[percula]

PERCULA CLOWN STRATEGY

One effective way to play Boulder Starvation is to NOT score the boulders in the first 45 seconds of the game but "hide" them (boulders in the opponents Court yard. (you may still want to score auto, as the points are double)

I wonder how many teams can actually make a decision to NOT score the boulder in their bot, and decides to drop the boulder in the opponent's court
yard. (many team will think, it doesn't take too much time to aim and shoot) But if you look at all the games most teams take 1 to 2 seconds to drive closer to the tower or aim. while you can use this time to take MORE boulders from mid field.

Strategically, if all the boulders are located and concentrated in the opponent's court yard, it REDUCES your cycle time, and INCREASES your opponents cycle time right? So during first 45 seconds if all your alliance bots should focus on QUICKLY traversing the outer works and grab as many boulders from mid field and drop them after crossing a defense. it will be to your ADVANTAGE in the 2nd half of the game, no? you will have accumulated most of the boulders in the opponent's court yard.

Since total number of boulders is 18 total, if you figure 9x9 on each side is even, once you have 12x6 (meaning 12+ on the opponent side vs 6- on your side [inside the tower]) you CAN starve your opponent of all the boulders, and they won't be able to score any more boulders. (just don't in-bound the from your tower.)

Since all the boulders are now concentrating in your opponents courtyard, your opponent can ONLY send 1 bot to get the boulder (one at a time, THANK YOU FIRST FOR THIS RULE). and the game now completely FLIPS around, you can play defense on the opponent court yard, you can have 3 bot vs 1 in the opponents courtyard to prevent them getting boulders. WOW HOW DID THE GAME CHANGE?!!?

At this point of the game, 1 of your bots should focus on preventing the opponent's boulder from moving to mid field from the opponent's secret passage, that's should be his primary focus.(to keep the boulders on the opponents side of field; while the other 2 primarily score and/or prevents boulders from being taken by the opponents..

By the time the opponent realized there are no boulders for them to score they have NO CHOICE but to come back into their own courtyard to get boulders, the game is mostly over,(almost CHECK MATE) as you have DRASTICALLY increased their cycle time.

I have yet to see this game strategy play out in any game during 6 weeks of play. I hope this will help some under dogs alliances who can't shoot enough high goals to challenge those power house alliances. Or may this maybe the ULTIMATE game strategy to winning Einstein.

I hope this game play strategy will help some of you who are going to St Louis. Good Luck.

-Percula Clown