Predictions Championship 2016: One Final Siege (& Top 25)

[Looking Forward]

CARSON

Tips:
Few teams are as exciting to watch play stronghold as 2771. Their "drop shot" is one of the most visually appealing ways to launch boulders, and has proven plenty reliable in the heat of battle. It's no mistake that 2771 was the fifth selection in the overloaded Michigan State Championship. They're going to need a well constructed alliance to go deep, but there's little doubt that 2771 will be seeing the field on Saturday.

Experienced FIRST mentors can help launch a rookie team right into competitive play, and that's exactly what happened with 5895. Peddie School robotics won the Montgomery district qualifier, and was an alliance captain at MAR championship in their first year of competition. They're most comfortable snuggled into the batter, but they showed the ability to hit shots from the outerworks in Bethlehem. They're the best bet to see a rookie in playoff play on Carson, and one of the strongest rookies in all of FRC this season.

With the switch to the district format, North Carolina teams were given a chance to iterate and improve as the season continued. 1533's jack of all trades bot saw significantly improved performances at each outing, cumulating with them claiming the district championship. While they don't fully excel in any one area, their ability to cross defenses, maneuver around opposition, shoot high, extend vertically, and scale will certainly entice an alliance captain.

868's design philosophy has typically been to excel at one aspect of the FRC challenge. This year, they excel at scoring boulders in the high goal. Even in the offensively stacked Indiana district, they stood out as one of the best shooters, and earned the #1 seed at the state championship.

Simplicity, quick cycles, and consistent play were a staple of Crescent Robotics during their championship run in 2013. 610 fits in a similar mold once again in 2016. They tore up the low goal at the first outing, then added much more batter shooting subsequently when they engineered upsets of the top two alliances in Waterloo. While defense can still be a thorn in their side, 610's quick cycles and hang gives them viability in capturing towers in qualifications and honing an edge during the playoffs.

Most of FRC opted for treads, big pneumatic wheels, or simply a large quantity of wheels to cross defenses. 525 went with only three wheels, one of which pivots. The Swartdogs' atypical drive proved a strength, as earned the first selection and blue banners at both regionals they attended. Another #1 selection is a steep bet on Carson, but 525 definitely has the capability of knocking off some bigger names.

Sleeper:
4028 has an aesthetically impressive machine with a slew of equally impressive design features. Their tall, turreted outerworks shooter featured an articulating drive in order to establish position and cross defenses. However, such impressive technology doesn't always translate to ease of use on the field. While they reached the finals at Queen City, the Beak Squad takes their time when aligning their shot. At their current level of play, they have a decent chance of being selected for the playoffs, but if they can smooth out their operations and cycle times, they could be a diamond in the rough.

Dark Horse:
Week 0.5 offered less than a week of rest after bag day before competing, and plenty of teams simply weren't ready to fire on all cylinders. 3824 had a rather pedestrian start in Palmetto as a result, but improved dramatically in Smoky Mountains, where they captained the #2 alliance to gold. When left unchallenged, RVA RoHawktics can put up points with the best of teams. If teams make the mistake of allowing 3824 to fire unchallenged from the courtyard, they could go far.

Locks:
The Kil-A-Bytes simply won every event they attended this season. They swept all three Indiana district events, then took home gold from the state championship in week 7. 2008 played out in a similar fashion for 1024, when they won three regionals, and that season finished with a trip to Einstein. 1024 is not the flashiest scorer, but their consistent outerworks launch and ability to track down loose balls all over the field makes them a mighty foe.

Improving as the season progresses has become a hallmark of 973 in recent years, and 2016 is no different. While they had a strong outing in Central Valley (2nd pick, semi-finalists), they upped the ante in Ventura and emerged with a blue banner. Championship is often when the Greybots really hit their stride, and if the shooting and scaling improvements they've been working on come to fruition in St. Louis, they could find themselves on Einstein once again.

225 was the top team in MAR pretty much all season long. Even as other teams in the district grew more comfortable shooting high, 225 kept improving. When technical issues cropped up that impacted their shot's range and performances, they worked continuously to remedy them and improve. Their 12-0 record in qualifications at MAR Championship demonstrates both their consistency and upside. With an outer works shot designed to fire over 54" blockers, a variety of autonomous routines, the ability to cross defenses fluidly, and a (somewhat slow) scaling mechanism, TechFire looks ready to take a serious run at reaching Einstein. Their biggest opponents will be the wear and tear that has impacted their performance during grinding elimination runs. While they were smart enough to find ways to win when not playing at 100%, the stakes are much higher in St. Louis.