Yes, it's here, Ms. 10th Issue. Out of all the club newsletters ours survives. We're presently over halfway through the Survival Circuit with only a few arenas to finish it up. Currently the leaders are Don Jacques and Norman McMullen. Already the death toll is mounting, and Teri Harlan and Doug Akron as well as several other members being severely wounded. Some of the arenas will be covered in the "In The Arena" section.

Car Wars lately has proved that the universe isn't just warped, but completely bent around. The Compendium (or "Stupendium" as one of our members calls it) has gone too far with its rules changes in the basic mechanics of the game. More on this will be covered in the "On The Soapbox" and "The World Out There" sections.

For those of you who haven't noticed we've changed the names of some of the section titles and added a new item in our newsletter (top ten cars and movies). If you have any "top ten" or "bottom ten" please send them to NOVA. We would like to put them in the newsletter.

Some more inventions to spruce up your opponent's life (or death, whichever comes first). Notice we still print inventions while ADQ has stopped doing so. Uncle Al must be screaming bloody murder with his best advertiser gone. Is this the end of Uncle Al? Will Uncle Al ever return? What will happen to the franchises? How will he be able to pay his bills? Will he kill Oines? The answers of these spine-tingling questions will be answered sooner than you think!

Electronic Warfare Missile: To-hit 7 (8 when jamming). No damage, 2 DP, costs $6,000, weighs 200 lbs., one space, one shot. This missile can jam or create false targets on an enemy's radar. It travels at 4" per phase, to a maximum range of 144" and may be fired to circle the target. The EWM is usually not tasked to hit the target physically, but to fly over and around it. It may be targeted as a RGM.

Armor Solvent Spray: $500, 25 lbs., 2 DP, 2 spaces, 25 rounds, CPS $20, WPS 2. Loaded cost $1,000, loaded weight 75 lbs. Creates a 1/2" x 1" counter. This weapon, when fired, leaves a cloud similar to a smokescreen, but lasts for ten seconds only. The cloud is made of fine droplets of a powerful solvent. Vehicular armor coming in contact with the solvent cloud takes 1D6 damage (GM's discretion on how much of a vehicle comes in contact with the cloud). Wheelguards and wheelhubs protect as normal. Non-armored vehicular components (other than tires) are not affected.

The solvent has the effect of tear gas to people not wearing gas masks. Body armor and personal equipment are not effected. The solvent is also highly flammable. Any flame or explosion in the cloud will ignite the solution on a 1-4 on 1D6. This destroys the spray instantly and causing an explosion equivalent of a hand grenade. The explosion is centered in the middle of the counter and has a one inch burst radius. If a solvent sprayer takes any flame damage it will explode on a 1-2 on a 1D6, causing 1D6 damage toward the inside of the mounting vehicle and 1D6 damage outside in a 1/2" by 1" area (the same as a smoke counter).

Hot Seat: Costs $500 per seat (links optional). Activating this device counts as a firing action and it can be put on automatic. People getting zapped will be effectively immobilized in the seat until the device is turned off. When it's turned off the victim(s) will be stunned for am minute and suffer a -4 to hit and drive penalty. It's a hard job to detect such a device and it drains two power units per minute of use. It can be linked into a vehicle security system or activated like a remote ignition system.

Sword Cane: $200, one G.E., to-hit 8. 1D6 damage, half damage to tires, full to pedestrians, none to other vehicular components. The sword cane comes in two forms: the switchblade and the sheath. The switchblade uses a button to eject a blade out of the bottom while the sheath is drawn out like a normal sword and the cane acts like a hilt.

For this section we have a lot to cover. By now most of you have read the results of the Midwest Regional duel(?) race. Yes, 270 mph and over 50 spectators killed in this tragedy. It was loads of fun, but next time things will be done differently. Like informing the players what the rules are and what the event is about. None of this "last minute" information crap. As usual, another Texan wins the World Championship. Come on guys! Let's stop this monopoly once and for all!

Other things happening out there is the Compendium "ruleshock". Look carefully at the movement and fire sections. The key rules are: 1) a vehicle may only make one maneuver per phase, and 2) if a driver fires a weapon, he may not perform a maneuver in the next phase and must move straight ahead (assuming his vehicle moves). Yes, straight from the Compendium in black and white. Doesn't that sour your days? Tampering with the basic rules is a big no-no and tends to piss off a lot of gaming fans. God only knows how many times a new ADQ editor has changed the rules to his own liking without asking the opinions of the players. Charles Oines found out the hard way with his dismissal from SJG.

In other news, Tim "The Weasel" Jacques has just come back from Richmond. While there, he and his mercs took care of some EDSELs and won a major dueling tournament as well. NOVA gladly welcomes him back to our ranks. During his spare time (what little he has right now) he managed to write to our newsletter on his exploits in the state of Virginia. Check out the "Ten O'Clock News" and "On The Road" sections for his latest adventures.

Yes, it's true. If you haven't heard it already Charles Oines is no longer the editor of ADQ! NOVA cheered and celebrated his decline in power. In our opinion, he had to have been the worst editor in ADQ history. We won't miss him. Anyway, there's a new editor and her name is Theresa Laman. We wish her the best of luck and we hope she learns from Oines' mistakes.

Yes, you heard it, the new editor is a woman. To those who are male chauvinist pigs read no further. If you're open-minded, please read on. NOVA managed to call her up recently and she seems to be a fair and nice person. She deserves an even break like the past editors. Its kind of interesting to think about it. I mean, this business is male-dominated and I be most of the players are guys. It would be nice to see more women in the business. NOVA wishes her the best of luck.

This summer NOVA will be participating in the Survival Circuit, the local duelling circuit lasting for a total of 12 days in 12 arenas. Any duellists who wins the most arenas and survives all of them gets up to $50,000 plus arena winnings. This is by far the toughest circuit in all of North America, and for good reason.

First Skyscraper Ace: Yes, Virginia, it's true. Psychobat, on September 14, 2039, flew his Psychobatwing (a tank with wings and a jet engine) through Battle Tower in Battle, Nebraska. Three days later the tower's top half fell onto four other skyscrapers, destroying them all. The destruction was carried on all regional TV broadcasts. Recent reports indicate that DJ Battle is recovering nicely after he fainted from the sight of the destruction.

The last few months we've been receiving mail from Craig Sheeley after we sent him our thoughts on his "State of the Art" articles. Most of us thought these articles should never have been printed because Car Wars is a fantasy game, NOT A REALITY SIMULATION GAME. As the old saying goes, "If you want reality, go play Air War (or Squad Leader)". Getting that detailed causes more problems than it solves. Rather than print these articles and set them in stone, why not make them a useful variant to give people a helpful tool. This article alone could have ended Oines' career in SJG (and it probably did).

There has been a few more letters sent by both sides, gentlemanly and nasty, and things are starting to settle down. Both sides realize that Car Wars has its faults and that the Compendium was suppose to solve all of that (which it didn't, which is why it's going under a second rewrite!). Hopefully, relations can cool down a bit and both sides can start working together.

Our other contact, Matt Schuler (California), has sent us some car designs and a few inventions. One of his ideas is an expanded acceleration table.

Any comments on the above table can be sent to NOVA to be forward to Matthew. He originally got in contact with us after our ad appeared in ADQ 7-1. At present he is the only person to reply. Car Wars players must not care much about other players in the world

We failed to mention last issue that NOVA held a tournament at OMACON 9. It was the first single-round tournament in a three-level arena and on a point system. It was quite a headache for the duelmasters. Some problems did crop up: not enough players, too many free points and "real" combat didn't happen until late in the time period. Of course, next year there will be changes. The winners were the following:

1st place - Keith Fair

2nd place - Mike Dalton

3rd place - Alex Lobo

We congratulate all the winners and thank you for all the people who participated and helped in the tournament.

Since this is our tenth issue, it calls for a special section. Along those lines we took a survey of our readers in two categories: movies/tv series and vehicle designs. These are NOVA's favorites. Lets see if your favorites are here too.

TEN BEST CAR WARS RELATED MOVIES/TV SERIES

1)Mad Max/The Road Warrior (tie): These are clearly classics in their own right. If you ever wanted to know what Chassis and Crossbows was like, watch these two movies and you'll soon find out!

2)The Highwayman (TV Series): Oy! This series didn't get a fair break by the networks, and was canceled after a few weeks. It's still very good to watch, though.

3)Duel: This was the film that started Steven Speilberg's career into the big leagues. A true nail-biter of a film.

4)The Wraith: Definitely a hauntingly crash-filled classic.

5)Knightrider (TV Series): This black car series is famous (or infamous) for its numerous devices including the talking car KITT.

6)Batman (1989): He's batty and he isn't going to take it anymore! This movie is a high speed, low drag blockbuster! Show me a sequel and I'll show you an easy 200 million dollar payoff (if not more)!

7)Batman (1966?): The movie that started the '60s TV series. It's campy with some good chases and strange devices. How corny can you get?

8)License To Kill: The latest 007 movie complete with great truck stunts that must be seen to be believed.

9)The Living Daylights: The Austin Martin shows up again and displays its capabilities. Several of its gadgets (window heads up display, rocket boosters, rocket weapons) look very familiar, don't they?

10)Deathrace 2000: Classically bloody! This movies were among the first ones for David (Kung Fu) Caridenne and Sylvester (Yo Adrian) Stallone.

TEN BEST VEHICLE DESIGNS

1)Grandslam: Not too many vehicles have enough armor to face one! Average damage from the 10 heavy rockets is well over 100 points!

2)Hammer: It's a dangerous opponent to face, even for being an older design.

3)GT: It's small and deadly to watch.

4)Nightstick: Peds watch out! It's designed by our very own Don Jacques.

5)Express: Perfect for couriers or convoy duties.

6)Chameleon: Heavy firepower makes this a dangerous foe!

7)Plunge: It's the Car Wars equivalent of an attack helicopter.

8)Piranha: It may be an older design, but in the hands of an experienced duelist, it's still deadly.

9)Marksman Wagon: One nasty station wagon! Even though station wagons aren't too popular in the arena, this type is the exception. They're great for convoy duties as well.

10)Puma: Fast, maneuverable, and deadly. Enough said.

April 21, 2039: Just outside of Springfield, Missouri, the local headquarters of ASP was destroyed by Death. MADD was nowhere to be found.

July 1, 2039: Teri Harlan gets the first two microplane kills in the Skyfire Aerodrome in the first round of the Survival Circuit.

July 2, 2039: Doug Akron won the Division 5 event in the Cleardeath Arena in the Survival Circuit.

July 3, 2039: Doug Akron won the Division 20 event in the Tripledeath Arena in the Survival Circuit. Originally to be held at the War Arena, the event was hosted at the Tripledeath due to maintenance at the War Arena.

July 1-3, 2039: Tim "The Weasel" Jacques, along with his cousin Jeff, proceeded to destroy and demolish all the competition in the Richmond City Tournament. Tim and Jeff won first place and a prize award of $35,000.

July 4, 2039: In a surprising finish, Batman easily won the fourth round of the Survival Circuit. His jet-powered drag racer set a new speed record of 270 mph.

July 5, 2039: The fifth round of the Survival Circuit was moved due to a freak mishap. The Deathstorm Arena lost its' south wall due to a fireworks explosion. The event was held in the Boneyards instead, and was televised back into the Deathstorm video screens as compensation for the ticket holders. DJ Battle was the winner after a close duel.

July 6, 2039: Teri Harlan won the sixth round of the Survival Circuit, surviving a ram from Doug Akron in the Division 15 event. Both duellists are in stable condition.

July 7, 2039: Crusty Spray sets a new speed record of 120 mph at the Oceans of Blood Aqua Arena. This was during the seventh round of the Survival Circuit in which Crusty won handedly with his Division 25 hovercraft.

July 8, 2039: DJ Battle sets a new speed record of 170 mph in the Sunset Arena, killing two vans and himself in the process.

July 21, 2039: A local Virginian EDSEL chapter was destroyed by MERCS, INC. Tim "The Weasel" Jacques claimed full responsibility for the raid. The Weasel commented to that this was a method of advertising their service to prospective customers. Rumors indicate that MERCS, INC is breaking out of their contract they have with Doc's Custom Specialties. "Nothing personal, it's just business", Weasel commented.

July 28, 2039: Ron Knight sets a new speed record when he drove his modified XZ-Lamborgini Coutache over 350 mph from Battle, Nebraska, to the Colorado border and back again. The time was under two hours. Along the way, he racked up some 34 bike kills as several bike gangs tried to spoil the show. Footage from the amazing feat was shown on the national television networks.

July 29, 2039: Ron Knight signed a multi-million dollar contract to do a TV series featuring him and his Coutache. The Battle Television Network (BTN) will be airing the series in October.

August 14, 2039: Battle Tower was taken over by terrorists, but were stopped by somebody called The Lone Ranger. All the terrorists were found dead. The tower suffered minor damage.

August 15, 2039: Just outside of Allentown, New York, Death smashed a large smuggling operation.

August 18, 2039: Adam Wells of the Battle Police Department destroys 12 terminators with hand weapons. All the kills happened within one week.

August 20, 2039: Near Reid, Texas, a gang was obliterated by Death.

Sept. 5, 2039: At the outskirts of Grand Forks, North Dakota, the remains of a cycle gang was found. Death cards were found on the bodies. Obviously, it's the work of Death.

Sept. 16, 2039: In the Deseret Autonomous Region, a group of autoduellists called the Sand Devils saw Death attacking a cycle hideout. The Sand Devils gave chase but were slowed down by a helicopter. No major casualties were sustained. Who is what is this Death anyway?

The Survival Circuit is a yearly event held in New Omaha. There are twelve events held on twelve consecutive days. The duellist winning the majority of events is declared the winner. The challenge is that each event is different: boats, microplanes, cars, and hovercraft. Duellists must be skilled to operate these various vehicles. The frequency of death and injury is high as is the prize money ($250,000), and the arenas are quite unpredictable. The AADA does not recognize the event; enter it at your own risk! BLUD likes to claim this event as their own, but many local duellists disagree. The following narratives are on some of the more interesting duels in the circuit.

ROUND 1: Skyfire Aerodrome, Council Bluffs, Iowa

On a sunny July day the competitors started the first event. DJ Battle, Mr. RIP, and Teri Harlan came into the arena on their newly made microplanes. The duel started with DJ as he fired a tank gun at Teri, doing severe damage. Teri fired back with three VMGs only to see the rounds bounce off DJ's armor. Teri shifted fire to DJ's left wing, damaging it. DJ and Mr. RIP exchanged shots, doing moderate damage. Teri came in and took out both DJ's and Mr. RIP's wings, forcing them both down. She forced them to surrender, making her the winner of the first round.

ROUND 4: Bluffs Drag, Council Bluffs, Iowa

Four duellists entered in this Division 2 drag race (two in this case represents the maximum number of weapon space allowed). The competitors were Teri Harlan, Doug Akron, DJ Battle, and Batman. In the first round it was Teri vs. Doug while Battle challenged Batman. The event was a drag race joust as the contestants used a quarter mile track and fired at opposite ends. Teri won her battle on time accumulated while Batman won his on sheer firepower; he used a flame cloud gas streamer.

The ending round had Teri and Batman set against each other. It was close but Batman won. The use of the flame cloud gas streamer was questionable at least, considering the ban on dropped weapons in racing events. In this race the officials allowed it due to a loop hole in the rules. This will be changed for next year.

While NOVA was having fun in New Omaha, the Weasel was taking a long and well deserved vacation. He decided to spend some more time with his cousin Jeff "The Slammer" Jacques. Things didn't start to well as the Weasel had a nasty argument over several toll roads.

"I ain't paying no stinking toll!! Get out of the way!!" This was his usual response.

When he pasted the Virginian state line he was given a warm welcome by being ambushed by a cycle gang that forced him off the road. Fortunately (or not) he was saved by an EDSEL helicopter. The EDSEL pilot dropped a few cluster bombs, taking out his tires and the gang. The Weasel wasn't too pleased by the pilot's lack of professionalism and plotted revenge. But before that he had to hitch a ride to Richmond. A real scary feat considering what Virginia is like in 2039. He met his cousin and the celebrating commenced.

They eventually recovered The Weasel's car and went back to Jeff's home to plan for the upcoming Richmond Tournament. They entered in the tournament and proceeded to rack up the competition. It was an easy $35,000 and a lot of exposure on the east coast networks. The two decided to go cruising across the state in search of fun and mayhem. They visited the shuttle launching facilities in Norfolk, went to the Busch Gardens Amusement Park, saw several Civil War reenactments, and planned to avenge the insult The Weasel got from EDSEL.

Calling up his mercenary unit, The Weasel brought up his most elite troops for an air assault operation. He concentrated his efforts on an EDSEL base near Petersburgh. The assault went off without a hitch and the damage to the base was extensive. The victory was covered by UBGN reporters and was put on live national vid-feeds. EDSEL had vowed revenge and has put a $25,000 bounty on The Weasel.

The Weasel is now back in New Omaha. His merc unit is looking for a new employer since Doc's Custom Specialties reneged on their contract. Anyone interested?

To the Ground Zero Rads: Where were you guys on October 10th? I thought we had a challenge. COWARDS!! We want to challenge you again. Are you brave enough to take us on? We think not. (NOVA).

Wanted: All information on Doctor Duc's bases. I will pay good money for such information. (CS)

Car-Toon: A merge of the games Car Wars and Toon. It was created by NOVA.

Hit and Smash: The description of a hit-and-run by a monster truck.

Mr. Congeniality: Craig Sheeley, which he isn't.

Aerated: The process in which a vehicle is shot through, making it swiss cheese.

Blur: A high speed vehicle.

Ramloser: Someone who knows he can't win the duel, so he rams one of the leaders, usually destroying both of them in the process.

Shaken, not stirred: A roll in which the crew is shaken up but not injured.

Dud: A duelist not known for his intelligence.

Slug Thrower: Any weapon that shoots bullets.

Fly Swatter: Stinger missile.

Buzzard: A duellist who makes his living killing wounded or helpless vehicles.

Seat of Salvation: An ejection seat. The slang phrase came from a southern preacher who was an autoduellist in the Dixie Circuit.

Crispy Critter: Any pest that gets charred by flame weapons.

Death from Above: A kill by weapons fire (or in some cases a ram) that goes through the top of a vehicle.

Throttle Jockey. A duellist which uses jet-powered vehicles.

The David and Goliath Syndrome: A philosophy in which a smaller vehicle goes up against a larger vehicle and wins.

Drive In: A ram in which the rammer becomes a part of the ramee.

Point grabber: When using a point system in an arena, in which some of the duelists go for the easiest points first to build up a good lead on the others.

This issue has a selection of vehicles from The Midwest Encounter Guide 2 (2039) which is soon to be published. It's currently running a month behind schedule. Hey, we're beginning to look like Steve Jackson Games!

Talon: Compact, hvy. chassis, hvy. suspension, medium power plant, 4 PR tires, driver, x-ray laser front, SD rear. Armor: F23, L21, R21, B21, T10, U13. Accel. 5, top speed 92.5, HC 3; 4,030 lbs., $19,990.

Toad: Sedan, x-hvy. chassis, OR suspension, super power plant, 4 OR solid tires, driver, blue-green laser front, two linked RGMs front, MD w/floating mines rear, amphibious modifications. FP armor: F34, L34, R34, B34, T19, U20. Accel. 7.5 land/5 water, top speed 107.5 land/40 water, HC 2/3 OR land/1 water; 6,115 lbs., $44,500.

Fire Blast: Luxury, x-hvy. chassis, hvy. suspension, large power plant w/SC, 4 solid tires, driver, BC w/HESH ammo front, BC magazine (HESH), two linked HDFOJs rear. Polished metal/FP plastic armor: F10/20, L8/18, R8/18, B8/18, T0/1, U0/1. Accel. 5, top speed 90, HC 3; 6,595 lbs., $25,520.

Cup: Van, x-hvy. chassis, hvy. suspension, super power plant, 6 solid tires, driver, gunner, gunner in universal cupola w/MG, two linked MGs front, OJ left, OJ right, HDSS rear linked to OJs, fire extinguisher. Cargo capacity: 9 spaces, 110 lbs. Armor: F21, L20, R20, B20, T19, U10. Accel. 5, top speed 95, HC 2; 7,090 lbs., $24,150

Who is he? Where does he come from? Nobody knows. A mysterious masked man roams the streets of Omaha. His name is Death Shadow and his body count stands at 25. The Death Shadow managed to give a quick and simple interview last week to local reporter Greg Crenshaw over the radio.

Greg: Death Shadow, what's this crusade you keep talking about in your letters to the Police?

Death Shadow (DS): The Police have been wimps since old Omaha fell during the Food Riots. They can't stop the flow of crime. NOVA hasn't even scratched the surface. While NOVA shoots up cycle gangs, ARFs and BLUDs, the little guy get screwed by the crime syndicates. The Mob is stronger than ever and their grip is felt in every major city. It's time to clean out the trash!

Greg: The Mob? In New Omaha?

DS: Yes, in New Omaha! It's attitudes like that that get us into a hold we can't get out of. It started off small, like a cancer, now it's big and choking off our society.

Greg: Are you connected in any way with Death? (silence)

DS: Yes, a long time ago, but I had different ideas on how to fight the crusade. I decided to break off before feelings got hurt. I deeply respect those guys. That's all I can say... I got to go. You'll be hearing from me in the near future.

Greg: Wait... Wait!! There's still so much to ask! Wait!!

I know the last few issues I've griped about the state of Car Wars, yet some may say that I'm complaining and whining. Well, I'll let you decide.

Over the past year we've seen Boat Wars sold under three different packages (what a rip-off), all the rules in ADQ 7-1 were printed into the Compendium without the gamers getting their opinions listen to, and some of the basic rules in the game were changed. Something is wrong, very wrong, and it needs to be looked into.

Two of the rules in the Compendium, firing and maneuvering, are contradicted by the "State of the Art" article (written by Craig Sheeley and Charles Oines). Read the rules and the ADQ 7-2 article very carefully. Both are declared "official". So which one is true? Can a driver fire and maneuver in the same turn? Why only one maneuver per phase? Did Oines think of the consequences at high speeds? Why wimp out on the laser targeting scope? The spoiler-airdam rules are worthless beyond 100 mph. Heck, you might as well forget about Dueltrack or any kind of high-speed racing. It's just too damn dangerous. Doesn't anybody look at the full effects of such rule changes or are they more concerned about money?

Is Car Wars in decent shape or in a total wreck? Send us your answers; we'll be sure to pass it along to the editors of Car Wars.

We're currently working on several articles for Spacegamer magazine since we've been ignored by ADQ for so long. We shall see what happens. Just maybe we'll get some respect from SJG.

Expect The Midwest Encounter Guide 2 (2039) to come out by our next issue. That's for sure. Nightmessenger 3-4 will cover the end of the Survival Circuit and the 2039 Club Championship. Keep an eye out (and an ear or two) on possible rumors and clue from SJG. Tell us about your horror stories that you've had with the company (mainly ADQ). The next Local Hero will be either Cobra Kurtz or Tim "The Weasel" Jacques. Plus we'll have our regular features.

Presently we're on shaky ground with Craig Sheeley. This bozo is doing the Aeroduel supplement. Do we cheer or cry? I don't know. I guess the way to survive is take it one day at a time.

Drive, Fly, Pilot and Boat Offensively!

Norman McMullen, President

Don Jacques, Secretary

Re-editing of Nightmessenger Vol. 3, No 3 completed on 05/23/97 by Donald Jacques.

Editors: Norman McMullen, Don Jacques, and Tim Jacques.

NOVA Works: Electronic Warfare Missile by Norman McMullen, Armor Solvent Spray by John Schunke, Hot Seat by Tim Jacques, and Sword Cane by Cliff Christiansen.

In the Arena: Norman McMullen.

On the Road: Tim Jacques.

Local Hero: Tim Jacques.

The Showroom: Talon and Toad by Matt Schuler, Fire Blast by Don Viner, Cup by Don Jacques.

On the Soap Box: Norman McMullen

All other sections done by Norman McMullen.

Typesetting and Printing: Tim Jacques

This time around the issue was originally printed as a Mac document. It was reentered as a WordPerfect 5.1 document, turned into a HTML document by KEYview 5.1, and edited again in Netscape Navigator Gold 3.0.

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