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"The bug-eyed Piece de Resistance is the lightest competitor tonight - don't take it too lightly though, with its lifting blade made from a snow shovel. Its chassis is an old microwave oven, and it's driven by windscreen wipers from a Mini!"
— Jonathan Pearce

Piece de Resistance was the original entry from Team Death that competed in Series 2 of Robot Wars. It proved infamous for its inability to push aside breezeblocks and barrels in the Gauntlet and Trial stage of Series 2's opening heat, but is nevertheless remembered for its charismatic team and design.

Piece de Resistance ultimately proved to be the most successful Team Death machine on Robot Wars simply for qualifying through the Gauntlet, after being dropped over the breezeblocks by Sir Killalot.

Design[]

"Piece De Resistance can only be described as a budget entry, I think I heard a rumour of 50 pounds. It's chassis was made from an old microwave chassis covered in fibreglass. To put a battery in you had to open the microwave door! It was driven by 4*mini windscreen motors (while lots of other people were using the Bosch truck windscreen motors). This caused PDR to have no pushing power whatsoever and it could not even push a barrel over in the trial. Its main weapon was a lifting scoop similar to a snow plough. The speed controller was made from old hacksaw blades and nails."
Oliver Steeples describes the unique factors of Piece de Resistance[1]
Piece de Resistance

Front view of Piece de Resistance

Piece de Resistance was a four-wheel driven robot constructed from an old microwave - to insert motors, the team had to open the microwave door - and featured a 'flexi-lifting blade' which originated from a snow-shovel. The weapon was functional, but due to the way it would bend upon trying to lift weighty objects, even team captain Colin Scott regarded the weapon as 'less than useless'.

"The car jack shovel weapon proved to be less than useless and only proceeded to buckle the microwave frame each time it operated."
— Colin Scott on the FRA forum[2]

Piece de Resistance also featured spike weapons at the back and ran on tricycle wheels powered by windscreen wiper motors from a Mini car.

Etymology[]

The name Piece de Resistance originates from the French term pièce de résistance which translates into English literally as "piece of resistance", referring to the best part or feature of something (as in a meal), a show-piece, or highlight.

The Team[]

TeamDeathwPDR

Team Death with Piece de Resistance

Main article: Team Death

Piece de Resistance was the first and most famous robot from Team Death, a team based in Ossett, West Yorkshire. Team captain Colin Scott was the builder and driver of the machine, and the lead speaker in interviews, where he was often entertainingly optimistic about his machine. He was joined by Julie Scott, and friend Bryan Newcombe for Series 2.

Qualification[]

"We arrived at the warehouse somewhere in London and carried our robot inside, I recall around 20 tables set out occupied by a dozen robots, in an adjoining room some robots were being put through their paces on a makeshift obstacle course. Back in the first room the competitors were checking out the competition and my teammate told me they referred to my bot as Outside Toilet Technology, which at the time annoyed me...but then again Outside Toilet Technology is reliable and a doddle to fix if it goes wrong. OK its my turn for the safety check and a go on the obstacle course, I recall Panda Monium was enjoying the obstacle course...mainly crashing into the walls and not showing great control while mine was examined by Derek Foxwell, I was advised to fit failsafes, otherwise OK and good to go. So although it was sluggish at 4mph it knocked down some barrels did a 180 turn and drove up and over a tipping bridge. I remember Roadblock soon followed my go and they looked far superior so I wasn't confident of getting my call up papers but was delighted to be chosen. I like to think that Piece de Resistance influenced other roboteers in some way -even if it was promote the idea- I can do better than that!"
— Colin Scott on the FRA forum (edited)[3]

Piece de Resistance, like every robot that attended the Series 2 auditions, had to run the obstacle course in order to qualify. It took the course slowly, but still managed to qualify.

Robot History[]

Series 2[]

Philippa Forrester: "You've got toy tricycle wheels. Will you be able to get over the bricks on your toy tricycle wheels?"
Colin Scott: "Yes, because I've got the shovel to lift the bricks out of the way."
— Colin Scott's explanation on how Piece de Resistance will clear the bricks
Killalot piece de resistance

Sir Killalot lifts Piece de Resistance over the wall

Piece de Resistance started with a series of rams to try and knock down the brick wall. Three attempts failed to get through the wall, with even more attempts taking place outside of the televised edit[4], and Matilda and Sir Killalot came at it from both sides, with Matilda raising it off the ground with its tusks. Sir Killalot picked up Piece de Resistance and lifted it over the wall.

"And here comes Sir Killalot! And look at the power! And look at the bad mood! It's picked up, like a piece of fluff! Piece de Resistance - no resistance there! Surrender! And the hopes of Colin Scott... left hanging by a thread!"
— Jonathan Pearce, as Sir Killalot demonstrates his power for the first time.

This gave Piece de Resistance a very small distance of 3.92m, which still managed to beat Caliban's, and put Piece de Resistance through.

Piece de resistance killalot

Sir Killalot plucks Piece de Resistance after the Trial

Matilda vs piecederesistance

Matilda flips Piece de Resistance over

Craig Charles: "You didn't seem to have the power to break down the wall, and then you got caught in a pincer movement."
Colin Scott: "Well it was Piece de Resistance, and that's a piece of scrap."
— After the Gauntlet

Piece de Resistance moved sluggishly forward at the beginning of its Trial and despite the claim of its power being increased for this run, it was unable to make any impact on the skittles. It was attacked by Matilda and flipped on its side, leaving it with a score of zero, which cost it the place in the tournament.

Results[]

PIECE DE RESISTANCE - RESULTS
Series 2
The Second Wars - UK Championships
Heats, Trial
Heat A, Gauntlet 3.8 m (5th) Qualified
Heat A, Trial (Skittles) 0 pins (5th) Eliminated

Series Record[]

Series Piece de Resistance Series Record
The First Wars Did not enter
The Second Wars Heat, Trial
The Third Wars Entered with Death Warmed Up
The Fourth Wars Did not enter
The Fifth Wars Entered with Immortalis
The Sixth Wars Failed to qualify with Devil Rider
The Seventh Wars Entered with Metalis
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter

Although Team Death did not enter any series after Series 7, Colin Scott's creation, Chimera, competed in Series 8 under ownership of a new team, who also entered Chimera2 into Series 9.

Outside Robot Wars[]

Piece de Resistance 2019

The featherweight Piece de Resistance in March 2019, with "wonky wedge"

In March 2019, Colin Scott converted his featherweight robot No Imagination into a modern-day Piece de Resistance, entered into the Robodojo live event in Yorkshire. The robot is a steep wedge armed with an electric lifting spatula, interchangeable with a 'wonky wedge' weapon much like its Robot Wars equivalent, and the new Piece de Resistance was decorated to resemble its heavyweight counterpart. Colin Scott considered naming the robot Piece de Resistance Deux, to continue with the French naming theme. The new featherweight was unsuccessful in competition, losing all four of its fights, which saw it fight Barghest, Luna-tic, and Fruitcake.

Piece de Resistance May 2019

Piece de Resistance in May 2019, with spatula lifter

Piece de Resistance was more successful at the May 2019 Robodojo event, which it entered alongside the team's new robot Barnsley Bruiser. Piece de Resistance collected its first ever victory against Crota, after Crota lost traction to the arena floor. It then won a second consecutive bout, after The Tragic Roundabout suffered from a loose speed controller, and severed its own receiver cable. Although Piece de Resistance was then defeated by Amnesia and Forge Master 2, it completed the event on a 2-2 record overall.

Piece de Resistance 2020

Piece de Resistance in July 2020

Piece de Resistance again competed at Robodojo in January 2020, where it collected one victory but lost its remaining matches, including a rematch with The Tragic Roundabout. It returned to Robodojo in July 2020 with a modified lifter, using less range in exchange for 180 degrees of motion and slightly quicker movement. Piece de Resistance was able to win a battle against Mattock on a Judges' decision, but lost its following three fights to the likes of Euphoria before being forced to withdraw from its fifth and final fight against Pressure Point, being substituted for Colin Scott's new robot Driller Queen.

The featherweight Piece de Resistance continued to compete into 2023 - see Team Death for more information.

Trivia[]

  • Piece de Resistance is one of twenty Robot Wars heavyweights never to fight in robot combat on the show, having only ever been in the Gauntlet or Trial.
    • Piece de Resistance would, however, pick up combat victories on the live circuit in 2019 and 2020 with its featherweight successor.

References[]

Navigation[]

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