Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

Our team designed our entire robot this year around defensive play and the end game. I wouldn't put us in the category of best defensive robots of all time but we did reference a lot of defensive teams in the past to formulate our strategy and driver approach. I have to say, sometimes playing defense is so much fun! Here's a quick highlight video our kids put together if you guys are interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni8Ex...ature=youtu.be

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

My personal favorite was 4226. we partnered with them in Minnesota. I've seen a lot of rookies play defense, but never this good. They were getting points for our alliance by playing defense, and they were completely overlooked by everyone else. I remember our strategy meeting on friday of that regional, and how we decided on our second pick (them) before we decided on our first pick, and then praying that they didn't get picked by anyone else.

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

I'm hesitant to add yet another bump to an already year old thread, but the topic of the thread itself is fitting and I feel not a lot of people got a chance to see this because of the competitions that took place the same week of the Buckeye regional.

My vote for best defensive robot this year goes to 1551: The Grapes of Wrath for literally shooting a ball out of the air. :yikes:

It's about 40 seconds in to this video that team 291 was so gracious to provide on their Ustream account.

Watch and be amazed.

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

That was a cool match. Shooting balls out of the air? I think yes.

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

Ummmm, where is team 16 , 2012?

They starved every other alliance of balls, feeding them to their alliance. They were also rugged enough to take hits. Lots of hits. Their catapult allowed them to score in hybrid and switch to offense if the need arouse, so they were not a "helpless" D-bot.

I have to say 16 is definitively, whether intentionally or not, one of the better D-Bots of all time.

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

If we're going for the starvation strategy, then I must say that 2010 469 has got to be the most amazing intentional starvation robot of my time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR3l_d8YPtA
MSC Finals Match 1

What is even more crazy, and I got to see this in person in Atlanta, is that the Newton champs (67 294 177) simply outscored them. That is where history was made and to the victor goes the spoils.

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

Agreed. It was hard not to keel over in envy while watching 16 driving. Whoever their driver is, he/she definitely knows how to use that drive train. Someone give 'em a medal. What delightfully fantastic driving.

Their defense, especially on Einstein, was the best you'll see in Rebound Rumble. You honestly can't get much better than that.

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

I believe team 16 from the winning alliance had hands down best defense because of their ball starving system.

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

The best offensive robots will always be good teams with quality machines and well practiced drivers.... the kind of teams that usually spend their time playing offense.

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

This year it's 16. No one else is even close.

After our first match against their alliance on Galileo, I was absolutely shocked to see they had almost doubled our basket score. The sole reason was the speed at which 16 was able to pick up balls and shuttle them to the mid line and dump them. At the time, I had no idea why.

In the second match, we tripled and they did not, but I spent more time watching them. In the third match, with 1918 broken down, they had full swing of our offensive zone and we couldn't triple. It was almost embarassing how quickly they removed the balls from our zone.

16 was not afraid to go anywhere - through the key, through our lane, next to our bridge. I can't say I saw them pick up a single penalty. I suspect most folks weren't watching them much.... but they were the key to Galileo's world championship.

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

That would be Austin, and from the time he took the wheel and joystick in hand he has been amazing. This was his third year as our primary driver. I have no doubt we will miss him next year. I'm glad he got to show off on Einstein in his final year. He's been a lot of fun to watch.

We had a lot of people asking us about our swerve drive this year at champs, and I'm sure he is a big reason people are interested. He makes it look good.

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

Even though starving the balls are a strategy for defensive..i personally believe that the ability to block teams from shooting is the better robot. LIKE team 2185 who blocked one of the best known teams in FIRST (1114). Like if a robot starves the balls, the opposing alliance can easily put a stop to them. So therefore i personally believe that Team 2185 is probably one of the best defensive robot in Canada (atleast for this year) ::safety::

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

How about a list of great defenders I liked from each year:

2007: 48, 703, 177
2008: 148, 348
2009: 503, 247
2010: 294!!
2011: Defense? What's that?
2012: 16, 4334

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

Although we were primarily a scoring machine, we played some good defense in champ elims in 2011 ;)

Re: Best defensive robots throughout FIRST
 

Sorry, I kind of "skipped" the year 2011. I only watched matches online and don't really remember what the word "defense" meant last year. Although I do remember there was a strategy where you pushed the other alliance's tubes into your lane so they would get penalties if they tried to get them. Oh, and you could steal tubes from them. But I don't really remember who was good at that.