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Robo Rally (RRY) WBC 2022 Event Report
Updated December 14, 2023
53 Players Rich Shipley Event History
2022 Champion & Laurels
 

Shipley Wins Again!

Best con ever. I have been running the Roborally tournament since the very first WBC in 1999, which, for you math atheists out there, means I have now run it 22 times in 24 years. That means I have personally observed somewhere around 300 games. In that time, I have seen many strange things happen on the Roborally table, I've seen a robot get shot from all 4 directions on the same turn, I’ve seen skilled players drive directly into pits on the first turn of a game. ( I've actually done that one. ) I've seen a player certain of victory get pushed off the final flag by a robot that seemed too far away to do anything at the beginning of the turn. I've even seen a robot survive a full turn with all five registers locked in a crowd of other robots.

This year, however, I watched Terry Brown approaching flag one in the first Heat, he ended the turn two spaces away from the flag with all five registers locked, and by sheer coincidence, his first three locked cards put him right on flag one before he took his last point of damage. Unfortunately for Terry for every good bit of luck there is also bad as at the end of the game with what looked like certain victory in hand, he spent five turns within five spaces of the final flag only to be beaten to the final flag by Ethan Shipley-Tang, who apparently comes from good stock as his father Rich went on to become our third multiple title champion.

Speaking of multiple title champions, and another Roborally first, both seven time winner Brad Johnson and two time winner Keith Boone were eliminated at a five player Semifinal table where three people advanced to the Final. Perhaps they focused too much on each other? Though I'm sure both will blame the cards....

I was not able to watch all of the Final this year as I was called on to assist a good friend who was not feeling well in the running of another event, however, from what I did see, and my players notes on the score sheet, it looks like it was an exciting game.

Early on Ashley Worley's spin bot got a good head start, and even managed to pick up two of the most loved option cards, the scrambler, which randomizes another robots program, and radio control which makes another robot follow your program. Later she also acquired fire control, which is another beloved option of experienced players. They were enough to stop Ken Samuel's Zoombot from running away with it, but not, as it turns out enough to ensure a victory. That honor went to Rich Shipley's Twonky who marched through two flamethrowers on his way to the last flag, he arrived there with 7 points of damage, which Evan Boon's Hammer bot claims he could have taken with the oh so familiar "if I'd only gotten the right cards" which was also heard from Roderick Lee as he too attempted to touch the last flag. Sadly, poor Ashley's card just weren't good enough for anything higher than fourth.

We did add a new award for this year called the Killer Robot award which is given to the first player to finish off his whole table during the mid-week deathmatch. This year's winner was Brandon Wines who finished off 7 other players in just over an hour.

Another first this year, we didn't give out a single Kaarin Englemann Memorial Crash and Burn award and player aid, either the players are getting better, or I'm getting soft.

Finally, I'd like to extend special thanks to my brothers and sisters in the Greenville mafia who brought me sustenance on what ended up being a very long day. Your efforts are much appreciated.

 
2022 Laurelists Repeating Laurelists: 2
Evan Boone Roderick Lee Ashley Worley Ken Samuel Ethan Shipley-Tang
2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
 
Which direction due I send my bot? Dave Terry enjoying a game of Robo Rally.
At least there is one smile for the camera. Josh Githens moving his robot forward.
 
GM  Marc Houde [22nd Year]