Car Wars Referee Questionnaire Version 4.6

Questionnaire for Car Wars referees (Version 4.6)

The point of this questionnaire is to alert Car Wars referees of Car Wars rule conflicts, ambiguities, and variants and to allow them to think out answers to difficult situations before they occur. Referees can then print or post this questionnaire, so that duelists in their games will know how certain situations will be handled. This document is also for duelists, so that they are aware of questions they should ask their referees. I apologize in advance for the length of this document, but many of the questions asked here have popped up in duels in which I have played. In addition, I've collected other less prominent question into a document called "Other Dueling Questions." The most current document can be found at the Madhat website at http://www.ccstech.org/gaming/carwars/misc/default.htm or at the SWAT website at http://www.serv.net/~owenmp/swathome.html. (And hopefully soon at http://www.sjgames.com/car-wars/odq.html.)

What follows is the questionnaire, with my answers to the questions. In many cases, these rulings come straight from Uncle Albert's Catalog from Hell (UACFH), the Car Wars Compendium-2nd Edition (CWC2), or an Autoduel Quarterly (ADQ). Such rulings are quoted in parenthesis with a reference to where it can be found. In ambiguous situations, where it is not conclusive what ruling is more current or correct, I chose the one that works best for me. In most cases, players won't care what your answers to the questions will be, provided they know BEFOREHAND how the rulings will go. This questionnaire was inspired by the FAQ created for the 2048 Car Wars Dueling World Championship by Rob Deis and the Car Wars Rule Committee and much of this comes directly from that. Many thanks to him for helping hammer this out. Much of the document was also inspired by (or taken directly from) the IADA's rule clarification sheet. In addition, this document was helped by the efforts of Michael Owen who typed up a collection of ADQ&As. Many thanks to him for that monumental effort. All of these questions and many others can be discussed on the Car Wars Dueling Debate board located at http://www.delphi.com/carwars. I check that board quite frequently. You can find the most recent version of this document at the Madhat website at http://www.ccstech.org/gaming/carwars/misc/default.htm and at the SWAT webpage at http://www.serv.net/~owenmp/swathome.html. (Currently, an older version is on the Steve Jackson Games Web site at http://www.sjgames.com/car-wars/cwrq.html.) You can also get the most current version of the document from me (in Word format) at efreeman@martnet.com.

There are two types of questions in this document.

1) Questions that are related to the personal preferences of the referee. i.e. When will the duel end? Are passengers allowed? etc.

2) Questions that derive from ambiguities in the rules themselves

For questions of the first type, there really cannot be an “official” answer, as the answer to these questions depend on the personal preferences of the referee. For these questions I just present how I answer these questions for duels that I run. These are the rulings you can expect to be used in the World Dueling Championships (WDC). These questions are put at the front of each section.

Questions of the second type are broken down into various subsections and the answers here represent the official answer from Steve Jackson games. As with anything, I’m sure there will be disagreements with some of my rulings. I encourage you to use whatever house rules you like, as the game is about FUN for you and your fellow players, just make sure new players know what “house rules” you will be using. Let me know how these “house rules” effect/enhance your game play.

Drive offensively,

Eric Freeman

AADA Head Referee

Referee Comments

Vehicle Construction

Personal preferences

General questions

Power Plant questions

Armor questions

Weapon questions

Accessory questions

Trike/cycle questions

Character Questions

Personal preferences

General questions

Combat Questions

Personal preferences

Dropped weapon questions

Direct fire questions

Other combat questions

Fire Questions

Movement/Handling Questions

Crash Table Questions

Scoring/Arena Questions

Referee Comments (Here a referee can outline how they operate and things that may be most surprising to players playing with them for the first time)

I use the AADA Tournament Guidelines in all my duels. You can find a copy of these guidelines at http://www.sjgames.com/car-wars/aada/rules.html

I attempt to use the most recent version of all Car Wars rules with very few variants.

In most cases I will use whatever is written in UACFH.

What is written there will supersede anything that is different in the CWC2.

All exceptions to this are noted below.

In addition, I've tried to point out some of the more significant changes between the two sets of rules.

With the exception of the situations outlined below, if a player can show me in the rules that a decision I've made is in variance from them, then I will change that decision.

Vehicle Construction (Personal Preferences)

What body styles will be allowed?	Any of the standard car, cycle (w/sidecar) and trike bodies will be allowed. Racing bodies will also be allowed. No hovercraft, oversized vehicles, planes, or helicopters will be allowed.
May internal combustion engines be used?	Yes, gasoline engines may be used. However, they must have enough gas in the gas tank to be able to cruise 200 miles as per Vehicle Range in CWC2 and in UACFH, plus one extra gallon of gas for every nitrous oxide tank.
May I tow a trailer behind my vehicle?	No. A trailer would count as a second vehicle, you're only allowed one. And no, you may not use ONLY a trailer and park it at the gate, either.
Will you allow rubber armor to be used?	No.

Vehicle Construction (General)

How do you calculate the number of spaces allowed per side?	A. Slope and/or streamline the chassis B. The total number of spaces is the sum of the remaining regular and cargo spaces. C. Divide the total number of spaces by three and round down. The result is the maximum number of spaces per side. For example, a sloped luxury only has 17 internal spaces, so it can only mount 5 spaces worth of weaponry out any one side.
How do you calculate the number of spaces used on a side?	For each of the six sides of the vehicle, add up the space taken by all the weapons on that side. The space taken by magazines is added to the space taken by the weapon to which it is attached. The space taken by component armor is also added to the weapon(s) it protects. The space taken by weapon concealment also counts. The space taken by rocket boosters and jump jets mounted on each side is added to the number of spaces mounted on each side. Weapons and magazines mounted in the comer count against the l/3 space rule for BOTH sides that make up the comer it is mounted on.
If I have a Six-Wheeled Chassis, how do I place the tires and how does it effect other chassis modifications?	You can either place the tires side by side or one in front of the other. In the first case, one wheelguard and one armored wheelhub protect both, but any excess damage on the outer tire (when shot at from the side) goes to the inner tire. In the second case, two separate wheelguards and two armored wheelhubs are required, and excess damage only goes on to the next tire if fired at from the rear (front). The extra $100 for a six wheeled chassis is a flat fee and does NOT apply to other body or chassis modifications.
I saw in quite a few ADQs that Steelbelting was upped to adding 33.3% to the DPs of a tire, however in both CWC2 and UACFH it lists as the old 25%. Which is it?	This is a tricky issue since it seems that the ADQs in question may have been published after UACFH. However, since most duelists can't access these ADQs and since it is 25% in both UACFH and the Compendium, this is what I'll go with.

Vehicle Construction (Power Plant)

Can gas tanks be put in cargo space?

No. The gas tank is a vehicular component, so it can't be put into cargo space. That means component armor for the gas tank must also use regular space.

Vehicle Construction (Armor)

If you get metal armor, must your wheelguards be metal?	No. Wheelguards (as well as any other external accessory such as wheelhubs and EWP armor) can be metal or plastic, regardless if there is metal and/or plastic frame armor present. The specific composition of the material wheelguards/hubs are made of (metal or plastic) must match the specific composition of the material that is used for the frame armor (metal or plastic). For example, if the frame armor of a vehicle is LR metal and FP plastic, wheelguards on this vehicle can be LR metal and/or FP plastic. If there is no plastic (metal) on the frame, then the accessory can be made of any type of plastic (metal).
What items can or cannot be component armored together?	From UACFH it states that component armor is "Assigned to any one vehicular component or crew position..." What defines ONE vehicular component or crew position? I'm going to rule it this way, items in different damage locations CANNOT be component armored (CAed) together. So, the Driver cannot be CAed with the Engine and/or the Gas Tank, the Gas Tank cannot be CAed with the Engine, the Gas tank can't be CAed with front weapons, etc. Items in the same damage location may be CAed together or separately. So a Driver and Gunner can be CAed together or separately. Weapons in the same facing may be CAed together or one single weapon in that facing may be CAed.
Do accessories connected to the power plant (such as a nitrous tank, fire extinguisher, supercharger, and/or laser battery) have to be component armored with the power plant itself?	Yes. When putting component armor around a power plant, add the spaces of the power plant accessories to the space of the power plant when calculating the cost/weight of the component armor.
Can polished (laser reflective) metal armor be distinguished from regular metal armor during walk-around descriptions?	No. The nature of armor (metal or plastic) in only revealed when damaged. (ADQ 6/3) Also, "if [your armor] takes damage from a laser, you must reveal whether it is laser reflective." (ADQ 6/3) No information about armor type at all is revealed during walk-arounds except for sloping.

Vehicle Construction (Weapons)

Do radio detonated mines require a radio detonator?	No. The mine dropper can send the signal.
Can a targeting lasers be mounted on a rocket platform?	"Yes." (ADQ 7/2)
Can smokescreen generators, oil jets or paint sprays be turret mounted?	"OJs drop oil on the ground, not squirt it some distance; they'd be pretty useless in a turret for anything but getting the top of your car dirty. SSs and PSs are OK, though. Dropped weapon projectors like the OPG and GS can be placed in turrets and can be aimed like other direct-fire weapons." (ADQ 2/2)
Can a VFRP or a MFRP be incendiary?	No. This is stated clearly in UACFH. For MFRPs, this is contrary to what is written in the CWC2R.

Vehicle Construction (Accessory)

Can overdrive be used on gas-powered vehicles?	I will rule that though overdrive can physically be put on a gas-powered vehicle, overdrive will NOT be allowed on gas engines in the arena. IMHO, allowing overdrive on a gas engine tilts the balance towards gas engines too much. For $400, it would eliminate the gas engine's weakness of a low top speed.
Can I use a SWC with a smart link?	From UACFH, "SWCs cannot be used if the weapon it is to be attached to is Smart Linked to any other weapons."
Do gasoline-powered vehicles need a laser battery to run targeting lasers?	No.
How much do HD shocks really cost?	HD shocks cost $400 per wheel, not $400 total.
Can Overdrive or Hi-Torque Motors be linked to other items?	"Yes. Non weapon items may be linked at the usual cost of $50." (ADQ 3/2)
If I have metal or composite armor how much do bumper spikes and fake metal ramplates cost?	For a car with composite armor, a fake ramplate or bumper spikes cost and weighs as much as 5 points of the plastic armor (modified for sloping) underneath the metal. For cars with only metal armor, the cost and weight is that of 5 points of standard plastic (modified for sloping).

Vehicle Construction (Trike)

Is a smart link necessary for right and left weapons on a trike to be fired at a target in the front arc, or will a standard link do?

You can use a standard link to utilize this feature for trikes.

Can I use a SWC with linked weapons on a trike that are mounted on different sides?

Yes. However, the SWC bonus will only apply to the weapon to which it is attached. If you want a bonus to hit with both weapons together, you need to buy the regular targeting computer.

CWC2 says reversed trikes "cost an extra 50% for the chassis." Is this an increase in the actual *body* cost or an increase to chassis *changes*?

This is an increase in the BODY cost and is clearly stated as such in UACFH.

Character Questions (Personal preferences)

How many people are allowed in the vehicle?	Crew will consist of driver only or driver and gunner. No passengers.
Will the Alternate Encumbrance rules be used?	Yes. All personal items will count against both the weight and cost of the vehicle. In addition, drivers and gunners will be limited to 6 grenade equivalents each. No backpacks will be allowed.
How many skill points will the crew get?	Crew members will have 30 skill points each, with no more than 20 allotted to any single skill.
Will reflex rolls be used?	Reflex rolls will be set to 4 for all players. Driver skill bonuses will apply to this roll.
What items may the crew carry/use?	Each crew member may wear any legal combination of a single suit of body armor of any type, flak jacket and/or a fireproof suit. Crew members may also carry Personal Fire Extinguishers. Other personal equipment will not be allowed.

Character Questions (General)

Can a driver carry a PFE without taking up any vehicle spaces for the PFE?

"Hand weapons take up no ... space." (CWC2) Also, "any character ... may use a hand weapon any turn he or she does not fire a vehicle weapon," (CWC2) so the PFE may be used normally. Some people rule that it must take up a cargo space. This will only be true for me, IF carrying the PFE puts you over 6 GEs of equipment.

What is the weight for Body Armor?

Body Armor is listed at 10lbs in the CWC and 5lbs in UACFH. I believe the latter was a typo, so the weight for regular body armor is 10lbs.

Combat Questions (Personal preferences)

Will the optional confetti rule be used?	The Confetti Rule will NOT be used in my games.
Will Ram Concussion be used?	Yes.
For collision purposes, how big is a car? The size of the counter, or is some allowance made to show that compacts are smaller than luxuriess?	A collision will be ruled whenever vehicle counters come in contact. No allowance will be made for size differences in vehicles that use the same counter size.
Will measuring the range to a target use up my firing action?	I'll use the following procedure found in ADQ 10/2. "Measuring the range to a target will be a firing action -- the vehicle can fire in the same turn it measures range ONLY at the target it measured to. Example: Car A measures the range to Car B, which is too far away to hit, so Car A saves his ammo and doesn't fire. Car A has still used his firing action, and cannot fire in that turn (unless it is at Car B). Car B measures the distance to an oncoming obstacle, using up his firing action. Car C measures the distance to Car B, then fires at Car B in the same turn."
Are you going to use the "Make Them Take the Shot" suggestion in ADQ 10/2?	No. The suggestion is as follows, "If a car has a good shot at a target, and doesn't have a target its pounding on, make the Pilot take the shot. A "good shot" means an 8 or better to-hit, with at least 5 shots of ammo left in the weapon (or 5 or more mine counters still on the map)."
What are the limits on communication between players?	I will not allow players to make deals. Secret communications will be not allowed; anything that's said, everyone can hear.

Combat Questions (Dropped weapon)

What is the hazard for driving through a Flame Cloud?	There is a discrepancy between what is written in UACFH and the CWC2. In UACFH, "The D hazard for driving through a flame cloud is calculated by totaling the total damage taken and applying the D for damage normally (this will usually be a D3 hazard). In the CWC2, "Driving from open air into a burning flame cloud is a D2 hazard." I'll go with what is written in UACFH.
What is the hazard for driving through Flaming Oil?	There is a discrepancy between what is written in UACFH and the CWC2. In UACFH, "The D hazard for driving through a flaming oil slick is calculated from the total damage inflicted, using the normal method. The +D2 for taking damage on Oil is added to the hazard if any damage is taken." In the CWC2, "Flaming Oil slicks add D2 to any maneuver or hazard and are a D1 when driven over." I'll go with what is written in the UACFH.
What is the hazard for hitting a patch of ice?	In CWC2 it is a D2. In UACFH it does not mention this. The question is whether it was left out intentionally. In the description for Snow Tires in UACFH (highlighted as a "NEW item"), it states that it "...reduces the hazard of hitting an ice-dropper patch of ice to D1." I'll take this to mean that the omission in the description for ice was a mistake and that when hitting ice, you DO take a D2 penalty.
What happens when multiple counters of the same dropped weapon are overlapped?	I'll use the following from the CWC1 Errata Sheet, "Dropped solid weapons may be stacked for cumulative effect. That means that multiple mine counters or spike counters may be dropped on a spot. Any vehicle crossing the counters or the surrounding 1/4 inch must roll for each counter and suffer damage from every counter that detonates. The same is not true of dropped liquid or dropped gas weapons. Multiple gas or liquid counters of the same type, in the same area, do not have cumulative effect. Two flame clouds at the same spot will have the same effect as one; two flaming oil counters in the same spot will act as one. However, a vehicle hitting an area with a flame cloud on top of a flaming oil will suffer the effect of both weapons."
How do you figure the damage/hazard for a car going through several flame clouds, ice slicks, or flaming oil slicks?	A car must COMPLETELY exit a cloud or slick before it can "hit" another of the same type. However, if the car is still in contact after 5 phases, then it will take another round of damage and/or hazards. Thus, a hitting a HDFOJ slick only counts as hitting one counter, not many. If someone had a FOJ on automatic and you are trailing behind, you'll only take one FOJ hazard per turn. The exception being if your car completely comes off the slicks and then comes back on, where it would again be accessed the hazard.
What is the hazard modifier for Oil+Ice, Ice+Ice, or Oil+Oil?	When a vehicle is on several slicks, only the worst penalty applies, so +D4, +D4, and +D2, respectively.
If a machine gun and an oil slick are linked, and the link is fired while the following car is within 1" directly behind, is the hazard the following car takes for the MG at a +2 for the oil?	No, the oil won't take effect until next phase. All weapons fire in a phase is simultaneous and happens AFTER all movement.
Do solid (and plasticore) tires take damage from debris and/or obstacles?	Solid tires are immune to damage from debris or obstacles. Plasticore tires take damage as normal, until they take 4 points of damage and the core is exposed. When a vehicle with solid tires encounter debris or obstacles, damage for each tire may be rolled, and the fact that the tire is solid is only revealed if the debris/obstacle does damage (which the solid ignores). If the driver doesn't care if his/her solid tires are revealed, then he/she can waive these "pseudo" damage rolls.
In what situations, including radio detonations, will mines do underbody damage?	If mines are detonated by pressure triggers or proximity fuses, any vehicle in the detection range takes underbody damage. If mines are detonated remotely, any vehicle within 1/4" of the counter will take underbody damage.
Do guards and hubs protect from mine tire damage?	If a car takes underbody damage from the mines (see above), guards and hubs don't protect the tires. If a car does not take underbody damage from the mines, but is within the 1" blast radius of a mine counter when it explodes, then there is a chance that the vehicles' guards and/or hubs will protect the tires. Draw a line from the center of the mine counter to the tire. If the guard and/or hub blocks this line, then it can protect from the blast. (i.e. If mines go off on the right side of a car and both the left and right tires are within the 1" blast radius, then the guards and/or hubs will protect the right tires, but not the left tires. In addition guards can protect from blast from the front or back, while hubs do not.)
How will pressure triggered mines and spikes be handled?	When a car is within 1/4" of the counter, the ref (or an uninvolved player) rolls SECRETLY for the counter. If a 1 or 2 is rolled, the vehicle sets off the counter immediately. If a 3 or 4 is rolled and the vehicle subsequently rolls over the counter itself, then at that point the counter will be set off. This prevents what I call "mine double jeopardy," where on one phase you get within 1/4" or the counter and on the subsequent phase you cross the counter. Some referees would make the player roll twice to see if they set off the mines. This seems to me that this penalizes a player who fully intended to run over the counter, but wasn't lucky enough to get over it completely in one phase of movement.
If I just dropped spikes/mines can a subsequent maneuver/ hazard/ collision cause me to set them off?	Yes. You have a chance to hit your own spikes/mines if a maneuver, collision or crash table result (commonly a fishtail), causes part of the car counter to go directly over the spike/mine counter (i.e. in the 1-4 detection radius).
If the distance fired through smoke/paint is not exactly a multiple of 1/2", do you round up, down or neither?	Neither. Round to the nearest 1/2".
In the CWC, it states that spikes are not considered “enemy fire.” What about other spike loads, such as explosive or incendiary?	Explosive spikes, like mines, are considered “enemy fire” and create a hazard. No other spike ammunition type creates a hazard.
How is the removal of dischargers handled in a flame cloud?	If a discharger takes damage from a flame cloud, the discharger is removed on a roll of a 1 on 1d.
If someone drops a pressure triggered item (i.e. mines, spikes, or pyro oil) right in front of me during the combat portion of the phase, do I check to see if they are triggered immediately or do I wait until I move again?	You wait until your next movement to resolve the pressure-triggered item. If you do not move, you will not set it off.
Do flame clouds leave smoke behind after they are burned out?	No. From UACFH, “burns for two turns…then is removed from the map.”
If I’m moving two inches in one phase and I have a dropped weapon on automatic, do I drop two counters (1 for each inch of movement) or just one?	Just one. “..a counter of the appropriate type is placed behind the vehicle every phase the vehicle moves.” (CWC2) The automatic fire happens simultaneous to all other firing in that phase.
Are dropped solid and dropped liquid weapons visible if dropped under dropped gasses?	"Dropped weapons are invisible in smoke or paint." (ADQ 2/1) The player firing the hidden (or not hidden) counters should make a note of what is there and show the referee.

Combat Questions (Direct fire)

What happens when two or more weapons that are linked hit, and each does 10+ damage? Is the hazard D3 or D6? The rules state that the maximum hazard that can be incurred on a vehicle is D3; is this per weapon fired or per linked salvo?	"A single salvo in a single phase inflicts a single D hazard." (ADQ 6/4)
Do linked weapons count as one combined attack or two separate attacks vs. metal armor?	"Two separate attacks." (ADQ 10/1)
Do ATGs still give a D1 hazard when fired?	There are contradictory rulings on this and it isn't real clear what is more recent. Both the Compendium and UACFH state that firing a front or back mounted ATG is a D1 hazard, and that they cannot be side mounted. However, errata for the Compendium state that there is no penalty for firing front or back mounted ATGs and that you can fire them from a side mount at a D1 hazard. I am going to go with the ruling that ATGs do give a D1 hazard when fired from the front or back and cannot be side mounted.
Can flamethrowers be fired to the front arc now for no self damage?	At one point in there was a Car Wars rule that stated that when traveling over 30 mph and firing to the front with a FT would result in the firer taking damage from the weapon to their front armor. As of Pyramid #1 and thereafter, this rule is now obsolete.
If my laser hits laser-reflective metal and at half damage penetrates to non-LR plastic underneath, do I then apply the damage that got cut in half by the LR metal.	No, the damage resolution is ONLY dependent on the outside armor hit. The same is true for incendiary weapons that have reduced damage vs FP armor.
Is there any case where columns (ramps, other cars, etc. i.e. solid objects) modify the "to hit" roll?	Yes. For "hard" cover, (that is it blocks bullets like walls, not just sight like bushes) if 1/2" of your target is exposed, take a -1 (as if shooting at the front, which is 1/2") and if 1/4" of your target is exposed, take a -2, and in extreme situations where the exposed area is 1/8" or less in the determination of the referee, take a -3 as if you were shooting at a pedestrian.
Does the targeting penalty for maneuvering in the same phase apply to gunners as well as to drivers?	"Yes." (ADQ 10/3)
When two people are firing at the same car in the same phase, how is it resolved?	After firing is announced, if the same target is targeted by more than one person, roll randomly to resolve the order of the enemy fire.
What size is the counter from a fluid projector gun?	The fluid projector gun produce a counter 1/2" x 1/2", not 1" x 1". This was an official rule change and is what is written in UACFH, but is counter to what is written in CWC2.
Do the to hit rolls for projectile weapons that deploy dropped weapon counters (OGs, MFs, etc.) already include the +4 bonus for aiming at the ground?	Yes.
When a weapon in a linked set sustains fire, does it keep its bonus when the rest of the link kicks in? Do the other weapons get the bonus? In the same situation, do you get the tracer bonus if only one weapon in the link is firing tracer ammo?	"Yes, yes, and yes." (ADQ 9/1)
How exactly is scatter handled from dropped weapon projectors? What happens if the scatter puts the counter completely under a target vehicle?	First select a target point. The target point cannot be directly under a vehicle. Put the counter anywhere such that it touches the target point. Part or most of the counter may be underneath the target vehicle at this stage. Roll to hit. Move the counter as indicated by the grenade scatter rules. If the scatter is completely underneath the vehicle, move the counter as indicated by the scatter. The weapon is bouncing underneath the car as opposed to hitting it.
When do speed modifiers apply to dropped weapon projectors?	When the counter is placed, if any part of the counter is along the straight line path of the target vehicle and within 2" of the front of the target vehicle, then speed modifiers apply.
In UACFH it states that if an OPG misses, you use grenade scatter rules. In the CWC2, it states that a missed shot causes the bag to dispersed to have any effect. Which is it?	I’ll go with what is written in the CWC2.
From where do you measure range?	Use center point of the firing armor location to any point of the target. For turrets and platforms the firing armor location is the center of the counter. However, if you are aiming at a tire then it is the distance to the appropriate corner. If you are aiming at a turret, then it is the center of the counter. If you are aiming at an “out of arc” side, then it is to the center of that side.
If I shoot at an opponent's tire several times, then he turns so that tire is facing away from me, so I switch to shooting at his nearest side, do I keep the sustained fire bonus? On a similar note, if I shoot at his left side several times, then am forced to switch to shooting at his right side, do I keep the sustained fire bonus?