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"Shunt is the workhorse of Robot Wars. A stoic, super-sized, super-powerful House Robot, always ready to rumble. He dominates the Robot Wars arena with his no-nonsense, brute-force approach, and remains the ultimate spinner killer."
Robot Wars: Build Your Own Robot[1]

Shunt was one of the four original House Robots from the UK TV show Robot Wars. Present for every series of Robot Wars, Robot Wars Extreme and all international versions, Shunt had a reputation as one of the most powerful and reliable House Robots, and was distinguished by his set of bulldozing scoops and ploughs, and a powerful overhead axe.

Shunt drew inspiration from railway shunting engines and bulldozers, hence his name.

Shunt's main feature was his pushing power. In early seasons, he was a formidable obstacle in the Gauntlet, and was used against the opponents in a lot of the Trials, particularly Sumo, which later became an entire side event in Series 4. After the Gauntlet and Trials were retired, Shunt's pushing power was mostly used for disposing of beaten competitors.

"It's a good robot this one, it's excellent, because it's quite well armoured, it's very well set up, nice to drive, and in a really good strong fight situation it's a great robot to be involved with really. I mean, if we have a really strong fight that's going on, on the stage, then I always like to put Shunt in, 'cause at least you know he can withstand a lot of blows and damage from the opposition, and probably still carry on going"
Chris Reynolds, interviewed in the Swedish dub of The Fourth Wars, Semi-Final 2[2]

His axe was also improved in power over the first few series. In the reboot, Shunt and the other House Robots were redesigned to be larger, stronger and with more powerful weaponry.

Like all House Robots in the classic series except Matilda, Shunt was usually referred to as a "he". Shunt was driven by Malcolm James throughout the original run, and by rotating members of Robo Challenge in the reboot, primarily Paul Streeter and Grant Cooper.

Design[]

"A power-packed robot capable of pulling a Land Rover and cleaving all opponents in two with that sharpened steel axe"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt for the first time in Heat A of Series 1
Shunt1Arena

Shunt in the arena in Series 1 - note the flat-edged axe

ShuntMalcomJames

Shunt with his designer and operator, Malcolm James

In all versions, Shunt featured two scoops, both made of steel, used to ram competitors out of CPZs and around the arena. He was described in the Robot Wars Technical Manual as "a cross between a snowplough, a bulldozer and a steam-powered tank". Shunt was well known for the power behind his drive, being able to pull a fully loaded Land Rover from a standing start to speeds of around 6 mph.

Shunt had scoops on the front and rear, a plough on the front and a scoop on the rear. The rear scoop was a pneumatic lifting scoop, to help Shunt push competitors or to flip them. It was originally static before being changed to a lifting scoop for Series 2 onward.

"...the best type of robot to go for the sumo event. It'll actually defend itself very well because anything ramming at it, hopefully the robot [Shunt] would be able to turn itself into position, and anything would just go shooting up, turn itself over or fly over the top. At the back, is more towards a bulldozer type of effect. Again, we're gonna use it for ramming or defending."
— Malcolm James explains the design of Shunt in The Making of Robot Wars[3]
Shunt S3

Shunt in the arena in Series 3

Shunt official image face

Shunt's plough from Series 4-7

Originally, the plough was the front of Shunt, but as the scoop was made into a lifting scoop and the axe was made more powerful over the first few series, the other end was used more.

"When we first built it, the axe wasn't a major feature - Shunt was meant to be more of a battering ram, but the lift and the axe have become the working end - so now it drives around backwards!"
— Malcom James, interviewed in Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine[4]

Shunt's main weapon was an overhead axe, though the axe did not feature in early design sketches, and was added onto the back of Shunt during production at the suggestion of Chris Reynolds, just a few days before filming.

"The axe was put on afterwards, as a little after thought, and its been gradually modified and improved each year, so its now become its major weapon."
— Malcolm James in Ultimate Warrior Collection - Sir Killalot and the House Robots[5]

Shunt was the lightest of the original four House Robots, weighing around 220kg although this was presented as 105kg in official media, only slightly above the weight limit for competitor robots. Though House Robot weaknesses were never mentioned in earlier series, Shunt's was consistently listed as being "unable to self-right" in later series, despite this weakness being shared by all House Robots. This was of particular relevance to Shunt, as he often became a target for flipping and lifting robots, particularly when the limit for competitors was raised from 80 kilos to 100, just 5 kilos lighter than Shunt's official weight (and remained the lightest House Robot even with the real weight of roughly 220kg). Instances of Shunt being flipped became more and more frequent, with Series 7 being the worst in this regard. Shunt had a low ground clearance from the front and rear, although this sometimes resulted in him getting stuck on ramps during the Gauntlet in earlier series.

"...it'd be great to have something that maybe looks as if it came from a building site or something, and it looks as if it was a robot that was used on building sites to break up stone and shift things around, and looked very industrial"
— Chris Reynolds on the inspiration for Shunt, from the Robot Wars: Ultimate Archive Collection - Sir Killalot and the House Robots
ShuntDesign

A design sketch for Shunt, without an axe

ShuntNoAxe

Shunt during construction, before the axe was added

Shunt was originally created by Malcolm James over 5 weeks[6]. Throughout the original series, Shunt's chassis and scoops were made of steel, while his superstructure was made out of moulded fibreglass. Before the axe was added, the designers intended to arm Shunt with a chainsaw, though this proved unworkable due to the scoops at the front and rear[7]. Shunt was originally designed for the Sumo Trial.

"Shunt was designed, with mainly in mind, that it would be taking part in the Sumo, so it was necessary to have that fairly low to the ground so people couldn't get in underneath it, and also for it to be fairly powerful as well."
— Chris Reynolds, interviewed in Robot Wars: The First Great War[8]
Thekeeper

Original concept art for Shove, also seen in the Robot Wars File

The design for Shunt came from Shove, one of Tom Carney's original concept illustrations for the House Robots. Shunt kept the bulldozer-inspired design, with the front and rear bulldozer blades, and a simplified version of Shove was built to push immobile robots out of the arena, though not seen on television.

"Based on the small shunting engines used to push trains around a railyard, Shunt's eventual design adapted several of the elements from Tom Carney's original pictures, including the smoke stack and plough."
— From an article on Shunt in Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine[9]

Shunt proved to be a very reliable robot, more so than the other House Robots, and was often used to push immobilised robots to the edge of the arena at the end of a battle, as a quicker alternative to bringing out the official cleaner/sweeper Shove.

"As producer I needed Shunt - it was totally reliable. We needed it to get the disabled robots off the stage."
— Tom Gutteridge

Before the introduction of mobile fire extinguisher Refbot, Shunt was used to push robots that were on fire to the side of the stage, where the crew could use fire extinguishers to put out the flames[10]. Shunt's pushing power was also useful in separating competitors that were stuck together, or freeing robots that were stuck on the arena, a role he kept even after the introduction of Refbot.

Shunt s1 axe

Shunt's axe in Series 1

In Series 1, Shunt's axe was relatively weak, being powered by a pneumatic piston on a lever[11]. The axe head had two edges, a bladed one and a pointed one, which could be turned around. Series 1 was the only series where his scoop was static. The front plough had a spike in the middle, which would be removed after this series and never added again. Over the first few series, Shunt's plough became less pointed on the sides.

"In the early when we first started working on Robot Wars, we put sharp corners on everything to make the robots look more vicious. Every robot had bits of metal sticking out of it and sharp bits all over it, but we ended up with so many scratches on our ankles and rips on our clothes that we sanded off all the sharp edges!"
— Chris Reynolds, interviewed in Issue 7 of Robot Wars: The Official Magazine[12]
Shunt series 2

Shunt in Series 2

Shunt was improved for Series 2. The scoop was modified into a lifting scoop powered by pneumatics, and the axe was given a new axe head and greater pneumatic power, allowing it to be fired at a faster rate than in any other series. The new axe head still had the two sides, a bladed one and the spiked edge, similar to the Series 1 model, but it was now larger and thicker. Whereas the original blade was a fairly flat triangular shape, the Series 2 axe head was more tubular, with one end being conical to make a sharp point, and the other side merging to make a bladed axe.

Shunt side view

A side view of Shunt from Series 4 onward

In Series 3, the pickaxe was replaced with Shunt's signature pneumatically-powered "diamond-edged axe", which featured a distinctive steel head combining elements of bladed and spiked axes, and was capable of firing at over 500 kgf/cm² (7,000 psi), swinging over at around 100 kilometres per hour. The axe handle, which had been made from steel tubing in Series 2, was replaced with much tougher top-grade aircraft aluminum to withstand the pressure. The new power of the axe sometimes caused it to become embedded in competitor robots armour, but Shunt could use his lifting scoop to lift it free. The axe mechanism was redesigned by Malcolm James, to a four bar link design. This design of axe mechanism proved very effective, and was copied by a number of competitors, including Anarchy[13].

Shunt s5 arena

Shunt in Series 5

Shunt 2002

Shunt during Series 6

The design from Series 3 would be kept for the remainder of the show's original run, though Shunt would be upgraded between series. After Series 3, the shell was remoulded as the original was badly damaged. The new shell had a slightly changed shape in order to incorporate new valves and drive motors[14].

"The body is so battered from Series 3 that most of it is held together with superglue!"
— Malcolm James, interviewed in Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine

For Extreme 1, the bulldozing shovels on the front and rear were redesigned for extra strength[15]. After Series 5, the pressure for the axe was increased from 150 pounds per square inch to 200. This was done by replacing the valve block with quick-acting valves[16].

Shunt s6 arena

Shunt in the arena during Series 6

Shunt s7 official

Official shot of Shunt from Series 7

Shunt's power source was repeatedly described as a "cold fusion" engine, referring to the hypothetical but elusive method of creating nuclear energy at room temperature. This was inspired by his fictitious backstory in the Technical Manual, where he was perpetuated to be a Soviet drone that became sentient during a nuclear disaster[17]. However, in reality, it was powered by a 12 volt motor[18], later upgraded to 24 volt drive[19].

"The arena bruiser, perfectly equipped for pushing people around. If that's not enough his titanium tipped axe lands with a tonne of force, right on top of your cherished shiny robot's head."
— The Robot Wars website on the reboot version of Shunt
Shunt official

An official shot of Shunt

Shunt 2016

The rear plough of Shunt on show in Series 8

For Series 8, the original Shunt was retired and a new model was built by Robo Challenge alongside newer versions of Matilda, Dead Metal and Sir Killalot. In order to match the more powerful weaponry and armour on competitors in the reboot, Shunt and the other House Robots were much improved. Although still the lightest House Robot, Shunt was significantly enlarged, now weighing 327kg, more than three times his original weight. His top speed was increased from 10mph in the original series to 11mph, further improving his pushing power. A new high-torque drive gave him the capacity, according to the official BBC Two website, to pull a van. Further upgrades were present in Shunt's updated weaponry for the rebooted series. His new axe head was made from titanium, and the entire weapon capable of striking with a tonne of force in a quarter of a second, often producing sparks on impact. Meanwhile, his 300psi HARDOX scoop could now lift up to 350kg, and, for the first time, had the capacity to throw competitors over instantaneously.[20] Shunt's design remained similar to his earlier incarnations, but with a taller body, revised wheel guards and exhausts, a new paint scheme which is a lighter shade of brown, and treaded tyres. The fibreglass top was replaced with HARDOX, a very tough wear-plate steel. Both wheelguards were also redesigned into an enlongated trapezoid shape made from large metal bars, while the snowplough was enlongated at the tip.

"300 kilos, that's 50% heavier! He has a 300 psi pneumatic scoop for barging people around, and the cherry on this big, inedible metal cake is a titanium tipped axe!"
— Jonathan Pearce describes the improvements to Shunt in Meet the House Robots[21]
Shunt s8 arena

Shunt in the arena in Series 8

Shunt stat card

Stat card of the Series 8 Shunt, posted on social media by Robot Wars

Robo Challenge built the new Shunt in a few weeks, having only had around 8 weeks to build the four new House Robots[22]. As with the other House Robots, Robo Challenge used 3D CAD for the design, using the programme Autodesk and 3D printing to produce parts and moulds[23]. With the more powerful spinners in the reboot, Shunt's lifting scoop was made from very wear-resistant HARDOX steel to withstand the impacts. The curved scoop required a hydraulic press providing 50 tonnes of force to construct[24]. Shunt was often put in the arena with competitors such as Carbide, and was described as "the ultimate spinner killer" in Robot Wars: Build Your Own Robot.

"The drive on Matilda and Shunt are around 12x the power of their predecessors. Shunt's axe is immensely more powerful than it used to be, running at higher CO2 pressures and a much larger weapon overall. Every single element of each robot has been improved to take on the ever increasing power of the competitors. … we split into 3 teams, with a leader of each to work on and create the 3 smaller House Robots, Matilda, Dead Metal and Shunt. We then all joined together to create the 741kg beast that is Sir Killalot!"
— R-Tech Welding Interview with Robo Challenge

In Series 9, Shunt's scoop was modified with smoother, wider edges in order to give extra protection to his sides, and a new decoration was added to his exhaust pipe.

"Built like a bulldozer, he is one hell of a shunter with the power to send even the heaviest of robots crashing out to their death."
Robot Wars: The Official Handbook

The side armour of the new Shunt was adorned with stencils reading “R.C.L. 221219” (originally intended to read as R.C.L. 22121987). This is a reference to Shunt being build by Robo Challenge Ltd. (RCL), and Shunt’s lead builder Grant Cooper who was born on the 22nd of December 1987[25].

Robot History[]

Series 1[]

Shunt was the first House Robot to be seen in Robot Wars, as he was the first featured in the House Robot introductions. He was also described by Jeremy Clarkson as being the most powerful House Robot in this series.

"If he were a car, he'd be a tank!"
— Jeremy Clarkson describes Shunt before the Sumo
Sumo

Jeremy Clarkson introduces Shunt in the Sumo

Shogunsumo

Shunt pushes Shogun off the ring

Having not been used in The Gauntlet in Heat A, Shunt made his first appearance in the Sumo Trial, the event he had been designed for. However, he did not get off to the best of starts, only succeeding in pushing one competitor (Shogun) off the ring. Two competitors managed to defeat him, with Road Block managing to get under the House Robot and push him off the platform, and whilst fighting Nemesis, Shunt started well, but when turning around for another charge, he drove too close to the edge, allowing Nemesis to push him off.

"Oh, he’s not going to go again, surely? We thought Shunt was unbeatable and fearless! Go on Shunt, get out! Talk about living on the edge!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Nemesis defeats Shunt

Of the other two competitors, Killertron managed to survive the whole minute, and stock robot Grunt drove off the ring deliberately because stock robots were not allowed to progress past the Trial stage. Shunt faced Shogun, Killertron and Nemesis snowplough first, but during the runs of Road Block and Grunt, he drove scoop first.

Roadblock Shunt

Roadblock pushes Shunt off, but also falls

Nemesis shunt

Shunt is knocked off the Sumo platform by Nemesis

Throughout the series, a running joke was that Jeremy Clarkson would talk about the House Robots as if they were alive, and “interact” with them. For example, whilst Jeremy Clarkson was describing Shunt’s pushing power before the Sumo trial, Shunt started rocking back and forth, as if excited, to which Clarkson told him “Yes, alright, we’re very impressed. Stop it! Sit still! Thank you!”. After Nemesis defeated Shunt, Jeremy Clarkson berated the team for defeating “his friend”.

"This is getting to be a habit, everybody’s killing my mate! I hate you, I hate you for winning that!"
— Jeremy Clarkson to Team Nemesis
ShuntAxedP!

The cuts made by Shunt's axe on Plunderbird 1

Mortisgauntlets1

Mortis is pinned by Sgt. Bash and Shunt's axe

Shunt’s axe was quite weak in this series, notably only cutting small notches in the top of Plunderbird 1. However, it did prove effective in pinning robots down and allowing him to drag them, which it did to robots such as Mortis and Torque of the Devil. The axe had two heads, a bladed one and a spiked one, and the axe could be turned around.

Scrappergauntlet

Shunt and Sergeant Bash trap Scrapper in the maze

Shunt uglybot

Shunt rams Uglybot against the railings

In Heat B, Shunt was used in the Gauntlet stage for the first time. Positioned first in the House Robot route, he ended the runs of three of the six competitors. During Scrapper’s run, Shunt chased it as it took the maze. As Sergeant Bash blocked Scrapper's escape, Shunt pinned it against the wall and held it there until time ran out. Mortis managed to speed past Shunt at the start of its run, but when Sergeant Bash blocked it, Shunt got behind Mortis, axed it and pulled it back, holding it still for the rest of the run whilst Matilda and Sergeant Bash watched. Some of the audience, including Rob Knight's girlfriend, started booing after the run.

Rob Knight: "[Shouting at Shunt] Come on, lift the axe! Let me out!"
Jonathan Pearce: "We're not going to let you go anywhere! we don't have to!"
— Rob Knight complains as Shunt holds Mortis still in its Gauntlet run

Uglybot got stuck on the arena railings after driving off the turntable at the wrong moment, and Shunt pinned it up against the railings, preventing Uglybot from making any progress down the course, resulting in its elimination.

"Shunt is doing his job there, he's certainly earning his engine oil tonight!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt pins Uglybot
ShuntDetonator

Shunt pushes Detonator free

However, during Detonator’s run, Shunt inadvertently helped Detonator. Detonator got its spikes stuck on the turntable as it tried to get out, and Shunt came in to push it, which actually freed Detonator. Shunt rammed Detonator, which actually pushed it past Sergeant Bash. However, Detonator was stuck facing the top railings. Shunt gave it another push, turning it forwards, allowing it to move just a little further, thus surpassing Uglybot and progressing to the next round. Shunt appeared to suddenly stop as Detonator moved past.

Jeremy Clarkson: "...Most people hate the robots, the House ones, but you must love them, yeah?"
Clare Greenaway: "Yeah, I do now!"
— After Detonator’s Gauntlet run
Leighbot british bulldog

Shunt pushes Leighbot against a pyramid in British Bulldog

Shunt was used in the British Bulldog Trial in the same Heat, along with the three other House Robots. It briefly blocked Scrapper, but Scrapper managed to reverse past it. It blocked Leighbot for a time, first pinning it against Dead Metal, then pushing it against one of the pyramids. However, after Shunt backed off for another attack, Leighbot was able to pass through.

Recyclopse vs mortis

Shunt traps Mortis on the side bars

In the Heat Final, Shunt was the one to immobilise Mortis. Mortis got under Recyclopse with its front wedge and rammed its opponent into the corner. However, this left it stuck under Recyclopse, struggling to get off the side bars. Shunt came in and pushed Mortis so one of its tracks was hanging over the side bars, leaving it trapped. Shunt took advantage, axing it before time ran out.

Plunderbird gauntlet

Shunt pushes Plunderbird 1 onto the grille

In Heat C, Shunt was the first House Robot on the House Robot route of the Gauntlet again.

"If they've got enough aggression, then they will take the route on my left and be introduced to the horrific Shunt, complete with pick-axe on the back! If they make it past him, and that's really not likely, then they'll meet Dead Metal..."
Philippa Forrester describes the House Robot gauntlet route
ShuntCruellaPyramid

Shunt pushes Cruella against the pyramid

ShuntCorkscrewLanceBox

Shunt knocks the corkscrew lance box askew

He ended the runs of Cruella, which he pushed against the ramp, then pined against a pyramid, and Plunderbird 1, which he forced onto a grille, causing it to be eliminated. During Wedgehog's run, Shunt left the House Robot route to go after Wedgehog after it completed the maze, but drove into the box holding the corkscrew lances, pushing the whole part of the stage forwards.

Wysiwyggauntlet

WYSIWYG and Shunt get caught on the ramp

However, during WYSIWYG’s run, WYSIWYG became stuck on the ramp, and when Shunt tried pushing it off, he got himself stuck. Dead Metal had to push Shunt off the ramp, also pushing WYSIWYG off the ramp as it did so. As Shunt approached it at the end of the run, WYSIWYG darted forwards, straight onto a grille.

Jeremy Clarkson: "...you actually managed to get a House Robot stuck, which is an all-time first!"
Michelle Wheeley: "Yeah, it felt pretty good, actually!"
— After WYSIWYG’s Gauntlet run

After this Heat, Shunt would not be used in the Gauntlet again in the last three episodes.

Dreadnaut wedgehog shunt

Shunt attempts to separate Dreadnaut and Wedgehog

During the battle between Dreadnaut and Wedgehog in the same Heat, Dreadnaut got one of its forks stuck under Wedgehog as it tried to push it onto the grille. Shunt came out of his CPZ to try and separate the two by pushing Dreadnaut with his plough. This failed to do work, as Wedgehog was still caught on Dreadnaut's fork, so Matilda came out of her CPZ to push the two competitors away from the grille, which separated them.

ShuntRobotTheBruce

Shunt pushes Robot the Bruce whilst the other House Robots attack Wedgehog

After Robot the Bruce defeated Wedgehog in the Heat Final by pushing it onto a grille, Shunt and the other House Robots came out to attack the immobilised competitor, but as Sergeant Bash cut into Wedgehog with his saw, Shunt changed targets and went after Robot the Bruce, pushing it around with his plough.

"All right Shunt, quieten down, quieten down, you did very well."
— Jeremy Clarkson after the battle
ShuntFlag

Shunt as the flag-bearer in the Stock Car Trial

Shunt was the flag holder during the Stock Car trial of Heat D, where his axe was replaced with a chequered flag, which he waved when Cunning Plan completed its third lap, confirming it as the winner.

LabyrinthTrial

Shunt and Sergeant Bash block Bodyhammer in the Labyrinth (centre)

In Heat E, Shunt, Matilda and Sergeant Bash were obstacles in the Labyrinth Trial. Shunt was down towards the end of the course, and prevented Bodyhammer from reaching the end, blocking it with the help of Sergeant Bash. However, Shunt's fixation with blocking Bodyhammer allowed Full Metal Anorak to sneak past him, whilst Matilda had to block REALI-T.

TOTDdragged

Shunt drags Torque of the Devil off the side bars

This Heat saw two controversial interventions by Shunt. In the Arena stage battle between Bodyhammer and Torque of the Devil, Torque of the Devil was pushed onto the side bars by Bodyhammer, leaving it stuck. Shunt used its axe to pull Torque of the Devil off the side bars, allowing it to continue fighting.

"Look at that! They’ve pulled it out of trouble, and put it back in the arena! You’re not supposed to do that, House Robots!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt pulls Torque of the Devil off the side bars

This incident was particularly notable because in other occasions where robots were pushed onto the side bars, the House Robots did not pull them off, such as when Mortis pushed Recyclopse onto the bars in Heat B, or when Bodyhammer pushed REALI-T onto the bars in he Heat Final of the same Heat.

Bodyhammer reali-t shunt

Shunt frees Bodyhammer from the grille as REALI-T rams into it

In the Heat Final, Bodyhammer became immobilised after driving onto a grille. Despite the fact that other robots that had driven onto a grille had been seen as immobilised and eliminated, such as Shogun, Cruella and Full Metal Anorak, Shunt pushed Bodyhammer free, despite REALI-T ramming into him in an attempt to stop him. Shunt accidentally immobilised himself, as he could not get off, and in trying to prevent Bodyhammer's escape, REALI-T broke a wheel on the grilles, and went on to lose the battle after getting stuck on the side bars. This event was notable in that even the House Robots were unable to drive on the grilles.

"No, you don't take on Shunt, you take on Bodyhammer! Bodyhammer's off that grille, given a little bit of a Shunt of assistance!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt pushes Bodyhammer off the grille
ShunthelpTRACIEstuckBash

Shunt comes out to help when T.R.A.C.I.E. becomes stuck in Sergeant Bash

During the Heat Final of Heat F, T.R.A.C.I.E. accidentally drove into Sergeant Bash's CPZ, and its spikes became stuck in the House Robot as it crashed into him.

"Surely not mental enough to take on the Sergeant, I don't know though! Look at the damage caused! And certainly, Shunt seems to think twice before coming in!"
— Jonathan Pearce as T.R.A.C.I.E. gets stuck in the side of Sergeant Bash, and Shunt comes out to help

Shunt came over from his CPZ to try and help separate the two robots.

Jeremy Clarkson: "That bit where you got stuck, you must have thought it was all over!"
Andrew Rockliffe: "I did, but one of the House Robots helped us out, so that was great!"
Jeremy Clarkson: "They're nice guys, I've been saying all along, they're nice guys!"
— In the post-battle interview

Series 2[]

ChaosPunctured

Shunt punctures Chaos

Disruptor Corporal Punishment 1

Corporal Punishment is attacked by Shunt and the other House Robots

"Who could forget the ferocity of Shunt? Capable of cleaving all opponents in two with the deadliest of axes!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt during the House Robot introduction

Shunt returned with improved weaponry for the second series, but the introduction of Sir Killalot meant he was no longer seen as the most powerful House Robot. Shunt’s axe was much more powerful than the previous series, and could be fired at a faster rate than in any other series. It was able to puncture robots for the first time, Chaos being the first robot it punctured, during the Heat Final of Heat B.

Ron gauntlet

Ron is attacked by Shunt and Dead Metal

Forklift shunt

Shunt pepperpots Forklift

Amongst the most notable damage caused by Shunt’s axe in this series included; the damage to Ron’s top during its Gauntlet run, "pepper-potting" the top of Forklift during the Reserve Rumble, and the row of holes in Panic Attack’s top during its Gauntlet run. Whilst driving over the see-saw, Sir Killalot held the end down. With Sir Killalot closing in, Panic Attack sped off the end, but landed on top of Dead Metal. Stuck, Panic Attack was an easy target for Shunt, who punctured a row of holes in Panic Attack's top, then pierced the armour, right on the spider's eye.

"Since when have House Robots had machine guns?"
— Kevin Pritchard on the holes Shunt punched into Panic Attack
Panic Attack gauntlet

Panic Attack is punctured

PuncturingMortis

Shunt punctures the base of Mortis

Shunt’s operator, Malcolm James, would describe the damage caused to Panic Attack as Shunt’s proudest moment in an interview in the original Robot Wars Magazine[26], though this would later be overshadowed by the attack on Hypno-Disc in Series 4. This incident also began a long running grudge between Shunt and the competitor, which would last until Panic Attack's final appearance in the All Stars tournament of Series 7.

Shunt was even able to pierce the underbelly of Mortis, a robot renowned for its strong armour, after it was flipped over by Matilda during the Judgement Day Grudge Match against Napalm.

Some robots that were not armoured in metal were able to resist Shunt's axe, however.

"While none of the competitors cited Shunt as their worst enemy, he caused untold damage in combination with the other house machines. Despite this the Spin Doctor team thought Shunt was the easiest house robot to deal with, because its own shell was highly resilient to impact and on one occasion, Shunt was clear to attack him, but bounced off ineffectively. Of course, Shunt is keen to avenge this embarrassing incident. Milly-Ann-Bug was also pleased with their encounter with Shunt as her Kevlar coating rendered his axe ineffective."
— Robot Wars Technical Manual, from the "Dealing with the House Robots" section
Millyanngauntlet

Shunt blocks Milly-Ann Bug in the Gauntlet

Killerhurtzoverturned

Killerhurtz is turned over by Shunt

Shunt’s bucket scoop, static in Series 1, was modified so it could lift robots. This helped him to push robots around, such as Milly-Ann Bug in the Gauntlet, and also turn robots over, including Havoc in the Heat Final of Heat L. Most notably, during the Internet Insurrection, Shunt used its scoop to lift the immobile Killerhurtz up, drag it to the top of the arena, then push it forward, flipping it over, before flipping it onto the flame pit. However, during Oblivion’s Gauntlet run in Heat C, Oblivion was able to take advantage of the scoop. Shunt tried to lift it, but Oblivion slipped off and quickly got under the scoop. This caused Shunt to lift itself up onto Oblivion as it lowered the scoop.

DDflipped

Shunt flips Demolition Demon over

Shunt’s first appearance in the series, having not been used in the Gauntlet or Trial of Heat A, and not playing a part in the first Heat Semi-Final, was during the battle between Demolition Demon and Victor. After Victor broke down, Sir Killalot dragged the immobile competitor down the arena. Demolition Demon chased after the new House Robot, still trying to attack its immobile opponent, but Matilda and Shunt came in to stop it, with Shunt axing Demolition Demon and flipping it over. Demolition Demon was through regardless.

"In comes the axe of Shunt on Demolition Demon, but I don't think Demolition's going to be axed in this one! I think they've done enough."
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt attacks Demolition Demon
Mortis gauntlet

Mortis is pitted by Shunt in the Gauntlet

Throughout the series, Shunt was used in the Gauntlet, and proved a formidable obstacle. He single-handedly ended the run of Milly-Ann Bug, which he pinned against the fence, holding it up with his scoop and axing it. In Penetrator and Killertron's runs, Shunt was able to block the competitors long enough that fellow House Robot Dead Metal could come over to help prevent the competitors from finishing. Mortis attacked Matilda with its ax after completing the Gauntlet, and Matilda drove from the centre Gauntlet route around to the left route. As Mortis chased her, Shunt and Matilda forced it into the pit.

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Mortis lands on the fence

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Shunt blocks Mace's path as it takes the see-saw

Shunt particularly shone in the Gauntlet stage during the Semi-Finals. During Behemoth’s run, Shunt blocked the end of the see-saw as Behemoth crossed it. When Shunt reversed, Behemoth crossed the see-saw, and got its scoop under Shunt and lifted him a little. Matilda pinned Behemoth against the fence, allowing Shunt to axe Behemoth, push it against Matilda then flip it onto its side. During Mortis’ run, Shunt held up the see-saw, causing Mortis to drive straight onto the fence and fall over. He held the see-saw up again as Mace attempted it, and though he allowed Mace off the see-saw, he swiftly pushed Mace and the see-saw back, forcing Mace into the pit.

Panic Attack Shunt race off

Shunt blocks Panic Attack during the Race-Off

In the Race-Off, Shunt waited as Panic Attack crossed the see-saw, blocking it from getting off. Panic Attack charged at him, pushing him back as Shunt axed it, but Shunt managed to force Panic Attack back against the fence, with Sgt. Bash helping to prevent Panic Attack from escaping. Panic Attack tried to push past the two House Robots, only for Matilda to come over to block it, but this turned out not to matter, because the Sentinel had been blocking Mace's progress, and eventually pushed it into the pit.

Craig Charles: "You took a good beating from Shunt, didn't ya?"
Kim Davies: "Again, yes! He's on our hit list yet again!"
— Post Race-Off interview
Plunderbird2sfgauntlet

Shunt and Matilda push Plunderbird 2 back

In the second Semi-Final, Shunt blocked Cassius after it broke through the brick wall, pushing it back past the brick wall and axing it, then blocking it as it made another charge. Cassius made it past Shunt eventually, only to be blocked by Dead Metal. Shunt was responsible for the elimination of Plunderbird 2. As Plunderbird 2 broke through the wall, Shunt blocked it, and though Plunderbird 2 managed to push Shunt back a little, Shunt held firm and started pushing back. Plunderbird 2 reversed for another charge, but was lifted up by an arena spike, and with the help of Matilda, Shunt pushed the International Wreck Crew's machine all the way back to the start, where Matilda cut off the aerial, leading to its elimination.

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Shunt turns himself into the Pit in the Semi-Finals

However, the same episode saw one of Shunt's most embarrassing moments of the series. As King Buxton ran the Gauntlet, breaking through the brick wall, Shunt pushed the sphere into King Buxton to block its path, but suddenly turned straight into the pit.

"Shunt's drunk! He's gone into the pit! … Give Shunt a breath test someone!"
— Jonathan Pearce after Shunt accidentally drove into the pit

In the post-Gauntlet interview, King Buxton's driver Steve Monk quipped that the pit was "where he belongs!".

Shuntreversesintothepit

Shunt reverses into the pit at the end of Heat C

This was not the only time Shunt drove into the pit in this series. After the Heat Final of Heat C, as the House Robots were driving around whilst the credits rolled, Shunt reversed, span around, then suddenly reversed into the pit.

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Shunt (top), having fallen off the ramp in King of the Castle

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Shunt falls off the ring again

Across the series, Shunt was used in some of the Trials. In Heat E, Shunt was used in the King of the Castle Trial, but had steering problems. On the first run, it struggled to get off the ramp, getting stuck on the side after turning too early on the top. It took Shunt five attempts to straighten itself up and reach the platform to aid Dead Metal against Killertron, as it kept turning into the little walls on the sides of the ramp. To prevent this happening again, the walls were shortened, and made flexible. However, during ORAC's run, Shunt made the same mistake again, turning too early as it went up the ramp and getting stuck on the side. It drove forwards, into the other wall, then reversed, falling off the ramp, leaving Matilda to fight ORAC alone.

"Dreadful driving!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt reversed off the ramp
Killertronkotc

Shunt and Dead Metal take on Killertron

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Shunt and Matilda push Technophobic to the edge

He briefly became stuck on the wall during the runs of Schumey and Spin Doctor, and though he corrected itself and got onto the platform each time, during Spin Doctor’s run, he drove too close to the edge whilst trying to avoid the spinning Spin Doctor, and when he turned around, he span himself off the platform. He did manage to push Technophobic off the platform with the help of Matilda, and nearly pushed off Killertron, which had its pickaxe caught in Dead Metal, allowing it to hold on, but when King of the Castle returned in Heat K, Shunt was not used.

Panicattacksumo

Shunt falls off the Sumo ring against Panic Attack

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Shunt knocks Whirling Dervish off

In Heat F, Shunt was used in the Sumo Trial again, however he fared little better than he had done in Series 1. He nearly pushed off Panic Attack, but Panic Attack managed to turn and drive forwards before it could be pushed off, and as Shunt turned around, he reversed off the platform.

"He gave us one in the eye last round, but this time he took it, big time!"
— Kevin Pritchard after Shunt's defeat in the Sumo trial against Panic Attack
Corporal Punishment trial

Shunt, having been defeated by Corporal Punishment

Ron trial

Ron is bulldozed off instantly

Corporal Punishment was also victorious against the House Robot. Adam Clark's machine got its scoop under Shunt, preventing him from pushing it back. Shunt reversed and turned around, then reversed as Corporal Punishment charged at it. Shunt continued spinning, but drove too close to the edge and fell off the platform.

"One wonders how much punishment Shunt can take now, having been tipped off twice!"
— Jonathan Pearce after Shunt drove off the ring against Corporal Punishment

Disruptor was able to use its wedge shape to get under Shunt and hold him to survive. Shunt did defeat Whirling Dervish and Ron, knocking the latter off in less than five seconds, but when the Sumo Trial returned in Heat L, Dead Metal was used instead.

ShuntPAPinball

Shunt blocks Panic Attack in the Pinball

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Shunt pins Roadblock against the arena wall

During the Semi-Finals, Shunt was used in the Pinball trial, where he guarded one of the 50-point targets at the side of the arena. Not a single robot managed to hit Shunt's target, though few competitors aimed for it. Panic Attack made a late charge for his target in the last few seconds, but Shunt was ready to block it. As Roadblock drove towards his target towards the end of its run, Shunt rushed out of his zone and pushed Roadblock down to the bottom arena wall, pinning it there until time ran out and puncturing the top with his axe.

Of the Trials Shunt was not used in, the most notable was the Skittles Trial, where for unknown reasons, Shunt was the only House Robot not to be used, in either of the Heats it was held in.

AxingWheelosaurs

A view from Shunt's camera as it axes Wheelosaurus

Shunt had a number of notable moments during battles throughout the series. In Heat B, during the battle between Chaos and Wheelosaurus, after Wheelosaurus was immobilised, he rammed Wheelosaurus against the saws with the help of Matilda and pinned it there, axing it for most of the battle. Jonathan Pearce suggested this was revenge for Wheelosaurus' attack on Sergeant Bash earlier in the Heat.

"This is carnage! They’re after blood and oil!"
— Jonathan Pearce as the House Robots attack Wheelosaurus

In Heat L, in the Heat Final between Haardvark and Havoc, Shunt flipped Havoc onto its side using its scoop after it was pushed into the PPZ, sending Haardvark through to the Semi-Finals.

Cassius vs roadblock

Shunt helps Cassius flip over Roadblock

Shunt helped Cassius defeat reigning champions Roadblock in the Grand Final. Roadblock had driven into the PPZ, and was trapped against the wall by Shunt and Dead Metal. Shunt was lifting Roadblock with his scoop, which allowed Cassius to easily get under the champions, and as Cassius flipped Roadblock against the wall, Shunt helped by holding Roadblock up with its scoop.

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Lateral Thought is pitted by Shunt

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Shunt and Dead Metal attack Bumblebot

Perhaps Shunt’s most notable battle in the whole series was the Reserve Rumble, part of the Grudge Match special. First, Lateral Thought strayed into the PPZ and found itself trapped between Shunt and Dead Metal. Shunt axed the top a few times, causing large holes, and Lateral Thought broke down, so Shunt pitted it. Dead Metal grabbed Forklift and held it in the PPZ, so Shunt got behind it and axed six holes in the top of Forklift.

"...look at that! One puncture mark, two! … Oh, Shunt's pickaxe here, wreaking havoc!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt axes holes in Forklift

Finally, when Bumblebot stopped moving, Dead Metal held it still and Shunt axed it.

Shuntrazer

Razer pushes Shunt back in the Gauntlet

ShuntAxesRazerBase

Shunt axes the underside of Razer

However, Shunt was the victim of some attacks by competitors across the series. In its Gauntlet run, Razer managed to get under Shunt's side and push him to the end zone, crushing into his side.

"It was great to see the BBC roboteers come scurrying out afterwards to see what this new competitor had done to their beloved machine!"
— The Razer website[27]

Shunt would get back at Razer later in the Heat though; axing its base after it broke down and was flipped over by Matilda.

Killertron gauntlet run

Killertron punctures Shunt's top

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Shunt and Dead Metal hold Killertron. Note that Shunt's top is loose

In Heat E, when Killertron ran the Gauntlet, Shunt blocked Killertron as it crossed the ramp, but Killertron swung its axe into the House Robot, puncturing the top and dislodging it as it pulled the axe out.

"Pickaxe to pickaxe, and look at the damage created here by Killertron!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Killertron punctures Shunt

Dead Metal came over to help trap Killertron, whilst Shunt turned around to us its axe. Killertron and Shunt continued swapping axe blows for the rest of the run, whilst Dead Metal cut into Killertron's shell.

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Berserk lifts up Shunt and pushes it against the wall

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Sir Killalot pulls Berserk away from Shunt

During the Super Heavyweight Championship, Berserk was able to lift Shunt up with its forklift, then pinned him against the wall. Sir Killalot had to come in to intervene, separating the two and dragging Berserk away.

"Here's Berserk, now that's a good, mighty heave-ho on Shunt, and Killalot didn't like it! … getting revenge here, on behalf of the House Robots!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Berserk lifts Shunt and Sir Killalot pulls it away
ShuntPushesCassiusToThePit

Shunt pushes Cassius to the edge of the pit

There were a couple of occasions where Shunt fought back against Cassius when it tried taking on the House Robots. Team Cassius captain Rex Garrod always enjoyed attacking the House Robots, and preferred to take on the House Robots than cause unnecessary damage to a beaten opponent. Having flipped over Loco in the final of Heat H, Cassius started attacking the House Robots, and after it flipped Matilda, Shunt managed to force it to the edge of the pit, and with Cassius unable to escape, Sgt. Bash pushed it in.

"Shunt, mean and merciless, Matilda too! "No place for pacifists in Robot Wars!", say the House Robots!"
— Jonathan Pearce as the House Robots fight to bring Cassius under control
ShuntFlipsCassiusAgainstWall

Shunt flips Cassius against the fence

Later, in the second Semi-Final, after Haardvark was flipped over, Cassius got under Sir Killalot and tried to flip him. Shunt abandoned his attacks on the beaten competitor and went after Cassius, lifting it up with his scoop and pushing it to the wall, flipping it up against the fence.

"Cassius meanwhile, who wanted to take on the House Robots, ""Have a little bit of this!" says Shunt and Bash! You take us on, you'll get punishment!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt flips Cassius against the side wall
ShunthelpsCassiusoffthepit

Shunt pushes Cassius off of the pit

However, there was an unusual occasion where Shunt helped Cassius when it was in trouble. During its Judgement Day Grudge Match with Mortis, Cassius drove too close to the pit, and when it tried turning around, one of its wheels became stuck on the edge of the pit. Mortis could not take advantage as it had lost drive on one track, so Shunt used his plough to push it off the edge of the pit.

"Everyone thought I was going to push him in, but I used my front snowplough to free the wheel and off he went."
— Malcom James, interviewed in Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine[28]
VerminatorShunt

Shunt pushes Verminator onto the flame pit

This series also saw the first of a number of amusing attacks by Shunt on decorations from the competitors, as it pushed Hard Cheese’s rat mascot Verminator onto the flame pit during the Middleweight Championship.

Series 3[]

"Shunt: a power-packed robot capable of dragging a fully-laden Land Rover, with its hydraulic lift at the front and the ability to cleave all opponents in two with a pneumatically-driven axe, which strikes with over 500 kilograms of pressure per square centimetre!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt during the House Robot introduction
House robots series 3

Shunt, Matilda, Sgt Bash and Dead Metal at the beginning of Heat A

Shunt Series 3 intro

Shunt during his House Robot introduction

As this series dropped the Gauntlet and Trials from the main competition, the House Robots, Shunt included, were given a redesign. Although still largely focused on his strength and pushing abilities, Shunt's axe was enlarged significantly and tipped with a diamond-edged blade, with a more powerful system behind it, allowing him to puncture all but the hardest of armours.

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Brimhur becomes the first robot to fall foul of Shunt's new axe

Bulldog Breed Shunt Series3

Bulldog Breed at Shunt's mercy

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Shunt breaks X-Terminator's drive chain

All Torque axed

Shunt and Sgt. Bash trap All Torque

The first robot in this series Shunt used its axe on was Brimhur. Notable damage done by the axe in this series included; the seven punctures in Flipper after it broke down, causing more than ten punctures in Bulldog Breed after it was pushed into the CPZ by Robopig, breaking one of the drive chains on the bottom of X-Terminator after Panic Attack flipped it over, immobilising All Torque by axing its controller during its battle with Thing 2, and destroying Anarachnid during the Walker Battles, where he smashed the top with his axe and ripped off the side with his scoop.

"Look at that mighty axe! Cleaving through the aluminium body shell, ugh! Penetratingly painful!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt axes Brimhur
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Shunt axes the baseplate of Shark Attack

Aggrobot Blade Shunt axe

Blade withstands Shunt's axe attack

Only four competitors were able to survive blows from Shunt’s axe in this series; Sir Chromalot (Shunt tried to puncture its baseplate, but failed despite multiple axe blows), Blade, Berserk 2 and Panzer.

"Ooh and in comes Shunt there with the great axe going down to create damage. Let’s see if it did cause any damage, NO! That's very rare. Three millimetre thick steel with shatter-proof aluminium polycarbonate on the top of Blade, and it’s paid off, the design. No damage whatsoever!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Blade survives an axe blow from Shunt
Mace 2 Suicidal Tendencies Shunt

Shunt axes Suicidal Tendencies

Twn Trwn vs house robots

Shunt's axe stuck in Twn Trwn

The drawback of the more powerful axe was that it sometimes became stuck in competitors. On some occasions when this happened, he was able to use his scoop to lift the axe free, such as when he axed Suicidal Tendencies in the Heat Final of Heat A. However, this did not always work, such as in Heat P, where Shunt was axing Twn Trwn, but one of the axe blows caused the axe to become stuck in Twn Trwn, and Shunt couldn’t free it, despite lifting Twn Trwn and shaking his axe. In the same Heat, when he axed Psychokiller, the axe became stuck, and Sir Killalot had to lift Psychokiller with his lance to separate the two.

Shunt vs General Carnage

Shunt punches straight through General Carnage

Shunt vs Atlas

Shunt takes the head off Atlas' mascot

Shunt was able to use his scoop and axe together to lift robots up and carry them, which he did to General Carnage and Bulldog Breed. He tried to do the same to Rattus Rattus, but he began toppling forwards. Shunt’s attacks on decorations on the competitors continued, with Shunt axing the toy on top of Atlas. Sir Killalot held Atlas up for Shunt, and Shunt knocked the head off the toy, then ripped it clean off with another axe blow.

"Well, they've lost their head! That was splendid!"
— Jonathan Pearce after Shunt decapitated the mascot of Atlas
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Shunt pits Sonic

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Shunt pits Depoppesaurus Rex

The Pit was only open in the first two rounds, and usually Sir Killalot was the House Robot that pitted defeated competitors, but Shunt did push some competitors in after they were beaten, albeit only two in the whole 21 episode series (including International League and First World Championship). Those two were Sonic in its Round 2 battle with Chaos 2 in Heat E and Depoppesaurus Rex after its battle with Diotoir in the International League Championship.

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Shunt axes Ripper's Revenge, whilst it is bounced by an arena spike

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Shunt is immobilised by Tentoumushi

Easily Shunt’s most notable battle in this series was the Middleweight Melee. First, he axed a couple of holes in Grinder after A-Kill pushed it into his CPZ. Then, after Ripper's Revenge was flipped over by an arena spike, Shunt axed the robot's baseplate, and dragged it onto an arena spike, which bounced it up and down. However, his axe became stuck in the down position, so he retreated to his CPZ. Later in the battle, he rammed Tentoumushi against the arena wall, but Tentoumushi's shell landed on top of Shunt, allowing Tentoumushi to cut off Shunt's aerial, leaving him immobile.

"In comes Shunt on Tentoumushi, buckling! Oh, and down on the top of Shunt! And I wonder if that's caused problems for the remote control on Shunt, I think Shunt can't move!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Tentoumushi immobilises Shunt
Shunt axes Challenger 2

Challenger 2 is axed by Shunt

Another notable moment for Shunt in this series came in the Round 2 battle between Panzer and Challenger 2. Panzer pitted Challenger 2, but Panzer could not get its spike out from under Challenger 2, leaving it stuck, so Sir Killalot and Shunt came out to separate them. Shunt axed Panzer, but did not puncture the top, so instead he axed the pitted Challenger 2 repeatedly, causing three large holes, though as cease was called, his axe appeared to be stuck.

"...the young boys can't do anything here! They've just gotta... stand and watch their beloved bot being bashed up! Oh dear, and perforated and punctured! Tee hee, it’s House Robot glee! They were bored you see! Had to do something!"
— Jonathan Pearce during the battle between Panzer and Challenger 2
Trident attacked

Trident takes damage from Shunt and Dead Metal

Shunt and the other House Robots caused controversy in the Heat Final of Heat P. Dreadnaut broke down after driving to the arena wall, but as Trident went in to axe its opponent, it broke down as well. Despite the fact Trident had won as Dreadnaut had stopped moving first, Shunt and the other House Robots started attacking Trident. Shunt led the attack, pushing Trident away from the arena wall, then slamming the axe into Trident repeatedly, puncturing and crumpling the armour, whilst Dead Metal and Matilda used their saw and chainsaw to cut into Trident, whilst Dreadnaut was ignored.

"House Robots come from dark and dingy places. They do not like sleek and shiny machines, Stephen Benn! … This is a party for us you see on Robot Wars! Trident the winner, we don't care! Take some of that! Poor old Dreadnaut long, long, long ago dead."
— Jonathan Pearce as the House Robots attack Trident
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Shunt frees Abaddon from the flame pit

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Shunt breaks down in the arena centre

Across the series, Shunt was used to help free robots when they became stuck on the arena. Examples of this included when he helped Abaddon during its battle with Technophobic. Its tail was caught on the flame pit, so Shunt used his scoop to lift the tail free. He had to free Henry twice, once in each of its battles. First, in its battle with Haardvark, its spike became stuck in the floor, so Shunt pushed Henry backwards to get the spike free. Then, in the Round 2 battle with Steg-O-Saw-Us, Henry accidentally drove into his CPZ whilst avoiding Steg-O-Saw-Us, and drove into the wall, where its spike became stuck. Shunt axed Henry, causing four punctures in the top, then tried lifting it to get it free, before axing it and dragging it away from the wall.

"...and there the spike again, it's been a problem throughout! Its undoing is the front spike, embedding on the arena wall, and Shunt comes in for the punishment of Henry! Drags Henry away!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt axes Henry and pulls it away from the wall

When Death Warmed Up became stuck on the flame pit during its battle with Stealth, Shunt pushed it off the flames and into the arena centre, but then suddenly stopped moving. Sergeant Bash came out of his CPZ to push Shunt, but Shunt was still immobile.

Steg-O-Saw-Us Napalm

Shunt comes in to separate Napalm and Steg-O-Saw-Us

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Shunt pushes Weld-Dor and King Buxton apart

Similarly, Shunt helped separate competitors when they became stuck together. Napalm pinned Steg-O-Saw-Us against the wall in the Heat Final of Heat G, but Napalm became stuck under its opponent as it got its front wedge underneath, so Shunt came out of his CPZ to push them apart, helped by Sgt. Bash. King Buxton’s front spikes became stuck in Weld-Dor's wheel hubs in their Round 2 battle, and Shunt came out of his CPZ and crossed the arena to push the two apart with his plough. In the Semi-Final, Shunt came out of his CPZ to uncouple Gravedigger and Steg-O-Saw-Us when Steg-O-Saw-Us’ tail became stuck in Gravedigger, pushing Steg-O-Saw-Us free with his plough.

Incidents such as these were the main reason for the introduction of Refbot in the following series.

"It had been highlighted, there was a need for a robot that was seen as being unbiased, so when robots were tied together, or go stuck together … in the past the House Robots had gone in to free these robots. Now that was seen by viewers at home as being a bit confusing "Well, why is that robot being nice?", so we built Refbot."
— Chris Reynolds on the creation of Refbot
Big brother vs housrobots

Shunt pushes Big Brother after it takes on the House Robots

Chaos2trapped

Shunt and Sgt. Bash pin Chaos 2 against the wall

On a number of occasions, when competitor robots tried attacking Shunt or the other House Robots, Shunt was able to fight back and bring them under control. Having defeated Sir Chromalot in Heat D, Big Brother tried ramming the House Robots, so Shunt chased after it, pushing it against Dead Metal, who was pushing Sir Chromalot over to the pit. After Sir Chromalot was pitted, Big Brother tried ramming Dead Metal, so Shunt got under it with his plough. In Heat E, after defeating Crocodilotron, Chaos 2 tried to flip Matilda over, so Shunt and Sgt. Bash chased it around to prevent it attacking the House Robots again. Chaos 2 kept away from the House Robots as they chased it, but then drove into the wall, and Shunt and Sgt. Bash pinned it there until cease was called.

Philippa Forrester: "This is fantastic, we're very impressed. Leave the House Robots alone!"
George Francis: "I was alright until I had a go at the House Robots, but this is Robot Wars, I've got to have some fun, haven't I?"
— The post-battle interview
Mortis House Robots

Mortis is axed by Shunt as it tussles with the House Robots

Mortis vs shunt vs dead metal

Mortis is shoved into the pit by Shunt

In the next Heat, having disposed of Ming, Mortis started attacking Matilda, so Dead Metal and Shunt rushed in to protect her, with Dead Metal grabbing Mortis from behind and Shunt holding it still and axing it, causing dents in its top, before flipping it over with his scoop. Mortis self-righted and attacked Dead Metal, but Shunt was able to push Mortis into the pit with the help of Dead Metal.

"Take on the House Robots? Ha! We’ll get you Mortis boys! Look at that damage from Shunt!"
— Jonathan Pearce whilst Mortis fought the House Robots
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Shunt comes in to protect Matilda from Gravedigger

Shunt king buxton

Shunt lifts King Buxton with his scoop

In the same Heat, Gravedigger took on Matilda after defeating Mortis, but Matilda pushed back, and Shunt came to help, pushing it away from his fellow House Robot, and as Matilda retreated, Shunt axed a couple of holes in Gravedigger.

"...and Shunt’s coming in to help out a lady in distress. Some lady! Look at this! Oh! You really wouldn't want to be the Gravedigger team now. Shunt, again, ripping through that shell!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt brings Gravedigger back under control

King Buxton tried attacking Shunt after it had defeated Weld-Dor, charging at his scoop, but Shunt pinned it against the wall and axed it.

EvilWeevilRamsShunt

Evil Weevil rams Shunt

Evil Weevil fared no better when it tried ramming Shunt after tipping over Triterobot, with Shunt retaliating by axing it and lifting it up.

Philippa Forrester: "You were silly really, because you had a little go at Shunt! I mean, what were you trying to do, stand up for the other team or what? Come on Michael."
Michael Walsh: "Uh yeah, they were getting a bashing, there was two robots on them, I thought "Make it two-on-two"!"
Philippa Forrester: "You brave man!"
— Michael Walsh explains his attack on Shunt
Shunt vs cassius

Shunt pins Cassius 2 in the CPZ and axes it

Rex Garrod made another attack on the House Robots after Cassius 2 had beaten Dundee, trying to flip Matilda, but before it could get underneath, Shunt pinned Cassius 2 against the wall and axed through the flipper.

"And this is what we love about Rex Garrod! A smile etched on his face as his bot takes on the House Robots – OH, and taking terrible punishment from Shunt!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt damages Cassius 2’s flipper
ShuntRightsTildy

Shunt flips Matilda back over in Heat O

ShuntChasesDreadnaught

Shunt chases Dreadnaut into the CPZ

Facet managed to flip Matilda after defeating Terminal Ferocity, but Shunt used its scoop to flip Matilda back, and pinned Facet against the wall with the help of Sgt. Bash. Dreadnaut gave Matilda a little push as the House Robots attacked the immobile Rattus Rattus, so Shunt chased it away into a CPZ, pushing it against the wall, but Dreadnaut was fast enough to escape up the arena.

Shunt vs Chaos 2

Shunt defends itself from new champion Chaos 2

Chaos 2 vs Shunt

Shunt is flipped over by Chaos 2

However, one competitor was able to take on Shunt and win. Having flipped Hypno-Disc to win the Grand Final, Chaos 2 celebrated by flipping Matilda over. Shunt rushed in, axing Chaos 2 and dragging it out of the CPZ, but Chaos 2 got free and flipped Shunt over, the first competitor to do so.

"...Shunt, trying to get away from Chaos 2, and why not? The champions want to beat everyone! Taking on Shunt and flipping Shunt over! So two of the House Robots are done!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Chaos 2 flips Shunt over
ShuntFlipped

Shunt, stuck on his side after being flipped

Shunt tried to right himself using his axe, but this merely left him stuck on his side, and also knocked off his exhaust stack. The top was also hanging loose, and as Chaos 2 rammed into him, the top fell off.

"...which was really satisfying! It was a fantastic feeling to see the House Robots scattered all over the arena!"
— Ian Swann on Ultimate Warrior Collection - Chaos 2][29]
ShuntPushesSixPac

Shunt pushes SixPac in the Pinball tournament

DominatorPinball

Dominator is cornered by the House Robots and axed by Shunt

Shunt was used in the Pinball side event that ran alongside the main competition, where he guarded one of the 50 Point targets on the sides of the arena. Only one competitor (Six Pac) managed to hit Shunt's target. Notably, Shunt ended the runs of two competitors; Dominator and Killerhurtz. During Dominator's run, it drove at Shunt's target after completing the car doors, but Shunt blocked it and rammed it into the corner, axing holes in its top. Dead Metal came in to help prevent Dominator escaping, and the two House Robots held it in the corner until time ran out.

KillerhurtzPinball

Shunt lifts up Killerhurtz

Shuntalmostreversesintothepit

Shunt almost reverses into the pit

Killerhurtz also drove at Shunt after completing the car doors, but Shunt rammed it against the bottom arena wall and held it there. This caused Killerhurtz to become stuck on one of the spikes on top of Shunt's scoop. Shunt tried to knock it off by lifting it with his scoop, then hitting it with his axe, but this didn't work. Shunt reversed, trying to loosen Killerhurtz, but nearly drove into the pit. Shunt pushed Killerhurtz against the wall, which knocked it loose. Killerhurtz drove straight back at Shunt, and Shunt pushed it into the corner and lifted it against the wall, holding it still until cease was called.

There was also intended to be a Sumo side event, where Shunt would have fought robots which had not been selected to compete in the main competition, such as Medusa[30] and The Guv'nor Mk 1[31]. However, the event was cancelled due to a delay in filming caused by a behind-the-scenes accident.

RazerShuntBucket

Razer crushes Shunt's bucket

RazerShuntWall

Shunt holds Razer up against the fence

In the International League Championship, filmed as part of Series 3 but broadcast at the start of Series 4, Shunt had one of his most memorable battles. First, Razer reversed into Shunt whilst fighting Techno-Lease, and Shunt lifted it up and flipped it over in the centre of the arena. Later in the same battle, Razer tried attacking Matilda, but Shunt pinned it against the wall. However, Razer managed to crumple Shunt’s bucket with the crusher, then crush a hole in it. Razer went back after Matilda, but Shunt lifted it against the wall again, with Razer holding onto the top rail on the wall to prevent itself falling out. Shunt was forced to fight in subsequent battles with his scoop still buckled.

Ian Lewis: "We ate his shovel!"
Philippa Forrester: "You didn’t just eat it, you sculpted it like it was molten metal!"
— Ian Lewis and Philippa Forrester on Razer's damage to Shunt in the post-battle interview

Shunt had a number of notable moments in The First World Championship video, released half-way through the series.

"A lean, mean killing machine, Shunt takes to the international stage with his pneumatic lifting ram, hydraulic diamond-edged axe, and more speed and power than ever before!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt in The First World Championship video
Prometheus Weld-Dor 1

Prometheus breaks down while suspended on Shunt

PrometheusShuntAxe

Prometheus on Shunt's axe. Note that Shunt's top is loose

Firstly, in the battle between Weld-Dor and Prometheus, it came out to separate the two competitor robots when Prometheus was stuck on Weld-Dor’s forks, but Prometheus became stuck on top of Weld-Dor. Shunt axed Prometheus in an attempt to knock it off, but this knocked his top loose. Prometheus fell onto his axe, and Shunt had to shake it loose.

In the battle between Razer and All Torque, Shunt broke down in his CPZ. All Torque reversed into his CPZ when trying to avoid Razer, and Razer went in after it, but as Shunt was immobile and therefore unable to attack, Sgt. Bash came over to attack All Torque, and when All Torque broke down, Dead Metal also came over.

Chaos 2 vs Killerhurtz

A combined attack from both Shunt and Killerhurtz results in Chaos 2's gas canister being punctured

Shunt managed to pierce the CO2 canister of recently-crowned champion Chaos 2 when it axed the rear compartment during its battle with Killerhurtz. Chaos 2 accidentally reversed into his CPZ whilst avoiding Killerhurtz, and Shunt trapped it as Killerhurtz came in. Killerhurtz and Shunt attacked Chaos 2 with their axes, with Killerhurtz axing the flipper, where its axe became stuck, and Shunt axing the back, and after a couple of punctures, he landed a direct hit on the CO2 canister. This was a highlight for Shunt's operator, Malcolm James, who saw it as a bit of revenge for Chaos 2 flipping Shunt over in the Grand Final.

"I think it's important to show the House Robots aren't perfect. Besides, I got him in the World Championships when I punctured his CO2 canister!"
— Malcom James, asked about Chaos 2 flipping Shunt over, in Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine[32]

The match was halted, and was resumed after checking Chaos 2's flipper was still working[33]. Killerhurtz's axe was still stuck, despite Chaos 2 firing the flipper. Shunt turned and axed Killerhurtz and lifted it with his scoop. After some struggling, Chaos 2 was able to get free of Killerhurtz's axe, but Shunt's axe was stuck in Killerhurtz. Chaos 2 drove around to Shunt's side and gave him a little flip, which knocked Killerhurtz free from the axe.

ShuntBehemothRazer

Shunt lifts himself onto Behemoth's side arm

In the Final, Razer pushed Behemoth against Shunt whilst it was crushing into its side, and Shunt lifted his scoop, but lowered it on one of Behemoth’s srimech arms, raising himself up. Strangely, Shunt then reversed, and did not attack either competitor, despite the fact they were just by his CPZ.

Series 4[]

"A lightweight at 105 kilos, but heavyweight when it comes to havoc, and no opponent can get off lightly at the end of a deadly diamond-edged axe blow with a force of over 500 kilos per square centimetre. A brawny bulldozer who’s never caught napping!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt during the House Robot introduction
Mortis vs crusader 2

Crusader 2 is caught between a rock and a hard place in the form of Mortis and Shunt

Knightmare vs shunt

Shunt axes Knightmare

Shunt returned for Series 4 with a few improvements, including subtly redesigned new fibreglass amour, to incorporate new drive motors and pneumatic valves, which would serve Shunt for the remainder of his original run, and a new front scoop, after the damage it took in the previous series.

"Look at the power of the Shunt blade there! Absolutely lethal!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt axes Ming 2
Shunt vs maverick

Shunt's axe goes straight through the base of Maverick

As in Series 3, Shunt’s axe punctured almost every competitor that came up against it, including Crusader 2, Iron-Awe, Weld-Dor 2, and Maverick

"Shunt with the axe, penetrating, look at that! Slicing through, oh! And again! So very, very easy, like taking the top off a boiled egg!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt axes two large holes in the base of Maverick

Only two robots managed to survive axe blows from Shunt; Darke Destroyer 2, and also V-Max, which withstood two blows from Shunt’s axe.

ShuntAxesHypnodisc

Shunt pierces Hypno-Disc's flywheel

This series saw Shunt’s proudest moment, during the battle between Pussycat and Hypno-Disc in the Grand Final. After Hypno-Disc had its rear wheel damaged by Pussycat's blade, with the robot struggling to drive, it was pushed into Shunt's CPZ by Pussycat. Shunt brought his axe slamming down onto Hypno-Disc's spinning flywheel, halting the flywheel of Hypno-Disc in one blow, with the pent up kinetic energy causing Hypno-Disc and Shunt to jump off the ground. This not only caused Hypno-Disc to lose the battle, but prevented it from participating in the playoff for third.

"…His axe went into the disc about here, and the speed of the disc actually brought his axe into the robot and damaged the gearbox and the rest of the drivetrain back to the machine"
— Dave Rose explains the damage to Julia Reed

Shunt’s operator Malcolm James cited this as Shunt’s finest moment on the Sir Killalot and the House Robots DVD. Ironically, he had actually predicted this moment in an interview in Robot Wars Magazine, published shortly after the end of Series 3.

"I was disappointed not to have a go at Hypno-Disc. I think I could have definitely stopped him with my axe."
— Malcolm James, interviewed in Robot Wars Magazine Issue 4[34]
101 shunt henry

101 and Shunt push Henry 2 into oblivion

ShuntDetonatorFlipper

Shunt puts Detonator on the floor flipper

As usual, Shunt and the other House Robots were used to commit “mercy killings” on immobilised competitors, though in this series, more use was made of the floor flipper and pit than in Series 3. Whereas in Series 3, the pit was only open for the first two rounds, the pit was now lowered as the producers saw fit, often when a robot was immobile so the House Robots could dispose of it, and the floor flipper, which had previously only been used in the Heat Finals and the Semi-Finals, was now used in the early rounds as well. When Knightmare broke down after being rammed into Shunt by Spawn of Scutter, Shunt axed three holes in it, pushed it onto the Floor Flipper, and then pitted it. He pushed immobile robots such as Henry 2 and Diotoir into the pit, and in other battles placed beaten robots such as Detonator on the Floor Flipper.

Mortis Mazakari locked

Shunt axes Mazakari, which is locked onto Mortis' lifting arm

Shunt vs tiberius

Shunt axes Tiberius and drags it off the arena spike

Despite the introduction of Refbot, Shunt was still occasionally used to help competitors when they were stuck. In the Heat Final of Heat B, when Razer became stuck in forward drive, Shunt pushed it off the wall. He separated Killerhurtz and Eric when Killerhurtz got its axe stuck in Eric. In the battle between Tiberius and Little Fly in Heat K, Tiberius became stuck in forward drive, and had Little Fly pinned against the wall. Shunt pushed the two apart, and when Tiberius became stuck on an arena spike, Shunt axed it and dragged it back from the spike, although it merely drove straight back into it as it was stuck in forward dive. In the second Semi-Final, Shunt used his axe to drag Spawn of Scutter off the wall after Panic Attack left it stuck there, leaning against the wall. In Heat D, Mazakari became stuck on Mortis' lifting arm. Mortis pushed Mazakari into Shunt's CPZ, and Shunt axed Mazakari, then used his axe to try and pull Mazakari free from Mortis' lifter. However, the axe slid off and Mazakari was still stuck, so Shunt left it, allowing Mortis to drive out of the CPZ with Mazakari still attached, so Sgt. Bash could attempt to separate the two competitors.

Death of major tom

Major Tom has its head smashed by Shunt

Razer milly-ann bug (1)

Shunt rips Milly-Ann Bug's hair off

Series 4 saw Shunt make a number of amusing attacks on decorations from competitor robots. Most memorably, he smashed the head of Major Tom after it broke down.

"When all around you are losing their head, can you keep yours? No! No no no! Out of the arena!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Major Tom’s head is shattered

After Milly-Ann Bug was defeated by Razer in Heat B, Shunt axed its hair and pulled it off.

Banshee head axed

Shunt axes Banshee's head

Bannshee Shunt FlamePit

Shunt roasts the head of Banshee

In Heat L, Shunt used its axe to puncture the head of Banshee, ripped it off, then dragged it to the flame pit and burnt it.

"Headache? I don't think any pills are gonna...make that one feel better!"
— Jonathan Pearce bursts into laughter as Shunt decapitates Banshee
FBT Axed

Shunt rips a hole in the face of Fat Boy Tin

When Shunt lifted his axe, the head was still stuck, so he spun on the spot, throwing the head across the arena. Ironically, before the battle, the Banshee team captain Alan Marchington claimed they were "definitely" going to thrash Shunt with Banshee’s spinning body. In the same Heat, he axed the face of Fat Boy Tin, smashing a hole right in the middle of the smiley face.

"Ooh, right through the smiley, he's not smiling now!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt axes Fat Boy Tin
DMhelpsShunt

Dead Metal helps separate Shunt and Major Tom

One of Shunt’s most memorable battles in this Series was the Round 2 battle between 101 and Major Tom in Heat E. After Major Tom broke down, Shunt smashed its head with one axe blow. He then punctured the top with the axe and pushed Major Tom to the floor flipper, but found himself unable to get the axe out. Dead Metal had to push Major Tom off. Major Tom was thrown by the flipper, straight into Shunt, who had failed to get out of the way in time.

Shunt101

Shunt axes 101 outside of a CPZ

In the Heat Final, Shunt came out of the CPZ and attacked 101, even though 101 and Dominator 2 were fighting on the other side of the arena to his CPZ. He axed 101, puncturing it and lifting it up before quickly reversing away because Refbot was behind him.

"…That is not on! Ref, Ref! Give Shunt a yellow card! Give him a red card and get him out of there! Poor old 101 should not have been the victim of an attack by Shunt! I'll have a word with - no, I won’t, I'm terrified of Shunt!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt attacks 101 illegally
ShuntaxesKhzS4

Shunt axes Killerhurtz, causing it to become stuck in forward drive

In Round 2 of Heat I, Shunt played a crucial part in the elimination of 16th seed Killerhurtz. Whilst evading Splinter, Killerhurtz accidentally drove into Shunt in his CPZ. Before it could get out, Shunt axed it, and suddenly Killerhurtz became stuck in forward drive, pushing against Shunt. Shunt lifted it and released the axe, and Killerhurtz sped across the arena and crashed into the arena wall, where it was deemed immobilised.

ShuntPrizephita

Shunt pits Prizephita Mk2

ShuntWheelosaurusPit

Shunt pits Wheelosaurus, leaving all three competitors in the pit

In a first round melee in Heat H, Wheely Big Cheese started trying to get under Sir Killalot and flip him. As Wheely Big Cheese tried unsuccessfully to lift the giant House Robot, Shunt came in, and Wheely Big Cheese fled. Later in the same battle, Prizephita Mk2 was only moving in circles, so Shunt came out to attack, punctured the top with the axe, and dragged it to the pit. Sir Killalot pitted Wheely Big Cheese, but then Shunt pitted Prizephita Mk2 and Wheelosaurus, making it the only time all the competitors in a battle with more than two robots had ended up in the pit.

ShuntMortisAxeGhettoBot

Shunt and Mortis axe Ghetto-Bot together

Ghettobot axed

Shunt holds Ghetto-bot on the flame pit

During the battle between Mortis and Ghetto-Bot in the War of Independence, Mortis pushed Ghetto-Bot towards Shunt’s CPZ, and the two robots rained axe blows on the US representative, with Shunt causing six punctures. Shunt then pushed Ghetto-Bot onto the flame pit.

"Look at Shunt’s axe! More powerful, sharper than that of Mortis, it would seem!"
— Jonathan Pearce whilst Shunt attacked Ghetto-bot

Shunt was used in the Sumo Basho event that ran alongside the main competition, and performed much stronger than he had in previous series.

KaterKillerSumo

Shunt prepares to push Kater Killer off the platform in Sumo

FirestormSumo

Shunt shoves Firestorm 2 off the Sumo ring in less than five seconds

"It's the ultimate shoving match. The longer each competing robot can stay in the ring, the higher up the series leader board they'll go. But of course, it's Shunt they're up against, and he doesn't like being pushed around."
Craig Charles introduces Sumo Basho in Heat A of Series 4

Shunt dispatched half of the competitors in under ten seconds, and only four competitors managed to avoid being pushed out. He managed to push Diotoir off the ring in just under four seconds, which was ironic given its predecessor Nemesis managed to beat Shunt in the Sumo in Series 1. Diotoir was eliminated in just 3.95 seconds, the quickest ever elimination in Sumo ever.

"...and Shunt was simply awesome in power on the drive!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt pushes Diotoir straight off
X-TerminatorSumo

X-Terminator 2 and Shunt stalemate each other

BehemothSumo

Shunt is beached on Behemoth's bulldozer

X-Terminator 2 and Behemoth both managed to wedge underneath Shunt with their lifters, holding him still and stalemating him for the minute, but neither of them managed to defeat him. X-Terminator charged straight at Shunt and got its scoop underneath his own. This held Shunt's wheels slightly off the platform, preventing him getting any traction. The two pushed against each other, but neither robot could achieve more than a little bit of pushing. X-Terminator was the only robot to push Shunt backwards in this series Sumo competition.[35]. Similarly, Behemoth got his scoop under Shunt's scoop as the two slowly drove at each other. The scoop beached Shunt, but Behemoth wasn't able to move, so the two remained stationary until the end.

DestructaBubbleSumo

Destruct-A-Bubble takes on Shunt

PanicAttackSumo

Panic Attack and Shunt fall off the ring

Destruct-A-Bubble drove off the ring itself, while old enemy Panic Attack proved victorious. It had reversed whilst avoiding Shunt, getting itself stuck on the edge of the ring. Shunt came in to push it off, but missed his charge and both robots fell off the ring. Because Shunt had just hit the tyres first, Panic Attack was given the victory, the only robot to best Shunt.

"They drew Shunt on, more by luck than judgement I would suggest, but there you have it, Shunt hit the ground first, so Panic Attack will be the new leader, even though they're a little bit flukey!"
— Jonathan Pearce watches the replays of Panic Attack's Sumo run

The Pinball Warrior side event returned for Series 4, but Shunt was not used, with Matilda taking his place guarding the 50 point target.

BulldogLiftsShunt

Bulldog Breed 2 lifts Shunt

Bulldog breed shunt

Shunt slams through Bulldog Breed 2's flipper

Very few robots were brave enough to take on Shunt in this series, outside of the Sumo. Bulldog Breed 2 tried to flip it during its Round 1 battle, but only lifted him a little. Shunt retaliated by pinning it in the CPZ and axing through its flipper.

"Shunt came out very, very hungrily, and said "Bulldog, you're mine!"!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt fights back against Bulldog Breed 2
TornadoRamsShunt

Tornado pushes Shunt around

TornadoNearlyPitsShunt

Tornado nearly pushes Shunt into the pit

However, in its first televised battle, Tornado was able to shove Shunt around in circles. Tornado pushed Shunt over the pit as it began to descend, and Shunt only narrowly managed to avoid falling in because Tornado pushed at the wrong angle.

"Tornado meanwhile, puts the wind up Shunt, only a little bit. Well, not a little bit! Look at that! That’s great power from the Tornado team!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Tornado pushes Shunt

Shunt managed to get back at Tornado however. In a part edited out of the televised battle, Shunt axed two holes in Tornado.

"Shunt, we managed to push sideways quite easily (but not when we tried in his normal direction of travel). He got rather cheesed at us and put a big hole in our top armour... Gemini proceeded to flip us, and then Shunt put another hole in our underside."
— Team Tornado website[36]
PAliftsandramsShunt

Panic Attack lifts and rams Shunt in Round 2

Panic attack lifts shunt

Panic Attack hoists Shunt in the Semi-Finals

Panic Attack also attacked Shunt on two occasions, continuing their feud from Series 2. First, having defeated its opponent Saw Point in Round 2, Panic Attack got his forks under Shunt's scoop, lifted Shunt up and shoved him up the arena. Later, in the Semi-Final battle with Spawn of Scutter, Shunt was lifted up by Panic Attack again after it had flipped Spawn of Scutter over. Sir Killalot grabbed Panic Attack and pulled it back, but Panic Attack would not let Shunt go, so Shunt was pulled along with Panic Attack.

"...and look at Panic Attack, taking on the House Robots! Taking on Shunt and Killalot didn't like it at all! … where will Panic Attack send the House Robots!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Panic Attack lifts Shunt

Attacks from competitors weren’t the only problem Shunt had in this series. After Weld-Dor 2 broke down, Shunt tried lifting it as he axed it, but this almost caused him to topple forward. Then, whilst pushing Weld-Dor 2 around, Shunt reversed onto the flame pit, though he quickly got off before any damage could be done.

Ironically, before puncturing Hypno-Disc's disc in what was one of his proudest moments, he initially struggled to damage Hypno-Disc. The axe was unable to puncture the armour, and despite its limited movement, Hypno-Disc was able to dodge an axe blow. Shunt briefly got stuck on top of the limping competitor when he dropped his scoop on Hypno-Disc.

SirKhelpsShunt

Sir Killalot pulls Raizer Blade away from Shunt's axe

Like in Series 3, Shunt’s axe occasionally became stuck in some of the competitors he axed. On some occasions, Shunt was able to get himself free after a struggle, such as when his axe got stuck in Tiberius, but during the Heat Final of Heat P, his axe became stuck in Raizer Blade, and Sir Killalot had to pull Raizer Blade to separate the two.

BrokenCO2cover

Shunt breaks off a CO2 vent cover

Shunt was not used during the Tag Team Terror, making this the first episode he did not appear in.

In the battle between Panic Attack and Saw Point in Round 2 of Heat O, Shunt broke off the cover of a CO2 vent in the arena floor, causing damage to the Robot Wars Arena.

Extreme 1[]

"Shunt. The push me, pull you of house robots. All slam, bam, and robo glam."
— Jonathan Pearce reviewing Shunt's statistics before the Vengeance battle between King B Powerworks and 101
PhilliperBaseAxed

Shunt axes holes in the base of Philipper

Oblark vs Anvil

Shunt punctures the top of Oblark

The first series of Robot Wars: Extreme saw a couple of rule changes that affected Shunt and the other House Robots. The number of House Robots allowed in the arena during a battle (not including Refbot) was reduced from four to two. This, combined with the events in Extreme 1 not being filmed in broadcast order, meant that Shunt's appearances were inconstant throughout the series; some episodes had Shunt in almost every battle, or in the cases of Episodes 10, 12 and 13, every single battle. However, in other episodes, such as Episodes 1 and 3, Shunt only appeared once. In The Second World Championship, Shunt did not appear at all, the only episode of Extreme 1 not to feature him.

AxeBuddies

Shunt and X-Terminator axe Cataclysmic Variabot, which withstands the axe blows

Shunt axes pussycat

Shunt axes Pussycat, but fails to puncture

More significantly, the weight limit for competitors was increased from 80kg to 100kg. With more weight, competitors had stronger armour, so Shunt's axe was not as effective as it had been. It still punctured a great deal of robots, such as Spawn Again and Spirit of Knightmare, but it became more common than in previous series for robots to withstand the axe; Wild Thing, Wheely Big Cheese and X-Terminator being examples.

ShuntaxesFirestorm

Shunt pulls Firestorm 3 away from Dead Metal

ShuntflippedbyFirestorm

Firestorm 3 flips Shunt over

The weight limit also meant that Shunt, the lightest House Robot at 105kg, was just 5kg over the heavyweight weight limit. He was targeted by a number of competitors this series, and flipped over twice. The first was Firestorm 3 in the All-Stars quarter-finals. Having defeated Wild Thing, Firestorm 3 got underneath Dead Metal as the House Robot was pushing Wild Thing into the pit, lifting him up with its flipper and pushing it into the corner. Shunt responded by pinning Firestorm 3 against Dead Metal and hitting its gas canister with his axe, pulling it away from Dead Metal. Firestorm 3 tried driving back at Dead Metal, but Shunt was holding it with his axe, so Firestorm 3 reversed, slipping out from Shunt's axe. As cease was called, Shunt pinned Firestorm 3 against Refbot, but in doing so, drove onto the edge of Firestorm 3, and Firestorm 3 pushed and flipped Shunt over.

"What on earth was that about! They're already through to the semi-finals, they don't need to risk themselves, and I don't think the House Robots are going to like that! No! Shunt, look, trying to axe the CO2 canister. Firestorm crazy! What on earth were they doing, and they're still involved look! After the cease, they wanna rumble! This was madness! But great fun! Great courage, a little bit crazy!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Firestorm 3 takes on Dead Metal, then flips Shunt
Chaos 2 flips Shunt

Chaos 2 throws Shunt against the wall

Chaos 2 vs Shunt

Chaos 2 overturns Shunt in the Challenge Belt

The other robot to flip Shunt over in this series was Chaos 2, the second time it had flipped him over, after the final of Series 3. During its Challenge Belt battle with Tornado. Tornado rammed Chaos 2 into Shunt's CPZ, but before the House Robot could attack, Chaos 2 got under his side and flipped him. Shunt was thrown against the side wall, which prevented him from falling over, as Chaos 2 escaped the CPZ.

"What can George Francis do here? He hasn't managed to use the flipper against Tornado, but he does against Shunt! "Oi, get off my back Shunt!" he's saying here! Look at this! "You're nagging me! Get out of my face, man!" Shunt on the side and almost out of the arena!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Chaos 2 flips Shunt against the side wal

Later in the battle, Chaos 2 lost drive on one side as Tornado rammed it, and Tornado pushed it into Dead Metal's CPZ. After Dead Metal attacked Chaos 2, Shunt came in to the CPZ, axing it as Chaos 2 struggled around in circles. Shunt tried pining Chaos 2, but Chaos 2 reversed, then got under Shunt's side again and flipped him on his back. Shunt tried to right himself with his axe, but Chaos 2 flipped him on his side, before Dead Metal pulled it out of the CPZ.

George Francis: "But did you see the way I fought back even when one wheel got stuck?"
Craig Charles: "You were like a wounded animal in the corner!"
— Craig Charles comments on Chaos 2 flipping Shunt over
Panic Attack vs Shunt

Panic Attack takes on Shunt in its Mayhem

Panic Attack vs Diotoir vs Shear Khan pit

Shunt hooked onto Panic Attack

PanicAttackLiftsShuntWCW

Panic Attack lifts Shunt again in the Wild Card Warriors

Old rival Panic Attack also attacked Shunt, in two battles. Firstly, after Panic Attack defeated Diotoir and Shear Khan to win its Mayhem, Cease was called, but Shunt proceeded to push Shear Khan towards the pit. However, Panic Attack then got underneath Shunt and got its lifting forks hooked in his wheel guards. Matilda and Refbot attempted to separate them as Cease was called again, and Refbot ended the battle by issuing Panic Attack a yellow card.

"...and Panic Attack has a little nudge on Shunt, that's great! Look at this, they're trying to topple Shunt! Certainly got the weapons wedged in hard underneath! Shunt will not like this, and the House Robots, Kim Davies, have long memories!"
— Jonathan Pearce on Panic Attack lifting Shunt during its Mayhem

Despite the warning, Panic Attack attacked Shunt again in its Wild Card Warriors battle against Axe-Awe. Again, it was after Cease had been called, and Panic Attack lifted Shunt up, despite Sgt. Bash's attempt to stop it.

However, aside from these problems, Shunt could still cause damage and dispose of beaten competitors.

"...bull-nosed, lion-hearted, tigerish, dogged, an animal of a robot."
— Jonathan Pearce describes Shunt before the Mayhem battle between Behemoth, Stinger and Thermidor 2
Ex1HRR1

Shunt and Dead Metal duel with the three competitors

Shunt's most notable appearance in Extreme 1 was in the first ever House Robot Rebellion, where he took on Plunderbird 5, Scorpion and Stinger, along with Dead Metal and Matilda, who came in as a substitute late on.

"Well, they're very brave to go in against our House Robots, we know that, because House Robots are out of the CPZ, they can do whatever they want in this - no holds barred!"
— Jonathan Pearce on the competitors in the House Robot Rebellion
ShuntPitsPlunderbird

Shunt pits Plunderbird 5

Ex1HRR3

Shunt axes Scorpion and pushes it around

Shunt started by chasing Scorpion, ramming it into the top of the arena. Scorpion escaped, so Shunt went after Plunderbird 5, which seemed to have lost drive on one side. Shunt axed Plunderbird 5, dragged it back, then pushed it into the pit. Shunt then went back after Scorpion, axing the top and pushing it around. Unable to put it into the pit as there was not space, Shunt forced it onto the flame pit and held it there, whilst Dead Metal held Stinger.

"Again, you see, we hold all the aces! Were you brave or were you foolhardy?"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt holds Scorpion on the flame pit

As Matilda came in, Shunt flipped Scorpion into the pit with his scoop to join Plunderbird 5. Dead Metal still had remaining competitor Stinger in his claws and was cutting into it with his saw, and came over Shunt and axed its wheels. Shunt pushed Stinger around as Dead Metal let go in the last few seconds. Shunt could not finish Stinger off, and so the team of competitors were still declared the victors, although Shunt and the House Robots had still dominated proceedings.

"Only seven seconds for Stinger to survive. But we have our revenge! The House Robots came out to play, and they've enjoyed their picnic in the arena and how!"
— Jonathan Pearce as the Rebellion finishes
ShuntPitsRazer

Shunt pits Razer after its failed Vengeance challenge against Pussycat

ShuntPItsGeminiHalfandNapalm

Shunt pits Napalm 2 and one half of Gemini together

CVfloorflipper

Shunt puts Cataclysmic Variabot onto the floor flipper

Shunt Comengetorix

Shunt flips over Comengetorix

As usual, Shunt's main job was to perform "mercy killings" on beaten competitors. He pushed robots such as Wheely Big Cheese, Razer, Judge Shred 2½ and Comengetorix into the pit, and put others including Cataclysmic Variabot, Shear Khan, Oblark and Tornado, onto the floor flipper. In the Mayhem battle between The Spider, Napalm 2 and Gemini, he pushed one half of Gemini into the pit together with Napalm. Gemini had been counted out after both halves became stuck on their backs, but one half was righted after a push from Napalm, and got under Napalm 2 and flipped it.

"Gemini's finally come to life again. That's far too late! Counted out by the Refbot, and Shunt, "Oh I've had enough", says Shunt, "You can all go down there, skull and crossbones and just about everything!""
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt pits Napalm and one half of Gemini together

Shunt's axe was still useful for dragging robots around, such as when he dragged Comengetorix to the flame pit, and when he dragged Thermidor 2 onto the floor flipper. He also used his scoop to flip over Comengetorix and Oblark.

Mega-Hurts vs Sub-Version

Shunt attacks the submariners' mascot

Shunt continued to attack decorations on competitors. After Sub-Version broke down in the Forces Special, Shunt axed the mascot, and lifted the robot with his scoop, causing the mascot to fall out of the crow's nest.

"Oh dear! Captain, you are heading down, into the depths. Down comes Shunt's axe! That is very painful!...and out he comes! Man overboard! Man the lifeboats! That wasn't really necessary!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt attacks the Sub-Version mascot

During Mega Morg's Vengeance battle with Plunderbird 5, Shunt came out of his CPZ and axed Mega Morg's ninja sheep.

VengeanceMegaMorgPlunderbird

Shunt axes Mega Morg and receives a yellow card

Another change in this series was the introduction of Refbot's card system. Mostly used to confirm the elimination of immobile robots, it was also used to warn House Robots that broke the rules, such as leaving their CPZs illegally or going too far in attacking competitors. Shunt was one of the robots to receive a yellow card. During a long, dull battle between Plunderbird 5 and Mega Morg, Shunt, apparently "bored", came out of his CPZ and axed Mega Morg right on the melted Ninja Sheep. Refbot issued Shunt with a yellow card, but Shunt seemed to take little notice, because his axe was stuck in Mega Morg, and his attempts at freeing himself nearly caused him to topple forwards on a few occasions. After a little help from Refbot and Plunderbird 5, Shunt managed to free himself.

"So, he's saying to Shunt "I don't care if you're bored, you can't break the rules and come out!" … Well done Shunt, you're okay by me mate, get involved with those Mega Morg boys!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt gets a yellow card
Razer vs Tornado

Shunt comes in to get Tornado free of Razer

ShuntrightsOblark

Shunt flips Oblark onto its wheels

Shunt continued to help robots that were trapped or stuck. When Tornado was stuck on Razer's beak in the All-Stars Final, Shunt hit Tornado with his axe to knock it loose. In the Forces Special, Shunt flipped Oblark over, and when it tried to self-right, it became stuck on its front with its flipper stuck open. Shunt used his scoop to push Oblark back on its wheels.

XterminatorpushesChaos2intoShunt

X-Terminator pushes Chaos 2 into Shunt

MatildahitsShunt

Matilda accidentally reverses into Shunt

Shunt's first battle in Extreme 1 was the All-Stars battle between Chaos 2 and X-Terminator, shown as part of episode 1, but this was far from his best battle in the series. X-Terminator pushed Chaos 2 into Shunt, but Chaos 2 was able to dodge Shunt's axe. Later, after X-Terminator was flipped over, Shunt was pushing against X-Terminator, and Matilda, aiming to hit X-Terminator with her flywheel, reversed into Shunt.

ShuntRammedByBeefCake

Beef-Cake charges at Shunt

ShuntFlipsBeefCake

Shunt flips Beef-Cake over

In the Featherweight Championship, Shunt was one of the two House Robots used.

"Could push these two around all day, can't he?"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces the House Robots for the Featherweight battle

After RC Warrior broke down, Beef-Cake charged at Shunt, even though the House Robot was over 100kg heavier than it. It drove up Shunt's plough, nearly getting stuck. Beef-Cake drove away and opened the pit, disposing of RC Warrior, then charged at Shunt again, but bounced of his scoop, and Shunt then reversed into Beef-Cake, flipping it over with his plough. Shunt then pushed the featherweight into the path of Sir Killalot, who drove over it, crushing it. Shunt tried to axe Beef-Cake, but it struggled to hit such a small target.

"Look at the difference in size! It's like an ant against an elephant!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Beef-Cake rams Shunt

The damage to Beef-Cake by the House Robots was very unpopular, not just with the Beef-Cake team; the crowd started booing loudly, Jonathan Pearce described it as "so cruel" and pleaded for the House Robots to stop and Craig Charles suggested after the battle they needed to have a word with the House Roboteers and described it as "bullying" and "unfair".

StuckonSMIDSY

Shunt stuck on S.M.I.D.S.Y.

SMIDSY pitted

Shunt struggles to drop S.M.I.D.S.Y. into the pit

In Round 1 of the Tag Team Terror, after S.M.I.D.S.Y. broke down, Shunt was axing it, easily puncturing the armour, but when he flipped S.M.I.D.S.Y. over, he dropped the scoop on S.M.I.D.S.Y. and became stuck. Shunt did get down, and was pushing S.M.I.D.S.Y. towards the pit, but S.M.I.D.S.Y. got one of its wheel hubs stuck on one of the spikes on Shunt's scoop, so Shunt was unable to drop it in properly, nearly toppling in himself.

ShuntImmobileEx1

Shunt breaks down in the Forces Special

ShuntTopplesForward

Shunt topples forwards whist axing Pussycat

Shunt had other problems across the series. He broke down twice, first in the German Melee. Matilda was attacking the immobile Golem, and Shunt came over, but after giving Golem a push, Shunt broke down, with Golem hanging on its scoop. Matilda had to flip Golem off, before Refbot counted it out. In the Forces Special, Shunt broke down in the Round 2 battle between Mega-Hurts and Sub-Version. After Sub-Version was counted out, Shunt axed it and put it on the flipper. After it was thrown, Shunt attacked it again, but suddenly broke down. Sir Killalot had to pull Sub-Version away and pit it.

Shunt's axe got briefly stuck in Pussycat during its battle with Tornado in the All-Stars, and Shunt nearly topped forward as he tried to get it out.

Series 5[]

"Shunt is the lightest of our House Robots at 105 kilos, but quick and manoeuvrable. It can bulldoze, or with the fearsome axe, Shunt will blunt the brightest of hopes!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt during the House Robot introduction
ShuntBigNipper

Shunt axes a number of holes in Big Nipper

Vipersplinter

V.I.P.E.R. 01 is axed by Shunt and Splinter

As in Extreme 1, Shunt’s appearances varied greatly across Series 5. In Heats E and F, he was in every battle, whereas in Heat H and the Grand Final, he only appeared in one, and in Heat G, he appeared in none of the battles, the only episode that year he did not appear in.

Shunt’s axe was still able to puncture many competitors. The most damage it caused in this series was on Big Nipper in its Round 1 battle with Razer. Razer pushed Big Nipper into the CPZ, and Shunt landed a series of axe blows, puncturing it five times.

"Oh! And Shunt's diamond-edged axe, the hardest material there is, slicing into Big Nipper."
— Jonathan Pearce during Razer's battle with Big Nipper

Shunt also made four punctures on V.I.P.E.R. 01 in its battle with Splinter. Splinter pushed its opponent into Shunt, who punctured it with the axe and pushed it away, and Splinter pushed V.I.P.E.R. 01 back towards Shunt, who axed a couple more holes in the top and lifted it up as he pushed it away. Splinter forced V.I.P.E.R. 01 into Shunt's CPZ again, and Shunt axed it and dragged it onto the flame pit. V.I.P.E.R. 01 was roasted on the flame pit whilst being axed by Shunt and Splinter, and Shunt dragged it off just before time ran out.

Pussycat vs firestorm vs shunt

Shunt axes Firestorm 3 as it tries to get Pussycat out of the arena

X-terminator shunt

Shunt pushes X-Terminator to the flame pit

However, as in Extreme 1, there were more robots able to withstand the axe than in previous wars. Notably, during the Semi-Finals, Shunt failed to puncture Wild Thing, Spawn Again, S3 and Firestorm 3. The axe was still useful at pinning robots down, allowing him to push or drag robots around, such as when he used it to hold X-Terminator still as he pushed it to the flame pit towards the end of its Round 2 battle against Corkscrew in Heat F.

Shunt Tartan Terror

Shunt pushes The Tartan Terror onto the flame pit

ShuntBurningKilt

Shunt with pieces of The Tartan Terror's burning kilt stuck on him

One of Shunt’s most notable battles in this series was the Round 1 battle in Heat A between The Steel Avenger and The Tartan Terror. He axed The Tartan Terror twice, but failed to puncture the shell, despite the fact it was made of wood. The Tartan Terror was put on the flame pit by Sir Killalot, and as Shunt pushed it to the floor flipper, parts of The Tartan Terror’s burning kilt became stuck on Shunt.

"Is Shunt on fire? … Shunt's not on fire, well a little bit! I think it's actually remnants of Tartan Terror's kilt."
— Jonathan Pearce notices the flames on Shunt
ShuntTNSMatilda

Shunt pulls Trouble 'n' Strife into Matilda's flywheel

Pitvelocirippa

Shunt pits Velocirippa

Heat E was Shunt’s most eventful episode in this series. He appeared in every battle, and he had a number of notable moments in those battles. Towards the end of the battle between Wild Thing and Trouble 'n' Strife, Wild Thing forced Trouble 'n' Strife into Shunt's CPZ. Shunt used his axe to pin Trouble 'n' Strife down, then dragged it into Matilda’s flywheel. He and Sgt. Bash pitted the beaten Velocirippa together after it broke down in its battle with The Alien, then did the same to the seeded Thermidor 2 after it broke down after running out of CO2 in its battle against Prizephita Mach 2.

ShuntandBashpitThermidor2

Shunt and Sgt. Bash pit Thermidor 2

DMpullsTheAlien

Dead Metal pulls The Alien free of Shunt's axe

In Round 2, after The Alien was stuck on its back and counted out, Shunt axed the underbelly, but the axe became stuck, and Dead Metal had to pull the competitor off. As Dead Metal let The Alien go, Shunt came in to axe the underbelly again, but The Alien self-righted. Unable to get away, The Alien hit Shunt's scoop with its spinning hammer, but Shunt hit the hammer with his axe, stopping it with one blow.

Shuntroastslamb

Shunt roasts the Lambsy mascot

Immortalis shunt

Shunt shatters the globe of Immortalis

Shunt continued to attack decorations on the competitors. In Lambsy’s first battle, Shunt axed the sheep mascot after it fell off Lambsy, spun around with it, and put it on the flame pit.

"Anyone for lamb kebab tonight? ... and there we have it, roast lamb for you!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt burns Lambsy's mascot

He also smashed the dome on the rear of Immortalis, shattering the back end of the immobilised machine.

BiggerBrotherFlipsShunt

Bigger Brother flips Shunt over

Shunt suffered a couple of attacks from the competitors in this series. In the Heat I Final between 3 Stegs 2 Heaven and Bigger Brother, Bigger Brother pushed 3 Stegs 2 Heaven into his CPZ, but before Shunt could attack, Bigger Brother flipped Shunt over, forcing Sir Killalot to come over to attack 3 Stegs 2 Heaven.

Craig Charles: "What have you got against Shunt?"
Ian Watts: "Ah well, he was there! What are you going to do?"
Craig Charles: "He was there, and you thought "I can take him down!""
— Interview following Bigger Brother's victory against 3 Stegs 2 Heaven
PAliftsShuntasitattacksTiberius

Panic Attack lifts Shunt as he attacks Tiberius 2

The next heat saw old rival Panic Attack stage another attack on Shunt. During its battle with Tiberius 2, Panic Attack got under Shunt as he was attacking Tiberius, and lifted him up. Refbot intervened, pushing against Panic Attack, so Panic Attack abandoned his attack, reversing away. Shunt's axe was caught in the top of Tiberius 2, and as Shunt struggled to get the axe out and pushed Tiberius 2 forwards, Panic Attack rushed back in, getting under Tiberius with its forks, and lifting it up as Shunt got its axe free.

Kim Davies: "...we had an agreement, if a House Robot went after them, we'd help them out! So we went over there when Shunt started and we had him, but then they got out!"
Craig Charles: "It wouldn't have been Panic Attack, would it, without a ding-dong with the House Robots?"
— In the post-battle review

Shunt would later exact revenge in the Semi-Finals. During its battle with Pussycat, Panic Attack was caught in the CPZ with Sgt. Bash, and Shunt also came over, blocking Panic Attack as it tried to escape, and axing it.

RefbotShunt

Shunt gets red-carded

ShuntpushesRefbot

Shunt pushes Refbot in retaliation

Shunt continued to have problems with his axe getting stuck in robots. For example, Shunt came out of his CPZ to axe Destruct-A-Bubble when it stopped moving during its battle with Rick, but his axe got stuck in the competitor, and when Shunt tried lifting Destruct-A-Bubble, he began toppling forwards, with the axe still being stuck. He managed to free the axe after some pushing and pulling. This battle was also notable because Shunt was given an instant red card from Refbot for leaving his CPZ and attacking a competitor before it was counted out.

"...I don't think Shunt should be out there, that's not in the CPZ, Refbot. And Shunt on the attack again... he's red-carded! Shunt sent back to his corner!"
— Jonathan Pearce whilst Shunt is red-carded in the battle between Rick and Destruct-A-Bubble

As Shunt reversed to his CPZ, Refbot followed him, and Shunt pushed back against Refbot, "angry" at the red card.

"...and Shunt's having a ruck here with the Refbot! A real argument ensuing!"
— Jonathan Pearce in the battle between Rick and Destruct-A-Bubble
ShuntpitsTHZ

Shunt struggles to drop Terrorhurtz into the pit

Shunt’s axe also became stuck in Terrorhurtz after it became immobilised in its battle against Fluffy in Heat L. After Terrorhurtz was thrown by the Floor Flipper, Shunt axed the underbelly and lifted it up with his scoop, but the axe became stuck in the base, and when Shunt tried pushing the beaten competitor into the pit, Terrorhurtz would not fall off the end. Shunt tried moving away, but his scoop was hanging over the edge so he could not reverse away, and he accidentally drove into the pit with Terrorhurtz.

"Shunt's gone in after them! Oh dear, driving lessons for you!"
— Jonathan Pearce during the battle between Terrorhurtz and Fluffy
Shunthasanaccident

Shunt falls into the pit whilst pitting Axe-C-Dent

Shunt also fell into the pit whilst pitting Axe-C-Dent in its Heat K battle with Destruct-A-Bubble. Shunt fired his axe in the gap for the spinning axe, and used his axe to pull Axe-C-Dent away from the wall, turned it around, and pushed it down the arena to the pit. However, he drove too fast and drove over the edge of the pit. As he was holding Axe-C-Dent with his scoop and axe, this caused him to topple into the pit.

"Axe-C-Dent did have an accident, with Shunt!"
— Craig Charles after Shunt falls into the pit with Axe-C-Dent
Shunt immortalis

Immortalis is pitted by Shunt

Corkscrew vs 13 black

Shunt attempts to separate Corkscrew and 13 Black

Shunt’s pushing abilities were used to pit beaten robots such as Immortalis and Juggernot 2, or push them to the floor flipper, such as Corkscrew and Firestorm 3. Occasionally, Shunt attempted to separate robots that were stuck together, though Refbot was usually used in these cases. When one of Corkscrew's blades became stuck in the side of 13 Black, he attempted to use his plough to push the two robots apart, but he was unable to do so, so the fight had to be stopped in order for the crew to separate the two competitors[37].

ShuntLiftsWildThing

Shunt attempts to free Wild Thing from under Dead Metal

In the Semi-Final battle between Chaos 2 and Wild Thing, Shunt tried to free Wild Thing when it became stuck under Dead Metal. Chaos 2 pushed Wild Thing into Dead Metal's CPZ, and whilst trying to get the flipper underneath, had pushed Wild Thing under one of Dead Metal's arms. Shunt rushed in, axing Wild Thing, and tried to free Wild Thing by lifting it with his scoop. This failed, so Shunt reversed as Chaos 2 charged back at Wild Thing.

LiftingS3againstfence

Razer and Shunt lift S3 against the fence

Shunt almost managed to lift a competitor out of the arena in this series, during Razer's battle with S3 in the first Semi-Final. Razer had S3 pinned in the bottom CPZ and crushed into the armour next to one of the wheels whilst Shunt axed S3. Razer lifted S3 up against the fence. Shunt got his scoop under the other side, helping Razer to lift it up against the fence. Time ran out before they could lift it out however.

Series 6[]

"Shunt will bully and bulldoze, and leave even the best facing the axe from the Sixth Wars!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt during the House Robot introduction
Alien meets Shunt + Shred

Shunt axes The Alien

Dantomkia Chaos 2 1

Shunt pins Chaos 2 as both competitors flail around in the CPZ in the Heat Final of Heat C

Shunt returned for Series 6 with an improved pneumatics system and a new blade for his axe. The blade was no longer "diamond edged" as had been often boasted in previous series. Compared to previous series, Shunt did not have a great deal of involvement during this series.

He was absent from Heat F and Heat G, as well as the UK vs Germany Special at the end of the series. In a number of episodes he did appear in, he only appeared in one battle, and in those, he sometimes did not make an impact, such as his first appearance in the series, the Heat Final of Heat A.

Despite this, he was used in every battle of Grand Final, and all but one battle in Heat I. He also appeared in nine of the twelve Heat Finals, including the first five heats.

ShuntAxesICU

Shunt axes the base of ICU

Terrorhurtz vs Bigger Brother

Shunt tries to axe Terrorhurtz

As in Extreme 1 and Series 5, Shunt's axe was less effective than it had been before the weight increase, but in this series, it was able to puncture very few robots. Notably, he failed to puncture Firestorm 4 and Terrorhurtz, despite trying multiple times in two battles each across the series. There were some exceptions, including the base plate of ICU after it was flipped over in Round 1 of Heat D, and also the top of Warhog in Heat J.

Shunt vs Shredder

Shunt uses his axe to drag Shredder out of the CPZ

SumpthingShunt

Shunt pushes Sumpthing to the flame pit

However, the axe still proved effective at holding robots still so Shunt could drag them, which it did to Shredder in Round 2 of Heat D and Sumpthing in Heat J, where he used his axe to hold Sumpthing still as it forced it onto the flame pit.

ShuntliftsupWarhog

Shunt lifts Warhog onto S.M..I.D.S.Y.

Razer Tornado 1

Razer is lifted up and axed by Shunt

Shunt was also able to use his axe together with his scoop to lift robots up. He did this twice, first in Round 1 in Heat J, where he used his weapons together to lift Warhog onto S.M.I.D.S.Y., then later in the Grand Final, where Tornado forced Razer into him, and Shunt axed Razer and lifted it up. Notably, although his axe did not appear to puncture Razer, it did crumple the side.

ShuntStopsVaderDisc

Shunt stops Vader's disc

Another notable moment for the axe in this series was in the Heat Final of Heat E, when Wild Thing pushed Vader into Shunt's CPZ. Vader's disc was spinning at full speed, but Shunt smashed his axe into the side of the disc, bringing it to a stop.

"Down comes the axe of Shunt, and that has wedged the Vader weapon! A decisive blow for the House Robot! ...it just stopped them absolutely dead in their tracks!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt's axe stops Vader's disc
ShuntPitsSabretooth

Shunt pits Sabretooth

Shunt's main role in this series was the arena duties on immobilised competitors. He pushed robots such as Sabretooth, Axe-C-Dent 2 and Barber-Ous 2 into the pit, and also put competitors including ICU and R.O.C.S. onto the flipper. In the cases of Ming 3 in Heat H, Tridentate in Heat L and Terrorhurtz in the Grand Final, he pushed them both onto the floor flipper and then pushed them into the pit.

PA24K Shunt

Shunt achieves vengeance on Panic Attack as he pushes it onto the Drop Zone

ShuntPitsBehemothandTridentate

Shunt pits Tridentate, having pitted Behemoth

Most of Shunt's notable moments in this series came from doing the arena duties. He pitted second seed Bigger Brother after it was eliminated by Terrorhurtz in the Semi-Final. In one of the first-round melees in Heat L, he pitted Tridentate and Behemoth. This battle was notable because Sir Killalot also pitted Derek 2, making it one of the few times three or more heavyweights went into the pit. Fittingly, Shunt was able to get some revenge on Panic Attack, dragging it to the Floor Flipper and then the Drop Zone, the new arena hazard for this series, in the Heat Final of Heat I.

"Will the House Robots, Shunt and Matilda, totally destroy? Oh, oh, oh, the Drop Zone's being lined up! Surely not for Panic Attack, have some reverence!... Shunt, how could you? How nasty! How wonderful!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt pushes Panic Attack onto the Drop Zone
Wild Thing vs Vader HF

Shunt comes in as Wild Thing and Vader fail to separate

ShuntThzReptirron

Shunt pushes Reptirron the Second and Terrorhurtz apart

Shunt was also used to separate robots that were stuck together. First, in the Heat Final of Heat E when Wild Thing's disc became stuck in the side of Vader. Refbot and Sir Killalot tried pushing the two competitors, but they were still stuck, so Shunt followed them across the arena as Wild Thing pushed Vader up the arena. Shunt waited in a CPZ for Wild Thing to push Vader into him, then axed Vader, lifted it up with his scoop and pushed it towards the arena centre, which separated it from Wild Thing. Later, in Round 1 of Heat I, Terrorhurtz's axe became stuck in Reptirron the Second, and Refbot was busy counting out Sabretooth, so Shunt came out of his CPZ to push Reptirron the Second free.

Shunt firestorm

Shunt is lifted by Firestorm 4 before being toppled over

Shunt firestorm refbot x-terminator

Firestorm 4 rights Shunt as Refbot counts out X-Terminator

While there were few attacks on House Robots in this series, Shunt bore the brunt of two of them. First, Firestorm 4 got underneath and turned him onto his side following its victory over X-Terminator in the Heat Final of Heat B.

"Shunt overturned! The crowd love it when the House Robots are flipped and tipped, and beaten and bullied, and we remember it! We will have our day! We will have our day, Firestorm team!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Firestorm 4 flips Shunt

Firestorm 4 then drove him round the arena a few times before flipping him back onto his wheels. Shunt retaliated by chasing Firestorm 4 until cease was called.

"Well, he was either going to attack them with his axe, or he was going to knock them off the side, and I didn't want either of them"
— Graham Bone explains why he attacked Shunt after the battle
Shuntsbucketgash

Shunt's bucket, damaged by Hypno-Disc

ShuntPatchedUpScoop

Shunt in the Grand Final. Note that the scoop has been patched up

Although not shown on television, during the Heat Final of Heat K, Hypno-Disc cut a gash in his scoop[38]. This gash can be seen across the series. It is not present in the early rounds, but can be seen in many of the Heat Finals and through the Semi-Finals, and has been patched up for the Grand Final.

ShuntPuncturesTornado

Shunt punctures the top of Tornado

In the Grand Final eliminator battle between Firestorm 4 and Tornado, an axe blow by Shunt almost changed the outcome of the series. Tornado rammed Firestorm 4 into Shunt's CPZ. Shunt axed Firestorm 4 first, failing to puncture, but then axed Tornado, puncturing one of the top panels between the wheels.

"...Tornado, which takes terrific damage from Shunt! It's cleaved open a …crevasse-like slice at the top, there you can see!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt punctures Tornado

However, the axe blow did more serious internal damage, breaking one of Tornado's chain tensioners. Despite this, Tornado kept going, went on to win the fight and then the final against Razer.

"We managed to push Firestorm into Shunt's CPZ, and Shunt hit them twice, and us once, destroying one of our chain tensioners! We kept going though, and the turning point came when we opened the pit, and managed to push them into it, despite the chain tensioner problem. It seems we were very lucky indeed, because Tornado came off stage making a horrid noise, and the chain was off the back sprocket, yet it was still going! So that was it, we had made it through to the Grand Final!"
— Team Tornado website[39]
Chromalot Bumps Shunt

Sir Chromalot bumps into Shunt

There was also a somewhat comical moment during Heat D, when Sir Chromalot drove into the arena and bumped into Shunt. Shunt seemed to take offence to this and chased Sir Chromalot to its starting spotlight.

Extreme 2[]

"The power packed Shunt, strong enough to pull a Land Rover and featuring a deadly axe which can cleave all opponents in two."
— The official Robot Wars website on Shunt[40]
Pressure axed

Pressure is hit by Shunt's axe and Piranha's blade

ShuntChompalotSpinDoctor

Shunt axes Chompalot when it pushes Spin Doctor into his CPZ

Shunt appeared frequently during the second series of Robot Wars Extreme, only being absent from Heat B of the New Blood Championship. However, just like in Series 6, notable moments involving him were genuinely limited.

Dantomkia terrorhurtz tornado shunt

Shunt axes Dantomkia

Sgt Bash vs Tornado

Shunt lifts Terrorhurtz up

Shunt's first appearance was in the very first battle of the series, in Heat A of the All-Stars. This proved to be one of his most eventful battles in the series. First, he axed Dantomkia and pulled it away from Terrorhurtz. He then tried to axe Terrorhurtz, but despite repeated attempts, couldn't hit the body due to Terrorhurtz's anti-axe panels. Instead, Shunt used its scoop to lift Terrorhurtz up, push it into Refbot and flip it over, from which it could not self-right as its axe was out of power, allowing Dantomkia to pit it.

Shunt axes philipper 2 final

Shunt axes Philipper 2

As in Series 6, Shunt's axe was less effective than it had been in previous series, failing to puncture most competitors due to the improving standards of armour. Shunt even failed to puncture less experienced competitors such as Infinity, Maximus and Spin Doctor. Notable lows for Shunt included the Heat Final of Heat A of the All-Stars, where he couldn't puncture Bigger Brother or Firestorm 4, and failing to puncture Philipper 2 in the European Championship despite two attempts.

Ex2MiddleweightRound1.1

Broadsword has its top ripped off

There were some highlights for Shunt, however. In the Middleweight Championship, Shunt used his axe to rip the baseplate off of Broadsword after flipping it against the arena wall, the most damage he did in the series.

Razer vs 13black vs shunt CPZ

Razer takes 13 Black to Shunt's CPZ

Razer13Black1

Shunt axes 13 Black

In Heat B of the All-Stars, when Razer pushed 13 Black into his CPZ, Shunt used his axe to puncture one of 13 Black's discs, then Shunt dragged both competitors together. Also during the All-Stars, Shunt's axe punctured the armour of Dantomkia.

FirestormFlipsShuntEx2

Firestorm 4 tries to flip Shunt

A few competitors tried to attack Shunt in this series, but none of them made much of an impact. During its Round 2 battle in the All-Stars, after Dantomkia was immobilised, Firestorm 4 got under Shunt, pushed him into the corner and tried to flip him over, but couldn't topple the House Robot because it was flipping him against the arena wall and didn't have enough power left in the flipper.

Craig Charles: "You take on the House Robots though! You had a good go at Shunt, again! Your robot is so tenacious, it goes on and on and on, it's like an Energizer bunny!"
Graham Bone: "Yeah, in that one though, because we're using the flipper so much, the valves were freezing up, so that it wasn't as powerful, you weren't getting the flow rate through, otherwise I would have had Shunt over!"
— Discussing the attack on Shunt in the post-battle interview
House Robots Barbaric Response

Matilda attacks Barbaric Response as it tries to flip Shunt

Barbaric Response attempted to flip Shunt over after defeating Mighty Mouse and Velocirippa in Round 1 of the Tag Team Terror, but only managed to lift it a little, and Matilda attacked Barbaric Response as it was doing so, hitting the rear of Barbaric Response with her flywheel, smashing two polycarbonate panels and broke part of the wheel guard[41].

BehemothShuntIM

Shunt lifts up Behemoth in the Iron Maidens

In Round 1 of the Iron Maidens, Behemoth went after Shunt. Behemoth attempted to flip Shunt as he and Mr. Psycho tried to get Riptilion away from the angle grinder, but only managed to lift it a little. Behemoth turned away, but then drove after Shunt as he returned to his CPZ. Shunt pushed back against Behemoth, which escaped. However, as Riptilion was being counted out, Behemoth attacked Shunt again. Shunt lifted Behemoth up with his scoop, but Behemoth reversed and got its scoop under Shunt's scoop and lifted the House Robot, pushing him back.

"...and bulldozer blade to bulldozer blade, Behemoth with Shunt."
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt fights Behemoth
PA vs Shunt

Panic Attack engages with Shunt

Old rival Panic Attack also made another attack on Shunt in this series, in Round 1 of the Commonwealth Carnage. With Cerberus and Terror Turtle being immobilised, Panic Attack attacked Shunt, getting its forks under the House Robot, lifting him off his wheels and pushing it against the top of the arena in the last few seconds of the battle.

"Meanwhile, Panic Attack is taking on Shunt, is that wise?"
— Jonathan Pearce as Panic Attack lifts Shunt
Kan-Opener Thermidor 2 Annihilator Final 4

Kan-Opener and Thermidor 2 near the CPZ where Shunt and Sgt Bash are

Kan-Opener Thermidor 2 Annihilator Final 2

Shunt's camera shows him axing Kan-Opener

In the final of the Annihilator, Kan-Opener got one of its claws stuck in the side of Shunt. Thermidor 2 had pushed it into the CPZ, and as Sgt. Bash and Shunt came in, Thermidor 2 reversed away, and Kan-Opener attempted to push past Shunt, but in doing so one of its claws became stuck in Shunt's side. Shunt had to use his scoop to lift Kan-Opener loose whilst Sgt. Bash held it still.

ShuntpitsELPB

Shunt pits Ellie's Little Pink Bot

Shunt continued to commit "mercy killings" on beaten competitors, though he did so relatively rarely compared to other series. One of the few times he did so in this series was in the Lightweight Championship, where he put Ellie's Little Pink-Bot onto the floor flipper, then pitted it.

ShuntMaxDZ

Shunt puts Maximus on the Drop Zone

For the New Blood Championship, Shunt and the other House Robots were allowed to do more damage than usual to immobilised competitors.

"A real baptism of fire - none of the "Mercy Clauses" that the usual competitors get to sign, if you lost in this your machine was going to be thoroughly trashed by the House Robots, there was even a briefing given before the competition explaining what was in store."
— Team Storm Website[42]
Shunt Chopper

Shunt axes the underside of Chopper

ShuntChopperFlamePit

Shunt puts Chopper on the flame pit

Despite this however, Shunt made little impact in the tournament. In Heat A, he put Maximus on the Drop Zone, having failed to puncture the armour despite multiple attempts. One exception was in Heat C, which saw one of his most brutal treatments of a beaten competitor, as he used his axe to drag Chopper to the floor flipper, and after it was thrown into the air, Shunt re-positioned it on the flipper so it could be thrown again. Shunt then put Chopper on the flame pit, before finally pitting it

"...that's great work by the House Robot!... We've done surely everything we can do to embarrass Chopper, and just destroy it. Or is there more? Is there more Shunt, I wonder?"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt drags Chopper to the floor flipper, then later as he prepared to pit it
ShuntStuckDeadMetalClaw

Shunt stuck on one of Dead Metal's claws

There were a couple of comical moments in the Robot Rampage, both coming in the first round of the Middleweight Championship. In the first Round 1 melee, Shunt was attacking Broadsword along with Dead Metal. However, Shunt turned with his scoop raised, and became stuck on one of Dead Metal's claws. Dead Metal reversed to try and release his fellow House Robot, but this merely pulled Shunt, so Shunt had to raise his lifter to free himself.

ShuntFloorFlipped

Shunt is flipped by the floor flipper

In the second Round 1 melee, Shunt was positioning Doom Too on the flipper to join Mammoth, but spent too long adjusting Doom Too's position to ensure both robots were properly on the flipper. The flipper was fired before Shunt could get off meaning Shunt was flipped upwards by it.

Chompalot and Shunt

Shunt controversially helps Chompalot

Shunt's two most notable moments in Extreme 2 came in a rather controversial battle during the Iron Maidens tournament. During the second round, Behemoth had flipped Chompalot over and Chompalot could not right itself due to low hydraulic fuel levels for the self-righting wings[43], but Shunt came out of his CPZ and flipped the dragon-based robot back onto its wheels with his scoop.

"Was that an attack by Shunt? House Robots aren't allowed to help a competitor out, of course, it might well have been a misguided attack from Shunt!"
— Jonathan Pearce after Shunt righted Chompalot
IronMaidensRound2.2

Shunt knocks out Behemoth's link (just visible below Behemoth and to the left of Chompalot)

Later, Behemoth drove into an empty CPZ, so Shunt rushed over and attacked Behemoth, pushing it against the wall and axing the top a couple of times, puncturing it with the second blow. As Shunt turned Behemoth out of the CPZ, Chompalot rushed over to block its escape, pushing it against Shunt. Shunt continued to axe Behemoth's top, eventually knocking its link out, leaving Behemoth immobile. As the House Robots are not meant to "help" an immobilised robot unless it is stuck on an arena hazard or the arena wall, Shunt's actions were criticised after the battle, particularly by the Behemoth team; both Philippa Forrester and Liz Pritchard pointed out that Behemoth would have won the battle had Shunt not righted Chompalot, and Liz Pritchard claimed she was "very angry" at Shunt's interference.

Philippa Forrester: "Right, that wasn't fair, was it?"
Liz Pritchard: "No it certainly wasn't, no!"
— Forrester and Pritchard comment on the controversy

Series 7[]

"Around the arena you'll see him hunt, he's the beefy bulldozer - Shunt! A diamond tipped axe that can deliver a killer blow is the best weapon in Shunt's repertoire of tricks."
— The Series 7 Programme on Shunt
Lightning vs Thor

Shunt involved in some action with Sgt Bash as Lightning pushes Thor into the CPZ

Shunt Crushtacean 1

Shunt axes Crushtacean but does not puncture

Series 7 continued the trend of Shunt's decline in effectiveness. As in the previous two series, Shunt's axe was largely unable to puncture competitors; King B Powerworks, Thor, Leveller 2, Demolition Man and the wooden Brutus Maximus being some of the competitors that withstood its axe blows this series. Particularly notable, Shunt failed to puncture S.M.I.D.S.Y. despite making three attempts in Round 1 of Heat G. Shunt also failed to puncture the base of Tartarus in Heat L.

In that same Heat, the Mute team even mocked how little damage Shunt's axe did to them. Before their Round 2 battle with Behemoth, Jayne Middlemiss mentioned how Behemoth had an axe as well as a scoop, to which the Mute team said they were not scared of axes as Mute was too strong to be damaged by axes. To demonstrate, they showed Jayne the mark where Shunt's axe had hit Mute in Round 1.

Adam Emmett: "There. Scratched the paint, that's it! That's Shunt, their axe. Nothing!"
Jayne Middlemiss: "Oh, that's ridiculous! That is absolutely rubbish!"
Jonathan Pearce: "So they think Shunt's axe is rubbish? We will have our revenge!"
— Before the Mute vs Behemoth battle
Gravity vs Shunt

Gravity throws Shunt over

Shuntlosesparts

Parts fall off Shunt after Gravity flips him

This series also saw Shunt flipped over more times than ever before. Gravity, Hydra, Ceros, Ripper, Raging Knightmare and Firestorm 5 all flipped him over during the course of the series. First, during the Heat Final of the Heat D, where Lightning had broken down after constant flipping by Gravity. The House Robots moved in to attack Lightning as Refbot counted it out, when Gravity caught Shunt unawares and flipped him over. Shunt did a somersault and landed heavily on his side, with various parts including his camera and part of his smokestack, broken off.

"Gravity, side-by-side with Lightning. Gravity watches as Lightning is counted down, watches and listens, AS DOES SHUNT! OH, AND SHUNT HAS PAID THE PRICE! Lost concentration, Gravity flipped it!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Gravity throws Shunt over

Gravity then took on Dead Metal and flipped him over as well, receiving a red card for its attacks on the House Robots.

ShuntaxesKat3

Shunt axes Kat 3, but fails to puncture

HydraShunt

Hydra topples Shunt

Then, in the Axe Attack, the competitors decided to take on the House Robots after Kat 3 was counted out. Shunt was unable to stop them, his axe failing to puncture any of the three competitors, before Hydra flipped him over.

Craig Charles: "Shunt felt a bit lonely, that's why he got stuck in. He shouldn't've, should he? He shouldn't've, should he?"
Dennis Leadbeater: "He certainly shouldn't! If he sticks his elbow in, he's got to take the consequences! Andrew here, great driving by him."
Craig Charles: "Did you do the driving , did ya? And you got him up, got Shunt over anyway!"
— In the post-battle interview
Shunt Ceros

Shunt is thrown over by Ceros

RefbotRightsShunt

Refbot pushes Shunt back over

In Shunt's only appearance in Heat H, having defeated Revolution 3, Ceros got behind Sgt. Bash as he came in to attack the beaten competitor. As Ceros drove away, Shunt chased after it and pushed it. Ceros got under Shunt's side and flipped him up a little. Ceros tried escaping, as Shunt kept pursuing and hit it with his axe, but Ceros got away again, then drove under Shunt's side and flipped him over.

Francis Smith: "...we would have liked more of a fight, obviously, but we didn't want them [Revolution 3] to get too hurt."
Craig Charles: "Is that why you took on the House Robots?"
Francis Smith: "Well, they started taking them on! How is that fair? They're dead!"
Craig Charles: "But listen, have you not seen it on the telly? I know you're new to Robot Wars, but these got memory chips! They've also got bigger brothers called Psycho and Sir Killalot!"
Francis Smith: "Yeah, bring them on, bring them on!"
— Francis Smith explains why he attacked Shunt, in the post-battle interview

However, whilst Sgt. Bash grabbed Ceros, Refbot righted Shunt. Sgt. Bash pulled Ceros down the arena towards the pit, but as he tried to push Ceros in, he accidentally pushed Ceros along the edge of the pit, and one of his wheels became stuck on the edge. Shunt pushed Ceros and Sergeant Bash together to get his fellow House Robot free, also axing Ceros, but failing to puncture. Sgt. Bash broke down, leaving Ceros hanging over the pit, still in his front claw, whilst Shunt put Revolution 3 on the Drop Zone.

"Refbot gives a helping hand for Shunt. Now when you take on one House Robot, you take them all on!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Refbot rights Shunt, and Sergeant Bash and Shunt fight back against Ceros
Ripper attacks Shunt

Ripper attempts to flip Shunt

Ripper flips refbot

Shunt lifts Ripper as it flips Refbot

Ripper shunt killalot

Ripper leaves Shunt hanging off Sir Killalot, whose breastplate is missing

Ripper went after Shunt, having defeated Daisy-Cutter in Round 2 of Heat P, charging into his CPZ and flipping him up a couple of times with the flipper. Shunt tried to axe Ripper, but Ripper managed to block the axe by firing its flipper. Sir Killalot came in to help, pinning Ripper against the side wall, whilst Shunt opened the pit. Shunt attempted to intervene when Ripper tried to flip Refbot, but couldn't stop Ripper flipping him onto his back. Ripper flipped Shunt against Sir Killalot, causing the two House Robots to become stuck together, with Sir Killalot losing his breastplate. Although Sir Killalot was able to get free, Shunt was left stuck on his side.

"Taking on the House Robots when you should be thinking of a Heat Final? Is that wise?... Will we have any robots left in there representing the house? It's all gone a little bit crazy out there!"
— Jonathan Pearce
Raging Knightmare Shunt

Raging Knightmare throws Shunt over

In the first Semi-Final, Tornado rammed Raging Knightmare into a CPZ, and when Shunt came in to attack Tornado, Raging Knightmare got its flipper under the House Robot and flipped him on its side. A view from the Shunt Cam was shown as it did so.

"Good attack by Raging Knightmare, but err, you're actually supposed to be attacking the little red thing on wheels called Tornado."
— Jonathan Pearce after Raging Knightmare flips Shunt
All stars eliminator A

Shunt, having been flipped over by Firestorm 5

BBtriestoflipShuntout

Bigger Brother tries to flip Shunt out

Finally, during the first round of the All-Stars, all four competitors decided to work together to take on the House Robots, Shunt being their first victim. He was easily flipped over by Firestorm 5 within the opening moments as the competitors charged at him, making this the third time Firestorm managed to flip him over. Later on, Bigger Brother was flipping Shunt against the fence, trying to flip him out of the arena, but the House Robot was far too heavy.

"The message from these competing machines is quite clear, we don't actually mind who goes through to the second round of the All-Stars as long as we take our revenge on the House Robots! Shunt, you're a big boy Shunt, and Bigger Brother's only a wee, wee ninety-eight kilo machine. Come on, right yourself! You are fighting for the pride in the name of Robot Wars."
— Jonathan Pearce as Bigger Brother flips Shunt against the fence
JacksonShunt

Jackson Wallop cuts a gash in Shunt's scoop

ShuntScoopGashS7

Shunt with the gash in his scoop

Being flipped over wasn't the only problem Shunt suffered from in this series. During the match between Big Nipper and Jackson Wallop in Heat B, Shunt was struck by the spinning blade of Jackson Wallop which put a massive gash in Shunt's scoop. Big Nipper had gripped Jackson Wallop and pushed it towards Shunt's CPZ. Shunt tried axing the disc on top of Jackson Wallop, but his axe did not slow the spinning at all. Shunt tried to push Jackson Wallop away from the CPZ, but when it met the spinning blade, a large gash was cut into the scoop. The hole was never repaired and can even still be seen during the Meet the House Robots preview episode for Series 8 in 2016.

Mute Shunt

Mute decides to start pushing Shunt around

Another competitor that attacked Shunt in this series was Mute. During its Round 1 melee, with Demolition Man flipped over and Corkscrew Two flipped out of the arena, Mute took on the House Robots, first driving into Refbot, then reversing into Shunt, getting at his side and pushing him around in reverse. Shunt tried axing Mute, but caused no damage.

"You wanna stay out of trouble now, Mute. Maybe a little bit inexperienced in that arena, but don't go shoving our House Robots around!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Mute attacks Shunt
Dantomkia vs Scorpion

Shunt fails to retract his axe properly while Dantomkia flips out Scorpion

Shunt's axe failed to retract properly on two occasions during the battle between Dantomkia and Scorpion in Heat C.

Shunt was absent from three Heats in a row in the middle of the series; Heats I, J and K. He was also absent from all four of the battles in the Grand Final, in contrast to the previous series where all four Grand Final battles featured him. Shunt was also not used in House Robot Rebellion, the only House Robot Rebellion he was absent from.

Gravity vs Dantomkia

Shunt looks on as Dantomkia is thrown into the air by Gravity

Germanqualifierwc3

Reaper NP2 is pushed into the Pit of Oblivion

Of course, Shunt was still mainly used for the arena duties. He pushed The Alien, Hammerhead 2 and Crushtacean onto the flipper, and pitted Reaper NP2 and King B Powerworks, having also put King B Powerworks on the flipper. He also put Revolution 3 and Cygnus X-1 on the Drop Zone. Shunt appeared in the shortest battle in the original run, when Gravity fought Dantomkia in the Semi-Finals. Shunt's only piece of movement in that battle was turning around as Gravity drove Dantomkia to the arena side wall by his CPZ and launched it into the air before Dantomkia crash-landed out of the arena.

Shunt axes Herbinator

Shunt punctures Herbinator's top armour

Tanrobochicken1

Robochicken feels the full force of Shunt's axe

Shunt's axe still caused some damage across the series. It caused large holes in the tops of Herbinator and Thermidor 2, also causing smaller holes in Tetanus Booster, Robochicken (In both Round 1 and the Heat Final), Hammerhead 2 and Reaper NP2, the latter of which he caused a number of small holes in. Although he failed to puncture the top of St. Agro in its Semi-Final battle against X-Terminator, his axe blows did cause the CO2 tank to leak.

ShuntBBIAS7

Shunt out of his CPZ in the battle between Bigger Brother and Iron Awe 2.1

In Heat O, Shunt contributed to one of the series' biggest shocks, in the Round 2 battle between Iron-Awe 2.1 and Bigger Brother. Bigger Brother was pushing Iron-Awe 2.1 to the arena side wall, but Bigger Brother drove into Shunt, who was just outside of his CPZ. This allowed Iron-Awe 2.1 to turn away, and as Bigger Brother turned around, Iron-Awe 2.1 got underneath it and flipped it out of the arena.

"They got a lucky shot, and Shunt shouldn't have been there! He's supposed to be in the CPZs, not outside and tinkering with the odds!"
— Joe Watts of Team Big Brother after the battle
Storm 2 vs grim reaper s7 semi final 2

Shunt without his exhaust pipe looks on

Shunt's exhaust pipe fell off in two battles in this series, first in the Round 2 battle in Heat P where it fell off after Shunt missed an axe blow on Ripper. The axe hit the floor, and the impact caused the exhaust pipe to fall off. In the battle between Storm 2 and The Grim Reaper in the second Semi-Final, Shunt's exhaust pipe fell off after he axed The Grim Reaper.

Shunt axes Storm 2 Supernova

Shunt stacks Storm 2 on the angle grinder

Rather fittingly, as the first House Robot to be introduced, Shunt also appeared in the final of The Third World Championship, the last episode of Robot Wars' original run, where he was paired with the last House Robot to be introduced, Cassius Chrome. During the battle, Supernova stacked itself against the arena wall after bouncing off Storm 2's front, but Refbot was not able to count it out as his timer was not working. As both the Storm 2 team and the House Roboteers believed that Storm 2 had won, Shunt flipped it onto an angle grinder for fun. Unbeknown to the house roboteers or the competitors, the producers ruled that because Supernova was never counted out, it wasn't officially immobilised, and ordered Supernova to be freed from the wall to give the battle a more exciting conclusion. However, Storm 2 was still left beached on the angle grinder, and sustained damage from Supernova once it was freed. The judges ruled that Supernova should have been counted out in the first place, awarding Storm 2 the victory and the Third World Championship trophy.

Series 8[]

"Shunt. The arena bruiser, perfectly equipped for pushing people around. If that's not enough his titanium tipped axe lands with a tonne of force, right on top of your cherished shiny robots head."
— Robot Wars Facebook
ShuntEnters

Shunt entering the arena

Shunt was shown in the third teaser[44]. As with the other returning House Robots, he was enlarged and upgraded to meet the standards of modern competitors, with a faster and more powerful axe and scoop as well as a revised design. Shunt also takes a role similar to Shove where it can help clean up the debris, as noted after Chompalot was knocked out in its Head to Head.

Original Shunt 2016

The original Shunt in Meet the House Robots

MTHR2

Shunt axes a washing machine in Meet the House Robots

Before the series, Shunt and the other improved House Robots were introduced in Meet the House Robots.

"Shunt is the arena's bruiser, a real junkyard dog!... Shunt's favourite pastimes: destroying washing machines! Don't cross him, or he'll hang you out to dry!"
— Jonathan Pearce in Meet the House Robots

Clips of the House Robots from the original series were shown, including clips of Shunt pushing Chaos 2 into a CPZ from its Series 5 battle with Wild Thing, and a clip of Shunt ramming X-Terminator in Series 3. The original Shunt was briefly seen, before unveiling the improved Shunt. Shunt demonstrated his improved weapons on a washing machine, which he smashed with his axe and flipped with his scoop.

Robot-Wars-Arena 2016

Shunt in the arena before his first battle of the reboot

"350 kilos of axe-wielding push, Shunt's pneumatic axe will be capable of perforating any robot that strays into his Corner Patrol Zone!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt for the first time in the new series

The improved Shunt made his first appearance in the second group battle in Heat A, but was not involved in the battle. He appeared again in the next battle, between Carbide and Terrorhurtz, but stayed on the sidelines again.

Carbide vs nuts minibot shunt

Carbide attacks the side of Shunt

His next battle saw the first competitor attack on a House Robot in the reboot series. Having defeated Nuts in the Head-to-Head battles, Carbide hit the side of Shunt after cease was called, ripping out a part of Shunt's wheel guards and causing the House Robot to lose drive on one wheel.

ShuntAxesTHZ

Shunt axes Terrorhurtz; note the sparks

Shunt was repaired and appeared in the next two battles, and after remaining on the sidelines for the Carbide vs. Behemoth battle, he made his first proper attacks on competitors in the Nuts vs. Terrorhurtz battle, as he rammed Nuts out of the CPZ and into a wall after driving into his CPZ. Later in the battle, Terrorhurtz rammed Nuts into Shunt, but Nuts bounced off the scoop, so Shunt axed Terrorhurtz first, then turned to axe Nuts. Nuts was spinning on the spot, but Shunt landed an axe blow on one of the wheels, stopping it from spinning. Notably, Shunt's axe caused sparks on impact with the competitors.

"Oh, from one axe, the axe of Terrorhurtz, straight onto the axe of Shunt! Through the armament, they cut back on armour to focus on the weaponry!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt axes Nuts

Shunt made another appearance in the Heat Final, but stayed on the sidelines as Carbide quickly defeated Behemoth. He was largely absent from the next Heat, only appearing in two battles, where his only role was briefly landing an axe blow on Thor during its battle with M.R. Speed Squared. Shunt was not used in any battles in Heat C - the last episode he was absent from.

Storm 2 vs pp3d 2

Storm 2 and PP3D clash with Shunt

In Heat D, during the Head-to-Head battle between Storm 2 and PP3D, PP3D bounced off Storm 2 and into Shunt, hitting the House Robot's scoop. Storm 2 pushed PP3D against Shunt's scoop, sending PP3D bouncing off in a shower of sparks, and the impact of PP3D's disc actually buckled Shunt's scoop a little.

"...slamming it onto the blade there of Shunt! And crinkling the blade of Shunt, look at the bottom of it!"
— Jonathan Pearce as PP3D damages Shunt's scoop
Apollo flips shunt

Shunt is flipped by Apollo

MatildaAboutToRightShunt

Matilda, about to flip Shunt back over

In the Heat Final of the same Heat, Shunt was flipped over for the first and only time in the reboot, by Apollo. Apollo had previously flipped his fellow House Robots Matilda and Dead Metal over in previous battles, despite the weight increase for the House Robots. Storm 2 rammed Apollo into Shunt's CPZ, and when Shunt turned around to attack, he turned incorrectly as he fired his axe, exposing his side and allowing Apollo to quickly get under him and flip him over.

"Maybe Shunt can gain revenge, no! Again a House Robot has been flipped! … Over goes Shunt! All topsy-turvy in the Shunt world now! Dancing a dizzy jig in that corner! But no extra points for Apollo for that, don't forget."
— Jonathan Pearce as Apollo flips Shunt over

Shunt tried to right himself by lifting his scoop up and down and swinging his axe, but couldn't do so. Later in the battle, when Storm 2 and Apollo were fighting in Shunt's CPZ, Matilda came in to attack them, as Shunt couldn't, and when the competitors were both out of the CPZ, Matilda used her tusks to flip her fellow House Robot back over.

"Right from the very start of the competition, we knew that going for an attack on the House Robots would be a possibility. We weren’t going to throw away the competition for a chance, but they’re such big targets to pass on. Before filming even began, the new house robots were advertised as bigger, heavier and nigh-on unbeatable. We were, basically, taunted — so we decided to take on the challenge. ...Flipping Shunt again was more of the house robot being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Apollo was working perfectly in the heat final with Storm 2... Shunt was playing too close to comfort, so he had to go too!"
— Team Apollo interviewed about flipping Shunt and the other House Robots[45]
Chompalot Shunt

Chompalot receives damage from Shunt

Thermidor Shunt

Shunt axes the tyre of Thermidor 2

In the first group battle of Heat E, Shunt axed Chompalot when Thermidor 2 pushed it into him, damaging its self-righting wings before pushing it out of his CPZ, lifting it with his scoop as he did so, causing one of its panels to fly off. Chompalot then pushed the limping Thermidor 2 into Shunt's CPZ, who axed the Thermidor 2's exposed tyre. Having already lost drive on one wheel after an attack from Ironside3, this caused it to stop moving.

ShuntAxesChomp

Shunt axes the underside of Chompalot as it begins smoking

Shunt would later attack the battered Chompalot in the next round, after it was thrown by the floor flipper and landed upside-down by his CPZ. Chompalot was already smoking, and Shunt axed its underbelly before pushing it away from the CPZ, contributing towards its eventual battery fire and withdrawal from the series.

Shunt axes thor who axes pulsar

Shunt axes Thor, who axes Pulsar

In the Grand Final, Shunt played a large role, featuring in seven out of the nine battles. In the first group battle, Shunt landed a number of axe blows on Thor when it got close to the CPZ, and flipped it over twice in the battle. Shunt also used his axe to drag Thor into his CPZ, then quickly push it out.

"Thor is in trouble - needs to get away from the House Robot's mean looking axe, which has pinned him in and drags him into his lair."
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt worries Thor
Shunt axes pulsar

Sparks fly as Shunt strikes Pulsar

In the same battle, Shunt axed Pulsar twice, causing sparks each time. He was also able to flip Pulsar over without lifting his scoop, flipping it by merely pushing it as he pushed it out of his CPZ. When Pulsar was immobile, TR2 pushed it into Shunt's CPZ, and Shunt axed the top, then pushed the axehead into Pulsar's drum, which caused it to stop spinning.

Carbide vs tr2 3

Caught between a rock and a hard place: Carbide is axed as TR2 shoves it into Shunt

During the Head-to-Head battle between Carbide and TR2, after Carbide's blade stopped spinning, TR2 flipped Carbide into Shunt, who axed it. After some more fighting, TR2 pushed Carbide into Shunt's CPZ, and Shunt axed it and flipped it against the side wall. After axing it again, Shunt pushed it into another arena wall, then pushed it out of the CPZ. In the last few seconds, TR2 pushed Carbide into the CPZ again, and Shunt axed it and flipped it up against the wall. TR2 won the battle on a judges' decision, but Carbide still went through to the final.

ShuntaxesApolloflipper

Apollo allows Shunt to axe its flipper

Shunt was used in the final battle, and would axe both opponents. First, Apollo pushed Carbide into Shunt, and Shunt axed it, but then turned on Apollo when it flipped Carbide.

"...and don't forget Apollo has flipped them before, Apollo has flipped Matilda out! Carbide only a leaf compared to that! But, Shunt and the House Robots remembered"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt attacks Carbide, then turns on Apollo

Later in the battle, with Apollo's flipper wedged open, Apollo pushed Carbide into Shunt's CPZ, and intentionally received a blow from Shunt's axe in order to flatten its flipper back down.

Dave Young: "The flipper arm started to get a little bit bent, so it wasn't coming down fully, so we had to go to Shunt a few times."
Dara Ó Briain: "You go to Shunt in order to lure the House Robot in to closing your weapon arm?"
Dave Young: "Yeah, Shunt gave us a hit and brought the arm back down, we're like "Thank you very much, we'll have that!"!"
Dara Ó Briain: "Very good, that's clever! Some sort of reverse robot psychology there!"
— Team Apollo explain their tactic in their post battle interview
Apollo vs carbide GF 4

The final moments of the final battle: Carbide is sandwiched between Shunt and Apollo

Apollo's flipper was out of power and was stuck open, so towards the end of the battle, Apollo used its open flipper as a jaw to help push Carbide into Shunt, pinning it there as Shunt axed it and lifted it.

Battle of the Stars[]

ChristmasHouseRobots

Shunt and the other House Robots with Christmas decorations

Shunt bots stats

Shunt's alternate stats board for Battle of the Stars

"...even though its the holiday season, the House Robots haven't taken a day off dishing out damage from their Corner Patrol Zones. For our first battle, it's the only snow plough I know with a titanium-tipped axe, it's Shunt!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt before the first battle

Shunt made numerous appearances in Robot Wars: Battle of the Stars, which was filmed as part of the ninth series.

Arena Cleaner vs Interstellar

Shunt axes Interstellar: MML's flipper

In Episode 1, after Interstellar: MML became immobilised by Arena Cleaner during its first Head-to-Head battle, Shunt came out of his CPZ, rammed Interstellar: MML into the wall and axed its flipper.

Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock: "Ow ow! Get off!"
Jonathan Pearce: "He isn't going to get off!"
— Dr. Maggie disapproves of Shunt attacking her immobile robot
ShuntaxesArenaCleaner

Shunt axes the immobile Arena Cleaner

Shunt next appeared in the battle between Arena Cleaner and The Cat.

"Two giant spinners, I have a feeling this fight could end in tears, I wouldn't want to be in the Corner Patrol Zone for this match. It appears that Shunt has drawn the short straw, let's hope his toughened steel scoop is up for the job."
— Jonathan Pearce before the battle

The Cat defeated Arena Cleaner by slicing its wheels, and after cease was called, Shunt pinned it in the corner and axed it repeatedly.

Scott Mills: "That's unnecessary, that's unnecessary!"
Suzi Perry: "Oh, vicious!"
Jonathan Pearce: "Oh, it is necessary! No no no, Scott, it is necessary! We love it! We love to see the carnage!"
— As Shunt axes the immobile Arena Cleaner
ArenaCleanerattacksShunt

Arena Cleaner takes revenge on Shunt

Arena Cleaner vs Shunt

Shunt's rear plough after sustaining damage from Arena Cleaner

However, Arena Cleaner would have its revenge on Shunt in its next battle. In the final Head-to-head battle, after Arena Cleaner immobilised JAR, Shunt came out to attack Jar, but Arena Cleaner drove at his side, bending his right-hand wheel-guard and damaging the House Robot's wheel. With Shunt not moving fully, Arena Cleaner hit its rear scoop, leaving a large gash in it.

"I wouldn't take on the House Robots boys... Oh my goodness me! Look at the damage to Shunt's blade!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Arena Cleaner attacks Shunt

After the battle, Angela Scanlon and the Arena Cleaner team expressed fears that the House Robots would be after Arena Cleaner for its attack on Shunt.

ShuntFlipsRoboSavage

Shunt flips the immobile Robo Savage

ShuntSirKRoboSavage

Shunt and Sir Killalot attack the immobile Robo Savage

In Episode 2, Shunt came out to attack Robo Savage following its Head-to-Head defeat to Kadeena Machina, flipping it over with his scoop, then flipping it into a CPZ. When the two competitors fought each other again for the Grand Final, Shunt axed Robo Savage as it was being picked up by Sir Killalot following its immobilisation. Sir Killalot took it over to the flame pit and held it over the flames.

Series 9[]

ShuntS9Trailer

Shunt in a teaser trailer for Series 9

ShuntS9TeaserTrailer

Shunt axes a car in the second teaser trailer for Series 9

Shunt appeared in a teaser trailer for Series 9, uploaded on 10th February 2017.[46]. The teaser showed him and the other House Robots destroying household appliances, with Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" playing in the background in one version. Another teaser trailer released by the BBC showed him and fellow House Robots Sir Killalot and Matilda smashing a Vauxhall Corsa in a car park[47].

"He's an axe to the max - it's the titanium tipped axe of Shunt!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt before his first appearance in Series 9
Rogue shunt axes terrorhurtz

Shunt, in Rogue House Robot mode, attacks Terrorhurtz

ShuntFirstRougeHouseRobot

Shunt rams Terrorhurtz against the wall whilst in Rogue House Robot

Series 9 saw the introduction of a new arena hazard, Rogue House Robot, where a House Robot would be allowed to leave their CPZ for a time and attack the competitors. In Heat A, Shunt became the first House Robot to go 'Rogue' in the Head-To-Head between Terrorhurtz and Sabretooth. Sabretooth had damaged the side of Terrorhurtz, leaving it with one wheel not working, then Sabretooth pressed the Arena Tyre. Shunt came out and attacked the limping Terrorhurtz, axing its firing ram and ramming it against the side wall, where it was counted out.

"Into the arena, Shunt getting involved! With the big power, the big push!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt came out of his CPZ
Shunt axes crank-e

Shunt damages the immobile Crank-E

Sabretooth vs Shunt

Sabretooth is beached by Shunt

He also made the most appearances of the House Robots in Heat A, playing a part in six out of the nine battles. His first appearance in the series came in the second Group Battle, involving Sabretooth, TMHWK, Crank-E and Aftershock. Aftershock was attacking Crank-E, which tried to get away, but drove into Shunt's scoop. Aftershock was able to pin it against the House Robot and rip off the top panel, before Shunt used his scoop to flip Crank-E out of the CPZ. Later in the same battle, Aftershock pushed the immobile Crank-E onto the arena spikes by the CPZ, and Shunt axed the immobile competitor as the spikes lifted it up. In the last few seconds, Sabretooth drove into the CPZ, so Shunt flipped it against the arena side wall.

Shunt Aftershock

Aftershock's weapon churns sparks after contact with Shunt's front scoop

Another notable battle for Shunt in Heat 1 was the Head-to-Head battle between Aftershock and Terrorhurtz, where Terrorhurtz pushed Aftershock into Shunt's CPZ, and the House Robot tried to pin Aftershock against the wall, but Aftershock's spinner sent sparks flying from the House Robot's front scoop, so Shunt reversed and did not attack.

Shunt axes draven

Shunt instantly knocks out Draven

In Heat B, during the group battle between Cherub, Draven, PP3D and Push to Exit, Shunt was responsible for knocking Draven out completely. PP3D pushed it to the edge of the CPZ, and one axe blow from Shunt penetrated the armour and hit the receiver of Draven, leaving it immobile.

"I think that puncture has destroyed them. In came Shunt, down came the mighty axe, out go Draven! Wow! The power of that axe is astonishing! Electrics - bang! Gone! Finished!"
— Jonathan Pearce after Shunt immobilises Draven
PP3D sparks

Shunt damaged by PP3D's blade

Shunt axes pp3d

Shunt axes and pushes PP3D into the wall

Later in the episode, during a Head-to-Head match between Behemoth and PP3D, an impact between Behemoth and PP3D sent PP3D flying into Shunt's CPZ. Despite receiving damage from PP3D's blade, Shunt pinned PP3D against the arena wall and axed it, causing it to burst into sparks. Behemoth hit the dial of doom, which went to Rogue House Robot. Shunt came out of his CPZ, pushing the immobile PP3D across the arena and axing it. After slamming it into the corner, more sparks erupted from PP3D, and it was unable to escape the CPZ, causing it to be counted out.

"...once Shunt had a chance of revenge, well Shunt took that revenge!"
— Jonathan Pearce watches the replay of the battle

In Heat C, Shunt made two appearances. He was used in the group battle between Thor, Concussion, Tauron and Chimera2, but was not involved in the battle.

"He'll come down on you like a tone of titanium-tipped bricks - it's Shunt!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt before the battle
Shunt vs MRSS

Shunt pierces M.R. Speed Squared

During the Head-to-Head battle between M.R. Speed Squared and Heavy Metal, Heavy Metal pushed M.R. Speed Squared into Shunt. Shunt's axe punched straight through the top armour of M.R. Speed Squared and he barged it into the corner, lifting it up against the wall, before dropping it and allowing it to escape.

"Shunt got its axe in here, which has bent our sprocket down onto the motor, so it's not solid."
— Peter Forsey after the battle
Shunt vs Frostbite

Shunt punches through the top of Frostbite

Shunt had a very busy Heat D as he made an appearance in every battle bar one. Shunt's most notable moment came during the first Head-to-Head battle of the episode between Frostbite and Supernova. Frostbite had been ripped apart and immobilised by Supernova, and after it was counted out, Shunt slammed through the top armour of the immobile Frostbite before ripping part of it clean off.

"...and cue, repair job, oh now! More repairs! Shunt, what are you doing?! Cruel!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt axes Frostbite
ShuntaxesWyrn

Shunt's axe holds Wyrm still as Ironside3 closes in

Shunt also played an important part in Wyrm's battle with Ironside3. Wyrm reversed into the CPZ, and Shunt axed it, holding it still as Ironside3 came in to attack. One hit from the spinning bar knocked Wyrm's side and one of the wheels loose, and though Shunt let Wyrm go, another attack from Ironside3 ripped off the side.

Shunt vs Supernova

Supernova is axed by Shunt

During the battle between Ironside3 and Supernova, after the latter was immobilised, Ironside3 knocked it into Shunt's CPZ, where Shunt brought its axe down on the spinning disc, sending lots of sparks flying, and pushed it out of the CPZ, with the spinning disc causing sparks against Shunt's scoop. Shunt axed Supernova as he pushed it out of the CPZ, puncturing the top. The axe didn't appear to slow the disc's spinning at all.

Pulsar axed

Pulsar is attacked by Shunt and Sir Killalot

At the end of the Heat Final, after Pulsar was immobilised by Ironside3, Shunt and Sir Killalot came out to attack, with Shunt axing Pulsar, and Sir Killalot grabbing it with his claw. Shunt's axe made some sparks on impact with Pulsar's armour, but failed to puncture.

Carbide vs crackers 'n' smash arena wall destroyed

Shunt looks on at Smash by the broken arena wall

Shunt's appearances in Heat E were limited, as he was being repaired after suffering damage from Arena Cleaner in the previous day of filming. Shunt filmed a Grandstand view of Smash damaging the arena wall in their Head-to-Head with Carbide. Smash was sent flying across the arena by Carbide's spinning bar, and it hit the arena wall in Shunt's CPZ, then bounced into the House Robot. Smash hit the wall with such force that it knocked a panel off the wall, causing the battle to be stopped. Shunt appeared in the last two battles of the Heat, but was not involved in either of them.

Shunt Concussion

Shunt causes further damage to the immobile Concussion

Shunt appeared in 6 out of 9 battles in the Grand Final. In the second group battle, Concussion was barely moving after attacks from Ironside3 and Carbide, and one powerful blow from Carbide's bar spinner sent it spinning into the dial of doom and it bounced into Shunt. Shunt axed a hold in its top and pushed it against the arena wall.

ShuntaxesIronside3

Shunt axes Ironside3 after chasing it out of his CPZ

Ironside3 had a close encounter with Shunt during its battle with Carbide in the Head-to-Head stage. A hit from Carbide's blade knocked it into Shunt's CPZ, and Ironside3 had to quickly recover and reverse out of the CPZ as Shunt drove after it. Shunt managed a glancing blow with its axe as Ironside3 got out of the CPZ.

"Ironside3, get out of there, get out of there! Scuttle out of there as quick as you can! Just avoiding the axe blade there from the House Robot."
— Jonathan Pearce as Ironside3 is chased by Shunt
Carbide Sir Killalot Shunt

The House Robots exact their revenge on the new champion

ShuntflipsCarbideagainstwall

Shunt flips Carbide against the wall

Shunt also appeared in the championship deciding fight between Carbide and Eruption, and was forced to help Sir Killalot out after Carbide attacked the House Robot, having defeated Eruption. Carbide was evading Sir Killalot as the House Robot chased after it, and Shunt blocked Carbide and used his bulldozer scoop and axe to force it into Sir Killalot's claw. Sir Killalot lifted Carbide, and Shunt flipped Carbide against the arena wall, causing Carbide's spinner to stop working.

"Shunt's coming in, oh and remember Carbide, you might be champions now, but the house always wins, with the House Robots! You need to get out of there!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt fights back against Carbide

This moment would later be described as Shunt's "Robot Wars Highlight" in Robot Wars: The Official Handbook.

"Ultimate skills in teamwork and damage control."
— The Official Handbook on Shunt taking control of Carbide

Series 10[]

"In the arena for the first group battle, is 350 kilograms of titanium axe-wielding mayhem - it's Shunt!"
— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shunt in Heat 1
HouseRobotsAngelaDara

Shunt and the other House Robots with Dara Ó Briain and Angela Scanlon

Shunt made three appearances in the opening heat of Series 10 - being used in the first fight of the series between Behemoth, Donald Thump, and Sabretooth, as well as being present for the first occurrence of the new arena hazard, Fog of War, in the Redemption Round battle between Apocalypse and Sabretooth.

ShuntaxesSabretooth

Shunt pins Sabretooth against the wall and axes it

In terms of in-battle action, Shunt tussled with Sabretooth on more than one occasion. Firstly, during the battle between Sabretooth and Apocalypse, Sabretooth slammed the immobile Apocalypse into the wall just outside Shunt's CPZ. Shunt came over to the edge of the CPZ to axe Sabretooth, but Sabretooth was able to dodge. However, in doing so, it drove into the CPZ. Shunt pushed Sabretooth against the wall, but the axe blow merely deflected, and Sabretooth was able to escape.

Shunt Sabretooth

Shunt rams Sabretooth into the side wall

Despite this narrow escape, Sabretooth would have another encounter with Shunt in its 3rd Place Playoff against The Swarm. Towards the end of the battle, Sabretooth accidentally drove straight into the House Robot in his CPZ, and Shunt pushed it against the wall, lifted it against the wall, axed it, then rammed it into the corner.

"Oh no, why have they gone in there, Sabretooth? Why go in there? That's suicide! They're in the CPZ, and they're at the Mercy of Shunt"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sabretooth drives into the CPZ

However, Sabretooth managed to escape and went on to win the battle. In the same fight, Shunt also tried to axe Blenda of The Swarm, but found it hard to hit because of its small size. At the end of the battle, he flipped Rubber Duck into the pit.

ShuntRHRGabriel2

Shunt rams Gabriel 2 whilst in Rogue House Robot mode

With an abundance of spinners in Heat B, Shunt was involved in seven out of the eight battles in the episode.

"Goodness me, they'll need a day off after this - it's sympathetic Shunt against cuddly Killalot."
— Jonathan Pearce, as the two House Robots appear yet again in the Heat Final
Shunt Carbide

Shunt's front scoop takes damage from Carbide

His most notable battle in the episode was the Group Battle between Carbide, Gabriel 2, and Big Nipper, where he went out to attack when Rogue House Robot was activated. Shunt charged out across the arena, barging past Carbide and pushing Big Nipper and Gabriel 2 apart. Shunt rammed Gabriel 2 into the CPZ, axing it a couple of times before pushing it out of the CPZ. Later in the same battle, Carbide drove into his CPZ, and as Shunt came over to attack, Carbide hit Shunt's scoop with its blade, carving a chunk out of the scoop.

However, despite appearing in most of the battles, he had little involvement in them. His only other attack on a competitor in this episode was in the Redemption Round battle between Big Nipper and Crackers 'n' Smash, where Big Nipper drove into his CPZ. Shunt axed it, but despite the axe causing lots of sparks, Big Nipper was undamaged.

Shunt was allowed to take more of a backseat in Heat C - only appearing three times. Despite little in terms of notable moments, Shunt was present for the shortest fight in Robot Wars history between Rapid and Track-tion, with the former achieving an Out of the Arena flip in just 00:05.6 seconds.

Shunt Concussion 1

Shunt axes the base of Concussion as it spins around by his CPZ

In Heat D, Shunt appeared in three battles, and played a crucial role in the Heat Final between Nuts 2 and Concussion. After being flipped over by the floor flipper, Concussion could only move on one wheel because its side guard had buckled inwards. Whilst spinning around trying to right itself, Concussion strayed too close to Shunt, who axed the underside. Shunt punctured the base and then hit the working wheel with a couple of blows from his axe. Concussion's team wanted Shunt to turn their robot back over, but the House Robot did not comply. Concussion span around, and Shunt hit it with his axe, making more holes in the base.

"Oh, goodness me! Shunt coming in with an absolute slam with the axe! … One blow onto the wheel! This is grizzly for Concussion!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt axes the underside of Concussion
ShuntaxesbaseofPushToExit

Shunt axes the base of Push To Exit

Heat E's second Group Battle saw Shunt axe the underside of Push to Exit, before giving it a push, sending it sliding across the arena onto the inactive Pit of Oblivion. The House Robot's second appearance in the Heat was in the Redemption Round battle between Coyote vs Hobgoblin, a battle where Dead Metal was intended to be used but lost control before the battle, spinning around. Shunt was used to hold Dead Metal still until its link could be removed.[48].

Hobgoblin vs Shunt

Shunt's axe tip is smashed by Hobgoblin

This battle proved to be one of Shunt's most memorable of the reboot, as after a rally of hits on the immobile Hobgoblin, which failed to puncture the armour, Shunt took damage himself - with his axe point shattering off after a direct hit to Hobgoblin's egg-beater weapon.

"...but surviving that damage. OH, and comes away with a little, minor moral victory there!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt's axe point is ripped off
CoyoteTakesOnShunt

Coyote tries to push Shunt

As revenge, Shunt toppled Hobgoblin over. After cease was called, Coyote charged at Shunt and tried to push it, but couldn't push the much heavier robot and Shunt rammed it across the arena, into the arena wall.

"I think we've learned a lesson there to not mess with Shunt!"
— Andy Russell of Team Hobgoblin to the Coyote team after Shunt rammed Coyote into the arena wall
ShuntRamsApollo

Shunt rams and axes Apollo during the 10 Robot Rumble

Shunt's most notable battle in the Grand Final came during the 10 Robot Rumble. First, Iron-Awe 6 drove into him when the Fog of War was activated, and as Shunt was right by the floor flipper, Iron-Awe 6 was thrown, from which it could not right itself. Later, when he was called into Rogue House Robot mode, he charged into Apollo, axing the former champions and ramming them into the arena wall. Rogue House Robot was activated three times during the battle, and Shunt could be seen coming out of his CPZ each time. Strangely, towards the end, Apollo was flipped into his CPZ, but Shunt stayed still, not attacking it. He was still mobile, as he chased Eruption out of the CPZ when it went in after Apollo.

ShuntRHR10RobotRumble

Shunt chases Concussion in the 10 Robot Rumble

In a moment that was cut from the televised edit, but included in the extended cut that was released on Facebook[49], when Rogue House Robot was activated for the first time, Shunt chased after Concussion and narrowly missed an axe blow, before driving away.

Despite offering little with his weaponry after this, Shunt still made five more appearances, which also included the championship fight between Carbide and Eruption. This meant that Shunt continued his record of appearing in the title fight for every series of the reboot.

Shunt also appeared in both of the World Series specials, filmed and aired after the main Series 10.

"In the arena for this battle, the only foreign phrase they know is "Tora, tora, tora!" It's Shunt and Dead Metal!"
— Jonathan Pearce announces the House Robots before the Rabid M8 and Gabriel 2 battle. "Tora, tora, tora" was the code name for attack used by the Japanese Imperial Navy during their attack on Pearl Harbor[50]
ShuntDiotoirFlamePit

Shunt pushes Diotoir onto the flame pit

In Episode 1, Shunt carried out a tradition on a returning Diotoir by setting it on fire after it was immobilised by Terrorhurtz. He pushed Diotoir onto the flame pit, and after letting it burn, he pushed it off so the flames could be put out by the Fog of War.

ShuntGabriel2Wall

Shunt rams Gabriel 2 against the wall

Shunt was also a Rogue House Robot during the fight between Rabid M8 and Gabriel 2 - with the House Robot pinning the already limping Gabriel 2 in the corner, ramming it against the wall and axing it. In the process, Shunt's front horns were knocked off.

"Shunt pins Gabriel 2 to the arena wall, and though one wheel was spinning, the other was dug into the arena floor, and I don't think actually is working!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Shunt rams Gabriel 2 against the wall

Gabriel 2 lost drive on one wheel, so it could not escape the CPZ, so Shunt kept ramming it against the wall, before using his axe to hold Gabriel 2 still, turn it around and push it out of the CPZ.

Shunt vs Terror Turtle

Shunt's axe punches straight through Terror Turtle

As in Episode 1, Shunt appeared in the second Tag Team battle during Episode 2, being introduced under the humorous French name "Le Garçon de la Robotique, Pushing". There, he pushed Terror Turtle onto the flame pit, flipped it over with his scoop and axed right through the Canadian representative's fibreglass shell after it had become immobilised.

ShuntflipsThorover

Shunt flips Thor over

Shunt also went rogue in the battle between Thor and Tough as Nails. He drove in between the two competitors, missing his first axe blow. Thor tried axing Shunt, with the axe causing sparks on impact with the scoop, and cutting a tiny chip in the top. Shunt axed Thor, and pushed it towards the arena wall, and though Thor tried to get away as Tough as Nails went after it, Shunt pushed it against the wall and flipped it over using his lifting scoop, but Thor quickly righted itself.

Shunt vs Eruption

Shunt's axe handle snaps in half on impact with Eruption

In the final battle between Eruption and Cathadh, Shunt was called into Rogue House Robot mode again. Shunt's axe later suffered damage itself though, as the weapon shaft of the House Robot snapped following a hit on Eruption.

"Oh look at that! Shunt's weaponry buckled by Eruption! What a strong machine Eruption is! Weaponry ripped right off! Never seen that before."
— Jonathan Pearce watches the replay of Shunt's axe shaft breaking

US Season 1[]

"As strong as an Ox, with a diamond edged axe! Shunt might be a lightweight in house terms, weighing in at over 215 pounds, but he’s a heavyweight when it comes to havoc!"
— Stefan Frank introduces Shunt during the House Robot introduction in the Tag Team
Closeenoughvssb EW1

Close Enough gets axed by Shunt

Shunt appeared in the first battle of the first episode of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors, the Robot Rebellion Eliminator between Close Enough and Silver Box. After Close Enough broke down and was counted out, Shunt pushed it across the arena and put it on the flipper. After it was thrown, Shunt axed the top of Close Enough and pushed it onto the flame pit. As Close Enough burned, Shunt landed two more axe blows, puncturing the top.

ShuntTopplesForwardsGM

Shunt topples forwards whilst trying to lift The Green Mouse

He appeared in all but one of the battles in that episode. In the Eliminator between The Green Mouse and Tricerabot, Shunt pushed The Green Mouse onto the floor flipper, and after it was thrown, Shunt tried to use his axe and scoop together to lift the beaten competitor. However, this caused him to topple forwards each time he tried it, so he gave up after two attempts.

Shunt vs tut tut

Shunt slams Tut Tut against the arena wall during the House Robot Rebellion

Shunt vs Rosie the Riveter

Shunt pushes Rosie the Riveter back

Along with Matilda, Shunt was one of the House Robots that started against the competitors in the final. After ramming Silver Box, Shunt attacked Tut Tut, lifting it with his scoop and pinning it against the top arena wall. Matilda was caught between Tricerabot and Rosie the Riveter, so Shunt came in to help her, pushing Tricerabot away from Matilda, so Tricerabot drove away for another attack. Tut Tut went back after Shunt, so Shunt lifted it against the top arena wall again, but this allowed Tricerabot to get behind him and push him into the arena wall. Shunt chased after Tricerabot, but then changed targets, driving at Rosie the Riveter, axing it and lifting it with the scoop. Rosie the Riveter drove away, and Shunt chased after it; however, Shunt eventually started to lose power while Tricerabot repeatedly rammed him, shortly after the Team Juggerbot machine turned Matilda onto her side. Unseen in the televised battle, his sluggishness was caused by a direct axe blow on his electrical system by Tut Tut.[51]

"This could be a huge upset! Wow, these four on two, I mean you never would have thought that the House Robots would take this punishment!"
— Stefan Frank
Tricerabot vs shunt

Tricerabot rams into a gradually slowing Shunt

By the time Sir Killalot entered the arena to try and pit Silver Box, Shunt was left completely immobilised by the Drop Zone square, while taking another side-on ram from Rosie the Riveter. The damage Shunt had taken proved to be quite severe, putting him out of commission for some time. With Matilda and Shunt immobilised, Sir Killalot carried Silver Box to the pit. However, as he was about to drop Silver Box in, he lost his balance. Tricerabot, still behind him, took immediate advantage and rammed underneath him, causing Sir Killalot to fall over onto his front right in front of the pit, his claw arm (and thus Silver Box) actually going in. No winner was officially declared by the judges, but everyone agreed it was a great moral victory for the competitors.

"I mean, backstage all the experts were saying it couldn't be done! I was even planning on being out here myself and saying good bye because nobody thought that the House Robots could even be approached! I consider it a great upset!"
Mick Foley congratulates the competitors after the battle
ShuntdragsRippaRaptor

Shunt drags Rippa Raptor to the flipper

Shunt returned in the Annihilator, appearing in three of the five rounds. In the final, after Rippa Raptor broke down, Shunt used his axe to drag Rippa Raptor to the floor flipper. After it was thrown, he tried to push it into the pit, but missed his charge, leaving Rippa Raptor hanging on the edge, so Drillzilla pitted Rippa Raptor.

"Looks like Shunt might just take him to the flipper first, just for a little extra insult!... The audience knows what's coming. It's the pit, and nothing but the pit! Shunt sets him up, Drillzilla knocks him down!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt drags Rippa Raptor to the flipper, then as Rippa Raptor is pitted
Shunt vs spike

Shunt axes the tire of Spike

SpikevsbotuglyRWEW

Bot-Ugly gets axed by Spike and Shunt

In the Civil War, Shunt was present for all four Round 1 battles. During the battle between Spike and Bot-Ugly, when Spike and Bot-Ugly strayed into his CPZ together, Shunt axed Spike's wheel, but the axe briefly became stuck under one of Spike's spines, with Shunt having to use his scoop to lift his axe free. Shunt then landed an axe blow right on Spike's tyre, but did not rip it. As Bot-Ugly pushed Spike down the arena, Shunt came out of his CPZ and axed it.

"...Shunt and Sgt. Bash are in there to clean up the trash!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt pushes Spawn Again to the flipper

In the same episode, Shunt pushed another beaten competitor onto the floor flipper, this time Tiger Cat. He would later put UK representative Spawn Again on the floor flipper in War of Independence. Shunt would put two more robots on the floor flipper in the US Championship; Shuriken and Mad Cow, though he failed to line Shuriken up correctly, so it was not thrown very far.

Pussycat shunt WoI

Shunt lifts Pussycat against the wall

Shunt axes Falcon.

Shunt hits Falcon with his axe, but fails to puncture

Shunt was used in the finals of the War of Independence and the Tag Team Terror, meaning he appeared in the finals of four of the seven competition in the series. In the final of the War of Independence, General Chompsalot had Pussycat pinned in the CPZ, and Shunt charged in, separating them with his axe, but as he pushed the two competitors apart, Pussycat became stuck on its side, unable to roll onto its wheels because it was leaning against its disc, so Shunt righted Pussycat, lifting it up with his scoop and pulling it back, allowing it to escape the CPZ.

"Pussycat's up on her side. Pussycat and Shunt, trying to do a little tussle together, and Pussycat gets away with it!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt rights Pussycat

Some robots, including Joker and Falcon, were able to withstand the axe of Shunt. The only episode in this season that Shunt was absent from was the Second World Championship, although the US version of the episode incorrectly mentions Shunt as being present for the semi-final between Razer and Tornado. This mistake was not made in the UK version, which correctly introduces Matilda and Sgt. Bash as the House Robots for the battle.

US Season 2[]

"A depressing sight for any roboteer about to compete against him, Shunt's extreme power and low ground clearance makes him one of the most tenacious and feared of the House Robots. He goes where he wants, when he wants - and there is precious little any other robot can do about it."
— The Extreme Warriors programme on Shunt
Rocky-Bot-Boa vs Manta

Rocky-Bot-Boa pushes Manta into Shunt, who axes it

Shunt was present for every episode of Extreme Warriors Season 2, apart from Heats A and E. His first attack on a competitor in this series was in the Heat B battle between Manta and Rocky-Bot-Boa. Rocky-Bot-Boa pushed Manta into Shunt, so Shunt axed and lifted it.

ShuntNearlyTopplesTheBat

Shunt lifts The Bat, nearly toppling it

In the Heat Final, Rocky-Bot-Boa pushed The Bat into an empty CPZ, so Shunt charged in, axed The Bat and pulled it back with his axe, before lifting it up with his scoop, nearly toppling it onto its side.

"...and Shunt buries his axe, right into the side of The Bat! The Bat's still got his wings, but he can't fly away!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt attacks The Bat
ShuntTricerabotGF

Shunt axes Tricerabot 3.0 in the Grand Final

ShuntTricerabot

Shunt axes a flaming Tricerabot 3.0

Shunt appeared in almost all of the Finals across this series, the only exception being the Tag Team Terror. The first of these was the final battle of the Grand Final, where he axed Tricerabot 3.0 when it drove too close to him whilst trying to avoid Panzer Mk 4. Panzer Mk 4 rammed Tricerabot 3.0 against Shunt, and Shunt axed it again. Later in the battle, Tricerabot 3.0 reversed into Sgt. Bash's CPZ whilst trying to avoid Rocky-Bot-Boa, and tried to get its flipper under him. Shunt rushed over, axed Tricerabot 3.0 and dragged it out of the CPZ, flipping it over with his scoop. Towards the end, Rocky-Bot-Boa pushed Tricerabot 3.0 into his CPZ and Shunt axed it again.

ShuntaxesBrute

Shunt pushes Brute against the wall and axes it

ShuntPitsBrute

Shunt pushes Brute to the pit

Shunt then appeared in the final of the Annihilator. After repeated blows from Cyclone, Brute was suffering from control issues, and it limped in reverse towards Shunt's CPZ. It drove along the edge and accidentally turned into Shunt, before quickly reversing away. However, after reversing into the wall, Brute drove forwards, straight into Shunt, who axed it and pushed it against the wall. Brute drove forwards, but Cyclone blocked it, and Brute reversed, driving into Shunt again, who axed and lifted it. After Shunt stopped attacking, Brute managed to get in front of Cyclone and pushed it into Shunt, who axed the top. As Shunt reversed, his axe became caught on Cyclone's track, pulling the whole robot with it, until Shunt used his scoop to lift the axe free. After Brute was immobilised and counted out, Shunt pushed it down the arena and into the pit.

GC2StuckShunt

General Chompsalot 2 stuck on Shunt's scoop

ShuntRefbotGeneralC

Refbot helps to separate Shunt and General Chompaslot 2

Shunt was also used in the final of the International Championship. General Chompsalot 2 got its jaw stuck under Shunt’s plough. Tornado was ramming General Chompsalot 2 against the wall by an empty CPZ, and reversed as Shunt came over. As General Chompsalot 2 turned away from the wall, its jaw went under Shunt, leaving the two stuck together. Tornado pushed General Chompsalot 2 from behind, but that didn't separate the two, despite Tornado making two pushes. Refbot had to come in and separate the two, holding Shunt still and allowing General Chompsalot 2 to reverse, getting its jaw from under him.

Shunt vs Snookums

Snookums narrowly dodges the axe of Shunt in the Robot Rebellion final

ShuntDragsSnakeBite

Shunt drags Snake Bite with his axe

Most notably, he was used in the final of the Robot Rebellion, where he and Dead Metal, later joined by Sir Killalot, went up against Snake Bite and Snookums. Shunt had better luck than in the Season 1 Robot Rebellion. He started by chasing after Snookums, but found it hard to land an axe blow because of Snookums' narrow body. He missed an axe blow, lined up and tried again, only to miss the second as well, and Snookums escaped.

"...Shunt goes right into the easiest target, Snookums, who gets away, fortunately for Snookums."
— Stefan Frank
Snookums vs Shunt

Snookums spears the wheel housing of Shunt

Snakebitepitted rwews2

Sir Killalot and Shunt pit the beaten pair

After Snookums escaped, Shunt went after Snake Bite, axing the top and getting the axe in one of the wheel gaps, dragging Snake Bite back and opening the pit. However, Shunt was then stabbed in the side by Snookums' sword, which became stuck in his side. Shunt pushed Snookums into the bottom arena wall to help separate them, then drove forwards to get free.

"Poor Snookums has got no power against the powerful Shunt!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt gets free

Shunt missed an axe blow on Snookums as Sir Killalot came into the arena. Shunt and Sir Killalot chased after Snookums, and though Snookums managed to get its sword stuck in the side of Shunt again, Sir Killalot pushed his fellow House Robot free. However, as Sir Killalot pulled Snookums away from Shunt, Shunt became caught on Sir Killalot's other arm, being dragged and nearly pulled over, and forcefully separated Snookums from Shunt, who was nearly overturned. Sir Killalot turned Snookums over and pitted Snake Bite, leaving the House Robots victorious.

"You have to realize now, that you guys gave the House Robots a real struggle there, probably feels good to know they needed to send out the big guy, Sir Killalot, to try to take care of you!"
— Mick Foley consoles the two teams
ShuntPsychoChickenFlames

Shunt pushes Psycho Chicken onto the flame pit

Shunt pits lightning tracks

Shunt pits Lightning Tracks

As usual, Shunt’s main roles in this series were “mercy killings” on beaten robots, and to attack robots that were pushed into, or drove into, his CPZ. He pushed Unibite 2.0 onto the Floor Flipper, pitted Lightning Tracks, put Psycho Chicken on the flame pit and then the floor flipper, and pushed G-Force on the floor flipper before pitting it.

ShuntSirKUnibite

Shunt and Sir Killalot attack Unibite 2.0

Shunt caused some controversy in various battles across the series. In Heat C, he and Sir Killalot attacked Unibite 2.0, despite the fact Texas Tornado had been counted out. Texas Tornado regained mobility after being counted out, escaped the House Robots that had come out to attack it and pushed Unibite 2.0 into the CPZ. Sir Killalot drove after the two competitors, but when Texas Tornado escaped the CPZ, Sir Killalot instead attacked Unibite 2.0, and Shunt came over and joined in, axing Unibite 2.0.

"...now it looks like the House 'bots are rewriting the rule book, and going after Unibite, who's still in it!"
— Stefan Frank as Sir Killalot and Shunt attack Unibite 2.0
ShuntKODpit

Shunt pushes King of Diamonds towards the pit illegally

Towards the end of one of the Round 1 melees in Heat F, The Termite had run out of battery power and was barely mobile while King of Diamonds was stuck against an angle grinder. Despite the fact neither robot had been counted out, Shunt came out of his CPZ, opened the pit and pitted King of Diamonds, but this attack was overruled by the judges, who eliminated The Termite.

"And Shunt hits the pit trigger, wow! I know that's not strictly with the rules, and I think you're not going to argue with Shunt, that's for sure! But he was supposed to stay in that Corner Patrol Zone and nobody was driving any 'bots into his corner, so I think Shunt puts away the King of Diamonds! Dealing from the bottom of the deck! Shunt completely out of line, coming out of its Corner Patrol Zone, hitting the pit trigger, that just isn't done in Robot Wars!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt opens the pit and pits King of Diamonds
ShuntpushesDragbotandBrawlerapart

Shunt comes out of his CPZ to push Dragbot and Brawler apart

ShuntpushesBrawlerfree

Shunt pushes Brawler free of the angle grinder

In the same Heat, during the Round 2 battle between Dragbot and Brawler, Dragbot got under Brawler as it was spinning and pushed it against the disc of doom button. Brawler bounced off the button into an angle grinder, and its spear became stuck underneath the angle grinder, with Dragbot pinning it there. Shunt came out of his CPZ to push them apart. Dragbot quickly reversed to avoid an axe blow, and Shunt pushed Brawler's spear out from under the angle grinder, freeing Brawler.

"...Shunt comes out with the axe! Wow, he shouldn't have come out of there, nobody got in his Corner Patrol Zone!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt comes out his CPZ
ShuntAxesSFAL

Shunt axes a number of holes in Sir Force A Lot

Amongst the most notable damage done by Shunt's axe in this series was the many punctures to Sir Force A Lot. In Heat C, Conquering Clown 2 pushed Sir Force A Lot into an empty CPZ, so Shunt rushed in, punctured the top of Sir Force A Lot, then lifted it, pushing it against the wall.

"...the Clown pushes Sir Force-A-Lot, and Shunt is going to let him know he doesn't belong there! And that's a good bit of strategy on the Conquering Clown's part, to let the House Robots do all the work, 'cause you know that Corner Patrol Zone's a no-go area for any of these bots! They wander in there, they're going to feel the wrath of Shunt or Killalot!"
— Stefan Frank as Conquering Clown 2 pushes Sir Force-A-Lot into the CPZ and Shunt axes Sir Force-A-Lot

After axing another hole in the top of Sir Force A Lot, Shunt let it go, only for Conquering Clown 2 to push it back into Shunt, who axed it again.

During the Grand Final battle between Tricerabot 3.0 and Rocky-Bot-Boa, Rocky-Bot-Boa rammed Tricerabot 3.0 into a CPZ, and Shunt charged in and axed Tricerabot 3.0, then flipped it over with his scoop. The axe punctured the armour and nearly disconnected one of the batteries.

"Suddenly, 3:35 into the 5 minute match, Shunt came flying across the arena from his corner and landed a solid blow to our battery area. (Shunt's driver has a nasty habit of roaming the pits feeling the thickness and material of your armor and scouting those sensitive areas. Nice chap and I can't blame him- I'd do the same if I drove a housebot.) The blow pierced our armor and dented a battery connector, but didn't succeed in taking out either of our redundant electrical systems. But, a lucky Shunt kick from the plow ended up tossing us upside down. DOH!"
— Mike Morrow of Team Juggerbot on the Robot Wars Forums[52]
NightStalkerFlywheel

Shunt pushes Night Stalker into Matilda's flywheel

During the first round of the Robot Rebellion, Shunt axed the top of Night Stalker, pulled it back, then pushed it into Matilda’s flywheel and pulled it away, after which it broke down, so Shunt pulled it out of the CPZ, and after it was counted out, pushed it on the Drop Zone.

"Night Stalker's going to feel the brunt of Shunt, as Shunt buries that axe right into the armatures of those motors on poor Night Stalker!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt axes Night Stalker
ShuntandGForceaxeBang

Shunt and G-Force axe Bang together

During the Tag Team Terror, during the battle between Sir Force A Lot and G-Force against Snookums and Bang, Shunt was crossing the arena between the top two CPZs, and Sir Force A Lot rammed Snookums into him. Shunt also axed and lifted Bang when it was pushed into the CPZ by G-Force.

RBBpushesShunt

Dead Metal intervenes as Rocky-Bot-Boa tries to push Shunt

Also in the Tag Team, Rocky-Bot-Boa got under Shunt with its chainsaw and pushed him back. Dead Metal came over to help his fellow House Robot, getting behind Shunt to stop Rocky-Bot-Boa pushing him, then getting behind Rocky-Bot-Boa as it reversed for another charged, forcing it to abandon its attack on the House Robot.

Nickelodeon Robot Wars[]

ShuntliftsRosieRiveter

Shunt lifts Rosie the Riveter 2

Hannibalbunnyattack

Hannibal pushes Bunny Attack into Shunt in the Annihilator

"...then there's Shunt, with massive pushing power and a diamond-edged axe, that'll go through just about anything!"
— Stefan Frank during the House Robot introduction

Shunt was used frequently during the lone series of Nickelodeon Robot Wars, appearing in every episode except the US Championship, which was the first episode of the series. In Episode 4, he appeared in all four battles.

Shunt Hundrum

Humdrum bounces off Shunt's scoop

SV Dead Metal

Shunt and Dead Metal take on the competitors

Shunt's most notable appearance during this series was in the House Robot Rebellion, where he and Dead Metal took on loanerbots Squirmin Vermin and Humdrum. Shunt started by going after Humdrum, which managed to knock the House Robot aside with its spinning maces. Shunt drove after Humdrum again as the drum slowed down, but Squirmin Vermin got under the side and tried to flip Shunt, but couldn't lift him, causing it to overbalance forwards. As Dead Metal attacked Squirmin Vermin, Shunt axed Humdrum and dragged it backwards. Humdrum became immobile, so Shunt went after Squirmin Vermin, axing it and using the axe and scoop together to lift it.

"Well, the house 'bots are just too awesome for these guys."
— Stefan Frank as Shunt lifts up Squirmin Vermin
Sqirming Vermin pit

Shunt almost pushes Squirmin Vermin into the pit

Hundrum attacked

Hundrum is ganged up on by Shunt and Dead Metal

Shunt pushed Squirmin Vermin by the pit, but Squirmin Vermin had just enough power to limp away. At that moment, Sir K entered the arena. Shunt axed Squirmin Vermin and lifted it up again with its scoop, then pushed it to Sir K, who carried it around the arena before dropping it out. With both competitors defeated, the House Robots were victorious, and all three continued attacking Humdrum before putting it onto the Drop Zone.

"So what do these challengers have to learn about this round? Don't mess with the house 'bots!"
— Stefan Frank on the destruction of Squirmin Vermin
ShuntRightsZanzara

Shunt pulls Zanzara back on its wheels

This series saw a number of occasions where Shunt came out of his CPZ illegally, yet he did not get reprimanded for these instances. Firstly, during the International Tag Team Terror Playoff, Bigger Brother flipped Zanzara onto its side. As Refbot came in, Shunt axed Zanzara in the wheel and pulled it back onto its wheels. This allowed Zanzara to continue fighting, eventually lasting to a judges decision, though it lost anyway.

"Poor Zanzara doesn't have what it takes to get off the side, and in comes Shunt with that axe, as Refbot's having a closer look. But Shunt actually helped out Zanzara! Got him back on the wheels! A little bit of a reprieve!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt pulls Zanzara back on its wheels
Shuntopenspit

Shunt comes out of his CPZ to open the pit

Shunt came out of his CPZ during the Battle of the Spinners battle between Ninjitsu and Destructive Criticism. Despite the fact neither robot was immobile, Shunt came out to press the pit button, although ultimately, neither robot went into the pit and the battle went to the judges.

Rosie the Riveter 2 vs Tut Tut

Shunt comes out as Rosie the Riveter 2 pins Tut Tut against the wall

During the Challenge Belt battle between Rosie the Riveter 2 and Tut Tut, whilst Rosie the Riveter 2 had Tut Tut pinned against the wall, Shunt charged out of his CPZ to separate the two robots, pushing Rosie the Riveter 2 out from under Tut Tut, forcing it to reverse.

"...and here comes Shunt! Shunt breaks up the little headlock!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt comes out to separate the competitors
BunnyAttackOffSmokePit

Shunt pushes Bunny Attack off the smoke pit

In Round 3 of the Annihilator, Bunny Attack drove onto the smoke pit and suddenly stopped moving, and Shunt came out of his CPZ to push it free, and it started moving again.

"...and they are going to be taking their steps very carefully as Shunt comes in to break up the action."
— Stefan Frank as Shunt comes out of his CPZ to push Bunny Attack free

Later, towards the end of Final, whilst Bunny Attack was trying to push Hannibal, Shunt came out of his CPZ to open the pit, although as in the Battle of the Spinners, this ultimately did not matter as neither robot went into the pit, as the battle went to the judges.

"Run Away goes into the Corner Patrol Zone of Shunt! Bad move for Run Away's part, if they've ever seen what Shunt can do!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt axes Run Away
ShuntRunAwayFlipper

Shunt pushes Run Away to the floor flipper

ShuntRunAwayZanzaraPit

Shunt pits Run Away

Most of Shunt's appearances were carrying out mercy killings on beaten competitors, such as his first appearance in the series, which was in the International Tag Team Terror. There, The Revolutionist knocked out Run Away as it drove close to Shunt's CPZ. Shunt came out of his CPZ, pushed Run Away against Refbot and axed it. Shunt pushed Run Away across the arena to the floor flipper, then Matilda pushed Zanzara onto the flipper as well so the two tag team partners could be thrown together. After they were flipped, Shunt pushed Run Away into the pit, and tried to pit Zanzara, but Zanzara would not fit.

Shunt pits joker

Shunt pits Joker in the Mayhem

ShuntJokerDropZone

Shunt puts Joker on the Drop Zone in its Vengeance battle

Shunt would perform arena duties on Joker in two separate battles. First, in the Mayhem, Shunt put Joker on the flipper, and after it was thrown, he opened the pit and pushed it in. Later in the series, after losing its Vengeance battle to Xylon, Joker was pushed on the Drop Zone by Shunt, before being pushed on the flipper, and finally being pitted.

ShuntTyranabotFlipper

Shunt pushes Tyranabot onto the floor flipper

Most notably, after Nickelodeon champion Tyranabot lost its Challenge Belt battle to Tut Tut, Shunt put it on the floor flipper. After it was thrown, despite cease being called, Shunt pushed it down the arena and pitted it.

"Shunt is going to take a parade lap with a lifeless Tyranabot, and setting it up for the inevitable air time!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt pushes Tyranabot to the floor flipper
Rosie the Riveter II vs Matilda

Shunt intervenes as Rosie the Riveter 2 drives under Matilda

In the Mayhem battle between Propeller-Head, Rosie the Riveter 2 and Xylon, Rosie the Riveter 2 pushed Propeller-Head into a CPZ, and when Shunt and Matilda came in, Rosie the Riveter 2 drove under Matilda. Shunt stopped the competitors attack on his fellow House Robot by axing it, turning it around and lifting it as he pushed it out of the CPZ.

"...and Shunt knows what time it is, every time anybody goes into those Corner Patrol Zones, it's time for the House Bots to do a little house cleaning!"
— Stefan Frank as Shunt forces Rosie the Riveter 2 out of the CPZ
XylonShunt

Xylon is overturned by Shunt

During the Vengeance battle between Xylon and Joker, Xylon drove into a CPZ, and Shunt charged into the CPZ, pushing Xylon against the wall, and managed to flip Xylon onto its side without lifting his scoop, before using his axe to pull it back onto its wheels.

Tut Tut vs Rosie the Riveter

Shunt axes the wheel of Tut Tut

Shunt landed a direct hit on one of Tut Tut's tyres when Rosie the Riveter 2 pushed Tut Tut into Shunt's CPZ during a Challenge Belt battle. However, the axe did not puncture the tyre, and Tut Tut went on to win the match.

In contrast to the two seasons of Extreme Warriors, where Shunt appeared in the final of the majority of competitions, Shunt was only used in the final of one of the four competitions in this series, the Annihilator.

Dutch Series 1[]

ShuntAxesMaxTorque

Shunt axes Maximum Torque

ShuntAxesBotwork

Shunt axes Botwork

Before the first Heat of Robot Wars: The Dutch Battles, Shunt and the other House Robots were introduced in Robot Wars: The Kick-Off, a special programme that acted as an introduction to the series and gave a behind the scenes look at the show. Amongst the people interviewed was Chris Reynolds, designer of the House Robots, who revealed each House Robot's specifications and their specialities[53].

Shunt made his first appearance in the first battle of Heat A, and would appear in all but two of the battles in that Heat. He appeared in every episode of the series, making this the first season since Series 3 where he was present for all the episodes, and the only one since the practice of having four House Robots in the arena was changed. Shunt was used in every battle of the Grand Final except the final battle, but he was only used in one battle in Heat C.

PuttingBlueOnFlipper

Shunt puts Blue on the floor flipper

ShuntPitsBotwork

Shunt pits Botwork

As usual, Shunt's main role was to dispose of beaten competitors. In Heat D, when El-Mower was immobilised by Slicer, Shunt put it on the flame pit, then the floor flipper. In the other Round 2 battle of that Heat, Shunt pushed Blue onto the flipper, and finished it off by pushing it in the pit. He pushed NEAT Machine onto the floor flipper, then the pit in Heat E and pushed Twisted Metal and Botwork into the pit in the Grand Final.

"Shunt’s axe cut through it like a knife through warm butter on a Sunday morning!"
Eric Corton on Shunt attacking Pyramid of Chaos (translated from Dutch)
PullingPOCover

Shunt pulls Pyramid of Chaos over

ShuntPyramidChaosFlipper

Shunt puts Pyramid of Chaos on the flipper

The most damage Shunt caused in this series was to Pyramid of Chaos in the Losers' Melee of Heat B. With Pyramid of Chaos lying immobile by the side wall, Shunt axed it and lifted the shell up, nearly ripping the shell off as he did so. After Pyramid of Chaos was counted out, Shunt pushed it onto the flame pit, then axed the side and pulled it back, causing the whole robot to topple over. Shunt used his axe to drag it to the floor flipper, and finally pitted it.

ShuntRightsAK

Shunt rights Arena Killer, having unfairly flipped it over

ShuntLizzardFlipper

Shunt pushes Lizzard onto the flipper

There were a few controversial moments involving Shunt in this series. In Heat A, during the battle with Arena Killer and Lizzard, when Arena Killer drove into the CPZ, Shunt axed its flipper, lifted the robot up with his scoop and flipped it over. Shunt would later re-right Arena Killer, having axed it a couple of times after Lizzard pushed the inverted robot into his CPZ, including a large puncture on the baseplate. Later, after Matilda flipped Lizzard over, Shunt put it on the floor flipper, then pitted it. However, the jury ruled in favour of Lizzard, as Arena Killer had been immobilised first.

During the Heat B battle between Alien Destructor and Twisted Metal, Shunt came out of his CPZ twice. On both occasions, he gave Alien Destructor a little push, but Refbot did not come over to warn him, and Shunt went back to the CPZ without making an impact on the battle.

AttackingFlextreme

Shunt comes out of his CPZ and attacks Flextreme

In Heat D, Shunt came out of his CPZ three times in the battle between El-Mower and Flextreme. First, when both competitors appeared to have stopped, Shunt came out of his CPZ to give Flextreme a push, which caused it to start moving, and as Shunt prepared to push El-Mower, El-Mower started moving again. Later, with both robots were still mobile, Shunt came out again to open the pit. Finally, towards the end of the battle, with the two robots fighting at the top of the arena, Shunt came out and pushed Flextreme, even though neither robot was near his CPZ. For this, Refbot gave him a yellow card.

AxingBluesArmour

Shunt axes Blue's armour, which then becomes stuck

Shunt had some problems in this series. In the Heat D battle between Blue and Enderbot, part of Blue's armour became stuck on his axe. Shunt had to go into the centre of the arena and swing the axe to get it off. Whilst pitting Twisted Metal in the Grand Final, Shunt nearly fell in as well, but was able to quickly reverse to avoid doing so.

ShuntAxesElmo

Shunt axes the Elmo doll on El-Mower

PittingLizzardShell

Shunt pits Lizzard's armour

In keeping with previous attacks on decorations from the competitors, Shunt landed an axe blow right on El-Mower's Elmo doll after it was defeated by Slicer, also being the one to push El-Mower into the pit at the end of the battle. He tried to axe the head of The Lethal Swan after it was flipped over by Arena Killer, but missed. He also pitted the shell of Lizzard after it was ripped off by Philipper in Heat A.

"It’s not moving anymore, this roasting party is probably going to last a little longer. And Shunt is pushing it forward to what seems to be its final resting place."
— Eric Corton as Shunt pushes El-Mower into the pit (translated from Dutch)

Dutch Series 2[]

"Shunt is the lightest of the House Robots, but no opponent gets off easily when they get the blows of the dead diamond edge of the axe with a force of 500 kg per square meter."
— Robot Wars official website, translated from Dutch[54]
P2HouseRobots

Shunt and Sgt. Bash attack Project: Hex'em

ShuntProjecct2DropZone

Shunt puts Project Two: Hex'em on the Drop Zone

As in the first series of Robot Wars: The Dutch Battles, Shunt made his first appearance in the first battle of the series, between Lizzard and Project Two: Hex'em. This was one of his most notable appearances this series, as he axed Project Two: Hex'em, then dragged it away from the wall, before pushing it onto the Drop Zone, then pitting it.

TrazmaniacvsTartarus2

Shunt pits Tartarus

ShuntDragsBlackBeast

Shunt drags The Black Beast using his axe

Shunt's main role in the series was carrying out arena duties on beaten competitors. He pitted Tartarus and Bluemax after they lost their respective Round 1 battles. After The Black Beast broke down in Shunt's CPZ after an axe blow from him, Shunt used his axe to drag it to the arena centre, and after Mr. Psycho picked The Black Beast up and dropped it, Shunt put it on the floor flipper, then the Drop Zone.

BeaverbotvsImpact

Shunt's axe smashes through the side of Beaverbot

Shunt had relatively few notable moments in this series, not even being used at all in Heat D. One of the more memorable bits of damage he caused was to Beaverbot, where his axe smashed through the spinner after Infinity pushed it to him.

GrowlerCrashesIntoShunt

Growler crashes into Shunt as they charge into the CPZ

In the Grand Final, Shunt was used in all four of the Round 1 battles. There was a comical moment in the battle between Krab-Bot and Philipper 2, when both Shunt and Growler charged into the CPZ as the two competitors were fighting in an empty CPZ. Growler rammed into Krab-Bot, knocking it into the corner, and tried to pin Philipper 2 against the wall, but he bounced off Philipper 2 and bumped into Shunt, which had charged in to attack Krab-Bot.

ShuntBucklesLizzardTop

Shunt buckles the top armour of Lizzard

Shunt pits Lizzard vs

Shunt finishes off the defeated Lizzard

In the battle between Lizzard and Bamm Bamm in the Grand Final, Bamm Bamm pushed Lizzard into Shunt, and Shunt axed the top of Lizzard. Although it didn't puncture, Shunt's axe knocked one of the top panels loose. Lizzard broke down and Shunt pushed it out of the CPZ, and after it was counted out, pitted it.

German Robot Wars[]

"The super-strong "shunt" is strong enough to pull an SUV and has a deadly axe that can smash all enemies to pieces."
— Robot Wars official website, translated from German[55]

Shunt was mostly absent during the only season of German Robot Wars, appearing in just two battles (not including the episodes shown as part of other series).

TykedrivesintoShunt

Tyke drives into Shunt as it enters the arena

ShuntAxesGolem

Golem pays the price for driving into Shunt

Shunt's first battle (Not counting the German Melee, which was filmed as part of Extreme 1, but also shown in the German series as part of Heat A) was the second Final of Heat A between Golem and Tyke. There was a comical moment before the battle started, as Tyke drove straight into him as it entered the arena. Tyke tried to drive around him, and Shunt pushed it away. At the start of the battle, Golem missed its first charge at Tyke and drove straight into Shunt, who axed a hole in the top.

ShuntandMrPsychoattackGolem

Shunt and Mr. Psycho attack Golem together

ShuntGolem

Shunt pushes Golem onto the floor flipper

Later in the same battle, Golem broke down, and once it was counted out, Mr. Psycho and Shunt attacked it together, Mr. Psycho on one side hitting Golem with his hammer, and Shunt on the other, axing it. Shunt pushed it across the arena to the floor flipper, and after it was thrown, he placed it on the Drop Zone.

ShuntAxesHydrotec

Shunt axes Hydrotec as Mr Psycho closes in

ShuntHydrotecPit

Shunt falls into the pit whilst pitting Hydrotec

In Heat B, Shunt only appeared in one battle, the first Final. After Black Hole defeated Hydrotec, Shunt and Mr. Psycho came out to attack. Both House Robots landed blows on the top with their axe and hammer respectively, then Shunt pushed the beaten competitor onto the floor flipper. After it was thrown, Shunt opened the pit and pushed Hydrotec in, but pushed too far, and toppled in as well.

Shunt was absent from the Grand Final and the UK vs Germany Special, wasn't used in the melee from the Second World Championship which was shown as part of Heat B, and only appeared in two battles of the European Championship (where his only involvement was a couple of brief attacks on Philipper 2), meaning that in total, he appeared in just 5 of the 29 battles shown in the German series.

Appearances in Merchandise[]

Gallery[]

Outside Robot Wars[]

Shunt went on tour for the Series 4 and 5 qualifiers, which were held as a live event[56], but not for the Series 6 and 7 qualifiers, which were not held in front of a live audience and did not involve the House Robots. Shunt and the other House Robots also did demonstrations, showing the audience the strength of his axe[57].

Shunt also went on tour with The Robot Zone, a charity event run by Steve Merrill of The Hub Nuts, where he was used for static display along with other competitors and House Robots[58].

Two versions of Shunt was among other House Robots and a Robot from Robot Wars' sister show Mechanoids, made a cameo appearance in a BBC documentary about Leonardo Da Vinci in a section where the props team attempted to recreate some of Leonardo's designs with wood and other materials from around his time period [59]

On July 21st, 2016, Shunt and the rest of the Series 8 house robots appeared on BBC's The One Show, to promote the new series of Robot Wars[60]. They battled three remote controlled cars piloted by the cast of The Rebel. Sir Killalot flattened all three cars, and won the battle for the house robots. Both Shunt and Matilda appeared in the 6th March 2017 edition of The One Show along with Dara Ó Briain, in order to promote Series 9.

On December 13th, 2017, Shunt and Sir Killalot appeared in a special Christmas video released on the official UK Robot Wars Facebook page, titled "The Snow of War!". In it, the two House Robots, both wearing Santa hats, are seen clearing snow, with Shunt acting as a snowplough, and Sir Killalot shovelling snow[61].

In mid-2019, Jamie McHarg built a to-scale replica of Shunt, as it appeared in Series 4-7[62][63]. For more information, see here.

Trivia[]

  • The fictional backstory of Shunt was that he was originally a remote-controlled drone for use in nuclear reactors somewhere in the Soviet Union, that became sentient during a nuclear disaster. This was included in the Technical Manual, and later turned into a comic strip in Issue 5 of Robot Wars Magazine.
  • On the original design for Shunt, he was intended to have extra spinning weapons on the side, consisting of horizontally-mounted spinning drums covered in spikes, two on each side. This idea was taken from Tom Carsey's concept art for Shove, but the idea was ultimately never used.
  • According to Peter Redmond, Nemesis' Sumo run was filmed before Roadblock's, meaning that Nemesis was in fact the first competitor to defeat a House Robot[64].
  • Jonathan Pearce often commented on Shunt and Matilda's 'relationship', but this was never expanded on.
"The House Robots in the arena; Matilda once again. Watch for the tusks at the front, watch for the rear end. And Shunt, who'll be closely watching Matilda's rear end, I can tell you!"
— Jonathan Pearce before the Extreme 1 Mayhem between Napalm, The Spider and Gemini
  • In every episode of Robot Wars Extreme: Series 1, Robot Wars: The Fifth Wars, Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors, Nickelodeon Robot Wars, Dutch Robot Wars: Series 1 and German Robot Wars, Shunt is seen in the corner in a battle between Falcon, The Brute and Shuriken, visible behind the boards showing the list of events/rounds in each episode of the aforementioned series.
  • In the opening sequence used from Series 5-6 and Extreme 1 and 2, a clip from Shunt's on-board camera of Shunt axing Techno-Lease was included.
  • In official imagery throughout the original run of Robot Wars, Shunt was always portrayed with its snowplough scoop side as the robot's front end. This was changed for the reboot, where Shunt was always pictured from its lifting scoop side.
    • However, merchandise such as the Pullback, Minibot, and Remote Controlled Shunt, were all built with the scoop as the front.
  • In Series 1 and 2, Shunt's exhaust stack was made from a plastic Cola bottle, before being replaced with a metal stack for Series 3[65].
  • During Series 3, Shunt's operator Malcom James received a warning from the production crew, because Shunt's axe was doing damage to the floor each time it missed a competitor.
"It did quite a bit of damage to the arena in the last series. One of the production crew came up and said "Stop hitting the floor!" It was splintering the frame underneath."
— Malcom James, interviewed in Robot Wars Magazine
  • Shunt's light weight compared with the other House Robots in the original run of the series made him a common target for competitors, especially flippers. Shunt has notably been flipped over more times than any other House Robot, having suffered from this misfortune eleven times.
  • According to a 2001 interview, Chris Reynolds claimed that if the House Robots, apart from Sir Killalot, were to have a fight, he thought Shunt would most likely win.
"I think Shunt might do so possibly, but then again we haven't tried Matilda recently with her new bum (Chuckle). Shunt could do very well though because he has got a good action."
— Chris Reynolds, interviewed in the programme for the Robot Wars Live Event, the Series 5 qualifiers[66]
  • During the Swedish dub of Semi-Final 2 of Series 4, an interview with Chris Reynolds was included, describing the features and capabilities of Shunt[67].
  • Shunt was the only House Robot to be thrown by the floor flipper.
  • In some battles in Series 5-7 and Extreme 1-2, Shunt's exhaust pipe was facing the back and in others, it was facing the front.
  • Shunt is the only House Robot from the show's original run that was lighter than the new maximum heavyweight limit of 110kg (per Series 8-10).
  • Firestorm was the only robot to flip Shunt over three times (in Extreme 1, Series 6 and the Series 7 All-Stars, not including its failed attempt in Extreme 2), which makes him the only robot to flip over the same House Robot on three occasions.
  • Shunt appeared in the last battle of both the original and rebooted series of Robot Wars.
  • Shunt was in the arena for the quickest battle of both the original series (Gravity vs Dantomkia, Semi-Final 1 of Series 7), and the quickest battle of the reboot (Rapid vs Track-tion, Heat 3 of Series 10).
  • During the later stage of filming for Series 8, the version of Shunt used in the original run of the series was put on display in the waiting tent.
  • Out of all the House Robots built for Robot Wars, Shunt was one of the only three that appeared in every series of the classic and the reboot. The other two were Matilda and Dead Metal.
  • During Dutch Robot Wars, commentator Eric Corton would often suggest that Shunt and Matilda were in a romantic relationship.
  • Shunt was absent from sixteen episodes across all versions of Robot Wars, only one of which was in the reboot, and none of which were in the first three or final three series.
  • Shunt appeared in both fights that St. Agro lost and all three fights that Vader lost.
  • Shunt and Sir Killalot have appeared the most in UK Grand Final battles, however, Shunt never appeared in the Series 1, Series 5 and Series 7 finals.
    • For the reboot, both House Robots were used for every Grand Final fight.

References[]

  1. Robot Wars: Build Your Own Robot, p.24
  2. The Fourth Wars, Semi-Final 2 - Swedish dub on YouTube
  3. The Making of Robot Wars
  4. Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine, Page 10
  5. Sir Killalot and the House Robots
  6. Robot Wars Technical Manual, page 44
  7. Robot Wars Technical Manual, page 44
  8. Robot Wars: The First Great War
  9. Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine, Page 8
  10. Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine, Page 10
  11. Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine, Page 8
  12. Issue 7 of Robot Wars: The Official Magazine, Page 42
  13. Issue 5 of Robot Wars: The Official Magazine, Page 45
  14. Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine, Page 8
  15. Robot Wars Extreme: The Official Guide
  16. Ultimate Archive Collection - Sir Killalot and the House Robots
  17. Robot Wars Technical Manual, page 43
  18. Robot Wars Technical Manual, page 44
  19. The Fourth Wars, Semi-Final 2 - Swedish dub on YouTube
  20. BBC Two Programmes - Shunt profile
  21. BBC iPlayer on Facebook - Meet the House Robots
  22. R-Tech Welding Interview Robo Challenge
  23. Eureka Magazine article on building the new House Robots
  24. Robot Wars: Build Your Own Robot]
  25. Robo Challenge in the Robonerd 2020 livestream
  26. Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine, Page 10
  27. Series 2 report, the Razer website (archived)
  28. Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine, Page 10
  29. Ultimate Warrior Collection - Chaos 2
  30. Medusa 2000 website (archived)
  31. The Guv'nor website - Diary (archived)
  32. Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine, Page 10
  33. Killerhurtz website, Robot Wars Series 3
  34. Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine, Page 10
  35. X-Terminator website (archived) - History, Series 4
  36. Team Tornado website (archived) - Series 4 Diary
  37. 13 Black website - Series 5 (archived)
  38. Hypno-Disc website - Shunt's Bucket (archived)
  39. Team Tornado website, Robot Diary - Series 6
  40. Robot Wars - The House Robots (Archived)
  41. Barbaric Response website - Extreme 2 (archived)
  42. Team Storm website (archived)
  43. Chompalot website - Extreme 2 (archived)
  44. Robot Wars: 'Coming Soon' Official Teaser #3
  45. BBC Two, Robot Wars - David vs Goliath(s): how Apollo flipped the House Robots
  46. Series 9 Teaser Trailer, featuring the House Robots
  47. Series 9 Teaser Trailer, featuring the House Robots
  48. Unofficial Robot Wars Facebook group
  49. 10 Robot Rumble: Extended Cut - UK Robot Wars Facebook
  50. Definitions.net
  51. Robot Wars Forums - Robot Wars USA: Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors on TNN (Archived)
  52. Official Robot Wars Forums (Archived)
  53. ZQ Central - Robot Wars: The Kick-Off (Archived, Dutch)
  54. Robot Wars official website - Shunt (Archived, Dutch)
  55. Robot Wars official website - House Robots (Archived, German)
  56. Robot Wars Magazine, Issue 6 - Live and Flipping!
  57. The Robot Wars Live Event Programme
  58. The Robot Zone website (archived)
  59. https://twitter.com/thethomasandfr1/status/1687407834101858304?s=46&t=cwSCg5U5mzcS4xjG8EjJSA
  60. The One Show - Robot Wars
  61. The Snow of War - UK Robot Wars Facebook page
  62. Reddit, Shunt - Creating a House Robot
  63. Rogue Two Robots Facebook page, Shunt - Creating a House Robot gallery
  64. Facebook video interview with Peter Redmond/
  65. Issue 4 of Robot Wars Magazine, Page 8
  66. Robot Wars Live Event Programme, Interview with Chris Reynolds
  67. The Fourth Wars, Semi-Final 2 - Swedish dub on YouTube

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