Wedge Priority[]
Wedges work a bit differently in RB than previous tournaments. There’s a layer of fine grain particles on the floor that make robots get caught if they try to press the floor too hard.
The Wedge hierarchy:[]
1 - Magnet Wedges - These can supply more downward force per area than the robot's weight can on its own, making them even lower than pressing lifters, and the lowest theoretically possible wedge. Just like pressing lifters, using them will cause a mobility penalty of half their speed and acceleration whenever they are activated.
2 – Pressing lifters/Spring-loaded wedges – These are the second lowest. They will get under all other types of wedges when they lift, unless they are poorly shaped. However, they will suffer a mobility penalty of half their speed and acceleration whenever they press.
3 – 2WD wedges - If the wedge forms the third point on a plane with the drivetrain it will function like hinged wedges for the most part, but it will often be heavier. This does not guarantee it will get under a hinged wedge every time, but they are likely to have an edge and get under more often.
4 - Hinged wedges – In this case, the heavier wedge tends to have an advantage, but isn’t guaranteed to get under.
5 – Static wedges – Non-hinged wedges on non-2WD bots tend to lose to all other wedges, since there is an air gap with the floor.
Wedge Rock-Paper-Scissors Rule:[]
There are many different shapes for wedges and this affects how they get under each other. The hierarchy takes the first priority in determining who gets under. For wedges in the same hierarchy, then this RPS system becomes relevant.
Forks – Will tend to win against flat wedges in head-on collisions. They are vulnerable to weapons that can sneak between the forks though, and weaker at indirect collisions. The fewer forks you have, the higher the priority will be at the tip, but the easier it will be to get around them.
Flat wedges – Will tend to have better priority than forks in diagonal or indirect collisions, but worse priority in direct collisions.
Toothed wedges – (see Microwave) An in-between design with some advantages and disadvantages of both. They will often be better than flat wedges at head-on encounters but worse than forks, and better than forks at diagonal encounters but worse than flat wedges.