Postal Speedway

Overview

This is a game where you have to position your speedway bike in the best position, over three laps in order to conserve as much fuel as possible for a sprint to the finish. This first game will have a set up and five racing turns. Each racing turn represents one straight and one corner.

Set Up Turn

Each bike is fuelled with enough petrol to reach the finish, you must tell the GM how many APs (Acceleration points) you want your bike to have, to a maximum of 20. In this game you have the option of picking one of the following OPTIONS:

• Cornering - one AP is deducted if you are in the middle or outside lane
• Great starter - 2 additional APs are added to your first turn's total.
• Shepherding - 1 extra AP is used for each rider on your outside, when taking a corner.
• Slipstreaming - If you are in fourth, you do not suffer the -2AP penalty.
• Gearing - 1 AP is deducted from any you use each turn. You may only play a maximum of 4 APs in any turn.

These options will amend the following rules.

Racing Turns

1. Each player tells the GM how many APs they are going to use, to a maximum of 5.
2. The player with the best total will take the inside lane, second best middle, third best outside.
3. The fourth best takes the inside lane, but 2 APs are deducted from your next turns calculation (these are not deducted from your remaining APs).
4. If the players totals are equal the player with the better lane on the last turn will prevail.
5. If this has not yet been decided, the players will squeeze into the same lane.
6. There is a special rule for the first turn only, if players are equal the player with the least number of APs on set up will get the better lane.
7. If you are in the middle lane you use an extra AP, in the outside lane you use 2 APs.
8. The winner will be the player with the highest AP total after the fifth racing turn.
9. If equal, the player with the best lane (inside, middle, outside, fourth) will win.
10. It is possible to have a negative total of APs, which is fine, but you are unlikely to do well.

Example Set up

Example Racing (first) Turn

Alan and Carol use 5 APs, Brian 4 and Derek 0. Brian would get the inside lane (4 + 2 great starter bonus). Carol would get the middle lane, having used the same amount of APS as Alan, but having fewer APs on set up. Alan would have the outside lane with Derek in fourth.

They then proceed around the corner, Brian uses no APs as he is on the inside lane, Carol has one AP deducted from her total being in the middle lane, Alan also has one AP deducted as he is in the outside lane which would normally suffer a 2 AP deduction, but this is reduced due to his cornering ability. Derek has no deductions, but starts the next turn with a -2 calculation penalty. The riders remaining AP totals would be:

• Alan (20-5-1=14)
• Brian (20-4=16)
• Carol (19-5-1=13)
• Derek (20)

Notes

A normal speedway race is four laps, so this would convert to 7 racing turns, also more than one option could be offered at the start. For the first game in Variable Pig there will be 5 racing turns with 1 option, to keep it simple and see how it plays. Four players will be needed, each supplying starting APs and choosing an option if desired.

by John Walker 2021