**NEforecast: Waterbury Event, March 9 - March 11, 2018
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The Blue Alliance Link: http://thebluealliance.com/event/2018ctwat
Webcast: https://www.twitch.tv/nefirst_red
Week 1 proved a few things here in New England. In the majority of matches, Power Up was won at the Scale, and the cubes on the field disappear quickly. Teams who can cycle effectively from the Portal may start to gain an edge on those who can’t. With week 2 ushering in a higher level of play, while also unveiling some of New England’s premiere teams, we’ll really begin to see how Power Up will be played at increasingly higher levels of competition.
In addition to the level of play, we’ll start to see the prevalent composition of elims alliances. The general format that saw the most success in Week 1 was to have two scale-capable robots and a robot that could help with the alliances Exchange and Switch - both the WPI and GSD featured this style of alliance. With the continued importance of the scale, we don’t see this changing a whole lot as the season goes on, but there’s always multiple ways to win, and there are a few teams here in Waterbury that could prove that this weekend. As cubes begin to disappear from the field, expect the Portal to be used more with full field cycles filtering out the slow from the fast.
**Top Teams:
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176, Aces High: For the past few years 176 has been in a bit of an odd place. They’ve consistently built quality robots that advance far into eliminations but have yet to take home a win since 2011. Aces High could be poised for a breakout year with their newest machine, though. An elegant two-stage elevator and an impressive rotating intake arm will give them a host of scoring options, allowing them to take control of their destiny this weekend. All of New England should be watching to see what this team from Windsor Locks has brought to the table this year.
177, Bobcat Robotics: Many people have drawn parallels between this year’s game and the likes of 2011 and 2007, and fortunately for the Bobcats they were world champs (2007) and Einstein finalists (2011) in those years. Past success aside, 177 seems like they’ll be ready to come out strong this weekend. Equipped with a double masted elevator and a strong intake that functions both on the ground and exceptionally well from the portal, this could be another strong early-season showing from the Bobcats. Not to mention, a unique climbing method that has yet to be seen this year will keep everyone on their toes.
**558, Elm City Robo Squad: **Almost every year, robots fall into different archetypes, usually focusing on one major part of the game, and leave their partners to accomplish other tasks. This year it seems to be scale robots and switch robots, and 558 have chosen to try and become the prime example of what a switchbot should be. Coming in at 22” x 24”, Robo Squad is barreling in with a rotating arm that can dominate the Vault and the Switch, whether it be their own or their opponents, while still being able to pneumatically launch a cube onto the scale. Though they’ll probably need to partner up with a scalebot if they want to make it far into elims come Sunday, expect them to do some huge scoring of their own.
**230, Gaelhawks: **Now, let’s be honest, mecanum drives are viewed pretty negatively in the FRC world, however there are few teams out there who use it as effectively as 230 does. Perhaps that’s why they’ve chosen to go with it again this year, and with a lot of teams struggling to accurately place cubes on crowded scales, the ability to strafe could prove to be a design decision that pays off in the long run. In addition to that, they’ve constructed a rugged two-stage elevator and a four-wheeled intake that has the ability to compete with the best teams on the scale or switch.
**Potential Power-Players:
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**1676, The Pascack Pi-oneers: **Last year’s World Champions have decided to invade New England to make their debut! The Pi-oneers are only going to deepen the already-strong pool of teams at Waterbury. Their scale-capable robot will appear sporting a solid cube intake, making them a versatile player, but their triple-climbing wings will either make or break their rise to a top seed. Prepare for Dragon to unfurl its wings and give New England teams a run for their money.
2067, Apple Pi: Apple Pi is starting to make a name for themselves as being one of the best “swerve” teams in New England, and they didn’t shy away from that this year. Coupled with a reliable elevator and four bar intake, they could find themselves as one of the top scale bots at this event due to their heightened maneuverability.
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236, Techno-Ticks:** As the winners of the Waterbury District Event in 2017, the Techno-Ticks have shown that they come ready to play regardless of how early in the season it is. 236 chose to launch the cubes with a wheeled shooter this year, and with their impressive ability to score on the scale and switch, they’d be a solid addition to most alliances.
**4055, NRG: **People who say New England isn’t a defensive district have clearly never played against 4055. Known for building rugged and effective machines, NRG tends to take a straightforward approach to most games, allowing them to remain effective through KISS principles against any team. Their reliability makes them a sure pick come eliminations on Saturday.
**Chairman’s Top Teams:
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230: With a New England District Championship Chairman’s win in 2016, the Gaelhawks continue to promote FIRST and STEM through their annual STEM nights, mentoring FLL teams, and numerous demonstrations. Team 230 is a strong competitor for the 2018 Waterbury District Chairman’s Award.
558: Consistently winning a District Chairman’s Award every year since the start of the New England District, Team 558 has proven themselves to be a role model team. With their unique rent-a-mentor program, focus on safety, and hosting of an FLL qualifier, Team 558 could bring home the 2018 Waterbury District Chairman’s Award.
**Chairman’s Darkhorses:
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2067: Apple Pi Robotics strives to promote FIRST values to their community and beyond and has seen Engineering Inspiration and Chairman’s at both the District and District Championship level. Team 2067 has the potential to bring home the Chairman’s Award banner this weekend.
Special rookie shoutout to teams **7266 **the NBHS Steampunks, and 7269, the ISB VoltBots.
