Predictions Championship 2009: Archimedes

[Looking Forward]

Many robots in this division and others owe Archimedes a debt of gratitude. The ancient Greek invented what many teams are using to feed orbit balls to their scoring mechanisms, the Archimedes Screw. While Archimedes may have also laid the foundation for statics, this division should be anything but. Outside of a few top level teams, the field is wide open for teams to step up and take the division.
Archimedes also has a Canadian flair, with five teams hailing from north of the border (1114, 1334, 1503, 1535, and 2056). 1114, 1503, and 2056 all have well known histories together. They aren't the only friends in this division, which also features the whole Pittsburgh winning alliance (222, 1218, 1743), and some native Georgia friends (1002, 1746, 2415).

PREDICTIONS:

TIPS:
1538 wasn't able to capture a regional this season, but they were a top two pick at both of their events (San Diego and Vegas) and reached the finals in SD. The Holy Cows are "254-lite," with a Poof-inspired design that has many of the same strengths. Unfortunately they have the same weaknesses, and have been shut down by defense in the past. They'll likely lose a couple qualification matches, but still be a very high selection due to their explosive scoring ability.

For the first time in team history, 222 won a regional. The Tigertrons are a gritty, consistent scoring machine. They aren't as flashy as some others, but they have a very solid chance at seeding in the top 8. If the alliance selection falls right, they could potentially sneak to the finals.

624 reached the finals in Lone Star, and captured gold at Bayou. They're one of the better shooters, and the announcer at Bayou said it best "if you don't deal with Kryptonite, they will eat you alive." 624 hasn't faced anywhere near this caliber of play this season, and it will be interesting to see if they can play as well with fewer easy targets (especially in the eliminations).

The XBots won their first regional in team history in Seattle. 488 has a massive hopper and the strategic advantage of their opaque hopper forcing other teams to always consider them "full." They're very dangerous, but a smart gameplan, good driving, and defense can beat them (as happened in Oregon).

2826 is one of the better rookies this season, and showed it by only losing a single match during the entire North Star regional. They didn't do quite as well in a tougher Wisconsin regional. They should be in the elimination matches, but it's unlikely they escape the first round.

While 2056 and 1114 will steal most of the attention in terms of Canadian teams, 1503 is very dangerous. The Spartonics were the 2nd selection at both events they attended this year (behind 188 and 1114). On the right alliance a trip to the finals would be a realistic goal.

DARK HORSE:
1649 gets almost no attention for winning Florida, despite being a first round selection and being a very consistent scoring machine. They don't draw a lot of attention to themselves, which is often their biggest weapon. They don't look incredibly impressive or explosive, but solid scoring could propel them to a high seed or to becoming the final member of a smart alliance captain (who scouts well).

SLEEPER:
Despite qualifying for the Michigan State Championship, 107 opted not to attend. They were very competitive, and seeded 3rd, in Kettering, but didn't fair quite as well in West Michigan. They're a solid dumper, and they definitely have the capability to sneak into the top 8 or be selected sometime in the middle of the 2nd round.

LOCKS:
I can count the number of rookie teams that have been honored as "locks" for Championship in these predictions in their history on zero fingers. 2753 is becoming the first. They went undefeated in route to the New Jersey regional championship, and were selected first (but were eliminated in the semis) in New York. Team Overdrive is looking to improve further in Atlanta with improvements in several areas of their bot and the addition of a propeller. Even if these new features don't result in improvements, 2753 looks to be a fierce competitor and is poised to make a serious run after lunch on Saturday.

The Simbots finally reached Einstein and won their first Championship in 2008. 1114 isn't on the same level as they were last year, but they are still one of the top scoring teams for Lunacy. It was no fluke they were the top selection at both events they competed at (topping teams like 1625, 188, 217, 111, and 1503). They improved their ability to resist and score through defense in Toronto, and will be poised to be one of the most consistent scoring machines in the division. Unless they have a very unlucky break during alliance selection, 1114's scouting, strategy, and consistency will give them one of the shortest roads to reaching Einstein.

No team has ever started out as successfully and as consistently as the Patriotics have. 2056 won their first six regionals, but has lost in the semi-finals in their first two trips to Championship. Their ability to score in autonomous gives them a weapon that few other teams have, and is almost impossible to defend. There is little question that this the best 2056 robot yet, and it gives them their best chance at reaching the final four.

Note: It's no guarantee that 2056 and 1114 will pair up. The two teams have been on the same alliance in all seven opportunities they have had (including 2 times at IRI), and are two of the top teams here, so it's a very definite possibility. But, in all likelyhood, one of the two would likely have to seed 1st overall (possibly 2nd) in order to do so. And even if one does, it's possible for a team like 2753, 1538, or 488 to be selected instead.