Car Wars

The game in action.

You know what's a great thing about burning cars? Once they explode, they can't explode AGAIN.

Think Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Post Nuclear holocaust tons of guns and jalopies with crazy welded on armor plates. All in a handy dandy board game. This game was made by Steve Jackson Games in the 80's, and is made of win and twisted steel. (Actually it's paper and cardboard)

There was also a great (for the era) computer RPG made, as well as a tabletop RPG, with players being members of the AADA (American AutoDuel Association).

Background

Car Wars used to be one of the more popular games in the 1980s and early 90s. It gradually fell out of fashion and lost all but the basic publisher support, until only a handful of nostalgic spergs remained and people moved on to other games.

At its core it is a strategy game made with a very detailed, simulationist approach. Players are encouraged to design their own vehicles or modify existing ones, using a very robust and adaptable system. It is played with counters representing cars, trucks and other vehicles. The gaming surface is either an arena (with defined edges and obstacles, similar to a wargame), or a continuous, rolling road.

The good stuff

Twenty Bucks. That is all you will ever have to spend if you want to play this game. Used copies can be found online even cheaper. Fifty bucks gets you everything you will ever need. Car Wars was a thing long before games were monetized, or monetization was even considered to be a word to begin with. Proprietary dice, counters or gaming aids of any kind are not needed to play the game. Upgrades and features are not locked away behind paywalls (looking at you, X-Wing Miniatures).

The game's complexity and technical nature ensures a high replayability. It is possible to simulate different settings, from arena matches and leagues to wasteland skirmishes, car chases and even a full-blown rpg. It is also possible to build vehicles of various sizes and combat and noncombat roles. Want to stage a chase between a salvager bus full of loot and a gang of outlaw truckers? Go ahead. River pirates? War rigs? Helicopters that transform into cars? It's all possible, and it all works within the same system.

The not so good stuff

Did I mention the game was complex as hell? New players who pick up Car Wars will have to struggle with both the construction aspect of the game and with using their probably mediocre invention effectively in the field. Since mistakes made in one part of the game will translate to the other one in karmic fashion, it doesn't make for the best new player experience.

It is also a considerable effort to find players for this game. The steep learning curve and almost complete lack of marketing or publisher support mean games of Car Wars are few and far between. It is possible to play a very basic online version of the game, which is good enough until something better comes along or a miracle happens.

Attempts to revive the game

In 2002 SJG launched a simplified and streamlined version of the game. Back to just cars, without other types of vehicles or rules for construction and design. It was met with as much (or as little) success as you would imagine. It does have one inherent advantage, though. The rules are usable with matchbox and hotwheels cars right out of the box.

In 2016 SJG started work on an even more streamlined and accessible version of the game. In fact, they just kept the brand and designed a completely new game. Proprietary dice are to be used for attack, defense and maneuver. The new version of the game will have actual model cars instead of counters. Sixty different cars will be released and sold in a got to catch them all manner. Car design will be done by taking a basic vehicle and assigning upgrade cards to it, similar to X-Wing. As these things usually go, extra cards will be provided to players who participate in the fiction kickstarter. I have no doubt that most players will simply decide to kill the meat and save the metal, eg. keep playing the old, proven version of the game but use the new full color maps and model cars to do so.

Using different scales

The standard game is played at 1:160 scale, which translates to 1.0x0.5 inch counters representing cars. To play at a different scale using real models, simply double all distances for H0 scale cars, or triple them for matchbox-sized cars. Attaching each car to an appropriately sized base is also recommended.

Making your own stuff

New full color arenas, road sections and the like can be easily made by taking sections of an aerial image, resizing them, and layering an appropriate grid on top of the finished image. New or recolored vehicle counters can also be produced with minimal photoshop skills. At larger scales, a lot of people make their own custom cars and terrain. It's easier than you might think and also one of the appeals of playing at 2x or 3x scale.

Reverse-engineering

There is a lot of stuff that's potentially useful to an autoduelist and considered junk by most people. This includes: Spaced armor taken from German models - perfect for making wheel guards on your models or for hiding exposed radiators. 40k bits are a great source of ram plates, blades, spikes and various melee weaponry. The guns themselves are sadly too bulky to use, use 1/76 or 1/87 guns instead. Warmachine players all have a 3x3 foot playmat they never use. Procure it in exchange for some beers, it is almost perfect for off road dueling. Busted cars can always be make into wrecks or klown kars, or used as organ donors. The floor plates from halftracks and mortar carriers of various scales are a good source of reinforced windows or rams. To make thin, to-scale gun barrels simply heat a plastic sprue over a lighter and stretch it to desired thickness. Expired cards can be cut into strips and turned into window blinds. The material is flexible and almost perfect for this purpose.

Online resources

Large repository of counters for the base game: http://zenseeker.net/PaperMiniatures/CarWars.htm

Online car designer: http://carwars.opentools.org/

Makers of 2x scale el camino, barracuda and t-bird: http://www.schuco.de/en/models/edition_187/cars/-/2/20/ (also some good choices for clown cars and jokermobiles here, inc. bully, beetle and isetta)

[[Category:Board Games][Category:Post-Apocalyptic][Category:Simulationist][Category:Customizable][Category:Awesome]]