Fighty

Yeah, I figured that Toarobot meant Snubby, not Burnmad.

Yeah, sorry that was some bad mental math on my part. But no, he clearly indicated that he was "done with the game" due to the fact that he was leaving for summer camp.

Duly noted, Burnmad. THE BCL RECAP: 2014 Playoffs Edition Tonight's MVP: By anchoring a supreme performance by the Tahtoraks, Vakama earns tonight's award. His 17 points paved the way for a Ta-Metru blowout which has the team advancing to the BCL Finals. Tonight's LVP: Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia. Again. While the Robotic Toa may have been the favorites to win the series, the Ussals insured their advancement by failing to participate in two critical games. Tonight's Most Interesting Play: By returning to his 3-fire squad as opposed to his 2-fire squad, Burnmad neutralized the threat that Hahli posed to his team and conduced crackling team chemistry. Ta-Metru Tahtoraks 55 Tahu (10 / +5 / -2) 13Takanuva (14 / +0 / -0) 14Vakama (13 / +5 / -1) 17Jaller (9 / +3 / -1) 11 Metru-Nui Time Force 33Vezon (12 / +0 / -3) 9Krakua (13 / +0 / -0) 13Hahli (10 / +0 / -7) 3Pouks (8 / +0 / -0) 8 Recap: The Ta-Metru Tahtoraks clinched their Finals berth with a vicious 23-point beatdown on the Metru-Nui Time Force. After two consecutive close games, Ta-Metru blew Game 3 wide open, in part because of their fire team chemistry and the devastating effect it had on MNTF's Hahli. The Robotic Toa 59 (W)Kopaka (16 / +7 / -0) 23Nuju (11 / +7 / -0) 18Matoro (5 / +8 / -0) 13Kualas (7 / +8 / -0) 15 Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia (L) Recap: An anti-climactic way to end a series, to be sure, but it's a victory nonetheless. Failing to show up for the second consecutive game, the Ussals conceded Game 3, and the series, to the Robotic Toa, who will face the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks in the Finals. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Perhaps we all saw it coming, but that doesn't diminish the hype. Tomorrow night marks the start of the 2014 BCL Finals, with the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks squaring off against the Robotic Toa in what is sure to be a titanic clash. Lineups for Game 1 of the Finals are due by 12:00am EST on July 24th.

On the plus side, your entire team is now rested.

THE BCL RECAP: 2014 Playoffs Edition Tonight's MVP: As the high-scorer in Metru Nui's unlikely Game 2 victory, Whenua wins tonight's award. His 18 points helped propel the Time Force past the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks, tying the semifinal series up at 1-1. Tonight's LVP: Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia. The whole team. By failing to even show up, the Ussals conceded Game 2 to their opponents, the Robotic Toa. Tonight's Most Interesting Play: The Time Force's decision to use Hahli against the Tahtoraks was an inspired move. She helped to exploit Lhikan and Tahu's weaknesses, while suffering minimal blowback for her own weakness. Ta-Metru Tahtoraks 44 Tahu (13 / +1 / -2) 12Takanuva (14 / +0 / -0) 14Lhikan (11 / +2 / -2) 11Pahrak (7 / +0 / -0) 7 Metru-Nui Time Force 48Whenua (12 / +6 / -0) 18Bomonga (8 / +5 / -0) 13Nuhvok (5 / +5 / -0) 10Hahli (10 / +0 / -3) 7 Recap: Decent numbers from a fire duo and a consistent effort by Takanuva were not enough for the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks, as they fell to the Metru-Nui Time Force in Game 2. The Time Force had a well-balanced offensive effort that was anchored by the game's high-scorer, Whenua. The Robotic Toa 68 (W)Kopaka (15 / +4 / -0) 19Nuju (11 / +8 / -0) 19Matoro (11 / +6 / -0) 17Kualas (9 / +4 / -0) 13 Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia (L) Recap: The Ussals gave up their series lead in perhaps the most embarrassing way possible: by failing to even show up for Game 2. With this default win, the Robotic Toa tie the series up at 1-1 and have the opportunity to eliminate U4 in Game 3. --------------------------------------- It's crunch time. Lineups for Game 3 are due by 12:00am EST on July 24th. The winners of Game 3 will go on to face one another in the BCL Finals.

THE BCL RECAP: 2014 Playoffs Edition Welcome to the new and improved BCL Recap, arriving just in time for the 2014 playoffs! This revamped recap will be going on every night this week until the conclusion of the BCL postseason. In addition to the regular game recaps, there will also be a "most valuable player" of the night, a "least valuable player" of the night and the night's "most interesting play." Tonight's MVP: While Ta-Metru's three fire-starters had the best offensive output, tonight's award goes to Gali of U4. Her water affinity exploited Dume and Tahnok's weaknesses, and her nine points helped propel the Ussals' two-man squad to victory. Tonight's LVP: While nearly all the Robotic Toa's starters turned in subpar performances, tonight's LVP had to be Pahrak of Ta-Metru. The Tahtoraks managed to clinch the victory tonight, but Pahrak's disastrous turnout made the game far closer than it otherwise would have been. Tonight's Most Interesting Play: It was risky. It was (perhaps) insane. But it worked. U4's decision to use only two players from its roster resulted in a Game 1 win and a chance to clinch a Finals spot with a win in tomorrow night's game. Ta-Metru Tahtoraks 52 Tahu (14 / +2 / -0) 16Lhikan (11 / +5 / -0) 16Vakama (12 / +4 / -0) 16Pahrak (4 / +0 / -0) 4 Metru-Nui Time Force 48Whenua (10 / +4 / -0) 14Bomonga (8 / +4 / -0) 12Nuhvok (5 / +3 / -0) 8Krakua (14 / +0 / -0) 14 Recap: In an extraordinarily close first game, the Tahtoraks managed to scrape past the Metru-Nui Time Force with a 4-point victory. Mild team chemistry and a shoddy performance by Pahrak made Ta-Metru vulnerable, but unfortunately the Time Force simply couldn't muster enough points to capitalize on the Tahtoraks' relatively low score. Ta-Metru takes the 1-0 lead in the series. The Robotic Toa 16Dume (5 / +2 / -2) 5Tahnok (6 / +2 / -3) 5Kohrak (6 / +0 / -0) 6 Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia 24Gali (13 / +0 / -4) 9 Lewa (15 / +0 / -0) 15 Recap: In a bizarre move, U4 chose to only play two of its players, choosing to rest the remainder of its roster. However, the move worked as the Robotic Toa opted for a similar strategy, bringing out their B-squad. With this 8-point win, the Ussals take the 1-0 lead in the series. ---------------------------------------------- Game 1 of the BCL semifinals is now over. Lineups for Game 2 will be due by midnight tomorrow night (EST)! The Metru-Nui Time Force and the Robotic Toa face elimination, while the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks and Unilteral Underscore Ussal Utopia face the opportunity to advance to the Finals.

Remember that lineups for the first semifinals game are due by midnight tonight (EST)!

WILD CARD GAME RESULTS Bionicle Strikers 47 Lewa (13 / +1 / -0) 14Matau (12 / +1 / -0) 13Pohatu (12 / +0 / -0) 12Nikila (8 / +0 / -0) 8 Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia 54Axonn (16 / +0 / -0) 16Keetongu (10 / +0 / -0) 10Nokama (12 / +1 / -0) 13Gali (12 / +3 / -0) 15 Recap: In an agonizing defeat the Bionicle Strikers fell to U4, failing to muster enough points to qualify for the playoffs. With their victory, the Ussals clinch the third playoff spot, and thus they will be facing the Robotic Toa in the semifinals. The Oncoming Storm (L) Metru-Nui Time Force 48 (W)Whenua (11 / +5 / -) 16Bomonga (8 / +4 / -) 12Nuhvok (2 / +3 / -) 5Krakua (15 / +0 / -) 15 Recap: The Oncoming Storm failed to even show up to their wild card game, handing the Metru-Nui Time Force the playoff spot by default. With their automatic win, the Metru-Nui Time Force clinch the fourth playoff spot, and so will face the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks in the semifinals. ----------------------------------------------- And just like that, the playoff standings are decided! These are your semifinal matchups: Ta-Metru Tahtoraks v.s. Metru-Nui Time Force The Robotic Toa v.s. Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia As I've stated before, the semifinals will be a best-of-3 series. Winners will advance to the finals. Lineups for the first playoff game are due by 12:00am July 21st (which is, consequently, the trade deadline), and games will be every 24 hours from then on, so as to be finished by next Saturday. I also want to remind y'all the wild card games didn't count against your players' "3-consecutive-games-played" counter.

Just want to remind y'all (in case you missed it) that wild card lineups are due by midnight tonight!

GAMEDAY SEVEN RESULTS Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia 44 Axonn (15 / +0 / -0) 15 Keetongu (10 / +0 / -0) 10 Onewa (8 / +0 / -0) 8 Nokama (11 / +0 / -0) 11 Metru-Nui Time Force 40 Vezon (13 / +0 / -1) 12 Krakua (13 / +0 / -0) 13 Hahli (8 / +0 / -0) 8 Pouks (7 / +0 / -0) 7 Recap: It was the Time Force's chance to definitively clinch a playoff spot, and sadly they fell just short, with U4 edging them by just 4 points. Every member of MNTF struggled this game, with Vezon turning in a particularly mellow performance. Ta-Metru Tahtoraks (L) Bionicle Strikers 50 (W) Lewa (12 / +1 / -0) 13 Matau (13 / +3 / -0) 16 Pohatu (12 / +0 / -0) 12 Nikila (9 / +0 / -0) 9 Recap: Having already clinched their playoff spot, the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks didn't even bother showing up to their final game, and with this win the Bionicle Strikers clinch a wild card appearance. This is the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks' only regular season loss, if you don't count the Game 6 debacle. The Robotic Toa 74 Kopaka (14 / +5 / -0) 19 Nuju (11 / +6 / -0) 17 Matoro (15 / +7 / -0) 22 Kualas (9 / +7 / -0) 16 Enlightened Shadows 39 Helryx (8 / +3 / -0) 11 Gaaki (8 / +3 / -0) 11 GregF (9 / +0 / -0) 9 Hewkii (8 / +0 / -0) 8 Recap: It was a valiant effort, but in the end the Enlightened Shadows were simply no match for the stellar Robotic Toa. The Robotic Toa turned in their second consecutive 70+ point performance, with Matoro remaining insurmountably effective with 22 points. The Oncoming Storm 46 (W) Lariska (12 / +0 / -0) 12 Nuparu (11 / +1 / -0) 12 Onua (14 / +1 / -0) 15 Zaria (6 / +1 / -0) 7 Team Chryptic (L) Recap: Resigned to defeat, Team Chryptic didn't even bother showing up to its final game. The Oncoming Storm clinch a wild card appearance with their automatic win. --------------- And just like that, the BCL regular season has drawn to a close, and the playoffs are just around the corner! However, before we can move on to the semifinals, we must first participate in the wild card games! There are two contenders who are definitely heading to the playoffs. Taking the number one spot are the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks, with an impressive 6-1 record. Right behind them are the Robotic Toa, who came in at 5-2. This leaves the third and fourth playoff spot open. 1. Ta-Metru Tahtoraks 2. The Robotic Toa 3. ? 4. ? There are four teams that finished with a 4-3 record, and so they will be squaring off in two wild card games to decide the remaining playoff spots. The winning team with the higher margin of victory will be given the third spot and will face off against the Robotic Toa in the semifinals. The winning team with the smaller margin of victory will be given the fourth spot and will face off against the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks in the semifinals. These are the two wild card games: Bionicle Strikers v.s. Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia Metru-Nui Time Force v.s. The Oncoming Storm Lineups for the wild card games are due by 12:00am EST, Saturday, July 19th. So approximately 24 hours from now. It should be noted that, since I didn't originally plan on the wild card games, these games have no effect on the rested-ness of your roster. Once the wild card games are over, and the remaining playoff spots are decided, I will begin receiving lineup PMs for the first playoff game. These will be due by 12:00am EST on July 21st, which is also the trade deadline. All trades must be completed by that time. It should also be noted that there will be 24-hour intervals instead of 48-hour intervals between each playoff game, as I am planning on finishing BCL by next Saturday (I am attending a conference and will be gone a considerably long time).

Hello all. I realized that I kind of dropped the ball a little bit by not reminding you that lineups were due by midnight yesterday. Currently, I only have 2 lineups sent to me. While I could go ahead and do the write-up, having only 2 active participants would make for a pretty dull Game 7. As such, I am setting the new deadline for midnight tonight. Please have your lineups sent to me by then.

I'd love to do another season, with teams being able to keep a considerable amount of their roster, but unfortunately I think the demands of college / social life will probably overshadow the time I would normally devote to BZPower. So yeah, once the playoffs start you don't need to be around anymore, really.

Plus there will be some time after the regular season and before the postseason to make trades. So if you really are eliminated, you can still trade your players after Game 7.

Yeah.

Actually, it's a bit unlikely, but if everyone whose record is currently 3:3 loses, then you still have a shot at being in the playoffs. Not likely, but still.

Haha no problem. It really was a bad mistake on my part, so it's not pitiful at all to want recompense. Really what I should do is re-do the game entirely but I'm lazy so we'll go this route.

As soon as I wrote that I realized my mistake. My intention was to have that tiebreaker rule apply to both the postseason positions and regular season games. I realize now that I never clarified that for the latter. Really sloppy showing from me as GM, my apologies. If you want I can give you an honorary win and expunge the loss so you can keep your undefeated record. Not that it necessarily matters for anything beyond bragging rights. And ironically I'm not even going to use that system to decide postseason positions anymore, since I've decided to go with what I consider a more fair approach with the "wild card" games.

Ummmmmmmmmmm.... Craaaaaap. So sorry. I swear I always check weaknesses and affinities and I can't believe I missed that. Well, then... the game is tied. And as I stated in the original rules, tied games go to the teams that picked later on in the draft. So MNTF still wins. But that was a horrible mistake and I am terribly sorry.

I'll go ahead and post this since I've received all lineup PMs. GAMEDAY SIX RESULTS Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia 47 Axonn (16 / +0 / -0) 16 Keetongu (10 / +0 / -0) 10 Onewa (12 / +0 / -5) 7 Gali (14 / +0 / -0) 14 Bionicle Strikers 42 Lewa (14 / +2 / -3) 13 Matau (10 / +3 / -1) 12 Pohatu (10 / +0 / -0) 10 Nikila (7 / +0 / -0) 7 Recap: In a hard-fought match, U4 beat the Bionicle Strikers by a mere five points, saving itself from playoff elimination. The whole Ussals roster performed extremely well, with nearly all of them finishing in double-digits. Ta-Metru Tahtoraks 44 Takanuva (14 / +0 / -0) 14 Lhikan (11 / +2 / -0) 13 Vakama (12 / +2 / -3) 11 Pahrak (6 / +0 / -0) 6 Metru-Nui Time Force 44 Whenua (12 / +3 / -0) 15 Bomonga (8 / +5 / -0) 13 Nuhvok (5 / +5 / -0) 10 Hahli (10 / +0 / -4) 6 Recap: In a close, well-fought match, the Metru-Nui Time Force tied the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks. Due to the tiebreaker rules of the league, MNTF is awarded the victory. However, as these rules were not clearly defined at the time the game took place, Ta-Metru is also awarded an honorary victory, maintaining its undefeated streak. The Robotic Toa 77 Kopaka (16 / +8 / -0) 24 Nuju (12 / +5 / -0) 17 Matoro (17 / +4 / -0) 21 Kualas (8 / +7 / -0) 15 Team Chryptic 40 Jovan (14 / +0 / -0) 14 Iruini (6 / +2 / -0) 8 Lesovikk (12 / +1 / -0) 13 Avak (5 / +0 / -0) 5 Recap: The Robotic Toa floored Team Chryptic with a new league-high 77 points. Matoro and Kopaka were particularly lethal, both finishing with over twenty points. With this gruesome defeat, Team Chryptic has been eliminated from playoff contention. The Oncoming Storm 41 Lehvak (7 / +0 / -0) 7 Nuparu (9 / +2 / -0) 11 Onua (14 / +3 / -0) 17 Zaria (6 / +0 / -0) 6 Enlightened Shadows 36 Krekka (8 / +0 / -0) 8 Helryx (8 / +3 / -0) 11 Gaaki (8 / +3 / -0) 11 Norik (6 / +0 / -0) 6 Recap: In their sixth consecutive loss, the Enlightened Shadows fall to the Oncoming Storm, who were bolstered by admirable performances from Nuparu and Onua. With this win, the Oncoming Storm save themselves from elimination from playoff contention, and have put themselves in position to possibly clinch a playoff spot in Game 7. ----- Alright, there is one game left in the regular season, and three playoff spots remaining. I realize now that I misled you all when I said that getting 4 wins would guarantee you a playoff spot. While getting four losses definitely means you are eliminated from playoff contention, getting 4 wins does not necessarily mean that you are guaranteed a playoff spot. At this point, the only team that we are sure will be in the playoffs is Ta-Metru, although the Robotic Toa and the Metru-Nui Time Force are strong candidates. If, at the end of the regular season there are not clearly four teams with the best record, there may be one or two "wild card" play-in games to determine playoff standing, similar to the NFL playoffs. So, to sum it up: Those who get 4 losses are definitely eliminated from playoff contention (Enlightened Shadows, Team Chryptic). Those who get 5 or more wins are definitely guaranteed a playoff spot (Ta-Metru Tahtoraks, possibly the Robotic Toa and Metru-Nui Time Force). Those who get 4 wins are guaranteed to at least play in a "wild card" play-in game, which could earn them a playoff spot. Alright, one game left! Please send me your lineup PMs by 12:00am EST on July 17th.

I'm still missing lineup PMs from ShadowVezon and Mairanui. Remember that they are due by midnight tonight (EST)!

Yes, they will need to be rested on the first game of the postseason. But here's an interesting note about the postseason: if a team wins its semifinal series in two games, without needing a 3rd game, then all of their players will be automatically rested for the finals. Whereas if they play 3 games in their semifinal series, they will need to rest any players that have played 3 consecutive games in the semifinals.

Since I received all PMs ahead of time, I decided to go ahead and post the results for Game 5. GAMEDAY FIVE RESULTS Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia 43 Axonn (16 / +0 / -0) 16 Keetongu (10 / +0 / -0) 10 Onewa (10 / +0 / -0) 10 Gali (13 / +0 / -6) 7 Ta-Metru Tahtoraks 53 Tahu (14 / +4 / -1) 17 Jaller (10 / +3 / -2) 11 Vakama (9 / +3 / -1) 11 Takanuva (14 / +0 / -0) 14 Recap: In their fifth consecutive victory, the Ta-Metru Tahtoraks convincingly beat U4 by ten points, once again channeling their nigh-unstoppable fire-based offense. U4 kept it close, though, with nearly all scorers finishing in double-digits. A strong showing from Axonn wasn't enough, however, and U4 has suffered another disappointing defeat. Bionicle Strikers 9 Black Six (8 / +0 / -0) 8 InnerRayg (4 / +0 / -0) 4 Varian (2 / +0 / -5) -3 Metru-Nui Time Force 39 Whenua (13 / +4 / -3) 14 Bomonga (8 / +2 / -1) 9 Nuhvok (1 / +4 / -3) 2 Krakua (14 / +0 / -0) 14 Recap: In easily the league's worst performance ever, the entire Bionicle Strikers' squad failed to put up more than ten points. Varian was especially weak, delivering the league's first negative final score. With this 30-point win, the MNTF have put themselves in good position to potentially clinch a playoff spot with a win in Game 6. The Robotic Toa 69 Kopaka (12 / +6 / -0) 18 Nuju (12 / +4 / -0) 16 Matoro (17 / +4 / -0) 21 Kualas (8 / +6 / -0) 14 The Oncoming Storm 33 Lariska (12 / +0 / -0) 12 Kohrak-Kal (6 / +0 / -0) 6 Lehvak (6 / +2 / -0) 8 Zaktan (5 / +2 / -0) 7 Recap: In a true return to form, the Robotic Toa rebounded from their disastrous previous performance to post their highest team score ever. The Oncoming Storm failed to garner even half of the Robotic Toa's score, and with this loss they could be eliminated from playoff contention in Game 6. Team Chryptic 57 Lesovikk (13 / +1 / -0) 14 Kongu (8 / +3 / -0) 11 Makuta (18 / +0 / -0) 18 Jovan (14 / +0 / -0) 14 The Enlightened Shadows 32 Nidhiki (7 / +0 / -0) 7 Helryx (8 / +0 / -0) 8 Zaria (7 / +0 / -0) 7 GregF (10 / +0 / -0) 10 Recap: On the brink of elimination from playoff contention, Team Chryptic rallied to throttle the Enlightened Shadows, handing the struggled squad yet another defeat. Makuta and Jovan were particularly deadly, both living up to their full potential, with Kongu and Lesovikk delivering effective team chemistry. ---- Game 6 is going to be especially crucial, as many, if not all playoff spots will be decided. The Oncoming Storm, Unilateral Underscore Ussal Utopia, and Team Chryptic all face elimination from playoff contention while the Bionicle Strikers, Robotic Toa and Metru-Nui Time Force all look to clinch spots in the postseason. The regular season is very nearly at a close! Remember to have your lineups in to me by 12:00am EST on Tuesday, July 15th.

So yeah, Chro can't trade Nuhvok because he did already. Anyways, just wanted to remind y'all that lineups for Game 5 are due by midnight tonight (EST).

Umm, Chro, unless something happened of which I'm unaware, Portal currently owns Nuhvok, since you traded him for bonesii.

Essentially yes. You're in the position the Philadelphia 76'ers and Milwaukee Bucks found themselves in last season in the NBA when they (very quickly) discovered that they were not playoff-bound. You can still try to win some games just for the fun of it. And it should be noted that while your games don't mean all that much for your team, they mean a lot for your opponents. Right now every win is crucial, so stealing a victory from an opponent could eliminate them from playoff contention as well. It should also be noted that you still have a roster full of potentially valuable players. While they may not mesh well with each other, I could see some of your players proving very useful to other teams' rosters. So if you want, you may try to doctor up some trades.