So, the whole thing started when AyBB8 posted on reddit some rules about playing Mario Kart X-wing.
https://www.reddit.com/r/XWingTMG/comments/3sgmyc/casual_format_think_xwing_meets_mario_kart/
Ryan Fiedler then posted on the Shuttle Tydirium Facebook page some pictures of the games he played and some rules he had tweaked from the original. My friend, J-bot, saw this and insisted we try it out. So, I printed out some cards and Mystery Packages and we got to play yesterday.
Here's the rules packet I got from Ryan:
Mario Kart Rules
1. Should your ship's base extend outside of the track or be destroyed it will re-spawn behind the checkpoint you've most recently passed at the start of the next activation phase.
a. We also played a round where the track edge is treated as a wall. Maneuvers will be completed until they bump the wall ( similar to a ship bump) then roll one red dice and suffer any effects. At the end phase you may barrel roll or reverse boost (use rear guides) to get off the wall. This worked well when we played with fewer ships (3 or 4)
2. Re-spawning returns your ship to play with full shields and no damage, but does not return spent ordinance. Spent ordinance is only regenerated after each lap.
3. Bumping during a race is extra dangerous and causes each bumped ship to roll a red dice and suffer any rolled damage. Standard bumping rules apply (no actions or shooting the ship you are touching)
a. If during a bump one of the ships is destroyed the surviving ship can take their action if able. Example I move, bump another ship and then they are destroyed I then get my action since the ship is no longer in my way.
b. Also I recommend suspend the bumping rule for the first 2 rounds of movement.
4. Each player chooses 2 hazards (asteroids, debris, bombs, ion clouds etc) to place before the race. No hazards can be placed before the first checkpoint. All standard rules apply to the hazards regarding game effects.a. We also have played some games that after the first ship completes a lap the obstacles can be removed and placed again. This helps fix any errors or problems encountered during the first lap.
5. Mystery crates are placed around the map (I recommend they are placed just a little past checkpoints so players that are behind have a chance to catch up). http://m.imgur.com/a/Up7GH
a. Crates are refreshed at the start of the activation phase. When a ships movement or base overlaps a crate they pick up a card from the pile. If a crate regens under a player they still get a new card.
b. If you already have a card you must discard it and pick up a new card (this prevents people from sitting on the good cards).
c. Once all cards have been picked up, shuffle the discard pile and use again.
d. I would recommend adding 2 more green/red shells, bananas and mushrooms. Conner nets were used for bananas
e. Card actions/attacks when used take effect immediately. For example the first ship to move uses the lighting card, all ships take the ion damage at that time.
6. You have 24 points to spend on ships and upgrades. No large base ships, lone wolf or dead man's switch
a. We have done different racing classes with separate point totals, but 24 points keeps out some of the ships that break the scenario (phantoms are too fast, K wing with advanced slam)
7. If your base is on the edge of the track at the end phase you may perform a barrel roll to get you back on the track
8. Turrets shoot at everybody in range, not just the frontrunner. Turrets roll 4 attack die + range bonus. Ships roll defense dice and can use tokens. Turrets shoot first in the combat phase.
9. Shooting across the track edge adds 1 green dice for the defender.
10. Deployment will take place behind the marked start line and will start with the ships with the fewest number of points, ties will be broken by pilot skill with lower PS placing first, further ties will be determined by dice roll.
11. Activation and combat phases use standard pilot skill rules.12. The winner is the first ship whose base fully passes the finish line after the predetermined number or laps.
Credit to this reddit thread which gave me the idea
https://www.reddit.com/r/XWingTMG/comments/3sgmyc/casual_format_think_xwing_meets_mario_kart/
We didn't play with Rule 1A, which has bumping and causing damage.
We did play with the Turrets rolling 4 dice, including +1 for Range 1. This was brutal.
We also banned any type of Cloaking, which at the moment is only from the Illicit upgrade.
The table was on a 4x4 play area. We had white tape for the walls. Blue tape was for Check Points and firing arcs for turrets. We tried to recreate the table that Ryan used. Here is what we came up with:
For list building, I thought about 2 different ships. The first one I was thinking of was:
"Mauler Mithel" (17)
Push the Limit (3)
Engine Upgrade (4)
Total: 24
I liked the Barrel Roll and Boost ability. I liked PTL, but there aren't a lot of good greens. I mean, it's not bad, but it could be better. I also liked rolling a lot more dice at R1. I figured it would happen a lot.
I then thought of:
Omega Squadron Pilot (17)
Push the Limit (3)
Comm Relay (3)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
Total: 24
The dial had a 2 hard turn green. There was a shield added to it. Comm Relay would let me keep that Evade every round. The Mk II engines would make the 3 Bank green. I thought this pretty good.
Other ships included:
Green Squadron Pilot (19)
Crack Shot (1)
Chardaan Refit (-2)
Snap Shot (2)
Autothrusters (2)
A-Wing Test Pilot (0)
Blue Squadron Novice (24)
Zeta Specialist (23)
Collision Detector (0)
Special Ops Training (0)
Concord Dawn Veteran (22)
Lone Wolf (2)
N'Dru Suhlak (17)
Outmaneuver (3)
Engine Upgrade (4)
We then each got to place 2 obstacles. I grabbed a handful. Here's where they ended up:
So....the first turn....I figured I'd try to blast ahead and use PTL to get my Focus and Evade. Everyone else went 2 forward as they didn't want to be the front man! So, I ended up in everyone's crosshairs. It took all of them shooting and some bad rolling on my part, but I went down in flames!
To be honest, I didn't mind as I was only 1 turn behind everyone, and some people didn't even make it past the starting line! Also, I realized that others would die quickly.
This was true as the next round saw two others die!
