Playoff Preview

There's nothing like playoff hockey! Although the Comets and Thistles failed to qualify for this year's tournament, the second-year Bearcats will be making their first playoff appearance. The previous expansion team, the Millionaires, won the Creighton Cup in just their second season. Will lightning strike twice with the Cats? Let's find out! Below are the matchups for the best-of-five opening round.

Victorias (1st) vs. Millionaires (4th)

The Vics' 13 wins and +26 goal differential were both the best in history. Their offense (3.25 goals per game) and defense (1.95 goals against per game) were tops in the league. Can anything stop this squad from a steamrolling to a threepeat? Here's one troubling stat: 2-2-0. That was the Vics' record against their first-round opponent, the Millies. Against everyone else, they went 11-2-3, so why the .500 record versus a team that finished 7-8-5 on the season with a -7 differential? Maybe it was bad luck, but this was the dance partner the Vics absolutely didn't want. Even so, I'm picking the Vics to win this playoff series in four games.

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

Goaltender Hap Holmes and rookie phenom Joe Malone led the plucky Bearcats to a surprise second-place finish. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, got solid contributions from up and down their balanced lineup. The teams had similar goal differentials (+7 for the Cats, +5 for the Dogs) and their season series was pretty close, going 2-1-1 for the Cats. A Bulldogs win would be a mild upset, but the team has really been coming together in recent weeks, so perhaps this veteran Dogs squad is peaking at the right time. I'm concerned enough by their dead-last penalty kill (68%), however, to call this one for the Cats in five.

Conquest of Nerath

Conquest of Nerath is a board game based on 4e D&D. When it was first released, many years ago, I didn't feel that I could justify the expense. This year, however, as I was looking for cool board game ideas for Nathaniel for Christmas, I got to thinking about Nerath again and figured it would be very much to his liking, as it's a D&D product but also heavily influenced by Axis & Allies, which is probably his all-time favorite board game. I managed to get a copy of Nerath on eBay for a reasonable price, and today we got set up for our first game.

Axis & Allies in a D&D setting really is the best way to describe this game. Oh, and freakin' awesome is probably another way. I mean, just look at that map and all those delightful units! In addition to typical military units like infantry, ships, and siege engines, there are skeletons, elementals, golems, and, of course, dragons! We haven't rolled a single die yet, but we had tons of fun setting up our empires this afternoon. Nathaniel will be playing as the human and dwarven alliance of Nerath (gray pieces in the upper-left) and will be teamed with Matthew as the Vailin alliance of elves and humans (yellow pieces in the lower-right). I'll be controlling the two evil factions, the undead Karkoth (black pieces in the upper-right) and the monstrous Iron Circle (red pieces in the lower-left). 

In addition to the large-scale battles between opposing armies, the game has a dungeon-exploring component, too, as certain types of units can delve into famous dungeons of D&D's history (Temple of Elemental Evil, Tomb of Horrors, etc.) and claim powerful treasures to aid their faction. It will be interesting to weigh the risks and benefits of dungeon exploration, as the heroes who venture out in search of treasure are, naturally, unavailable to help out on the battlefield. 

Can't wait go get started!

Record Setters

Always a bridesmaid! Star forward Newsy Lalonde of the Victorias has just completed his third season of play, and, for the third year in a row, he's likely to finish runner-up in the Forward MVP race. Back in Season 6, his first campaign, he established rookie records of 12 goals 25 points and finished runner-up to  18-goal-scorer Gord Roberts for Forward MVP. Last year, Lalonde set single-season records of 19 goals and 37 points, and yet still lost the MVP trophy to Comets forward Blair Russell, who had 17 goals and 31 points but dominated at both ends of the ice as an elite defensive forward (his +12 was tops among all forwards) as well as an offensive threat. This year, Lalonde has continued to excel with 14 goals and 31 points, but once again he's been overshadowed. Frank McGee eclipsed Lalonde's goal-scoring record with a stunning 21, while Lalonde's teammate Cyclone Taylor racked up a new single-season mark of 41 points. And what's more, Lalonde lost one of his rookie records, as well, when Bearcats freshman Joe Malone tallied 14 goals. I guess Lalonde will just need to find solace in his Season 6 Rookie of the Year award, his Season 7 Scoring Title, his Season 7 Playoff MVP trophy, and the back-to-back Creighton Cups that the Vics won in his first two years -- and, when it's all said and done, a third straight title this year?

McGee Magic

No one in my historical hockey league will ever catch Cyclone Taylor for most career points. Taylor entered Season 8 with 195, a whopping 40 points more than second-place Gord Roberts. He's the Gretzky of this league. 

Taylor's point totals are beefed up by the prodigious number of assists he amasses by dishing passes to his talented Victorias teammates. When it comes solely to goals, however, it's a different story. The goal-scoring king is not Taylor, but that one-eyed wonder, Frank McGee. Coming into this season, McGee had scored a career total of 86, ahead of Taylor (77), Roberts (75), and Thistles winger Alf Smith (69). A strong season by any of those challengers could put that player within striking distance of McGee.

Yeah, not so much! Although Taylor, Roberts, and Smith are having solid campaigns, they're all trailing a rejuvenated McGee, who just became the first player in league history to score 20 goals in a season. The previous record for most goals in a single season was 19, set just last year by young superstar Newsy Lalonde. Before that, Roberts had scored 18 in Season 6, and McGee had first set the bar at 18 in Season 2. McGee still has one game remaining on the schedule, so we'll see if he can get to 21 or beyond.

Dreams Do Come True!

Cavill. Warhammer. Let's do this!

Seriously, what a ride! This dyed-in-the-wool Snyderbrony was feeling on top of the world when Henry Cavill showed up as Superman in the post-credits scene in Black Adam. Would that brief scene presage a return to Snyder's vision of an epic, mythological superhero multiverse? A rejection of Warner's cowardly and ham-fisted attempts to copy Disney's cookie-cutter Marvel flicks? Turns out, not so much. Cavill's cameo was his last time wearing the cape. The new creative regime at Warner is rebooting the DC cinematic universe with new actors, so Cavill is out. 

We were just talking about what might be next for our family's favorite actor (Bond, perhaps?!) when the news dropped that Cavill had found his next big project: Warhammer! In partnership with Amazon, Cavill is going to produce and star in a Warhammer series. I can't even say how many times the boys and I have chatted about which character in the Warhammer universe we'd love to see Cavill play. The Emperor of Mankind? Horus? Guilliman? Eisenhorn? Gaunt? Can't he play more than one?!

What's Next?

The boys are inching closer to the end of our Tales of the Ternion superhero campaign. Well, not the end, but the climax of the current story arc. This campaign has really exceeded my wildest expectations, and it's been an absolute joy to weave together all those old modern-setting Front Porch campaigns from the '90s into something like a single narrative that fits neatly within this multiverse. I have a follow-up campaign planned out that will take place during the same timeframe and involve some of the same characters, but that game requires our 3D terrain, and, well, we all know that I haven't made too much progress in painting it!

So, what's next? Matthew asked me yesterday what's on tap for after we finish this phase of Tales. For the first time in a long time, I don't have the next thing lined up. I anticipate we'll wrap this storyline around Christmastime, so I'll get a bit of a breather as the boys and I devote our time toward some of their awesome gaming-related gifts. But what is the next campaign? I have to admit that I'm not terribly motivated to cook up another long-term adventure in either the fantasy or sci-fi settings of the Shattered Realm universe and would much rather get the boys into the Druid Cycle, but they know little about that setting and don't seem especially eager to dive in at this point. I get it -- the Shattered Realm stuff is what they know and love. 

Meanwhile, I've been buying and painting Doctor Who Exterminate! miniatures as that wargame line nears the end of its lifespan. I'm looking forward to playing out some cool "what if?" battles, like Cybermen vs. Ice Warriors, or a Time War conflict of Gallifreyans vs. Daleks. But hey, since I've got all these great minis, why not use them for a roleplaying campaign too? Dare I try my hand at a Doctor Who storyline? It feels almost like sacrilege for me to approach that setting, but I would dearly love to get the boys interested in the Whoniverse. So, I'll put on my thinking cap (a fez, of course) and see what ideas start to grow...

Rounding the Final Bend

Each team has now played 15 of their 20 games, so we're entering the home stretch! Our playoff qualifiers will most likely be the Victorias, Bearcats, Millionaires, and Bulldogs (in that order), with the Comets and Thistles probably missing out on the dance. Can anyone stop the Vics (12-2-3 and a staggering +23 goal differential) from claiming their third straight Creighton Cup and fifth overall?

We also have some fascinating races for individual awards, headlined by a Rookie of the Year battle between the Cats' Joe Malone and the Millies' Harry Cameron. For most of the season, I've assumed left winger Malone (9 G, 8 A, +4) would claim the prize, but Cameron (5 G, 13 A, +5) is now leading in total points and plus/minus, and, as a defenseman, his offensive totals are even more impressive. I'm glad we'll get to see both of these dynamic rookies in the playoffs, perhaps in a first-round matchup!

More Playtest Content!

The third playtest packet for One D&D is now available here!

Monday TARDIS Blues

Grandfather Nurgle was the guest of honor at our Thanksgiving this year (henceforth it will be known as "That Pancake Thanksgiving"), and he continued to share his blessings on my birthday. Since we weren't in any shape to continue our Tales of the Ternion superhero campaign, I tried to get some painting done. As I'm still trying to avoid tackling the growing pile (it's now a full shelf) of 3D-printed buildings, I made some progress on my Doctor Who Exterminate! miniatures, finishing up my unit of UNIT infantry. I got to work on the TARDIS and thought I could knock it out quickly. Hey, it's only two colors, right? Well, even with careful drybrushing to get the tiny raised lettering of "Police Box" and "Public Call", I managed to screw up the "Public Call" on one side really badly. I could strip off all the paint and start the whole model over from scratch, but I also have to acknowledge that my my kids and I are the only ones who will ever see this stuff and it doesn't have to be perfect. Heck, the boys have been playing a multi-battle campaign with the Necrons against all of our other factions and half the models they're using are half-finished, just undercoated, or not even painted at all! They're having fun, and that's what matters at the end of the day. I need to learn that lesson, because I was still grumbling about the janky TARDIS lettering on my way to work this morning. Going through all the emails I missed over the long weekend, I saw that my team had chipped in to get me a Games Workshop gift certificate for my birthday. I'm going to spend it on something fun that the boys and I can all enjoy together, and not worry so much if it's painted to a "parade ready" (or even "battle ready") standard. 

(That sounded convincing, right?)

Midseason Report

With Season 8 now at the halfway point, I'm checking in on how various storylines are unfolding. It's been quite an interesting campaign so far!

I'm not surprised to find the Victories in first place at 7-1-2 with a league-leading +13 goal differential. However, I've been stunned by the one-eighty turnaround of the Bearcats, who have clawed their way to second place at 5-1-4; they're also coming by those points honestly, as their differential is a solid +7. How does a team that won two out of twenty games in its inaugural season improve so quickly? Mostly by using different -- by which I mean better -- players! Last year's trade-deadline acquisition Scotty Davidson (6 G, 7 A, +5), rookie star Joe Malone (6 G, 6 A, +5), and offseason pickup Graham Drinkwater (4 G 3 A, +7) are leading the charge. 

I can't go throwing around goal and assist totals without mentioning the scoring race. I expected the Vics' Newsy Lalonde to run roughshod over the league en route to a second storing title and potentially a first Forward MVP trophy, but the third-year superstar has been overshadowed by one of the league's golden oldies, One-Eye Frank McGee. McGee is the league's all-time leader in goals scored and a two-time Forward MVP, but the second of those trophies came way back in Season 3. McGee has been a good but not great contributor to the Comets' offense in recent seasons, and I thought his best days were behind him. Not so! With eleven goals in ten games (no one else has more than seven), McGee is delivering a vintage performance. If he wants more hardware, he'll have competition from teammates George Richardson and Dick Irvin, the aforementioned Lalonde and Davidson, along with the Bulldogs' Tommy Dunderdale and the Millionaires' Duke Keats, but I'm really enjoying McGee's resurgence. 

Time Is Not On My Side

It turns out that I'm late to the party with Doctor Who Exterminate! The Miniatures Game, as the line is being cancelled at the end of the year due to the BBC electing not to renew Warlord's license to produce Who games. Yikes! Fortunately, I'm not too late, and although my copy of the core game has yet to arrive, I've already placed an order for ALL THEIR ICE WARRIORS. Well, maybe not all, but enough to put a nice little army together. They have a couple of promotional offers going on now, so I'll take advantage of the deals before the line is formally retired. I have my eye on a couple of Doctor and companion sets as well...

Doctor Who Exterminate! The Miniatures Game

I've nearly completed painting the free Warhammer Age of Sigmar set that came as a result of our Warhammer+ membership and, of course, I'm still dreading the massive array of 3D-printed buildings I have yet to tackle. (At least I've been smart enough not to print any more buildings!) 

How else can I procrastinate? Why not invest in an entirely new wargame and paint all of those miniatures first?! Done! 

I just ordered a copy of  the rather awkwardly titled Doctor Who Exterminate! The Miniatures Game from Warlord Games. The starter set has plastic Daleks and Cybermen, but the rest of the line appears to be pewter. I'd prefer plastic, but I'm very keen on staging some cool Whoniverse battles, so if the minis need to be metal, fair enough. I don't know anything about the game stats and how the individual factions play, but I will most likely look to field a strike team of my beloved Ice Warriors. Maybe a team-up between those stolid Martians and Earth's plucky UNIT troopers against a massive Dalek invasion? 

Cats on the Prowl!

Last season, the expansion Bearcats went 2-11-7. Rookie of the Year goaltender Hap Holmes showed flashes of brilliance, but two wins in twenty games is...well...two wins in twenty games. Late in their inaugural campaign, the Cats traded for power forward Scotty Davidson and then in the offseason they  swapped captain Billy Gilmour for offensive defenseman Graham Drinkwater. They also used the first overall pick to draft "Phantom" Joe Malone, a rookie winger with unlimited potential. With an improved roster, the Cats looked to take a step forward in their second campaign.

A step? More like a pounce! The Cats surpassed their year-one win total after precisely three games and now sit in sole possession of first place at 3-0-2 at the one-quarter mark of the season. How are they doing it? Their offense (2.80 goals per game) and power play (a league-worst 17.65%) are modest improvements over last season, but the real reason is goal prevention, where their 1.60 goals allowed per game and 87.50% penalty kill are both ranked second in the league. A much-improved Holmes has a lot to do with that. 

Are they truly the league's best team? I don't think they'll be in first place at the end of the regular season, but I definitely see them making the playoffs. And with Holmes playing at such an elite level, who knows? Maybe they run the table and follow in the footsteps of the previous expansion team, the Millionaires, who won the Creighton Cup in just their second season of play.

So...many...buildings...

We've made a lot of 28mm-scale buildings with our 3D printer. A lot. The intent is to use all this 3D terrain for modern-setting campaigns in the Front Porch multiverse. For example, our Tales of the Ternion superhero campaign currently uses flat maps, but it's just crying out for a more dynamic environment to host all the larger-than-life action of characters who can scale walls, leap over buildings, hurl vehicles down the street, etc. I'm also knee-deep in narrative for a spinoff campaign that involves a zombie outbreak in a sleepy little town. With scores of zombie minis from Zombicide, the vast array of 3D buildings we've printed, and custom hero minis from Hero Forge, it's going to have absolutely blockbuster visuals! 

There's only one problem: I have to paint all this stuff!

Looking at the gargantuan pile of gray plastic in the corner of our game room actually fills me with anxiety. First-world problems, I know, but I'm kind of freaking out about how long it's going to take to paint these buildings. I'm also looking for any excuse to put it off, so various other paint projects keep moving to the head of the line. Just yesterday, in fact, I received the latest free mini that comes with my Warhammer+ subscription; it's a chaos sorcerer (with a bevy of cute-yet-evil little familiars!) for Warhammer Age of Sigmar, but I'll repurpose it for our Shattered Realm D&D campaign. After that? Well, do I have any other unpainted models besides the buildings...?

Phantom Joe

I'm now underway with another season of historical hockey, and each of the six teams has played one game apiece. Last night featured the Millionaires visiting the Bearcats. As an expansion team last year, the Bearcats went 2-11-7, and one of the few bright spots was securing the first overall pick in the entry draft. They used that selection to nab left wing Joe Malone, a phenomenal offensive talent. Malone struggled for much of his debut, however, and the Millionaires led the Cats 2-0 after two periods. Rookie defenseman Harry Cameron led the way for the Millies with a goal and an assist, stealing Malone's thunder. In the third, two goals in thirty seconds lifted the Cats into a 2-2 tie, and it looked like the game would end in a draw. Then, in the closing seconds, Harry Trihey's slick pass found Malone in the slot, and the rookie snapped the puck past new Millies goaltender Riley Hern to give the hometown Bearcats a stunning come-from-behind win. Phantom Joe, as he was called in real life, had just appeared out of nowhere to record the winning tally after over 59 minutes of frustration. I'm excited to watch his (and Cameron's) rookie season unfold!

Lego D&D

Check this out! D&D as a Lego Ideas set!!!

Six Questions

I have a new team -- the undead! -- lined up for my next season of Blitz Bowl, but I have to admit that I'm longing to get back on the ice. I'm leaning toward bumping Blitz for Season 8 of my historical Strat-O-Matic hockey league. Below are six burning questions, one for each team!

• Bearcats: With top-ranked rookie Joe Malone and perhaps some better luck for promising goaltender Hap Holmes, can the Bearcats contend for a playoff spot in their second season of play?
• Bulldogs: Goaltender Paddy Moran carried this team and covered up a lot of poor play by the guys in front of him. Can Gord Roberts, Bruce Stuart, Frank Patrick, and all the underperforming Dogs return to form?
• Comets: After a first-place finish and career years from Forward MVP Blair Russell and Defenseman MVP Mike Grant, can the Comets rebound from their playoff collapse and dethrone the Vics?
• Millionaires: Can new netminder Riley Hern, a two-time Goaltender MVP, help the Millies recover from a league-worst -20 goal differential and 3.30 goals against per game? 
• Thistles: Will trading for former Playoff MVP Hugh Lehman (their third goaltender in eight seasons) help the Thistles end their curse and win their first-ever Creighton Cup?
• Victorias: After winning titles in Seasons 6 and 7, will the lordly Vics pull off a threepeat behind superstars Cyclone Taylor and Newsy Lalonde?

Expert Classes

Another batch of One D&D playtest rules dropped today! Hot takes incoming!

• Semantics: These rules focus on three character classes -- the Bard, Ranger, and Rogue. These three vagabonds now belong to a group called Experts. We've seen the term "expert" in recent years as part of the nifty Sidekick rules. Here, the Experts are billed as polymaths who are good at a variety of things and have aspects of other classes. Pardon my pedantry, but isn't that kind of the opposite of what "expert" means? To me, the Fighter is an "expert" because he does one thing really well. He's an expert at fighting. The Bard, in contrast, is a jack-of-all trades but not an expert at any of them. Anyway, semantics aside, we're seeing a bit more 4e influence here with classes grouped into four categories (Expert, Mage, Priest, and Warrior) arranged around party roles.
• Inspiration: Bards now use their Inspiration die to add to a failed d20 roll (a minor but crucial change to the previous rule where the recipient of the die had to add it before learning the success or failure of the roll) and can now use the die to provide minor healing. That's cool, but it appears that the Bard's healing capabilities were nerfed in other ways, such as the removal of direct access to the uber-handy Cure Wounds spell.
• More semantics: The doc includes references to Cantrips and 0-Level spells. They're the same thing, I assume?
• Ranger: The Ranger has always been problematic in 5e, and Wizards has been tinkering with this class a lot over the years. I saw a beefed-up Hunter's Mark to provide for consistent (though minor) extra damage. There was also a super fun update to the now-14th-level Superior Hunter's Defense, which is now like Uncanny Dodge but then redirects the other half of the damage to another creature (other than the attacker) within 5 feet of the Ranger. Full disclosure: Some of the Ranger updates I saw may already be canon, as I haven't kept up fully with the latest 5e rulebooks. 
• Rogue: Did they really need any tweaks? I was pretty stunned to see the 13th-level Subtle Strikes class ability, which provides advantage on attack rolls against any creature within 5 feet of a non-incapacitated ally of the Rogue. Yikes! Broken!!
• Rules Updates: There are lots and lots of small or not-so-small rules changes. Shortswords are now simple weapons, the Long Rest now restores all lost Hit Dice (not half). I don't have strong opinions about any given rule change, but as they start to pile up, One D&D is feeling more and more like a new edition and not just a refresh of 5e...

Season 8 Awards

Time to wrap up Season 8 with the individual awards!

Position Player MVP: Nap Lajoie, Blue Legs
It was a crowded field, but this year's MVP is Nap Lajoie, who was the all-around best position player. He tied with George Davis for the league lead in homers (four) and was at or near top of many offensive categories along with Fred Clarke of the Resolutes, Roger Connor of the Canaries, and Cap Anson of the Haymakers. What gave Lajoie the edge was defense; as a second baseman, Lajoie provided significant value with his glove, in contrast to the aforementioned sluggers. Ironically, Lajoie was only league-average at his position, but it was also the best season ever for second baseman defense, and in a different campaign his defensive metrics might have led the league.

Pitcher MVP: Cy Young, Haymakers
Last year, the Haymakers' Amos Rusie became the first reliever to win this award; in all honesty, he could easily have won it this year too. In the best season we've ever had for relief pitchers, Joe McGinnity of the Resolutes and Vic Willis of the Blue Legs joined Rusie in a trio of absolutely dominant bullpen stars. The MVP award, however, goes to the pitcher who provided far and away the most total value. Cy Young pitched a league-high 92 innings over 11 starts, posting a 7-1 record and a 2.05 ERA that was more than a run better than any other starter. The icing on the cake was that he also pitched the first no-hitter in league history (on Opening Day!) and became just the third pitcher to hit a home run. 

Playoff MVP: Tim Keefe, Blue Legs
Nap Lajoie drove in a lot of runs and Mike "King" Kelly was phenomenal at the plate as well as behind it, but the unequivocal MVP of this series was starting pitcher Tim Keefe. The Legs paid a steep price to pry this ace away from the Canaries, but he delivered in every way -- especially in the championship series. Keefe went 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings pitched to help the Blue Legs end their curse.

Creighton Cup Finals, Game 3

I won't bury the lede: The Blue Legs are cursed no more! Here's how it went down...

For Game 3, the series shifted to the Resolutes' park. Down two games to none, their backs were to the wall. In a rematch of Game 1, they sent Christy Mathewson to face Tim Keefe.

This time, it was the Legs who scored first. Keeler led off the game with a single and promptly stole second. He later scored on King Kelly's two-out single. 

It was clear that Keefe wouldn't need much run support. He cruised through the first three innings, retiring the first nine batters in order. Pete Hill drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth, but Kelly threw him out on an attempted steal. Kelly would throw Hill out again in the sixth, and throughout the series was actually better at nabbing would-be base thieves than his more accomplished rival, Connie Mack.

In the top of the sixth, Dan Brouthers, Kelly, and Sam Crawford hit three consecutive singles, giving the Legs a vital insurance run. They got another one in the seventh, when shortstop Monte Ward drew a walk and made it to second on Keefe's sacrifice. A two-out single from Nap Lajoie brought Ward home to make it 3-0. 

As the end of their championship hopes drew nearer, the Resolutes continued to battle. Fred Clarke led off the bottom of the seventh with a double. He scored several batters later on a single by pinch-hitter Jim O'Rourke to cut the deficit to two. 

Joe McGinnity took over for Mathewson in the eighth. With his team down 3-1, he was tasked with holding the line and preventing any further damage. The veteran closer threw two innings of scoreless relief to do his part. His teammates, however, were unable to mount a comeback. 

Keefe cruised through the eighth and then turned the ball over to Vic Willis. It was the star reliever's first appearance in the series, and he was shaky. A single to Clarke and a walk to Grant put two runners on with nobody out. Now with the winning run at the plate, the Resolutes sought to deliver the knockout blow. John McGraw popped out, however, and then Mack bounced a lazy grounder to short. Ward to Lajoie to Brouthers for a 6-4-3 double play. Game over, curse over. The Blue Legs are champions once more!