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The CBC Gazette

Post by The Monsterworks » Sun Apr 07, 2019 11:11 pm


The Cherry Bomb Classic Gazette

Nine grueling weeks: that's how long we've been at this for, and the playoff picture is starting to take shape. While some groups have played out largely as expected, others have taken a left turn at Albuquerque. Many remain competitive but some have clearly stratified. All in all, that makes this a perfect time to look back at our initial predictions, take stock of where we are, and look forward to what's next.

The Teams

The Dirty Dozen

1) Team Instant Regret - .750

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 530 (132.5/bot)
Record: 9-3 (2-1, 2-1, 3-0, 2-1)
Grade: B+

Coming in with a commanding points lead in the rankings and hot off of a slew of championships, it was no surprise when this team's bots ranked consistently among the top three in their weight classes. While HFL hasn't been as incredibly dominant as his position in the rankings would suggest, all of his bots are, as predicted, in playoff position with over half of the group stage fights finished. Compound Fracture, in particular, has been unstoppable. Look for this outfit to make a number of deep playoff runs, and I wouldn't bet against it walking away with at least one title.

2) The Monsterworks - .909

Entries: 3 - MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 510 (170/bot)
Record: 10-1 (4-0, 3-0, 3-1)
Grade: A

Having pulled out of lightweight at the last second, the top-ranked Canadian team's three remaining bots have a great deal of shortfall to cover. Somewhat surprisingly, they've been doing an admirable job so far. In particular, the lightly-regarded middleweight hammer bot Carbonemys has overperformed somewhat low expectations. Unorthodox saw IDCMF has done about as well as expected, and highly-rated flipper Black Diamond has been a consistent standard bearer. Going forward, look for at least a couple of strong playoff runs, with the possibility of a title if things shake out the right way.

3) End of the Line LLC. - .429

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 380 (95/bot)
Record: 6-8 (1-3, 1-2, 3-1, 1-2)
Grade: C-

With a stable of unorthodox and audacious machines that have gone all-in on the new saw rules, turrets, and alternative drivetrains, this was always going to be a homerun swing - boom or bust. Unfortunately for Noah, it's been a bit more of the latter, with underpowered sawbots Piranha Plant and Super Youkai Warhead struggling and creative walking death hammer HAN-D losing some matches it might've been expected to win. The main bright spot has been heavyweight speed wedge Trashman, which looks set for a solid playoff run but, overall, things aren't looking as good as Noah probably would've hoped, going in.

4) Angry Goat Robotics - .643

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 500 (125/bot)
Record: 9-5 (3-1, 3-1, 3-0, 0-3)
Grade: B

Gabe was in a bit of a weird position going into CBC3: too far ahead to be caught by most people behind him, but too far behind the top couple of teams to rise very much. While he's managed to pass Laz for fourth, and has a shot at overtaking Noah, the main thing holding his team back is the deadweight of semi-shitpost bot Delorean Cowboy. Cuddle Time! has been ace as usual. Scion? Solid. Chimera? Undefeated. Is there a title run waiting in the wings? While a couple of his entries may need help from a generous draw, they are nonetheless legitimate contenders.

5) Tartarus Robotics Group - .857

Entries: 2 - LW, SHW
Points earned: 310 (155/bot)
Record: 6-1 (3-0, 3-1)
Grade: B+

It was supposed to have been the end for one of ARC's most dominant teams of the past few years, with Laz having announced his retirement a couple of months before the tournament commenced. However, a last-minute decision to enter with a truncated team of two robots has kept him in the conversation. While both Blood Eagle and Santangelo are as ruthlessly optimized as one would expect from Laz' machines and have performed well, the greatly-reduced team size also means will he will struggle mightily to maintain his position in the rankings, and a title may not be in the offing, though Blood Eagle, in particular, looks like a favourite.

6) Team Ignition - .462

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 370 (92.5/bot)
Record: 6-7 (1-2, 2-2, 1-2, 2-1)
Grade: C-

Early on in CBC3, Dylan fell into a funk, and it showed. Despite strong designs, the majority of his bots significantly underperformed due to apathy and some lackluster driving. Fortunately, his position in the rankings was secure enough to not be under immediate threat. The same can't be said for his bots' playoff chances. While none have been eliminated, most find themselves on precarious footing. Over the past couple of weeks, he seems to have recovered his mojo, and generally stronger results have followed, but is it enough? Dylan's certainly capable of winning it all in more than one division. The question is, will he?

7) Ice Cubed Robotics - .714

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 540 (135/bot)
Record: 10-4 (3-1, 3-1, 2-1, 2-1)
Grade: B+

After a rough start that saw all but one of his entries open with a negative record, Alex V has brought things around in a big way and, at this juncture, owns one of only three four-bot teams that has every one of its machines in playoff position. This has certainly been apparent in his ranking as of late, with a two spot climb to show for his efforts. Some big matches are still to come, and nothing is guaranteed, but his roster of aggressively wedgey veteran machines is poised to make some serious noise come playoff time.

8) Team Stealth - .714

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 540 (135/bot)
Record: 10-4 (3-0, 1-2, 2-2, 4-0)
Grade: B+

Danielle is playing in the big leagues now. There's no doubt about it. After taking a while to break into ARC's top flight, she's placed herself definitively within it, and has been more than able to hold her own with improved stats and driving. While former finalists Death Metal and Harpy, the latter seeded number one at the outset of the event, haven't had stellar runs so far and are 50/50 propositions for the playoffs, Thieving Magpie and Triple 6 have been standouts, leading their divisions undefeated and occupying places in their respective title conversations.

9) Aquatic Robotics - .333

Entries: 3: LW, MW, SHW
Points earned: 210
Record: 3-6 (1-2, 0-3, 2-1)
Grade: D

Let's just get this out of the way: Jack's a lot better at this than his record so far would suggest. Running a team of three bots was always going to lower his chances, but they've just underperformed for the most part due to a mix of tough division compositions, bad luck, and some questionable stat choices, particularly in the case of novel spinner/brick hybrid Psychosis. The Gnasher has been distinctly average, but with better things to come, perhaps. The brightest of the bunch, and a definite contender, has been SHW brick Cruelty, which stands a very good chance of salvaging an otherwise forgettable season for this team come playoff time.

10) Cool Story Brobotics - .333

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 360
Record: 5-10 (0-4, 0-3, 3-1, 2-2)
Grade: D

Trihunter's tournament has been a tale of two teams within one. His Superheavyweight, Hartmann's Youkai Bot II, has been holding its own in a very difficult group and has a legitimate shot at the playoffs where things could really open up for it, and heavyweight crusher Petaflare has established itself as a darkhorse contender after a blazing start to the tournament. On the other side of things, ROBOT2 surprise package Twin Typhoons has struggled mightily in the lightweight 'group of death', going winless. Ditto for middleweight thwack JEVIL.

11) Team Blood Gulch - .933

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 710 (177.5/bot)
Record: 14-1 (3-0, 4-0, 3-1, 4-0)
Grade: A+

Going into this event, there were serious questions about Josh's team and the captain himself: outdated designs, questionable stat allocations, lack of attention to the metagame, inconsistent driving and dedication. Maybe Josh was just...over the hill if that was possible in ARC. The response has been unequivocal and any doubts will surely have been wiped away. At this point, Team Blood Gulch is enjoying one of the most dominant seasons in recent ARC memory, with all four bots in playoff position and at least two considered title contenders. Look for this roster to begin re-establishing its storied team's traditional status in a big way.

12) Alpha Robotics - .615

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 450 (112.5/bot)
Record: 8-5 (2-2, 1-2, 2-1, 3-0)
Grade: B

With the exception of one standout bot, Drew's team has been distinctly average this tournament and its hard to say exactly how things will go from here. He could have four bots make the playoffs at this juncture or three of them miss out. 'Group of Death' placements have caused his very competent lightweight and middleweight to struggle, while former champion Coup de Grace has been solid in a heavyweight run that will likely see playoffs. The top performer has, without a doubt, been Fenrir, which has justified its third seeding with a dominant performance so far in superheavyweight. Can it go all the way? Only time will tell.

The Competents

13) Team British Robotics - .538

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 400 (100/bot)
Record: 7-6 (1-2, 2-1, 1-2, 3-1)
Grade: B-

The knock on TBR has always been his very inconsistent driving and an understanding of the metagame that can be tenuous at times. While those concerns certainly remain and are likely to linger for some time, Team British RObotics has nonetheless put together a quietly respectable run in CBC3, led by superheavyweight standout Dysprosinator. The ever-dependable Lethal Carriageway has also proven solid and remains very much in the playoff conversation. Is there a title in the offing for TBR this time around? The oddsmakers might not favour it, but they certainly can't discount it entirely either.

14) Team 57 - .333

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 280 (70/bot)
Record: 4-8 (1-2, 2-1, 0-3, 1-2)
Grade: D

Hii came into this event interested mainly in two bots: lightweight Tidal Wave 2 (a former finalist), and middleweight Chronic Jobber, a semifinalist in last year's REDDIT. The other two machines, Bass Drop II and Lifter 2: Electric Boogaloo, were thrown in there to round out the roster, and it's shown. While Tidal Wave has struggled with possibly the worst group composition imaginable, it seems to have turned a corner, and Jobber has been undeniably solid and is likely playoff bound. Lifter 2 is also in with a chance, having gotten some tough matchups out out the way. The less said about the woefully outdated Bass Drop II, the better.

15) Team Loading... - .364

Entries: 3 - LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 270 (90/bot)
Record: 4-7 (2-2, 1-3, 1-2)
Grade: C

Gulden's been the very definition of reliably average for a while in ARC, and that hasn't changed one bit here, despite a handful of rough results in middleweight. The shared resemblance of his three entries and their somewhat similar success rates are more or less par for the course: not wowing anyone but definitely not bombing out either. Mixing things up a little bit is lightweight Carnivore, which looks likely to make the playoffs should it manage a win this week. Is a deep run likely? probably not but, with the right matchups, you never know.

16) Team Covenant - .750

Entries: 1 - LW
Points earned: 160 (160/bot)
Record: 3-1 (3-1)
Grade: B+

Discounting a recent bout of inactivity, Kody has been the most dominant force on ARC over the past decade, so even with only a single entry, you still expect him to do at least solidly. He has not disappointed so far with stylish and terrifying spinner Eudial. Opening with wins over brickish hard-counter Tiny Torque, playoff-seasoned cluster Twin Typhoons, and group favourite Tidal Wave 2, its only loss was to the even more terrifying Blood Eagle in a close-fought affair. Perhaps the only thing capable of stopping it from escaping the group of death and making a deep playoff run are the family issues affecting its driver outside of the game.

17) Square Go Robotics - .200

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 250 (62.5/bot)
Record: 3-12 (1-3, 0-4, 1-3, 1-2)
Grade: F

To say that this event has a been a disaster for the normally solid Scottish outfit would be an understatement. Things started off well enough for Noisy, but went off the rails by the third round, courtesy of some overambitious engineering, tough group placements, and a couple of unexpected forfeits in fights that were very winnable. The result has been a series of disheartening records for bots that really can and should be doing better. It truly is a shame and I think I speak for everyone out there in hoping that Noisy has a much better go of it next time around. At the very least, Shellshock still remains in contention, so not all is lost yet.

19) Team Foxtrot Uniform - .556

Entries: 3 - LW, MW, SHW
Points earned: 290 (96.7/bot)
Record: 5-4 (2-1, 2-1, 1-2)
Grade: B-

Syl has come a long way from a perennial no-hoper with an improved understanding of stats, driving, and - crucially - design since their early days on ARC. All three Foxtrot bots have been competitive, with two currently in playoff position and the third, Space Cadet only sitting in fourth with a negative record due to a concerning forfeit loss. So long as that doesn't constitute the beginning of a pattern, it'll have the chance to get right back into things. While a championship may seem like a bit of a stretch, expect at least one of these bots to make a deep run.

22) Team Worst Swordsman - .429

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 330 (82.5/bot)
Record: 6-8 (1-2, 1-2, 3-1, 1-3)
Grade: C+

This is what respectability looks like. Over this tournament and its last couple, Team Worst Swordsman has quietly gone from being the butt of jokes to a midrange, more-or-less contending sort of outfit. While the hilarious KEGATRON has walked the fine line between shitpost bot and spectacular misfire, Hobart 2 has suffered somewhat from a lack of armour, and pre-tournament title favourite Dragonfist has struggled far more than expected due to a nightmarish group placement, the formerly laughable Tabor has been in the thick of the playoff picture. Unlikely as it seemed a year ago, a title run is not out of the question here.

Everyone Else

23) North-West Sheds - .250

Entries: 3 - LW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 200 (66.7/bot)
Record: 3-9 (3-2, 0-3, 0-4)
Grade: F

The main factor that divides the contenders from the rest of the field isn't so much any innate ability; it's effort. Riley entered with three potentially solid bots. When the wedge bonus of one was disallowed due to being way over 33% of its surface area, he just decided to give the entire thing ten armour instead of defining the bonus somewhere. When his star lightweight, Sleipnir, lost a close-run fight to another good bot, he forfeited a very winnable macth in the next round instead to put its at-one-point seemingly guaranteed playoff spot in peril. While Sleipnir can still clinch and make a deep run, Riley's gonna have to start trying.

25) Team Design Flaw - .545

Entries: 4 - LW, MW, HW, SHW
Points Earned: 470 (117.5/bot)
Record: 8-7 (1-3, 4-0, 2-2, 1-2)
Grade: B

There's always a lone bright spot somewhere in the basement and, this time around, it's team Design Flaw (which is really only this low in the rankings because Maxi just hasn't been around that long). While purpose-built meta bot Evil Destoyer has struggled at lightweight, Design Flaw's heavyweight cluster has been unexpectedly competitive, very much in the playoff running, and last-minute entry I Suck at Names has been an absolute monster in the middleweight division mostly due to a combination of a powerful weapon and some inspired driving. Keep this up, and playoff runs and possibly trophies await.

26) Team Obscure - .000

Entries: 2 HW, SHW
Points earned: 40 (20/bot)
Record: 0-6 (0-3, 0-3)
Grade: F-

If Bastien had, you know, cared to RP for more than half of his matches, this might be wildly different. Golden Blaze would probably be 2-1 and in playoff contention. Maurdread would likely have a win. While the former has been on the wrong side of some poor luck and unlikely inspired driving by opponents, the latter could really have used an update following a solid run in ICEcrown that nonetheless left room for improvement. Can Bob ever break out of ARC's basement? Well, to be perfectly honest, that's largely up to him.

33) Nighthawk Robotics - .500

Entries: 2 - MW, HW
Points earned: 180 (90/bot)
Record: 3-3 (1-2, 2-1)
Grade: B

For a team competing in only its second event, and with quite a layoff in between, this is a very solid showing. Nobody expected much from the newcomer, and with some unconventional stat spreads, I think that a lot of us had a rough season in mind for him. Proving that his surprise playoff berth with Tick Tock in REDDIT was no fluke, Nighthawk has managed to do it again, with both of his bots still very much in contention with the chance to pull off some major upsets this coming round against hot favourites Compound Fracture and Dragonfist.

36) Team Eagle Robotics - .167

Entries: 3 - MW, HW, SHW
Points earned: 190 (63.3/bot)
Record: 2-10 (1-3, 1-3, 0-4)
Grade: D+

Rookie seasons are difficult. All of us have been there: trying to figure out the damned stat system, and then the rules, and then all of the little design details that are so easy to forget. Then, it's getting the hang of RPing. Billy has had a lot to learn this season, and it hasn't been easy, but there has been improvement and it's an ongoing process. While he won't be making the postseason with any of his three entries, this isn't about that. The more that he can fight and the more experience that he can gain, the better that he'll be in the future.

37) Code Red Robotics - .100

Entries: 3 - LW, MW, HW
Points Earned: 120 (40/bot)
Record: 1-9 (0-3, 1-2, 0-4)
Grade: D+

The adjustment to ARC for Tcrrr has been every bit as tough as for his fellow GTMer above, and he's earned all of his points, including a win over Team Eagle, without the help of an HFL ghost-RP. While only Pizza that Eats You has an outside shot at the playoffs and postseason glory is likely not going to be a thing for this rookie, it's mostly a question of gaining valuable experience in the hope that it will serve him well in the future. At the very least, he has enthusiasm in spades, and that's half the battle.


Mastodon... Extinction (HW)
Osiris... Armageddon! (MW)
Elrathia... ROBOTS (LW)
Magnolia Pico... Ruination 4 (MW)
RipTide... ROBOT2 (FW)
Black Diamond... Cherry Bomb Classic 3 (HW)
MADSCIENCE... ROBOTS 3 (LW)
Abyss... ROBOTS 3 (MW)


The Monsterworks: 214-57 (.790) ...Probably up to no good.
Cherry Bomb Classic IV: 25-4
Finishing Move: 6-2
Magnolia Pico: 6-1
Magnolia Grande: 6-1
Glacier III: 7-0
ROBOTS 3: 21-6
Sixpounder: 3-4
MADSCIENCE: 9-1 Champion!
Abyss: 9-1 Champion!

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The Monsterworks
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The CBC Gazette: 2020 Edition

Post by The Monsterworks » Thu Mar 19, 2020 11:15 pm


The Cherry Bomb Classic Gazette: Issue #2

Nine grueling weeks: that's how long we've been at this for, and the playoff picture is starting to take shape. While some groups have played out largely as expected, others have taken a left turn at Albuquerque. Many remain competitive but some have clearly stratified. All in all, that makes this a perfect time to look back at our initial predictions, take stock of where we are, and look forward to what's next.


The Teams

The Fab Four

Over the course of recent tournaments, and especially this event, these four teams have separated themselves from the pack with quality RPs, top tier designs and stats, and a willingness to show up and give 100% every week. That doesn't mean that it's easy to hang with this group. BIG points are needed to stay in the Fab Four, and not all can get BIG points. No matter what, expect at least two titles this season to come from from among their bots.

1) Team Instant Regret - .778

Entries: 3 - FW, MW, HW
Points earned: 370 (123.3/bot)
Record: 7-2 (3-0, 1-2, 3-0)
Grade: B+

Coming in with only a narrow points lead, HFL looked potentially vulnerable to losing his #1 ranking, and that's proven to be the case so far in CBC4. It's less because of his results, though, and more because he's only running a three bot team. Ori remains undefeated and as strong a title contender as ever. Defenestrator has a group where it can actually really do some damage. It's only middleweight Skoll that's really struggled, drawn into its division's 'group of death' along with a slew of other top contenders and hard counters. If HFL can get even that into playoffs, then I'm not sure what can stop him - rampaging Laz included.

2) Tartarus Robotics Group - 1.000

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 600 (150/bot)
Record: 12-0 (3-0, 3-0, 3-0, 3-0)
Grade: A+

It's no secret that Laz has been among the very best on ARC since he made semis in his rookie event. What's been lacking is consistent commitment and activity. No longer. With a hyper-optimized team made up mostly of former champions and some truly inspired RPing, he's gone on an undefeated tear, charging up the rankings on a quest to finally pry that top spot away from HFL. Will he succeed? I wouldn't bet against it. Will he snag a title or two on the way? How much would you be willing to wager? It's like Kody never even left. Isn't it? If there's any light at the end of this tunnel for the rest of us, it's that he's been enjoying RPing for his least optimized bot the most.

3) Interrobang Robotics - .600

Entries: 3 - LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 330 (110/bot)
Record: 6-4 (2-1, 2-2, 2-1)
Grade: C+

Gabe, one of ARC's ultimate tryhards, has done something truly novel over the past number of months: he's learned to chill and have fun with things. It shows in this team. It isn't hyper-optimized. It isn't ruthless. It still wins, though. Maybe not at a ferocious clip, but would you bet against Gabe getting at least two if not all three bots into the playoffs and probably making at least semis? Besides, the secret sauce here is not being meta. It's lampooning the meta. It's finding the gaps that the meta doesn't cover and working within them, and it may just work out well.

4) The Monsterworks - .846

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 570 (142.5/bot)
Record: 11-2 (2-2, 3-0, 3-0, 3-0)
Grade: A

Remember the days when Alex used to roll up to a tournament with four ridiculous and painstakingly rendered and explained contraptions, each of which tried relentlessly to set the meta in its sights and hit the /kill button? Just when it seemed like those days were long gone, he's skewed just a little bit in that direction this time around: two walkers, an audacious low armour mecanum-wheeled speed vert-on-an-arm, and... Magnolia Grande's acually kind of normal. And you know what the scary part is? It seems to more or less be working.


The Terrible Trio

Hot on the tails of the Fab Four is this group. While not quite as consistently dominant, they usually bring strong designs and meta-relevant stats to the table and all have the ability to win uphill battles with good RPs. Do they always go that extra mile in design, stats, RPs, and engagement? Not quite, but they're damned close and definitely legitimate title threats all.

5) Team Ignition - .462

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 360 (90/bot)
Record: 6-7 (2-1, 3-0, 1-2, 0-4)
Grade: C

Dylan's customary mid-tournament funk hit him this year at about the same time that it usually does. Thing is, it didn't seem to do as much damage to his playoff chances as usual, and half of his team remains on very solid footing, with another far from out of the running. As usual, his bots are good-looking, well-statted, and make sense. Shade Fist and Black Salvo, in particular, look dangerous. Only the audaciously statted Electro-Death has proven to be a bust. A shame for such a gorgeous machine. Otherwise, look for Dylan to just go out and win another LW title to make himself feel better, because that's what he does best.

6) End of the Line L.L.C. - .571

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 460 (115/bot)
Record: 8-6 (2-2, 2-1, 3-1, 1-2)
Grade: B-

Noah's all audacity, and he tends to either live or die by his homerun-swing stats and designs. The big challenge for him has always been trying to bottle just the right amount of that lightning. This hasn't been a standout tournament for him on either the positive or negative side of the ledger yet, with none of his bots either top-seeded or undefeated, but it's quietly been a true dark horse run. FMC looks very dangerous. Acrid has a disturbing number of good matchups. Untitled Goose Robot is just the right sort of bot to make a deep run if the bracket shakes out right for it. There's a chance that Noah could crash and burn again. There's also a chance that he finally nabs that elusive first title.

7) Team Design Flaw - .733

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 590 (147.5/bot)
Record: 11-4 (3-1, 3-1, 3-1, 2-1)
Grade: A

The enfant terrible of ARC is coming up. After showing immense promise over his first two years in the league, Maxi has graduated to legitimate contender status, and it shows with this team. All of them have positive records. All of them play the meta in some way. At least three are likely to make playoffs. While none have that shoe-in aura of invincibility, each has a potential route to glory depending on how the bracket evolves. The big challenge for Maxi has been winning against the best of the best, as an 0-4 third round demonstrates. Start doing that and he'll be more than a contender. He'll be the first champion out of the class of 2018.


The Great Eight

A half-step below the elite teams is this group, but that doesn't mean that they aren't contenders. Most have either won at least once or made a final. In many cases, the only reason for their lower point total is a bit less activity than those top few. Expect good designs here. Expect quality, and expect a titlist to emerge from somewhere within this group.

8) Team 57 - .333

Entries: 3 - FW, MW, HW
Points earned: 220 (73.3/bot)
Record: 3-7 (1-2, 1-2, 1-3)
Grade: D-

It's been a rough tournament for the recent titlist, with his trio of usually-solid bots struggling to gain any traction in tough groups. While Remi is likely in trouble due to less-than-optimal stats, Nikkousen has gotten most of its tougher matchups out of the way and has a chance at playoffs. While the same might be said for Fork Bomb as well, a 1-3 hole is tough to climb out of, especially in a group with three seemingly-established frontrunners. At the very least, Hii enjoys a considerable points cushion over the teams below him and can look to ride this out with one decent playoff run if nothing else.

9) Aquatic Robotics - .556

Entries: 3 - FW, LW, MW
Points earned: 290 (96.7/bot)
Record: 5-4 (2-1, 1-2, 2-1)
Grade: C+

Jack's bots are anything but average. They're almost always fun and whimsical and they usually even work. In contrast, however, he is the standardbearer for averageness among contending teams. His rank has never risen above six or dipped below twelve. He usually makes the playoffs with about half of his team. One bot makes the semis or better. So, surprise, surprise when this tournament is shaping up to be a perfectly average attackfrog tournament. Lil' Yeetums has been tons of fun so far and could make some noise. Bluetooth has gotten all but one of its toughest matches out of the way and could still round into form. Carapace has been quietly good. Look for Jack to gain some ground on the team above and possibly pip Hii at the line for 8th place.

10) Team Riptide - .563

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 520 (130/bot)
Record: 9-7 (3-1, 1-3, 2-2, 3-1)
Grade: B-

Team Riptide is one of those outfits that gets consistently overlooked when people discuss the top teams. Ethan has been quietly good for awhile now, though. With the exception of lightweight misfire Mastodonosaurus, which has suffered from nothing so much as looking janky, this team has followed his recent trend. Two bots are in prime playoff position and seem poised for deep runs, and middleweight spinner The Act of Being Polite has a solid shot at being the third. More than almost any other member of the Great Eight, Team Riptide seems poised to scoop up some big points come playoff time.

11) Cool Story Brobotics - .467

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 430 (107.5/bot)
Record: 7-8 (2-1, 3-1, 2-2, 0-4)
Grade: C

That sub .500 record looks bad, doesn't it? It looks a lot better when you realize that half of the losses come from a single bot. It looks bad again when you realize that the bot in question is Petaflare, the team's flagship heavyweight, which is in desperate need of a redesign. That's not to say that things are all doom and gloom in Brobotics land. Fun featherweight Gas Gas Gas is looking like a surprise contender with its incredible speed and useful weapon. Lightweight Scrapper is probably the odds-on favourite in its weight class. Tower of Grey is still in the conversation in a tough group. Tri has a real shot at a title here this year, and those aren't exactly a dime a dozen.

12) Ice Cubed Robotics - .692

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 490
Record: 9-4 (1-2, 3-1, 3-0, 2-1)
Grade: A-

Aside from a startlingly ill-advised statting of his featherweight, Taipan, and its subsequent troubles, Alex has been enjoying a very strong season. Through a mix of sound design, quality RPs, a touch of luck, and good ol' fashioned moxie, three of his four bots find themselves in playoff position, including lightly-regarded middleweight Paradox. That said, the real test is likely to come over the next few weeks, as some very tough matchups are incoming for the upstart. Meanwhile, in lightweight and heavyweight, things should be clearing up. It's relatively smooth sailing towards the playoffs. The big question is: can Alex finally bring it home, particularly for multiple-time finalist Dreadnought? That may be entirely up to him.

13) Killjoy Syndicate - 1.000

Entries: 2 - FW, MW
Points earned: 350 (175/bot)
Record: 7-0 (4-0, 3-0)
Grade: A+

Jules doesn't win the way that most people do. Let's get that straight. It's either a shuffling melty, a three-part cluster, or a technicolor mecanum speed wedge. This time around, it's the latter two, and they've been good. Key has been familiarity with the designs. When you've entered a bot multiple times and made at least the semifinals with it, you tend to know people's counters. That's shown in both Jules' stats and RPs and, for the first time in her surprisingly long - if not especially active - ARC career, it has her looking like more than "ARC's cryptid". She's looking like a real contender. Whether she can bring it home in a major will be largely dependent on playoff matchup RNG. We'll just have to wait and see.

14) Alpha Robotics - .231

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 210 (52.5/bot)
Record: 3-10 (0-3, 1-3, 2-1, 0-3)
Grade: F+

To say that this one's been a trainwereck so far for this normally high-tier outfit would be right on the money. A mixture of apathetic statting and bot selection, lackluster RPing, and a handful of forfeits have been mostly to blame in a tournament that Drew will probably want to forget the moment that it's over. If there's any bright spot, it's the performance of defending middleweight champion Diablo Genesis III, which has not yet lost a fight that Drew has actually RPed for. Can it once again carry this team's hopes? Will that be enough to keep this storied franchise from falling even further? Those both remain to be seen.

15) Team Stealth - .833 (1.000)

Entries: 2 - LW, HW
Points earned: 250 (125/bot)
Record: 5-1 (2-1, 3-0) ((5-0 (2-0, 3-0))
Grade: A+

Coming into CBC4 with only one entry, Danielle had questions hanging over her head, courtesy of outdated and rehashed designs, a seemingly waning commitment, and a failure to capitalize on a breakout 2018-2019 season. Somewhere along the way, however, she rediscovered her mojo. Heavyweight Kill 'em All has been a revelation, picking up where talismanic Death Metal left off in an undefeated run. Subbing in for Team Hop's Voltaic after it was forced to drop out, former runner-up The Thieving Magpie has also posted a clean sheet. While the former brings to mind the Cinderella run of its stablemate Triple 6 from CBC3, the latter has the look of a real championship threat. Perhaps Danielle can do what Laz did last time around, going big with a team of only two.


The Sophomore Slum Plus One

A team's second year on ARC can be exciting. It can also be tough. Lessons learned and adjustments made after a rookie campaign can start to bear fruit for those wise enough to take them to heart. This is a solid group, especially one member returning after a considerable layoff. They probably won't win any titles, but any of them could make some noise as a dark horse, even the one veteran member lumped in here in the midst of an awful season. He's done it before.

16) Team Eagle Robotics - .333

Entries: 2 - FW, LW
Points earned: 140 (70/bot)
Record: 2-4 (2-1, 0-3)
Grade: C-

The good news: Billy's RPs have improved a lot since the last time that this event ran. His stats have gotten better as well. His team is no longer viewed as a source of free wins, too. The bad? He keeps entering bots optimized strongly for the RA2 metagame and not its ARC equivalent. Yes, Eagle's Hawk was a championship-winner in RA2. No, underpowered, non-invertible VS with terrible weapon placement don't win in our league. Angry Bird: Unnecessarily Long Name is in with a chance, however. In a featherweight division with very few damaging weapons, it stands atop the heap as the biggest knockout puncher, and so far that's led to a winning record and a chance at playoff glory.

17) Code Pink Robotics - .333

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 350 (87.5/bot)
Record: 5-10 (1-2, 1-3, 2-2, 1-3)
Grade: C-

Code's solidly respectable now. He's not a free win. He makes people work for their wins. Problem is, the good teams still usually get the better of him. That narrative stands to change over the next few weeks, however, as the draw should open up in a big way for featherweight Puffy Cloud and heavyweight Swamp Thing. With their worst matchups behind them, either could make a late run for a playoff spot. lightweight Boring Gray Wedge and middleweight Pizza 2 both have more balanced competition coming up, but both are in with a chance, especially the latter. Look for Code to finally taste playoffs this time around. How far he goes is another matter, but progress is progress, and it's been noticeable this time around.

18) Team British Robotics - .154

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 200 (50/bot)
Record: 2-11 (0-3, 0-3, 0-3, 2-2)
Grade: F

After enjoying a golden era from 2015-2018 or so, this veteran British outfit has struggled mightily to find its form. RPs heavily reliant on longshot tactics and a tendency to go for low-percentage and highly ambitious maneuvers has consistently cost this team's solid machines winnable matches. It's reached the point where it's gotten into TBR's head, causing this once-solid driver to doubt himself and continue making mistakes. Can TBR break out of his results funk? If any bot can lead the charge, it'll be heavyweight vertical Wallop, which sits at a solid 2-2 amid an otherwise horrid season. To keep its run going will take a real engagement with what makes an RP work, though, and that's something that TBR hasn't done much as of late.

19) Team Worst Swordsman - .500

Entries: 3 - LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 300 (100/bot)
Record: 5-5 (1-2, 2-1, 2-2)
Grade: B

After a dismal 2019 headlined by multiple forfeits, dropouts, and health issues for the team captain, Worst Swordsman seemed on the verge of becoming a mere footnote in ARC history: that quirky English outfit that made oh-so-pleasant and creative bots that didn't work and then disappeared. Thankfully, Cassie's back in a big way and flipping that script. With improved designs, a dedication to RPing, quality tactics, and a firm grasp of statting, she's been slowly but surely working her way back towards ARC relevance. Truth be told, perennial favourites Dragonfist and Tabor never really left, and that's shown in solid runs that'll likely see at least one of them reach playoffs. Even lightweight Trilobite has potential... just as soon as Cassie can make it... you know, drive upside-down.


The Three Amigos

How convenient that all three of our active rookie teams are lumped in together in the rankings. Fitting too, because it's been that close-run of a season for what might be our strongest rookie cohort since 2016. These three will all get at least one bot into the playoffs. How far they go from there and who edges out the others for Rookie of the Year remains to be seen, but expect big things in the future from this group regardless.

20) Team Rinzler (Code Pink Robotics) - .636

Entries: 3 - FW, LW, HW
Points earned: 340 (113.3/bot)
Record: 7-4 (1-3, 3-1, 3-0)
Grade: A

This is what a future top tier team looks like. Attention to detail, engagement, stats: it's all there except for the RPs, and those are coming along quickly as well, partially courtesy of a handful of run-ins with some of the top teams in the game. While featherweight brick Wasp 2 has floundered, that's more the fault of poor group composition and a couple of RP slip-ups than some deep-lying design flaw. Meanwhile, lightweight Golden MADD has been slowly earning itself a pedigree, hiccup against hall-of-famer Blood Eagle aside. Heavyweight FusterCluck has been excellent, priming itself for a big playoff run if it can win even one of its three big upcoming matchups. Look for a few of those by this rookie outfit, and they may just put the Rookie of the Year award out of reach for its competition.

21) Team Ether - .500

Entries: 3 - FW, LW, HW
Points earned: 300 (100/bot)
Record: 5-5 (2-1, 2-1, 1-3)
Grade: B+

Want to see a good rookie campaign? This is it. While Super seems routinely frustrated by not winning all of the big matches, he wins his share, and his bots demonstrate a grasp of the fundamentals that should carry him into contention and keep him there for a long time. While his stats and designs lack the polish of Team Rinzler's - his main competitor for ROTY - his RPs are standout among this group, and have won him their lone head to head matchup to date. With featherweight Chinesium II looking very strong as the lone 16 power spinner in that division and lightweight National Security gearing up for a playoff run, things are looking up for this rookie from Kentucky. The race for that title is going to come down to the wire.

22) Team C/D - .444

Entries: 3 - LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 250 (83.3/bot)
Record: 4-5 (1-2, 1-2, 2-1)
Grade: B

The last of the three active rookies, Team C/D is also the least polished of the bunch, with its designs a couple of steps behind the lustre of the other two, especially in terms of render quality. What this team lacks in visual polish, however, it makes up for with an excellent grasp of stats and what works in the current meta. Add to that RPs which are solid enough to challenge even top contenders, and you have a recipe for potential long-term success. That combination has ensured that none of its bots are out of the running at this juncture, with at least one or possibly two likely to make playoffs. How much noise they make there will determine if this most junior outfit can come from behind and pip its two rivals at the finish.


The Stragglers

Talk about spanning the entire spectrum (and I don't mean the autism one). It's hard to create an overarching narrative for a group this irregular. Between a hall of famer coming back in as a substitute from a brief retirement, ARC's most persistent also-ran, and an occasional, casual member who defines 'solidly okay', they're a strange bunch, but not wholly a bad one. Playoffs might be a stretch for the most part, though.

24) Team Blood Gulch - .375 (.750)

Entries: 2 - FW, LW
Points earned: 160 (80/bot)
Record: 3-5 (2-2, 1-3) ((3-1 (2-0, 1-1))
Grade: B

It seemed to be the end for the winningest team in ARC history. After a blazing, near-historic start to CBC3, Josh dropped off the map almost completely, flaming out early in that tournament before disappearing. A surprise return for the legendary outfit three weeks into this event was made possible by the dropout of rookie Team Goober. 'Playing with house money', as Josh puts it, his truncated team of two bots has so far peformed solidly in a welcome return to active competition. And here's the kicker: despite both starting in an 0-2 hole, he could very well make the playoffs and take that house money straight to the bank. Featherweight The Grand Vizier, especially, looks like a solid bet in a featherweight division with plenty of advantageous matchups.

25) Team Cardboard Pony - .063

Entries: 4 - FW, LW, MW, HW
Points earned: 200 (50/bot)
Record: 1-15 (0-4, 0-4, 0-4, 1-3)
Grade: F

Once, there was a fellow by the name of Patrick Rowberry. He was a brony. He was a funny, animated guy. He liked to build imaginary fighting robots. He didn't draw them like most people. He made them out of cardboard, lego, K'nex, and just about anything he might find lying around. He entered ARC and his RPs weren't very good at first. His stats were... questionable. People had trouble interpreting his designs. The RPs improved. The designs improved (somewhat). The stats, sadly, went the wrong way. At some point, Pat decided that armour was a dump stat. As a result, his bots have a tendency to crumble when you breathe on them. That, in short, is the genesis of his current predicament.

28) Nighthawk Robotics - .333

Entries: 1 - HW
Points earned: 70 (70/bot)
Record: 1-2 (1-2)
Grade: C

Routinely known for only entering one or two bots per event, this semi-active sophomore has opted for the former this time around. While the updated Long Arm of the Law - a reprise of last year's surprise playoff machine - contains some improvements, it also takes a few steps back, being easier to high-centre than its predecessor. WIth increasingly fierce competition and a slew of hungry new rookies, Nighthawk may have to take a close look at the metagame, his bots, and where he stands going forward. Is this tournament a loss yet? Certainly not. He could very well climb out of his 1-2 hole but, while not impossible, it won't be easy either.


Mastodon... Extinction (HW)
Osiris... Armageddon! (MW)
Elrathia... ROBOTS (LW)
Magnolia Pico... Ruination 4 (MW)
RipTide... ROBOT2 (FW)
Black Diamond... Cherry Bomb Classic 3 (HW)
MADSCIENCE... ROBOTS 3 (LW)
Abyss... ROBOTS 3 (MW)


The Monsterworks: 214-57 (.790) ...Probably up to no good.
Cherry Bomb Classic IV: 25-4
Finishing Move: 6-2
Magnolia Pico: 6-1
Magnolia Grande: 6-1
Glacier III: 7-0
ROBOTS 3: 21-6
Sixpounder: 3-4
MADSCIENCE: 9-1 Champion!
Abyss: 9-1 Champion!

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