钴蓝

钴蓝
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Current

The **Kobalts** are a blue team introduced in Marble League 2016. After earning 2 silver medals, they finished in 9th place in Marble League 2016. However, the Kobalts tied for 13th in the Marble League 2017 Qualifiers and were unable to qualify. They also did not qualify for Marble League 2018 after finishing 5th in their qualification group.

After failing to qualify for the third time in a row in the Marble League 2019 Qualifiers, the Kobalts competed in the Marble League Showdown 2019 in order to secure their spot in Marble League 2020 Qualifiers. However, the Kobalts did not place well enough to compete in the qualifiers.

In the Marble League Showdown 2020, the Kobalts took two first-place finishes to finish the Showdown in first, however they couldn't carry this momentum into the Marble League 2021 Qualifiers, and failed to qualify for the fifth year in a row.

## Team Members

### Athletes

Azure, Cerulean, Dodger and Royal were the original members of the Kobalts. Dodger and Royal were replaced by Meepo and Gnome in 2017. Royal, however, returned as the fifth and reserve member of the team in 2018. Azure became team captain in 2019.

Before the start of Marble League 2021, Meepo was demoted to reserve due to poor performances, and Royal was promoted to a full member.

 File:Kobalt.jpg

## History

### Pre-Marble League

The Kobalts come from the Central African city of Zuro, a city renowned for the sciences. The four original team members, Azure, Cerulean, Royal and Dodger, met while at a university in the city. They all studied chemistry (although Dodger was previously a history major) and met in the university laboratory, where they were experimenting on cobalt (II) oxide and alumina, which produces blue pigment. They all love four main things: the color blue, science, roll-playing games and marble sports.

The four first heard of the growing popularity of marble sports in their final year at university in 2014. In the small amount of free time the four doctorate students had, they would play Marbles and Monoliths, a popular roll-playing game, on a chat room called the Marblebase. In the middle of the campaign, when another user named Sapphire shared a featurette about the Knikkegen Marble League, the four watched the video together and got hooked.

Azure admitted that they and their friends had so much love for chemistry that they never thought anything would move them away. After finishing their final semester in Spring 2014, Azure contacted Sapphire and learned they were an athletics trainer with connections to Knikkegen. They agreed to train Azure and their friends. While not the most athletic marbles in Zuro, the four exhibited their intelligence with a good knowledge of anatomy and how to get in shape.

The four eventually came to be known as the Kobalts. They applied for participation in the 2015 Knikkegen Marble League, but their application was declined due to strict selection process. Undaunted by this, the team kept training and applied again the following year for what had become Marble League 2016. They were one of the few individual teams to be accepted, alongside the Oceanics and Team Galactic.

### 2016

The Kobalts had a decent start to Marble League 2016, coming sixth in the first event, Balancing. However, they did not do as well over the next three events, finishing in the bottom half, although they did earn a bonus point due to a track defect in Event 2, the Relay Race. Their next points came in Event 5, the Long Jump, where Royal came 5th. The team won their first medal when Azure came second in the next event, the Water Race. Halfway through the competition, the team were in 8th overall. Unfortunately, the second half of the competition didn't go as well. Apart from a silver medal in Event 10, Precision Slalom, the team failed to get any further points. They finished ninth overall with 20 points.

### 2017

With only two months to go before Marble League 2017, the Kobalts were experiencing some difficulties with training. Royal and Dodger were trying to balance the long nights in the lab with their jobs as chemists and the early morning marble sports training sessions. Royal admitted that they and Dodger both found a sense of fulfillment in marble sports, but they needed the money from their jobs and the opportunities they provided. The two left the team, leaving Azure and Cerulean with an incomplete team.

Fortunately, Azure, Cerulean and Sapphire had lots of connections from the Marblebase. They reached out to their Marbles and Monoliths party, and managed to convince Meepo and Gnome, siblings from the city of Elsham, to join the Kobalts. Elsham is also the place where many Marble and Monoliths conventions are held. Meepo and Gnome traveled to Zuro to start training.

Meepo made their individual debut for the Kobalts in the second event of the Marble League 2017 Qualifiers, the Sand Race, where they failed to show a promising result. They finished in 14th, dropping the team into last place. Although the team managed to come second in the third event, Block Pushing, a 12th place finish for Cerulean in the final event, the Funnel Spin, led to the Kobalts finishing the Qualifiers in 13th overall, failing to qualify. The team were disappointed, but understood that late changes to the team's roster affected their chances of qualifying. They watched Marble League 2017 from the stands and started to train together again.

### 2018

While training for Marble League 2018, the Kobalts were able to contact Royal. Rejoining the team as reserve member, Royal felt comfortable to return as the reserve position made it easier to balance their priorities, while at the same time trying to get the team back to shape. The team were prepared to redeem themselves.

The Kobalts were seeded in Group B in the Marble League 2018 Qualifiers. The team started with two sixth-place finishes. However, they managed to turn things around by coming 3rd in the 5 Meter Ice Dash and 2nd in the Halfpipe. Unfortunately, this was not enough for the Kobalts to qualify for Marble League 2018, as they finished fifth in the group and were one point shy of qualifying. They once again watched the main tournament from the stands.

During the offseason, the Kobalts participated in three events. Meepo finished in 5th during the Marble League 2018 Consolation Race. Despite this, the team failed to show promising results in the next two events. Azure failed to finish the 100 Meter Water Race. The team then failed to make it out of their heat in the Amazing Maze Marble Race. To add insult to injury, their bid to host Marble League 2019 failed.

### 2019

The Kobalts once again tried to qualify in the Marble League 2019 Qualifiers. Once again, they did not impress, with only one finish in the top half of the results, a 9th place finish in Event 2, Block Pushing. The team finished in 16th, failing to qualify for the third year in a row. Fans had accepted the circumstances before Marble League 2017, but questions were being asked about why they had failed to work together after this.

It was reported that the Kobalts wouldn't be attending Marble League 2019, and would instead be attending a Marble and Monoliths convention in Elsham. Before they set off, they heard of the Marble League Showdown. The friends had already booked their tickets, and so they went to the convention anyway, successfully remaining undercover. After it was over, they returned to Zuro to start training. Some fans questioned their decision to go to a convention, but Gnome defended by saying the team deserved a break.

The Kobalts returned to the Seven Seas Stadium for the Marble League Showdown 2019. The team had a decent start to the tournament, with Azure coming 5th in the first event, the Sand Rally. Unfortunately, the team faltered in Collision, finishing in 11th. The team dropped to 10th overall. Meepo could not turns things around in the third event, the Funnel Race, where they finished 8th. The team were hoping to get a good result in the final event, Balancing, only to get a mediocre fifth-place finish in the event. Staying in 10th overall, the Kobalts would yet again not be able to qualify, missing out on the Marble League 2020 Qualifiers.

The Kobalts returned to Zuro for a long, quiet offseason. Team coach Sapphire, while giving a tour of the team's stadium, the Cobalt Circuit, stated that the team have heart, but were heartbroken at their most recent results. They also claimed that one of the reasons for their failure was inadequate funding, although the Kobalts were not among the teams that retired at the end of 2018. Azure, on the other hand, assured that things would get better for the team in the upcoming Marble League Showdown 2020.

### 2020

In June 2020, reporter Stynth travelled to Zuro to interview the Kobalts prior to Marble League Showdown 2020. Dodger greeted the reporter and shared that following Marble League Showdown 2019, they had purchased the team to save them from falling into bankruptcy. During this time, the Kobalt's home stadium, Cobalt Circuit, was in the process of being renovated. Azure led Stynth on a tour of the stadium while sharing their (and the rest of the team's) anxieties about returning to compete in the Showdown.And finally, the Kobalts broke through. They finished 5th and 6th in the first two events of the ML Showdown, and then seized an opportunity. The leaders at the time, the Jungle Jumpers, finished dead last in the Black Hole Funnel, opening the door. The Kobalts had an opportunity to flip the Showdown on its head. So, Cerulean and Royal did. They dominated the event, putting the Kobalts in 2nd, and practically a lock to finish in a qualifying spot. In the Sand Rally, Azure qualified for the finals, by finishing 2nd in the heat, and taking the Wild Card spot. In the Finals, Azure took the lead away early, and never looked back. The Kobalts had won the Marble League Showdown.

#### Marbula One Season 2

In September, the Kobalts agreed to participate in season 2 of Marbula One, with Azure "Brilliant Blue" and Cerulean "Natural 27" representing them. The first half of the season saw a sharp contrast in the two athletes' performances. Cerulean surprised everyone by scoring in all three of their Grand Prix in the first half, clinching a bronze medal at the Aquamaring Grand Prix, putting them into 7th in the individual standings. Azure, on the other hand, failed to qualify for all three races they participated in, putting them into dead last in the individual standings. The Kobalts concluded the first half of the season in 10th.

The Kobalts were not invited to the Marble League Winter Special.

### Qualifiers

The Kobalts failed to qualify for Marble League 2017.

### Qualifiers

The Kobalts failed to qualify for Marble League 2018. They competed in Group B.

## Other 2018 Competitions

The Kobalts took part in three other competitions in 2018: the Marble League 2018 Consolation Race, the 100 Meter Water Race and the Amazing Maze Marble Race.

 Amazing Maze Marble Race | All

## Marble League 2019

主条目：Marble League 2019

 File:Kobalts Logo.png
### Qualifiers

The Kobalts failed to qualify for Marble League 2019.

## Marble League Showdown 2019

主条目：Marble League Showdown 2019

The Kobalts failed to qualify for the Marble League 2020 Qualifiers.

## Marble League Showdown 2020

主条目：Marble League Showdown 2020

The Kobalts qualified for the Marble League 2021 Qualifiers.

## Marbula One Season 2

主条目：Marbula One Season 2

The Kobalts took part in Marbula One Season 2, represented by Azure and Cerulean. Although Azure had gotten a pair of solid finishes in the top half, they had four DNQ's and could not score for those races. Their teammate, Cerulean, had a very good season, and almost always would do something noteworthy, and were one of two marbles to score in every race this season. The Kobalts finished in 8th overall in the team standings. In the individual standings, Azure and Cerulean finished 35th and 6th respectively.

\*Cerulean set the fastest lap, earning them 1 extra point.
\*\*Cerulean qualified for pole position, earning them 1 extra point.

## 2020/21 Offseason

### Qualifiers

The Kobalts competed in Group B. Despite getting two top four finishes, including a third place in the Sand Rally, they failed to qualify for Marble League 2021.

## Team Members' Individual Scores

### Marble League

 Cerulean | Marble League 2016 | Sand Rally (2016)High Jump (2016)
 Dodger | Marble League 2016 | 10 Meter Sprint (2016)Hurdles (2016)
 Royal | Marble League 2016 | Long Jump (2016)

## Gallery

KobaltsTP.jpgTeam Profile 2020KBM1S2.pngMarbula One (S2) Poster
## Trivia

* The Kobalts are one of four teams who have yet to qualify for a Marble League through a qualifier. The others are the Solar Flares, the Snowballs, and the Turtle Sliders.
	+ The Kobalts are the only team from the first Marble League to have yet to appear in any other edition.
* The logo for the Kobalts includes 26 white dots on the rings surrounding the dark blue inner circle. These white dots represent the electrons of the cobalt element (Co).
	+ That said, the badge should actually include a 27th electron in order for the cobalt atom to be balanced. The badge instead represents a cobalt cation, or a positively charged cobalt ion. The designer of the badge, Tim Ritz, states that the extra electron was omitted in order to make room for the "JMR" lettering that appears in every other ML team badge.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Stynth (8th August 2020). Offseason Moments – ML2020 Showdown. Marble Sports.
2. ↑ LittleMighty\_ (25th February 2019). Captains voting results!. Reddit.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Stynth (29th May 2020). RetRollSpective – Kobalts. Marble Sports.