2-Round Qualifier - more details

From NHRL

Handling top-seeded bots

The top-seeded bots in a weight class will get a Qualifiers Round 1 bye and be placed directly into the Boss Group. This is for two reasons.

  • This ensures that no top-seeded bots fight in Qualifiers Round 1, and that a top-seeded bot doesn’t vaporize a new bot from a new builder in its very first fight.
  • In order for the math to work for a 2-round Qualifier, the number of bots facing elimination must be a multiple of 4. Giving byes ensures that we can always hit this number.

To determine the number of bots to fight in Qualifiers Round 1, look up the number of bots in the tournament on the table below. If you subtract the value you find in the second column from the number of bots in the tournament, you will get the number of top bots who earn a Qualifiers Round 1 bye.

Bots in tournament Bots in Qualifiers Round 1
8-12 8
13-17 12
18-22 16
23-26 20
27-31 24
32-35 28
36-39 32
40-43 36
44-47 40
48-51 44
52-55 48
56-63 52
64-67 56
68-71 60
72-75 64
76-79 68
80-83 72
84-91 76
91-95 80
96-99 84
100-103 88
104-107 92
108-111 96
112-115 100
116-123 104
124-127 108
128-131 112
132-135 116
136-139 120
140-143 124
144-147 128
148-155 132
156-159 136
160-163 140
164-167 144
168-171 148
172-175 152
176-183 156
184-187 160
188-191 164
192-195 168
196-199 172
200-203 176
204-211 180
212-215 184
216-219 188
220-223 192
224-227 196
228-231 200
232-235 204
236-243 208
244-247 212
248-251 216
252-255 220

For example, with 50 participants, the top 6 bots would go directly into the Boss Group. With 31 participants, the top 7 bots would go directly into the Boss Group. With 48 participants, the top 4 bots would go directly into the Boss Group. With 101 participants, the top 13 bots would go directly into the Boss Group, and so on.

Determining number of bots in each group

The number of bots who advance directly to the Boss Group has already been determined in the previous step.

That number, multiplied by 2, is the number of bots that go into the Challenger Group. These would be the bots seeded directly beneath the bots in the Boss Group.

All remaining bots go into the Rival Group.

For example, 100 bots break down like this:

  • The top 12 bots advance directly to the Boss Group.
  • The next 24 bots are placed in the Challenger Group.
  • The remaining 64 bots are placed in the Rival Group.

There are some cases where there is no Rival Group. For example, in a 12-bot bracket, 4 bots go to the Boss Group, and the remaining 8 bots go to the Challenger Group.