Relay Rivals rival styles: how the bots play and how to win
Every rival in Relay Rivals is a bot, a computer player, with one of three styles: Signal keeper, Lane sprinter or Workshop warden. All bots follow the same rules as you: the same charge, the same card rest times and the same pads. They do not cheat. They look at the arena, pick the card that fits best and send it from the pad that fits best.
How every bot thinks
Before each move, the bot looks at all its pads and all its cards and gives every choice a score. Then it plays the best choice it can afford. Here is what pushes a bot's choice, whatever its style:
- It defends where you push deepest. Bots like to send walking robots to the pad closest to your robots that have come furthest toward their base.
- It answers flyers. If your Kite Drones are near a pad, the bot likes Rangers, Anchor Pads and its own drones there, and avoids sending robots that cannot hit flyers.
- It sweeps groups. It likes a Broom Bot when two or more of your ground robots are close together.
- It protects shooters. It likes a Shield Cart when a Ranger or Repair Beetle of its own is nearby.
- It repairs. It sends a Repair Beetle only when one of its robots nearby is badly hurt and no beetle is there yet.
- It saves Pulse Net and Pop Rocket for groups. It plays them only where at least two of your robots are in reach. A Decoy Beacon needs just one.
- It keeps one Anchor Pad per spot. It places an Anchor Pad only where your robots are close and it has no Anchor Pad yet.
- It holds back the Drill Walker. It likes to send one when its base is safe and it has friends nearby to walk with.
- It stays home when you are close. When your robots are deep in its half, it avoids its forward pad and defends.
There is also a small random part, so the same battle does not play exactly the same way twice.
Signal keeper
"Captures the middle and reinforces the forward pad."
A Signal keeper sends its walking robots down the middle until it owns the relay. Once it holds the relay, it likes its forward pad.
How to beat it:
- Win the middle. Send a Shield Cart and a Ranger from pad B early.
- A Broom Bot in the middle punishes its groups.
- When the middle is crowded, try a side lane. The battle tip for Signal storm says: "Try the side routes when the middle is crowded."
- If it takes the relay, its robots start close to your base. Keep an Anchor Pad ready.
Signal keeper battles: 1, 5, 8, 11 and 12, plus all practice battles.
Lane sprinter
"Pushes the side lanes and looks for an opening."
A Lane sprinter likes pads A and C for its walking robots, and it likes its forward pad even more than a Signal keeper does. It also likes the Spring Jumper.
How to beat it:
- Do not leave a side lane empty. Keep a defender ready on the side where it pushes.
- An Anchor Pad on a side pad guards that lane for 20 seconds.
- While it is busy on the sides, the middle is often free. Take the relay.
- Your turret helps: fight close to home, then push back.
Lane sprinter battles: 2, 4, 9 and 10.
Workshop warden
"Keeps charge ready and counters threats near home."
A Workshop warden saves charge. While its base is safe and its charge is low, it will not spend on cards that cost more than 3. When your robots come close, it answers with Rangers, Broom Bots and Anchor Pads, and it likes Anchor Pads more than other styles.
How to beat it:
- Do not attack one robot at a time. It has charge ready and will stop each one.
- Build a group: a Shield Cart in front, a Ranger behind, then more.
- A Drill Walker breaks its turret fast once your group reaches it.
- Take the relay early while it waits. The forward pad makes your push much shorter.
Workshop warden battles: 3, 6 and 7.
Rivals in the Daily relay
The Daily relay uses all three styles too. Its bots wait 4 seconds before their first card and then try every 2.2 to 2.7 seconds. See Daily relay for each day's rival.
Practice rivals
All four practice rivals on the title card play like a Signal keeper and bring the same four cards: Shield Cart, Boltling pair, Rivet Ranger and Broom Bot. Training is slow: its first card comes after about 6 seconds, then one about every 5 seconds. Balanced crew, Quick crew and Guard crew are much faster, with a card about every 2 seconds. More on game modes.
See also
- The campaign: all 12 battles: every rival crew and how fast it plays
- Building a crew
- Advanced tips
- All 12 robot cards
- Play Relay Rivals
