Should i see if i can survive the champs?

[daveimi]

Ok. Another stupid question similar to the other. Do you think it is possible to do well at the champs, just based on “surviving”? As in, being able to just keep getting the robot back in the arena each time? I’ve asked a similar question before, but that was more to do with wedge vs a brick and so on. I wondered if I turned up with my top secret creation, that has disposable wooden armour lol whether it would be a worthwhile having a go at entering it?

[Ellis]

The champs is arguably all about survival. If you keep going in and luck is on your side you can do well. And even if not, you'll learn bucketloads and have fun. So, yes!

[Eventorizon]

You will learn the most by going and competing in events. It will let you see not only other robots but how you need to prepare, what spares you need, how to design with repairs in mind, studying the tactics for taking on different opponents and most inprotantly you will have a lot of fun doing it.

[daveimi]

Ok sweet will start getting it running tonight then.

[shakesc]

The other thing is that I only ever get to practice driving in a competition (3 minutes bursts if its a whiteboard) as I havent found anywhere locally smooth enough to practice on. Getting practice in and getting your eye in is the best way to survive

[psychostorm]

may I offer a contrary position? No.

Round 1 of the competition is league based 4 of 3 way melees. The strongest steel bot in the world won't get you through the UK championship. You need offence, as well survival, although not necessarily the best offense.

I still tell you to sign up though. it's a laugh.

[daveimi]

Ok no worries. It's something I've always wanted to do but when you see the state of the robots coming out of the champs it scares me lol. I suppose you have to accept it's almost a sacrificial thing. Gives you the chance to rebuild and redesign.

[maddox10]

Even the cheapest lowest powered machine has a chance on survival if the control is perfect.
Training is imperative.

Also, what is survival for a combat robot? Coming out in 1 piece?
Or after a fight ended by loading a box of spare parts from the arena with the knowledge, "My friend, you will fight again".

Oh, what urges me to the workshop. Have 2 weeks left to resurrect Hannibalito 3.

[Eventorizon]

may I offer a contrary position? No.

Round 1 of the competition is league based 4 of 3 way melees. The strongest steel bot in the world won't get you through the UK championship. You need offence, as well survival, although not necessarily the best offense.

I still tell you to sign up though. it's a laugh.

Tiny Toon won cos of Alex's driving. It can be done... its just hard.

Don't expect to win but you may make it to the 2nd round if you are good/lucky!

[harry hills]

Champs is pretty much the only way to have a proper fight. Design well, build properly, have spares and you'll be totally fine. Just learn how to fix stuff when it breaks.

[Niels - Team K.a.L.M.]

And if you can get the chance beforehand, challenge a big spinner .
That would give you the best idea of what your machine can take and what is likely to break down during the champs.

I know spinners only fight during the champs in the UK but here in Holland/Belgium/Germany nearly every event has it's spinners. Perhaps not all as powerfull as the british ones but they make for great practise.

Thinking about it, events are hard to come by here on the mainland at the moment.

[Gabe01]

The only reason for building a fighting robot, is to fight it! Having the worry that you might take it home in a bag only increases the fun.

[daveimi]

You're right. I need to just get built and turn up If it breaks rebuild and turn back up!

[HereticBlue]

If you like an adreneline rush and you like engineering then the champs are perfect for you. That's my excuse anyway!

[Flag Captured]

I'd go for it - it's a lot of fun, regardless of whether you win or not. Maybe it's a pessimistic view, but the probability of an outright win on your first event with your first machine isn't massively likely so why not go, crash test your designs in the best way possible and improve it for next year? That's what I've done with HardWired! It's amazing how much I've learned from just the one event, it's taught me so many of the basics that I just didn't think about whilst doing all the theory. It's also taught me that if I want to go weaponless, I need to be able to drive better, a fact that may or may not be related to my new one having a big spinny thing on the front.

I'm not completely sure whether it's possible to do well just through surviving, technically speaking you needed one win by KO and 3 2nd places (for a total of 10 points) to qualify this year so simply surviving on a judges/for second wouldn't be enough all the time, but on saying that I managed to fluke a victory against Binky and Ironside and a second place after KillerJoule pulled some tricks and got itself out of the arena so... maybe you could with some luck? Survivability is certainly key though, assume you have the maximum possible fights (4x qualifier, playoff, r2, r2 losers, r3, r3 losers, r4, r4 losers, semi-final, grand final) that's something like 13 fights I think you'll have to be in, which is a fair old number...