About The Clans

Each clan comprises from three to ten robots of the same weight class built to Fighting Robot Association rules. A clan can have more than one weight class. So you can have newly established clans with just three robots of the same class all the way to large well established clans which may have thirty robots of different classes.
EG: Small clan :- 3 feathers, Large clan :- 6 ants, 9 feathers, 5 middles and 10 heavies.
Transport fails, teams get lost and robots which were fine the night before decide to burst into smoke the day of an event. Although you can enter an event with only three robots you really need to arrive ready to fight with the best line up you can. The maximum number of robots that can be allowed to attend an event is five for each weight class per clan. Arriving with four or five robots per weight class also gives you some redundancy after the first battle.
A clan is generally put together to gain local support, pool parts/expertise, or if the teams have compatible speed controllers motors etc or just enjoy similar levels of alcohol abuse. A clan is formed by a clan leader who will invite other robot teams to join the clan. The position of leader will come up for reelection every year and be decided on the basis of one vote per robot team. In the event of a tied vote the result will be determined by single robot combat. This is the only time that robots of the same clan may fight each other. For each event that the clan attend the clan leader will nominate a clan captain who will take all decisions concerning the clan at that event.
Initially clans will be limited to five robots of each weight class. This is a short term measure and will only last until we have established a decent number of clans. In the UK I think twelve English clans three Welsh clans and one Scottish clan is enough to give us a decent start. Once this is achived then clans may expand to a maximum of ten robots per weight class and new clans may form. I hope our friends in Europe and the USA form clans in a similar way. Larger clans are expected to activly encourage the build of new robots. These new teams are considered as barbarians who are allied to the clan. Clan names should reflect the location of the first leader of the clan. This is so that supporters and roboteers can choose a local clan. I will be forming the Cornish Tinners. It is the clan captains job to decide which robots will attend an event. They will call for volunteers and choose from the robots who have come forward. If there are not enough volunteers the captain will ask the clan leader to exile some of the robots who have not volunteered so that they can recruit new members from barbarian robots.
Clan Colours
All clan robots will appear in commen strip with a clan logo and sponser logos if they have them. The colours are to be publicly posted so that newer clans can pick something that is not already in use. Any pattern may be used, strips, diamonds, yellow panels with black edges, spots or even spotty fur. The use of solid yellow or yellow and white stripes is not available. This may be used as a penalty for clans who have shown cowerdice. Black with narrow gold stipes are the colours of my clan the Cornish Tinners. Black and white stripes are reserved for refbots if we get round to using them. Only clan robots can wear clan colours, barbarians whether allied to a clan or not can not.
Barbarians
All robots should spend time and prove themselves in single combat before joining a clan. Competing in single combat is the best way to gain experience of fighting against other robots. Barbarians also need to find and fix any problems, it doesn't matter how carfully you test or practise with a robot, combat will find the weak points. The robot/s not chosen for combat in a clan battle can fight in single combat against barbarians or robots from other clans. Clan robots may not fight against each other unless it is for position within the clan.

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