Scouting as an Aliiance Captain

[anushad]

When scouting as an alliance captain, most pit scouting/excel sheet data (at least for us) is pretty useless except for a few columns: you have to consider your entire alliance strategy and the types of teams you would want moving forward. Our scouting app does the math for us, but basically what we do is create several lists of teams based on their skills at tasks we need for a successful alliance.

For example, this past year we were alliance captains at our qualifying events. As a low goal/breacher/ferry robot, it was important for us to have at least one high goal shooter on the alliance-so we had a list of all of the teams with high goals shooters, ranked. We also had a similar list of teams that played defense, though defensive skill was much harder to quantify. Of course, it's important to check that the robot has not been completely destroyed prior to picking it.

[nbetik]

Originally Posted by anushad

For example, this past year we were alliance captains at our qualifying events. As a low goal/breacher/ferry robot, it was important for us to have at least one high goal shooter on the alliance-so we had a list of all of the teams with high goals shooters, ranked.

As another alliance captain low-goal-only robot, we had a similar list for each event we went to. I think the key is to understand your priorities; therefore you can understand what you want in potential alliance partners, no matter if you are picked, or are doing the picking.

Originally Posted by Rangel(kf7fdb)

Definitely scout as if you were going to be an alliance captain and make a pick list no matter what. Even if you don't end up being one, a pick list can be critical if you were picked by a team that doesn't have a pick list themselves.

Couldn't have said it any better. Honestly, as long as you have good data, as well as any supplementary info you may want (pit scouting, qual scouting, etc.) and are prepared for any scenario, that's all you need.