Here are the rules we have used for the last 5 races in our league:

(...)

Pilot skill bid got the jumpmaster ahead before the giant cluster bump. The high shield count kept him alive all the way through the race. A lot of high pilot skill guys kept getting screwed up by poor movement choice, so they bumped almost back to the beginning every time.

Looking back, if we race that many again, we will go with a shotgun start.

Edit: The magic card idea is awesome and will be promptly added to our game. Tracking tokens was the hardest part. Thanks for sharing that one

Nice with the pics!

Allowing large bases, and having a racetrack going lefts gives a serious advantage to JM5ks.

The jm5k was the reason for a few right turns, but even those are white, so I don't know if it matters. Large bases really get bounced around though. The track is only 15cm wide, so it's tough. The shields are more important than the turns.

I added a few cards to the original set I sent heychadwick.

https://m.imgur.com/a/o7Lkg

Also I'm playing another game this week. One rule we settled on was no attacks or bombs during the first two rounds.

6. When a player's template or ship crosses an item, that player draws a card. A player cannot draw a card if they already have one. Flip the item marker face-down. At the end of the turn, flip face-up any item markers.

6) The problem with this is if someone gets a really good one then they can hold onto it. I like the idea that you are forced to get a new one. This way you are encouraged to use them up quicker.

7. You have 25 points to spend on a ship plus upgrades. Lone Wolf is banned, and players cannot perform Cloak or SLAM actions (effectively banning Cloaking Device and Burnout SLAM).

25 pts lets you get too many crazy things. Tie Phantom is one. The free boost from a decloak is pretty powerful. You can just de-cloak and cloak every round and get really far ahead.

Also, you can get K-wings with Adv. SLAM, as well.

There are a few more ships allowed if you go with 25 pts and you need to watch out more.

@ Jdling: I like the paper idea. We might try that out.

If anyone is going to GenCon, we are going to have some Mario Kart events on that Friday.

6. When a player's template or ship crosses an item, that player draws a card. A player cannot draw a card if they already have one. Flip the item marker face-down. At the end of the turn, flip face-up any item markers.

6) The problem with this is if someone gets a really good one then they can hold onto it. I like the idea that you are forced to get a new one. This way you are encouraged to use them up quicker.

7. You have 25 points to spend on a ship plus upgrades. Lone Wolf is banned, and players cannot perform Cloak or SLAM actions (effectively banning Cloaking Device and Burnout SLAM).

25 pts lets you get too many crazy things. Tie Phantom is one. The free boost from a decloak is pretty powerful. You can just de-cloak and cloak every round and get really far ahead.

Also, you can get K-wings with Adv. SLAM, as well.

There are a few more ships allowed if you go with 25 pts and you need to watch out more.

6. Yep, this was a conscious decision which, as you said, should encourage people to play cards rather than hold onto them.

7. 25 just sounds better to me than 24, but playtesting will determine if it sticks or not. You'll note that you also quoted the part that bans Cloaking and SLAMing.

I added a few cards to the original set I sent heychadwick.

https://m.imgur.com/a/o7Lkg

Also I'm playing another game this week. One rule we settled on was no attacks or bombs during the first two rounds.

I think you might want to reword this one:

"Any ships that your ship or template overlap during the boost must barrel roll in any direction."

I am suggesting to remove the word "you" before "must" in the phrasing. I think that's what your intent was anyway.

And of course you did this now. I just downloaded, printed, and laminated all of my cards.

6. When a player's template or ship crosses an item, that player draws a card. A player cannot draw a card if they already have one. Flip the item marker face-down. At the end of the turn, flip face-up any item markers.

6) The problem with this is if someone gets a really good one then they can hold onto it. I like the idea that you are forced to get a new one. This way you are encouraged to use them up quicker.

6. Yep, this was a conscious decision which, as you said, should encourage people to play cards rather than hold onto them.

Yes....but if someone get a really good card...they hold onto it and don't care about not getting other ones. They are happy to hold onto the Blue Shell or something. I think if you lose it when you get a new one, then it encourages you to spend one right before you get a new one.

Didn't see the part about Cloaking or SLAM. Doh!

I think you might want to reword this one:

Also technically you're not allowed to Boost if it would overlap something, so may need to make it a maneuver.

I've worked up my own cards as well, which I'll post soon to see what everyone thinks. I tried to get as close to their Mario Kart equivalents as possible, but some get a little complicated, so I may just simplify a few.

Duchess might be added to the banned list.

Duchess might be added to the banned list.

Eh, it's nearly impossible to block her, but she's pretty fragile.

I see large bases, slam, and cloaking as the biggest offenders. I do like some of the ships though: kwings have fun "forward" dials... maybe just say that they can boost instead of slam; phantoms can cloak but not decloak forward; large based ships can only boost using straight 1 template sideways, make the track turn right and then see how many people still choose JM5000!

I think tweaking the ship abilities is better than outright banning. Especially if the point totals go up.

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A PTL + title + EU duchess could "boost", Maneuver, boost + BR... ~8.5 bases of movement with lots of snaking to add or subtract...stressed sure but even every other round that's pretty crazy. You'd have to keep her in mind if you were allowing her on your track.

I see large bases, slam, and cloaking as the biggest offenders. I do like some of the ships though: kwings have fun "forward" dials... maybe just say that they can boost instead of slam; phantoms can cloak but not decloak forward; large based ships can only boost using straight 1 template sideways, make the track turn right and then see how many people still choose JM5000!

I think tweaking the ship abilities is better than outright banning. Especially if the point totals go up.

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A PTL + title + EU duchess could "boost", Maneuver, boost + BR... ~8.5 bases of movement with lots of snaking to add or subtract...stressed sure but even every other round that's pretty crazy. You'd have to keep her in mind if you were allowing her on your track.

Large bases get jammed up in a hurry on narrow tracks.

Slam gets negated by twists and turns.

If dropping cloak, then you gotta drop PTL as well.

This game has too much errata already. Just run it wide open and let track design and point values dictate what gets played.

As fun as it looks, the Mario Kart style weapon cards might be a problem. Spending points to up my shields or pilot skill is getting negated by one person drawing a red shell. Let the game mechanics work for us and see if they balance out any problems.

We are many races in and still have a huge variety of ships and a constantly shifting meta. Let's hold off on bans just yet.

Mario Kart weapons can possibly negate some of the SLAMing and Cloaking shenanigans. Large ships are incredibly difficult to maneuver well on the track, and as long as your points are low have no way to have any relevant upgrades.

I don't think Duchess needs to be banned. Her fastest move is a 3 forward, then a Boost. So, she's in line with other Tie Fighters. Just more maneuverable.

Won our mario kart (Vader Kart) with Ywing Ion turret and unhinged. Had naked t70 ä, valen rudor and tractorbeam scyk against me.

Got over first half without dying. And whenever someone got close to me it would ususually get ioned (t70 most of the time that got second)

We had 2 tracks with 4 players each as we were in a christmas party. Tracks were tough.. tougher than they needed to be and tight to maneuver on.

Valen rudor won the other one with SF getting second.

Yes, I think making the tracks a bit nastier will make it more effective.

I've also had an idea that I can't recall if I posted here. Build in short cuts that only get opened once the first player gets past a certain point. It only really helps those that are rather far behind, but it's a great way to keep them in the game.

Yes, I think making the tracks a bit nastier will make it more effective.

I've also had an idea that I can't recall if I posted here. Build in short cuts that only get opened once the first player gets past a certain point. It only really helps those that are rather far behind, but it's a great way to keep them in the game.

Tracks are the real key to keeping things from getting out of hand.

We allow shooting through walls (it is obstructed) and a snakey course keeps guys in range a lot of the time, especially for turrets. I have also had a lot of success with a TLT Y-wing and with a title only on the JM5K.

Turrets only on the second half of the course also rein in ships that are too far ahead.

I love to get feedback like this as it helps me who can't do enough games to get enough practice myself. We might try it out this Thursday night.

I love to get feedback like this as it helps me who can't do enough games to get enough practice myself. We might try it out this Thursday night.

To piggy back off of your shortcuts idea, we ran a race on a figure 8 course recently. No turrets, but since we were constantly crossing paths, the race leaders would get smoked back to a checkpoint on a regular basis.

I love to get feedback like this as it helps me who can't do enough games to get enough practice myself. We might try it out this Thursday night.

To piggy back off of your shortcuts idea, we ran a race on a figure 8 course recently. No turrets, but since we were constantly crossing paths, the race leaders would get smoked back to a checkpoint on a regular basis.

I was just designing one of those!!!

Yes, I think making the tracks a bit nastier will make it more effective.

I've also had an idea that I can't recall if I posted here. Build in short cuts that only get opened once the first player gets past a certain point. It only really helps those that are rather far behind, but it's a great way to keep them in the game.

I'm gonna try that tonight. I'll let you know how it goes

I love to get feedback like this as it helps me who can't do enough games to get enough practice myself. We might try it out this Thursday night.

To piggy back off of your shortcuts idea, we ran a race on a figure 8 course recently. No turrets, but since we were constantly crossing paths, the race leaders would get smoked back to a checkpoint on a regular basis.

I was just designing one of those!!!

I did one last time and it was great. He's what my course looked like.

Yes, I think making the tracks a bit nastier will make it more effective.

I've also had an idea that I can't recall if I posted here. Build in short cuts that only get opened once the first player gets past a certain point. It only really helps those that are rather far behind, but it's a great way to keep them in the game.

Tracks are the real key to keeping things from getting out of hand.

We allow shooting through walls (it is obstructed) and a snakey course keeps guys in range a lot of the time, especially for turrets. I have also had a lot of success with a TLT Y-wing and with a title only on the JM5K.

Turrets only on the second half of the course also rein in ships that are too far ahead.

Ive played about 20 games at this point and I found a few general rules for designing tracks that make competitive and still fun races.

1. Add mines to the course. This helps to slow down the frontrunners only since they should be gone after someone passes them.

2. Add switchbacks or double backs which forces the racers to pass each other going opposite directions.

3. Try to have some obstacles, turrets or boxes about every two turns. Long straightaways allow for the leader to keep pulling ahead.

4. Place mystery item boxes right after checkpoints.

5.Add a shortcut with a risk/reward element. If you take the shortcut you miss a checkpoint, boxes or face turrets etc.

I added a few cards to the original set I sent heychadwick.

https://m.imgur.com/a/o7Lkg

Also I'm playing another game this week. One rule we settled on was no attacks or bombs during the first two rounds.

I think you might want to reword this one:

"Any ships that your ship or template overlap during the boost must barrel roll in any direction."

I am suggesting to remove the word "you" before "must" in the phrasing. I think that's what your intent was anyway.

And of course you did this now. I just downloaded, printed, and laminated all of my cards.

i updated it to just assign tractor beam token since thats really what youre doing

Anyone have any more track pics? Most look to be about 4 bases wide or so.