The Arena
The Original!  In this battle, we use our non patented PAS to enclose the bots in a ring of terror!  Currently, there are no official rules.  We put the bots in and let them battle.  Once most of the bots are incapacitated, we restart the battle.
Advantages:  Fun, and quick bots can be made
Disadvantages:  Not always a clear winner, Not much intelligence needed in the programs.

The Table
The first table battle will be in January...  In this battle, the objective is to be the last bot on the table moving.
Advantages:  Clear winner
Disadvantages: Probably not as much carnage.

Team Arena
Same as arena, but 2 people work together building a bot.  This has not been done yet.
Advantages: More complex bots, with more offensive capabilities
Disadvantages:  Less bots

Team Table
Same as table, but 2 people work together building a bot This has not been done yet.
Advantages: More complex bots,  more sensory perception
Disadvantages: Less bots, etc. etc.

One Day
People without Lego Mindstorm (tm) sets meet on a day off and build bots in a couple of hours, program them (probably basic programs supplied) and battle it out.
Advantages:  This gives new people the opportunity to give Battle Bricks a try before shelling out $200.
Disadvantages:  More organization is involved, and a day off.

Head-On (Thanks Gregg!)
Two bots compete in a long narrow trench. Each bot starts at opposite ends of the trench. The objective is to be the first bot to reach the other bot's starting point.

Alternate Scoring method for a Head-On tournament (Thanks Tom!)
    -1 point for the first bot to cross the mid point of the play area (Trench, plank, whatever)
    -2 points for the first bot to reach the opposite end of the play area

Fortress (Thanks Gregg!)
Team competition. One team of bots designs a defense line (of possible stationary bots). The other team must design bots to penetrate the defensive line.

Suspended Head-On (Thanks Tom!)
Similar to "Head-On" except that the two bots compete on a long narrow, suspended, plank.  At the start of a match no part of the bot may be located below the level of the top surface of the plank.  Optional limitation, (which is implicitly in the trench competition)at the start of a match, the bot must be no wider than the plank

Zip Line Battle (Thanks Gordon!)
2 parallel zip lines with one bot each. The bots joust until one is knocked off!

Joust
This is a modified head-on, where the object is not to reach the other side, but ram into your opponent in an attempt to disable them. Disabling can be either by damage sustained or by flipping the opponent. This is basically a demolition derby in order to determine who can sustain the most punishment.

SoccerBots
Attack Soccer! Rules are just like real soccer except there are no yellow cards. Played on a field the size of a ping pong table using a ping pong ball, 'bots can be no larger than an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper. More information coming soon!

Flagbot (Thanks Bill!)
A variation on arena combat, where each bot must carry a flag (flag construction and method of attachment specified in advance, and must be the same for all bots) on its topmost surface. The last bot with its flag still attached wins. Disadvantage: may be hard to specify a flag and an attachment method which will work for all bots; will give 'bot lawyers' a field day.

Bridgebot (Thanks Bill!)
Bots compete to cross a 'ditch'. The ditch gets progressively wider (and deeper?) in successive rounds of competition; the last bot to successfully cross wins. No part of the bot may remain on the 'near' side of the ditch, but the entire bot must begin on the near side. Disadvantages: some bot-lawyering possibilities, maybe not too exciting.

Climbbot (Thanks Bill!)
Similar idea to Bridgebot, but now with a progressively higher 'cliff'.

Bombbot (Thanks Bill!)
Bots compete to drop some specified object as close to a target as possible.

IROCbot (Thanks Bill!)
Mechanically identical bots are built from a specification. Only RIS 1.0 or 1.5 parts are permitted. Contestants compete only by doing custom programming. Any of the competition types would work.

Dumbbot (Thanks Bill!)
The reverse of IROCbot: a standard program must be used, but any mechanical design is allowed. Hmmmmm.

Mazebot (Thanks Bill!)
Bots compete to run a simple maze. The width of the maze passages is specified in advance. Each bot gets two (or more) runs through the maze. Time to complete maze is weighted higher for later runs, to give an advantage to bots programmed to ''learn" the maze. Overall maze complexity must be constrained to permit 'learning' behavior to be programmable within RCX limitations.

Racebot (Thanks Bill!)
Bots compete for the fastest time to run around a course which is delimited by lines drawn on a large paper racecourse, or alternatively by walls (but specified in advance of course). Bots which don't stay in their lane (more or less) are disqualified. Multiple laps should be used.

IRBot (Thanks Bill!)
Bots have to cooperate to achieve some task, and use their IR ports to talk to each other. This may be difficult to do.

Towerbot (Thanks Bill!)
Bots compete to build the highest possible tower out of some pre-specified brick type, e.g., 2x4 Brick. Hmmmm.

Other Ideas? e-mail us at wgorman@gmail.com