[tim_reiher]

At BAE, two bots in particular stuck out to me when it came to pinning, from what I saw.

[EDIT: I guess I misread the OP,which was asking for more of offensive rather than defensive pinning, but these more defensive pinners still deserve shout-outs, IMHO.]

58 managed to effectively shut down BUZZ during a qualifier(and its replay), allowing our alliance to come up strong in the first match and come within a moon rock of victory in the second match. They proved a valuable defensive force in the elims, too, and were a great alliance partner. (along with us and 151-It was a great run, guys.)

2342 was strong defensively and in pinning. After realizing that their human loading system was a tad slow, leaving them vulnerable, a new defensive focus, helped by their solid drive system and steering, turned them into an impressive force.


now for my couple of cents...

From the matches I saw at BAE, defense is much more important this year than I thought it would previously be. If a team can effectively pin or evade a strong robot, that robot is not only rendered generally ineffective but also is an easier target to be scored upon.

Defense is making the difference in more matches than I had previously speculated. I look forward to seeing how this might change in weeks to come as game strategy evolves.