In Hockey Hardware: The Original Game, there are a total of seven dice. They include:
Five Stat Dice, which are eight-sided and ivory-coloured with black symbols.
One Bonus Die, which is six-sided and green with white symbols; and,
One Game Die, which is six-sided and black with gold numbers.
However, players would do well to note that not all of these dice are made equal.
The devil is in the details, and paying special attention can make all the difference in a close game where a one stat difference can crown a champion or result in a crushing defeat.
In this post, the focus will be on the Stat Dice.
Out of the five Stat Dice, three of them are the exact same. Each of these three dice have two Adversity faces, and the same Hockey Stats on each of the remaining faces. The Hockey Stats includes an Assist (A), a Block (BL), a Goal plus a Shot (G+S), a Hit (H), a Plus Rating (+1), and a Shot (S).
The other two Stat Dice are different from these three, and they are also different from each other. However, where these two Stat Dice are the same is that they both have one Adversity face each.
Replacing the other Adversity face is an extra Hockey Stat. On one die, the extra Hockey Stat is a Shot (S), and on the other die, the extra Hockey Stat is a Hit (H). These stats were chosen as extra Hockey Stats because they are very common in a game of hockey, and therefore, they should be represented as more common in Hockey Hardware.
So, why do these details matter? Ultimately, it could win or lose you the game.
Players always get to choose which Stat Dice they roll on their turn.
This matters a lot less if you are positioned higher in the Roster Level, such as a Forward on Line 1 or Line 2 or as a Defence on Pair 1 or Pair 2, because you are rolling all five Stat Dice regardless.
But it really matters if you are lower in the Roster Level, and you are rolling less than five Stat Dice. In this scenario, it is likely that you have suffered multiple Line Demotions and you are a Forward on Line 3 or Line 4, or you are a Defence on Pair 3.
Players holding these lower Roster Levels could be rolling four or even three Stat Dice on their turn, instead of all five Stat Dice. Over a couple of Rounds, this can really hurt your production. And if your opponents don't happen to suffer the same Line Demotions, they have an opportunity to really make gains on you to collect more Hockey Stats, earn more trophies, and increase their odds of winning the game.
Thus, your short-term goal should be to get promoted back up the Roster Level as quickly as possible. The only way to do this is by rolling all Stats and no Adversity on your turn when you roll the Stat Dice.
By design, the game doesn't want players occupying a low Roster Level for long. That's less fun. So while it is possible to get stuck on a lower Roster Level for a few turns, players should be able to get themselves promoted more quickly by both rolling less Stat Dice, and by carefully choosing the Stat Dice with less Adversity as well.
With smart Stat Dice selection and some lady luck on your side, you will be promoted back up the Roster Level in no time!