What if a robot is trying to build a SkyRise but that robot is entirely out of the protective zone during at least part of the building process? The particular scenario I’m envisioning is that a robot picks up a SkyRise section from the autoloader, then rolls straight backwards, and moves entirely out of the protective zone before placing the SkyRise section onto the SkyRise.
In the image I have posted below, the robot would move from being completely on the protected tile marked “A” to being completely on the unprotected tile marked “B”. To build the SkyRise, the robot continuously moves back and forth in that manner from A to B, then B to A, ad infinitum.
Could an opposing robot move onto tile B or partly onto tile B, or perhaps place cubes on tile B, in effect blocking or slowing down a robot that is trying to move and build a SkyRise in the manner described above (completely A to completely B, completely B to completely A)? Would that be considered interference under rule SG9?
Sorry, I hate to beat a dead horse about this SG9 rule, but I can see lots of controversies starting up over this.
Rule <SG9> states “Robots may not interfere with an opposing Alliance’s Building of Skyrise Sections in any way…”
And <SG9> part d tells us the following is illegal: “…Contacting an opponent’s Robot that is contacting the foam field tiles mentioned in c) and not contacting any other foam field tiles…” (My italics)
What you have described, with an opposing Robot blocking tile B is legal. However, the defending Robot needs to be very careful to not violate any of the other clauses of <SG9> either directly or indirectly. That being said, by moving completely out of the protected area, the offensive Robot is giving up many of the protections of <SG9>. If they want to be fully protected during Skyrise Building, they should stay on the protected tiles.
