Star Cup 3 - Game 1

The Rules
A few days ago I mentioned my streamlined rules for Star League games. They work great for automating games, but they turn the game into a simple dice-rolling exercise. To make it more interesting for manual play, I added some additional decision points. The idea is that I will be running one of the teams while the other is automated. I’ll make the following decisions for my team.

• Every turn (possession), I can choose a strategy:
• Aggressive offense – roll +1 on offense rolls but -1 on defense rolls
• Stout defense – roll +1 on defense but -1 on offense
• Balanced approach – no modifiers
• At any time, I can use choose to use Star Power to make a re-roll. I get 2 Stars per game.
• Once per game, I can order a Crush. I set my bruisers to take out the opponent’s players. For the turn, the opponent gets -1 on all rolls. However, if a roll comes up doubles then the bruisers have drawn a penalty and the opposing team gets a penalty shot.

Naturally, this will give my team an advantage, but I’m OK with that. If it is too powerful, I can always eliminate Star Power.

The Game
I decided to use these rules for the Star Cup series. I will play the home team, which will give a home court advantage. Because they had the best record, the Antarens get home court for games 1 and 3.

The game began with quick action as the Hydrans took the opening tip off, raced down court, and slammed the ball into the net. A few minutes later the Antarens followed suit to tie the game. They would trade unsuccessful shots but at the end of the half the Hydrans made another run and smashed a shot into the goal for a 2-1 lead.

At this point, I had not used any of the powers. That would change in the second half.

Early in the half, the Antarens choose to adopt an aggressive offense. They managed to get control of the ball, found an opening in the defense, and then scored to tie the game. Pressing hard, the Antaren coach ordered a crush, but his bruisers were too aggressive. The referee called a penalty, giving the Hydrans a free shot. The Antaren goalie knocked the shot aside to keep the game tied. As time dwindled down, the Antarens went into an aggressive offense. They managed to get a shot but the goalie blocked it. Regulation ended with a 2-2 tie.

In overtime, the Antarens were able to control the ball but struggled to get a shot. It wasn't until late in the period that they managed one, but their aim was true and the ball slipped into the net. The Antarens took game 1 of the Star Cup.