BEHEMOTH (WEEK 1 WINNER)
"What's that, Team Outlaw? It took you seven attempts to reach a Grand Final? That's nothing. Watch this."
After nineteen years and nine attempts, Behemoth has finally reached a Grand Final, and I don't think there's a single Robot Wars fan who won't be happy to see it here. The world's unluckiest robot has seen a dramatic reversal of fortunes, from its narrow victory in its group battle to its split-second defeat of Apollo in its heat final. Is this finally Behemoth's year?
For me, it comes down to luck of the draw. Behemoth can tackle Carbide and Magnetar head-on thanks to its tough bucket scoop, but I'm not so sure about Nuts 2, whose flails can reach round to its sides. If it faces Rapid, I'd expect that to be a close contest, just as the heat final against Apollo was. Behemoth has the potential to win... but it also has the potential to crash out immediately.
My prediction: Behemoth is always a tough robot to predict. I think it'll miss out on the title... but only just. Top four finisher.
CARBIDE (WEEK 2 WINNER)
...and absolutely nobody was surprised. Dave Moulds' ferocious bar spinner and reigning champion is only the second robot after Hypno-Disc to reach three consecutive Grand Finals, and is understandably one of the favourites... although Gabriel's spectacular, spirited performance has dented its allure somewhat. Just as I predicted, Carbide hasn't had it quite so easy this year.
Having said that, I still feel like it'll take quite an upset for Carbide not to reach the final two. It's certainly doable - all the machines in the Grand Final have the potential to take it down, even Nuts 2 if it gets a hit in just the right place - but Carbide's track record makes it very difficult to look past them. You have to wonder how much longer its Grand Final streak will continue for...
My prediction: Understandably one of the favourites to retain its title - but it's nowhere near guaranteed. Top two finisher.
RAPID (WEEK 3 WINNER)
After an inauspicious debut, Rapid needed a good performance this series to avoid being labelled "the next Mortis". Josh Valman duly delivered: Rapid scored a ring-out in every round of its heat, including the fastest battle in Robot Wars history against Track-Tion, quite fitting considering its name. Any Mortis comparisons have now gone out the window, and there's no doubt that Rapid deserves to be here.
I don't believe Rapid can win, though, and for one reason: reliability. Yes, it's more easily repairable than last year, when we all had a good laugh at its over-engineered gearboxes, but the flipper leaked CO2 throughout its heat and still isn't at its full seven-tonne potential. We also haven't seen how this version of Rapid reacts to getting hit with a big spinny thing, and there are at least three of those in this Grand Final line-up.
My prediction: Rapid still isn't quite at full potential, but it's definitely far more of a contender than it was last series. Top six finisher.
NUTS 2 (WEEK 4 WINNER)
Little anecdote for you. As I may have already mentioned, I was there when (most of) the Grand Final was filmed, as well as the International Special. I did not realise I was watching the Grand Final until about halfway through, mainly because of Nuts 2' presence. I refused to believe that this goofy-looking thwackbot, that got trashed in its previous two appearances, could possibly have made it that far.
And yet, here it is. Nuts 2 has defied all the odds and demonstrated the sheer power of the Meltybrain system, trashing everything it faced in its heat. Now, however, it faces an entirely new calibre of opposition, including Carbide, the robot that memorably turned it into a jigsaw puzzle back in Series 8. Can Nuts 2 become Robot Wars' most unlikely champion? Somehow, I don't think so.
My prediction: Nuts 2 has done astonishingly well to reach the Grand Final, but it will struggle to get much further... right? Top six finisher.
MAGNETAR (WEEK 5 WINNER)
It seems that Ellis Ware has finally ironed out Magnetar's reliability issues. It was untouchable in its heat, punting its opponents around like footballs, and it's seemingly emerged as one of the hot favourites alongside Carbide. It's not hard to see why: with a powerful weapon, strong armour, and its magnets keeping it under control, Magnetar looks like a real force to be reckoned with.
So can Magnetar win the title? It's in with a good chance, but there's one important caveat. As with Rapid, we haven't really seen Magnetar's reliability tested yet: one good blow from Carbide or even Nuts 2 might be enough to knock out those precious brushless motors. At least they're no longer spontaneously combusting though. Whatever happens, Ellis Ware has taken a great leap forward this series.
My prediction: The joker in the pack. Magnetar could break down in a matter of seconds... or it could win the title. Top two finisher.
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