Roadblock was the first ever contestant robot introduced on "Robot Wars", and the first to run the Gauntlet. This preliminary round saw competitors having to negotiate an obstacle course with the goal of reaching an end zone. The robot which took the longest to do so, or which covered the least distance, was eliminated from the competition. Roadblock successfully negotiated the course, reached the end zone, and qualified for the Trial. This round featured a particular challenge which changed each week. For the first heat, the Trial was a sumo wrestling match against a house robot called Shunt. The robot which lasted the least time on a raised podium with Shunt would be eliminated. Roadblock outmanoeuvred Shunt and pushed it off the podium, but not without driving off itself.