Hello out there Mr. & Mrs. America and to all the ships at sea. All of us here at NOVA hope the holidays are treating you well. The New Year is upon us and it shows every sign of being better than ever. Happy Holidays to everyone. NOVA is coming back to life, like the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes of its own destruction. The success of our current reincarnation is due in large part to the Internet. Last year at this time, there were only three Car Wars sites on the World Wide Web. Now, there are literally dozens of them. The big news in Car Wars today is that Scott Haring wrote a letter to Norman McMullen thanking him for running the World Dueling Championships at GenCon '97. In this letter, he asked if Norman would like to also run the World Racing Championships at Gen Con '98. If SJG moves the Racing Championships to Gen Con, there is the strong possibility of one person winning both events. Wouldn't that be a sight to see??
 

We finally have some new material to liven up dueling, To wit:

Proximity-Delay Fuze: $200 each. This item allows mines in a mine-flinger to have the benefit of a proximity fuze. This is achieved because the fuze doesn't become active until one full turn after the mine has been deployed. For example, if a mine was flung on Phase 1 of Turn 3, it would not activate until Phase 1 of Turn 4.

Impact-Delay Fuze: $300 each. A fuze of this type doesn't detonate the bursting charge of a shell until after the shell has struck the target and penetrated its armor. In game terms, fitting this fuze to a shell allows the shell to strike the target, inflicting the shell's normal damage as a ramming attack. If any of this "ramming" damage penetrates the target's armor, the shell is assumed to have exploded inside the target (with all of the unpleasant consequences thereof). Note that the shell's impact damage and the damage from its explosive charge are totally separate and not cumulative.

Laser-Guided Grenades: Grenades of all kinds may use laser guidance at the normal costs.
 

Not Surprisingly, NOVA has renewed its charter for another year. We will celebrate this happy occasion next Spring, as is our tradition.
    The latest news from the 'Net is that SJG is taking an on-line survey about the possibility of resurrecting Autoduel Quarterly. We strongly urge you all to get online and tell them that you want it back. Elvis and his commandos are back. Just recently, they apprehended a gang of armed robbers and serenaded them with an off-key rendition of "Jailhouse Rock" while taking them to NOPD Headquarters. It is reported that some of the unfortunate criminals were in a state of catatonic shock upon arrival. In other matters, we're still waiting for the last two issues of Pyramid Magazine. Theories on why Pyramid is so late have run the gamut from SJG having been sucked into the Texas Parallelogram to another raid by the not-so-Secret Service.
    By the time you read this, NOVA will have held its Club Dueling Championship. Scheduling conflicts have prevented from holding it this Fall, as was our custom. We'll have the story next issue as promised. We'll also have a new champion too.
    With the recent change in New Omaha's administration, the city is once again proving itself a happening place to be. Hold on tight, its going to be a bumpy ride.
 

In Theaters: Tomorrow Never Dies, The Postman, Titanic. Godzilla (Memorial Day 1998)

On Video: Con Air, Men in Black, Batman & Robin, Double Team, Operation Condor (Jackie Chan)
 

Mage-Con North: Sioux Falls, SD, April 17-19, 1998. Possible Car Wars events here.

Origins '98: Columbus, OH, July 2-5, 1998.

GenCon '98: Milwaukee, WI, August 6-9, 1998. Site of the World Dueling and World Racing Championships.

Nuke Con '98: Omaha, NE, October 3-4, 1998. Possible Car Wars events here.

Spring Campaign '98: Ralston, NE, March or April, 1998. Possible Car Wars events here
 

September 12, 2047: At a press conference, the Weasel announced that he was retiring from dueling (again). When asked for a comment, his only words were that "I just have to Ooby Dooby do it". All those present were baffled by this mysterious turn of events.

September 28, 2047: Under the banner of his "Ooby Dooby" campaign, the Weasel has begun to gather reformed ex-gang members, former duelists and street people. The purpose of his activities remains as yet unknown. Mayor Bill the Cat and Police Commissioner Death Knight are baffled by what has been going on.

October 7, 2047: Police Commissioner Death Knight reported that some of his officers arrested a number of Ooby Dooby cultists who were annoying people and hindering operations at Eppley Airfield. The Mayor and the Weasel had no comment.

October 24, 2047: The AADA issued a travel advisory for recharge stations, bus terminals and airports warning travelers to beware of the Cult of Ooby Dooby, led by the former duelist known as the Weasel. Although generally regarded as "mostly harmless", the actions of this cult have annoyed travelers throughout the Central Midwest.

October 26, 2047: The eastern half of Nebraska (including the New Omaha area) was hit last night with 10 inches of snow, causing numerous accidents and power outages. Mayor Bill the Cat asked everyone to stay at home unless absolutely necessary.

October 28, 2047: Governor James Crittenden asked the President of the United States to declare the eastern half of Nebraska a federal disaster area. Throughout the New Omaha Metropolitan area, hardware stores are reporting record sales of chainsaws and snowblowers. Some parts of the city are still without power.

November 2, 2047: The Weasel announced the opening of Ooby Dooby Ville, located 5 miles west of New Omaha. He gave no specifics, but invited all to come and visit.

November 5, 2047: The last busload of Ooby Dooby-ers left New Omaha for Ooby Dooby Ville today. When asked their opinion of this occurrence, Mayor Bill the Cat, Police Commissioner Death Knight and NOVA President Joe Ratner had no comment.

December 4, 2047: Elvis and his commandos have graced New Omaha yet again. Last night, they stopped a carjacking gang and performed a 15-minute concert while doing it. After the dust had settled, the crooks were deposited on the steps of NOPD headquarters. Police Commissioner Death Knight commented that "It's good to have them back. New Omaha was less interesting without them".

December 18, 2047: Police officers responding to a report of a foul smell emanating from a dumpster near Woodmen Tower in downtown New Omaha discovered a badly-mangled body inside it. Police Commissioner Death Knight reported that it will take some time to identify the deceased, due to the body's advanced state of decomposition. Un-named sources in the Police Department said that the body was of medium build , wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt.

December 29, 2047: A report on the newscast from local TV station KPTM Channel 42 shocked everyone in the city, when it said that the body is believed to be No-Gun, the famous martial artist.

December 30, 2047: Police Commissioner Death Knight denied the report of No-Gun's death, saying that "We are still investigating the murder. The State Medical Examiner has performed an autopsy and I expect to have the results tomorrow. Other than this, I have no further comment".

December 31, 2047: No-Gun showed up at the KPTM studio during their nightly newscast. To the startled reporters he said "You'll find that the body which was found on December 18th to be one of the DSA's copycat clones of me. Apparently, the transfer of the clone's braintape didn't take properly, which accounts for its speedy demise". When asked for his present whereabouts, No-Gun refused comment.

January 1, 2048: Police Commissioner Death Knight announced the identity of the murder victim discovered on December 18th. Apparently, he was an agent of the DSA Special Forces who had been operating undercover after diplomatic relations with the DSA had been terminated last year. Death Knight said that the body had been stabbed 40 times, shot over 100 times, as well as having been set on fire. The body also had lethal levels of alcohol and cocaine in its bloodstream. He said that "Whoever wanted to kill this person really wanted to make sure that he was not just merely dead, he was really most sincerely dead". No-Gun has offered to help in the investigation.

January 10, 1998: Michael Garrity won the 2048 NOVA Club Dueling Championship, handily defeating his opponents in record time. He also won a Division-25 practice duel which took place later that day.
 

We are aggrieved to report that the Weasel has taken leave of whatever remains of his senses. In mid-September, he started singing "Ooby Dooby" around NOVA's chapter headquarters. Finally, some of the members got tired of his antics and locked him out of the building. Instead of pitching a fit, the Weasel took to the streets and started preaching the benefits of Ooby Dooby-ism (whatever they happen to be) to whoever he met. He gathered a bunch of duelists, ex-bikers, and anyone else who wanted to join and founded the House of Ooby Dooby.
    The Weasel's followers have been seen on street corners, in bus stations and at Eppley Airfield giving out flowers and saying "Ooby Dooby" to everyone they met. To no one's great surprise, most of the recipients of this attention have become really annoyed. A number of fights have broken Out, causing some of the Ooby Dooby-ers to be arrested for disturbing the peace.
    In November, the Weasel moved all of his followers to a place he calls "Ooby Dooby Ville", which is located 5 miles west of New Omaha. Reports of them showing up in Lincoln, Des Moines and KC-1 are beginning to come in. Stay tuned for further developments in this strange case.
 

"It's not over until I win"
--Les Brown

"Success is a permanent solution to a temporary problem"
--Unknown
 

Since taking over the Police Department, Commissioner Death Knight has proposed a number of changes in the department. His most recent idea involves updating the Police Department's equipment and standardizing its vehicles. Here, we present two of the designs which were submitted for consideration to the New Omaha City Council.

Police Motorcycle: Hvy cycle w/CA frame, hvy suspension, large cycle power plant w/upgrades, 2 PR radial cycle tires, cyclist, 2 LMGs linked F, FOJ (B), SWC, radar rangefinder, LD radio, cycle windshell, HD brakes, anti-lock braking system, overdrive, 2 5-pt cycle wheelguards, Armor: F26, B18. Acceleration: 10 (5 w/OD), HC: 3, Top Speed: 137.5 mph (157.5 mph w/OD), 1,299 lbs, $19,853.
    This design represents a generic motorcycle in use by numerous police departments across the United States. The rangefinder is used to measure the speed of passing motorists, as well as to provide targeting information for the LMGs.

Police Transporter: Mini-bus, x-hvy chassis, small truck power plant w/upgrades, 10 PR truck tires, driver & gunner, 8 passengers, 2 GLs w/impact-fuzed grenades & magazine switches in 4-space turret T, 4 extra magazines (2 w/tear gas grenades, 2 w/flechette grenades; all grenades have impact fuzes), HrSwc, anti-theft system w/8 flechette grenades, LD radio, tinted/no-paint windows, 10 safety seats, HD shocks, HD brakes, 10 pts CA on power plant, 6 1 O-pt wheel hubs, 6 1 O-pt wheelguards, Armor: F65, B50, R55, L55, T40, U15. Acceleration: 2.5/5, HC: 1, Top Speed: 110 mph, 14,400 lbs, $65,820.
    This design is intended for use as a "paddy wagon"-type vehicle. It can also serve to transport police officers to the scene of civil disturbances.
 

DKI engineers also offer the following vehicles for sale. One is for military use only, the others are civilian designs.

War Scout: Hvy cycle w/CA frame, O/R suspension, medium cycle power plant w/upgrades, 2 PROR cycle tires, cyclist, AGL w/impact-fuzed grenades F, FOJ (B), HrSwc, light amplification, telescopic optics, military radio, HD shocks, HD brakes, anti-lock braking system, 2 5-pt cycle wheelguards, Armor: F30, B20. Acceleration: 10, HC: 2 (3 O/R), Top Speed: 125 mph, 1,295 lbs, $24,855

Grand Slam IV: Van w/CA flame, x-hvy chassis, hvy suspension, sport power plant, 6 PR radial tires, driver, 5 laser-guided RLs w/rotary magazines linked F (4 shots HE,3 shots armor-piercing & 3 shots incendiary in each), 3 linked FOJs (1 R, 1 L, 1 B), HrSwc, IrT1 w/Lgl, Armor: F60, B50, R45, L45, T8, U8. Acceleration: 5, HC: 3, Top Speed: 105 mph, 7,200 lbs, $56,363.

Limpet: Compact w/CA frame, x-hvy chassis, hvy suspension, blueprinted 100 CI gas engine w/ tubular headers, VP turbocharger & 5-gallon racing tank, 4 PR radial tires, driver, 3 LMGs w/rotary magazines linked F (ammo is ½ incendiary, 1/4 HD & 1/4 explosive), FOJ (B), HrSwc, Sloped Composite Armor (LR metal/FP Plastic): F18/30, B15/25, R14/15, L14/15, T0/8, U0/9. Acceleration: 10, HC: 4, Top Speed: 70 mph, Base MPG: 50, 4,437 lbs, $29,666.

Double-Fighter II: Luxury w/CA frame, x-hvy chassis, hvy suspension, blueprinted 150 CI gas engine w/tubular headers, VP turbocharger & 5-gallon racing tank, 4 PR radial tires, driver & gunner, 2 ACs w/1 extra magazine each (1 F, 1 B), 2 FOJs (1 R, 1 L) linked to rear AC, 2 SWC, Composite Armor: F15/25, B 15/25, R0/50, L0/50, T0/7, U0/7. Acceleration: 10, HC: 4, Top Speed: 70 mph, Base MPG: 45, 6,600 lbs, $47,055.

Alpha Strike: Mini-bus, x-hvy chassis, blueprinted small gas engine w/tubular headers, truck turbocharger & 15-gallon dueling tank, 10 PR truck tires, driver & gunner, 5 laser-guided RLs linked F, IrT1 w/Lgl (F), turreted HVMG w/extra magazine, 3 linked FOJs (1 R, 1 L, 1 B), 2 HrSwc, HD shocks, 2 safety seats, 6 10pt wheel hubs, 6 10-pt wheelguards, Sloped Composite Armor: F 18/40, B0/60, R0/60, L0/60, T0/40, U0/10. Acceleration: 2.5/5/10, HC: 1, Top Speed: 110 mph, Base MPG: 12, 14,390 lbs, $92,595.
 

The Jackal
    This picture stars Bruce Willis, Richard Gere and Sidney Poitier. Basically, it's a remake of "The Day of the Jackal". Gere (a freed IRA terrorist) and Poitier (a CIA agent) are tracking down a faceless assassin known as the Jackal. The movie is a full-length cat & mouse chase, with lots of false leads and double-backs. The story seemed alright at the beginning, but ran out of steam at the end.*

Tomorrow Never Dies
    This offering is the latest in the long-running James Bond series. It stars Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, Jonathan Pryce (the Infiniti car salesman) as the Villain, Martial-arts actress Michelle Yeoh as Bond's love interest and Teri Hatcher as the Villain's wife. This time, Bond is out to stop war between Britain and China, as well as avert World War III (hopefully). Media mogul Elliot Carter (Pryce) deliberately causes an international incident between Britain and China in order to cover the expected fighting and increase the ratings of his satellite news service. Bond is called on to investigate. In the course of his activities, he becomes involved with Hatcher's character (Carver's wife and Bond's former love interest). Bond's attention to Pryce's wife gets him in the usual amount of trouble. Bond is also assisted by a Chinese reporter (Yeoh) who happens to be an agent of the Chinese Government.
    Things escalate rapidly from there. Using a number of devices provided by the ever-faithful "Q" (including an awesome BMW 750 carrying several Car Wars-style weapons), Bond manages to defeat the Villain (again). Rather obvious conclusion, don't you think?? The movie as a whole is fast-paced and smooth-flowing, with a definite touch of cyberspace.***
 
 

In our continuing quest to expand the frontiers of Car Wars, we present the following piece by Michael Garrity. For those of you out there who like to duel with tanks and other kinds of AFVs, this article will make such combat much more interesting.

As every wanna-be Car Warrior knows, the most dangerous weapons any duellist can possibly come up against are tank guns and artillery pieces. These one-way tickets to Highway One are capable of destroying most civilian vehicles in one shot. Where these weapons fall short is in being used against tanks themselves. As the rules for tank combat are currently written, it takes numerous hits to breach an AFV's armor (to say nothing of destroying the AFV itself). Even allowing for improvements in AFV armor, this flies in the face of even the most liberal interpretation of "Game" reality. The following information is presented in order to correct this situation. GMs are free to adapt these statistics as they see fit.

TANK GUNS

Tanks first crawled across the battlefield during the latter stages of World War I. At first, they were armed with small-bore artillery (37-mm to 57-mm) taken from naval vessels. As tank armor improved, specialized tank guns were developed. These weapons fired their projectiles at increasingly-higher velocities. Thicker armor was countered by increasing bore size. The tank gun of the 21 st century is a marvel of military engineering, offering range, accuracy and firepower that would (in earlier times) be just short of miraculous.
 

Type	To-Hit	Cost	Weight	Spaces	DP	Shots	Damage	CPS	WPS	Loaded Cost	Loaded Weight
75mm	7	$10,000	1,200	10	10	10	10d6	$100	20	$11,000	1,400
90mm	7	$25,000	1,500	12	15	10	12d6	$150	35	$26,500	1,850
105mm	7	$50,000	2,000	14	20	5	14d6	$500	70	$52,500	2,350
120mm	7	$150,000	3,000	16	30	1	16d6	$1,000	100	$151,000	3,100
140mm	7	$200,000	5,000	20	50	1	20d6	$1,500	125	$201,500	5,125

The burst effect of these weapons is listed as follows; 75-MM: 2", 90-MM: 2", 105-MM: 2", 120-MM: 3", 140-MM: 3".

AMMUNITION

There are several types of tank gun ammunition, each with different effects. This allows a gunner the flexibility of choice when engaging different kinds of targets.

HE (High Explosive): This shell consists of an explosive charge packed inside a metal casing. An HE shell allows a tank gun to function as an artillery piece. The cost, weight and damage of HE rounds are listed above.

APX (Armor-Piercing Explosive): An APX shell has a thicker casing made of stronger material. It also has a smaller explosive charge than an HE shell. This reduces the burst effect by 50%. CPS: 1.5X base, WPS: Normal. Damage: +1 point per die.

APDS (Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot): APDS rounds have a small core of hard metal (usually Tungsten Carbide) encased in a jacket of lighter metal (usually Aluminum) which falls away from the core after the round leaves the muzzle. This increases the velocity of the core and therefore increases the damage it causes. APDS rounds have no explosive charge. CPS: 1.25X base, WPS: Normal, Damage: +1 point per die.

APDU (Armor-Piercing Depleted Uranium): Similar to APDS, but with a core of U-238. CPS: 2X base, WPS: 1.5X base, Damage: +2 points per die. APFSDS (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot): APFSDS uses a small, finned dart made of Tungsten Carbide. This dart is approximately 1/3 the bore of the tank gun it is fired from. An improved sabot allows the round to be projected at extremely high velocity. CPS: 3X base, WPS: Normal, Damage: +3 points per die.

APFSDSDU (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding-Sabot Depleted-Uranium): As APFSDS, except that the dart is made of U-238. APFSDSDU rounds are much more expensive than even APDU rounds because of the delicate machining involved in making the dart. CPS: 5X base, WPS: 1.5X base, Damage: +4 points per die.

HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank): HEAT rounds use a shaped-charge explosive to bum through armor. They are not dependent on high muzzle velocity, and so may be fired from low-velocity weapons like mortars and artillery pieces. CPS: 2X base, WPS: Normal, Damage: 2X base to targets without laminate armor (+1 point per die to laminate-armored targets). Another variety of this round is called HEDP (High-Explosive Dual-Purpose). HEDP rounds function as HEAT rounds, except that the explosive charge is large enough to have a burst effect. This burst effect is the same as for APX rounds (see above). CPS: 3X base, WPS: Normal, Damage: As HEAT (but with the burst effect of an APX round of the same caliber).

HESH (High-Explosive Squash Head; also known as High-Explosive Plastic): HESH ammunition has a larger explosive charge than an HE round of the same caliber. The charge is also contained in a thinner casing. A HESH projectile is designed to flatten out after impact, then explode. This has a scabbing effect on the inner surface ora tank's armor. This scabbing effect causes small bits and pieces of the armor's inner surface to fly off at high speed, thus damaging anything inside the tank. Note that a HESH round that strikes the turret ora tank will not damage anything in the tank's hull. CPS: 2X base, WPS: Normal, Damage: as for HE round of the same caliber, except that HESH ammunition automatically removes 1 DP of metal armor per die of damage. The HESH effect also works on fixed objects (buildings, etc).

BEEHIVE: Beehive rounds are packed with thousands of hardened steel darts that resemble miniature APFSDS projectiles. When fired, a Beehive round sends forth a cone of these darts which begins at the muzzle of the gun and extends up to a maximum range of 100" (game scale) distant. The cone is 1" wide per 10" of range or fraction thereof. For example, a cone at the range of 10" is 1" wide. At the maximum range of 100", the cone would be 10" wide. Anything inside the path of the cone (or touching it) will be struck by the darts. Unlike other types of ammunition, Beehive rounds do not damage metal armor. CPS: 2X base, WPS: 1.5X base, Damage: ½ normal. Note: Beehive rounds have a special to-hit score of 2. This score is not affected by modifiers for speed, range, gunnery skill and targeting computers. Only those modifiers for target size and visibility apply. Beehive rounds are primarily used against enemy infantry and light (non-AFV) vehicles. However, they can also be employed against low-flying aircraft.

ARTILLERY

Artillery pieces are large-bore weapons with a relatively-low muzzle velocity. They are divided into three types; howitzers, field guns and mortars. Howitzers and field guns both have rifled bores. However, a field gun has a longer barrel; this gives it a longer range. A mortar is a smooth-bored weapon whose barrel is shorter than a howitzer of equivalent caliber. Accordingly, the range is also shorter. A mortar is incapable of using direct fire. However, it has the advantages of low cost, light weight and small size (cost, weight and spaces are halved). Mortar shells have thinner casings than artillery shells. Their powder charges are also smaller. Therefore, mortars have twice the number of shots per space for half of the weight per shot.
 

Type	To-Hit	Cost	Weight	Spaces	DP	Crew	ROF	Damage	Burst Effect	CPS	WPS
50mm	9	$1,000	400	3	5	2	1	3d6	1"/1d6	$40	10
75mm	9	$6,500	800	10	10	4	1	10d6	2"/2d6	$100	20
105mm	9	$35,000	1,500	14	20	8	1	14d6	2"/3d6	$250	70
120mm	9	$100,000	2,000	16	30	10	1/2	16d6	3"/4d6	$500	100
150mm	9	$200,000	3,000	20	35	10	1/4	20d6	4"/5d6	$750	150
175mm	9	$500,000	6,000	30	40	15	1/6	30d6	6"/6d6	$1,000	200
200mm	9	$750,000	11,000	50	50	20	1/8	50d6	10"/8d6	$2,500	250

AMMUNITION

Artillery pieces are bought unloaded. Separate storage space for the shells is required. Artillery ammunition takes up different amounts of space per shot. Accordingly, 50-mm & 75-mm shells take 1/10 space per shot. 105-mm shells take 1/5 space per shot. Shells of 120-mm to 200-mm caliber take up one space each. The size of an artillery shell (in spaces) reflects both the actual projectile as well as its powder charge. Artillery pieces fitted with autoloaders must carry their ammunition in magazines ($50 and 15//per space of size).

HE (High Explosive): This has been the standard round for artillery pieces since World War I. It consists of a charge of explosive packed inside of a steel casing. Upon detonation, the case shatters into razor-sharp fragments.

APX (Armor-Piercing Explosive): This round is identical to the APX shell fired by tank guns. APX rounds were the standard ammunition for naval artillery for decades. APX artillery shells have ½ the burst effect size of an HE shell of the same caliber. CPS: 1.5x base, WPS: Normal, Damage: +1 point per die.

APDS (Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot): The statistics for this round are the same as for APDS rounds fired from tank guns. CPS: 1.25x base, WPS: Normal, Damage: +1 point per die. APDU(Armor-Piercing Depleted Uranium): See listing for APDU tank gun ammunition for description of this round. CPS: 2x base, WPS: 1.5x base, Damage: +2 points per die.

APFSDS/APFSDSDU: Due their low muzzle velocity, no artillery piece may fire either of these types of rounds. HEAT(High-Explosive Anti-Tank): CPS: 2x base, WPS: Normal, Damage: 2x base to non-laminate targets (+1 point per die to targets protected by laminate armor).

HEDP (High-Explosive Dual-Purpose): CPS: 3x base, WPS: Normal, Damage: as HEAT (with the burst effect of an APX round of the same caliber). HESH(High-Explosive Squash Head): CPS: 2x base, WPS: Normal, Damage: Normal. Automatically removes 1 DP of metal armor per die. See HESH listing under tank gun ammunition. ICM(Improved Conventional Munitions): This type of shell is similar to a cluster bomb. It bursts in mid-air, scattering small submunitions throughout the area of effect. The burst radius of an ICM shell is twice the size of an HE shell. Any target inside this area takes 1/3 the damage caused by an HE shell (round down) to its top armor. For targets not fully inside the burst radius, the damage is halved. CPS: 5x base, WPS: normal, Damage: see above.

FAE (Fuel-Air Explosive): An FAE shell bursts in mid-air, creating a cloud of highly-explosive vapor which detonates two turns after its creation. The size of this cloud is equal to the burst radius of an HE shell in a square. For example, the cloud produced by a 120-mm FAE shell is 3" x 3". Targets inside this area take 1/3 the damage caused by an HE shell (round up). This damage is applied to each side separately (with the exception of the bottom, which takes no damage). CPS: 5x base, WPS: Normal, Damage: see above.

INCENDIARY: As with both ICM & FAE rounds, incendiary shells have no possibility of a direct hit. They are loaded with white phosphorous ("Willy-Pete") along with a small bursting charge. Upon detonation, an incendiary shell fills its burst radius (equal to an HE shell of the same size) with burning particles of WP. The entire area is shrouded with hot smoke, which lasts for 60 turns. All targets within the burst radius when the shell detonates take normal burst-effect damage (from a combination of shell fragments and burning WP). Any vehicle which enters the cloud afterwards has a good chance of catching fire. CPS: 1.5x base, WPS: Normal, Damage: as listed above. The cloud of WP has a fire modifier of 6 and a burn duration of 5.

LASER GUIDANCE: All types of artillery shells may use laser guidance at the normal costs. The targeting laser doesn't have to be linked to the artillery piece. Laser-guided artillery shells have a to-hit score of 6. The beam of the targeting laser must remain locked on to the target for the last three turns of the shell's flight. If the target is closer, the beam must have a continuous lock on it.

TELEGUIDED SHELLS: CPS: 5x base, To-Hit: 8. Teleguided shells have a miniature TV camera mounted in the nose, along with a number of small attitude-control rockets. This system allows a gunner or spotter to guide the shell to its target by remote control. No modifiers to the to-hit roll apply except for gunner skill and speed. The guidance control unit costs $2,500 and is 3 GE. The control signals can be jammed or bollixed. For 8x CPS, the control unit may use directional radio. SEEKING PROJECTILES: CPS: 10x base, WPS: Normal, To-hit: 7. Seeking projectiles are self-guided missiles that use either active radar homing or active laser homing (CPS: 12x for a shell that can switch between the two). No targeting modifiers of any kind apply. This kind of shell may be modified for anti-radar homing at an extra cost of $1,000 each.

MINES: CPS: lx base (plus the cost of the mines), WPS: Normal. Each 1" square inside the burst radius of this kind of shell allows the shell to carry a single counter of HMD mines. For example, a 120-mm shell (which has a burst radius of 3" x 3") has 9 HMD counters in it. Roll for the placement of each counter separately. The mines may have proximity fuzes at the normal cost.

OIL: CPS: lx base, WPS: Normal. An oil shell covers an area equal to half its burst radius in a square- a 150-mm oil shell would generate a 2" x 2" oil slick. For 3.5x CPS, an oil shell may be loaded with flaming oil.

PAINT: CPS: 0.5x base, WPS: Normal. Paint shells create a counter equal to the shell's burst radius in a square. For example, a 120-mm shell would create a 3" x 3" paint counter. SMOKE: CPS: 0.5x base, WPS: Normal. Smoke shells create the same size counter as paint shells. The load can be changed to hot smoke for a 50% cost increase.

TEAR GAS: CPS: 2x base, WPS: Normal. As with smoke shells, tear gas shells create a counter the same size as the one created by paint shells. REMOTE SENSOR: CPS: lx base (plus the cost of the sensors), WPS: Normal. This shell deploys remote sensors in the same way as a mine shell deploys mines. The sensors are inert until activated by remote command.

BEEHIVE: CPS: 2x base, WPS: 1.5x base, Damage: ½ normal. Beehive shells fired from artillery pieces function the same way as Beehive shells fired from tank guns. The range of a Beehive shell of 120-mm caliber and below is 100". For 150-mm to 200-mm caliber the range is 200". Mortars may not fire Beehive ammunition.

ROCKET-ASSISTED: CPS: 2x base, WPS: 2x base. Rocket-assisted artillery shells ad 50% to the range of an artillery piece. This effect is cumulative with the effect of a long barrel. Thus, a rocket-assisted shell fired from a long-barreled artillery piece has 200% normal range.

MORTAR: CPS: lx base, WPS: ½ base. Mortar shells take up half the space of artillery shells. Thus, a 105-mm mortar has 10 shots per space instead of 5.

ACCESSORIES

There are a number of accessories which can greatly increase the usefulness of tank guns and artillery pieces. These are listed as follows.

Long Barrel: For tank guns, this item gives the weapon a range modifier of-1 per 20", as long as the range is 20" or over. Targets within 20" take the full modifier. For artillery pieces, the addition of a long barrel multiplies the range of the weapon in question by 50%. Additionally, long-barreled artillery pieces have a range modifier of-1 per 20" when used in direct-fire operations (the same as for tank guns). Mortars may not be fitted with long barrels. A long barrel costs and weighs 50% of the weapon it is fitted to.

Autoloader: Artillery pieces fitted with autoloaders double their rate of fire (maximum ROF: 1). Autoloading artillery of 50-mm to 105-mm bore has a crew requirement of 1 (the gunner). For artillery of 120-mm to 200-mm, the crew requirement is 2 (the gunner and an autoloader supervisor). The cost and weight of an autoloader is 50% of the basic artillery piece. The cost & weight of an autoloader is additional to the cost & weight of a long barrel. Thus, an artillery piece fitted with a long barrel and an autoloader costs and weighs 100% more than normal.
 

And the Lord God spoke forth unto the heavens and said "Let there be Airborne". The earth did tremble and quake, and the waters did rise up. The clouds did part, and there came forth a multitude of parachutes which filled the sky. God looked down and saw that this was good. And they were good, for they were AIRBORNE!!
    God then spoke forth unto the land and said "Let there be Rangers". And all at once the day turned into darkness, and the winds did howl, and the mountains crumbled into the sea. The great rocks did part and there sprang forth a horde of Mephistopheles' disciples wearing Ranger tabs and carrying all manner of deadly weapons. God looked down and saw that this was bad. And they were bad, for they were RANGERS !!
    Then God spoke forth thrice unto the sky, the earth and the sea, saying "Let there be Special Forces". Lightning did flash and thunder did echo across the sky. Mountains spewed forth molten rock and rained down fire upon the land. Tidal waves surged against the shore, and despair, disorder and turmoil did prevail. Forthwith, there did appear a band of twelve extraordinary men. A few came from beneath the waves. Others jumped from the skies, and still more stalked silently from the forests. Each one was in camouflage battle dress, wearing a green beret. Working together, they brought peace unto the land. God looked down and saw that this was amazing. And they were amazing, for they were SPECIAL FORCES!!
    Besides himself, God now spoke forth and commanded "Let all ye that be weak in mind and body arise and go forth". And lo, from the abyss they crawled forth with indecision and limped weakly upon the earth. God looked down and saw that they were pathetic. And they were pathetic, for they were LEGS! !**
 

This year has been full of ups & downs, both personally and for NOVA as a whole. This has made life much more of a challenge. After all, we wouldn't want it to get boring.
    Among the projects which we have on tap for 1998 are: expanding the NOVA Web Page, the Car Wars Compendium III (finally) and the World Championships in dueling and racing. This is something of a tall order, but it's nothing we can't handle.
    Next issue, we'll finally have the write-up on the 2048 NOVA Club Dueling Championship. It promises to be rather interesting. Until our next episode:

"DRIVE OFFENSIVELY"
 
 
 

Norman McMullen	Michael Garrity
NOVA President	NOVA Secretary

 

NOVA Works: Michael Garrity

The 10 O'Clock News: Norman McMullen & Michael Garrity

The Showroom: All vehicles designed by Michael Garrity

Tank Guns, Artillery Pieces & Ammunition: Michael Garrity

The Creation (Airborne Version): Submitted by Michael Garrity

Typesetter: Michael Garrity

Editors: Michael Garrity & Norman McMullen

All Other Sections: Norman McMullen
 

**Legs: Pathetic, ground-dwelling creatures that must walk to wherever they want to go (AKA: Infantry)
 

The Nightmessenger is published quarterly by the New Omaha Vehicular Association, 2524 Madison St, Bellevue, NE 68005. All material is copyright 1997 by the New Omaha Vehicular Association. All rights reserved. Car Wars, Dueltrack, Boat Wars, Car Warriors, Crash City, Truck Stop, Convoy, Uncle Albert's Catalog From Hell, Autoduel and AADA are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or are used under license. The above trademarks, and the characters and situations of the Car Wars background are the exclusive property of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated and are used in Nightmessenger under permission. Reproduction of any material published in the Nightmessenger without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Any reproduction of Car Wars articles published in the Nightmessenger, or any unauthorized publication of fiction using the Car Wars background without the express written permission of Steve Jackson Games is strictly prohibited.

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