[Chris is me]

In my opinion, if you played the 2013 game competitively and still think there was a single "best" strategy for all teams, you really don't understand the game. The game featured multiple robot archetypes that all could have won the Championship with the right execution, alliance partners, and luck. The best robot for your team depends on what you could accomplish as a team. If autonomous is your strong suit, seven disc floor pickup. Mechanical wizards run your team? Climber-cycler. Are you the Cheesy Poofs? Do it all.

I believe corner climbing had less value at the mid to upper tiers of play, but at the Einstein level of play (what we'll see at IRI) it can be absolutely essential. To put it simply - this game, at its most competitive, results in both alliances being out of discs before the thirty second mark. Any "extra" points you can get (climbing, floor pickup, autonomous advantage) as well as shot accuracy will determine the outcome of the match. A cycler with a thirty point climber is far more versatile and useful than a ten point cycler for this reason.

The difference maker at IRI is going to be either these extra points, or whichever alliance makes the fewest mistakes. It'll be fun to watch.