Maximilian - in Denial.

Egypt 
June 1934

For this race we decided to have it based in Egypt, somewhere using a dried up area of the Nile river.  Cars were built to a value of $800 and we decided that we would not use any passive style weapons (oils, caltrops etc)

We decided upon scenario 2 Death Race.   In this scenario the cars have to race around four checkpoints in a specific order.  Each checkpoint is positioned near one corner of the table and can be negotiated in either direction, as long as each is done in order.  

The winner would either be the first car to exit the table by the short edge opposite the starting line after having passed each checkpoint, or the last car standing in the case of vehicles being immobilised.   

Fiona Fuelstop 

in her pink love bug #5.

Equipped with Twin Machine Guns in a fixed forward position.

Fiona has expert Driver Skill, this combined with her car being the fasted in the race should enable her to take an early lead.  The question is, with weaker armour than the rest will she be able to go the distance.

Baron Munchausen

in the Mean Machine #2.  This beast of a car comes with Additional Armour to both sides, an Armoured Engine and Armoured Crew Compartment.  With its Twin Linked Machine Guns in a fixed forward arc this could be a good bet to take the trophy, providing the Barons basic driving and gunnery skills can keep up with the others.

Rosie and Jim

in the Blue Marloo #9.  This car just bristles with firepower.  Twin Linked Machine Guns in a rear facing Swing Mount should deter any would-be tail gaiters whilst a fixed forward firing Machine Gun can help clear a path to victory. 

Peter Perfect

in his Turbo Terrific #57.  Peter a long time fan favourite has improved Driving and Gunnery Skills, all the better for getting that fixed forward firing Light Cannon to make its mark.  An Armoured Engine should help as Peter just loves to go 'Fanging it'   

The course 

Competitors will line up at one end of the track

Go around Checkpoint One, The Oasis,  Once clear of the Oasis Shooting, Ramming and other shenanigans can commence. 

From there its full on down to Checkpoint Two, The Ruins.

After that its a short straight to Checkpoint Three, The Rock.

Then another long straight to Checkpoint Four, The Sphinx.

After that its a race for the finishing line, passing back between the two rocky outcrops before leaving the track by the end opposite the starting position.

And they're off !

The Love Bug is off in a flying lead, 'Fanging' her engine into full throttle Fiona's expert Driving Skills already proving useful.

The Turbo Terrific roars up alongside the Love Bug.  Peter Perfect hoping to undertake the Love Bug before it reaches Checkpoint One.

As they race towards the first Checkpoint both Fiona and Peter continue to 'Fang' their engines.  Both drivers skillfully keep control of their vehicles leaving the Mean Machine and the Blue Marloo in their dust.

 The Love Bug, with its faster Top Speed, reaches Checkpoint One first.  Fiona skillfully manoeuvres around the Oasis spraying sand in all directions. 

Peter Perfect tries hard to put the pressure on Fiona, but controlling the Turbo Terrific at such speed whilst attempting a tight turn proves too difficult. 

The Turbo Terrific skids to the right as it under-steers around the bend.

The sneaky Baron attempts a daring move to undertake the Turbo Terrific...  and pulls it off with style.

Pushing hard the Love Bug enters the right hand bend around Checkpoint Two.  Even Fiona's Expert Driving Skill can't keep the light car travelling true.  Fortune and Fate fight it out but ultimately the little car goes into a spin, losing precious speed and ending up pointing directly towards the huge stone pillars.

The Turbo Terrific sneaks past the Mean Machine, Jim opens up with his Swing Mounted Twin Linked Machine Guns unleashing a deadly hail of flying lead... and misses completely. 

In turn the Turbo Terrific Roars past the Mean Machine getting the Blue Marloo in its sights for its deadly Light Cannon... Kaboom!  The solid shot smashes into the side of the Blue Marloo and damages its engine.

Eager to get into the action the Mean Machine comes screaming alongside the Turbo Terrific.  Twin Machine Guns ripping into the side of Peter's now less the perfect looking machine. 

Flying past the others the Mean Machine comes barrelling towards the Love Bug.

Deciding that directly in front of two angry looking Machine Guns is not the best place to be, Fiona yanks on the handbrake with her foot hard to the floor.  With a screech, the skidding Love Bug drifts out of the Mean Machines path.  This risky manoeuvre does cause the little car to go bouncing across rough ground, but its's in a far better place then what it was. 

Peter Perfect, eager for revenge, puts his boot down and takes off after the Baron.  There is a mighty bang as the Light Cannon rips into the side of the Mean Machine as the skillful Peter power-slides into 2nd Position. 

 The Blue Marloo manages to sneak past the Turbo Terrific, unleashing its Twin Linked Machine Guns at frighteningly close range.   Fortunately for Peter, Jim must have been busy trying to hold on as every shot misses.

Seeing his path now blocked the Baron puts his foot down and rams the Blue Marloo. 

The shunt from the rear pushes the Blue Marloo beyond its maximum speed and causes significant damage to the front of the Mean Machine.

The burst of unexpected speed sends the Blue Marloo soaring past the Love Bug and into 1st Position.  Jim again lets loose with his Twin Machine Guns, and yet again misses.  Back to the shooting range for Jim I think.

Peter Perfect comes powering up behind the little Love Bug and unleashes his cannon.  Luckily for Fiona the shot goes wide.  

Finding herself between a rock and a hard place, Fiona once again 'Fangs' her engine sending the little Love Bug soaring through the gap and once again into 1st Position.

Meanwhile the Mean Machine, slowed down after its ram, manoeuvres around Checkpoint Two.  

At full speed the Love Bug enters the right hand turn for Checkpoint Three.  Surely Fiona's Expert Driving Skill will see the little car safely around the rock... or maybe not.

Disaster!   The little car flips and rolls taking massive amounts of damage.  The end of the race for this little car.

In a bid to add insult to injury Peter Perfect lines up a shot with his Light Cannon at the now very vulnerable Love Bug... and completely misses.

At the back of the pack the Mean Machine has managed to catch up with the Blue Marloo, Twin Linked Machine Guns rattle as the armour is ripped from the rear of the Marloo.

Tearing past the Blue Marloo the Mean Machine then opens up on the Turbo Terrific,  A deadly rain of fire destroying the rear armour of the Terrific and almost obliterating its steering mechanism as the damage goes critical.

The three remaining cars jostle for position as they negotiate Checkpoint Three.  The Blue Marloo once again tries for a sneaky undertake but loses control and over-steers.  The Turbo Terrific is first around the bend, but in turn is rammed by the Mean Machine.

With its steering now in shatters the Turbo Terrific loses control as the Mean Machine slams into it.  The Marloo takes the opportunity to correct its over-steer. 

Now down to two cars the Mean Machine roars off into 1st Position, closely followed by the Blue Marloo.

 It's almost neck and neck as the two cars race down the track towards Checkpoint Four.

The Blue Marloo opens fire at the Mean Machine as it speeds towards the final Checkpoint.  A combination of speed and average Gunnery Skill saves the Mean Machine from taking any more damage.

The Mean Machine is first around the Sphinx and with a show nothing short of outstanding, performs a perfect Bootlegger turn, unleashes its twin linked Machine Guns with deadly accuracy and destroys the engine of the unsuspecting Blue Marloo.

With all the other vehicles immobile it was at this point Baron Munchausen was declared the winner.

It was a good quick fun game.  For this we decided that any vehicle that rolled were  considered to be out of action.  The rules do allow for you to re-right rolled cars and in future hopefully will also include rules for crews to run around on foot.  

I am already considering having a house rule for smoke dispensers as an alternative type of passive weapon.  If nothing else it will add an extra element of 'Scenery' to the table to have smoke clouds around.

Thanks for reading, and roll on the next race.

Maximillian - A race for tea and scones.

Time Trials in Dorset.

I finally came up with a good work around for adding white disks to my cars to work as backgrounds for their racing numbers and I also ordered some bases for all my cars, plus a few extras should my collection grow in the future.

Ultimately I plan to have my races set in the Australian Outback or around old ancient runes and desert landscapes but I figured it would be nice to have a little race around a Good Old English Town.

So a time trial was set up with nice winding country roads and plenty of fields.  The object of the race, to get to the local church in time for a nice cup of tea and a scones with a good sized dollop of clotted cream.

In reality it was an excuse to try out the mechanics of the game and if I remembered, to take a few happy snaps on my phone.

Bert Brilliant managed to pip Neddie, in his red and yellow car to the post. Meanwhile Bruce Bastardly struggled to manoeuvre his pursuit vehicle, with extra long frame, around the narrow streets.