Matilda

From Robot Wars Wiki

Matilda
Matilda
Participation Information
Series	1-7, Extreme 1 & 2
Robot Statistics
Weight	116 kg (256 lb)
Dimensions	140 cm (55 in) x 66 cm (26 in) x 66 cm (26 in)
Speed	8 mph (13 km/h)
Power	12-volt motor
Weapons	Pneumatic lifting tusks and either a chanisaw or powerful flywheel
Strengths	Powerful weaponry and tough exoskeleton
Weaknesses	Prone to flipping

Matilda was one of the original four House Robots. Based on a mutant alien boar, she is equipped with pneumatic flipping tusks and interchangeable weapons for the rear that can take either a chainsaw or a flywheel weapon. Matilda is fashioned from fiberglass matting. It is driven by a 12-volt motor and its tusks are operated by a powerful pneumatic carbon dioxide system. In the earlier days, Matilda was the House Robot most picked on by the contestants, and was often flipped or attacked by robots 'for fun'. Since the flywheel was added, it has become one of the most dangerous of the House Robots, its flywheel having the capability of throwing a contestant robot clear out of the arena. Jonathan Pearce often called Matilda the 'Matriarch of Mayhem', for example in the University Challenge tournament in Extreme 2, when it figured in the second round match between Tiberius and C.V..

Contents 1 Armament 2 Trivia 3 Noticeable Appearances 4 Worst Moments

[edit] Armament

Matilda's weaponry consists of pneumatic lifting tusks and an interchangeable rear-mounted weapons bay that can either take a chainsaw running at over 3000rpm or a massive 27 kg (60 lb) vertical spinning disc.

[edit] Trivia

• Matilda's fiberglass 'head' was fashioned by James Davis, who was in charge of looking after the machine. His original thumb prints were what fashioned the grooves that framed the head piece.
• Early footage of Matilda being tested would suggest it was originally intended to be painted black, before later being changed to purple.
• Matilda's small facial spikes are not metal, but hard rubber; the metal versions tended to shatter too easily
• Matilda is the oldest house robot.

[edit] Noticeable Appearances

• Single handedly immobilising Wheely Big Cheese, Bigger Brother and Chaos 2 in the Flipper Frenzy in Extreme 1 with its flywheel.

• Matilda's flywheel made it extremely deadly. In series 6, during Terrorhurtz's battle against Panic Attack, the flywheel completely tore off the top shell of Panic Attack, sending it flying out of the arena and into the camera.
• Whilst defending the 75 point target from Six Pac, Matilda flipped the tire out of the arena with its tusks.
• Flipping Sir Chromalot, Vader, Ceros, Medusa Oblongata and S.O.Xbot of V3 from the arena with its flywheel.
• Damaging Firestorm's flipping blade whilst they flipped over Bee-Capitator in the fifth wars, the flip decided the round.

[edit] Worst Moments

• Reversing into the pit during Roadblock's pinball run in the semi finals of the Second Wars.

• Losing its shell on numerous occasions to such robots as Chaos 2, Aggrobot, Invertabrat, Gravedigger and Corkscrew.

• Being flipped on numerous occasions to such robots as Chaos 2, Cassius, Tricerabot,Steg 2, Inquistor MK 2 and Panic Attack

• Matilda was Chaos 2's first target on its celebration of winning the 3rd wars. After flipping Hypno-Disc, Chaos 2 flipped Matilda while Killalot and Bash dealt with the helpless Hypno-Disc. Matilda's shell came off as it flailed around.

• At the end of the Southern Annialator, Razer attacked and nearly destroyed Matilda, setting it on fire, as well as destroying its old chainsaw and causing horrific damage to its rear panels. Afterwards, Matilda was seen driving into the arena heavily bandaged.

• In Series 2, during a 'King of the Castle' Trial against Spin Doctor, one of its tusks broke off whilst it attempted to ram Spin Doctor when it was spinning rapidly.

• Receiving red cards on two occasions, in a Mayhem match in Robot Wars Extreme between The Steel Avenger, Tornado and King B Powerworks, and in Heat L of Series 5 between Ming 3 and Terrorhurtz.