User blog:NJGW/Series 9, Grand Final rundown

Well we're here - we're here at the final six. With five of the best confirmed already and a wildcard to be announced as well, we'll be left with the true elite. Will it prove to be spin city? Will a flipper reign supreme once more? Or will we even see a massive surprise? What we do know is that we only have one more day to wait until the UK Championship crown is handed out from the ninth time, so let's get this one last prediction blog for Series 9 up.

Wildcards
Pulsar Based on what we know, Pulsar seems in the worst state in terms of being match-fit for further potential tussles. It's a massive shame, because it went undefeated in the Head-to-Heads, blew away Apex with ease in the Group Battle and was incredibly competitive against the heat winner in the Head-to-Head between the two - something that other potential wildcard choices didn't manage. However, if it cannot be ready for the Grand Final itself, the past performances will mean very little little.

Wildcard ranking: 5th Sabretooth Sabretooth is a very promising machine, but its wildcard chances are slim. It put in a good Group Battle performance and impressively beat Terrorhurtz, but that loss against Jellyfish will prove key. If it had managed to emphatically beat Jellyfish it'd be right up there in the running, especially with its victory over Terrorhurtz. Unfortunately, what was a result that Sabretooth could've built on only ended up being the only real highlight for it after the Group Battle, and that will not be enough to carry it through.

Wildcard ranking: 4th Cherub We all know the controversy surrounding Cherub and the split of loving it or hating it, but we what we can is that it's a durable machine that can remain competitive. Unfortunately for Cherub it was whitewashed against Eruption and although it ground out those two Judges' decision victories in the Head-to-Head round, it never won a fight by knockout. Cherub has a case, no doubt, and its ability to provide variety by tanking hits from spinners as well as offering control will carry some weight, but it won't be enough to warrant a wildcard.

Wildcard ranking: 3rd

Thor This new version of Thor promised so, so much. It was a new machine, refined for spinners, and promised to be a leading light in robots that weren't spinners and flippers; however, it never fully got going and its performances were what you could describe as patchy at best. Still, Thor can offer so much variety in a battle which could sway the judges in a Grand Final which could easily see two spinners colliding and ending battles quicker. However, what feels like will go against Thor majorly, is, funnily enough, its victories. Take last series: yes, Thor was by far the most impressive of the wildcard choices, but it mostly managed to show its dominance by shunting around and axing machines that kept going. Battles against Shockwave and M.R. Speed Squared would've impressed the judges so much because of how Thor kept its consistent aggression going for three minutes, whereas this time around, although knocking out M.R. Speed Squared in one hit is impressive in itself, it isn't a battle which allows Thor to leave a lasting impression of what it can offer over a 3 minute battle, and that's something that the number one wildcard choice managed to do.

Wildcard ranking: 2nd

Apollo So, Apollo it is that I've gone for the wildcard. I actually want Thor to get it more because I feel it has a much better chance at remaining competitive and offering variety, but I've given the sixth and final spot to Apollo - but why? Well, it's simple, Apollo managed to have some great performances and moments in comparison to Thor. You know the battle against Crackers 'n' Smash where Apollo just threw the clusterbots around for three minutes? It was fun, yes, but was it really all that impressive? Not particularly, because it's what you'd expect: Apollo chucking around lighter robots for fun. However, remember what I said about Thor and the fact it lacked a battle where it could show its dominance? Well, Apollo comfortably beating Crackers 'n' Smash over three minutes and its dominant Group Battle performance are going to carry so much weight here, and I think it'll give Apollo the edge for the wildcard.

Wildcard ranking: WILDCARD

The Final Six
Apollo and Concussion We may not know the melees, but if you give me a list of every potential lineup and which robots would struggle the most, these two would be bottom.

Apollo is already beaten and war weary, and I think its upgrade in the off season is something that needed to happen to attempt to get rid of Apollo's shortcomings. I also feel that Apollo's big, chunky shape is something it will struggle to get away with against the Series 9 spinners which are not only more powerful, but faster and more precise, and they can strike the larger areas of Apollo and cause significant damage. Sorry, Apollo, but this is just one battle to far for you. I've been quite vocal about my opinion on Concussion. It's a good machine, but it isn't up there in terms of power and it has consistent flaws outside of its weapon as well. Really, in Heat C, it was the best of a flawed bunch, and although it still deserved to win the heat, in another lineup, it would've been ruthlessly exploited probably - and that's something that will now happen in the Grand Final itself. It'll only take a couple of strong hits from a spinner before we see its problems arise, and it isn't aggressive or fast enough to bring its drum into play consistently against flippers either. A good first attempt from a likeable team, and a machine to build on, but my opinion hasn't changed on Concussion since its heat win, and I'll be mightily surprised if it proves me wrong.

Aftershock Aftershock had a lot of hype leading up to the first heat of Series 9 and it truly delivered as it strolled through its melee, knocked Rapid into a quick submission, destroyed Sabretooth once, sent Terrorhurtz to the sky, and then beat Sabretooth for a second time in the Heat Final. It was no doubt impressive, but Aftershock did have its teething problems with weapon reliability. In a one-on-one showdown against Carbide, can it really overpower it? It feels like a battle where Aftershock needs a rally of precise attacks, whereas a significant blow or two from Carbide will spell the end of Aftershock. Out of the robots in this Grand Final that has a big chance of being in the Head-to-Head stages, Aftershock feels like the robot which will take the most damage and take the most amount of time to repair. It'll be a shame if Aftershock's series ends in a slightly underwhelming way, but we might just need to wait a little while longer to well and truly see this particular robot as a total powerhouse when push comes to shove.

PLACING: 4TH, HEAD-TO-HEADS

Ironside3 I've liked the idea behind Ironside3 since its first battle, and it's been great to see it built upon this series in big style. Still, it seems no matter what Ironside3 does, it will always remain an underdog in comparison to more notable and marketable machines, and despite its heat win it'll go into the Grand Final as at least the fourth favourites behind the more fashionable and explosive machines. Honestly, I think Ironside3 could even be in the Grand Final battle itself, because its a machine that is not only powerful but one that rarely sustains bodywork damage and is one of the best built for the Head-to-Head stage. I do think it might just fall short against Eruption in the Head-to-Head, but nevertheless, a third place finish for Ironside3 would be a fantastic result, and one that it would've fully earned if it achieves that.

PLACING: 3RD, HEAD-TO-HEADS

Eruption With a severe lack of proven top-tier flippers in Series 9, the emphasis was on Apollo and Eruption to carry the torch, and the latter did so in faultless style. However, the emphasis won't stop there for Eruption, and the importance for variety will mean that a strong Grand Final performance for Eruption will be the difference between making this Grand Final a explosive affair with short battles or a mixture of the best spinners can provide as well as some back and forth, drawn out battles. I fancy Eruption to give a good account of itself that will give it an end result that we expected more like a series earlier, but at the end of it I can't see it being able to outdo the strong favourite for this final. Nevertheless, I'm praying for the Oates' machine to do well, because I'm very worried about the possibility of this Grand Final ending in a limp feast. Hopefully it won't turn out that way.

PLACING: 2ND, HEAD-TO-HEADS

Carbide The favourite, bar none. Carbide's appearance in Series 9 promised to amp up the destruction a gear from its already impressive Series 8 showing, and the exhibition this machine put on in Heat E was truly frightening. It seems that the only way to beat the current incarnation of Carbide is to break your face in trying to grind it down - it really will take everything. I had it down as a strong favourite for the last Grand Final, but this time around it well and truly feels like it will be Carbide's time, and in style. Eruption may be more suited to tackling something like Carbide this time around, Ironside3 has taken greats strides forward and Aftershock is a wonderful machine which made an explosive debut ala Carbide, but Carbide is the most well rounded machine and it will come out of the Head-to-Heads in the best shape as well unless something major happens. Under 24 hours to go to see if it pans out that way.

PLACING: SERIES 9 CHAMPION