IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups

What I'd like to see:

1717-1717-1717 vs 1717-1717-1717

But, I'll go for:

2056-1114-254 vs 341-973-118

If there are 3 longs who can triple well enough to match 3 wides, then 2056-1114-254 would be them. As for a wide team, you gotta have 341 and 118. 973's swerve drive + pickup mechanism is great for a starvation/feeding defensive tactic, plus they play killer offense.

[Nick Lawrence]

1114, 2056, 2826 VS 67, 341, 469.

-Nick

[ttldomination]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

What I'd like to see:

1717-1717-1717 vs 1717-1717-1717

Aye, me too.

The best part is that I think 1717 would beat 1717. Think about it, 1717-1717-1717 would go to triple (and assume the game is close), but now 1717 breaks out their anti-triple balance strategy. At this point, 1717-1717 have gone to double balance, 1717 is shooting their butts off, and they win

- Sunny G.

[Bjenks548]

48-330-548 vs 25-68-1023

Arm bots vs single pollychord lifts to a hooded shooter.

I was very upset us and 330 were never paired up on Newton, I wanted to see the arms go up together!

[ENeyman]

I would love to see a match where all the rookies (3940, 3947,and 4334) are on one alliance.

[IKE]

I would like to see a drive coach Dodgeball match where all the drive coaches are brought down on the field 50% on 1 side, 50% on the other, with balls allocated per the start of game rules (I.e. two on each bridge and 2 each to 3 designated coaches per side that). teams would not be allowed to cross the midfield barrier.

[CalTran]

Originally Posted by IKE

I would like to see a drive coach Dodgeball match where all the drive coaches are brought down on the field 50% on 1 side, 50% on the other, with balls allocated per the start of game rules (I.e. two on each bridge and 2 each to 3 designated coaches per side that). teams would not be allowed to cross the midfield barrier.

Like. Can we have the MCing of this off on a mini field between Karthik and Paul, where they're having a mini dodgeball game while announcing?

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Bjenks548

48-330-548 vs 25-68-1023

Arm bots vs single pollychord lifts to a hooded shooter.

I was very upset us and 330 were never paired up on Newton, I wanted to see the arms go up together!

Our original plan was just like 548/330. Ultimately, we decided to amputate our mast and reattach the forearm backwards so we could rear-collect.

Originally Posted by IKE

I would like to see a drive coach Dodgeball match where all the drive coaches are brought down on the field 50% on 1 side, 50% on the other, with balls allocated per the start of game rules (I.e. two on each bridge and 2 each to 3 designated coaches per side that). teams would not be allowed to cross the midfield barrier.

Sounds very 2006.

[IKE]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

@IKE
Sounds very 2006.

Does dodgeball ever really go out of style? Sure sometimes it is more fashionable than others, but there is something incredibly rewarding about pegging someone with a foam rubber ball, or catching a throw they fire your way.

For you Travis, we could do a longs vs. wides...

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by IKE

Does dodgeball ever really go out of style? Sure sometimes it is more fashionable than others, but there is something incredibly rewarding about pegging someone with a foam rubber ball, or catching a throw they fire your way.

For you Travis, we could do a longs vs. wides...

Only if one of the longs were blindfolded.

I vote for our drive team coach to do the honors.

Wow, what a day.

Here's my views. This is still only my second year doing this, so I may be overlooking some things:

From what I've seen, it looks like 341 tops the entire game, and will continue doing so with their 1st seed rank for the remainder of tomorrow. When it comes down to alliance selections, they'll want someone who can both hinder their opponents and score, so 125 with their amazing feeding and starvation strategy will be a steal away from their currently 3rd place seed (although tomorrow it may get up to second place, but IMO they'll stay 3rd or 4th due to the need for strong alliance partners). With an accurate scorer and a great feeder, they'll need a bot who is fast and can pick up and shoot balls fast to pair with Dasiy, and it looks like 973 will be the perfect bot for that. 973's "Emperor Swerve" has allowed them to be one of the most versatile teams at IRI, giving them the ability to not only collect balls and score quickly, but also play some killer defense (although who could expect less from the team who T-Boned their way through Einstein in 2011?). Another option instead of 973 would be 330. While the Beach Bots don't have a swerve, their accurate shooting and strong drivetrain will allow them to score very accurately, as well as push through most of the competition.


Other things I've seen:

67 has flown under the radar for most of the competition. Ending in 50th place, they are a team almost certain to be in the top 32 teams in the elimination rounds. Although I have noticed quite a few balls fall out of that utility arm....

1114 has been doing what they've always been doing, and doing it well, but they still seem to have landed in 31st place. Still a strong scorer, but seem to be held back by the competition (and some of their alliance partners).

1538 holds the title for the top ranked California team, and for a reason. Since the last time I've competed with them (SVR), their scoring ability has multiplied, and it's getting scary. A fast, reliable, and high scoring Hybrid mode has helped them pull through the competition. Unfortunately, that's some of the best they've got. Some shaky driving and a lengthy bump traversal time hits them hard in the bellypan (stick to bridges Holy Cows, they're faster in this case).

68 is another bot with a high chance of making it to eliminations. A consistent Hybrid mode and their ability to score high in teleop mode will surely bring them far.

1676 has been a bot I've always been interested in this season. Great driving, accurate shooting in both Hybrid and teleop mode, and excellent bridge balancing has brought them to the 5th seed, and almost for sure they'll stay in the top 8 tomorrow. The only letdown is their somewhat slow shooter. It's not too slow, but there are a lot of faster ones with similar accuracy out there.

I left out a lot of great teams (62, to be exact), but I can't write about all of them, and these are the 8 I've spent the most time observing.

Can't wait for tomorrow!

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

67 has flown under the radar for most of the competition.....

Wait what!!!!


This IRI looks extremely competitive compared to previous years. While a lot can happen tomorrow morning to allow the rankings to settle there are a lot of powerhouse machines outside the top 8 which will make picking very interesting.

Scouting will be crucial as most teams have new drivers so previous wins mean nothing.

[Richard Wallace]

I'm having a great time, volunteering very close to the field. Since robots aren't inspected at IRI, I think queueing is the best volunteer opportunity to see the 'bots up close.

Echoing a preceding post: scouting will be critical. There are 26 teams with two or fewer losses now, and many of them have three qualifying matches tomorrow -- any of them could become an AC. That's a lot of variations to analyze.

Repeating what I said in an earlier post -- I would like to see Michigan vs. Canada for all the marbles. However, there are quite a few teams from neither of the above that are playing strong and smart now, so my fantasy final is a long-shot.

During his opening speech this morning, Paul predicted 30 triple balances during qualifying matches. By my count the total after Q73 is 11 triples, two of them coming in the same match (Q61) and another by the losing side (Q25). (Condolences to the Digital Goats who came out on the short end of both matches.) I expect the rate of triple balances to increase in the Saturday morning qualifying matches, so perhaps Paul's prediction can still come true. However, the top offensive teams here might just reckon they are better off shooting it out in the final seconds.

Dean Simmons and the Kamen Brothers put on a great show after dinner. "The day the robots died..." IMHO their best performance ever.

As always, IRI has been worth the trip.

And it is not over yet. Tomorrow will be exciting.

[bardd]

Originally Posted by ttldomination

Aye, me too.

The best part is that I think 1717 would beat 1717. Think about it, 1717-1717-1717 would go to triple (and assume the game is close), but now 1717 breaks out their anti-triple balance strategy. At this point, 1717-1717 have gone to double balance, 1717 is shooting their butts off, and they win

- Sunny G.

You, sir, just made my day.