Top Contenders:
71
As has been said many times before, Team Hammond could field a refrigerator and still seed #1 and snatch at least a semifinal run. If they can lock in an effective autonomous routine, we’re all in for a show.
135
Playing in their first event at home, Penn Robotics look to make a splash with their consistent streaming of fuel and actively passive (or passively active?) gear placing mechanism.
1501
At times completely dominating the Tippecanoe field, the THRUSTers have not lost any steam from their historic run last season. Look for them to add a more prominent mixture of teleop fuel to their gameplay.
3494
Having represented their home state well at Southwest Virginia, the Quadrangles will bring their blue-banner machine to mix it up with teams from Indiana and our Michigan visitors.
Rising Teams:
1720
The PhyXTGears are a team that broke through last year with an event win at the Walker Warren district event, their first blue banner in team history. Will they be able to capitalize on that momentum and field another competitive robot?
3147
Munster Horsepower posted a competitive OPR in qualifications at Tippecanoe, but their playoff run was ended quickly by the #1 seed. With another week of competition, can they improve their position and rise higher?
4982
A solid gear placer that, with the help of 4272, was able to achieve one of the two 4-Rotor bonuses at Tippecanoe. With experience and a few tweaks to an already reliable climber, the Olympus Robotics team could be even more dangerous.
5403
Last week we saw teams such as 1741 and 3176 effectively use swerve drive on their first in-season attempt. Will Aluminosity be able to make the transition to swerve smoothly?
Darkhorses:
461
With their “new and improved” intake and proficient fuel scoring capabilities, WBI takes another swipe at breaking The Curse (for the uninitiated: 18 seasons, 6 times as a finalists, 0 season wins).
1747
The green pandas of Harrison Boiler Robotics employed a different strategy than expected at their home district. They may now have the confidence now to trust their barrage of fuel and paint the boilers yellow.
3940
CyberTooth impressed as one of the better fuel scorers at Tippecanoe. They supplement their fuel scoring with a solid climber. Question is: can they find the right alliance to compliment them to make a deeper playoff run?
6012
The STEAMRollers have a game to fit their name. How does the Rookie All-Star from last year do coming into their second season? Will they make the leap or will they hit a sophomore slump?
Strategy Discussion:
Slow and Steady: Human players are critical to performing well and achieving maximum gear/rotor points.
Ties in Finals: While fuel may not win the match on its own, it can definitely be a determining factor once the gears and climbing have been achieved.
Rotor RP: Indiana featured two of very few matches worldwide in which all four rotors were activated. Was it a fluke, or can teams study and figure out the secret sauce to get all props turning?
Preparing for Liftoff: Ascending the rope was a necessary skill for contenders. Look for teams to continue to prioritize climbing as a primary focus.
Good luck to all teams competing this weekend!
