How Much Defense Can You Play?

[Jay O'Donnell]

I believe there will be two major types of defense bots this year. One is a tall robot sent to block shots, and the other is a quick, strong robot who will just get in the way in the middle of the field. A good driver can cause havoc with as much space as there is.

[ehochstein]

It might become a strategy to flip grounded frisbees over as well.

[xSAWxBLADEx]

Originally Posted by Jay Money 1058

I believe there will be two major types of defense bots this year. One is a tall robot sent to block shots, and the other is a quick, strong robot who will just get in the way in the middle of the field. A good driver can cause havoc with as much space as there is.

Why not have a net, and a strong robot?

[Jay O'Donnell]

Originally Posted by xSAWxBLADEx

Why not have a net, and a strong robot?

You certainly could, you'd just have to pay special attention to your drive train and center of gravity.

[JM033]

Originally Posted by xSAWxBLADEx

Why not have a net, and a strong robot?

How's your teams build coming along? Plan to climb?

[xSAWxBLADEx]

Originally Posted by JM033

How's your teams build coming along? Plan to climb?

climb yes, shoot maybe...if we get time

[GCentola]

Originally Posted by Jay Money 1058

A good driver can cause havoc with as much space as there is.

This. It seems that the usual idea of defense is robot-robot. This can be effective, but then it just becomes a question of "can we push them" or "is it safe to hit them in this part of the field?" With 2 minutes to drive around, some of the most effective defense I have seen is played by strategic control of game-pieces or even by slowing down your opponent. With such a limited amount of time, slowing down your opponent with limited robot-robot contact can be just as effective. Offensive power is all about cycle-time (yes, pushing matches do slow teams down, but they aren't the only type of defense).

Game-piece control is a bit different this year (and IMO, a bit more difficult) so I don't know how many alliances or robots will pull it off effectively-especially because many teams seem to forsake floor-loading for feeder-only.

[TheMadCADer]

I could see a team doing well by going from one edge of the field to the other via the space under their own pyramid, blocking opposing robots as they drive by to their feeding stations. As long as they keep their wheels perpendicular to the robot they're defending and stay in good positions, they can certainly slow down other robots quite a bit and occasionally draw a penalty if they are touching the pyramid while blocking the 'lane'.

I don't see every team lining up with their tower to shoot, so I think a good defensive robot would be able to quickly ram into a robot lining up, throwing them off track, and maybe even making them miss their shot. It's quick, easy, and allows a single robot to shut down more than one opponent robot at once.

[kingbrandon14]

One good semi-defensive strategy is to go and pick up or herd frisbees from the opponent's side back to your own teammates, letting you score more and them score less. Also, if the robot could be short enough to drive under the pyramids, it could sort of camp under it and push opponents away before they have a chance to touch it. Just a strategy, we aren't using it though

[pfreivald]

I think defense will be huge this year.

[CalTran]

Originally Posted by kingbrandon14

One good semi-defensive strategy is to go and pick up or herd frisbees from the opponent's side back to your own teammates, letting you score more and them score less. Also, if the robot could be short enough to drive under the pyramids, it could sort of camp under it and push opponents away before they have a chance to touch it. Just a strategy, we aren't using it though

This only works if your alliance has the ability to floor pick up, otherwise it becomes a somewhat worthless endeavor. Which, for the most part, appears to be a particularly rare ability, only outmatched in rareness by a 30pt climber.

And also, clamp under what and push what? Is that in reference to a frisbee? If yes then I would say that that is an incredibly strange scenario, and one likely to get your robot as trapped under the pyramid as the frisbee you're defending is. You're putting yourself in the very middle of an otherwise untouchable structure.