[asid61]

Being on a team that does not have welding, there have been many situations where I would want welding this year. 971's tube across their intake this year is a prime example of something that is difficult to do without welding. Of course there are ways to have the design not use that structure that necessitates welds, but the two-plate design for their intake is nice.
That being said I'm usually not impressed by student-made welds. I can't comment on how well actual welding holds up (only used it once in 2015), so don't ask me for execution stuff. Purely from a design standpoint, a lot of gimmicks are way easier to pull off with welds.