The Basic Idea
We have banded together to make the game more fun and accessible. Guild Members pay $30 yearly dues, for which they enjoy the following benefits:
Organized Play: Each year the Guild hosts seasonal competition including tournaments and a championship ranking system.
Access to Thousands of Cards: Each year part of the member dues go toward the common purchase of the previous year’s season set, which is subsequently available for play to all Guild members. In addition, members may make their personal Strat collections available for loan, what we call our “lending library.”
Member Directory: A password-protected member directory makes it easier for you to find a game when you’re itching to roll the dice.
Rules of the Game
We play the board and dice version of Strat-O-Matic with enhanced Advanced rules (read our custom rules here). Matches will be contested video conference during the pandemic (and in-person or via video conference afterward). Not so familiar with Strat-O-Matic? Here is a great introductory video of the basic version, which gives you a good idea of how the game is played.
+ What do I need to get started?
Each Guild member needs to have the parts to play the game—dice, rules book, and fielding/strategy charts. It is helpful, but not necessary, to own any card sets at first; each member can borrow sets from our extensive lending library.
We encourage purchases from Strat-O-Matic whenever possible. Here are three options for getting started:
2) Special Edition or Select Teams w/ Game Parts ($21-28).
3) Complete Season w/ Game Parts ($54-72).
+ When does the Guild play?
Our main season is October 15–April 30 each year. During these months Guild Members accumulate Guild Points through competition in various formats of play. The Silverhawk Classic invitational tournament concludes the year. Throughout the summer months (the actual baseball season) we gather from time to time to play informally.
Individual matches are contested at the competitors' convenience, typically with one per week scheduled during a tournament.
+ What are the various types of competition hosted by the Guild?
Showcase Games. These are single game competitions between any two managers in the Guild. Any card sets can be used, but both managers must agree to the card sets being played. An unlimited number of Showcase Games can take place each season, but only a manager’s five best results per month will be counted toward their Guild Points total.
Select Tournaments. These are round-robin style mini-season tournaments happening (roughly) over Nov-Dec and Jan-Feb. Four teams is the suggested size of the tournament, but conceivably more or fewer teams could compete depending on interest. At least one tournament will run over each two-month period, but multiple tournaments can run concurrently depending on manager interest. Tournaments consist of equal numbers of games for each team (e.g., six games for a four-team round robin, with each playing each opponent twice, one home and one away). Each tournament will have a different set of entry criteria:
Open Tournaments (any MLB card set, historic or current)
Season Tournaments (only card sets from a particular season)
Decade/Era Tournaments (only card sets from a particular decade or era)
Drafted Tournaments (managers draft a 25-man roster from a particular card pool—e.g., the 2015 season set or the Negro League All-Start set—and then compete with their drafted team)
Silverhawk Classic Invitational Tournament. The Winter Season culminates each March-April with a championship tournament (format changes from year to year). Managers receive an invitation to the year-end tournament based on their Guild Points total for that season. Wildcard invitations are also available in some situations at the discretion of the Guild Governors.
Exhibition Games and Group Gatherings. Guild members are also encouraged to play an unlimited number of exhibition games throughout the season. These are games for fun, to hone one’s skill or try out new card sets. Exhibition game results do not count toward a manager’s Guild Points total. Any Showcase game that falls outside a manager’s five best results will be considered an exhibition game.
+ Do I have to live in the Michiana area to join?
No. While most of our members do live in northwest Indiana and the surrounding area, and most group gatherings take place in the area, membership is open to folks from anywhere. Remote members play their games via video conference.
+ Can I schedule games when it works for me?
Absolutely. If you participate in a tournament, for instance, there is typically one game per week that you are meant to play. You arrange the game with your opponent at a time that suits you both. If you are unable to schedule a particular game, most tournaments have a built-in “flex week” to allow for those missed games. The idea is to create fun, not stress!
And Guild members aren’t required to play at all during a given season. If you want to keep your membership just to have access to the library and keep receiving invites to events, that’s fine! If you want to play only intermittently, that’s great too.
+ If I join, am I required to add my card collection to the lending library?
No, not at all. This is totally voluntary. The cards that the Guild holds in common, however, will be shared among everyone.
+ Is there a Guild Constitution?
You can read our full Silverhawk Strat-O-Matic Guild Constitution here.