Chief Delphi - Championship Predictions 2010: Einstein

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Championship Predictions 2010: Einstein

12/1808 = 0.006637 = 0.6637%

Less than two-thirds of one percent of FIRST will reach this stage. Only one-quarter of them will walk away Champions. This is where the elite are crowned. This is where history is written.

This is Einstein.

Teams have employed many strategies to win through-out the season, and there's little doubt that each of the division winners will have their own take on how to win in Breakaway. Each alliance will have a style and composition of it's own, and will have to adapt on the fly to the brand new style of game that's played here. There will be some common ground between these alliances, though. Every alliance will interact with at least five of their balls in autonomous, will typically score at least three goals before tele-op, and at least ten of the twelve teams will be capable of scoring consistently during auto. At least three of the four alliances, and most likely all four, will have a bot capable of hanging and at least six teams will be capable of registering bonus points.
Zone-to-zone movement will be critical on Einstein, as battles to control the balls will spill over to each zone on the field. While plenty of goals will be scored, the games won't be at breakneck speed, as alliances will attempt to derail each others' offense and battle for balls. Expect to see blocked shots in the middle and far zones, harassment on the best midfielders, and some of the better bots spending significant time in the far zone. Success will require the ability to capitalize very quickly on any mistakes committed by the opponent and any opportunities that present themselves. At least one match will be decided by the finale, whether through the hanging points themselves or any penalties incurred during that period.

The chances of picking the right twelve teams out of the pool of 344 are absurdly low. Nobody in their right mind would expect even 25% of their predictions to reach Einstein, let alone 50% of the Einstein finals or an entire alliance.

ARCHIMEDES:
The Killer Bees will seed second or third, and select the Poofs in the first round and the rookies 3280 on the way back around. They'll play a fast and furious style, but with enough grit and flexibility to knock off some of the more defensive-oriented teams. Their potential for six bonus points will not be wasted, and it'll help them surpass the #1 seeded alliance, captained by 25, in the finals.
33/254/3280

CURIE:
1114 managed to seed on top for the third consecutive year, and selects their partner from 2007 on Curie, 469. With the 24th selection, they pick 1421 to round out the dream alliance. Despite the Simbots awesomely effective hanging mechanism, bonus points are rare as 1114 attempts to avoid getting in 469's way at the end of the match. They cruise through the Curie eliminations without a loss.
1114/469/1421

GALILEO:
As the #2 seed, Thunderchickens will decline #1 seed 2056 (who then picks 1625) and pick 1717 and 63 to round out their alliance. They best the #1 seed in three-very close finals matches, based largely on their autonomous advantage and excellent execution.
217/1717/63

NEWTON:
HOT seeds at the top and has a very tough choice between the alliance partners that went with them to Einstein in 2009 (971) and 2008 (16). The Bomb Squad's versatility and their ever improving driver pays off, as they edge out 971 for the selection. They add some grit and defense prowess to their alliance by selecting 868 with the last selection. They experience some trouble in the eliminations, but ultimately survive Newton.
67/16/868

EINSTEIN:
AvC, GvN in the first round.

1114/469/1421 best 33/254/3280 in two matches, one with a substantially higher score than the other.
67/16/868 beat 217/1717/63 in three matches.

1114/469/1421 barely outlast 67/16/868 in three (or more) intense, close matches. 868 plays the role of the Thunderchickens in the MSC finals, but is even more effective at clearing balls. 469 is forced to leave the tunnel at least once during the finals, but the Newton alliance can't spare 16 or 67 to try and keep them from returning. The action ultimately boils down to 1114 and 469 putting balls into the offensive zone more effectively than 868 can clear them out.

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