Disrupting Alliances

[iVanDuzer]

Originally Posted by JB987

The price of a scorched earth selection process is a drastically decreased chance of fielding an alliance that will succeed on Einstein...

If you make it to Einstein, you can win. Point me to a division champ alliance that never had a chance to take it all. Look at 2010, a year where the champs were all but guaranteed... Then Newton happened with Galileo close behind. Or 2008, where Galileo lost their first match to Newton. Or 2007 where the Wall of Maroon pulled a huge upset. Or Archimedes 2006 when a team who had never won a regional before seeded first and became World Champs. Were any of these divisions "scorched earth?" I don't know, and maybe not, but if you can make it to the big dance, you might as well waltz.

I also don't see why scorched earth would matter too much, as Einstein alliances consistently pick outside the top 8 anyways. Last year, 217 picked 1503, 254 picked 111, and 987 picked 968. The only alliance that had inter-picking was the Archimedes division, where 2016 (1) picked 177 (6).

Originally Posted by Mr. Lim

Specifically for this year, the trickier question is whether you should KEEP a weaker team OUT of the #1 spot to prevent this situation from happening. Say you are in the top 8, and have a match against a weak team who will move into the #1 position with 2 CP. Should you decline co-oping with them so they don't get the #1 seed and break everyone (including you) up?

It isn't a tricky question. You can decide whether to to co-op or not. However, that is your decision and not your alliance's. If someone else on your alliance wants to try for those 2 extra CP, then what gives you the right to stop them? Who made you alliance captain? The best you can do is explain the situation to your partners and hope they agree with your strategy (a la 1625 in Galileo 2010, who did a 6v0 in their last match that led to a number 3 seed and a division title).