The Game: Death Race scenario, with sponsors optional. 30-can teams. Two house rules in effect.

Scenario Changes:
1: Imposed ‘forced evade’ rule for collisions outside the start gate. So nothing but swapped paint and bonus hazard-tokens for anyone pulling the ‘activate vehicles in the back row’ troll-nanigans at the start. This didnt come into play as all four contestants fit on the starting line.

2: The other oddity I had in place I call “Bumble-Barriers” which I use scrap-made tank trap models for. They are a lightweight obstruction that trigger a collision window like destructible obstructions. So they don’t interrupt movement, but they cause a collision with a lightweight obstruction. They are not destroyed then hit, however; they are placed anywhere within short range of the active/colliding vehicle as per the Piledriver rules. This can trigger another collision window or put the barrier in the way of another vehicle. Only collisions with the active vehicle trigger this – so hitting one and knocking it into a nearby car causes a new collision but does not trigger another ‘bumble-bounce’. That last part can be omitted for maximum chaos, but for this game it was just moveable terrain folks could pass through and manipulate. They were finally used and worked! Testing will continue, but initial results are satisfactory.

Our Game: 30-can teams this week with 4 players. I was able to field a team myself this week! Everyone constructed their own vehicles this week, including one player that was playing for the first time. The track had a light amount of scenery, but other than the switch-back at Gate-2 it was a pretty strait forward course with lots of room to run through the gears. I used one of the Quick Mats I have from Kraken Dice to change up the game mat feel and put pavement on the back stretch in the form of a little industrial complex. The microfiber Quick Mats are great for this as they are thin and don't leave a large lip at the seam.

The Contestants:

Savage Sean was back this week with The Colonel. A Highway Patrol truck rolling with a front mounted ram, a forward pointing harpoon launcher, a grabber arm, and RC car-bombs.

Maximum Carnage also returned this week with the car called Sugar Free. A Mishkin car with extra armor, a Death Ray aimed forward, satellite navigation, and a mad scientist in the back seat desperately trying to assemble a Thumper (Eureka perk).

Jopacalypse was a first time player and built himself a non-sponsored performance car named Sheila, that is straight out of the garages of the wastes. A forward facing machinegun was the only vehicular weapon, but behind the extra armor plating rode a pair of speed loving lunatics - and one of them brought a shotgun to the party.

Dadthulhu (me) brought a Verney sponsored buggy named Tumble-Weave to the show. Doubling up on armor with Microplating and extra armor for +4 hull, and armed only with steel nets for both crew and smoke droppers to the rear and sides. The perk-heavy buggy also had Barrel Roll, Rocket Thrusters, Satellite Navigation, and Mobile Mechanic.

All three players with sponsors were playing those sponsors for the first time. A couple mistakes were made, but good fun was had! 🙂

Off the starting line everyone scattered apart on the run to Gate-1, which wound up doing no one any good as we all converged on it at the same time and piled into each other like four people trying to get through a doorway at the same time. At Gate-1 I did get to pull off the type of maneuver I built Tumble-Weave for. I shot past the gate on the outside going the wrong way and deliberately wiped out and failed my flip check (as hoped). Using Rocket Thrusters and Barrel Roll I was able to pick the gentle curve template for the flip AND put it off the side of the vehicle - making me go from wide open forward to backwards and left through the gate!
It was the only time it would work as intended. Also: Highway Patrol had declared me to be the bogie - so my build would be gaining them audience votes the entire game. Not my best plan lol!

Poorly timed wipeout in Gear-1 leaves me stranded for a bit, and then everyone came running at the gate!

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And Chaos erupts as Sheila and The Colonel break through Gate-1 as well. The Colonel harpooned Sugar Free, reeling them in for the ram attack, and costing Sugar Free their lead. Next activation as The Colonel moves through Sugar Free, the Grabber Arm gets deployed, and Sugar free gets thrown into Sheila. And then the salt to the wound is the RC bomb that explodes on Sugar Free, damaging Sheila, Sugar Free, and The Colonel. The hazards from the blast wipeout and flip Sugar Free, who then collides with the STILL stalled Tumble-Weave at Gate-1.

After so much ridiculousness at Gate-1 everyone is ready for a breather. Everyone gets back up and running, and its a race for Gate-2 with some gentlemen's cease fires in place.

The truces are short lived, as weapons light up again the moment vehicles start crossing Gate-2. Preferred targets have been established now though, and the tight double back at Gate-2 makes combat tricky for a round or two. During the exchanges, Tumble-Weave gets hooked and reeled in for a smash attack from The Colonel, and then finished off and wrecked by another RC bomb.

The Colonel makes a quick break for Gate-3 and Gate-4 while Sheila and Sugar Free rally and navigate Gate-2. Almost in the clear, both remaining cars push hard to catch the truck.

Respawning at Gate-2 Tumble Weave climbs all the way into gear 6 to try to get back in the action. In the process The Colonel gets shot out and wrecked, and Sheila makes an unopposed push for the finish line knowing Sugar Free and Tumble-Weave are pushing to catch up!

Sheila pushes to stay in the lead, pushing luck too far and collecting a complete set of hazard tokens! But hey, this is the first race finished at the finish line for us!

And folks, we HAVE… well had… a winner! The unsponsored wasteland roughnecks driving Sheila spun into a showy and impressive slide across the finish line… causing them to wipeout, and flip, AND wreck! But hey, that’s the price of entertainment, amirite?? If these two survive the trip to the hospital, make it through surgery, and manage to walk again, their next steps will be on MARS!! Save your cheers for the heroes, however, as they are sedated currently, and cannot hear you.