Belated holiday greetings to everyone. Even though the holidays are dead and gone, we hope that they were satisfying for everyone.
    It has recently come to my attention that the NightMessenger is the only Car Wars newsletter in existence anywhere. Since Pyramid isn't giving equal time to Car Wars, and Autoduel Quarterly is out of business, we're it (for all intents and purposes). So, if you have any articles, scenarios, designs or ideas, please send them to us.

This issue, we will cover a little bit of everything. Weapons, accessories, devices (Oh, My!!).

Heavy-Duty Flame Cloud Gas Streamer: $500, 200 lbs, 3 spaces, 2 shots, 2 DP. CPS $600, WPS 50 lbs., loaded cost: $1,700, loaded weight: 300 lbs. This item produces a 10" long by 2" wide counter of gas.

Discharger Dispenser: $500 (+ cost of dischargers), 20 lbs. (+ weight of  dischargers), 0 spaces. This item is a rotary housing fitted to the exterior of a vehicle. It carries six dischargers of any type (user's choice), and may fire up to two of them (user's choice) in any combat turn. Activating the dispenser is a firing action, and it may be attached to such devices as laser-reactive webs and bumper triggers. A discharger dispenser is protected by the vehicle's side armor. A vehicle may mount one dispenser per armor location. Mounting a dispenser doesn't preclude the use of side-mounted weaponry.

Staggered Racing Suspension: $3,500, no weight or space. The Staggered Racing Suspension allows a race car to turn in one direction more than in the other (left or right). It gives a -1 to the maneuver hazard when turning in that direction, and a +2 to the maneuver hazard when turning in the other direction, This suspension is only available for racing bodies.

In the last few months, we've attended a few conventions, mostly with mixed results. These conventions include Fields of Honor and Nuke-Con III. SAS/Zebra couldn't attend Fields of Honor, but we ended up running the Des Moines Grand Prix anyway. During the race, it was discovered that one player bent his chassis by over-boosting in the first turn. Later on in the race, he forced another player to crash by hitting him with an incendiary Heavy Rockets. The victory was nullified, and chalked up as a learning experience. However, Nuke-Con III was better. NOVA ran a dueling tournament and a racing event. The results for these events are listed below.

Dueling Tournament

• 1st place: Michael Garrity
• 2nd place: Don Viner
• 3rd place: Mike Martini
• 4th place: Norman McMullen

• 1st place: Norman McMullen
• 2nd place: Michael Garrity

August 30th. 2043: The 6th and 7th GGI divisions station themselves at ToyTown, "For home defense duty" says G & G Chief Security Officer Mick Arkaynjel.

September 1st, 2043: The Vengeance Corps announces it will disband and form a new citizens' police force called SANCTION.

September 4th, 2043: Speed Racer announced that he is retiring as a vigilante, and returning to race driving. He and his team immediately left town for a race in some country no one ever heard of.

September 7th. 2043: A mangled body was found in the New Industrial Center. The cause of death was unknown.

September 10th, 2043: Two more dead bodies were found in central New Omaha.

September 13th, 2043: NOPD officials report a confrontation between two officers and a large man who couldn't be stopped by bullets. It is believed that this man is the new serial killer.

September 18th. 2043: Unheard from for so long, NOTS returned to New Omaha by unveiling a statue of Elvis squatting on a toilet in Freedom Park.

September 19th. 2043: The Impersonator is severely damaged when it attempts to destroy the new Elvis statue. "He shouldn't have rammed it, it was made of solid bronze" says NOTS.

September 22nd, 2043: The Impersonator tries again and does just as badly as before.

September 23rd, 2043: The new Elvis statue is reported stolen. Witnesses report hearing a "low peculiar humming".

September 24th. 2043: NOTS reveals another derogatory statue of Elvis in Hummel Park.

September 25th. 2043: Three more bodies are found, ripped to pieces. One of them was an NOPD officer. A note found on the officer's bloodstained uniform reads "I now have a new target". The officer was cloned, but isn't expected to return to duty for some time.

September 26th. 2043: The new Elvis statue is reported missing.

September 27th. 2043: NOTS revealed yet a third derogatory statue of Elvis, this one in Hitchcock Park.

September 28th. 2043: The Impersonator traps itself when it attempts to ram the new Elvis statue and finds that it is only a papier-mache shell over a deep pit. "When will he ever learn?" asks NOTS.

September 28th, 2043: SANCTION announces the start of its patrols outside the cities of New Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue and Council Bluffs.

September 28th. 2043: Maverick announces the start of his Corporate Security company.

September 29th, 2043: Three more bodies were found in a shallow grave in Hanscom Park. Further examination found them to be several weeks old. They were thought to be members of the Ravens gang.

September 30th, 2043: Two bodies were discovered hanging from a lamppost outside of NOPD headquarters. Both of them were NOPD officers. They were strangled then hung by their own entrails. Their clones have been activated.

October 1st, 2043: NOTS buried DKI under tons of fallen leaves. The reason for this action is unknown.

October 3rd, 2043: Death Knight started to hunt for the members of NOTS today. He didn't say what he was going to do when he catches them.

October 5th, 2043: Two more NOPD officers were found hanging from a lamppost in downtown New Omaha. Their clones have been activated.

October 6th, 2043: In a news release today, the Black Rose announced his retirement.

October 6th, 2043: NOTS surprises the NOPD by building a gallows outside of NOPD headquarters in downtown New Omaha. The MPD was not amused. Four NOTS members were arrested and fined $50,000 each for excessively sick taste. They were later admitted to the hospital with severe bruises. NOPD denied that they were responsible for this.

October 9th, 2043: An initial confrontation between the NOPD and the new serial killer resulted in a draw. The killer was unharmed; the NOPD expended some 2,000+ rounds of ammunition. NOPD is now on a Code Red Emergency.

October 11th, 2043: An unmarked Queen Bee and its drone escort was ambushed and destroyed near I-80 today. The truck was carrying a Daimschell Tread Works prototype half-track assault camper for the US Army. No evidence was found other than a destroyed Ravager and blasted human remains.

October 12th. 2043: A shipment of illegal weapons to the Bootleggers was stopped by the Master and SANCTION member DeathsHead.

October 13th. 2043: SANCTION reports conflict with and capture of members of the Reavers vehicular gang. Information from one of the captives shows that the Reavers are an offshoot of the Ravens gang.

October 14th. 2043: NOTS erects a fourth statue in "honor" of Elvis. The Japanese Protectorate publicly thanked PROWLER for their efficiency in destroying the Queen Bee and its escort.

October 16th, 2043: Two entire families were found slaughtered in the Regency area. Both Maverick and the Master vow to bring killer in. An enraged Commissioner Smith has hinted at "a cunning plan in the works."

October 19th, 2043: NOTS revealed that the mysterious purloiner of the Elvis statues is a mysterious airship that hides in its own cloud cover. "They never realized that we seeded the clouds," says NOTS. "Rains tends to have a deleterious effect on the clouds underneath it."
        Two AADA pit mechanics were reported missing while traveling east on I-80 today. They were last seen at a Des Moines truck stop.

October 20th, 2043: The city fined NOTS $100,000 for unauthorized tampering with the weather. Stormbreaker Industries announced that it will contest the fine on behalf of NOTS.

October 21st, 2043: Three more families were found dead in the Regency. The cause of death was severe mutilation.

October 26th, 2043: Four more families were found hanging by their entrails in Omaha tonight. The Police are now gathering forces  "to remove this threat."
        The Protectorate destroyed a DKI oil platform located 50 California coast today. The Death Knight vows revenge.

October 28th, 2043: 2043: NOTS South's headquarters was destroyed by the DragonMazer today. His only comment was "Revenge is served".
        Orlando police reported NOTS was responsible for the destruction of the GameMasters HQ.
        SANCTION stopped a drug shipment to New Omaha today. The street value of the seized drugs was estimated at over one billion dollars.

October 29th, 2043: The Impersonator's monster truck was found outside the city limits, missing its tires. The tires were found threading the flagpole in front of City Hall. The Impersonator drove into the city, retrieved his tires and left. He was fined $20,000 for violating the anti-monster truck ordinance.
        The wreck of the vehicle belonging to the missing AADA mechanics was found off of I-80 just west of Des Moines today. The wreck was stripped bare and looked as if it had been dropped from an altitude of several hundred feet.

October 31st, 2043: The Master's and the Revenger's bodies were delivered to NOPD headquarters today. The Master was severely injured, and the Revenger was clinically dead (he was later revived at the hospital).
        The Death Knight gave New Omaha its first victory against the serial killer when he fought the villain and caused him to flee the scene of battle. The Death Machine V was slightly damaged in the fight.

November 1st, 2043: NOVA welcomed DragonMazer of GameMasters to the city today. He was given a tour of NOVA HQ.

November 2nd, 2043: The body of Fat Marty was discovered today in the hotel he was building. NOPD reported that he died from a bullet through the forehead and that a black rose was found next to the body. Police Commissioner John Smith said that this "Definitely was a mob killing, hopefully marking a pullout from the city by them."

November 3rd, 2043: DragonMazer dueled NOTS last night, killing two of their members and destroying several of their vehicles.

November 4th, 2043: The funeral for Fat Marty was held today, with the NOPD watching closely. No mobsters attended, but a wreath of black roses was delivered to the ceremony. Fat Marty was mourned by his neighborhood friends.
        DragonMazer apologized for his duel with NOTS last night. He said it was all a mistake and that he will take out his revenge on OOPS.

November 5th, 2043: DragonMazer killed several members of OOPS in a duel today. NOVA confirmed that his revenge on OOPS is proceeding according to plan.
        Death Park held a mini-car race at the Death Track today. Radius Motors' star mini-car driver “Crazy” started his mini-car "MeatLoaf" at the pole, and took an early lead. His run ended abruptly on Lap 2 when Tom Carey's "Monitor" fired a PDG that slagged Crazy’s power plant. Carey's run ended on Lap 8 when Ian Lovejoy's "MCL-IR/PS" fired a HAVR shot at point-blank range, ripping through his breached armor Lovejoy had holed it on Lap 6) taking out the rear PDG and knocking Carey unconscious. Carey's vehicle then plowed into the Turn 4 wall. Lovejoy evaded the wreck and cruised to victory, setting a new one-lap time and speed record (2.281 seconds/177.5 mph). "Hell of a ride," said Lovejoy.

November 11th, 2043: Damon Carter, world-renowned cybernetic surgeon and hovercraft duelist was reported missing today. He was last seen traveling south on I-35 on his way to an Oklahoma hoverduel event.

November 13th, 2043: In an exciting event at the World of Dueling arena in KC-1 today, Chris French won the duel without a scratch. Crazy survived two unscheduled jumps from the upper level, and bailed out just before getting rammed.

November 15th, 2043: DragonMazer destroyed OOPS headquarters today by dropping two 1,000-lb. laser-guided armor-piercing bombs on it. A few OOPS members survived the attack, and are now in stable condition at the Lincoln Med Center.

November 23rd, 2043: Offutt ANGB defenses shot down an unidentified hypersonic plane south of New Omaha today. The plane was believed to be a Protectorate bomber.

November 24th, 2043: At 12:30 pm this afternoon, several fertilizer warehouses in outlying towns were destroyed by huge explosions. Mayor Bill T. Cat announced that the explosions were the work of the Jackal. Amazingly, only two people were injured by the huge blasts. Several New Omaha corporations have vowed to help rebuild the damaged businesses.

November 25th, 2043: The wreck of Damon Carter's hovercraft was found near the same area of I-35 where he disappeared. It was totally stripped and looked as if it had fallen several hundred feet. Authorities believe this is linked to the disappearance of the two AADA mechanics and several other recent disappearances. Ms. Carter has put up a $150,000 reward for information leading to the return of her husband alive, and half that amount for evidence of his death that is sufficient to activate his clone. The AADA has also put up $50,000 for the capture/demise of the perpetrators, and the FBI has also added a further $20,000 to the reward fund.

November 27th, 2043: The WaterLoo Switchback held its first snow race today. The event was a Division 20 race, and speeds were kept down by the unusually heavy snow which fell during the event. Chris French won handily.
        An unidentified airplane destroyed a huge ice-jam on the Elk Horn River, then crashed a few miles away.

December 2nd, 2043: In a brutal battle in downtown New Omaha, the NOPD and Maverick engaged the mysterious serial killer (a cyborg!). NOPD debuted its "Counter-Cyborg Combat Command" in this battle. They were about to destroy the 'borg when Maverick fired a pistol at the cyborg and destroyed its brain. Maverick was detained while the 'borg's wreck was examined. It was discovered that the 'borg had been killed by a cortical bomb (a small explosive device planted in the brain) that has been activated by a special transmitter. Maverick's pistol was found to have a transmitter of this type. As a result, he was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder, and aiding and abetting a known felon. More charges are expected to be filed in the near future. The NOPD has gone off Code Red status.

December 11th, 2043: In a brilliantly successful operation, the NOPD Special Operations Command annihilated a large Bootleggers hideout in South Omaha near the intersection of 24th and Q streets. While deputized citizens attacked a decoy facility in the area, the NOPD/SOC's Counter-Cyborg Combat Command (C-4) worked speedily underneath the streets using equipment borrowed from local oil-search companies to locate the Bootlegger's tunnel complex.
    When the above-ground attack began, the Bootleggers moved into their tunnel complex, believing themselves to be safe from harm. C-4 operatives traced their movements using sound sensitive detection gear. When the Bootleggers moved into a long section of tunnel that had no side exits, C-4 troops used large shaped charges to seal off that section of tunnel. The C-4 troops then waited for the Bootleggers to die from suffocation. When they finally entered the "Tunnel Of Hate", they found more than 60 dead gang members.
    The surface battle also didn't go well either. A group of eight deputized duelists killed 80 Bootlegger mercenaries, destroyed two 18-wheelers loaded with supplies and leveled the building that they were hiding in. One duelist was killed.
    Police Commissioner John Smith was overjoyed by the results. He said "The troops gave new meaning to the term 'Bootlegger Reverse' today. This is only the beginning."

December 12th, 2043: NOPD officer LeeAnn Anderson fought off an attacker in her Southwest New Omaha apartment today. NOPD spokesman Dave Scott said that “The motive for this attack was murder. Evidence found at the scene leads us to believe that the attacker planned for his victim to be in the law-enforcement community.

December 17th, 2043: Dave Fletcher, CEO of Blaster Motors Co. today announced the release of the 25th model of the BlastFighter vehicle series. There are now three hundred variants of the basic design being produced.

December 18th, 2043: Two NOPD cruisers engaged in a foot and vehicular pursuit this morning. The offenders managed to escape.

December 22nd, 2043: An NOPD officer engaged in a firefight today with a youth who was armed with a sub-machinegun. The youth was seen entering a 24-hour Charge & Go at the corner of 84th and Pacific streets. The officer told a local reporter that "All I had time to do was draw my weapon and fire." The youth was later found to be a member of the Ravens gang.

December 25th, 2043: Following a violent series of gang-related incidents, Police Commissioner John Smith placed all NOPD officers on Code Red status (again).

December 26th, 2043: The home of 1st Lt. Allen Johnson, an active member of the Nebraska National Guard, was destroyed by a bomb at 12:00 last night. 1st Lt. Johnson and his family weren't injured by the blast, as they were attending a play at the time.

December 31st, 2043: An eight year-old girl was saved by an NOPD officer who shielded her from a burst of gunfire. The officer was slightly injured and the girl was unharmed.

January 1st, 2044: Steven Michael Essex, owner of Essex Duelcars, donated $20,000 to the Johnson family in order to help them rebuild their house.
        New Year's Eve partygoers were treated to the sight of pillars of smoke and the sounds of gunfire this morning, as NOPD Special Ops troopers and NOPD regulars systematically annihilated all Bootlegger Gang drug houses in the New Omaha area. Between 4:00 am and 2:00 pm, more than 200 gang members were killed. Some 20 facilities were destroyed in the process. The NOPD suffered 8 minor casualties. An assault on the infamous "Blue Light" district ended with a surprise: the area had already been hit and cleared out. The only clue to the identity of the raiders was several grains of rice found at the scene. Police Commissioner John Smith was pleased with the effectiveness of his anti-gang blitzkrieg, called "Plan Resolution". He said that "It was a complete success, the Raven Gang has been completely eliminated".

January 2nd, 2044: In a response to Commissioner Smith's "Plan Resolution", there has been a mass exodus of lawbreakers and other riffraff from the New Omaha area. In response to this Smith said "Don’t bother running, you'll only die tired!"

This Spring and Summer is going to be very busy for NOVA. We'll be hosting the Regionals (both Dueling and Racing). We'll also be going to GenCon '94, the site of the World Racing Championships. Who will be the next king of the track? Only time will tell.

March 26: Spring Campaign '94 will take place in Omaha, and NOVA will host an event there.

April 22-24: Andromeda One in Lincoln. NOVA will host the Midwest Regionals there.

June 17-19: Contretemps 8 in Omaha. NOVA will run a tournament and other events there.

August 18-21: GenCon '94 in Milwaukee. NOVA will be attending the Racing Worlds, along with running another Godzilla battle and an up-scale racing event.

Quite a few Car Wars movies have already shown up and disappeared. There are only one or two still at the theaters. Let's see what we have.

Now Playing: Batman; Mask of the Phantasm and Ghost in the Machine.

Sequels in the Making: Fortress 2 and Short Circuit 3.

Upcoming Releases: Death Wish 5 and HellFire.

Video Releases: Demolition Man, Robocop 3 and Fortress.

On TV, VIPER looks promising. In the near future, a super Dodge Viper takes to the streets to stop a powerful gang called "The Outfit". This vehicle is outfitted with lots of armored firepower, along with some rather interesting devices. Let's hope that it doesn't suffer the fate of The Highwayman series.

We have no news on the Knight Rider movies. Supposedly, there was going to be a Knight Rider 2010. We can only hope they make it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's hole-fixing time!!

Yes, we're taking on loopholes in an attempt to prevent the reoccurrence of certain surrealistic events which took place in recent duels. To wit:

Rocket Boosters: There's a major loophole in this one for anyone who wants to find it. UACFH states that the minimum amount of rocket boosters one can purchase 10 lbs., and that this amount will give a 10 mph boost to acceleration. This is extremely incorrect. The minimum acceleration should be 2.5 mph. If the booster can't move the vehicle to this minimum speed, it can't move the vehicle at all!! Also, we would like to take the opportunity to correct a typo that has somehow escaped the notice of SJG. When overboosting a vehicle while using rocket boosters, bending the chassis causes the vehicle's HC to go to -6 for the rest of the game, not going to HC 6 as written in the Compendium II or the Catalog From Hell.

Oil and Ice: It just doesn't add up! Before reaching this decision, we experimented with this combination and applied a little logic to it. Oil and ice hazards shouldn't be cumulative, as ice and oil don't mix (think oil and water). If it's tried, all you get is an oily slush (with only a D2 hazard). In order to get the big hazard, the two counters must be laid side-by-side.

APFSDS Ammo: For the past few years, we've seen the use of Ant-Tank Guns loaded with APFSDS ammo. This combination equals a cheap Blast Cannon, which can be brought into Divisions as low as 10. The average damage done is 16.5 points per shot, giving your opponents a D3 hazard every time. This is just a bit much, so we've decided to outlaw it in arena combat. APFSDS ammo will still be legal for use on the road.

-: BC not as good as ATG
+: BC is better than ATG
0: BC is equal to ATG

Due to the illegal cars used in the regional championships last year, a stock design was used in this year's club championship. This mid-size design was called the "Firestarter", and had five variants. The contenders for the crown were defending champion Michael Garrity (Firestarter D), Don Jacques (Firestarter B), Chris French (Firestarter B; named "Payback Time"), Norman McMullen (Firestarter Basic) and John Scheibler (Firestarter B).
    The duelists entered the Aksarben Arena at 30 mph. While Don drove around the outer obstacles, everyone else milled around the middle of the arena. Don dropped junk between two obstacles, and combat began when John and Norman fired at each other. Both hit and did minor damage to each other. They fired again, then maneuvered around the center TV tower. Meanwhile, Michael and Don started to close in on John.
    Norman did a hard bend away from John. John fired into Norman's rear, doing minor damage. Don had no target, and held his fire. John and Michael both followed Norman.
    Norman drove around an obstacle while activating his minedropper. John turned to face Michael, who did a hard bend to evade and flipped his car. John rammed Michael's right side, forcing him into a jump. Meanwhile, Chris entered a tunnel which passed through one of the obstacles. Norman came around the obstacle, saw Chris and traded fire with him. Both did minor damage to each other. Michael stopped rolling and drove up the jump, leaving a flame cloud behind him while Don came around the TV tower. As Michael jumped, Don fired at his bottom, doing minor damage. John ducked around the jump and met Norman, who was coming around from the opposite direction.
    John fired into Norman's side. Norman maneuvered between John and the jump, unloading a mine. John dropped junk; Norman couldn't avoid it. He spun out into the wall doing .minor damage to his armor. Michael landed from his jump and turned to face John. Don turned towards Michael and dropped more junk. John and Michael traded fire. Norman got moving again and went after John. Chris ducked back into the tunnel.
    Michael rammed John, eliminating him. Chris rammed Don's front, killing him. Norman fired on Michael while dropping mines, then headed for Chris and hit his side with VMG fire. He continued to close on Chris, carving chunks out of his rear armor. Michael threaded his way through the mines and junk and rejoined the battle.
    It appeared that Chris' number was up. This was partly true; someone's number was up -- specifically Norman's number. Chris dropped junk. Norman again could not evade, and he lost his front tires. He skidded to a stop with his nose inside one of the gates. Michael fired, hitting Norman's rear armor. He then called for Norman's surrender, which he promptly gave. This later was re-scored as a half-kill for Michael and Chris.
    Chris turned to face Michael, hitting his heavily damaged right side with VMG fire and a ram. Michael's armor was breached, and a fire started inside Michael's car. Chris turned away to set up another attack run. This action proved to be irrelevant, as the fire reached Michael's power plant and flame-cloud ejector. Michael's car exploded, leaving Chris as the winner.

Finishing Positions (Kills)

• 1st: Chris French (2 l/2 kills + survivor point)
• 2nd: Michael Garrity (1 l/2 kills and killed)
• 3rd: Norman McMullen (killed)
• 4th: Don Jacques (killed)
• 5th: John Scheibler (killed)

Vehicles

Firestarter Basic -- Mid-size, x-hvy chassis, large PP, hvy. suspension, 4 PR tires, driver, 2 linked VMGs (each with incendiary ammo) front, MD (with napalm mines) back, 2 FkDs (non-specific locations). FP plastic armor: F50, R50, L50, B50, T5, U20 (225 points). Accel. 5, Top speed 92.5, DM 1, HC 3; 5,760 lbs., $19,410.

Variant A -- Remove 1 VMG. Add FCE back with additional link and 45 points FP plastic armor (270 points). $18,890.

Variant B -- Remove both VMGs, MD and VMG-VMG link. Add 4 linked MGs (each with incendiary ammo) front, 2 linked JDs back, link (4 MGs and 2 JDs), 2 FkDs (non-specific locations) and 5 points FP plastic armor (230 points). $19,530.

Variant C -- Remove MD and VMG-VMG link. Move one VMG into 2-space turret. Add 2 FkDs (non-specific locations), smart link (turret VMG and front VMG) and streamlining. FP plastic armor: F40, R40, L40, B40, T45, U20 (225 points). Top speed 100. $19,860.

Variant D -- Remove MD, 1 VMG and VMG-VMG link. Add FCE back, link (VMG and FCE), spoiler, airdam, streamlining and 50 points of FP plastic armor (275 points). Top speed 100. $19,880.

This event was held in the brand-new Aksarben Speedway in New Omaha. The competitors were Michael Garrity, regional champion Chris French, Norman McMullen and Don Viner. The racing vehicles were Division 30 luxury cars. Only 2 spaces of direct-fire weapons were allowed, with the maximum damage for individual weapons being two dice or less. Dropped weapons were prohibited.
    The racers' starting positions had Norman at the pole, followed by Chris, Michael and Don. The racers crossed the starting line at 100 mph. Norman and Chris lead the way, entering the first turn side-by-side. Michael closed in on them, while Don fell back after reaching 132.5 mph. On second 4, Michael passed Norman and Chris. On the hairpin turn, Chris passed Norman and closed in on Michael as they went down the back straightaway.
    Michael held the lead for the first lap and two-thirds of the second. Chris and Norman closed with Michael. Chris passed Michael on second 12, while Norman closed on both of them. Chris’ gunner fired his HAVR at Norman twice, doing minor damage to Norman’s power plant. The battle continued for the next two turns; by this time, everyone was catching up on Don, who had just completed his first lap. Don fired his two HMGs at Chris, doing minor damage. Don was then left "in the dust", as the trio passed him and completed their second lap.
    Michael and Chris continued their battle for the lead: Chris finally ended up in front of Michael. Norman slowed down, deciding not to push his luck (or his badly abused power plant). Don realized that he couldn't win, and headed for the pits -- which he had just passed. He attempted two D6s, lost control and flipped. Don's car was destroyed and he was killed.
    The race was called with Chris being declared the winner by 7 l/2 feet (l/2" in game terms). Both Chris and Norman had suffered major damage to their power plants due to exceeding their top speeds (Norman had also taken a weapon hit to his plant). The victory made Chris French the first Double Champion in NOVA history.

Finishing Positions (Laps)

• 1st: Chris French (2)
• 2nd: Michael Garrity (2)
• 3rd: Norman McMullen (2)
• 4th: Don Viner (1)

Average Speed: 245 mph

Completed Laps: 2 l/3

Vehicles

Nuclear Banana VI S (Chris French) -- Streamlined luxury, x-hvy. chassis, T-Cat PP with PlatCats and overdrive, hvy. suspension, 4 racing slick PR tires, driver, passenger, HD shocks, plastic spoiler, plastic airdam. Sloped plastic armor: F40, B45, R40, L40, T0, U0 (165 points), 10 pts. plastic CA around power plant, driver and passenger. Accel. 15 (10 with overdrive), Top speed 205 (225 with overdrive), DM 1, HC 5 (6 at 60 mph +); 6,600 lbs., $30,000.

Michael Garrity's Car -- Streamlined luxury, std. chassis, 700 ci ICE with overdrive and 5-gallon dueling fuel tank, hvy. suspension, 4 racing slick PR tires, driver, plastic spoiler, plastic airdam, HDABS. Plastic armor: (0 points). Accel. 20 (15 with overdrive), Top speed 200 (220 with overdrive), DM 2/3, HC 5 (6 at 60 mph +); 3,905 lbs., $27,725.

Warp I B (Norman McMullen) -- Streamlined luxury, x-hvy. chassis, T-Cat PP with PlatCats and overdrive, hvy. suspension, 4 racing slick PR tires, driver, MG back, HD brakes, plastic spoiler, plastic airdam. Sloped metal/plastic armor: F7/0, R6/0, L6/0, B14/0, T1/0, U2/0 (36 points/0 points). Accel. 15 (10 with overdrive), Top speed 205 (225 with overdrive), DM 1, HC 5 (6 at 60 mph +); 6,570 lbs., $28,480.

Don Viner's Car -- Streamlined amphibious luxury, std. chassis, sport PP with PlatCats and SuperCons, hvy. suspension, 4 radial HD tires, driver, 2 linked HMGs back, SWC, plastic spoiler, plastic airdam. Plastic armor: F30, R30, L30, B30, T7, U8 (135 points). Accel. 10, Top speed 137.5, DM 1, HC 4 (5 at 60 mph +); 5,492 lbs., $28,450.

This feature makes a return with more duel-oriented slang for everyone.

Ground Pilot: A high-speed car driver

Crotch-Rocket: Any cycle with an acceleration of 15 mph +. Also known as a "bullet-bike".

Free (state) Air Force: Any duellist who rolls or jumps frequently. Example: Jack* is a member of the Free Missouri Air Force.

( *: of "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick fame")

Part of the fun of this section is guessing which events the quotes refer to. Anyone with any guesses should let us know.

"There can be only one": Highlander movies and series.

"There’s always someone better than you": Old gunfighter's saying.

"The 11th Commandment; Thou shalt not get away with it": The Created and the Destroyed: The Destroyer Xl (book) and Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.

"It's all on the wheel, it all comes around": Ace Hunter, MegaForce.

"He doesn't know about the three seashells": Demolition Man.

"You can't do this!!": Craig Sheeley.

Meat Loaf -- Bat Out Of Hell II. "Anything for Love” may be a little slow for actual combat rock, although it makes great driving music.

Weird Al Yankovic: Happy Birthday. Listen to it and you’ll see why.

That's it for Combat Rock this issue. Hopefully we'll have more next time around.

This issue we feature four vehicles that are notable for one reason or another. Some aren't up to the current year or recent rulings. So it goes.

Porsche 988 -- Mid-size, x-hvy. chassis, large turbocharged Can-Am ICE (from AutoVenture 1: TurboFire) with overdrive, active hvy. suspension, 4 PR tires, driver in safety seat, GG in turret, extra GG magazine below turret, 6 CDs, anti-theft system with 6 APGs and 6 SkDs, cyberlink, high-speed handling package, HDABS, radar, radar detector, LD radio, tinted/no-paint windshields, infracom, link (radar detector, radar jammer and CDs). RPFP plastic armor: F40, R30, L30, B40, T40, U20 (200 points), four 10-pt. RPFP plastic AWHs. Accel. 10, Top speed 205 (225 with overdrive), DM 1, HC 4; 5,760 lbs., $77,250.

Corvette 36 -- Luxury, x-hvy. chassis, T-Cat PP, hvy. suspension, 4 PR tires, driver, AC (with extra magazine) front, FOJ back, HRSWC. FP plastic armor: F45 (ramplate), R20, L20, B30, T12, U15 (140 points). Accel. 15, Top speed 180, DM 1, HC 3; 6,590 lbs., $35,255.

HammerFighter -- Luxury with CA frame, x-hvy. chassis, blueprinted 150 ci ICE (with tubular headers, VP turbocharger and 5-gallon dueling fuel tank), hvy. suspension, 4 PR tires, driver, 2 linked ATGs (each with 6 APFSDS rounds, 4 HESH rounds and rotary magazine) front, OJ  corner-mounted back, ID corner-mounted back, SS (with hot smoke) under, link (OJ and ID), 2 IcDs (1R, 1L), 2 ODs (1R, 1L), 2 bumper triggers (right, right IcD and right OD; left, left IcD and left OD), HRSWC, 5 LRWs (1F, 1R, 1L, 1B, 1T), 5 links (each LRW and SS). Sloped metal/plastic armor: F20/40, R0/60, L0/60, B0/48, T0/10, U0/10 (20 points/228 points). Accel. 10, Top speed 70, 45 MPG, DM 1, HC 3; 6,600 lbs, $40,344.
    Option -- Remove both ATGs, both rotary magazines and ATG-ATG link. Add HVMG (with explosive ammo, extra incendiary magazine and magazine switch) front, HD shocks and steelbelting to all four tires. 6,590 lbs, $46,394.

Hershiser -- Luxury, x-hvy. chassis, super PP, hvy. suspension, 4 solid tires, driver, gunner, HMG in turret, OG front, PG (with ice ammo) front, link (OG and PG), 2 SWCs. Sloped plastic armor : F35, B35, R35, L35, T20, U14 (174 points), four 10-pt. plastic WGs. Accel. 5, Top speed 102.5, DM 1, HC 2; 6,600 lbs, $19,228.
    Version A -- Replace super PP with large PP and SuperCons. Add steelbelting to all four tires. Upgrade both SWCs to HRSWCs. Sloped plastic armor: F50, B40, R50, L50, T12, U10 (212 points), 10 pts. plastic CA protecting driver and gunner together. Top speed 90. $23,064.
    Version B --  Convert frame to CA. Remove 1 SWC. Sloped plastic armor: F60, R50, L50, T50, B50, U14 ( 274 points). $29,328.

Zentradei Imperator -- Luxury, x-hvy. chassis, large PP with SuperCons, hvy. suspension, 4 SB PR tires, driver, gunner, RR (with HESH ammo) in 2-space turret, 2 linked VFRPs front, 2 SWCs. Sloped plastic armor: F50, R40, L40, B35, Tl0, U15 (190 points). Accel. 5, Top speed 90, DM 1, HC 3; 6,600 lbs, $21,855.
    Option -- Add IRTL and LGL for VFRPs. Upgrade SWC to HRSWC. Remove 5 points of sloped plastic armor (185 points). $34,295.

Long-term readers of the old ADQ will remember an article by Greg Porter on vehicle design strategy. The article was printed in ADQ l/3, and compared vehicular weapons on the basis of cost, weight and spaces. The purpose of this article will be to compare the various types of tank guns in order to assist the novice AFV designer in making weapon choices.

The formula that Greg Porter used to calculate weapon efficiency is listed below.

Weapon Efficiency = (# of shots x Average Damage x Hit Probability) / (Space or Cost or Weight). Hit probability is the to-hit score expressed as a percentage (A to-hit score of 6 equals a 50% hit probability).

The following values were calculated assuming the weapon in question is equipped with a long barrel and a full load of standard ammunition. The target range is 20" or less.

ATG: An anti-tank gun shouldn't be used as the main armament of an AFV unless you're designing an AFV to kill cars, or bound by budget constraints. The wide variety of available ammunition makes it a good secondary weapon for AFVs.

RFTG: This weapon would be an ideal choice as the main armament of a light tank. It has the same damage potential and ammunition capacity as a 75mm TG, while being smaller, lighter and less expensive.

75mm TG: Don’t use this weapon unless an RFTG isn't available.

90mm TG: A good choice for a medium battle tank. It has more ammunition capacity than any larger tank gun, as well as the ability to pierce significant amounts of armor in one shot.

105mm TG: This weapon is the writer's choice for arming a heavy battle tank. It has five times as much ammunition as its two larger brothers, for only a fraction of the cost and weight.

120mm TG: Don't use this weapon unless you're designing an AFV with lots of room for extra shells. The ability of this gun to fire missiles isn't that much of an advantage when you consider the fact that it can't fire shells while the missile is in flight.

140mm TG: See above.

This issue, we cover the recent movies dealing with the men-in-blue (especially those who change society for better or worse).

Demolition Man: This movie stars Sylvester Stallone as John Spartan, a cop who was wrongly convicted of killing innocent civilians and sentenced to cryogenic imprisonment. Wesley Snipes plays his opponent, the unstoppable Simon Phoenix (who was sent to the same cryogenic prison as Spartan was). Phoenix manages to escape the prison, and commences to start a reign of terror on the streets of peaceful San Angeles (a not-so-utopian future society).
    Spartan and Phoenix have trouble adjusting to the new society and all its quirks and, while chasing each other all over the city, they cause vast amounts of property damage and fire lots of neat weapons. Spartan lives up to his nickname (Demolition Man) by doing a number on Phoenix at the end of the film.
    This movie is filled with lots of references to "A Brave New World" (Germany in the 1930's) as well as "Political Correctness" and a few inside jokes. It was quite enjoyable, and worth watching several times.

RoboCop 3: Murphy returns as the invincible RoboCop. His job is to stop OCP from relocating people from the future site of Delta City. Along the way, he battles the Rehabilitation Troops (who ship people off to detention centers), cybernetic ninjas (No-gun take note) and the evil Rehab Commander.
    This film brings back the humor and thrills of the first Robocop movie. RoboCop gets a flight pack and puts it to good use. There are some big character changes for one reason or another. To mention them would give away too much. It's worth seeing, and there's talk of a RoboCop TV series. We'll see.

Projects, projects everywhere. Eventually, we'll get to them. To do so, we might have to cut back on plans to publish 5 or 6 Nightmessengers I still want to do them, but I can't do it alone.
    Does anyone know when the Protectorate War is going to end? It's been going on for a year and half now, with no updates since the first six months. We'd like someone to end it so that we can get on to better things. WIBBLE!!
    We'll be back next issue with more dueling happenings. Can New Omaha stand them? Tune in next time and find out.

DRIVE OFFENSIVELY!!

Norman McMullen                Tim Jacques
NOVA President                    NOVA Vice-President

NOVA Works

• Heavy-Duty Flame Cloud Gas Streamer, Discharger Dispenser: Michael Garrity
• Staggered Racing Suspension: Norman McMullen

DuelSlang: Norman McMullen and Chris French

Combat Rock: John Scheibler and Chris French

The Showroom

• Porsche 988: John Schunke
• Corvette 36: Ron Soller
• Hershiser: Norman McMullen and Michael Garrity
• HammerFighter: Michael Garrity
• Zentradei Imperator: John Scheibler

Club Championships: Norman McMullen and Chris French

Nuts and Bolts: Norman McMullen and Chris French

Tank Gun Efficiency: Michael Garrity

Everything Else: Norman McMullen

Editors: Michael Garrity, Norman McMullen and Chris French
 

The Nightmesseger is published quarterly by the New Omaha Vehicular Association, 701 South 22 Street #73, Omaha, NE 68102. All material is copyright 1994 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 situations and characters of the Car Wars background are the exclusive property of Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated, and are used in The Nightmessenger by permission.

Reproduction of any material published in The Nightmessenger without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Any reproduction of Car Wars stories published in The Nightmessenger, or any other unauthorized publication of fiction using the Car Wars background, without the express written permission of Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated, is strictly prohibited.

Annual subscription rate is four dollars per year. Individual issues are one dollar each.

Due to a fire at Norman McMullen's apartment (he wasn't home at the time) both this issue of the NightMessenger and the one before it are late. This is also why the artwork for the various features is missing.
 

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