NEforecast: SE Mass Event, March 8 - March 10, 2019
The Blue Alliance: https://www.thebluealliance.com/event/2019mabri
Webcast: https://www.twitch.tv/nefirst_blue
Who is your favorite of this week’s top teams?
- 125
- 88
- 1153
- 2168
- 78
0 voters
Kicking off Week Two of events here in the upper beast coast is the SE Mass District, held at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School. This excellent venue has been the home to the SE Mass District since its inception, and home to Team 88. This event will see a mix of teams who are debuting their Deep Space robot for the first time, and some who we’ve already seen either at GSD or the Week 0 event.
As we learned in week 1 having a level 3 climber is hugely important for ranking in the top 8, but what we also learned is that it’s not strong enough to carry an alliance to winning the event. 1519 & 5687’s alliance won their event last week by choosing to largely ignore the rocket ship and focus on putting loads of cargo into the cargo ship. In terms of elims strategy we see this trend continuing in Week 2, with a little more focus being put on not loading up null hatch panels to lose out on points. Quals are a different beast entirely however, across the world in other events in Week 2 we’re seeing solo/duo’d rockets happening more frequently than we previously thought. Teams like 1678 make it look easy, however just to the west of the New England district teams like 2791 are showing that you don’t have to be a typical Top 25 contender to make that happen. We feel that the top 3 ranked robots this weekend will have all gotten at least one RP from completing a rocket.
Top Teams:
125, NUTRONs: It is hard enough for most teams to have even one good season, 125 however, is making a habit of it. Only 2 years removed off of their latest Einstein run, the NUTRON’s are making their 2019 debut at the SE Mass District. 125 is known for their unique designs that somehow manage to stay simple, but very effective, and this year is no different. A 2 stage telescoping arm is attached to a small 22x24” drive base. Suction cups are used as the primary hatch/cargo manipulation and will surely prove to either make or break this event for them. Regardless, we expect the NUTRON’s to captain a strong alliance and make a run in eliminations.
88, TJ2: Didn’t we just write about this team last weekend? We did! After an incredible performance led them to the finals at Granite State, TJ2 isn’t looking to take any breaks. This team showcased that they were the best cargo-scoring robot at their first event, and with the game evolving at a slow pace, their skills on the cargo ship will allow them to dominate once again. There’s not a whole lot that can be done to stop this cargo king, so be ready to see TJ2 chanting late into the elimination rounds.
1153, Walpole Robotics Revolution: Walpole likes to keep it low, and Deep Space is certainly a game that will let them shine. After an incredible display of early skill at the Week 0 event netted them a finalist appearance, the Walpole Revolution has been hard at work to shorten their cargo cycles. Their short cargo cycles coupled with their floor hatch intake means 1153 is going to have a lot of fun as they put up another excellent eliminations performance.
2168, Aluminum Falcons: After winning the previous 2 SE Mass District Events The Aluminum Falcons are looking to make it a 3-peat performance this weekend. Their 8-wheel drive, pass through elevator, omni/compliant wheeled intake, 3 pronged hatch manipulator, and level 3 climbing mechanism will allow this Groton based team to play all parts of Deep Space at a high level. Being behind their normal schedule could make for a rough start for this great team, though. If they can overcome the differences between their practice and competition robot we wouldn’t be surprised to see 2168 make it to the winner’s circle for the 3rd straight year.
78, AIR STRIKE: One of New England’s most solid performers year after year, AIR STRIKE has produced another robot with all the capabilities needed to succeed. A centered elevator allows 78 to have a wide cargo intake on one end of the robot and a 95-like pneumatic hatch mechanism on the other. They’ve also mastered the center of gravity game - by using their elevator and a series of rollers on the front of the robot, they can quickly lift themselves and fall comfortably onto the Hab 3 platform. We expect 78 will also be comfortably falling into a very high seed!
Honorable Mentions:
5813, Morpheus: Sporting a Poofs-esque 2016 intake, and level one hatch and cargo manipulators, this team was looking solid at Week 0, unfortunately seeding low and making an early out due to comms issues. In true Morpheus fashion however they have iterated and improved almost every aspect of their robot, and you can expect them to make a strong yet distinctly different appearance come this weekend.
3236, TRIFORCE: The #1 seed of the Official Week 0 event is making their first in-season appearance at SE Mass, and we expect a strong performance from TRIFORCE. With the ability to score hatches and cargo in any of the available spots on the field, they certainly have the potential to put up big points. Some small tweaks and practice on their cycles will see this team rise to the top of the pack once more.
58, The Riot Crew: As the winners of the official Week 0 event, it’s pretty obvious that The Riot Crew is on everyone’s radar. If they want to get an in-season win under belts, though, they’re going to have to get their hatch and ball mechanisms up to the same level as their excellent Hab 3 climber. We have faith in this crew to get everything functioning, so watch out!