat 3 then faced full-body drum Barber-Ous 2 in the Heat Semi-Final.

"We're not going to get a short back and sides!"
— Confidence from Georje Williams before the battle
Barberous kat 3

Barber-Ous 2 throws Kat 3 over

Kat 3 missed with its first axe blow and Barber-Ous 2 struck Kat 3's side removing a chunk of its side armour before overturning it and pushing the axe-wielding robot towards the wall. Kat 3, on its side, attempted to self-right, but was unable to after the axe head was damaged. Kat 3 was subsequently counted out by Refbot and eliminated.

"... after one good hit from the spinning weapon we ended up on our sides jammed against the arena wall. One of our self righting side spikes embedded in the floor and broke off."
— Team KaterKiller website[12]
Kat 3 flippered

The beaten Kat 3 is thrown by the Floor Flipper

Sir Killalot then dragged Kat 3 onto the floor flipper where in another attempt at self-righting the latter lost the end of its own axe after it had been almost torn off by Sir Killalot's claw. Kat 3 was then thrown into the air, and cease was finally called, with Kat 3 being eliminated from the Sixth Wars.

Craig Charles: "All that effort that you went to, I mean look, look at the costumes!"
Keith Williams: "We went out in style!"
Craig Charles: "You've even got tails! Do you think if you'd spent more time on the robot, and less time on the outfit, it might have been a better result?"
Keith Williams: "Where would the fun in that be, though?"
— Post battle interview

At the end of the series, Kat 3 was announced the winner of the Sportsmanship Award.

"We like to recognise the camaraderie in the pits, and though Kat 3 went out early on, Keith Williams, Georje Reed and Julie Ann-Williams were terribly helpful, so for the Sportsmanship Award, we go for Kat 3."
— Jonathan Pearce announces the Sportsmanship Award winner

Extreme 2[]

Team KaterKiller Iron Maidens

Georje, Julie-Ann and Hazel with Kat 3

"What? All Iron Maidens are catty? Shame on you!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Kat 3 enters the arena

Kat 3 entered the Iron Maidens tournament, where Georje Reed and Julie-Ann Williams were joined by Hazel Heslop of Team Firestorm, with Keith Williams not involved with the women-only side event. In the first round, Kat 3 faced Behemoth and Riptilion.

Philippa Forrester: "I know you want to talk about the big chopper, but we're not going to, because I want to talk about the bet on in the pits."
Georje Reed: "Ah, that I would be sick in the booth? (Laughs)"
Philippa Forrester: "Are you that nervous?"
Georje Reed: "I am that nervous, yeah!"
— Pre-battle interview
Behemoth vs Kat3

Behemoth throws Kat 3 over

IronMaidensRound1.2

Kat 3 struggles to self-right

Kat 3 struggled greatly , as it was swiftly overturned by Behemoth and left flailing around against the side wall, unable to right itself. Riptilion and Behemoth assaulted it, but Kat 3 finally hooked its axe on Riptilion's dome, and self-righted. Riptilion began to show signs of impaired movement, and Kat 3 impaled it with the axe, dragging it around and by the open pit, pushing it most of the way in, before Mr. Psycho finished the job.

Kat3 vs Riptilion

Kat 3 spikes Riptilion

"The first fight was a bit of mess up really, we got flipped by Behemoth Belles and were stuck on our side against the arena wall for quite a while, but when we finally came back we manage to severe the power lead inside of Riptilion with one hit, don't know how we did it must of been during a non blonde moment of mine! We then tried to get them in the pit but Psycho kept getting in the way ..."
— Team KaterKiller website[13]

In the second round, Kat 3 fought Pussycat, another robot with a cat theme, in a battle Philippa Forrester described as the "biggest catfight in Robot Wars". Georje Reed was apprehensive about her first head-to-head battle of the competition.

"I think we might just go straight for the pit release, and then reverse backwards!"
— "Tactics" from Georje Reed
Pussycat vs Kat3

Kat 3 axes Pussycat

The battle began with Kat 3 missing many axe blows, landing them only on the arena floor.

"The axe descends, misses, axe descends, misses."
— Jonathan Pearce notes Kat 3's lack of accuracy
IronMaidensRound2.1

Pussycat dislodges the side panel

Eventually it landed a hit on the surface of Pussycat, causing minor damage. Pussycat's weapon was more effective, attacking with the blade and dislodging panels from the Kat. Kat 3 then ran towards, and pressed, the pit release tyre. More dodging ensued, until Pussycat finally attacked Kat 3 again, once again causing damage to the side. Pussycat then drove straight into the CPZ, and Killalot came in, but Ann Gribble at the controls spin away. Kat 3 then punctured Pussycat with its axe, but only caused a small hole. Kat 3 then got in behind Pussycat and tried to axe the rear, but missed. Pussycat then ripped away the loose panel entirely, exposing the CO2 tank, and the wheels. Kat 3 did not seem fazed by this, however, and attacked Pussycat with its axe. The front of Kat 3 had the front of the machine buckled by Pussycat, but nevertheless both robots survived to the end of the battle, and the fight was decided by the Judges.

IronMaidensRound2.1

The ruined Kat 3

"I think the key here is that Pussycat improved all the way through. Kat 3's weaponry, initially missing a great deal, did cause problems, couple of scratches for Ann Gribble and Pussycat, but she slowly gained momentum, causing damage herself, her control of the robot improved as it went on, and I think Pussycat, slowly, got the upper hand ... It's going to be very close, the difference very itty-bitty between the two kitties!"
— Jonathan Pearce reviews the highlights

The resulting Judges' decision was a split decision, but on the basis of damage, this was awarded to Pussycat, 2-1. Georje Reed agreed with the outcome, and Kat 3 was eliminated.

Craig Charles: "Are you disappointed, or do you think [Pussycat] swung it?"
Georje Reed: "No, I think they definitely got us on the aggression! I'm really pleased for them, and it's been such a fun competition."
— Team KaterKiller agree with the Judges' decision

Series 7[]

In the first round melee, Kat 3 met Belgian entry and Dutch Robot Wars competitor Hard, newcomer T-Wrecks, and the experienced Velocirippa.

"Just fire the weapon as many times as possible. We've got about fifty hits on the weapon, so it's just fire it as many times as possible and try and hit something"
— Georje Williams' strategy
Kat 3 impaled

Kat 3 impales itself

T-Wrecks pitted

Kat 3 hangs back while Hard pits T-Wrecks and Velocirippa

Kat 3 took a swing with its axe but missed. Velocirippa ran up Kat 3 again, with the orange machine missing another axe blow and getting its axe stuck in the floor flipper. Kat 3 finally freed itself, only to axe the side wall on another failed attack. Cassius Chrome shunted Hard out of its CPZ, and the other three robots fled as well. After ramming Refbot, Velocirippa rammed over Hard, only to have Kat 3's axe crash down on it, pinning it. More pushing and shoving ensued, and Velocirippa released the pit. Kat 3 continued to attack, but the axe point had come off, rendering the weapon useless. Hard flipped T-Wrecks, causing it to land on the rear of Hard. Afterwards, Hard reversed and shunted T-Wrecks into the pit. Meanwhile, Velocirippa appeared to have run low on battery power, and Hard slid beneath it and pitted it. This allowed Kat 3 to advance alongside Hard.

In the second round, Kat 3 was drawn against a promising newcomer, Mantis.

Keith Williams: "I've noticed, it's very open. There's some thin polycarbonate over the wheels, but all the hydraulics are all very open, so we should get a spike into there, if we're lucky."
Jayne Middlemiss: "You should be able to get the axe right through that and disable them immediately, shouldn't you, and get them in the pit!"
Keith Williams: "That'll be the plan!"
— Pre battle interview
Mantis vs kat 3

Kat 3 axes the innards of Mantis

Kat 3 vs mantis

Kat 3 is overturned by Mantis

Kat 3 began landing unsuccessful blows again, but then it stuck its spiked axe through the exoskeleton of Mantis. Kat 3 tried to retract its axe, but it was stuck beneath a rib of Mantis, hooking the robot, and allowing it to pull. When the axe finally did retract, Mantis shot out of reach before Kat 3 could follow up with another axe blow. Mantis reversed into the pit release, but Kat 3 struck with its axe again. Kat 3 chased Mantis around the arena, landing and missing blows with its axe. Mantis slid beneath Kat 3, but the crusher missed its target. Mantis then flipped over Kat 3, which self-righted promptly. Retaliating, Kat 3 then axed Mantis, but Mantis flipped Kat 3 in return, which self-righted once more. The two robots finished beside each other, and a very close match was sent to the Judges. The judges gave the decision to Kat 3, putting them into the Heat Final.

"We kept hitting them, but they're a very good robot, very tough, so we obviously just didn't get anything vital, but the axe seems to be working ok, we're quite pleased with it."
— Keith Williams after the battle

Kat 3 met Bulldog Breed (which it had previously fought in Series 6) in the Heat Final, creating a cat against dog encounter.

"I think we might have used up all our nine lives by now! ... I think we might take flying lessons!"
— Georje Williams after Round 2
Kat 3 vs bulldog breed

Kat 3 lands a shot on Bulldog Breed

Neither robot landed much damage in the opening, as both tried to manoeuvre into a better position to attack the other. Kat 3 axed Bulldog Breed in the centre of the flipper, before the pair swerved to avoid each other again.

"Oh that's a good attack by Kat 3! That's one in the eye for the Bulldog."
— Jonathan Pearce as Kat 3's axe comes down onto Bulldog Breed's flipper
Bulldog breed vs kat 3

Kat 3 is flipped by Bulldog Breed

Kat 3 missed an axe blow, and Bulldog Breed flipped it over. Kat 3 tried to self-right, but Bulldog Breed pushed it onto its wheels. Kat 3 then activated the pit. Kat 3 and Bulldog Breed both missed their attacks, before Bulldog Breed flipped Kat 3 into Killalot, who shunted it into the arena centre. The angle it sat on made it unable to self-right. Bulldog Breed then threw Kat 3 over Sir Killalot and onto its wheels.

Bulldog Breed vs Kat 3

Kat 3 lands on Sir Killalot

Bulldog Breed then charged Kat 3 into the side wall, but failed to flip it out. Kat 3 attacked Bulldog Breed, and sparks flew. The two continued to chase each other until the judges were required to make another Judges' decision.

Two of the judges descended to the pits to examine the axe blows on Bulldog Breed. Upon discovering that the blows were merely superficial, they awarded the win to Bulldog Breed.

"We knew they had improved tremendously, and to underestimate them would have been a serious mistake, especially with the axe, because it is powerful, whatever we've got as armour, it's powerful and it could've messed it really easily."
— Tony Somerfield shows respect for his beaten opponent after the battle

Kat 3 also participated in the Axe Attack, where it fought Hydra and Iron Awe 2.1.

"I think we can win, because we've just got the axe, these guys have got axe and flipper, which means they may have to make compromises on the armour."
— Keith Williams before the Axe Attack
Axe attack

The immobile Kat 3 is axed by Iron-Awe 2.1

ShuntaxesKat3

Kat 3 is counted out and axed by Shunt

The three robots engaged in battle, but most of the early attacks with the axes missed their targets. Hydra rammed Iron-Awe 2.1 into the arena wall twice in quick succession, while Kat 3 stopped moving and appeared to be immobilised. As Iron-Awe 2.1 attacked the defeated Kat 3, Hydra got underneath and turned it over onto its side with the axe, pushing it into the arena wall, then Shunt's CPZ. After avoiding Shunt, the two robots then decided to attack Kat 3, but it was clearly already immobilised and was counted out by Refbot.

"Looks as if it is between Iron-Awe and Hydra now because Kat 3, there, is being checked by the Refbot, and counted down and counted out."
— Jonathan Pearce

Hydra and Iron-Awe 2.1 were left, with Iron-Awe 2.1 winning the battle when Hydra fell into the pit.

As Team KaterKiller had fought in five UK championships, Kat 3 was also involved in All-Stars. In the first round, it was drawn against former Tag Team partner Bigger Brother, the team's close friends and their robot Firestorm 5 and Panic Attack, which had beaten Kat 3 in Series 5.

All stars eliminator A

Kat 3 joins the initiative against the House Robots

Immediately, all four robots converged on Shunt, and Firestorm 5 was the first to slide beneath the House Robot and flipped it over. Refbot cleared the four competing robots away, and Cassius Chrome seized Kat 3 and shoved it backwards across the arena, near to the pit release button. As it escaped, Firestorm 5 retaliated by pushing Cassius Chrome along the arena, but did not flip it.

"This is tremendous stuff, so much experience out there - durable machines."
— Jonathan Pearce
Cassius chrome gets a black eye

Kat 3's axe blow removes an eye from Cassius Chrome

Cassius Chrome bumped both robots off, and targeted Kat 3 again, shoving it back towards the arena side wall. Both Panic Attack and Firestorm 5 then attacked Cassius Chrome from the sides, causing the sole House Robot to flee. Firestorm 5 and Bigger Brother tried to flip Cassius Chrome, but they were unsuccessful, and Firestorm 5 pushed Panic Attack into Cassius Chrome, with the two competitors then shoving the house robot the length of the arena. As Bigger Brother and Kat 3 attacked Cassius Chrome, Kat 3's axe caused the House Robot's eye to fall off. All four robots ganged up on Cassius Chrome. Panic Attack hoisted Cassius Chrome off the ground, before being aided by Bigger Brother. Meanwhile, the drop zone and the arena floor flipper both activated in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the rampaging robots.

Panic Attack vs Cassius Chrome

Kat 3 remains embedded in Cassius Chrome

"How do the judges mark this by the way? Two machines have to through to the second round of the All-Stars... on style, on aggression, on damage, but on control?! Has any one single machine been strictly under control out there? It's been sheer roboteering lunacy!"
— Jonathan Pearce
Kat 3 vs Bigger Brother

Kat 3 accidentally buries its axe into Bigger Brother

Cassius Chrome appeared to have lost power as it was pushed towards the pit by Panic Attack, who then left it up against the arena side wall by the pit release button. After this, all four competitors decided to turn on the Refbot, for a clean house robot sweep. However, Firestorm 5 suddenly drove itself into the pit of oblivion after deflecting off the Refbot in a charge. Finally, Kat 3 accidentally axed Bigger Brother, when actually trying to hit the Refbot, causing the roboteers to finally turn on each other.

"Oh, the truce is obviously off! Kat 3 has spiked Bigger Brother, and at last, the competing machines are having a go at each other!"
— Jonathan Pearce
Bigger Brother vs Kat 3

Kat 3 is clamped by Bigger Brother, moments before the latter drives into the pit

Kat 3 then ran away from the other competitors, Bigger Brother shoved Panic Attack against the angle grinder, then chased after Kat 3, with Panic Attack in hot pursuit. Kat 3 slammed into the pit release button again in panic, before being scooped up by Bigger Brother. Bigger Brother then tried to push Kat 3 down into the pit, but Kat 3 just escaped the robot's grasp, and Bigger Brother suddenly lost control, reversed, and fell into the pit itself.

"I was aiming for Refbot! I was aiming for Refbot, Refbot moved, and Bigger Brother went in."
— Georje Williams, explaining why she attacked Bigger Brother, after the battle

In the second round, Kat 3 fought Pussycat, having fought them before in the Iron Maidens tournament.

"We don't really want to get too close, because the spinner's very good and it'll put scars all over us, I don't think it'll go right through the body, but if we get close to him, but not right up against him, we can try and stick the axe in him."
— Keith Williams on his tactics
Kat3 vs Pussycat

Kat 3's axe shaft strikes Pussycat

Pussycat vs Kat 3

Kat 3 receives damage from Pussycat

Neither robot was able to inflict any visible damage in the opening moments; Kat 3's axe could not land a blow, and Pussycat's blade was not cutting into the armour or weaponry of Kat 3, Pussycat could only occasionally scratch the sides of Kat 3, but not creating any holes. However, damage to the armour of Kat 3 eventually began to become visible, but this was mostly superficial, and Kat 3's mobility and weaponry seemed unharmed. Kat 3 then activated the pit release button, before ramming Pussycat again. The design of the two robots meant that when they were side by side, neither robot's weapon could land a blow.

Kat 3 vs Pussycat

Neither robots' weapons could damage the other whilst side by side

Kat 3 Bent Axe

The damage to Kat 3's axe head, shown in the closing seconds of the battle

"I don't think they can get their weaponry really into full effect here, you see, side by side, the axe is gonna miss, and so to the blade."
— Jonathan Pearce as the stalemate continues

Cease was then called as time ran out, resulting in a judges' decision. It took a fair while for the judges to decide the winner, but like the previous encounter between these two robots, the judges finally gave it to Pussycat.

Craig Charles: "Axes don't seem to cut the mustard in Robot Wars any more! They look good, they're exciting, but they don't seem to cut the mustard any more! They've evolved, the robots, they've moved on."
Keith Williams: "I think you might be right..."
Craig Charles: "You thinking of changing it maybe?"
Keith Williams: "I don't know, we could make it more powerful, I like the axes, I really want to keep with an axe, just make it more powerful."
— Post battle interview

Results[]

KAT 3 - RESULTS
UK Series
Series 5
The Fifth Wars - UK Championship
Heat Final
Heat J, Eliminator vs. Mini Morg (19) Won
Heat J, Semi-Final vs. Major Tom Won
Heat J, Final vs. Panic Attack (6) Lost
Series 6
The Sixth Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 2
Heat K, Round 1 vs. Bulldog Breed, Revenge of Trouble & Strife, Spin Doctor Qualified
Heat K, Round 2 vs. Barber-Ous 2 Lost
Extreme Series 2
Iron Maidens
Semi-Finalist
Round 1 vs. Behemoth, Riptilion Qualified
Round 2 vs. Pussycat Lost
Series 7
The Seventh Wars - UK Championship
Heat Final
Heat K, Round 1 vs. Hard, T-Wrecks, Velocirippa Qualified
Heat K, Round 2 vs. Mantis Won
Heat K, Final vs. Bulldog Breed (12) Lost
Special Events
Axe Attack
Axe Attack vs. Hydra, Iron-Awe 2.1 Lost
All-Stars
Semi-Finalist
Round 1 vs. Bigger Brother, Firestorm 5, Panic Attack Qualified
Semi-Final vs. Pussycat Lost
US Series
Season 2
International Championship
Representing the UK, Round 1
Round 1 vs. Razer (UK) Lost
Nickelodeon Robot Wars
International Tag Team Terror
Competing with Bigger Brother, Third Place
UK Qualifier vs. Ming 3 & Rick Lost
Play-off vs. Run Away & Zanzara Won
NOTE: Kat 3 was unable to take place in the fight due to battle damage, so Bigger Brother and Zanzara fought head-to-head.

Wins/Losses[]

  • UK Wins: 7
  • UK Losses: 6
  • US Wins: 1
  • US Losses: 2

NOTE: This includes Bigger Brother's victory over Zanzara as a win for Kat 3

Series Record[]

UK Series[]

Main Series Kat 3 Series Record
The First Wars Did not enter
The Second Wars Did not enter
The Third Wars Entered with Kater Killer
The Fourth Wars Entered with Kater Killer
The Fifth Wars Heat Final
The Sixth Wars Heat, Round 2
The Seventh Wars Heat Final
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter
Robot Wars Extreme Appearances
Series 1 Did not enter
Series 2 Iron Maidens, Round 2

US Series[]

US Series Kat 3 Series Record
Season 1 Did not enter
Season 2 International Championship, Round 1
Nickelodeon International Tag Team, Third Place

Note: Ian Inglis, who was on Team KaterKiller in Nickelodeon Robot Wars, competed in Series 2-4 and Extreme 1 as part of Team EyeEye.

Gallery[]

Outside Robot Wars[]

Kat'sWhisker's tg02

Kat's Whisker's during the Assault Course of Techno Games 2002

212px-Teamsnowcat

Kat's Whiskers with Snowstorm at Techno Games in 2003

Like many Robot Wars competitors Team KaterKiller entered Techno Games in 2002. The team entered a weaponless Kat 3, renamed Kat's Whiskers, in the football tournament. It was teamed with Snowstorm, a white-and-blue, weaponless Firestorm, where they won the silver medal. Losing 5-0 to Storm Chaser and Sprocket in the final. Kat's Whiskers also competed in the Assault Course Event in 2002, beating Stanoscloir in the first round but losing to Wolf. Kat's Whiskers (this time being the Series 6 model unlike the Series 5 model from the previous year) returned the following year for the football tournament only, this time coloured white. However, they were less successful, losing 2-1 to the Skeleton Crew in the first round.

Kat3BMW04

Kat 3 at Brighton Modelworld 2004

Kat3 2016

Kat 3 in 2016

After Robot Wars, Kat 3 made various appearances at live events in 2004. It was last seen at a Roaming Robots event in 2005 at the London Expo where it was on static display with Behemoth, Arnold A. Terminegger, Firestorm 5, Terrorhurtz and Merlin.

Kat 3 is still held in good condition with its original team. Keith Williams has stated that he is thinking of ideas for a potential Kat 4 machine.[14] He maintained this interest in December 2017.[15]

"I am still getting it together, I had forgotten how much effort it takes and I don't have as much free time as I used to but am making progress"
— Keith Williams on Twitter

Trivia[]

  • Of the fifty robots to return from Series 4 to compete in Series 5, Kat 3 (as a representative of Team KaterKiller) is one of only ten to perform better in its Series 5 appearance. The others are Bigger Brother, Firestorm, Diotoir, Prizephita Mach 2, Razer, Reactor, Rick, Destruct-A-Bubble and Clawed Hopper.
  • Kat 3 was in the same heat as Barber-Ous twice.
  • Out of all 24 All-Star robots, only Kat 3 came from a team that never made the semi-finals of a UK or World Championship.
  • Kat 3 was one of only four robots to enter multiple side events in Series 7, alongside Behemoth, Flippa and Gravity.
  • Out of all robots with an equal win/loss ratio, Kat 3 has the second-highest total of wins, with 8. This is only exceeded by Diotoir.
  • In line with the popular saying 'a cat has nine lives', Kat 3 lost eight battles in Robot Wars, leaving it on its ninth and final life when it retired. This trivia is shared by Pussycat.
    • Alternatively, Kat 3's losses outside of UK Robot Wars can be swapped for Kater Killer's two losses.
  • Whilst testing Kat 3's axe, Keith Williams damaged the door of his parents house.
"We would like to say a huge thank you to Keith's mum and dad who have put up with a lot over the years (including having their front door wrecked recently whilst testing the axe on Kat3), Mum and Dad you are great!"
— Team KaterKiller website[16]

References[]

Honours[]


External Links[]

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