[Wayne TenBrink]

Successful alliances will feature a combination of robots that can make a very soft toss and those that can catch the ball. The ideal pass/assist will resemble Lunacy more than Rebound Rumble or Breakaway. The transfer needs to happen in a moment's contact without careful alignment between of the passer and receiver.

Defense will be important and brutal, but less of a winning strategy than many think. Unlike previous multi-piece games where the result was based on pieces scored, a defense specialist can't produce a net "positive" for the alliance by taking down the opponent's top scorer. Having the third bot possess the ball - even briefly - is worth 20 points per cycle. Everyone that is capable of possessing the ball will be compelled to do it. Those who can't won't go far in eliminations. Defense will be everybody's part time job, not their career.