MadTown ThrowDown 2013 Info/Registration

[DampRobot]

Madtown Throwdown is almost upon us, and with all the awesome teams going, I thought it might be in order to do some LF style predictions.

While the whole event is very stacked (and multiple excellent robots won't even make finals), the clear favorite to bring home the blue banner is 254. 7 disc auto, 30 point climb, powerful shooter and premier strategy, this team checks all the boxes. However, look for them to have a potentially slow start as their drivers get back in the groove after a summer off. Of course, even if they aren't the quickest off the blocks, they're sure to be on fire by finals.

A lot of teams at MTTD are in the predicament of being much better than defensive bots points-wise, but not quite having the firepower to go frisbee to frisbee with the greats. With strong CalGames performances, 604 and 846 both fit in this category. While it's unlikely that either will captain one of the first alliances, they will be important forces in eliminations, thanks to their years of experience in eliminations play. Especially if they manage to sneak onto one of the first alliances in the (non-serpentine) third pick, they could make the difference between a alliance being semi-finalists or taking home the gold.

971 clearly has the best floor pickup of the event, and possibly in the world. With a 7 disc auto, great drivers, and a solid shooter, they are clear favorites to both seed high and play extremely well in eliminations. Barring any of the technical problems that have held them back in previous competitions, they should be in the finals in this extremely competitive event.

1678 is another very clear favorite for this event. While they lack the 30 point climbing that makes 254 stand out (or even a consistent 7 disc auto), they play just as good a teleop game as any team in California. Of course, it's pure consistency that makes this team so great. They may have a lower ceiling than some other robots, but they manage to put up huge points virtually every match. It's no accident they made it to Einstein this year, and have only lost one match in offseason play. It's clear that if paired with 971, 973, 254 or 1323, they have the technical and strategic acumen to win the event.

Of course, there will be a few surprises at the event. 1671 could surpass their lackluster performance in season and at Powerhouse. Thanks to a little help with from 1323, they could have finally put their shooting consistency issues behind them. Look for this team to captain a lower alliance or be chosen first by one of the lower teams. 2073 has clearly had difficulties getting their FCS to work, but a few very solid matches at CalGames hint at their true potential. If they get their FCS working, they could be a huge force to be reckoned with, especially if they sneak onto a high alliance through the third time around this event's non-serpentine draft.

Both 973 and 1323 will be fielding very strong robots which could both become alliance captains and even event winners. Depending on how the gods of match scheduling come into play, one of these robots could very well seed first, pick well, and take home the blue banner. 9973 was particularly deadly at Powerhouse, so look for them to make a very strong showing at this event.

As LF always says, if you don't like the predictions, prove them wrong. Good luck teams!