Playoff Preview

Our 3D printer has been running virtually non-stop. Based on our experience thus far, I think it's going to be fantastic for printing terrain and buildings, but less so for printing minis. We've now printed four of the generic trooper dudes from my earlier post, and two of them are essentially unusable because the printer somehow messed up the rifle and/or the right arm. 

Anyway, back to hockey! It's playoff time for my historical guys, and Season 7 is the first to feature two full rounds of best-of-five play. Sadly, the Millionaires and the expansion Bearcats are heading home, but the other four teams now have their opening-round playoff assignments.

Comets (1st) vs. Thistles (4th)

It was a magical season for the Comets (11-3-6) and many of their players, four of whom finished in the top ten in points: Blair Russell (third), Mike Grant (fourth), Frank Foyston (fifth), and captain George Richardson (seventh). Behind this elite quartet, the league's all-time goals-scored leader, Frank McGee, notched a dozen tallies. If the team has a weakness, however, it's on the penalty kill. The Comets finished dead last with 70.37%. Their first-round opponent, the Thistles, had an uneven year. They were the only playoff team to finish below .500 (6-8-6) and with a negative goal differential (-5). On the positive side, Alf Smith came alive in the second half and finished with 14 goals and rookie Jack Darragh chipped in 10 of his own. 

Prediction: Comets in four.

Victorias (2nd) vs. Bulldogs (3rd)

The Vics had the league's best goal differential (+19) and absolutely dominated on special teams, pacing the circuit in both power play (24.62%) and penalty kill (92.16% -- the best percentage in league history). They weren't as strong at five-on-five, but stars Newsy Lalonde and Cyclone Taylor finished first and second, respectively, in the scoring race. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, were carried by veteran netminder Paddy Moran, the odds-on favorite to win his first Goaltender MVP trophy after backstopping the team to a league-low 2.40 goals against per game. His fine work covered for down years (relatively speaking) by Gord Roberts and the Dogs' other stars. Journeyman winger Jack Ruttan, a trade deadline acquisition, exceeded expectations by scoring five goals in eight games to close out the regular season.

Prediction: Victorias in four.

First 3D Building!

Behold, our first 3D-printed building! This warehouse features double doors that actually slide open and a removable roof to allow access to the interior. 

Matthew has already claimed it as his hero's lair in our Tales of the Ternion campaign! Next up, we'll be printing a pizza shop. It's not Picnic Pizza, but it will have to suffice!

Hot Off the Presses!

The image isn't great, but Matthew has made a successful test run of our first custom-designed Hero Forge mini that we've printed on our own 3D printer. 

We took what we learned from the Hero Forge sample mini and created a more streamlined figure that requires fewer supports and has fewer skinny appendages that would easily break. I can quickly shave off the stringy filament residue and have this mini ready for painting in no time, in stark contrast to the hour it took me to carve the previous mini out of her plastic scaffolding and then re-assemble her broken parts. 

This generic helmeted trooper will work great for our futuristic Shattered Realm campaigns as well as our current Tales of the Ternion superhero game!

First Mini!

Hero Forge has a couple of sample models that you can download for free and test out on your own 3D printer. Here's our first attempt...

When we loaded the model in our slicer software -- I know, so cyberpunk, right!? -- we saw immediately that in order for the printer to properly build all the stuff that sticks out from the torso, the slicer would need to add extra "support" plastic. The arms, the book, the torch, the sword hilt, the pony tail -- all of it was encased in a kind of plastic scaffolding. This poor adventurer came out looking like she was trapped in some sort of fiendish magical prison.

With my trusty Games Workshop tools, I set about clipping and scraping away the plastic supports as well as the stringy residue left by the printer. In the process, several appendages came off. I glued them all back on, but the whole process was very tedious and, as you can see in the photographs, there's still a fair amount of that leftover filament that I have yet to remove.

For future minis, we'll probably use Hero Forge to design something a lot simpler. It will need to be a straight up-and-down pose with a weapon resting against the shoulder rather than extending perpendicular to the torso. We'll also opt for a closed helmet rather than a face, as the resolution of the printer doesn't seem to support significant facial detail. 

More experiments to come!

Villains of Gotham Beware!

Matthew's first official print job is complete! 

Now, where are all the 28mm minis he promised me?!

Now the real fun begins...

Little plastic dogs are all well and good, but now it's time to get down to business. Here's the start of Matthew's first creation...

The Printer Prints!

And now the 3D printer prints! We were on the phone tonight troubleshooting with my software engineer brother-in-law, and he suggested loading the sample printable files onto a different micro SD card to rule out a faulty card. Nathaniel had another such micro SD, so we tried using that one in the 3D printer -- and it worked! We ended up with a cute little dog that Nathaniel has already claimed. Next up: Matthew is going to design a simple but usable miniature -- something we can bring right into our Tales of the Ternion superhero campaign -- and purchase the STL file so that we can try printing it at home!

Tales of the Ternion

The 3D printer has been something of a bust. Although all the mechanical components are fine -- the motors work as expected and the extruder heats the filament properly -- the printer essentially freezes whenever we initiate a print job. I'm thinking it must be a firmware issue, so I hope the manufacturer's tech support folks can walk us through a potential fix. Otherwise, back to Amazon it goes! 

The boys are pretty disappointed, but the blow was softened a bit by the start of our long-anticipated superhero campaign, Tales of the Ternion. Drawing upon characters and themes from all of my past modern-setting campaigns (superhero and otherwise), I've concocted a fiendishly complex web of mysteries and conspiracies for the boys to unravel. After just a few sessions (rather, "issues"), they're knee-deep in cryptic clues and feeling proud that they've been able to answer a few questions. I think we need to finish up Cursed City before we get too deep in this campaign, but it's been a fun treat over this long weekend!

Our Latest Rabbit Hole

After exhaustive research by their top engineer (Matthew) and with the backing of a wealthy investor (Nathaniel), my kids have purchased a 3D printer. Now they'll be able to print miniatures (with an assist from Hero Forge) for minions, troopers, civilians, and other background characters in our roleplaying games, as well as 3D terrain for our wargames. I'll be sure to share photos of their creations once we receive the printer and get it up and running!

Deadline Deal

The trade deadline has come and gone, and, as I anticipated, the thin talent pool that we're experiencing during this expansion season has resulted in very limited player movement. Just about every team went out and kicked some tires, but there just weren't a lot of great options out there. I always try to be objective and make the best-possible decision for every team, so if a transaction doesn't benefit both clubs, I won't make it. 

As it turned out, just one deal went down. The Bulldogs flipped winger Scotty Davidson to the Bearcats for fellow forward Jack Ruttan. This deal made sense for a lot of reasons. First, the Bulldogs currently sit in third place, just a point behind our co-leaders, the Comets and the Victorias. The Dogs are just about a lock to make the playoffs, but Davidson's frequent penalties (he's second in the league in PIM) are costing his team points in the standings. It's been so bad lately that I've had to bench Davidson in the third period in close games to avoid meltdowns. If the Dogs want to make a deep run in the playoffs, they can't give offensively-oriented teams like the Comets and Vics even more power-play chances. Davidson is just too much of a risk for them. His production is way down this year, as well (12 games, 3 G, 2 A, -6). Coming back to the Dogs is Ruttan, who has played in only six games but still has nearly the same production (2 G, 1 A, -1); moreover, in terms of Strat-O-Matic game stats, Ruttan is in the lowest penalty bracket, whereas Davidson is in the bracket is most likely to trigger a penalty. Why would the Bearcats want Davidson? Well, in this situation they have the opportunity to buy low on a solid player who is vastly superior to internal options like Fred Scanlan and Rusty Crawford. Davidson is an elite skater, and the Cats are the slowest team in the league by far. He also brings a great deal of offensive upside, so a bit of positive regression will provide some dividends for his new team. He'll take more than his share of boneheaded penalties, but the Cats need talent and they're not in contention for a playoff spot this year. Davidson gives them a useful everyday player for next year, or someone they can trade back to an offense-starved contender if need be.

Today Is Free Comic Book Day!

Mosey on over to your friendly local comic book store for some free stuff! You can read all about the FCBD offerings here.

FCBD 2022

Heads up that this Saturday is Free Comic Book Day!

A Plucky Challenger!

We've just rolled -- or, rather, skated -- past the midpoint of Season 7, with all sorts of fun storylines shaping up in this first campaign with a full six-team league. One of those storylines is the sheer dominance of second-year forward Newsy Lalonde of the Victorias. With 12 goals and 7 assists in just 11 games, Lalonde ought to be cruising toward the scoring title and the Forward MVP trophy.

Except, he isn't.

There's another player with 12 goals and 7 assists in 11 games played, but also a league-leading +13 plus/minus rating (compared to Lalonde's pedestrian +1). One might reasonably guess three-time MVP Gord Roberts to be that other player, but Roberts, despite having a fine campaign, is all the way back at tenth in the league in total points as of today. No, Lalonde's plucky challenger is Comets left winger Blair Russell. 

The Comets are loaded with offensive talent, starting with two-time MVP Frank McGee, the league's all-time leader in goals scored. They've also got Dick Irvin, Frank Foyston, and George Richardson, plus high-scoring defenseman Mike Grant, and yet Russell has more goals and points than any of these luminaries. What gives? Well, Russell was a bit of a minor star in earlier seasons, finishing sixth in the scoring race in Season 2 and fifth in Season 3. Since then, Russell hasn't even sniffed the top ten, or even the top twenty. This year, he's on a brand-new line, skating with crafty winger-turned-center Foyston and either Shorty Green or defenseman-turned-forward Joe Hall on the right wing. Their stellar play has propelled the Comets to (currently) second place behind the lordly Vics. 

I can't wait to see if Russell outduels Lalonde by the season's end, or if another challenger emerges to steal their thunder!

It Has a Title Now!

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. 

Holmes Sweet Holmes

The expansion Bearcats came home after losing their third straight game. At 0-4-1, they remained winless on the season. Taking on the Millionaires tonight, however, they were determined to make a better showing in front of their fans. 

Early in the first, winger Rusty Crawford shook off the rust and scored his first goal in three seasons to stake the Bearcats to a 1-0 edge. The scrappy Cats imposed a suffocating neutral-zone trap in an effort to protect this rare lead. Harry Trihey doubled their advantage in the second with a power-play goal. 

Heading into the final frame, the Bearcats were cautiously optimistic about their chances. Just a minute into the third, Dickie Boon flipped a pass to center Harry Hyland, who blasted his first goal of the year to run the lead to 3-0. Moments later, Trihey picked up his second power-play tally of the game. Around the midway point, captain Billy Gilmour scored to put the finishing touches on his team's offensive onslaught.

Rookie goaltender Hap Holmes, meanwhile, was having the best start of his young career. His only blemish was a Frank Rankin goal late in the third that spoiled his shutout bid. Holmes nonetheless stopped 26 of 27 shots, and the Bearcats won for the first time in franchise history, 5-1 over the Millionaires.

At the Quarter Mark

With six teams, the season is now up to 20 games; the teams play each other four times, twice at home and twice on the road. To date, each team has played the other five teams once, meaning we're at the one-quarter mark of the schedule. If the playoffs started today, the Victorias, Comets, Millionaires, and Bulldogs would snag the four spots in the expanded playoff format, while the Thistles and Bearcats would be out. These results aren't much of a surprise, nor is it surprising that Cyclone Taylor currently leads in points (10) and Frank McGee leads in goals (6). 

Nevertheless, Season 7 has provided a few interesting twists thus far. Bulldogs blueliner Frank Patrick finished as runner-up for Rookie of the Year and Defenseman MVP last season, but he's mired in a horrific sophomore slump (0 G, 2 A, -6) that's dragging down his team. This year's most heralded rookie, goalie Hap Holmes of the expansion Bearcats, has struggled tremendously, while winger Jack Darragh (2 G, 4 A, +1) of the Thistles has emerged as the leading candidate for the rookie crown. I thought Holmes might help the Bearcats stay competitive, but at 0-4-1, the Cats are having a historically awful season; they're last in goals per game (1.80), goals against per game (3.40), and goal differential (-8), and second-to-last in both power-play percentage and penalty killing. As for other interesting tidbits, we're seeing a remarkable disparity in penalty calls, as the Millionaires have been shorthanded only six times in five games, while the notoriously rowdy Thistles have sent 23 men to the box over that span. Finally, although I would have put my money on Harry Hyland, Rusty Crawford, and Fred Scanlan of the Bearcats to be the worst five-on-five line in the league (based purely on their stat cards), that dubious distinction goes to Oliver Seibert, Tom Hooper, and Scotty Davidson of the Bulldogs, who are each at -6 and have combined for a measly four points (three of them by Hooper).

Multiverse Mayhem

Don't ask me when we're going to find the time to run it, but I've been cooking up a new campaign for the boys that will link together many of the modern-setting storylines from across the Front Porch multiverse. Starting out as a direct sequel to Earth Commanders -- the first-ever Front Porch campaign from way back in 1988 -- and pulling in key characters and/or themes from The Other World, Cyberwars, and many more, this yet-to-be-titled story will give Matthew and Nathaniel a good foundation in our extensive catalog of non-fantasy campaigns. It's also an opportunity for me to untangle needless complexities and create a clearer narrative throughline from our earliest modern-setting campaign (The Ladder, set in 1895) through the various Cyberwars games of the late twenty-first century. More details to follow as this campaign takes shape, but I'm excited to get into some design work again!

Season 7 Is Underway!

Season 7 began with Duke Keats and Harry Trihey meeting for the opening faceoff between the league's two newest teams. The hometown Millionaires were commencing their fourth season of play, while the visiting Bearcats were suiting up for the very first time. It was truly a memorable contest!

Keats won that opening faceoff, but it was the expansion team that drew first blood. Just moments into the first period, Trihey fired a shot that netminder Hugh Lehman turned aside, but the puck ended up on the stick of defenseman Dickie Boon, who blasted it home for the first goal in franchise history. The Bearcats' lead was short-lived, however, as Millies captain Art Farrell tallied a shorthanded goal a few minutes later. 

The score remained tied into the second period. Lehman was magnificent, and so too was rookie goaltender Hap Holmes of the Bearcats. He stymied a number of high-quality chances until a superb individual effort by former MVP Barney Stanley gave the home team its first lead of the night.

Both teams attacked furiously, but the keepers put on quite a show. As the minutes ticked away in the third, the Bearcats grew desperate. With under three to play, Boon flipped a pass to Ernie Russell, who wired a one-timer past Lehman to tie the game at two. For a moment, it looked like the expansion team might steal a point. Alas for the Bearcats, they'll have to wait at least one more game before they pick up that first point or two; less than a minute after Russell's goal, crafty veteran Harry Watson managed to sneak one past Holmes to give the Millies a 3-2 victory in the season's first game. It was a deflating finish for Holmes and the Bearcats, but there's a lot of hockey left to be played, lads!

Season 7 Preview

The Millionaires host the expansion Bearcats tonight in the first game of Season 7 of my historical hockey league. Below are the three major storylines I'll be following this season!

Bearcats Hit the Ice

The Millionaires joined for Season 4, and now the Bearcats will hit the ice as our sixth and final franchise. All eyes will be on the Bearcats' rookie goaltender, Hap Holmes, whose Strat-O-Matic game stats surpass even the great Bowse Hutton. Holmes should be able to steal some wins for our newest team, but his value as a trade chip is almost incalculable. Teams like the Comets or Thistles might inquire about a deal -- one that would surely rock the very foundations of the league.

A New Victorias Dynasty?

On the heels of the most successful regular season in league history (10-1-5, +21 goal differential) as well as the franchise's third Creighton Cup title, the Victorias remain strong contenders to reach the championship series yet again. On this superstar-heavy team, however, any regression by key players will have an outsized impact on the team's overall performance. A lot will depend on second-year forward Newsy Lalonde and whether he can reproduce his gaudy rookie stats (12 goals, 13 assists, +11, in 16 games).

Expanded Playoffs

In the three seasons since the Millionaires joined the league, the playoff format has involved the first-place team getting an automatic berth in the best-of-five Creighton Cup Finals, and the second- and third-place teams playing a single winner-take-all game for the other spot in the Finals. In all three of those seasons, the wild-card game went to overtime and provided incredible drama. Sadly, the wild card is no more! Going forward, the top four teams will reach the postseason (first place against fourth, second place against third). With more teams involved and two full rounds of best-of-five play, the road to the Creighton Cup has never been more difficult.

Squats Are Back...?

Check this out and draw your own conclusions. Or maybe it's just an elaborate April Fools' joke?