Toughest regional?
 

For fun, let's get the ball rolling this year.

Which regional is the toughest this year?

Re: Toughest regional?
 

IRI.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

GTR West or GTR East or Waterloo. 1114, 2056, 188, 1503, 610, 781, 1334, 1075, and 772 (lol sorry i had to put my own team ;) ). are some of the more competitive teams at these regionals. Not ll of those teams are at every one of those regionals though. 1114, and 2056 are at all three, and together they are almost unbeatable (even apart they are almost unbeatable).

Well yea... but if we're are gonna say IRI, then championships will be one of the most competitive too :P

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Question is, which championship? I vote for MSC.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Even though it’s not technically a regional, MSC is always awesome.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

IRI blows the championship away. Only MSC can match what IRI brings to the table and they may fall just a little short.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

We'll see what MAR Championship can do. They'll probably end up somewhere around #3 or #4 on the toughness list. IRI, MSC, Championship (all divisions inclusive) is how it's gone the last few years.

However, the toughest regional you need to worry about is always the one you're competing in.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

I think that peachtree this year will be a clash of the titans

Re: Toughest regional?
 

MSC is always a good one. Last year for Logomotion it wasn't overly exciting, but all of you who watches the finals for Breakaway at MSC know what it can entail. 217, 67, and 2612 vs 1918, 469, and 2834. You have 3 world champions (2 of them being multiple-winning world champions) and 5 matches of heart stopping action. That's right, 5 matches, all thanks to HOT hanging after the buzzer in the first match and not being able to do so in the rest of the matches for the win. To this day, it is my favorite match I have ever seen in FIRST history...closely followed by watching 71 Hammond crawl it's way to victory.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Midwest will be a good one with 111, 16, 148, 1625

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Central Valley Regional is going to be a huge battle of the west coast powerhouses:

254, 330, 368, 973, and 1717 are in attendance, representing some of the best, most consistent teams in California (and Hawaii). That also includes 2/3 of the defending World Champions.

980, 1323, 1388 and 1622 will also be coming to play, and are always solid performers.

Oh yeah, it's also the second event for every one of those teams. It may not be MSC, but I'll venture to say it will be the most competitive west coast regional this year, and maybe even the most competitive regional (State Champs are excluded from that category, IMO). I think it will definitely be in the top 10 most competitive official events this year, too (including State Champs and World Champs).

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Toughest NEW regional will be Central Valley. 254, 1717, 973, 968 (I think), 330, 971, 368, and a bunch of others!

*To all of those teams, 256 would LOVE to alliance with you. ;)

Re: Toughest regional?
 

I think one day the chmpionship will be the toughest event around (even tougher than MSC) once FIRST completely converts to the District models (gripe about it all you want this is the future of FIRST and it's the right thing to do) teams that are more competition ready will be at teh championship to do battle.

As for non district regionals my top three are:

1. Connecticut Regional - There is is some seriously sick depth at this regional.
2. Queen City Regional - Every year there is a brand new regional that gets blessed with big name teams showing up to coronate it with their presence and this one is it.
3. Central Valley Regional - Another new regional getting the royal treatment with some heavy hitters on the West coast (and TKM from Hawaii) at the expense of Las Vegas which is usually the most powerful regional due to the presence of these teams. Two and three can easily be interchanged and I wouldn't argue.

Honorable mentions: Chesapeake. Midwest.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Midwest is always up there. There's a pretty good list of teams usually. 16, 111, 1625, 71, and 148 this year. That should be quite a show.
I recall going last year, and the team list was about the same: 16, 45, 111, 118, 1625. Plus a show from Dean Kamen, and that's a regional I'll never forget.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

With CVR, California is trying out a new regional model, though not too much info has been given out on it yet (RC, any cool stuff you wanna share with us?). However, Jim Beck, CA regional director, told us that California will be trying out a district model in the near future. Anywhere from 2013, to 2017.

I for one welcome our new district model regionals.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

It's easy to name the top 3 teams at a regional and cite it as the toughest regional, but I think the depth of a regional is equally important. Midwest was mentioned a couple of times in this thread. While it probably has the biggest group of elite teams at the top each year (16, 71, 111, 1625, featuring appearences within the past 3 years by 1114, 217, 118, 148), its been extremely shallow the last two years to the point where the top 3 seeds almost have first round byes.

Wisconsin and Midwest both the same week has really hurt Midwest's already lacking depth. 148 is a new addition but 45, 118, 1675, 1732, 2041, and 2826 won't be there this year.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

CT will be a brawl this year. 39 of the 62 teams have been around since 2006. Say what you will about the game similarities, the fact remains that over 60% of the regional attendees have a LOT of experience, and that's before you even consider the impressive list of perennial powerhouses in attendance. 118's even making the trek out from Texas to throw their name in the pool.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

This. Every year, there's some really intense competition (and 1124 has won it 4 out of the last 6 years). It's also very veteran laden - about 75% of teams attending have a team number under 3000.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Waterloo, CVR, MSC and MAR Championships.

IRI is in a league of it's own.

-Nick

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Midwest has been hurt the past few years by having either Wisconsin or Boilermaker or both on the same week and drawing away good teams from them. That's why this year Midwet is actually Queen City because alot of those teams are going there all at once instead.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

What I don't understand is why do people keep listing GTR or Waterloo as a tough regional. It's the most predictable regionals out there. It's 1114 and 2056 hooking up with some lucky third team who'll they'll carry to a blue banner and they sweep through the elims. It's been that way for years. It aint gonna change.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Could be, with Metal-in-Motion returning to Peachtree; plus you guys at Westminister, North STARS, Walton, Kell, CircuitRunners Robotics (looking to make a comeback), FLASH, Los Pollos Locos, and RoboLions.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Exactly my point. Its extremely hard to win if you aren't 2056 or 1114.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

IRI, MSC, Championships.. That sounds about right.

Regionals only though,

1. Connecticut
2. Midwest
3. Central Valley

Re: Toughest regional?
 

GTR East has the potential to be an absolute fireshow this year. In addition to 1114 and 2056, 781 is also coming out after a regional win and championship finalist last year. 610 and 188 were division finalists last year with 469 and lost to the eventual Champs in 3 matches. And 548, who made a big splash in Michigan last year, is coming out to play. You can't say that none of last year's success is going to blow over to this year. If any of these teams build a robot like last year's then the whole game is blown wide open. And this is ignoring the mid-tier teams that are also at GTRE.

If any year is going to change that, it'll be this year. All it will take is for someone to seed higher than 1114 or 2056. It's a tall order, sure, but there are teams here that can do it (heck, 188 came this close to doing it in both 2009 and 2010). And if it does happen, all bets are off.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

I remember when we went in 2008 as the only Canadian Team. I'm not sure how far we got but i know 1124 won. That was such a fun regional too. Idk if you remember us being there but we were the very bright orange team :P
best memory from that regional was our robot doing chin-ups on the overpass because of another robot hitting ours during autonomous :). and Dean signed our robot :)

Re: Toughest regional?
 

MSC is by far the hardest competition I've seen in my 13 year in FIRST.... Especially the last two year, I can't wait to see what this year brings!!!

Koko Ed - can't wait for you to come see how much fun we have here!!!

Re: Toughest regional?
 

That's not tough. That's predictable. The antitheses of tough.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Yes this is definitely the year it WILL happen. I have been taking to other teams that are going to GTR West with us, (we arent going to east or waterloo) coming up with strategies and helping each other out with the designing.

188 is probably the 3rd best team their. 1503 is right behind them. there are tons of teams at the 3 Ontario regional that are highly competitive. All that needs to happen is get 1114 and 2056 apart, then game on.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

The toughest regional is the one where everyone helps each other and acts graciously professional.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Ontario is becoming more and more competitive each year.

It's not a clear cut "1114 and 2056 will win x regional" anymore. But, it's still pretty darn close to that, and I would still be surprised if that didn't happen.

-Nick

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Perhaps I don't understand something, but please explain?

Re: Toughest regional?
 

When every team is at the top of their game, and all the other teams are helping them be at the top of their game (or above), then the regional will be extremely difficult to win for any single team on the field. On the other hand, every single team will win off the field because of the increased competitiveness and the interactions with the other teams.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

I would think the opposite is the truer statement... You may be confusing toughest with best.

It seems tougher to play when no one wants to be cooperative or helpful. While it is true that when all the bots at the regional are competitive, the caliber of play is raised, it is still very hard to play with robots that don't work or that don't play fair, and that swiftly spirals into a bitter litany of "we lost a match because of so-and-so purposely flipping us or because so-and-so's robot broke down in a feeder lane" excuses. It is less tough on the spectators and competitors when everyone is at the top of their game.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

2009 DC regional has set the standard for that.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Ah. That would make sense. I think that would truly be a regional to see...

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Where every team works to bring out the best in each team, it will be the hardest. Teams will learn strategies, and game capabilities that could be taught by other teams. If Team A has an "ok" robot, and Team B has a "great" robot, and Team B helps Team A find a winning strategy that works for them, Team A will become better and stronger, and can potentially win the competition.

If every team helps each other, then by Friday/Saturday, each team will be at their top-preforming level. This would create an extremely tough regional, because every team will be performing at their best, compared to a normal regional where only a few teams do, and others are "ok", leaving much less competition.

Because when everyone's great, no one looses.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

I think some of the MI teams I see posting here aren't giving credit to the toughest District competition there is...Troy!

Because of the amount of rookie teams that attend, you can almost guarantee who you will see in the finals. There are always a few surprises but the true veterans always end up making up the top 3 alliances.

In terms of the powerhouses/veterans:
1 Juggernauts
33 Killer Bees
67 HOT
217 Thunderchickens
469 Las Guerrillas
910 Foley Freeze

Of these teams, team 33 is the only team to not have a national championship victory. They, however, never fail to make it far on their field at the championship and have made a lot of appearances on Einstein.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

910 Foley Freeze has also never won a championship. They made it to Einstein in 2007 with 330 and 1270, and they are always a strong contender, however.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

I do believe that the Michigan competition troy would be a hard competition, although the Michigan State Competition i believe is the hardest, the top 60 teams in Michigan adds up to tough competition.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Imagine a California (and Hawaii) state championship. That would be AWESOME!

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Connecticut is always a dense pool of East Coast fun.

We're excited to welcome 118 this year to the brawl. ;)

Re: Toughest regional?
 

My bad, for some reason I thought Foley won it with Frog Force one year. I was mistaken. Idk where I got that idea from.

Re: Toughest regional?
 

I might know.

Frog Force won with H.O.T. and BeachBots in 2005. In the process, they beat Foley in divisonal finals. Two years later, BeachBots and Foley beat H.O.T. in divisional finals to go to Einstein.

You probably just got teams 330 and 910 confused...

Re: Toughest regional?
 

Troy sounds fun. In the past three years, the teams I counted (33,67,217,469,910) have a combined 2 world championships, 5 Michigan state championships, 2 world finalists, 2 state finalists, and a bunch of regional and district wins to go with it. I'll throw 1718 onto the "good teams at Troy" list, as well.

I'll support Midwest as the best regional. Lots of great teams in one place.