User blog:NJGW/Series 10, Heat B - Predictions

Well, er, I'm not taking credit for it, but, hey, I got the Heat winner of the opening episode correct. This week, we move on to Series 10's 'Heat of Death'. So, which machine do I think will progress this time out? Let's have a closer look.

6th. Crackers 'n' Smash
It says a lot that you can have such genuinely decent machines being written off as absolute cannon fodder - but that's exactly what Crackers 'n' Smash are for this Heat. Smash's spinner working, and taking the other machines to Judges' decisions is what would count as 'success' in this Heat.

5th. Gabriel
Thank the lord: Gabriel is back! This was one of the machines that should've been in Series 9's rather streamlined field, just because it could offer variety and potentially beat or lose to a wide range of robots. Thankfully, it's back into the fold after a series away, but my word has Gabriel been given a tough task. I expect it to provide very intriguing, competitive battles against the spinners, but ultimately I see it falling short of getting the edge on a Carbide or Aftershock. Nevertheless, considering how weak in power the Series 8 spinners it faced are in comparison to the two big hitters in this Heat, a competitive display from Gabriel will be very, very pleasing to see.

4th. Aftershock
After my 'hipster' pick for Behemoth to win Heat A, I'll go for another one here and say that Aftershock won't even make the wildcard rumble. Why? Well, as always, it depends on the draw, but I think Aftershock could be the machine that could suffer the most against the top four robots in this Heat.

3rd. Big Nipper
One of my favourite machines is back, and giving it a lot of backing. The spinning weapon used in Series 8 seemed solid, but judging by the team's comments on social media, the weapon seems to have very much been refined. This, the versatility offered by the claws, and just Big Nipper being such a well engineered and sturdy machine tempts me to go in its direction for an unlikely third place.

2nd. Eruption
Funnily enough, Eruption is my tip for the whole series. Despite that, I don't think it'll be lucky enough to win its Heat. It may get revenge on Carbide (or even avoid it with the luck of the draw) deeper into the tournament, but at this stage, I'll back Carbide to avoid being part of what would be an incredible variable in the wildcard rumble.

1st. Carbide
It won't be straightforward, and Carbide won't be able to stroll through like it did last series, but this machine is still very much the one to beat, and it'll emphasise this further by sealing a third straight Grand Final place.