4/10/99 - Division 10 Race / Division 5 Duel

Austin Arena and Expo Center

Participants

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Victory Conditions

The victory conditions were again simple - the first team whose race car completed 6 laps was the winner.

This was complicated somewhat by the layout of the arena:

The race took place around the outside, with the duel in the inner octagon. When the duel was reduced to two cars, the 3 walls separating the race track from duelling arena came down, releasing the duelling cars onto the race track. Racers were penalized 1 lap for intentionally leaving the track, and the infield and outside were offroad terrain. Where the edges of the track were not walls separating it from the arena, they were stacked tires, which were a D3 hazard to hit, and which had 10 "DP" per car-width (they didn't actually cause damage, being rubber, but more than 10DP head-on or 20DP sideswipe would put you through the barrier).

Any team firing a tire shot at a race car was penalized 1 lap per weapon fired (accuracy notwithstanding). Race cars were not allowed to use dropped weapons, though duel cars were allowed to use them on the race track. Any immobilized vehicles would be removed from the track immediately by automated maintenance machinery, though debris, obstacles, dropped weapons, etc would not.

Description

The race cars began evently spaced around the track moving at 50mph. The duel cars began stationary, with their backs to the arena wall. All the racers accelerated immediately, with Malachite and Lightning showing the initial edge in speed. The race, however, was not to be very interesting for some time yet.

In the duel, the cars moved slowly away from the walls, turning to find an opponent. The initial moments were slow, though most cars eventually began to close the distance. While Snake circled indecisively in his corner, first blood was scored by Nothing To Lose, who toasted Setter's rear with a flamethrower while dropping a load of caltrops on the arena floor. The Bat quickly avenged Setter, though, launching an astonishing total of 15 rockets into Nothing To Lose!

Though the barrage blew off enormous quantities of plastic, it was not enough to penetrate Nothing To Lose's side, and The Bat immediately surrendered in despair (the player, regrettably, having prior commitments elsewhere...).

Nothing To Lose simply grinned maniacally as all the restrictive armor was removed from the bore of the flamethrower, and happily set Setter alight. Fortunately for Setter, the fire extinguisher system was up to the task, and quashed the blaze in moments. Wet but safe, Setter lit into Snake, who slithered away between the protective walls.

Meanwhile on the race track, Malachite (with one lap nearly complete) was nearly even with Pointer and just shy of the start line after reaching his top speed of over 140 mph. Lightning was not too far behind, having just completed the first lap, and would be in the same situation shortly. Malachite reached Pointer in the first corner, and Pointer attempted to block passage, but only succeeded in sideswiping and forcing Malachite to swerve dangerously around the outside. When Malachite pulled ahead, though, Pointer's Vulcan Machine Gun opened up and the fun began.

Malachite zigzagged crazily across the track, trying to avoid the tracers ripping up his side. While Pointer lightened his load of ammunition, Malachite dodged with some success, and managed to lengthen his lead to the limits of Pointer's accuracy.

Back in the arena, Snake hunkered down and withstood fire, while Setter and Nothing To Lose did their best to dish it out with a Flamethrower and Machine Gun. Nothing To Lose set Snake on fire two different times, but each was put out within seconds - the only casualty was Snake's sole weapon, a paint streamer. Setter lost control, skidding into a patch of Nothing To Lose's spikes, and blowing out one of his tires.

In the race, it was Lightning's turn to pass Pointer. Lightning took the opportunity on a straightaway, but also suffered a sideswipe. Pointer had somewhat less success in leaving momentos of Lightning on the track, though it was still a bruised racer that pulled away. It would be two more laps before Malachite and Lightning caught up with Pointer again.

Setter recovered from his tire disaster in the duel (though interestingly, he never went faster than 10mph for the rest of the duel!), and left trails of plastic at both Snake's and Nothing To Lose's expense. By the time the race got interesting again, the arena floor was littered with clumps of spikes. Snake pulled away and tried to leave the melee behind.

Back on the track, with 3 to 4 laps complete, Lightning slowed down to let Malachite pass Pointer for a second time. Malachite had another eventful attempt to pass, and incurred more sideswipes.

As Malachite drew even with Pointer, Lightning hit the gas and pulled up to both of them. Malachite pulled ahead as Pointer tried to cut off Lightning's passage and Lightning turned sharply to find free space. In the end, nearly three abreast, Malachite and Lightning smashed into each other and after separating and colliding again, ground armor down the entire straightaway, while Pointer took the opportunity to blow through Malachite's side and gas tank.

Leaking fuel but still not disabled, Malachite again swerved madly from side to side as Lightning finished a fifth lap and pulled ahead. The steep curves at the far end of the track gave Malachite the respite he needed to pull ahead and out of range of Pointer's guns. This marked the fifth lap for Malachite as well, and the race entered its final stages.

With the last opportunity to affect the race quickly approaching, the duellists madly attempted to eliminate the competition. Nothing To Lose fled, with the flamethrower's ammunition expended, leaving a spiked trail to discourage pursuit. Setter stopped before reaching the deadly corridor, but taking careful aim, blew through the remaining armor protecting Nothing To Lose's side. As the guts of a spikedropped spilled out onto the floor, Nothing To Lose lost control and spun out, performing a 180 before ending stationary, with the injured side thankfully facing only the arena wall.

Setter turned to face Snake, who had circled the entire arena and was approaching again. Setter nearly punched through Snake's wounded side as well, but was unable to disable him in time. Snake, with his only weapon a charred memory, simply aimed his entire vehicle at Setter and both drivers braced for the impact. Setter's weakened frame was unable to withstand the head-on collision, and crumpled before Snake, crushing both the driver and power plant in the twisted remains.

With this, the duel was reduced to two vehicles, and the walls slipped silently into the arena floor.

Meanwhile the racers had rounded the far end, and were returning down the long straightaway. Pointer continued to shoot up Malachite's abused back armor, but though he could practically see Malachite's interior, was again unable to penetrate. Lightning had only a half lap left as both Snake and Nothing To Lose headed for the race track. Snake and Malachite lit up the airwaves try to coordinate an attack on Lightning.

Snake pulled out onto the track, and accelerated across as Lightning screamed into view at 160 miles per hour. Lightning smashed into the tires in desperation, trying to squeeze every possible inch in order to clear Snake. Snake succeeded, however, clipping Lightning's tail in a last desperate effort. Lightning again smashed against the tires, which gave way before the abuse. Lightning's tail skidded towards the dirt beyond, but had not been hit hard enough, and slipped back onto the track.

Snake took the opportunity to escape through the hole in the tires, leaving a clear track for Malachite. Pointer took a shot at Snake's departing rear, but was unable to damage it significantly. Nothing To Lose was likewise unable to reach relevant parts of the track before Lightning crossed the finish line, bringing the fantastic event to a close.

Awards

First Place:
MearaWorks (Lightning, Nothing To Lose)
Second Place:
Procagem (Malachite, Snake)
Third Place:
ConTexCo (Pointer, Setter posthumously)

Chloe: +2 Driver, +1 Gunner, +1 General, +2 Prestige
Zoe: Deceased
Smokey: +2 Driver, +4 General, +3 Prestige
Maniac: +2 Driver, +2 Gunner, +4 General, +5 Prestige
Nighthawk: +1 Driver, +1 General
Raven: +1 Gunner, +1 General
Falcon: +1 Driver, +1 Gunner, +1 General
Go: +2 Driver, +1 General, +2 Prestige
Lucky: +2 Driver, +1 Gunner, +3 General, +4 Prestige

Salvage Values

Pointer
$5272
Setter
$824
Lightning
$5273
Nothing To Lose
$1610
Nightengale
$5635
The Bat
$2418
Malachite
$5224
Snake
$822

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Last Modified on April 11, 1999.

Aaron Mulder