[jgannon]

This is definitely a question for the Q&A. Pardon me for going a little bit zen here, but when is a pneumatic not a pneumatic? If there's no air being pumped into it, is it still a pneumatic, or just a metal cylinder with a striking resemblance?

My best guess is that it will not be allowed. I remember there being a Q&A in a past year where someone asked if they could use an additional, otherwise illegal motor on their robot, but without powering it. The GDC ruled that it was still a motor, even without power. In any case, these issues are only somewhat related, and rules from past years are not necessarily applicable to this year's game, you should ask the GDC to be sure.