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"Ah, Sir Chromalot, looks lovely ... shame about the drivers."
Jonathan Pearce in Series 6 as Sir Chromalot drives into Shunt while entering the Arena

Sir Chromalot was a competitor robot that fought in Series 3-6 of Robot Wars as well as both series of Robot Wars Extreme.

Sir Chromalot achieved a consistently limited level of success in Robot Wars, reaching the second round of every heat it entered, losing to the eventual heat winner in three of the four instances (Big Brother, Firestorm 3 and S3 respectively), even continuing this trend in the Celebrity Special of the Fourth Wars.

Despite achieving very little success in robot combat, the team (The Hub Nuts) were considered one of the most popular entertainers in Robot Wars, along with the International Wreck Crew and Team Nemesis. Captain Steve Merrill in particular promoted "The Class Act", hiring cheerleaders and limousines to promote his machine, as well as consistently dressing in formal attire in the pits and roboteer control booths. The team's promotion of Sir Chromalot was a deliberate juxtaposition with its unremarkable nature (especially in Series 3-4), though the Series 5 and 6 models became more competitive after Ray Tait of Centurion joined the team and Sir Chromalot gained a functional rear-hinged flipper. A new version of Sir Chromalot attempted to enter the Seventh Wars, but was defeated in its qualifier by Scorpion.

Versions of Sir Chromalot[]

"Many many drawings, and designs were thrown in the bin. Then one day Merrill who works at Scantruck, a Truck Distributor, saw an old wheel rim. ... 'Robot could be born in that' he thought."
— The Sir Chromalot website[1]

Generally, Sir Chromalot's design remained consistent in its TV appearances, being a small circular-shaped robot with four wheels and with a body and chassis made out of a lorry wheel hub. The robot was finished in chromium silver, and regularly bore flags with its name written on it throughout its appearances.

"...and the smell of polish makes you feel sick around here! They've got nothing better to do than polish Sir Chromalot!"
— Philippa Forrester in Series 3

Series 3[]

"And what a lot to boast about! An extending sledgehammer with Cobalt cone cutter, a raising body shell made from a truck alloy wheel hub, and what a bill at the end of it all - £3000 to put together!"
— Jonathan Pearce describes Sir Chromalot
Sir Chromalot

Sir Chromalot in Series 3

The original Sir Chromalot that appeared in Series 3 was armed with two spikes, one on the front and one on the back, with Cobalt cutter on the tips, and also had a double-headed spike on the side. The two weapons were each driven by a Makita 18 volt cordless drill motor.

The was driven by four 18 volt DeWalt cordless drill motors, which gave it a top speed of 10 mph, and allowed it to turn on the spot. The robot had an adjustable ground clearance, which could raise up to six inches, the intention being that when Sir Chromalot pierced an opponent with the front spike, they could lift them as well. However, it did not have a self-righting mechanism, which cost it in its battle against Big Brother.

Chromalot spinner

Sir Chromalot fully constructed with a spinner before Series 3

Construction of the original Sir Chromalot took place over 14 days and 14 nights over a six week period leading up to the Series 3 auditions, at a cost of £3000. It was originally intended to also have two horizontal spinning sledgehammers on top, but this was removed due to the weight[2].

The building process proved to be fraught with difficulties, including Steve Merrill having to go on holiday, the robot being overweight, and radio interference issues.

"No one knew whether this thing would be finished in time, let alone work. Smith turned up the volume on his moaning and was well into needing a charisma by-pass. With only two days to go, things started going wrong. A major problem of radio interference had been discovered. Yep, now we kept getting Grays Taxis every time a relay switched in. It was sending the servos haywire. A whole day was lost to solving this fault. Then there was insufficient room for the batteries. Something had to give? It was decided that the 'something' remains classified. We would however like to thank the nice men in white coats."
— The Sir Chromalot website on Sir Chromalot's trouble construction[3]

Series 4[]

"This knight of the arena has an 18 inch long rotating drill, a cutter at either end made of stainless steel, a righting mechanism, and at 80.3 kilos, has heavyweight hopes"
— Jonathan Pearce describes Sir Chromalot in the Celebrity Special
Sir chromalot s4 arena

Series 4 appearance

Chromalot celebs

Sir Chromalot in the Celebrity Special

The Series 4 version of Sir Chromalot retained the same motors and top speed of the original, and the spikes on the front and rear, but after being flipped over in Series 3, an unusual tower mechanism was added to allow the robot to self-right.

This mechanism only allowed the robot to rest on its side if flipped over, and four arms would fold out to right the robot. The four arms were operated by washing line[4].

An 18 inch spinning drill was also added to the side to give extra weaponry, but this proved not to be strong enough for combat, bending in its battle with The Steel Avenger, and being broken off in the battle with Pussycat.

"Same as Sir Killalot’s, only our one’s better!"
— Steve Merrill on the new drill

For the Celebrity Special, Sir Chromalot was decorated with a shiny silver covering, which the arms of the srimech could rip through, and several toy cars were added to the top of the wheel hub, because Shane Lynch was also a rally driver. Another 18 inch drill was added to the other side, whereas in the main competition it only had an 18 inch drill on the left-hand side

Series 5/Extreme 1[]

"Made from a truck wheel hub, with a gas-powered flipper and drills, they say. We’ve seen them before. Drills? Thrills, from the boys of Essex!"
— Jonathan Pearce in Extreme 1
Sirchromalot s5 arena

Series 5 appearance, with the new flipping arm

New team member Ray Tait, who joined the team after Series 4, gave Sir Chromalot substantial improvements for Extreme 1 and Series 5. The front spike and drills were removed, and a CO2 powered lifter. The flipping arm also had a spike attached to the rear which doubled as an axe, similar to the weapons of 8645T and Robochicken. While this new weapon proved reasonably effective, its design prevented it from acting as a srimech, which cost Sir Chromalot in its Series 5 battle against Firestorm 3.

"I call it a lifter as that was all it did it had tremendos lifting power but was just not fast enough to flip or self-right. A100mm diameter ram was connected to lifter, generated a force of around 1 tonne which was reduced through the weapon to a ratio of about 4:1 giving a maximum lift of around 200kgs. The pipe I used was 1'3/4 gas main pipe which was bent into shape using a set of 8 tonne hydraulic pipe benders."
— Ray Tait on Sir Chromalot’s lifter[5]
SirChromalot Series5filming

Sir Chromalot in the pits for Series 5

The rear spike came down with 15 tonnes of pressure[6]. The rear ramming spike was retained from the previous version. The CO2 bottle that powered the lifter was mounted on top of the lifter, encased in a steel tube to protect it from attack

Ray Tait also improved Sir Chromalot’s internals, with the DeWalt motors being replaced with Bosch 750 Watt motors, which increased the robot’s top speed to 15 mph. As previous versions of Sir Chromalot had no speed controllers, making it difficult to drive, Ray added 4qd NCC 70 Speed controllers. The robot also went from four-wheel drive to two-wheel drive, with two fixed front wheels to steady the steering.

"Redesigned, rebuilt - new motors. New gas tank in the top, plenty of power. CO2 driven, ain’t got a problem with lifting anything. Half a tonne? Not a problem! As Steve explained to you earlier, nice high lift there, good two foot. No worries at all."
— Ray Tait describes the improvements in Series 5

Series 6/Extreme 2[]

"At RW, Sir Chromalot was absolutely on the limit of top weight allowance, by a few grams. That's how precise it was."
— Steve Merrill
Sir Chromalot 6

Official photo of Sir Chromalot for Series 6

Sir Chromalot S6

Sir Chromalot in the arena for Series 6

Sir Chromalot’s lifter was upgraded to a flipper for Series 6. The ram was moved to inside the robot rather than on top, and the rear axe was also removed, allowing the robot to self-right. A smaller ram was used, with the pressure being increased to 1000 psi. The flipper proved very effective, flipping over all three opponents during Sir Chromalot’s Round 1 melee in Series 6.

" For series 6 and only two weeks to go for the qualifiers show, I decided that a more high powered weapon was needed. … It was easy enough to build just using two fire extinguisher squeeze levers. one to fill and one to vent. Weapon return was just a bungee cord to pull the weapon back down Chaos2 uses the same idea. This allowed me to use a much smaller ram as the pressure was much greater I had a old 40mm bore Hydraulic ram in the shed that somone had given me some time ago this would be ideal for the job. The power output of the Ram was about the same as the 100 bore on low pressure (10bar)"
— Ray Tait on the improved flipper [7]

The high pressure system took up less space in the robot than the low-pressure one, allowing a larger CO2 bottle, 1.1kg, to be added.

SirChromE2

Side view of Sir Chromalot in Extreme 2

Extreme Sir Chromalot

Top view of Sir Chromalot in Extreme 2

In Series 6, a silver-painted tyre was added to the rim of the wheel hub. For the Extreme 2 Challenge Belt, Sir Chromalot's tyre was replaced with metal armour outlined in hazard tape, and decorative chains and wigs added to the top, sides and rear of the robot.

This model of Sir Chromalot was retired after Extreme 2. Ray Tait left the team at this point.

Etymology[]

Sir Chromalot's name was a pun on Sir Lancelot, one of the Knights of the Round Table from the legend of King Arthur, with the chrome part of the name referencing the robot's shiny chromium silver finish.

The Team[]

Main article: The Hub Nuts

Sir Chromalot was entered by The Hub Nuts, also known as Team Sir Chromalot. The captain throughout the robot's appearances was Steve Merrill. The team were originally a group of work colleagues, but after Steve Smith and Dave Whitehead left the team due to other commitments, Ray Tait, who had previously been captain of Centurion joined the team for the rest of the team's appearances.

The team were well known for their entertainment value, often arriving in style. They dressed in smart suits, and referred to themselves and their robot as "The Class Act".

Qualification[]

The original Sir Chromalot was only finished very early in the morning on the day of its audition for Series 3[8].

"Saturday at 4.33pm the whole crew assembled to see if Sir Chromalot was to perform or not. 4.45pm there was much celebration. It was working, a few teething problems to sort but of no real concern, we would make the audition Sunday. Finally at 2am Sunday, morning of the audition, it was done. It worked. It was devastating. It was powerful. It looked fantastic. It was SIR CHROMALOT"
— The Hub Nuts website

Taking the obstacle course, Sir Chromalot had some steering problems, driving into a wall, but performed well overall and qualified for the series.

"Ramps, walls, metal bollards, a ball and a goal were just some of the obstacles to negotiate. The first job was to knock a ball, not a wall, a BALL into the goal. After a few KIND words from the team captain, who explained the difference between a wall and a ball to Smith, (the hard of hearing driver), the ball was pushed into the goal leaving the wall demolished and the Hub Nuts inventing a new form of sign language. A figure of eight and a ramp later, Chromalot was done and returned to the boot of the car."
— The Hub Nuts website[9]

Sir Chromalot's popularity earned it a seeded position in Series 4, allowing it to directly qualify for the series. It was not seeded for Series 5, so had to go through the qualifiers.

In Series 6, Sir Chromalot won its qualifier, defeating three unknown robots armed with spinning weapons, so automatically went through to the series[10].

Chromalot7

The brand new Sir Chromalot built for Series 7

Steve Merrill, along with several engineers from Alchrist Engineering, constructed a brand-new version of the robot for Series 7, known as Sir Chromalot II. This version was a radical departure from its predecessor, being a precision box-shaped robot equipped with two saw discs, tipped with tungsten carbide.

"I think, we've gotta say that this year we've seen a great deal of spinners coming in, and I think really that's gotta be the way forwards!"
— Steve Merrill after the battle with S3 in Series 6

At the Series 7 qualifiers, the new Sir Chromalot fought Scorpion (in an effective rematch from Series 4), Killer Carrot 2 and an unknown fourth entry from a team of newcomers. Unfortunately, this incarnation was ripped to pieces by Scorpion, which also caused major damage to both of its remaining opponents. As a result, Sir Chromalot failed to qualify for Series 7, so this incarnation was never seen on television.[11]

"I still have in my shed a piece of Killer Carrot that he gave us from the damage we caused him. As for Sir Chromalot, he was swept up with a broom!"
— John Bell

Robot History[]

Series 3[]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, this is Sir Chromalot!"
— Steve Merrill's arrival into Series 3

In Heat D of the Third Wars, Sir Chromalot appeared on the televised show for the first time, arriving in style from the back of a Rolls-Royce. In its first round battle, it was placed up against fellow newcomer Shell Shock.

"We've watched the last two wars, this is a winner! We will make mincemeat of all the other robots!"
— Confidence from Steve Smith before the battle
Sir Chromalot vs Shell Shock

Sir Chromalot locks horns with Shell Shock

At the start, Shell Shock turned away as Sir Chromalot drove after it. After driving onto the arena spikes, Shell Shock turned and drove at Sir Chromalot, which also drove forwards, but got its front spike stuck in Shell Shock's axe.

"The tortoise, or the hair-raising experience offered up by that Sir Chromalot spike."
— Jonathan Pearce makes a pun on "The tortoise and the hare" early in the battle
Sir Chromalot vs Shell Shock

Sgt Bash torches both robots

Sir Chromalot pulled Shell Shock backwards to try and get free, but couldn't, and Shell Shock pulled back, then turned to get its axe free. Sir Chromalot reversed and lined up an attack, ramming into Shell Shock, puncturing the side with its front spike and pushing Shell Shock onto the arena spikes. Shell Shock tried to get off the spikes, but the spikes lifted it up and down, and Sir Chromalot pushed it back onto the spikes. Eventually, Shell Shock got off the spikes, and the two robots turned around and drove at each other. Sir Chromalot missed a charge, bumping into the front of Shell Shock with the spike missing, but then reversed and charged back at Shell Shock, piercing the front with the spike. Sir Chromalot reversed, and Shell Shock turned away. It tried to get away from Sir Chromalot, but drove into the wall, and Sir Chromalot rammed it a couple of times, managing to pierce it on the second attempt and push it into an angle grinder by Matilda's CPZ.

"Steve Merrick {sic}, the forty-two year old captain of Sir Chromalot, steering operations, and steering Shell Shock into the CPZ..."
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot pushes Shell Shock into the CPZ
S3CPZ

Sir Chromalot pushes Shell Shock towards Sir Killalot's CPZ

Sir Chromalot pinned it there, until Matilda lifted Shell Shock with her forks and pushed it away from Sir Chromalot, pushing it into the centre of the arena. Sir Chromalot drove after Shell Shock, and chased it onto the spikes by Sir Killalot's CPZ. A spike lifted Shell Shock, and as it tried turning off, Sir Chromalot rammed it into Sir Killalot, which lifted Shell Shock up with his lance.

"The knights combine together. Oh lovely, how posh."
— Jonathan Pearce as Shell Shock is attacked by both Sir Chromalot and Sir Killalot
Sir Chromalot Shell Shock pit

Sir Chromalot is nudged into the Pit

Sir Chromalot was flipped up by the spike, but fell back on its wheels. Sir Chromalot tried to drive at Shell Shock as Sir Killalot dropped it, but had steering problems, and drove into Sir Killalot. Sir Killalot pushed Shell Shock away from the CPZ, and Sir Chromalot pinned Shell Shock against Sir Killalot. Sir Chromalot pushed Shell Shock towards the pit, but Shell Shock turned around away from Sir Chromalot's spike. Sir Chromalot tried to push Shell Shock with its rear spike, but smoke began to rise from it. Shell Shock drove away, and Sir Chromalot stopped moving. It was actually stuck on Shell Shock's axe head, which had fallen off. Sir Chromalot was able to raise its shell and get free, but the House Robots came over to attack, with Matilda lifting it with her tusks. As Matilda let Sir Chromalot down, it couldn't get away. Matilda lifted it up again, and Sir Killalot pushed it into the pit with his lance.

"The House Robots; goodness me, the high rollers are rolled out, but should the House Robots have got involved there?"
— Jonathan Pearce

The judges ruled that Sir Chromalot should not have been pushed into the pit, so the judged the match on points and awarded Sir Chromalot the victory, to the chagrin of Craig Charles.

"Well, the decision is in, and I don't agree with it, but I'm not a judge. Shell Shock will be shell shocked, because they've gone for Sir Chromalot!"
Craig Charles after the decision is made

Some of the audience began booing the decision.

Philippa Forrester: "Do you feel really guilty?"
Steve Merrill: "Well we're not very popular anyway, so no, not really!"
— Philippa Forrester asks Steve Merrill about the controversial decision

In the second round, Sir Chromalot was placed up against another newcomer Big Brother.

Philippa Forrester: "Tactics, come on, tactics?"
Steve Smith: "We're very concerned about their pushing power, as Joe just said, they can push very fast, and if they push very fast, we'll go in the pit!"
Philippa Forrester: "Have you got any tactics then?"
Steve Merrill: "It's a secret weapon!"
— Pre-battle interview
Sir chromalot dance

Steve Merrill and his team warm up the audience

Before the battle, the Sir Chromalot team took to the arena floor and jumped around the arena playing air guitar, dancing to entertain the audience.

"Let me tell you, the showmen of the Sir Chromalot team have had a special theme tune written for them. This is their secret weapon. Deafen your opponents! Oh boys, are you sure? I know the Haka, the Maori dance, is to create fear, intimidate opponents, this'll just have them laughing in the aisles!"
— Jonathan Pearce as the team dance
Sir chromalot vs big brother vs shunt

Sir Chromalot pushes Big Brother into the CPZ

Sir Chromalot made the first move, driving across the arena, but as it was halfway across, Big Brother charged forwards and slammed into Sir Chromalot. Sir Chromalot bounced off, and drove past as Big Brother turned. As Big Brother tried to get its wedge in the right place, Sir Chromalot got at the sid of Big Brother and pushed. Sir Chromalot couldn't get much of an advantage, so reversed and turned away as Big Brother pushed it. Sir Chromalot turned back, but Big Brother drove down the arena. Sir Chromalot drove after it, but Big Brother drove away. As Sir Chromalot drove after it, Big Brother spun around on the spot.

"It's got a wedge shape also to get in underneath Sir Chromalot, but the body shell of the knights of the realm if you like, can raise and fall, to counter the attack of a thrust from a wedge."
— Jonathan Pearce
Sir Chromalot vs Big Brother

Sir Chromalot is rolled over by Big Brother

Big Brother drove away from Sir Chromalot, then reversed into it. This allowed Sir Chromalot to ram it into Shunt's CPZ. After an axe blow from Shunt, Big Brother managed to reverse out of danger. Big Brother drove around Sir Chromalot, and as it turned around and drove back at Sir Chromalot, Sir Chromalot drove at the side of Big Brother and tried to push, but Big Brother reversed and turned away. Sir Chromalot kept pushing, but couldn't get an advantage, so reversed. Sir Chromalot charged at Big Brother, but Big Brother reversed a little, allowing it to get under Sir Chromalot and push it, causing it to fall off the side, falling on its top.

"And Sir Chromalot's up, and rolled over! And I don't think they can recover from there!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Big Brother overturns Sir Chromalot
Big Brother Sir Chromalot Dead Metal

Sir Chromalot is pitted by Dead Metal

With no srimech, Sir Chromalot was immobilised, and the House Robots closed in, with Shunt axing the top, which it couldn't puncture despite multiple axe blows, and Dead Metal cutting into the base. Dead Metal carried Sir Chromalot down the arena and pushed it into the pit.

"They know where they're going! Avalon, Camelot? No, Sir Chromalot! Not-a-lot left! And in you go, into the pit!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Dead Metal pits Sir Chromalot

After a little struggle, as his blade was caught in the side, Dead Metal dropped Sir Chromalot in. After the battle, Joe Watts from Big Brother shook hands with the Sir Chromalot team.

Steve Merrill: "Well done! Well done Joe, you done a great job!"
Philippa Forrester: "It was them who ended up in the pit, wasn't it?"
Steve Smith: "Well done. You said you would, didn't you?"
— The Hub Nuts, gracious in defeat

At the end of the series, Sir Chromalot was nominated for the Sportsmanship Award, however, it lost out to Diotoir.

"Well, they arrived in style, they soon had everyone in stitches with their theme tune and their own little dance, Sir Chromalot!"
— Jonathan Pearce reads through the Sportsmanship award nominations

Series 4[]

Chromettescheerleaders

The Chromettes

"Who's going to win? Siiiiiiiiiiir C-H-R-O-M-A-L-O-T! What does that spell? Siiiiiiiiiiir Chromalot!"
— The chants of The Chromettes

Sir Chromalot returned for the Fourth Wars as the number 27 seed, being granted this seeding due to its popularity with the crowd and its Sportsmanship Award nomination. The team arrived in the back of a truck, accompanied by a squad of cheerleaders as extra support. Sir Chromalot participated in Heat M of the main competition. In its first round melee, the seeded Sir Chromalot machine was placed up against two newcomers Reactor and Scorpion.

"We're a class act, and this is going to be devastating!"
— Confidence from Steve Merrill before the battle
SirCspikesScorpionside

Sir Chromalot spikes the side of Scorpion

Sir Chromalot started by driving at Scorpion, which was driving towards it. The two slammed into each other, and Sir Chromalot managed to push Scorpion back, but Reactor drove into the side of Sir Chromalot, stopping it. Scorpion turned away, and Sir Chromalot reversed. As Reactor turned away, Sir Chromalot drove at Scorpion, getting at its side and pushing. Scorpion managed to get away briefly, but Sir Chromalot got at the side again and pushed it against Reactor. However, Scorpion was stuck on Sir Chromalot's dril. Sir Chromalot pushed and pulled, but couldn't get free of Scorpion until Reactor drove under front of Scorpion and pushed it back, getting it free of the drill.

"...and you just saw the little drill, of Sir Chromalot, and it's not as good as Sir Killalot's, I'm sorry boys."
— Jonathan Pearce dispels the claim surrounding Sir Chromalot's drill

Sir Chromalot reversed and drove at Scorpion, but Scorpion turned, causing Sir Chromalot to miss. Sir Chromalot reversed into Scorpion, which turned around Sir Chromalot, and Sir Chromalot reversed past its two opponents, then rammed into the side of Scorpion, towards the back.

"It's all a little bit cagey so far."
— Jonathan Pearce
Sir chrom reactor scorpion again

Reactor takes on Sir Chromalot

Reactchromscorp

Reactor topples Scorpion

Sir Chromalot started to push, but Reactor drove into under the side of Sir Chromalot, allowing Scorpion to get free. Sir Chromalot drove into Scorpion's side again as it reversed past, and kept pushing as Scorpion tried to reverse around Reactor. Reactor managed to get the tip of its flipper under Sir Chromalot and pushed it towards the arena wall, but Sir Chromalot managed to turn off the flipper and drive away. Reactor turned around and drove under Scorpion, pushing it across the arena. However, before Reactor could flip Scorpion, Scorpion slipped off the front as Reactor pushed. As Reactor turned around, Sir Chromalot drove at Scorpion, getting its spike in the back and pushing it against the arena wall. Reactor rushed in under the side of Scorpion and turned it over. Sir Chromalot held back as Scorpion was attacked by the House Robots. This put the seeded Sir Chromalot machine through to the next round of the Heat. John Bell of the Scorpion team revealed after the battle that Sir Chromalot had punctured one of Scorpion's tyres when it pierced the side, reducing its mobility.

Steve Merrill: "...I wanna have a word with you, because you said earlier on "I don't think Sir Chromalot's going to get through, we're gonna see how it goes." and here we are!"
Julia Reed: "Did I? I don't think I said that!"
Steve Merrill: "You did actually, I heard you whisper it when we were going past! But we're here! Hard work, we had a lot of repairs to do but really looking forward to it!"
— Before the Round 2 fight

In the second round, things didn't go too smoothly for Sir Chromalot as it was placed up against Series 3 returnee The Steel Avenger. Before the battle, the cheerleaders (referred to as the "Chromettes"), performed a dance routine to entertain the crowd.

"A lot of hard work has gone into that routine, thanks to the girls, nothing routine about the Sir Chromalot side, it's all about the theatre of Robot Wars..."
— Jonathan Pearce during the performance
Sir Chromalot axed

Sir Chromalot is axed by The Steel Avenger

Sir Chromalot had the quicker start, driving towards its opponent, but suddely turned away as The Steel Avenger charged at it. The Steel Avenger rammed into Sir Chromalot, but merely deflected off its round body. Sir Chromalot turned back and forth but did not move away, so The Steel Avenger got behind it and rammed it, pushing it across the arena, into a spike on the arena wall.

"Now I just wonder, looking at Sir Chromalot, whether that ... that tall frame is actually top-heavy and whether they will be easily toppled."
— Jonathan Pearce early in the fight
Sirchromalot drill

Sir Chromalot's drill is bent

Sir Chromalot moved away from the wall as The Steel Avenger reversed for another attack. Sir Chromalot drove at the front of The Steel Avenger, and The Steel Avenger fired the axe as Sir Chromalot passed it, but it merely glanced off. The Steel Avenger reversed, and the two robot charged at each other, and The Steel Avenger's high ground clearance caused it to drive over the front spike. It quickly turned around for another attack, bending Sir Chromalot's drill as it rammed into the side, but missing with the axe. The Steel Avenger chased Sir Chromalot, and when it missed a charge, Sir Chromalot hit the side with its front spike, then drove past. The Steel Avenger tried to axe Sir Chromalot again, but missed. Sir Chromalot drove down the arena, but as The Steel Avenger followed it, it turned and drove at The Steel Avenger, which fired the axe, only to narrowly miss again. It reversed, then drove back at Sir Chromalot, but Sir Chromalot turned away in time, so The Steel Avenger missed another axe blow. The Steel Avenger held back for a moment, waiting for Sir Chromalot to drive at it. Sir Chromalot reversed into the front of The Steel Avenger, which missed with the axe again. The pit opened, and The Steel Avenger tried to line up another attack on Sir Chromalot, only to narrowly miss again. The Steel Avenger turned around, and finally managed to hit Sir Chromalot with the axe, though Sir Chromalot was not damaged. Sir Chromalot did however receive more hits from the Steel Avenger's axe, during the unedited fight. Although, these moments were removed presumably to fill in time for the Chromettes' dance.

"Down comes the axe, but it didn't penetrate the American truck wheel hub that protects the actual mechanics of Sir Chromalot! But certainly The Steel Avenger is on top here..."
— Jonathan Pearce as The Steel Avenger axes Sir Chromalot
Sir Chromalot pitted

Sir Chromalot topples into the pit after a shove from The Steel Avenger

The Steel Avenger reversed, but quickly charged back at Sir Chromalot, and its constant pressure had finally paid off as Sir Chromalot appeared to be slowing down. The Steel Avenger started ramming Sir Chromalot around, first using the front, then reversing into it. Sir Chromalot could not get away, and The Steel Avenger started pushing it towards the pit. Sir Chromalot stopped moving completely, so The Steel Avenger pushed it towards the pit, then, after turning around to line up a push, The Steel Avenger finished Sir Chromalot off by pushing it in.

"That's a waggling stick! This was their potent weapon, Sir Chromalot! In the pit with a final waggle, it's where it belonged! Call that a weapon?"
— Jonathan Pearce notices the bent drill as The Steel Avenger pushes Sir Chromalot towards, and then into, the pit

This eliminated Sir Chromalot from the competition.

Craig Charles: "You brought all them girls, they're gonna be in tears now!"
Dave Whitehead: "Yeah, we tried."
Craig Charles: "What went wrong?"
Dave Whitehead: "Erm, about halfway through, it was losing power, and it just got worse and worse, and it ended up not moving at all!"
— Post-battle interview

As the team left the studio, they were given a guard of honour by the Chromettes.

"1, 2, 3, 4! The hero's out, but he'll be back for more! Siiiirrr Chromalot!"
— The Chromettes as the team leave

Sir Chromalot also entered in the Celebrity Special, which took place during the Christmas season of the Fourth Wars. The robot was driven by Boyzone's Shane Lynch, who considered himself to be the best of the Celebrity drivers in the competition. In its first round battle, Sir Chromalot was placed up against Disc-O-Inferno, which was under the control of the boyband Five, making it a "battle of the boybands", as Jonathan Pearce and Craig Charles described it.

Julia Reed: "Shane, they're a feisty lot that Five, and you're all on your lonesome, it's not really fair, is it?"
Shane Lynch: "You reckon? Definitely not on me lonesome, check the two boys out, you know what I mean? This is a team and a half, this is! The only reason they need more players, is because they ain't as good as us!"
Julia Reed: "This, I might add, is a professional racing driver, so we've got our money on you for the best driver of the day!"
Shane Lynch: "Have ya? Oh god, under pressure already!"
— Pre-Round 1 interview
Sir chromalot vs discoinferno

Sir Chromalot and Disc-O-Inferno come together

At the start, Sir Chromalot drove after Disc-O-Inferno as it turned around and moved away. Whilst trying to keep away from Sir Chromalot, Disc-O-Inferno drove into the arena wall. Sir Chromalot drove into Disc-O-Inferno's side, but Disc-O-Inferno turned away before Sir Chromalot could do any damage with the drills. Disc-O-Inferno drove across the arena, with Sir Chromalot following it. Disc-O-Inferno turned and hit the front of Sir Chromalot, but the disc was not spinning fast enough and merely stopped on impact. Sir Chromalot pushed, so Disc-O-Inferno turned, and drove away, driving into the arena wall. Disc-O-Inferno drove down the arena towards Sgt. Bash's CPZ, and Sir Chromalot followed, but in doing so drove onto the flame pit. The decorative cloak was burnt, and Sgt. Bash came out of his CPZ, blasting his flamethrower as he pushed it off the flame pit.

"On the flame pit! The superficial chrome has been burnt off! All the controls at the bottom there, though, I think they'll be okay!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot is on the flame pit
CelebSirChromalotvsDiscoInferno

Sir Chromalot catches fire

Floor flipper disco sirchromalot

The Floor Flipper throws Disc-O-Inferno onto Sir Chromalot

Sir Chromalot drove up the arena after its opponent, which was by Dead Metal's CPZ, but Disc-O-Inferno had broken down. Dead Metal pushed it away from the CPZ, towards the floor flipper, and Sir Chromalot pushed it fully onto the flipper. Sir Chromalot drove down the arena and Disc-O-Inferno was thrown, but Disc-O-Inferno was thrown straight into Sir Chromalot. Sir Killalot picked Disc-O-Inferno up, spun it around, threw it, then put it into the pit, putting Sir Chromalot through to the second round of the competition.

Craig Charles: "Well, you showed them, didn't you?"
Shane Lynch: "Ah, it was just a lucky run, it was. That's all!"
Craig Charles: "What was it with you and fire?"
Shane Lynch: "I just wanted to show you we were hot stuff, that's all!"
Craig Charles: "Well, you certainly are, you're through to the next round! Do you think you could go all the way?"
Shane Lynch: "Aye up lads!"
— Post-battle interview

In the Semi-Finals, Sir Chromalot was placed against the rising tournament favourite Pussycat, under the controls of Eastenders actors Adam Woodyatt, who was joined by Natalie Cassidy after Pussycat defeated Iron-Awe in Round 1.

"I'm just a peaceful man, I'm just all by myself, and if they win, they win. If they don't, nice one!"
— Shane Lynch to Julia Reed before the battle
Pussycat vs sir chromalot

Pussycat tears off Sir Chromalot's drill

Sir Chromalot started by towards towards Pussycat, getting at its side and pushing it, but Pussycat blade ripped off one of Sir Chromalot's drills.

"...Shane, the part-time rally driver. Smashed up cars in Wales, he's smashed up in Donington Park, now can Sir Chromalot cause problems...?"
— Jonathan Pearce in the opening moments of the battle
CelebSirChromalotvsPussycat

Pussycat attacks Sir Chromalot

Pussycat turned away and turned around, then drove at Sir Chromalot, but the blade merely scratched along the side. Sir Chromalot drove away, but Pussycat charged at it, causing sparks as it hit with its disc. Pussycat turned around, and Sir Chromalot managed to get at the side of Pussycat away from the disc and began pushing, but Pussycat reversed, hitting Sir Chromalot with the disc. Pussycat hit the side of Sir Chromalot with its disc, tearing off a part, and kept grinding against the side as Sir Chromalot tried turning around.

"All the controls in Sir Chromalot, down there in that American truck wheel hub, and bits flying off that hub now, across the arena floor!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Pussycat cuts into Sir Chromalot
CelebSirChromalotvsPussycat2

Sir Chromalot is tipped over

Sir Chromalot tried to get away, but seemed slower than before, and Pussycat kept close behind it, hitting it with the disc. Sir Chromalot limped to beside the flame pit, where Shane Lynch opened the self-righting arms, and Pussycat continued to batter Sir Chromalot with the disc and pushed it onto the flame pit. Some of Sir Chromalot's decorations caught fire, and Sir Chromalot broke down, with Shane Lynch hanging up his controller to show he knew the robot was immobile.

"Are they stuck on that grid? Well I think they're immobilised, yes, by the flames of fury! There's nothing more he can do! He knows where they belong when all is said and done! Boyzone, in the shape of Shane, has been beaten by Eastenders!"
— Jonathan Pearce quotes the Boyzone song Said and Done as Sir Chromalot becomes immobile
Sirchromalot celeb pitting

Sir Killalot pits Sir Chromalot

Matilda flicked it with her tusks and pushed it off the flame pit, getting her tusks caught on the wall as she drove forwards. Shunt pushed Sir Chromalot away from the wall, and Sir Killalot knocked Sir Chromalot over using his claw. Sir Killalot grabbed Sir Chromalot by the srimech tower, and pulled it back, picked it up and took it to the floor flipper, which threw it across the arena. The pit opened, and Sir Killalot pushed Sir Chromalot towards it and dumped it in, eliminating it from the competition.

Craig Charles: "Shane, I haven't seen such a serious mashing, in ages, on Robot Wars!"
Shane Lynch: "Well, I was trying to give the crowd what they wanted to see!"
Craig Charles: "You're just doing it for fun, wasn't your robot I suppose?"
Shane Lynch: "Well in all fairness, all due credit to the boys, the teammates, fair play to them for letting me have a bash! Erm, I can see why they [the Pussycat team] wanted their blade do be working because it just destroyed us, man!"
Craig Charles: "It is devastating, that blade, isn't it?"
Shane Lynch: "Yeah, it took our drills out, it took our spikes out, and that was it! We'd just had it man!"
— Post-battle interview

At the end of the series, Sir Chromalot, for the second series running, was nominated for the Sportsmanship award, however, for the second series in a row, it lost out to Diotoir.

Extreme 1[]

Steve Merrill: "We're back! We're better than ever! We've got a gas-powered lifter this time, so watch out!"
Ray Tait: "Don't mess with us!"
— Sir Chromalot's Extreme 1 introduction

The new Sir Chromalot machine made its Extreme Series 1 début by fighting in a Vengeance battle, where it went up against Plunderbird 5, caused by an argument between the teams as to which team were the better showmen, and which team had a better entry. This battle was the main event of Episode 6, so the build-up went on throughout the episode, with both teams sending each other messages, the Sir Chromalot team arriving in style with their own group of bouncers, followed by a team of cheerleaders and majorettes, and various name-calling and insults, including a mock award presented to the Plunderbird team by Steve Merrill.

Mike Onslow: "It's about time you pair of girlies got yourself a decent hard image"
Steve Merrill: "Listen here, Plunder-Girls, every time I move my foot, your mouth opens! Last time I saw a mouth like yours, it had a hook in it!"
— The Class Act and International Wrecking Crew trade insults
Chromalot flips Plunderbird

Sir Chromalot lifts Plunderbird 5

Both robots held back at first, driving away from each other. Both robots turned and charged at each other, with Sir Chromalot trying to get under the front corner of Plunderbird 5, but Plunderbird 5 turned away. Sir Chromalot tried to get under Plunderbird 5's side, but Plunderbird 5 drove past before it got close. Plunderbird 5 turned around, only to turn and drive away as Sir Chromalot tried to get under it. Both machines turned to face each other, and Sir Chromalot charged at Plunderbird 5, but failed to get under the front as Plunderbird 5 turned, so Sir Chromalot missed with the flipper.

"...and don't forget, this might even go to the judges. I wouldn't want to be a judge if it DID go to them, mind you, because, um....they have "minders". Just to make sure, the boys who came with the Chromalot team, make sure the marking's correct. Don't be intimidated boys, we've got Killalot we can send in"
— Jonathan Pearce, noting the Class Act's "bodyguards" overseeing the judges markings
Sir Chromalot vs Plunderbird 5

Sir Chromalot, gripped by Plunderbird 5

Sir Chromalot reversed into Plunderbird 5, which pushed Sir Chromalot, but Sir Chromalot turned away from Plunderbird 5's front. Plunderbird 5 drove at Sir Chromalot, which drove past, nearly driving into Sgt. Bash, so quickly drove away. As Sir Chromalot turned around, Plunderbird 5 charged at Sir Chromalot, but this allowed it to lift Plunderbird 5 up. The front metal strip also fell off the front of Plunderbird 5 on impact. Plunderbird 5 fell onto the top of Sir Chromalot's body, under the flipper, and Sir Chromalot reversed to get free.

"Once again boys, you're all talk and no trousers, because we've not seen too much action! ... To be fair to them, these are two of the best sporting teams we've ever had in Robot Wars!"
— Jonathan Pearce commentating mid-battle

As Plunderbird 5 reversed, Sir Chromalot drove behind Sgt. Bash in the CPZ, and Sgt. Bash pushed it as it tried to get out of the CPZ, pushing it to Plunderbird 5. As Plunderbird 5 tried to get around the side of Sir Chromalot, Sir Chromalot tired to get the flipper underneath its opponent but missed. Plunderbird 5 tried to push Sir Chromalot, but Sgt. Bash drove between the two. Plunderbird 5 managed to pin Sir Chromalot down with the slicer dicer and push it and Sgt. Bash around, but then let go.

"Looks like a great ... tea pot, out there. A silver tea pot!"
— Jonathan Pearce on Sir Chromalot
VengeancePlunderbirdSirChromalot

Victory is secured for Sir Chromalot

Plunderbird 5 rammed into the front of Sir Chromalot, then turned away before it could use the flipper. Plunderbird managed to get its slicer dicer to catch on to the top of Sir Chromalot's flipper, but this lifted Plunderbird 5 off the ground, allowing Sir Chromalot to push and pull it around. Sir Chromalot fired the flipper to try and get free, but Plunderbird 5 held on. Sir Chromalot kept pulling, then managed to turn, getting its flipper under the front of Plunderbird 5 and flick it off. The pit opened, and Plunderbird 5 managed to get its slicer dicer under the flipper whilst it was still up, and rammed Sir Chromalot down the arena. Plunderbird 5 pushed Sir Chromalot along the edge of the pit, missing its target. Plunderbird 5 reversed, but when it pushed Sir Chromalot forwards, it drove over the edge of the pit, getting some of its wheels stuck. This allowed Sir Chromalot to get free, and Plunderbird 5 tried reversing off the edge of the pit, but this just caused it to turn further over the edge, leaving it stranded. Sir Chromalot was confirmed the winner as Sergeant Bash then came out of his CPZ and pushed Plunderbird 5 into the pit fully.

Steve Merrill: "Craig, can I just say something? Ladies and gentleman, I want you to know that Sir Chromalot is £5000, Plunder-Girl's is probably £5!"
Craig Charles: ""Plunder-Girls"?! Plunder-Girls, he said!"
Steve Merrill: "They are the Plunder-Girls!"
Craig Charles: "If it had gone to the judges, you would have been disqualified for intimidation, with those security guys hovering around there!"
Steve Merrill: "They were there just in case, Craig, if there was a split decision, they was gonna convince the judges"
— Steve explains the use of the bodyguards

Sir Chromalot also competed in the Tag Team Terror, partnered with Napalm. The duo competed against Suicidal Tendencies and The Steel Avenger, the latter of whom has previously beaten Sir Chromalot in Series 4, in Round 1, with both The Class Act and Dartford Girls Grammar confident they would work well as a team.

Julia Reed: "Napalm, do you think you're going to do damage as a team?"
David Crosby: "Absolutely, we're gonna set them up, these guys are gonna knock them down!"
Julia Reed: "So, not worried then? Just a little bit worried?"
Steve Merrill: "Worried? Give me that mike! [Snatches the microphone from Julia] Worried?! Worried about what! This is Robot Wars! We are the class team here, you should know that out there! Support Sir Chromalot, support Napalm! We're going to do damage to Steel Lego and Suicidal Meccano! We're not worried at all!"
— Confidence from the Napalm and Sir Chromalot teams before the battle

Napalm went out first against The Steel Avenger, but Napalm was rammed and axed by The Steel Avenger, before being crushed by Suicidal Tendencies. However, Sir Chromalot did not come out to tag or help its team mate.

"I think Napalm will need to be tagged because it looks flimsy doesn't it?!"
— Jonathan Pearce
SirCTsaSTTagTeam

Sir Chromalot takes on The Steel Avenger and Suicidal Tendencies

As Suicidal Tendencies pinned Napalm against the wall, Sir Chromalot did come out of its corner, but held back and did not intervene, then drove back to its corner, remaining still as Suicidal Tendencies ripped Napalm's side loose, and Sir Killalot picked it up and dumped it out of the arena.

"Napalm's being crumpled and...out of the arena; that's the end of them, in a crumpled heap. Sir Chromalot never had a chance, because of its Tag Team Terror team-mate"
— Jonathan Pearce
SirCTSA

The Steel Avenger stuck on top of Sir Chromalot

Sir Chromalot came back into the battle, but was moving slowly. The Steel Avenger reversed into it and tried to use its rear lifter, but couldn't get underneath. Suicidal Tendencies drove at Sir Chromalot, pinning it down, and The Steel Avenger drove at the front of Sir Chromalot, which managed to lift The Steel Avenger. The Steel Avenger landed on Sir Chromalot's top, but Sir Chromalot couldn't move with its opponent on top of it, so Sir Killalot came out of his CPZ to push the two apart. The Steel Avenger briefly became stuck on Suicidal Tendencies, having been accidentally pushed onto it by Sir Killalot as he separated it from Sir Chromalot, but Sir Chromalot was barely moving and Sir Killalot opened the pit. Sir Chromalot ground to a halt as Shunt and Sir Killalot surrounded it, and although it had not been officially counted out by Refbot, Sir Killalot bulldozed it into the pit.

Chromalot Pitted

Sir Chromalot is pitted by Sir Killalot

"Look at the size of Sir Killalot compared to Sir Chromalot! Huge! ... and Sir Chromalot, binned!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Killalot pits Sir Chromalot

Cease was then called, and Sir Chromalot and Napalm were eliminated from the competition.

Steve Merrill: "We were itching to come out and help them, I think they done a brilliant job, really do! Excellent!"
Craig Charles: "But look, you didn't stand a chance once they'd been thrown out of the ring!"
Steve Merrill: "We come out, was doing really well, the batteries died, it was all over!"
— In the post-battle interview

Sir Chromalot did not take part in any other tournaments in Extreme 1.

"Oh guys, come on, I'm so depressed! But not really, I'll be back!"
— Steve Merill's melodramatic exit from Extreme 1 towards the cameras

The Sir Chromalot won the Extreme 1 Award for Best Entertainers, but this was not shown on the televised show[12].

Series 5[]

"Returning to make my life hell and no doubt cause complete chaos in the pits, are the Sir Chromalot boys! Steve Merrill is back, and this year, he's brought a friend! Ray Tait has joined the team, and seems to have got his hands on the machine, because it actually works! Always great fun, and now with a chance of actually winning a fight, they might prove worthy of their self-appointed knighthood!"
— Philippa Forrester at the beginning of the Heat

Sir Chromalot returned for the Fifth Wars, unseeded this time. The robot participated in Heat D of the main competition. In the first round of the Heat, Sir Chromalot was placed up against newcomer to the main competition in Rohog.

"The great stylists, fighting in their third wars, never beyond the Heats. ... They're very much the crowd favourites!"
— Jonathan Pearce on Sir Chromalot before the battle
Rohog Sir Chromalot

Rohog forces Sir Chromalot backwards

Sir Chromalot made the first move, swerving away from Rohog, which charged and missed its opponent. Sir Chromalot turned around to face Rohog, and as it did, a small piece fell off.

"What have they used here? Sticky back plastic to put their machine together?"
— Jonathan Pearce as a piece falls off of Sir Chromalot
Sir Chromalot vs Rohog

Sir Chromalot spears and lifts Rohog

Rohog also turned around, and Sir Chromalot rammed into the side of its lifting forks, knocking one into the raised position. Sir Chromalot reversed, and Rohog slammed into Sir Chromalot in reverse, pushing it back. Sir Chromalot managed to turn away from the rear of Rohog, but couldn't get its flipper under the side of Rohog, and Rohog moved away from Sir Chromalot. Suddenly, Rohog sped forward, crashing into the wall with one of its forks pinned under an angle grinder and its back over the flame pit. Rohog struggled to get free, but smoke began to rise from the inside, and Refbot counted it out.

"And Rohog counted out straight away, and now Sir Chromalot can come in on the attack!"
— Jonathan Pearce after Rohog is counted out

With Refbot's count complete, Sir Chromalot rammed into the side of Rohog, knocking it free from under the angle grinder. Still smoking, Rohog rolled backwards, and though it managed to move forwards a little, Matilda reversed into the back of it with her flywheel, ripping into the back. Rohog was now completely immobile, and Sir Chromalot rammed it into the wall, piercing the side armour with its flipper and lifting the whole robot up, with the armour coming loose. Sir Chromalot dropped Rohog, and left Rohog for the House Robots to take care of, spinning around in victory. Rohog had its fibreglass armour ripped apart by Matilda's flywheel, and Sir Killalot crushed it with his claw and put it on the floor flipper twice.

"No wonder Steve Merrill and Ray Tait look delighted in their box, they've had an easy victory!"
— Jonathan Pearce as the House Robots demolish Rohog

Cease was called, and Sir Chromalot was through to Round 2.

Craig Charles: "My memory is a bit bad, is that the first fight you've ever won?"
Steve Merrill: "Craig, excuse me! We have been here quite a few times and we've been successful as well! We got a nice flipper on top now, and you can see it does some damage!"
Craig Charles: "Exactly, I mean you've improved the robot immensely! I mean, normally it's cannon fodder! But now, it looks like it could go all the way!"
Steve Merrill: "Excuse me, we have got the crowd out here today, supporting Sir Chromalot, we're not cannon fodder!"
— Post-battle interview

After an easy victory in Round 1, Sir Chromalot faced a much more difficult draw in Round 2, as it was placed up against the number seven seed and former Grand Finalist Firestorm 3. Despite the pedigree of their opponent, the Sir Chromalot team seemed confident.

Philippa Forrester: "You ready to go into battle again?"
Steve Merrill: "No problem whatsoever, we're really looking forward to it!"
Philippa Forrester: "What are you feeling about your opposition?"
Steve Merrill: "We've got no problem with our opposition, the greatest respect, the only problem we have got is that I'm Steve, this is Ray, we know who we are. Can I just show you something? This is Graham and he has to remember his name by putting it on his sleeve! He's got a problem there, and if he can't remember that! And also, these two [Graham Bone and Hazel Heslop], it's a bit of an item going on, they're all loved up, kissy and cuddly, his mind's not on the job! We got no problem!"
— Confidence from Steve Merrill before the fight
Firestormchromalot

Sir Chromalot is flipped by Firestorm 3 in a matter of seconds

However, the battle was over very quickly. At the start, both robots charged at each other, but Firestorm 3 was quicker and rushed straight underneath. Firestorm 3 pushed Sir Chromalot and turned it over with one fire of the flipper, rolling it onto its other side with another flip. Sir Chromalot's flipper did not allow it to self-right, so it was left immobile. Firestorm 3 rammed Sir Chromalot down the arena, straight into the arena wall. Firestorm 3 tried to get Sir Chromalot onto its flipper and flip it out of the arena, but couldn't get properly under it, so it merely pushed Sir Chromalot against the wall. Sgt. Bash came over to the CPZ and drove between Sir Chromalot and Firestorm 3, so Firestorm 3 reversed.

"They are worthy competitors because they're great fun, but they've been well beaten here by Firestorm! Just from the initial onslaught, they were left wide open!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Refbot begins to count Sir Chromalot out
SgtBashSirCFloorFlipper

Sgt. Bash drags Sir Chromalot onto the floor flipper

Refbot came over to count Sir Chromalot out, and when the count was finished, Sgt. Bash grabbed Sir Chromalot's flipper in his pincer and dragged it up the arena, taking it to the floor flipper, and Sir Chromalot was thrown across the arena.

"There it flew - our knight of the round table. Would need more than Merlin to help it out there."
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot is thrown by the floor flipper
HouseRobotsPitSirC

Dead Metal and Sgt. Bash pit Sir Chromalot

Dead Metal grabbed Sir Chromalot and pulled it back, and the pit opened. Sgt. Bash blasted it with his flamethrower, and as he pushed Sir Chromalot, CO2 began to vent from the top. Dead Metal tried to pit Sir Chromalot, but didn't turn properly, driving so one of its wheels was hanging over the edge. Sgt. Bash reversed into Sir Chromalot, pushing it into the pit, whilst also freeing his fellow House Robot. Sir Chromalot was eliminated from the competition, meaning it was out of the main competition in the second round for the third time in a row.

Craig Charles: "Steve, Steve. Sir Chromalot - Class Act. What happened?"
Steve Merrill: "I think we gotta be fair on this one, and the greatest respect to Firestorm. Great team, they got a great robot as well. We thought, "Well, should we go straight on, should we go round the edge?" but they was gonna get under us, whatever we did. We went for it, and unfortunately, didn't work!"
Craig Charles: "We've got people on the clock now, trying to work out if that is the fastest fight we've ever had in Robot Wars!"
Steve Merrill: "Well, we went out in style though Craig, you've got to admit that!"
— Post-battle interview

Throughout the Sir Chromalot team's post-battle interview, CO2 could be heard venting from Sir Chromalot.

Series 6[]

"...an American truck wheel hub turned into an invincible, self-righting, CO2 gas flipping machine that they claim is Razer-proof, bomb-proof and Jonathan Pearce-proof! Steve and Ray, make my day!"
— Jonathan Pearce
Chromalot Bumps Shunt

Sir Chromalot bumps into Shunt, upon entering the arena

Sir Chromalot entered the arena for the Sixth Wars by carelessly crashing into Shunt, prompting the House Robot briefly tried to chase it, although it was never in true danger. In its closely-waged first-round battle, Sir Chromalot was placed up against a returning spinner, The Alien, Series 2 Semi-Finalist GBH 2 and newcomer ICU.

"Whatever happens to the Sir Chromalot team, they are great value, great fun, great showmen...and...Steve and Ray, it would be great to see your machine down the pit!"
— Jonathan Pearce as the battle starts
SirCflipsTheAlien

Sir Chromalot flips The Alien over

The Alien vs Sir Chromalot

The Alien knocks Sir Chromalot over

Sir Chromalot started by driving at The Alien, but The Alien drove at ICU. As The Alien hit ICU with its spinning hammer, Sir Chromalot drove after The Alien, but The Alien kept away, then went after GBH 2. Sir Chromalot aimed for ICU, which sped right past. Sir Chromalot hung back for a time, accidentally driving over a flame jet, but as The Alien tried to attack ICU again, Sir Chromalot got at the side of The Alien and flipped it over.

"...and Sir Chromalot right in the thick of it as well! They've never really lived up to their sheen and preen, Sir Chromalot, can they do it this time?"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot flips The Alien

Sir Chromalot drove up the arena whilst its flipper was retracting, then drove back down the arena to where the others were fighting. Sir Chromalot tried to get under the side of GBH 2. Suddenly, The Alien drove into its side and flipped it over with the spinning hammer, but Sir Chromalot swiftly self-righted.

"Can they self-right? Oh, yes, yes, yes! I loved that!"
— Jonathan Pearce, impressed by Sir Chromalot's swift self-righting
SirCflipsGBH2

Sir Chromalot flips GBH 2

Sir Chromalot reversed into GBH 2, which was fighting with The Alien. Sir Chromalot drove away as ICU charged in, and ICU and The Alien rammed GBH 2 down the arena. Sir Chromalot drove at GBH 2, but GBH 2 turned away before it could get the flipper underneath. Sir Chromalot followed it, and managed to get around the other side and flip GBH 2 over.

"This is one of the closest melees we've had in Robot Wars: The Sixth Wars so far!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot flips GBH 2
ChromalotICU

Sir Chromalot takes out ICU

Sir Chromalot drove away from the others, then drove back, pinning ICU against The Alien and flipped it over. ICU was stuck on its back and could not self-right. Sir Chromalot held back whilst its flipper retracted, The Alien drove at it, and Sir Chromalot managed to get the flipper under The Alien's side and flip it. The Alien nearly fell over, but GBH 2 reversed into it, so The Alien fell on top of GBH 2. Whilst Refbot counted ICU out, Sir Chromalot followed The Alien and GBH 2 as they fought towards the top of the arena. The Alien reversed into Sir Chromalot, pushing it near to the arena entry gates. Sir Chromalot tried to get under The Alien and flip, but The Alien turned, causing Sir Chromalot to miss with the flip. The Alien drove away, and Sir Chromalot chased after it. Sir Chromalot caught up and got the flipper under the side, but could only lift The Alien up a little. Before the flipper could close, The Alien got under the flipper and pushed Sir Chromalot back. GBH 2 rushed in and got its rear flipper under the side of Sir Chromalot, flipping it over. Sir Chromalot tried to self-right by firing its flipper, but did not have enough power. The flipper seemed to be stuck open, until The Alien drove into it. Sir Chromalot fired the flipper again, and this time managed to flick itself back onto its wheels.

"...and I think Sir Chromalot, this has been their best Robot Wars for me, are on the edge of oblivion ... no! They could have self-righted just in time!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot struggles to self-right, then rights itself
GBH2flipsSirC

GBH 2 flips Sir Chromalot over

GBH Alien Chromalot

Sir Chromalot struggles to self-right in the closing seconds

GBH 2 charged at it, but Sir Chromalot drove away. Sir Chromalot held back as GBH 2 fought The Alien, but then GBH 2 reversed into Sir Chromalot and tried to flip. The first attempt failed, as the flipper was under Sir Chromalot's flipper, so only lifted the flipper up, but GBH 2 reversed into Sir Chromalot again, pushing it against the wall in a CPZ and flipping it over. Sir Chromalot tried to self-right, but didn't have enough power in the flipper. As time ran out, Sir Chromalot tried to self-right again, but still couldn't flip itself over, and the flipper appeared to be stuck open.

"Sir Chromalot desperately trying to self-right, I think the clocks going to help them!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot fails to right itself

Sir Chromalot managed to hold on to a Judges' decision. The decision controversially went in favour of Sir Chromalot and The Alien, putting The Class Act through to the second round of the heat on a 2-1 split decision, which ultimately declared that Sir Chromalot had done enough before it was left lying upside down, and GBH 2 had received the most damage.

"The judges have made a decision, and controversy reigns as usual on Robot Wars! The judges have decided, 2 to 1, that although Sir Chromalot was caught on the arena wall, it was the end of the fight and it wasn't fully immobilised! The judges feel that Chromalot, throughout the fight, did enough damage to go through..."
— Craig Charles explains the decision

Sir Chromalot then faced number seven seed S3 in the second round, the second series in a row where Sir Chromalot met the seventh seed in the second round of a heat.

Philippa Forrester: "Have you ever looked at your robot lately?"
Steve Merrill: "Have you seen this jacket? I've got the gold one on now. Do you like the gold jacket?"
Philippa Forrester: "Are you worried about S3?"
Steve Merrill: "No, who are S3?"
— Steve Merrill whilst his robot remains in bits just before the fight
Sir Chromalot vs S3

Sir Chromalot attempts to lure S3 into the pit

Sir Chromalot started by rushing down the arena and reversing into the pit release button. As the pit opened, Sir Chromalot drove behind the pit, then to the other side, attempting to lure the seeded machine towards it.

"And, Sir Chromalot, well they've patched it up, and once again it's shiny and nice-looking, neat and trim, and it's pressed the pit release button, perhaps will drive itself in there. One never knows with Steve and Ray!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot opens the pit

S3 drove down the arena, but did not fall for Sir Chromalot's ploy, holding back, then carefully turning towards Sir Chromalot. Sir Chromalot turned, nearly driving into the pit, and drove forwards, but drove into Dead Metal in his CPZ. Sir Chromalot drove out of the CPZ before he could attack, whilst S3 drove back up to the arena centre.

"I think this is cat-and-mouse! "Come on, have a go at me S3, if you think you're hard enough and daft enough, and I'll just lead you onto that pit! That was canny by Steve Merrill! Steve, it's not often I praise you, is it?"
— Jonathan Pearce on Sir Chromalot's tactics
S3 vs Sir Chromalot

S3 throws Sir Chromalot over

Sir Chromalot drove past the pit, and S3 charged at it, clipping it with the flywheel. S3 then hit Sir Chromalot again, flipping it over with the flywheel. Before Sir Chromalot could attempt to self-right, S3 hit it with the flywheel again and drove into it. S3 reversed, allowing Sir Chromalot to self-right.

"That is a nice little flip! Flamboyance from the Class Act boys of Sir Chromalot!"
— Jonathan Pearce after Sir Chromalot self-rights
Sir Chromapit

Sir Chromalot desperately flees

Sir Chromalot tried to get away, but drove into the bottom arena wall. Sir Chromalot drove around the pit, attempting to lure S3 to the pit again, but S3 drove around the other side of the pit. As S3 closed in, Sir Chromalot turned and drove close to the pit, but S3 did not follow. Sir Chromalot turned around and drove straight at S3, but the flywheel flipped it clean over. Sir Chromalot swiftly righted itself and drove along the edge of the pit, with S3 still not following. Sir Chromalot drove back past the pit, and S3 charged at it. Instead of using the flywheel, S3 attempted to push Sir Chromalot into the pit, but Sir Chromalot narrowly managed to turn away.

"... and Sir Chromalot trying to hold on, oh brilliant! Brilliant, this is such a tactical battle! Not a lot happened early on, but since then, it has developed into a battle of minds!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot manages to turn away to the pit
Dead Metal Sir Chromalot

Dead Metal drives himself into the pit with Sir Chromalot

Sir Chromalot drove away from the pit, but S3 chased after it, soon catching it and hitting it with the flywheel, flipping it onto its side. Sir Chromalot rolled along, but did not fall over, so fired the flipper to fall back on its top. Sir Chromalot fired the flipper in an attempt to right itself, but didn't have the power to right itself, though S3 charged into it, with the flywheel flipping it back onto its wheels. However, Sir Chromalot was now immobile, and Refbot came over to count it out, meaning it was eliminated in the Heat Semi-final for a fourth time in succession.

"S3 doing all the aggressive work, but Sir Chromalot, realising its limitations, I think have thought a canny battle here. If it goes to the judges, it's not going to go to the judges, I was going to say S3 would have been the stronger. And the class act boys of Sir Chromalot have been counted out after, I think their best Robot Wars ever!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot is counted out

Once the count was finished, Sir Killalot pushed it up the arena and onto the flipper, and Sir Chromalot was tossed across the arena, landing on its side and rolling into an empty CPZ. Dead Metal came in, grabbing hold of Sir Chromalot and pushing it to the pit. However, as he made the last push to drop Sir Chromalot in, he pushed too far and fell in as well.

Craig Charles: "Well, your tactic was just be a scaredy cat, and run away, and run away, trying to entice them close the pit, hoping they'd make a mistake and fall in, weren't it?"
Steve Merrill: "If you're trying to make us feel bad, that bit's not going to work! No, we was trying to go round, we knew they had a few problems with their driving, we thought if they couldn't line up and make a charge at us, then they may go down the pit. It was wrong, but that's what we tried."
Craig Charles: "I'll try and say this nicely, when are you going to build a better robot?"
Steve Merrill: "When you get a better jacket!"
— In the Post-battle interview

Extreme 2[]

"Stylish and fun, but they also lose just as we've begun! ... They say they're Jonathan Pearce-proof, Razer-proof, bomb-proof - they're not! They are very experienced and they do have a very quick CO2 direct high-speed lifting machine!"
— Jonathan Pearce on Sir Chromalot before the battle

Sir Chromalot exclusively competed in the Challenge Belt competition in the second series of Extreme for the right to fight Tornado. In the first round, Sir Chromalot was placed up against three times Grand Finalist Hypno-Disc, two-time Heat finalist S.M.I.D.S.Y. and recent Semi-finalist and Most Promising Newcomer Award winner Dantomkia, largely making The Class Act the clear underdogs for the battle.

"It's not a problem for us, Philippa! ... It's not a problem at all!"
— Ray Tait upon hearing the line-up
Hypno-sdic vs dantomkia vs smidsy

All four competitors come together early in the battle

Dantomkia vs SMIDSY

Dantomkia flips S.M.I.D.S.Y.

For this event, the robot had been draped in chains, most likely to try to deflect the attacks from the spinning disc weapons on S.M.I.D.S.Y. and Hypno-Disc. At the start, Sir Chromalot held back, briefly getting behind Hypno-Disc after it bounced off S.M.I.D.S.Y., but held back as Dantomkia rammed Hypno-Disc into the CPZ and flipped it out of the arena. Sir Chromalot waited in the middle of the arena, but S.M.I.D.S.Y. did not drive after it, and Mr. Psycho had Dantomkia trapped in the corner. Eventually, Mr. Psycho let Dantomkia go, and S.M.I.D.S.Y. charged at Sir Chromalot, but missed.

"Very good steering from Steve Merrill and Ray Tait, basically what they're doing, ladies and gentlemen, is running away, they're just running away from trouble!"
— Jonathan Pearce spots an opportunity to reignite his rivalry with the Sir Chromalot team
Dantomkia vs sirchromalot vs smidsy

Dantomkia throws Sir Chromalot over S.M.I.D.S.Y.

Dantomkia rammed into Sir Chromalot, but couldn't get underneath. Dantomkia reversed a little and tried again, but still couldn't get underneath. Dantomkia changed targets, getting underneath S.M.I.D.S.Y. and flipping it. Sir Chromalot drove close to a CPZ, but drove away as Matilda drove over. S.M.I.D.S.Y. pushed Sir Chromalot, but Dantomkia got under S.M.I.D.S.Y. and flipped it over. S.M.I.D.S.Y. rammed Sir Chromalot, but Sir Chromalot got away and charged at Dantomkia, but Dantomkia managed to get its front spikes under Sir Chromalot. S.M.I.D.S.Y. got behind Sir Chromalot, and Dantomkia flipped Sir Chromalot. Sir Chromalot rolled over S.M.I.D.S.Y., falling back onto its wheels, but landed on the flame pit.

"Some nifty work by Sir Chromalot, until Dantomkia flips it over! Self-righted though."
— Jonathan Pearce as Sir Chromalot is flipped over S.M.I.D.S.Y.
Dantomkia flips over sir chromalot

Sir Chromalot is thrown over by Dantomkia

Sir Chromalot turned off the flame pit as Dantomkia drove at it. However, Sir Chromalot was not moving forward. S.M.I.D.S.Y. pushed Dantomkia, and Sir Chromalot started moving again, driving away from the flame pit and up the arena. Sir Chromalot drove towards Dantomkia as it flipped S.M.I.D.S.Y., but Dantomkia moved, and Sir Chromalot missed its charge, firing the flipper at thin air. Dantomkia drove at Sir Chromalot, but struggled to get the front wedges underneath Sir Chromalot, so pushed it instead, but turned its attentions back to S.M.I.D.S.Y. after only pushing Sir Chromalot a little. Sir Chromalot drove around the other two competitors, but was only moving in bits and starts, limping, then speeding up, then stopping. Dantomkia flipped S.M.I.D.S.Y. against one of the arena entry gates, then drove at Sir Chromalot. Mr. Psycho reversed into the two of them as Dantomkia tried to get under Sir Chromalot, which gave it a chance to turn and drive away. However, Sir Chromalot suddenly stopped. Dantomkia rammed Sir Chromalot into a CPZ and flipped it over.

"What is that flailing chain on Sir Chromalot, what is that all about? Is that a weapon, is that something they wear down the nightclubs of South Ockenden in Essex? I'm not too sure! They've been overturned in the corner."
— Jonathan Pearce as Dantomkia flips Sir Chromalot over
Sirchromalot vs matilda

Sir Chromalot is attacked by Matilda

Ex2ChallengeBeltRound1.1

Sir Chromalot is thrown out of the arena

Sir Chromalot tried to right itself, but didn't have the power. There was a brief moment of hope as Mr. Psycho held S.M.I.D.S.Y. up and dangled it over the arena side wall, but Mr. Psycho dropped it on the arena wall, and S.M.I.D.S.Y. fell back into the arena. Matilda reversed into Sir Chromalot with her flywheel, ripping off one of the chains. The flywheel flipped Sir Chromalot back onto its wheels, but Sir Chromalot was almost totally immobile, only reversing a tiny bit before stopping. Without waiting for Refbot to count it out, Matilda reversed into Sir Chromalot with her flywheel, hurling it out of the arena and into the arena entrance gates, splitting the outer armour as she did so. With this, The Class Act were eliminated from the competition.

"Oh, they're out! Matilda caught them with her flywheel bottom, which is rather a grisly thought for anyone! In they go, and Sir Chromalot, tossed away like some loose leaf in the autumn fall! ... They've arrived in the warzone by helicopter and plane in the past, and limousine, Sir Chromalot, and they'll leave ... err, well, in a trash can really!"
— Jonathan Pearce after Matilda throws Sir Chromalot out

This was Sir Chromalot's last appearance on the televised show.

Philippa Forrester: "Now then, what was that, what do you call that?"
Steve Merrill: "That was fantastic Philippa, that was really good news! Apart from Matilda did get the hump with us a little bit, and decided to flip use out of the arena, but you don't win all the time! We had a fantastic time here though!"
Philippa Forrester: "The thing is with you my love, you don't win any of the time!"
Steve Merrill: "But I tell you one thing, they do fantastic dinners here! They really do! We had a great time, we really did!"
— Post-battle interview

Results[]

SIR CHROMALOT - RESULTS
Series 3
The Third Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 2
Heat D, Round 1 vs. Shell Shock Won
Heat D, Round 2 vs. Big Brother Lost
Series 4
The Fourth Wars - UK Championship
27th Seed, Heat, Round 2
Heat M, Eliminator vs. Reactor, Scorpion Qualified
Heat M, Semi-Final vs. The Steel Avenger Lost
Celebrity Special
Round 2
Round 1 vs. Disc-O-Inferno Won
Round 2 vs. Pussycat Lost
Extreme Series 1
Tag Team Terror
Competing with Napalm, Round 1
Round 1 vs. Suicidal Tendencies & The Steel Avenger Lost
Other Battles
Vengeance
Vengeance vs. Plunderbird 5 Won
Series 5
The Fifth Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 2
Heat D, Eliminator vs. Rohog Won
Heat D, Semi Final vs. Firestorm 3 (7) Lost
Series 6
The Sixth Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 2
Heat D, Round 1 vs. GBH 2, ICU, The Alien Qualified
Heat D, Round 2 vs. S3 (7) Lost
Extreme Series 2
Challenge Belt
Round 1
Round 1 vs. Dantomkia, Hypno-Disc, S.M.I.D.S.Y. Eliminated

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 6
  • Losses: 7

Series Record[]

Main Series Sir Chromalot Series Record
The First Wars Did not enter
The Second Wars Did not enter
The Third Wars Heat, Round 2
The Fourth Wars Heat, Round 2
The Fifth Wars Heat, Round 2
The Sixth Wars Heat, Round 2
The Seventh Wars Failed to qualify
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter
Robot Wars Extreme Appearances
Series 1 Entered
Series 2 Entered

Gallery[]

Outside Robot Wars[]

SCRobotZone

Sir Chromalot with a fan at a Robot Zone event

SteveMerillandFan

Steve Merrill posing with a fan and Sir Chromalot

SirChromalotRobotZone

Sir Chromalot on display at a Robot Zone event in 2003

Sir Chromalot took part in a few shows on the live circuit. Steve Merrill was one of the main contributors to the live events scene outside of Robot Wars. He hosted his own event known as The Robot Zone which raised money for charity. The events, which typically took place during the summer, featured friendly battles between the likes of Sir Chromalot, Plunderbird 4, Centurion, Panic Attack and Killertron, displays of the House Robots and competitions which featured Robot Wars merchandise as prizes. Steve would even occasionally interview his former rivals Mike Onslow and Bryan Kilburn of the International Wreck Crew.

Chromalots12

Both versions of Sir Chromalot in 2012

Sadly, Steve Merrill passed away on 19 June 2011 from complications relating to bowel cancer.[13] Steve's wife, Lisa, then donated both models of Sir Chromalot to Ray Tait, who made plans to have a friendly grudge match with the International Wreck Crew and to take them to events for display purposes, though these never materialised.

"I would like to say a big thanks to Lisa Merrill for the kind donation of Sir Chromalot and Sir Chromalot II which sadly didn't make it to series seven.

Chromalot meant a lot to me, I spent many hours in my garden shed in Dagenham where I lived at the time rebuilding it. Sir Chromalot will remain a piece of Robot Wars history serving it's{sic} time from series 3 to 6 including Robot Wars Extreme 1 and 2.
"
— Ray Tait on Facebook in 2012

At some point, Ray sold the original Sir Chromalot to Ed Wallace of Team Asgard, who intended to rebuild it. However, Ed did not have the time to take on Sir Chromalot as a project and gave it back to Ray again, where it still remains to this day.[14]

Appearances in Merchandise[]

Trivia[]

  • Interestingly, in Sir Chromalot's three unseeded main appearances, it fought in Heat D, losing in Round 2 to the eventual heat winner, two of which being the number seven seed for the series. In each of these cases, Dead Metal pushed it to the pit. The robot also lost in Round 2 of its main competition appearance as a seed.
    • In fact, Sir Chromalot never made it past Round 2 in any competition, always losing in Round 1 of any competitions it took part in during either series of Extreme (not counting its Vengeance battle, which was a one-off battle).
  • Sir Chromalot was profiled in Robot Wars: The Ultimate Guide.
  • During testing before Series 3, Sir Chromalot survived being hit by multiple cars.[15]
  • In all of its unseeded appearances in the main competition, Sir Chromalot lost as a result of being flipped, despite being equipped with a flipping weapon for two of these series.
  • Curiously, every time Dead Metal tried to pit Sir Chromalot, he became stuck in some way; in Series 3, his saw became caught in Sir Chromalot, in Series 5, he drove over the edge of the pit and got one wheel stuck, having to be pushed free by Sgt. Bash, and in Series 6 he pushed to far and fell into the pit with Sir Chromalot.
  • In Series 4, Sir Chromalot measured 1.41 metres tall, making this the tallest competing robot in the main competition of all time.
  • Sir Chromalot and Gemini are the only robots to lose in the second round of two different episodes - the Series 4 Celebrity Special and Heat D of Series 5. They also appeared in Episode 8 of Extreme 1, losing their respective battles in that episode.
  • Sir Chromalot never lost a battle on a judges' decision.
  • Sir Chromalot was misspelt as "Sir Chromolot" on the team's work bench for Series 5.
  • In Sir Chromalot's last appearance on Robot Wars, the Robot Wars announcer Stuart McDonald mistakenly pronounced it Sir Chompalot, despite saying it correctly for over three years before hand.
  • All of Sir Chromalot's defeats, apart from the last, saw it pitted.
  • In Series 3, Steve Merrill's name was misspelt on the statistics board as 'Steve Merrick'. This error also appeared in the interview with The Hub Nuts in issues 4 and 6 of Robot Wars Magazine.
  • Only two of Sir Chromalot's losses were battles that didn't involve a previous or future semi or grand finalist. Coincidentally both of these battles involved the Steel Avenger.

Honours[]

Nominations

References[]

External Links[]

Navigation[]

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