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SirFailsalot91 β€” Gijinka Matilda

Published: 2012-03-03 19:08:32 +0000 UTC; Views: 669; Favourites: 4; Downloads: 2
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Description Anyone ever heard of a little TV show called Robot Wars?
As a kid, I LOVED IT!! I never wanted to miss an episode, it was just so fantastic

The basic idea of the show was a pair of homemade fighting robots entering an arena and trashing the hell out of one another for agout 10-15 minutes; whoever was still able to compete or scored the most points via the judges' decision was declared the winner (you could win by dumping your foe in the Pit, incapacitating them or be flipping them over the arena barrier completely; the judges gave points for combat style, robot control, damage given and aggressiveness in combat)

Added to these bouts were the House Robots, a small group of the deadliest fighting machines ever produced by the BBC's Visual Effects Department, who would smash the hell out of the combatants whenever they got the chance; Shunt, Dead Metal, Sgt. Bash, Matilda and the most famous of the bunch, Sir Killalot

My favourite of the House Robots was (of course) Matilda , the dinosaur-shaped robotess with nasty weapons and a nastier attitude; she had two front tusks to lift her foes into the air and a rear-mounted chainsaw tail to slice and dice, but after a nasty run-in with World Champion Razer, the chain saw was replaced by a 27kg vertical flywheel which could shred her unfotunate victims to pieces, send them soaring into the air and (if they were near the side wall) even out of the arena entirely!


Anyway, what better way for me to relive one of my many childhood shows than to gijinka-fy the Matriarch of Mayhem herself? (Yes, her wheels ARE on her shoulders, they're part of the outfit)

I always thought that, with her being the first House Robot to be built and by hanging about with a bunch of hard lads, Matti would almost be imagined as a dominatrix of sorts and would definately know how to keep her boys in line
I stuck with the chainsaw for this design as a flywheel sticking out of a woman's back would just look awkward, plus I've been a fan of the show since the beginning and the chainsaw-tailed Matti always gives me a sense of nostalgia

Apparently, she's meant to be purple, but I think onyx and grey suits her better, while the orange is a reference to her engine cover here-[link]


Matilda and Robot Wars (C) BBC
Art belongs to me
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Comments: 20

Alan-G-Brandon [2014-06-14 13:12:41 +0000 UTC]

Not bad. Me & Emma Evans saw her at Newport Center on 11th May in the featherweight division.

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SirFailsalot91 In reply to Alan-G-Brandon [2014-06-14 15:57:13 +0000 UTC]

She's still up and running? Holy cow, I thought she'd have been left hidden somewhere in the BBC's Visual Effects department to gather dust, but that's awesome!
I mean, I know Thirteen Black is still functioning since it's one of the participants atΒ the Robots event at MCM Manchester each year, but I never expected one of the House Robots to still be operational

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Alan-G-Brandon In reply to SirFailsalot91 [2014-06-14 16:47:37 +0000 UTC]

She is spottedΒ here Β in House Robots with a new House Robot circa 2007, it's Major Damage Β & he's given that name by John Fidlay ofΒ Team Roaming Robots Β after Robot Wars ended. WithΒ Team Roaming Robots Β adopting the Robot Wars name in 2013, Major Damage became the main house robot for the new Robot Wars live events. Matilda , on the other hand, like you said, lost her chainsaw tail to Razer.

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SirFailsalot91 In reply to Alan-G-Brandon [2014-06-14 18:55:35 +0000 UTC]

Well, damn, there's some news I wasn't expecting!

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Alan-G-Brandon In reply to SirFailsalot91 [2014-06-15 19:09:53 +0000 UTC]

I did post some videos of it on YouTube, check this out.

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SirFailsalot91 In reply to Alan-G-Brandon [2014-06-15 19:47:29 +0000 UTC]

Good to see old faces like Stinger and the Steel Avenger still hanging about

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Alan-G-Brandon In reply to SirFailsalot91 [2014-06-16 19:21:42 +0000 UTC]

I'm on series 3 now.

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SirFailsalot91 In reply to Alan-G-Brandon [2014-06-16 19:31:20 +0000 UTC]

Any other classic robots featuring in the new shows?

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Alan-G-Brandon In reply to SirFailsalot91 [2014-06-16 19:36:21 +0000 UTC]

Well...There's Ripper & Meggamouse.

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SirFailsalot91 In reply to Alan-G-Brandon [2014-06-16 19:56:14 +0000 UTC]

Not bad
Kind of a shame to think of where most of the other robots could be now

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bupple [2012-04-18 11:05:18 +0000 UTC]

I used to love watching Robot Wars! And Craig Charles (Red Dwarf fame) was a brill commentator.

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SirFailsalot91 In reply to bupple [2012-04-18 11:21:50 +0000 UTC]

Nothing more fun than watching a bunch of home-made robots smash the circuits out of each other

He's actually going to be back at the MCM Expo in Manchester this year, makes me wish I could find my "First Great War" video for him to sign

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bupple In reply to SirFailsalot91 [2012-04-18 12:06:26 +0000 UTC]

If you get to meet him, me and Amy will be sooooo jelly! XD

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SirFailsalot91 In reply to bupple [2012-04-18 12:33:01 +0000 UTC]

Gives me even more of a reason to go again >83

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Angus-Nitro [2012-03-03 23:48:20 +0000 UTC]

ah yes, i remember Robot Wars. unfortunately i've never watched any episodes since it was only on one day a week of a morning, so i always missed it. though i do remember watching The Simpsons parody of it

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SirFailsalot91 In reply to Angus-Nitro [2012-03-04 08:48:00 +0000 UTC]

It was awesome, sometimes even downright funny, especially when one of the House Robots gets flipped on its side or a competitor gets flipped clealy over the arena wall

Look up videos of Hypno Disc or Razer to see some REAL robot destruction

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SHITFORBRAINSCHAN [2012-03-03 20:07:07 +0000 UTC]

Oh yeah, I remember that show. My sister and I always use to watch that show.

My fav of the House Robots was, indeed, Sir Killalot. But still, nice design for Matilda, she looks awesome.

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SirFailsalot91 In reply to SHITFORBRAINSCHAN [2012-03-03 20:20:11 +0000 UTC]

Definately a way to spend 40-odd minutes of your day

I always loved it when Killalot caught fire, but that's probably just my inner-pyromaniac enjoying himself

Thanks, broski
I'm planning on doing the other House Robots as well

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SHITFORBRAINSCHAN In reply to SirFailsalot91 [2012-03-03 20:28:33 +0000 UTC]

Yep, nothing like seeing robots torn to bits to pass the time.

I can't wait to see them!

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SirFailsalot91 In reply to SHITFORBRAINSCHAN [2012-03-03 21:16:57 +0000 UTC]

Indeed

Cooly X3

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