You build it, it breaks, you fix it, make it stronger, it breaks, repeat until awesome!!!!!!

Trial and error in the arena is the best way to learn, and given that full combat events are currently once a year some of the guys that have been going a while have a major advantage.

The huge variety of robot designs in the FWs though means it impossible to build the perfect robot and you have quite a nice Rock, Paper, Scissors effect going on.

Oh and even the best robots break!