[Looking Forward]

TESLA

Tips:
Although they didn't touch the elimination field last year, 2415 has come within a single match of their first Einstein appearance in two of the past three seasons. The WiredCats in general have had tough luck in the finals recently. After winning four events between 2009-2012, they have walked away with silver in four of their last five trips to the finals, including at the Peachtree District Championship this season. 2415's wooden contraption was arguably the best ranged scoring machine in Georgia this season, but they weren't able to find themselves on the right alliance to capture consistently. In a much deeper field in St. Louis, they could be a dangerous role player.

If allowed to play their preferred game of running low bar cycles and draining shots into the left tower face, 1690 can be a huge threat to any alliance. Putting a defender in their path will slow them down, but their fadeaway shot from the center of the outerworks proves they are far from helpless against courtyard pressure. Their offensive game was one the best at an Israel regional that packed a handful of very capable high goaling threats, so their first overall selection there should not be taken lightly. While it's unlike Orbit can carry an alliance, they have the upside to be a real steal for the right alliance captain.

Michigan veterans are well prepared for the Tesla field, having already had experience not only in a massive event, but also one crowded with teams capable of scoring high goals effectively from the courtyard floor. 2834, 2054, and 4391 were among those those lost in the mix in Grand Rapids. The Bravebots faired best, ending up as the #13 captains, but the other two fell into the 2nd round of alliance selection as many captains opted to take scalers or outerworks shooters with early picks. All three of these teams have the offensive potential to put on a show, demonstrated by the fact all three was selected 1st overall at a district event at least once this season. While a similar fate to what happened in MSC is possible, these teams will do everything in their power to take their fate out of the hands of other teams during alliance selection.

1806 boasts a feature that many other teams do not have in Tesla, and that's a high release point. With the depth of scoring machines, many alliances may opt for run and gun strategies. But if a team does come to play with a tall shot blocker, SWAT is much better prepared to handle the change in play style than many of their fellow launchers. 1806's arm positioning and shot alignment aren't particular swift, but they are typically very accurate and can still put up a handful of balls into the high goal from a safe distance. Unless they decrease their cycle times, they're not going to win a shootout, but if a match-up evolves into a defensive grind, they're well suited for the fight.

Sleeper:
4488's 2016 season hasn't been quite on par with their past two, but they built a machine with plenty of potential. While they picked up an early victory at Wilsonville, they weren't able to replicate that success at the two more competitive events that followed. Shockwave has not been discouraged, however, and has worked to improve the consistency of their shot and correct mechanical issues that have crept up on them from time to time. If their work pays off, they could emerge above the crowded field of courtyard and batter shooters as a premium pick. If the powerhouse teams are split up in the eliminations, it makes their odds even stronger.

Dark Horse:
For a long time, nobody was better at getting to Einstein than 177. However, Bobcats Robotics has only managed to reach Championship once since their streak was snapped, and they were ousted in the quarter-finals in 2014. With gold and silver medals from the district qualifier season and an early selection at NE DCMP, 177 may have the opportunity to restart their streak in 2016. While they may not quite be on the same level as the elite teams, 177 checks all the boxes for being a terrific selection. They can score in autonomous, cross a variety of defenses, score from the outerworks, scale the tower, and aren't afraid to play defense when asked. More than anything, this is a team that knows how to build a robot to endure the grind of Championship eliminations.

Locks:
Heading into 2016, two things were unquestionably true about 2056. They had never lost a regional event in their history, and they had never won the FRC Championship. While Orchard Park started on the right foot in Oshawa, earning a victory as the #1 seed, their 23 consecutive win streak was snapped three weeks later in Waterloo. With the change in fates at the regional level, OP Robotics now hopes to change their fates in St. Louis, and they have a robot that's more than capable of doing so. 2056 isn't as flashy as some of the other top teams in FRC, but their outerworks shot is among the most consistent. Barring a crippling issue for them or a key partner, OP Robotics is favored to reach at least the finals, if not return to Einstein.

PWNAGE already took home a banner from St. Louis earlier this season, winning the regional hosted in the city before claiming another victory in Chicago three weeks later. 2451 doesn't catch the eye by zipping around the field, instead opting for more deliberate and methodical driving. But they still can hang shot for shot with virtually any team in FRC, with a very consistent high release catapult with range to score from position five on the outerworks. That catapult provides some added flare to their scaling end game, where their 20 point slam dunk maneuver appears like an NBA windmill move as their catapult whips around. While their lack of low bar crossing may somewhat limit their potential partners, 2451 should have no issue finding a home on a high ranking alliance.

There are pro athletes out there who are pegged by the sports media as "incomplete players." The conversations around these athletes often revolves around what the players cannot do, rather than focusing on the special talents and exceptional abilities that allowed this athletes to find a spot in the big leagues in the first place. 33 may be the best equivalent to those athletes in FRC this season. The Killer Bees lack a consistent ranged shot, preferring to score from the batter. Further still, it compromises their autonomous ability. While many elite teams are debuting and tuning their 2-ball autonomous modes, it's still unclear if the Bees will even have a consistent 15 or 20 point routine. In their Octofinals upset, the #1 alliance averaged only 22 points per match in the first fifteen seconds, and the largest margin of defeat was only 7 points. However, focusing entirely on the Bees' shortcomings ignores why they were on the #1 alliance at all three events they attended (and won two of them). 33's batter shot and hang are among the quickest in all of FRC. Their qualification alliances at MSC weakened the tower in all twelve matches, and they had four consecutive matches will qualification scores of 160 or higher (meaning 205+ points in the playoffs). If the Bees can continue to outmaneuver defenders, they'll be a force to be reckoned with on Tesla.