Another Alien Game!

Wow, there are a lot of tabletop games based on the Alien franchise. My boys and I love this universe, however, so if companies keep makin' 'em, we'll keep buyin' 'em. 

Today we picked up Alien: Fate of the Nostromo. With Amy and Matthew in San Francisco at a swim meet, Nathaniel and I ventured out to Target. I had intended on buying the Gargoyles board game, but we were both intrigued by another take on the Alien mythos, especially since this one gets right back to the roots of this franchise. 

More akin to Forbidden Island and games of that ilk than skirmish games like AVP, this Alien game features virtually no combat. Instead, you move around iconic locations from the Nostromo, gathering resources, accomplishing objectives, and working toward an escape plan, all the while doing your best to avoid the xenomorph. Sometimes you know where it is and can plan accordingly, while other times you only think you know where it is and then it appears exactly where you don't want it to!

On our first try, Nathaniel was Dallas and I was Parker. We had some bad luck on card draws and only managed to win on the last-possible turn when I remembered that Parker had an item that could clear the xenomorph out of our escape path. The second time, I tried Dallas and Nathaniel opted for Lambert, whose ability to see the next encounter card (essentially, the next action taken by the alien) proved to be incredibly useful.

Here's a pic of the game board from early in our second adventure.

And now here's a shot of the game's final turn, when Dallas obliterated the xenomorph with an incinerator unit.

We won that second game handily. When Matthew and Amy get back, we'll try a four-player game. I'm sure Lambert will be among the character choices, and I'd be surprised if Nathaniel didn't want to use her again. And what about Ripley? In our opinion, she's actually the least effective character in the game!

All-Star Break

How is it possible that I'm already through the first half of Season 7? The games sure do go quickly; I can get through a nine-inning game in about a half-hour. Even so, I'm surprised at how fast the season is speeding by. Today I'm pausing for a moment to take stock of where things stand here at the midway point.

Haymakers (8-4, +16 run differential)

The league's perennial powerhouse is pacing the circuit in scoring (4.25 runs per game) and in run prevention (2.92). Cap Anson is having another fine season at the plate (in contention for a possible third Position Player MVP trophy) and Mickey Welch (4-1 in six starts, with a 2.57 ERA) is leading a strong pitching staff.

Resolutes (7-5, +3)

The defending champions have thus far escaped the injury bug that ravaged them last year. Overall, they're having a pretty solid but unspectacular season; their scoring is up (3.50 runs per game, second-best in the league), but they're also giving up more runs (3.25) than last year's pitching-first squad. First baseman Jake Beckley could be a dark horse candidate for Position Player MVP.

Canaries (5-7, -5)

The Birds are showing signs of life after two abysmal seasons. Their hopes and dreams are pinned on second-year phenom Addie Joss, currently the frontrunner for Pitcher MVP; with a 1.93 ERA through five starts, Joss has a shot to beat Welch's 1.61 ERA from Season 4 as the all-time best mark. If the Canaries' offense comes around -- and defending Position Player MVP Ed Delahanty is heating up, along with slugging first baseman Roger Connor -- they could make a late run for a spot in the championship series.

Blue Legs (4-6, -14)

Over the years, the Blue Legs have been known for one thing: Power hitting. So many iconic Blue Legs moments have involved towering home runs from sluggers like Nap Lajoie, Dan Brouthers, and King Kelly. It's ironic, then, that this year's squad has hit zero home runs through the first half (12 games) of the season. Ouch! On the field, they're giving up a league-worst 4.33 runs per game -- a full run per game worse than the next-worst team.

Command Points to the Rescue!

This past weekend, while Matthew was dominating his swim meet -- he finished first overall! -- Nathaniel and I hung out at home and finally had time to dive into the current edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar. He wanted to play the Stormcast Eternals, so I took the Orruks. The starter set did a pretty good job of introducing the rules piecemeal over several small-scale scenarios. In one memorable episode, his line of spear-wielding, golden-armored warriors charged headlong into my ranks, slaughtering half my troops. After a feeble response by the Orruks, they failed their Battleshock test and the entire group fled! It was, needless to say, a rather ignominious way to lose a game! Once we layered in all of the game rules, however, I was able to use command points to keep my panicky greenskins from fleeing. That proved to be decisive in one of our battles, as I was able to hang on long enough to win the game by controlling enough objectives!

Joss Goes Yard

In this young season, the top two pitchers in the league have been veteran Mickey Welch of the Haymakers and Canaries sophomore Addie Joss. Both had pitched complete-game shutouts in their previous starts before squaring off against each other. 

The Haymakers held a slim 2-1 lead in the seventh when Joss came to the plate with two outs and a runner on first. Briefly, I considered pinch hitting for him, but yanking Joss in that scenario would have provided only a marginal chance of scoring a run while removing the Canaries' best pitcher from the game. A sacrifice bunt wasn't an option with two outs, so Joss had the green light to swing away and hope for the best. Now, Addie Joss is no John Clarkson or Al Spalding; in fact, he's one of the three or four worst-hitting pitchers in the league. Imagine my surprise when Joss belted Welch's offering into the left-field stands for a two-run homer! 

It was just the third home run ever hit by a pitcher in this league. John Clarkson of the Resolutes hit the first two back in Season 5. In an odd twist of fate, the pitcher who surrendered the first of Clarkson's bombs was none of than Mickey Welch. 

Oh, and as for the game? That home run was the difference, as the Canaries won 3-2.

Opening Day

Our first game was a rematch of last year's championship series between the Resolutes and Blue Legs. The Legs wasted no time in snapping their pesky 18-inning scoring drought by plating a run against John Clarkson in the top of the first. The Resolutes, however, shelled Old Hoss Radbourn and Al Spalding en route to a 9-4 triumph as they seek to defend their team's first title.

The Canaries hosted the Haymakers in the other game. Slugging third baseman George Davis was injured midway through the contest, which doesn't bode well for the Birds' efforts to rebound after their last-place finish in Season 6. The Haymakers took a 5-0 lead and held off a late rally to win 5-4. All in all, it was a typical Haymakers win -- a workmanlike start from Cy Young, an offense that grinds out quality at-bats, and a save by flamethrowing closer Amos Rusie.

And with that, Season 7 is underway!

Spring Training

Yeah, it's not spring yet, but in the world of my ghostly Field-of-Dreams-esque Strat-O-Matic historical baseball league, it's always springtime. I've completed all offseason transactions for the four teams -- the Blue Legs, Canaries, Haymakers, and Resolutes -- and finalized their rosters, so now it's time to get started with Season 7!

What's on tap this year? Well, the Resolutes are defending their first-ever championship after defeating the Blue Legs in an epic come-from-behind series that ended with back-to-back shutouts by Christy Mathewson and John Clarkson. Indeed, the Resolutes' co-aces blanked the homer-happy Blue Legs over the final eighteen innings of the series. These teams will face each other again on Opening Day, and I'm eager to see if the Blue Legs can recover from last season's collapse. I'm also keeping an eye on the Haymakers, who failed to reach the championship series after five straight appearances (including three titles). And what about the Canaries? They went 8-16 with a league-worst -18 run differential, but there's so much talent on the team that I think they'll experience a bit of positive regression, especially if second-year pitcher Addie Joss continues to build on his strong finish to Season 6.

Play ball!

Death Metal

I'm not an Astra Militarum guy -- that's Matthew's preferred faction -- but I do have a particular fondness for those mask-and-trench-coat-wearing bad-asses, the Death Korps of Krieg. First of all, their regiment sounds like the name of a metal band (side note: Iron Maiden's A Matter of Life and Death is my unofficial soundtrack for the Death Korps). Now I'll finally have the chance to get myself a box of Death Korps troopers -- pre-orders go on sale tomorrow morning!

Season 6 Awards

Not surprisingly, after the best regular season in league history and a dramatic run to claim the Creighton Cup, the Victorias dominated the end-of-year awards.

Scoring Title: Cyclone Taylor, D, Victorias

The flashy defenseman had a career-low 7 goals, but his 21 assists (a single-season record) gave him enough total points to claim this trophy for the fourth time in six seasons. 

Runners Up: Gord Roberts, LW, Bulldogs; Newsy Lalonde, RW, Victorias

Forward MVP: Gord Roberts, LW, Bulldogs

It was a monster season for Roberts, whose 26 points included 18 goals, tied for the most ever in a single season. 9 came on the power play, and he even picked up 2 shorthanders. A +5 rating also demonstrated the strength of his two-way play.

Runners Up: Newsy Lalonde, RW, Victorias; Jimmy Gardner, LW, Millionaires

Defenseman MVP: Cyclone Taylor, Victorias

I might as well call it the Cyclone Taylor Award, as the game's most dominant player has won this trophy five times in six seasons. He led the league in scoring with 28 points, and also led the league in plus/minus with +16, the highest total in history.

Runners Up: Frank Patrick, Bulldogs; Phat Wilson, Victorias

Goaltender MVP: Bowse Hutton, Victorias

Now a four-time winner of this trophy, Hutton was a huge factor in the Vics' otherworldly season in which they lost only twice, regular season and playoffs combined. Hutton posted a 2.06 goals-against average and .935 save percentage, both of which set new records.

Runners Up: Paddy Moran, Bulldogs; Hugh Lehman, Millionaires

Rookie of the Year: Newsy Lalonde, RW, Victorias

What can I say? Even in the strongest rookie class we've ever had, Lalonde ran away with this award. He finished third in the league in total points (12 goals, 13 assists) and seems poised to join the inner circle of the game's truly elite players.

Runners Up: Frank Patrick, D, Bulldogs; Dick Irvin, C, Comets

Playoff MVP: Hobey Baker, RW, Victorias

The Vics' captain had a robust 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists), second only to Taylor's 9. Baker's value, however, is not solely in offensive prowess; he spent much of the series shadowing superstar Gord Roberts, who managed to score just once over the four-game Creighton Cup Finals due in part to Baker's defensive wizardry. 

Runners Up: Tommy Dunderdale, RW, Bulldogs; Cyclone Taylor, D, Victorias

Season 6 Creighton Cup Finals, Game 4

The cup was in the house! The visiting Victorias needed just one more win to claim the ultimate prize. How did it all go down? Buckle up!

Hobey Baker got the Vics on the board in an otherwise quiet first period, and Dubbie Bowie lit the lamp in the second. These two hardy veterans -- Baker the captain, Bowie the assistant captain -- have been with the Vics since the first day of the first season. They've both elevated their game here in the playoffs. As it turned out, however, the 2-0 lead they handed to their team wasn't quite enough.

In the first minute of the third period, sparkplug winger Ernie Russell scored on a pass from Scotty Davidson. Russell has been a key contributor all season for the Dogs, especially with the litany of injuries they've faced, so it was great to see him notch a huge goal in this critical moment. The Bulldogs dominated the third, and nearly knotted the score when Hutton robbed Roberts with a beautiful glove save.

At the three-minute mark, the Dogs put out their best five-man unit: Bruce Stuart flanked by Gord Roberts and Tommy Dunderdale, with Si Griffis and Frank Patrick on defense. Stuart won a key offensive-zone draw and set up Dunderdale for the tying goal. It was Dunderdale's fourth tally of the postseason, tying Baker for the league lead. The home fans leaped out of their seats at the realization that their team would have a chance to win the game in overtime and force a winner-take-all Game 5.

The Vics did everything in their power to end the game in the opening moments of OT. Over a spectacular sequence, Moran made huge saves on high-danger shots by Bowie, Baker, and Cyclone Taylor. Then, late in the overtime period, rookie Newsy Lalonde broke out with Taylor on a two-on-one. Lalonde flipped the puck to Taylor for the shot. I could just hear the play-by-play announcer's voice in my head as the scene unfolded.

"Taylor...for the cup...he scores!"

It was 3-2 for the Vics in overtime, a 3-1 series win that included three straight victories. With that, the Vics claimed their third Creighton Cup and first since Season 2. Whew! Now Season 6 officially comes to a close!

Season 6 Creighton Cup Finals, Game 3

The Vics took care of business on the road and now looked to grab the lead back on home ice. In keeping with the theme of this year's playoffs, the scoring started early. Dubbie Bowie scored on the Vics' very first shot, and then Hobey Baker scored on the second. Two shots, two goals! Paddy Moran did not break, however, and prevented further damage over the rest of the period. In the meantime, Ernie Russell's slick pass led to an Oliver Seibert goal that got the Bulldogs on the board.

The Dogs sought to tie things up in the second. Their task was made all the more difficult as Baker stymied Gord Roberts on every shift. A Billy McGimsie tally gave the Vics a short-lived 3-1 lead, but the Dogs picked up the pace in the second half of the frame. Rookie blueliner Frank Patrick scored his first career playoff goal to get his team within one. The Dogs tied the game moments later when Tommy Dunderdale scored on the power play. Ernie Russell assisted on both, giving him three helpers for the game. 

Just like that, the game was tied and the Bulldogs could start thinking about their second road victory of the series. Marty Walsh, however, had other plans. Early in the third, he notched his second power-play goal of the postseason to put the Vics back on top, 4-3. The Dogs found themselves unable to generate many quality chances as time slipped away. With just over a minute remaining in regulation, Moran trapped the puck to force a whistle. On the ensuing faceoff, Billy McGimsie and Bruce Stuart got tangled up and the puck floated to Newsy Lalonde. The rookie fired a deft shot that beat Moran and sent legions of Victorias fans into a frenzy. Now it was 5-3, and any chance of a Dogs comeback was now gone.

With a 2-1 series edge, the Vics now travel to the Bulldogs' home with a chance to win their third Creighton Cup if they prevail in Game 4.

Should've Played the Lottery Today

During today's futuristic Shattered Realm adventure, I saw something I hadn't seen in over thirty years of gaming: Eight consecutive rolls of a 20 on a d20! Between attack rolls and saving throws, Matthew (four) and Nathaniel (two) combined for six straight 20s. We then paused the game to see if we could keep the streak going. Matthew rolled a 20 and then another one, and only then did the streak end. Matthew calculated that the odds of that streak were 1 in 25,650,000,000!

Season 6 Creighton Cup Finals, Game 2

Game 2 wasn't literally a must-win for the Vics, but it certainly felt that way. Facing the prospect of an 0-2 deficit in this best-of-five series, the Victorias resolved to play a better all-around game.

It certainly didn't start out that way. Moments into the first period, superstar winger Gord Roberts beat Bowse Hutton to stake the hometown Bulldogs to a 1-0 lead. The Vics answered right back, however, on a goal by captain Hobey Baker. Later in the period, the Vics struck for two more quick goals, as Billy McGimsie and rookie phenom Newsy Lalonde both lit the lamp. Cyclone Taylor had assisted on all three goals, and now found himself tied with Roberts for the league lead in playoff points with five. 

A sleepy second period involved little more than a handful of power plays that all came up empty, so the score remained 3-1 for the Vics as we entered the third period. The Bulldogs, as the home team, had the benefit of the last change, so they switched their matchups to keep offensive titans Gord Roberts and Tommy Dunderdale away from the Vics' tenacious defensive forwards, Hobey Baker and Dubbie Bowie. The move paid off quickly as Oliver Seibert scored on a feed from Tom Hooper, now fully recovered from his Game 1 injury. The Dogs were within one, but Bowie scored moments later to restore the two-goal advantage. Baker scored his second of the night shortly thereafter to put the game out of reach. A penalty to Roberts led to a power-play goal by Walsh. When the clock finally put the Dogs out of their misery, the score was 6-2. 

With the series tied at 1-1, we head back to the Vics' arena for Game 3!

Season 6 Creighton Cup Finals, Game 1

They met in the finals in Season 1, when the Victorias claimed the first-ever Creighton Cup. 

They met in the finals in Season 4, when the Bulldogs exorcised their demons to claim the ultimate prize.

Now they meet again!

The league's best rivalry kicked off its latest chapter as the Victorias and Bulldogs clashed in Game 1 of the Creighton Cup Finals. Both goaltenders made strong saves in the first, with Bowse Hutton stopping Scotty Davidson on a great chance and Paddy Moran stonewalling Marty Walsh and Newsy Lalonde. Amidst all the goaltending heroics, Tom Hooper -- the double-overtime hero from the frantic wild-card game -- departed with an injury, forcing the Dogs to juggle their lines for the second straight game. As a result, they never really got going in the opening frame and found themselves in a one-goal hole when Cyclone Taylor scored in the final minute.

The scoring continued in the second. Si Griffis lit the lamp with a long slapshot to tie the game at one apiece, but Taylor restored the Vics' lead a moment later with his second goal of the evening. The Dogs bounced back again, however, on Davidson's tally. The rest of the middle period featured a parade of penalties and power plays, but neither team could manage to get the go-ahead goal. 

With the score 2-2 in the third, the teams traded shots for the first dozen minutes. Then Tommy Dunderdale slipped one past Hutton give the Bulldogs their first lead of the night. Walsh had a great chance to get the equalizer, but Moran was having none of it. The home team threw everything they had at the veteran netminder but couldn't break through, and when the horn sounded, it was 3-2 in favor of the visiting Bulldogs.

The Vics had lost only one of sixteen regular-season contests, but came up short in Game 1. Now they face the unenviable task of tying up the series on the road. If the Dogs can win Game 2 at home, they'll push the mighty Victorias to the brink.

Season 6 Wild-Card Game

The Bulldogs hosted the Comets tonight in a winner-take-all game for the right to face the top-seeded Victorias in the Creighton Cup series!

Less than two minutes into the game, Tommy Dunderdale took a pass from Bulldogs captain Si Griffis and rifled the puck past Comets netminder Percy LeSueur. The Bulldogs had a goal on their very first shot! Midway through the frame, penalties to Frank McGee and Blair Russell gave the Dogs back-to-back power plays, and Bruce Stuart scored on both occasions. It was 3-0 in favor of the Bulldogs and the Comets were reeling, but they managed to escape the first period without any further damage.

The second period was uneventful until the closing moments. The game's trajectory changed in a heartbeat when star defenseman Mike Grant, a former Playoff MVP winner, whipped the puck to Russell, who found a wide-open George Richardson for an easy score. The Comets' new captain -- Harry Trihey resigned his post a couple of weeks ago -- had given his team a jolt of energy before the break. The Dogs, meanwhile, learned that blueliner Jack Laviolette had sustained an injury late in the period that would keep him out of the rest of the game. Gord Roberts, one of the team's best defensive forwards, shifted back to defense to take Laviolette's place.

It was 3-1 in favor of the Bulldogs as we entered the third. The Comets were down by two and finding themselves in a situation that was eerily similar to when the two teams last met a week ago; in that contest, the Comets had rallied from a two-goal deficit to force a tie. Would history repeat itself? Would the Comets stage another third-period rally? 

They sure did. Early in the period, Grant found Dick Irvin in the slot. Irvin managed to get two quick shots on Paddy Moran before the puck caromed back to defenseman Jack Marshall, who threw it on goal and it somehow found its way through the traffic and past Moran's glove. Now it was 3-2 and the Dogs' fans sat in stunned silence.

Their shock turned to outright dismay mere moments later. Who else but Mike Grant would orchestrate another Comets comeback? Grant to Frank Foyston to Dick Irvin to the back of the net. The score was tied at three, and Grant had assisted on all three tallies.

Overtime.

Tensions were high on the Bulldogs bench, and it spilled over onto the ice. Tommy Dunderdale took a bad penalty, forcing Moran to bail him out with some spectacular saves. Then mild-mannered Oliver Seibert went off the box, but the Dogs killed that penalty too. Even so, the Comets dominated play in the overtime period and the Dogs were lucky to escape.

DOUBLE overtime.

I'm an old-school fan of ties, so we have ties aplenty in regular-season games. I only use OT to settle playoff games. Tonight was the first time in postseason history that a game went to double overtime. 

Once again, it was all Comets from the get-go. Grant had the game on his stick but Moran flat-out robbed him. Moments later, it was Foyston with a chance to end it, but his shot vanished into Moran's glove. At that moment, I had to put down the cards and dice and whip out the calculator. Moran had only a 21.16% chance of making both saves on those two consecutive high-danger shots. Wow! The Dogs got some good puck-luck there.

Enter Tom Hooper. The Dogs' second-line left winger was a team-worst -3 in this game and was looking for his shot at redemption. When Gord Roberts started a rush and flipped the puck to Ernie (no relation to Blair) Russell, Hooper crossed the blueline and headed for the left circle. He one-timed Russell's pass and beat a diving LeSueur to the short side. 

Bulldogs win, 4-3, double OT. After squandering a three-goal lead, the Dogs will be moving on to the  best-of-five Creighton Cup Finals against the Victorias. 

As for the Comets, they've now lost the wild-card game two years in a row, both in overtime. In fact, all three wild-card games in league history (for seasons 4, 5, and 6) have gone to overtime. Ever since I expanded the playoffs to three teams after the Millionaires joined the league as our fifth franchise, the wild card has been an exciting way to determine the first-place team's opponent in the finals. 

Sadly, this was the last wild-card game. Next year, after we add our sixth team, I will expand the playoffs to four teams, with two rounds of best-of-five play. Farwell, wild-card game! You certainly went out on a high note!

Season 6 Wrap-Up

With the regular season now in the books, we turn to the playoffs. First, however, I wanted to reflect on a historic Season 6 and some key notes from each of the franchises.

1. Victorias (10-1-5)

It was a return to form for the venerable Vics, who surged to the top of the standings thanks to the slick playmaking of offensive defenseman Cyclone Taylor (7 G, 21 A), who won his fourth scoring title in six years. The bigger story, perhaps, was the wildly successful rookie season of phenom Newsy Lalonde, the first overall pick of the last player draft; Lalonde finished third in the league in both goals (12) and total points (25). The Vics also received stellar netminding from Bowse Hutton, whose 2.06 goals-against average and .935 save percentage set single-season records. All told, it's hardly surprising that this team had a 13-game unbeaten streak, lost just once all year, and posted a +21 goal differential that was the best ever.

2. Bulldogs (9-5-2)

Though ravaged by injuries, the Bulldogs performed admirably, and their +9 goal differential was second only to the Vics' +21. Gord Roberts absolutely dominated with an 18-goal campaign that tied Frank McGee's single-season goal-scoring record, set way back in Season 2. Rookie blueliner Frank Patrick (5 G, 12 A, +8) had an all-around excellent season, giving the Dogs the true number-one defenseman they've lacked all these years.

3. Comets (6-7-3)

This team somehow made the playoffs despite a -11 goal differential and arguably the worst five-on-five play of any team this year. How did they do it? Their power play clicked at a devastating 32.56%, the second-best single-season percentage in history. The Comets received offensive contributions from up and down the lineup, led by ace forward Frank McGee, who electrified crowds en route to finishing second in the league with 16 goals. On a more bittersweet note, Harry Trihey, no longer skilled enough to be an everyday player, handed over his captaincy to quiet star George Richardson.

4. Millionaires (4-8-4)

Last year's Creighton Cup champions tumbled to fourth place, although on the basis of goal differential (-3), they seem to have suffered from bad luck and probably deserved to finish third. Jimmy Gardner (9 G, 15 A) had an MVP-caliber season, and stars like Barney Stanley and Hugh Lehman performed very well, but the Millies got almost nothing from their supporting cast, and their woeful power play (12.96%) was the worst of all time. Moreover, a couple of late-third-period penalties by hotheaded Billy Gilmour turned two potential ties into losses.

5. Thistles (3-11-2)

Three straight postseason appearances came to a screeching halt as the Thistles dropped from first place into the cellar. Along the way, the Thistles racked up the most losses (11) and worst goal differential (-16) in league history. Dan Bain contended for a scoring title (6 G, 16 A) and Alf Smith's 11 goals placed him fourth overall in that category, but there's not much else that can be said. This team just flat-out stunk it up.

Halgrim Eliminated!

We've continued our Cursed City campaign while the boys were off from school and I was enjoying a brief respite from work over the holidays. Today we hit a milestone by eliminating the mighty skeleton Captain Halgrim, one of the chief lieutenants of the vampire lord Radukar. We had battled Halgrim before on many occasions, but like all of Radukar's inner circle, the captain could not be slain permanently without first destroying the phylacteries that contain his life essence. 

In today's mission, we stormed Halgrim's lair with the intent of smashing those phylacteries. Two squads of skeletons stood in our path. While Nathaniel's sturdy dwarf engaged the skeletons on our left flank,  Matthew's sniper quickly eliminated those on our right, clearing a path for my swift swordsman to circle around to the rear of the lair. Nathaniel destroyed one of the three phylacteries while continuing to draw all the remaining enemies, including Halgrim himself, and withstood a spirited attack from the undead defenders. Meanwhile, I smashed the other two phylacteries and, on my next turn, attacked Halgrim from the rear. Using every last trick on my character sheet, I managed to bring down the skeletal warlord in a single round. 

Next up, we'll be seeking the lair of Gorslav the Gravekeeper, my personal favorite of the Cursed City rogue's gallery. In addition to his mastery over all zombies, he wields a huge shovel, which he can use to attack you or literally bury you alive!

Defense of Vigilus

I've never really been a fan of Risk, as I found games from the Axis & Allies family to be a bit more interesting, but I picked up a copy of the Warhammer 40k version of Risk for Nathaniel for Christmas. The boys had never experienced Risk in any form and found it to be a fast and fun gaming experience; meanwhile, I was pleased to see a few new tactical elements in this version, such as unique abilities for faction commanders and major and minor objectives that confer useful rewards upon completion. 

We recruited Amy for a full family game today, and it took up a good chunk of the afternoon. Nathaniel played as the Ultramarines (big surprise there!), Matthew led the Chaos Space Marines (the orange minis in the image below), I was the Orks (green), and Amy was the Genestealer Cults faction (purple). 

Matthew and Nathaniel each conquered continents early on, giving them significant advantages in reinforcements. I held a continent in the center of the map for a good chunk of time, but ended up taking hits from all directions, while Amy's poor Genestealers were gradually pushed back into the hinterlands. It ended up being a back-and-forth conflict between the boys, with Nathaniel consistently having the upper hand yet unable to deliver the knockout blow. 

Finally, it came down to a battle of two single units, one Ultramarines and one Chaos. If Matthew prevailed, he'd get massive reinforcements on his next turn and would have a great opportunity to push deep into Nathaniel's territory. If Nathaniel prevailed, he'd earn his final objective and win outright. After Matthew dragged out the moment for maximum drama (admittedly, with a great deal of help from me), they made their rolls and Nathaniel vanquished the heretics to win the game.

Above is a photo of the map from the final turn. At the top, you can see Amy pointing to her one remaining unit of Genestealers, who survived the war and may yet live on to infect civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy...

It's a Sanguinala Miracle!

I'm not sure which game I like better, Blackstone Fortress or Cursed City. They use the same basic mechanics, but while Blackstone is so perfectly elegant in its simplicity, the more complex Cursed City offers greater opportunity for long-term character development. They're both awesome in their own ways, and the only downside to either of them is that Games Workshop seemed to have abandoned this line earlier this year. They ended any further Blackstone supplements and then, when Cursed City was released this spring, it was abruptly discontinued. Only a lucky few of us -- thank you, Millennium Games! -- managed to snag a copy of this red-boxed beauty. 

Fast-forward to today: CURSED CITY IS COMING BACK!!! Not only is the core game being re-released in 2022, there will be expansion sets to continue the adventure. Huzzah!

Halfway to History

I've reached the midpoint of Season 6 in my historical hockey league, and it's likely a lot of records will be set and milestones will be reached before the Creighton Cup is awarded. Here are some key developments as we head down the stretch...

• At 5-0-3, the Victorias are solidly in first place, and their eight-game unbeaten streak is two shy of the league record. They're first in goals per game and goals against per game, and second in power-play percentage and penalty-killing percentage. My favorite stat, however, is that the Vics' goal differential of +13 is 14 better than the next-best team; that's right, every other team in the league has a negative goal differential right now. For what it's worth, the Bulldogs and Comets would also reach the postseason if the playoff started today, but it looks very much like the Vics will obliterate the competition en route to their third cup and first since they won back-to-back titles in Seasons 1 and 2.
• A major contributor to the Vics' success is rookie winger Newsy Lalonde (5 G, 9 A, +5). He's tied for second in the league in points (with last year's Forward MVP, Barney Stanley) and just two points behind league leader and teammate Cyclone Taylor. Lalonde has been magnificent, but he's far from a guarantee to win Rookie of the Year, as Comets pivot Dick Irvin (5 G, 7 A, -3) is right on his heels. 
• Two-time Forward MVP Frank McGee is off to a scorching start for the Comets. He shifted from center to left wing this season to accommodate the arrival of rookie center Irvin, and any fears of a learning curve for his new position were clearly unfounded. With ten goals in eight games, he's on pace to break his own single-season record of 18 goals. Along the way, McGee has also passed Cyclone Taylor as the league's all-time leader in goals scored. At this writing, he's sitting on 68 career goals, three ahead of star rover Taylor.

Welcome, Bud!

Another nineteenth-century ballplayer has been elected to the Hall of Fame, so my Strat-O-Matic league will add another player for next season. Welcome, Bud Fowler!