Chief Delphi - Mountain Man's Post-CMP Analysis

Hello, all.

My oh my, what a wonderful weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the divisions, and kept a special eye on my mountain teams! This was a good year for mountain teams, and they have a lot to be proud of. I thought I would give a shoutout to every mountain team that impressed me during this last week. Here we go!

Apologies for the late post, by the way. I actually went to St. Louis riding a buffalo, meaning I had to leave early and came back late. Buffalo aren't as fast other means of transportation.

Post-2016 Analysis:

This year, mountain teams scored big at champs. Many made it to division eliminations, with two going to Einsteins.

987 continued their streak of excellence this year. Their two ball auto was very visually appealing, they beat 195 in a head-to-head quals match, and they seeded third in Galileo. They won the Innovation in Control Award, were picked by 195, put up some impressive scores in division elims, and returned to the Einstein Field for the second year in a row. They were eliminated in the semis due to some issues with their robot and their partner, 1197, but I was still very impressed with their alliance and their robot this year. On top of all of that, they won the Chairman's Award and became the newest member of the HoF. The Highrollers will never need to worry about qualifying for the Championship again, and I have no doubt that they will continue to build excellent robots in the future.

2122 shocked me. Despite having tested it only once in actual gameplay beforehand, Team Tators had one of the most accurate high goal shooters of the entire championship. They could do everything, from scaling to high goals to a 20 point auto. They came a long way from Arizona North, and were rewarded with the Carson divisional banner and their first ever trip to Einstein because of it. Despite being eliminated in the quarters, the first team from Idaho to qualify for Einsteins has a lot to proud of this year. They're one of my personal favorites, and I look forward to seeing what this team does during the offseason and next season.

Highrollers and Tators were the only two mountain teams to make it to the Einstein Field this year, but that doesn't mean all the others weren't great. Many mountain teams made the division eliminations this year, and they deserve to be mentioned.

In Carver, 842 performed very, very well. They seeded 5th and were eliminated in quarters, but their high goal shots were on point and their scaler as cool as ever. Falcon Robotics has had a great season, possibly their greatest ever, and they should be happy with their success this season. Can't wait to see what they build next!

4334 seeded 5th in Hopper. They picked 294 from California and reunited with their alliance partners from Calgary, the Cyber Gnomes. They were eventually taken out in the semis by the soon-to-be division champions, but they have a lot to be proud of. This is easily ATA's best season yet, with two regional wins and a performance that solidifies them as the dominant powerhouse of Western Canada.

Although maybe not as well known, 3166 deserves a huge round of applause. They went from being 21st in Utah and winning as a second pick to being 3rd on Archimedes and division finalists as the captain of their alliance. The First Year Ravens improved a ton, and their semifinal matches were intense. They should be really happy with their progress. I'll be sure to keep my eye on them next year!

In Carson, 1619 had a few issues with their robot, mainly intake-related. They seeded 11th overall and were left to captain their own alliance. They put together a group of bots capable of putting up a 60-point autonomous and two scales, and they beat the #2 seed in the quarters. Robot issues caused them to be eliminated in the semis, but Up-A-Creek still took home the Quality Award. 1619 has seen a lot of success this year, and has a lot to be proud of. I'll be sure to keep an eye on them next season.

This season was many teams' best, and the same goes for 1011. Crush performed very well at the tournament, using the same strategy they used in Flagstaff and Denver. They were also selected for division eliminations for the first time in their history, and made it to the semis after an impressive upset of the #2 seed. Crush has had a big year, from their first-ever regional win to making it to the semis their first time in eliminations. I'd love to see this team from Tucson continue to build great robots, and I'm excited to see what they build next year!

The Future:

That's all I have to say about champs. Great job to all mountain teams that went; you all are the reason I love the FRC!

As many of you all know, the map of the world for championships was released yesterday. The bad news is that many teams will never see each other again, and must say farewell. The good news is that the entire mountain region is going to the same championship, meaning I don't have to monitor both events at the same time. Know that next year, I will only be analyzing the Championship in Houston. If a mountain team decides to go to St. Louis/Detroit, I will give them a shoutout, but will not be watching them as closely as I will the teams in Houston.

One more piece of news. By now, I'm certain you all have heard about the fire in Fort McMurray, Alberta. I know there are a few teams based there, and my thoughts and prayers are with them all. Stay safe, and let the CD community know if we can do anything to help.

As for posts of this year, I think I am effectively done with analysis. I may do one more for IRI or another off-season event if enough mountain teams are there.

I have included a poll at the top of the thread. Please answer it and leave a comment saying what you liked and didn't like about my analyses. It would be helpful for me to know what I need to improve for next year.

So long!