First Contact

In our Dark Enigma campaign, a blizzard had trapped the heroes at a remote compound deep the wilderness. Today they received some unwelcome guests...

Clearly, something is amiss back in Wenro! The heroes will now begin a treacherous trek back through the snow to see what exactly is going on...

Crunch Time

First play of Game 1 of the Finals. I mean, the first play, right after the opening faceoff: Thistles winger and Season 10 scoring champion Alf Smith absolutely crunches Bearcats superstar Joe Malone. It's gonna be a series...

It's Finals Time!

The first round of the playoffs is in the books!

The Thistles will return to the Finals after last year's heartbreaking collapse against the Victorias. This year, the Thistles got a measure of revenge by dismantling the Vics in the first round, sweeping them 3-0 in the best-of-five series and outscoring them 10-5. Key players for the Thistles in the opening round (and strong contenders for the Playoff MVP trophy) included sophomore winger Didier Pitre (2 goals, 3 assists, +3), offensive defenseman Fred Whitcroft (2 goals, 3 assists, +4), and netminder Hugh Lehman (1.67 goals-against average, .956 save percentage), whose 44-save gem in the third game sealed the series win.

In the other series, the home team won every game, resulting in a 3-2 triumph for the top-ranked Bearcats over the Comets. Joe Malone led the way offensively (4 goals, 4 assists, -3), followed by Scotty Davidson (4 goals, 2 assists, -3), Harry Trihey (0 goals, 7 assists, +3), and Dickie Boon (1 goal, 5 assists, -1). Bonus points if you noted that most of the Cats' leading scorers had a negative plus-minus; they eked out a win in this series only because their power play clicked at a fantastic 26.67%. The Comets were the better team at five-on-five; they fought until the bitter end, coming up just one goal short in the fifth and decisive game. 

Next up, the Bearcats will host the Thistles in Game 1 of the Finals. These two contenders are the only remaining teams that have never won a Creighton Cup, so one way or the other, we'll get to witness a franchise win its very first title.

Plot Drop

I'm moving steadily toward the conclusion of the surprisingly wonderful Brave Battle Saga, and there are revelations left and right! In one cutscene alone, secrets were revealed about two of the four party members; one turned out to be the half-demon niece of a queen, and the other is...a cyborg, maybe? Now we're off to recover his memory chip, so...

Season 10 Playoff Preview

It's playoff time once again in Strat-O-Matic hockey! The Millionaires and Bulldogs won't be joining the dance this year, but here's how the other teams stack up for the first round of the tourney...

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

The Bearcats finished in first place for the first time in franchise history; their pennant is well deserved, too, as the Cats had the league's best goal differential (+18), best goal prevention (2.20 goals against per game), and second-best offense (3.10 goals scored per game). They were unequivocally number one at five-on-five hockey, and the top six players in the league in plus/minus were all Bearcats. Special teams were a different story, however, as the Cats ranked second-to-last in power play and their penalty kill was middling. Their first-round opponent, the Comets, had a hot second half, but still finished as the only playoff team with a negative goal differential (-11) and mediocre rankings in all major offensive and defensive categories. Head-to-head, the Cats were 3-1-0 against the Comets this year, so I'm picking the Bearcats to make their inaugural appearance in the Creighton Cup Finals.

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

It's a rematch of last year's Cup Finals! The Thistles allowed the Vics to come back in that series and thus were denied their first-ever Creighton Cup. Could it be time for revenge? The Thistles were a goal-scoring machine this year, with a league-best 3.25 goals scored per game, but the Vics counter with elite goal prevention (number two at 2.30 goals against per game). The Thistles had a league-leading penalty kill (89.16%), but the Vics had the top power play (21.67%). It seems that each team can counter the other's advantages. Not surprisingly, I guess, their head-to-head record was 1-1-2, and they both finished with a +9 goal differential overall. This one is a coin toss, folks!

Friends Knocking Down My Door

I'm at a natural pause point with Brave Battle Saga, so I've put that game aside for a few days to explore an Evercade cartridge containing nothing but Commodore 64 classics. How come no one has knocked down my door yet?

BBS -- TLOTMW

As titles go, Brave Battle Saga -- The Legend of the Magic Warrior is kind of an awkward jumble. (I'm sure its original Mandarin title has a nicer ring to it.) As games go, however, it's kind of a blast! BBS -- TLOTMW (wow, the initialism seems almost as long as the actual title!) is the latest game I'm working through on my Evercade. It was originally a Sega Genesis game released only in Taiwan, but now it has a full English version. The endless random encounters add unnecessary length and monotony, but the story is pretty fun (and occasionally downright funny) and there's a funky science-fantasy vibe that's getting stronger as I get deeper into the game. Anticipating later classics like Baldur's Gate, it opens with a single protagonist, but ultimately you pick up a rag-tag band of companions who all have their own personal storylines and motivations. Can't wait to see how it all plays out!

Milestone

Today's Druid Cycle adventure marked the one-year anniversary of the campaign I've run for my boys and my niece and nephew. (Well, technically, tomorrow is the calendar anniversary.) To celebrate this milestone, I invited Tim W to join the game session as his esteemed wizard Cathbad. It was awesome to have this new generation interacting with a living legend. They all participated together in a weighty discussion of how to protect their nation and avoid becoming embroiled in a burgeoning continent-wide conflict that I've dubbed "World War Druid Cycle." Considering that I've been laying the foundation for this storyline for the past year, I'm pretty sure it won't be the last time that Cathbad and the younger heroes will cross paths!

The Compound

In our Dark Enigma campaign, the companions have trudged through a Western New York snowstorm to a remote survivalist compound in search of information about the main NPC's missing sister. The compound and surrounding area are depicted in the photo below.

You can see Amy's stealthy huntress hiding behind a large bush in the foreground. The heroes managed to defeat the guards, and next they'll explore the compound for clues. Another storm is rolling in, however, so they'll need to wait it out here at the compound before they can hike back to town. I wonder what will have changed when they finally get back to Wenro...?

Welcome to Wenro

We're inching closer to starting our zombie apocalypse game! I set up the buildings that form the core of Wenro Center, a small community off of Interstate 86 in western New York. All the buildings (as well as the smaller terrain elements and townspeople) were printed on our 3D printer and -- for better or for worse -- painted by yours truly. 

Nary a zombie to be found! Well, at least, not yet...

This story is set in the same world and time period as our Tales of the Ternion campaign, but it's a horror/survival theme rather than comic book superheroes, and the title will be Dark Enigma -- named after a spooky campaign of yesteryear. Can't wait to get started!

All-Star Break

It's almost time for the NHL All-Star Game, and here in Season 10 of my historical Strat-O-Matic hockey league, we've reached the midway point of the campaign. The Bearcats and Victorias are vying for the top spot, the Thistles and Comets are jostling around in the middle of the pack, and the Bulldogs and Millionaires are in a race to the bottom. Some interesting team stats include the Cats' astonishing penalty kill (96.3%) and the inability of the run-and-gun Comets to dent the twine (a league-low 1.80 goals per game and an abysmal 8.33% success on the power play). 

Looking at player performances, I'm intrigued by Thistles star Alf Smith, one of the league's all-time greats but a player who has yet to win any sort of individual trophy; at the moment, he's leading the league in goals (11) and points (18), so he could snag a scoring title and possibly a Forward MVP award, although in the latter case he'll face a tough challenge from Joe Malone (9 goals, 3 assists, +4) of the Bearcats and quiet workhorse Dubbie Bowie (6 goals, 6 assists, +7) of the Victorias. The Cats' Hap Holmes seems like a lock to win his second Goaltender MVP in three years (1.90 goals-against average, .940 save percentage). Can he and Malone lead the Bearcats to their first Creighton Cup in franchise history?

It's Our Trophy Guy!

Here's a great article about Jim Creighton, the man for whom the championship series in my nineteenth-century Strat-O-Matic league is named.

2023 Goal Achieved

Looking back on the year that was, I could rattle off any number of gaming-related accomplishments. (Yes, granted, it's all recreational, but I view anything I learn or do as an opportunity to accomplish something.) I painted tons of 3D-printed terrain, delved into retrogaming, and ran a Doctor Who campaign that was pretty dang cool, but I think I'm most proud of reinvigorating the Druid Cycle world. Matthew and Nathaniel had played most of their D&D in my Shattered Realm setting, but in 2023, they leveled up to the big leagues. We started one campaign just for them, and then a separate one where their two older cousins join us via Zoom, and in both cases it's been absolutely fantastic. It's like 1998 all over again!

OUTRAGEOUS!!!

 It's outrageous that we've had to wait so long for a sequel to one of the most surprisingly fun superhero flicks I've ever seen. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom premieres today!

Rise of the Cavilliverse

Finally! Gotta admit, I was getting worried...

Domino Draft

In preparation for Season 10 of my historical Strat-O-Matic hockey league, I conducted another draft to add new players to the league. This year, the top two rookies are both enormously talented centers, a coincidence that ended up having a domino effect on the league. With the top pick, the Millionaires selected pivot Mickey MacKay, giving them a glut of middle-men on their roster. In need of scoring wingers and stay-at-home defensemen -- and seeing that the Comets had a surplus of both -- the Millionaires pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade. They shipped center Duke Keats (himself a former #1 draft pick) and longtime captain Art Farrell to the Comets in exchange for offensive dynamo Frank Foyston and steady blueliner Lester Patrick. There was a lot of additional wheeling and dealing afterwards, with all teams except for the Thistles making at least one trade this offseason. The Millies and Comets made the biggest changes, but when the dust settled, I think the most improved team may be the Bearcats, who raised their ceiling by drafting skilled center Frank Fredrickson, and raised their floor by adding solid veterans Joe Hall and Fred "Steamer" Maxwell.

Season 10 Awards

Another season, another set of year-end awards! Who took home the hardware? 

Position Player MVP: Dan Brouthers, Blue Legs
Although his teammate Jimmy Collins was an early favorite for this trophy, Dan Brouthers earned his first MVP award with a season of solid all-around play. Brouthers led the league in total bases, tied for second in home runs, and even bested Cap Anson as the top defensive first baseman in the league. Sam Thompson of the Haymakers and Roger Connor of the Canaries were also in consideration. 

Pitcher MVP: Cy Young, Haymakers
The Haymakers floundered this year, but you can't blame it on Young, who nearly carried this team to the playoffs all on his own. Sporting a 6-4 record on a team that went 11-13 overall, Young pitched a league-leading 86 innings with a sparkling 1.88 ERA that was not only the best among all starting pitchers, it was one of the best in league history. Young outdueled the Resolutes' Christy Mathewson (4-3, 2.57 ERA) and the Blue Legs' Old Hoss Radbourn (6-1, 2.78 ERA) to claim his record-setting third Pitcher MVP trophy. 

Playoff MVP: Elmer Flick, Resolutes
The Resolutes are not a team of superstars, at least not among the position players. They work the count, take bases-on-balls, get slap hits, steal bags, bunt each other over, and hit sac flies. No one exemplifies Resolutes baseball like right fielder Elmer Flick, who got on board more often than any of his teammates and absolutely ran amok on the base paths. Connie Mack had that huge home run in Game 4, but Flick was quietly brilliant throughout the series.

Season 10 Championship

The winner of the James Creighton trophy in Season 10 is...

The Resolutes!

Game 1 was an absolutely incredible pitchers' duel between Old Hoss Radbourn of the Blue Legs and Christy Mathewson of the Resolutes. The two aces matched zeroes inning after inning. The game was scoreless in the bottom of the eleventh -- Mathewson was still pitching for the visiting Resolutes, while Radbourn had given way to Al Spalding for the Legs -- when King Kelly doubled home Nap Lajoie to give the hosting Blue Legs a 1-0 victory and a matching series lead. Adding to the sting of the loss for the Resolutes was a serious injury to starting third baseman John McGraw. In Game 2, Jake Beckley's RBI double ended the Resolutes 24-inning scoring drought (going back to the regular season). Meanwhile, this time the injury bug bit the Legs, who lost shortstop Monte Ward and right fielder Wee Willie Keeler, the latter of whom had recently homered to tie the game at 3. The visitors pulled ahead in the eighth on second baseman Bud Fowler's run-scoring single, and the tally held up as the winner in a 4-3 contest. With the series tied at one game apiece, the action shifted to the Resolutes' home park. Mathewson took the mound again but was not as sharp, giving up three runs -- including two on a single to reserve outfielder Harry Wright -- in the second inning. He was stingy thereafter, however, and his teammates started to chip away at the lead. Right fielder Elmer Flick drove in runs with three separate hits, including a walk-off double in the bottom of the tenth inning. The Resolutes now found themselves in a position to claim the championship on their home field if they could win Game 4. John Clarkson was good for the home side, but the Legs' Tim Keefe brought his very best stuff, striking out Resolutes left and right. A solo home run from Lajoie seemed like it might be enough for the Legs to even the series, but Beckley drove home Flick in the seventh to tie the game at 1. In the eighth, light-hitting catcher Connie Mack stunned everyone in the stadium by crushing reliever Spalding's pitch for a two-run shot. With the score now 3-1, Clarkson took the mound in the ninth and sent the Legs packing with three quick outs to end the game and the series. 

Congratulations to the Resolutes on their second title in franchise history!

Flashback

I won Delphine's amazing Flashback today, and the game was just as fun on my wonky Evercade as it was on the ol' Sega Genesis. At this point, I can put the Evercade EXP hardware aside and now load up carts on my new Super Pocket. First on the list is a collection of Atari Lynx classics!

Season 10 Championship Preview

The Canaries won't be able to end their title drought this year, nor will the Haymakers be able to add to their overflowing trophy case. This year's championship series will feature the game's best rivalry, the Blue Legs against the Resolutes. These teams have met twice before in the finals: In Season 6, the Resolutes trailed 2-1 in the best-of-five series and then stunned the Legs with back-to-back shutout victories to steal the title, and then in Season 8, when the Blue Legs savored sweet revenge by sweeping the Resolutes in three straight. 

This year, the Blue Legs finished in first place with a record of 15-9, while the Resolutes came in at 13-11. Both teams had identical +10 run differentials, however, with Pythagorean records suggesting that the Legs were a little lucky and the Resolutes a bit unlucky. Despite the identical run differentials, the teams had very different approaches. The Legs led the league with 3.92 runs scored per game and, not surprisingly, had more home runs (and extra-base hits of any kind) than all other teams. They had solid pitching, but their run prevention was bolstered by a defense that was perhaps the best in league history. The Resolutes, meanwhile, posted a spectacular 3.04 runs against per game, thanks to a diverse pitching staff that limited hard contact. Offensively, they played "small ball," leveraging their plate discipline and speed to manufacture runs. It will be fascinating to see how these two very different teams fare over the five-game series!