So, improvise, and watch you back. 'Cause there are too many Car Jockeys out there who think the only good biker is a dead one.
What follows is a guide to successful cycling in the Car Wars universe. But success means different things for different people. A successful trucker delivers his load reasonably undamaged and on time. The successful duellist is awarded prestige and prize money. A successful biker is one who is still alive.
Of course, numbers have a lot to do with this. If the Renegades have 50 bikes cruising down a two-lane highway, even the truckers are going to turn off. But if you have only 6-10 bikes to play with, you had better stick to shooting up "defenseless" civs.
A common mistake is to make neat, close formations. They sacrifice mobility for concentration of firepower, but one missed handling roll can cause headaches no pain reliever can cure. Open, fluid formations are the answer - say, one cycle per lane abreast, with at least 2" between the back of the lead bike and the front of the next. The "Five of Diamonds" - 3 bikes abreast on a three-lane highway, with one bike in front and one more in back, both in the center lane - is a popular fluid formation. Spacing the bikes in this manner will minimize the effects of dropped weapons, tear gas, and fishtails.
Never attack the front of an oncoming car unless you have no choice. Since most cars have their primary weapons mounted front (and lots of armor to protect them), unless you have lots of front armor it's game over. And as you pass your opponents, their side weapons will turn you into vulture bait. It only takes a heavy pistol to knock out a rider from the side. Of course, you could always build a cycle made especially for head-on attacks. Thirty points of front armor and three linked heavy rockets will do the trick. Popular slang for this kind of contraption is "Sui-Cycle."
Perhaps the best way to drive an attack home is the ambush. Player characters get ambushed all the time, so it seems that turning the tables should be fair. With time, money, improvised weapons, and a little imagination, it can be just as deadly as a Q-Truck. For instance ...
Zorro Lotsabucks, pro duellist, is out for a drive in the country in his imported Linguine 500. With a recoilless rifle in the turret, a minedropper, and twin front machine-guns, he fells reasonably safe. Suddenly, three cycles dart onto the road in front of him. Dodging and weaving, they fire with hand weapons. What fools, thinks Zorro, as he accelerates and sets his MGs on automatic. And then, around a sharp bend in the road, hidden (up until now) by some trees, Zorro sees more mines than he's ever seen before in his life. To make matters worse, small arms fire breaks out from the treeline. Zorro now has three options. He can brake and hope he makes his control rolls. he can drive right through (again hoping he makes his control rolls and also hoping his underbody armor holds up). Or he can try to go around the mines. Zorro chooses the third option and eases his car into the ditch. POW. Right into two 55-gallon drums filled with water. Bikers 1, Duellist 0. With any luck, they can salvage a working RR with ammo, a working minedropper with ammo, and three or four good tires, nearly $2,500 for 15 seconds' work.
Groups and Packs - Let's say you're riding with the Exterminators. They have seven bikes with two linked RLs apiece. Pretty awesome firepower, no? So what happens if something comes up behind them?
When travelling in a group it's best to sacrifice some offensive weapons and have tow or three cycles with rear-mounted or dropped weapons to cover your back. A couple of cycle/sidecar combinations with minedroppers can make most pursuers think twice. If your buddies are known for putting lasers on everything they drive, why not install a heavy smokescreen? You'll get a good laugh the first time you use it, as well as putting the plug on those three- and four-dice zappers.
Other Goodies - The Stone Killers have just smoked old Zorro Lotsabucks. They've got a RR, a minedropper, and four tires. Great! Now how are they gonna get it home? Right-o. Behind every gang lies a pickup (usually way behind, and out of the action). Put about six points of armor on each side and it shouldn't run you more than a few thousand. Throw all your spare ammo, tires, and six-packs in the back, and you're ready to roll. On the way back it holds your loot and the guys who are too shot up to ride. Even with enough painkillers and recreational pharmaceuticals to kill a moose, referees should never allow unconscious characters to ride a bike.
Buy everyone a hand weapon. Get some grenades, smoke bombs, lengths of chain, spikes, mines, and LAWs for ambushes. Don't bother with tripod weapons. They're too expensive and always the first things to get blown away. Purchase (or steal) body armor for as many characters as you can. And everyone should have a gas mask - they only cost $30, and can save you a lot of trouble.
As far as weapons go, there are a few dos and don'ts. You want a weapon that's light and does one or (preferable) two dice of damage. The rocket launcher and machine-gun are ideal, and the new High-Density MG ammo makes the MG even more attractive! Don't bother with Vulcans, flamethrowers, or lasers. They're just too heavy. Rockets are OK if you can manage to use them effectively. (The story of Louisiana cyclist Sherre Bailey in ADQ Vol. 2, No. 2, should be an inspiration to bikers everywhere.) Dropped weapons should also not be forgotten. Sidecars are very limited as to what you can do with them. Besides carrying passengers or cargo, there are only three ways to use them well:
So, improvise, and watch you back. 'Cause there are too many Car Jockeys out there who think
the only good biker is a dead one.