- "There was a time when I thought about joining the army - just after I had that brain transplant. But real war is a real hassle. You have to get up really early in the morning, and everyone runs around and shouts a lot. And as for the gear, jack boots went out with the plague. And have you ever seen a soldier with a decent haircut? No, you haven't. And as for camouflage, they're no good at that either. I mean, those army trucks on motorways stand out like a sore thumb. That's why we at Robot Wars take out our aggression in a more civilised manner. OK, ego's might get bruised, robots might get bashed, but don't worry madam, it's all good, clean fun."
- — Craig Charles' introduction
Heat B of Robot Wars: The Third Wars was the second of sixteen heats which determined the Semi-Finalists of Robot Wars: The Third Wars. The episode featuring Heat B was originally broadcast on December 10, 1999 on BBC Two.
Competing Robots
Newcomers
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|---|---|---|
| Abaddon | ||
| Weight | 81.4kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.45 x 2.43 x 1.06m | |
| Clearance | 0.03m | |
| Power | 2 x Wheelchair Motors | |
| Weapons | 2 x Rotavator Blade | |
| Notes | Cost £350 | |
| From: Newton Stewart in Scotland | ||
| Team Members: Simon Grosvenor, Felix Grosvenor, Wellington Grosvenor | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pitbull | ||
| Weight | 79.6kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.48 x 1.07 x 0.66m | |
| Clearance | 0.02m | |
| Power | 2 Electric Motors | |
| Weapons | Clamping Jaws | |
| Notes | Build Time - 2 Months | |
| From: Nottinghamshire | ||
| Team Members: Phil Botting, Ivar Bundulis | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Robocow | ||
| Weight | 81.7kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.81 x 1.8 x 0.60m | |
| Clearance | 0.02m | |
| Power | 3 Indiana Motors | |
| Weapons | 2 x Steel Chisel 'Horns' | |
| Notes | Has a Wagging Wooden Tail | |
| From: Mold in Wales | ||
| Team Members: John Udale, Robert Udale, Jenny Udale | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shark Attack | ||
| Weight | 79.4kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.66 x 1.39 x 0.59m | |
| Clearance | Variable | |
| Power | 2 x Wheelchair Motors | |
| Weapons | Front Lifting Shovel | |
| Notes | Cost £500 | |
| From: Huddersfield | ||
| Team Members: Peter Gagen, Graham Walker, Richard Jackson | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sumpthing | ||
| Weight | 80.6kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.67 x 1.09 x 0.94m | |
| Clearance | 0.01 - 0.04m | |
| Power | 2 Car Starter Motors | |
| Weapons | Forklift & Axe Attack | |
| Notes | Heavy Duty Modular Design | |
| From: Leicester | ||
| Team Members: Dig (Mr Dignall), Jonathan Lort, Geoff Germaney | ||
Veterans
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Behemoth | ||
| Weight | 82.0kg | |
| Dimensions | 1.32 x 1.05 x 0.63m | |
| Clearance | 0.02m | |
| Power | 2 Electric Motors | |
| Weapons | Lifting Scoop, Twin Powered Axes | |
| Notes | Cost £1,400 | |
| From: Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire | ||
| Team Members: Anthony Pritchard, Kane Aston, Michael Pritchard | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| General Carnage | ||
| Weight | 79.6kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.56 x 0.92 x 0.70m | |
| Clearance | 0.05m | |
| Power | 2 x Electric Motors | |
| Weapons | Lifting Arm with Claw Cutter | |
| Notes | Cost £500 | |
| From: Hull | ||
| Team Members: Nigel Sealey, Sarah Burton | ||
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Technophobic | ||
| Weight | 80kg | |
| Dimensions | 0.51 x 1.30 x 0.72m | |
| Clearance | 0.02m | |
| Power | 1 x Petrol Driven Motor | |
| Weapons | Hydraulic Lifting Arm | |
| Notes | Cost £1,000 | |
| From: Bournemouth | ||
| Team Members: Mike Halon, David Hayward, Dennis Cox | ||
Round 1
Sumpthing vs Pitbull
Sumpthing is torched by the side flame jet
Sumpthing was the faster robot, and immediately attacked Pitbull with its hammer. Pitbull pushed it into the arena wall flamers, where Sumpthing was immobilised.
- "And in goes Sumpthing onto the flames of torture there, and I think is immobilised right from its first charge!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Sir Killalot drops Sumpthing into the Pit
Pitbull could not bite it, but Sergeant Bash used his cutters and almost cut Sumpthing in half. Sir Killalot then proceeded to hook Sumpthing with his lance, drilling it repeatedly before lowering it into the pit.
- "You're going down, Sumpthing! You're going down! And you've gone."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Winner: Pitbull
Abaddon vs Technophobic
Technophobic spears Abbadon
Before this battle Abaddon had to replace the ball in its tail with a lighter castor due to it being overweight. This significantly reduced its manoeuvrability. At the start of the battle it was picked up by Technophobic, but Technophobic could not flip it. Abaddon used its Rotavator blades to rip off some of Technophobic's armour. Technophobic responded by ripping off Abaddon's castor and pushed the robot onto the flame pit.
Abaddon loses its castor
- "Oh, the wheel's gone! Abaddon's wheel has come off! No wheels on that wagon."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Abaddon was stuck on the grille of the flame pit because its tail was trapped in the mesh. Meanwhile Shunt attacked Technophobic, and then lifted Abaddon out of the flame pit. Technophobic then pushed it into Sir Killalot. The match went to a judge's decision, which was given to Technophobic.
Winner: Technophobic
General Carnage vs Robocow
General Carnage engages in some Cow-Tipping
This match started slowly with both robots spinning around each other. General Carnage slowly picked up Robocow, and pulled it near the pit.
- "Come on, get back into it, you've got to start mooving away from General Carnage. Oh, dairy, dairy me."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Robocow struggles to make an early impression
Robocow escaped but was then attacked by Matilda's chainsaw. General Carnage then pushed Robocow into Sergeant Bash.
- "And I think poor old Robocow is off to the slaughter any moment now."
- — Jonathan Pearce
The House Robots swarm around the overturned Robocow
Matilda drove in and broke Robocow's tail off, before Sir Killalot then picked up Robocow and flipped it.
- "What do you call a Cow without its head and its tail? Steak, I think."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Shunt then axed Robocow's underside multiple times, before cease was called.
Winner: General Carnage
Behemoth vs Shark Attack
Behemoth takes the bite out of Shark Attack
In this very short battle, Behemoth drove into Shark Attack's side twice, but could not flip it. This was not the case the third attempt, where it lifted up Shark Attack and turned it over.
Shunt penetrates the base of the beaten Shark Attack
- "And there, the lack of mobility from Shark Attack. They won't be able to right themselves, I'm sure."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Shark Attack is toppled
Behemoth then reversed away just as the House Robots came in to attack Shark Attack.
Winner: Behemoth
Round 2
Pitbull vs Technophobic
Pitbull impales itself onto the arena wall
In this battle Pitbull started better and pushed Technophobic into the edge of the arena. Both robots moved around each other before Technophobic lifted Pitbull up.
- "Technophobic lifting Pitbull up! And can it roll him over? Not to tickle its tum, but to get rid of it."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Unfortunately it could not turn it over. Pitbull came charging back and drove at the edge of the arena, where its jaws got clamped to the railway sleeper at the side.
- "No, no, no, you don't bite the furniture. You're not a puppy anymore."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Pitbull pins itself
Technophobic goes up in flames thanks to Pitbull
It was finally freed when it was hit by Dead Metal and Sergeant Bash. Pitbull escaped and pushed Technophobic onto the flame pit. The flames reached the petrol engine as cease was called, and Technophobic caught fire, much to the audience's delight.
- "And it's ashes to ashes, dust to dust, Technophobic, go home to rust!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Winner: Pitbull
Behemoth vs General Carnage
Behemoth demotes General Carnage to a Private
Both robots manoeuvred round each other before Behemoth lifted up General Carnage and tipped it over.
- "Up you go, roly poly, over and out."
- — Jonathan Pearce as General Carnage is tipped over
It then attacked it with the rear axes. Dead Metal then attacked General Carnage, and Behemoth attacked Dead Metal in retaliation.
Sir Killalot drops General Carnage to its doom
- "Well, the House Robots have a saying: "Remember, remember, there's always time to dismember." And they will be back at you later on in Robot Wars, Behemoth!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Shunt tipped General Carnage back over, but it was then lifted up by Sir Killalot and put in the pit. At the end of the battle, Dead Metal went to attack Behemoth in revenge, slicing through it with his saw. However, cease was called and the fight ended.
Winner: Behemoth
Heat Final
Pitbull vs Behemoth
Behemoth rolls Pitbull into the CPZ
Behemoth lifts Pitbull
This was a controversial battle. At the start, Behemoth immediately flipped Pitbull, to reveal the 'PTO' written on the bottom, only for Dead Metal to turn Pitbull back upright. Pitbull retreated, before charging at Behemoth, with Behemoth temporarily managing to hoist Pitbull by the jaw before the latter wriggled loose. Pitbull then attacked Behemoth's front scoop and clamped down on it.
- "He's got something to get his teeth into there."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Pitbull bites into Behemoth
Behemoth managed to free itself, but only temporarily, as Pitbull grabbed hold of Behemoth again - this time clamping down onto Behemoth's side and pushing it into Sir Killalot's CPZ. As Behemoth escaped, it was thrown onto its side by an arena spike, and left immobilised, before Pitbull was bounced up and down after driving over the same spike.
- "What happened there, just flipped up and over!"
- — Jonathan Pearce as the arena spike flicks Behemoth over
Pitbull bites down hard onto Behemoth
Behemoth is turned over by the Arena Spike
Sir Killalot and Dead Metal attacked Behemoth, before Behemoth was positioned onto the Floor Flipper and thrown into Dead Metal. Behemoth was eventually re-righted by Sir Killalot just as 'cease' was called, although it had already been eliminated by this point.
Behemoth about to become the first robot to be flipped by the floor flipper
Heat Winner: Pitbull
- "It's the only show Uri Geller adores, cos we do twist metal, on Robot Wars!"
- — Craig Charles signs off
Special Event
Velocirippa scores
Between Round 1 and Round 2 of each heat, a Special Event or Trial took place. For Heat B, it was the first Robotic Soccer heat.
Velocirippa vs Demolition Demon 2
Winner: Velocirippa
Trivia
- Behemoth became the first of several semi-finalists from the previous year to fall in the heat.
- The arena spikes were of note here - their contribution to the defeat of Behemoth in the Heat Final was one of the more memorable controversies surrounding them.
- The arena floor flipper was seen for the first time in the battle, hurling Behemoth across it when it was placed there with the House Robots after becoming immobilised.
- Heat Winner, Pitbull, was the first robot to wield a pair of crushing jaws as a weapon. It remains one of the few to successfully use the weapon to good effect.
- Pitbull's first victory against Sumpthing is currently ranked equal 21st in the Shortest Battles in UK Robot Wars.
- Oddly, the background music for the first battle was the Robot Wars ending theme, rather than the usual battle theme.
- Robocow's statistics board featured a two errors; it claimed it was 6.6 metres wide and the Notes section read "Has a wagging wooden tale", when tail would be the correct spelling.
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