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"Built around a complex chassis featuring two 12V Sinclair C5 motors and a two-stage gearbox. Shogun can achieve a top speed of 7 miles per hour, and weapons include a motorised forklift and the honour of the samurai!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shogun

Shogun was a competitor from the first series of Robot Wars. It was designed by Rolls Royce employees Robin Woodhead, Brian Carrington and Peter Fairbrother. After surviving both the Gauntlet and Trial, Shogun was beaten in the Arena Semi-Final by Killertron. It was over 3kg over the heavyweight limit at the time.

Design[]

"As you would expect from Rolls Royce, Shogun was beautifully machined with CNC bits everywhere."
— Oliver Steeples[1]
Shogun official image

Shogun was a rounded box-shaped robot, with two hydraulically-driven ramming spikes on its sides and a small forklift device on the front and a small bladed axe at the rear (which was not mentioned on the show). The power came from a two-stage gearbox and the robot could travel at 7mph.

"The speed controllers were the undoing of Shogun as they had an unusual arrangement of 4, each with forward and brake so 2 were used for forward/brake/reverse."
— Oliver Steeples[2]
Shogun

Shogun enters the arena before the Gauntlet

Shogun

Shogun in its Arena stage fight

The side spikes were interchangeable in size and thickness, making Shogun one of the first robots to use interchangeable weaponry. The forks could be used for lifting or anchoring the robot to the ground. It also featured a set of plastic lips that could be protruded from the rear of the robot to "blow a kiss", as seen after its loss in the Sumo. The team members were all work colleagues at Rolls Royce, so Shogun was constructed by some donated parts of a Rolls Royce.

"The corners were made from glass fiber and the body panels made from wood due to the weight limit, which everyone else broke so they tried to replace the wood with titanium ordered from their workplace, but it didn't arrive in time (I wish I cold just order titanium like that)."
— Oliver Steeples[3]

The Team[]

ShogunTeam

The Shogun team

Shogun was built by a Nottingham-based team, captained by Robin Woodhead alongside teammates Brian Carrington and Peter Fairbrother. All three were work colleagues at Rolls Royce.

"Was that one in the middle in Star Wars? I'm sure I've seen him somewhere before..."
— Jonathan Pearce

Robot History[]

Series 1[]

Shogun beached

Shogun, having fallen off the ramp in the Gauntlet

Shogun started quickly in the Gauntlet, speeding away from the turntable, driving up and over the see-saw without a problem, meaning it easily beat the 2.93 metres set by Barry. However, upon going up the second ramp, it drove too close to the side and fell over, leaving it stuck against the ramp. Matilda rammed Shogun until time ran out. Shogun had achieved a distance of 10.71 metres, more than enough to put them through, though they ultimately finished 5th.

"Officer, breathalyse that driver!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shogun falls off the ramp
Shogunsumo

Shunt pushes Shogun off the ring

Through to The Trial stage, which in this Heat was Sumo, Shogun was the first robot to take on Shunt. Shogun drove straight at Shunt, and as Shunt started to push, Shogun turned around, orienting itself parallel with Shunt's scoop. Shunt slowly pushed Shogun towards the edge, but Shogun turned. Shunt eventually got traction and kept pushing, and as it got Shogun near the edge, Shogun sped forwards, but could not get around Shunt, who blocked it and pushed it over the side. After falling off, Shogun demonstrated its set of lips.

Jeremy Clarkson: "22 seconds, I am reliably informed. so how does that feel?"
Brian Carrington: "Not good enough!"
Jeremy Clarkson: "And what was going to happen if you won it?"
Brian Carrington: "Well, we had hoped to blow Shunt a kiss as he went over the edge!"
— Post-Trial interview with Jeremy Clarkson

The time was 21.51 seconds, but this proved to be enough, because stock robot Grunt deliberately drove of the edge as stock robots were not allowed to go through to the Arena stage. Shogun was through, having finished second to last in the Gauntlet and Trial.

In the Arena stage, Shogun was drawn against Killertron. Before the battle, in a deleted scene including in Robot Wars: The First Great War, the Killertron team mockingly presented the Shogun team with bin bags for the robots' parts after the fight, to which the Shogun team asked them to go easy on Shogun, as they were having problems with the robot, with only one wheel working.[4]

Richard Broad: "Hi team, we'd like to present you with this bin bag, as we're against you, for your bits! I'm sure you'll get most of them in there!"
Robin Woodhead: "[Laughs] I've got news for you! Look, at the moment we've only got one wheel working, so go easy lads! Just take it steady, you know!"
— A deleted scene, included in the Robot Wars: The First Great War video
Shogun vs killertron

Shogun rams Killertron

KillertronShogun

Killertron smashes Shogun into submission

At the start, Killertron drove towards Shogun, and Shogun veered away, driving towards the grille on the right edge of the arena. It stopped for a moment, then turned to drive at Killertron. Shogun rammed into Killertron, then reversed to dodge its axe. Killertron span around, hitting Shogun with the axe twice. Shogun turned away, then reversed around the pyramid, being hit by Killertron as it span. However, as Shogun turned in reverse, it reversed onto the grille, leaving it stuck.

"This is not good driving at the moment, they don't seem to be able to avoid Killertron, who seems to be having something of a fit! Oh, Shogun is stuck! On the grille! And Killertron comes in, for the kill! Bash! And again!"
— Jonathan Pearce
Shogun grill

Shogun trapped on the grill as Killertron continues to axe it

Killertron drove in, pushing its opponent completely onto the grille, and slammed it with the axe, causing a panel on Shogun's top to come loose. Shogun was therefore eliminated.

Philippa Forrester: "How come you ended up on the grille?"
Robin Woodhead: "We had problems with the speed controller, we burnt one of them, we put another one in - it didn't match. Consequently, we didn't have the right-hand turning capacity that we thought we had. They were just not matched!"
— After the battle

Results[]

SHOGUN - RESULTS
Series 1
The First Wars - UK Championship
Heat Semi-Final
Heat A, Gauntlet 10.71m (5th) Qualified
Heat A, Trial (Sumo) 21.51 seconds (4th) Qualified
Heat A, Semi-Final vs. Killertron Lost

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 0
  • Losses: 1

NOTE: Shogun's successful Gauntlet and Trial runs are not included

Series Record[]

Series Shogun Series Record
The First Wars Heat, Arena Semi-Final
The Second Wars Did not enter
The Third Wars Did not enter
The Fourth Wars Did not enter
The Fifth Wars Did not enter
The Sixth Wars Did not enter
The Seventh Wars Did not enter
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Shogun was the smallest heavyweight in Series 1.
  • Shogun was the only robot Shunt defeated by himself in the Sumo during Series 1.
  • Technically, the Shogun team started the first Gentleman's Agreement, as before its battle with Killertron, they asked the Killertron team not to cause too much damage to their robot.
  • The Shogun team were the only team in Heat A of Series 1 not to return, barring Grunt, which could not return as it was a stock robot.
  • Footage of Shogun's construction, taken from the team's video diary, was shown as part of The Making of Robot Wars, along with clips of other team's video diaries.

References[]

Navigation[]

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