Toughest Drill This Year?

[JShep]

Which corps are marching the toughest drills this year? I think SCV, Bloo, Cavies, Crown, and Phantom are leading the way...... your opinions?

BTW, I love the BD's show this year, but quick question........ Is their drill easier than other top corps? Since many of their sets involve small groups marching in random forms, it seems like it would be easier to clean. They don't do nearly as much full corp stuff as other groups, and they use a lot of free form drill. I am sure it took them a long time to learn, but I wonder if it took them as much time to clean as other corps. Opinions?

[Lance]

I think Phantom's drill is insanely hard.

And I think BD haters will be in full force on here in about 10 seconds.

[wallace]

I like the Cavaliers' drill as well as the opener for Blue Stars.

[CloudHype]

Which corps are marching the toughest drills this year? I think SCV, Bloo, Cavies, Crown, and Phantom are leading the way...... your opinions?

BTW, I love the BD's show this year, but quick question........ Is their drill easier than other top corps? Since many of their sets involve small groups marching in random forms, it seems like it would be easier to clean. They don't do nearly as much full corp stuff as other groups, and they use a lot of free form drill. I am sure it took them a long time to learn, but I wonder if it took them as much time to clean as other corps. Opinions?

Cavies have the hardest book I saw this season (easily the most pages). SCV has some moments that IMO, will never be clean. BD for sheer integration and coordination, might not be the hardest but had to be tough to learn.

[wilme861]

This may be the first year where this is actually a pretty hard question to answer...

I think Crown's demand while marching their drill is just ridiculous and is by far the hardest thing out there this year. That being said, put a different music book to it and the drill isn't too bad at all then.

But for just sheer drill demand, I can't even come up with an answer.

[NR_Ohiobando]

True statement: BD has some sections of drill that are written to make life easier for the members (or just because it fits what the music shows), as opposed to just for the sake of being hard.

Another True Statement: Lots of corps have sections of drill like that

Another True Statement: BD has some of the hardest drill out of any corps this year too, especially considering field coverage. (See their closer for more details)

And on that note: I'd nominate SCV, Cadets, Regiment, and Academy for "hardest drill" award.

Edited August 9, 2010 by NR_Ohiobando

[do.it.up.]

I really enjoy The Cavalier's drill this year. But when I think about it, when do I not? It looks very difficult to execute, but I'm not sure how difficult it is to clean drill that is heavily linear. SCV's drill seems difficult and complicated to clean.

[CloudHype]

Another True Statement: BD has some of the hardest drill out of any corps this year too, especially considering field coverage. (See their closer for more details)

The hit in Laura... that coverage...passing the melody from backfield, to front, to back..... Geez.

The jazz running in that block at the end, playing with that style, that clean and with that control. Not easy stuff. Most corps play doughnuts when running like that.

However, less traditional "drill" demand than any of the current top 12. However, the demand is there at times and sometimes, it is more difficult then what others are doing.

[HOOKEDBYLEGEND78]

I think Phantom's drill is insanely hard.

Yes. Factor in: 1) the nature of the drill which is emulating a rapidly evolving/changing organism - so this is pretty much non-stop, 2) the relative closeness (some may call this lack of simultaneous field coverage, but I do not) of the corps as they migrate across the field which should allow easier scrutiny by the judges, 3) the only scatter drill is to start the show coming in from off the field, 4) white pants and shoes for exposure to visual clarity, to name a few. Wow - to think we are even talking about Phantom possibly having the hardest drill on the field today. Never would have happened a few years ago.

I think the execution of BD's show is stellar.

[Lance]

The hit in Laura... that coverage...passing the melody from backfield, to front, to back..... Geez.

The jazz running in that block at the end, playing with that style, that clean and with that control. Not easy stuff. Most corps play doughnuts when running like that.

However, less traditional "drill" demand than any of the current top 12. However, the demand is there at times and sometimes, it is more difficult then what others are doing.

I think that's fair.

DCI (i.e. the member corps themselves) have chosen to reward a different type of difficultly now than run and gun drill. Virtually no corps play anything but fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff major chords when moving anything above 200 bpm, and even then, it's not for more than a bar or two. BD is one of the few corps that actually has extended moments above 200 bpm actually playing something besides unison or major triads. But the rest of the show is more choreography than drill.

When it comes to run and gun, I'd give the edge to Cadets and Phantom for hardest drill.