Aftershock (UK)

## Overview

**Aftershock** is a heavyweight robot which competed in Series 9-10 of *Robot Wars*, coming 4th overall in the 9th Series. It was built by Team Shock, as the successor to Series 8 Grand Finalist Shockwave.

## Design

Aftershock’s design is much like the team's well-known featherweight **Inertia XL**. The team's beetleweight **Inertia B2** served as a close replica of the design of Aftershock and greatly influenced the design. Aftershock has two interchangeable weapons, one of which is a 24kg, 500mm diameter, blue vertical spinning disc, exerting huge energy into its single tooth upon impact. The disc spins at 2,400rpm and can reach full speed in under 2 seconds. A 14kg vertical bar spinner is also available.

The front of the robot uses a low-profile wedge with two teeth to lead opponents into its disc. Aftershock features no separate self-righting mechanism, instead relying purely on the power of the disc to turn the robot over. However, the robot’s top is less protected, with only 12mm of polycarbonate, and an exposed drive belt and wheels.

## Robot History

### UK Robot Wars Series 9

**Refer to**: https://robotwars.fandom.com/wiki/Aftershock

Aftershock debuted in Episode 1, fighting Sabretooth, TMHWK and Crank-E in its Group Battle and qualified for the Head-to-Head stage after desecrating Crank-E, along with Sabretooth who immobilised TMHWK.

Team Shock discovered in the pits afterwards that part of Aftershock's wiring had burnt out, which caused the disc to stop working during the match. However, they were able to replace the damaged wiring in time for its first Head-to-Head battle against Rapid. Aftershock knocked out Rapid after it was able to self-right from a flip and disabled the flipper. Aftershock scored three points following this knock-out victory, which put it joint-first on the leaderboard with its next opponent, **Sabretooth**. It made repairs to the weapon motor and chassis from the collision against the floor. Aftershock tore apart Sabretooth's armour and a motor and a wheel before getting three more points from the KO victory. It overtook Sabretooth in the league table standings with six points. In its last Head-to-Head, Aftershock faced experienced Robot Wars veteran – and original series Grand Finalist - Terrorhurtz. Before the battle, Team Shock fitted extra layers of shock-mounted polycarbonate to Aftershock's armour, in order to offer it extra protection against Terrorhurtz's axe blows. Aftershock was able to perform its third consecutive knockout against the axe-bot resoundingly. As a result, it finished top of the Head-to-Head leaderboard with nine points, and secured its place in the Heat Final.

There, Aftershock faced Sabretooth for the second time in order to advance to the Grand Finals. Sabretooth had shown improvement in driving but Aftershock immobilised it in a less gruesome fashion with the help of Sir Killalot. Therefore, it earned a place in the Grand Final.

In its Grand Final Group Battle, Aftershock faced two full-pressure flippers in Eruption and the defending champion Apollo. Aftershock was flipped by Eruption, which caused arena damage. Apollo got caught under the damaged arena floor and took a hit from the spinner. The match restarted without any repairs and modifications to the robots agreed upon. Aftershock would immobilise Apollo and punctured the gas tank. Then, Apollo and Eruption progressed to the Head-to-Head stage.

"*Now you see, that's what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to attack the robot rather than attack the arena!*"
— Dara Ó Briain jests about Aftershock's battle-stopping hit on the arena floor
In its first Head-to-Head, Aftershock faced Series 8 runner-up Carbide. For this battle, Team Shock swapped its disc for the bar spinner, Team Shock also swapped Aftershock's polycarbonate plates with 6mm HARDOX ones as a result of the lighter weight offered by the bar spinner.

"*This next fight I think is the one everyone's wanted to see. It's big horizontal spinner vs big vertical spinner, and I think between us we’ve dished out some of the biggest hits this year.*"
— Will Thomas before the Head-to-Head against Carbide
Aftershock and Carbide exchanged hits but the former's drive motor broke on impact. Carbide went in for a few more hits, which propelled a side panel through one of the bulletproof wall panels. Carbide won the match via knockout and Aftershock has to make up for the deficit in points. After extensive repairs, including having new braces and panels welded on and its top panels stuck to the chassis with gaffer tape, it fought Ironside3. Aftershock and Ironside3 struck each other. However, the lack of shock mountings due to time constraints proved costly as its weapon motor disintegrated as it drove into the wall. Aftershock still approached Ironside3 before it was knocked out by both its opponent and arena spike. More repairs was done and now, it was only able to tie with **Eruption** if it wins its battle against it.

A flip by Eruption had Aftershock tear up the arena floor again and activated the "Rogue House Robot" mode with the tyre button. Both teams agreed to restart the battle even with the damage sustained to the floor. Aftershock only managed to clip Eruption before its gyro allowed Eruption to push it to Dead Metal. Aftershock managed to free itself after buckling a pincer. It continued to deal a few more hits to Eruption's sides and wedge but not without taking a few flips in return. Team Shock's robot lost mobility as one of its drive chains broke but Eruption only lost some speed. It was counted out, ending its run and placing 4th in the competition.

### UK Robot Wars Series 10

Aftershock fought in Heat 2, where it was drawn against Crackers 'n' Smash and fellow Grand Finalist Eruption. Aftershock started strongly in the opening seconds, its flywheel completely unperturbed by the entanglement devices of Crackers 'n' Smash. The angled antennae of Crackers was both cleaved straight off on impact, and Aftershock herded the green clusterbot into a vacant CPZ. Smash, retreating from Eruption, interceded and also had its long, thin needles cloven from the body. Smash backed away from Aftershock and onto the floor flipper which fired, hurling Smash away. Aftershock's weapon, however, tore into the floor flipper's exposed underside and ripped a large sheet of metal into a contorted shape. The flipper could not close, and pieces of torn metal littered the arena. In the control booths, driver Will Thomas was suddenly caught between several competing accounts. The Crackers 'n' Smash team began shouting for the fight to stop, whilst Michael Oates of Eruption continued to fight. Aftershock continued to attack, striking the inverted Smash and buckling the forks of Crackers. Eruption slid its wedge beneath Aftershock and tipped it over, but the flywheel righted it. At this point, Ian Thomas of Aftershock began joining the clamour of the Crackers 'n' Smash team for Will Thomas to stop. Upon hearing his father call for cease as well, Will Thomas hesitated and began to slow, but the fight continued with no siren. The hesitation of Aftershock cost them the fight, as Eruption was able to flip the spinner towards the inner wall, where impact from the spinning disc propelled Aftershock out of the arena in a blast of sparks.

After the battle, Dara Ó Briain took Will Thomas through the arena and highlighted the damage caused by Aftershock to both Crackers and the arena. The rules were properly explained to all teams, and Aftershock were drawn against Gabriel 2 for redemption. Gabriel 2 bore its entanglement mace into the arena, and had an advantage of height. However, after an opening barrage of scuffs, Aftershock was able to land a blow on Gabriel 2's body, throwing its opponent clean into the air where it landed on its flexible wheels. Aftershock drove into Gabriel 2 and chewed at its underside, where Gabriel 2 could not bring its weapon into play. It made quick, hit-and-run attacks on Gabriel 2, and its flywheel began to suck up the loosening entanglement weapons of Gabriel 2; the ropes ripping the wiring for Aftershock's power switch out and seizing its weapon motor up. As Jonathan Pearce and Angela Scanlon speculated on the effectiveness of the entanglement weapons, Aftershock landed another blow on Gabriel 2's body - throwing it into the air once again - which immobilised the latter. It pushed Gabriel 2 into Sir Killalot's CPZ, and advanced to the Heat Semi-Finals with this victory.

There, Aftershock was drawn against Carbide, in a rematch of their Series 9 encounter. For this battle, Team Shock replaced Aftershock's disc with its 'anti-Carbide' asymmetrical bar spinner, as well as its seized weapon motor. In the fight, the initial impacts sent both robots skittering away from each other, but Aftershock's armour began to show more visible signs of damage. Aftershock was briefly overturned by one impact but the bar spinner righted it. It landed a blow on Carbide's side and later got an unobstructed and rare chance to attack Carbide's rear, but was unable to capitulate on the latter until Carbide had pulled away. Another colossal impact sent Carbide flying, but at the cost of Aftershock's weapon, which broke from the impact. Aftershock took two more blows from Carbide before a wheel jammed, at which point Team Carbide called off the damage and allowed the fight to end. Aftershock started driving again after 'cease' was called, but it was already too late.

For its final chance at redemption, Aftershock was drawn against Big Nipper in the Third Place Playoff, equipped with the 30kg disc. The two robots, both wielding very similarly shaped, sized and designed weapons, danced around each other before clashing in several stalemated blows. One clash hurled Aftershock all the way back into the CPZ even as Big Nipper was thrown in the other direction, but both robots shook off damage and drove back out for more. Successive blows began to edge in favour of Big Nipper, with Aftershock's wedge chewed up and another blow knocking Aftershock backwards. The gyroscopic forces of Aftershock's disc managed to return it to its upright position, but the disc itself stopped working seconds later; the weapon motor casing shifted, causing the disc to draw enough current to melt both of its removable links. The two robots hit each other head-on twice more - the second collision sending Aftershock spinning and throwing it onto its back. With the disc disabled, Aftershock was unable to self-right, resulting in Noel Sharkey starting the countdown timer following prompts from Sethu Vijayakumar. With this, it was eliminated from Series 10, ultimately finishing its heat in fourth place.

## Results

* TV Wins: 7
* TV Losses: 6
* Live Wins: 8
* Live Losses: 4
* Total Wins: 15
* Total Losses: 10