[MrJohnston]

Prediction #2
(Yes, the serious long shot prediction)

The lack of strong bin-grabbers is downright painful. However, the few that are out there seem to always find themselves up against 1114 and never allied with 148. 1114 learns the hard way that they aren't quite fast enough on the grab is is constantly limited to 1 RC during a match. Moreover, its style of play nearly always prevents a partner from being able to complete coopertition stacks.

Meanwhile, 148 struggles with the complete lack of RC's and finds itself at odds with great alliance partner such as 3663 as they having no bins to stack at all. They spend their first few rounds in the top five unable to separate themselves from the pack.

Many teams spend most of the first day developing "wicked-fast" can-snatching mechanisms, but they are not ready until the end of qualifications - too late to help 148 to bolster its score.... Those other strong feeder-station bots hang close - those that have coopertition abilities or autonomous tote-stacking routines hang right with 148....

As qualifications begin to wind down, 148 and 1114 look up and the rankings and are completely shocked to see that 148 is sitting in third place with 1114 in second. Little-known 948 has managed to take advantage of a little luck in its pairings and its 3-tote-stack autonomous routine followed by an immediate coopertition score in every match to just slip into the #1 spot.

Alliance selections are intense... 948 chooses 148 - fully anticipating to be declined. And, they are. 948 then selects 1114. Bewildered 1114 isn't sure what to do. 148 is no longer a possibility. Is there a better stacker than 948 left? What if they declines and 948 takes that stacker (and gets declined again?!)? Resigned to their fate - and cursing coopertition points, 1114 graciously accepts the alliance offer. Due to an insane run in can burglers, a very strong 4061 manages not be drafted... until 948 snatches them up with their second pick. They seem to have improved their single can-snatcher in the two weeks since the PNW Championships and find that they are able to out-grab nearly all 2-bin grabbers... As is the newly mounted bin-snatcher on 948.

948-1114-4061 manage to run the table (though really have to battle in the finals against a tough 148-1318-610 alliance) and make Einstein.